I know it is obvious, but you are the common denominator in your life and therefore career/business so I believe you have to be intentional about you. Who you are? Where your skills thrive? Where you can create the greatest impact? Where and how you can make money in a ways feels good and is highly valuable.

Here are some of the benefits and why elevating your personal brand would be a great project to start today...

Freedom, flexibility and financials

Since being a kid, I was determined to enjoy my life and work. I didn't want to only look forward to bank holidays or live for the weekends; I wanted to design my week with purpose and joy.

We are no longer limited to one way of working. You get to choose. You can decide how much money you make and how you make it.

No longer squeezing yourself into a box... instead designing your own

I trained as an actor at Mountview in 2000 and was awarded the Jim Broadbent scholarship. I got an agent from my West End showcase and then got two jobs back to back. However I knew that was going to be short lived. Acting is contract work. I knew I wanted to feel creative, sharp, upbeat and optimistic and quickly realised working in mind numbing 'in between' jobs wasn't going to provide those feelings. So instead of hoping and wishing that the phone would ring and putting my life on hold until the next opportunity came along; I decided to create. To blend. To begin to understand the value of my skills and to sell them. You don't have to choose one thing. You can create a fresh new blend.

Optimising and elevating your skills

There are so many opportunities available to you...

Say you were a yoga teacher in the 90s in the UK. Generally the options would be booking out the local Church/village hall and charging a fiver on the door and hoping people would have seen your post card/poster (if you were fancy) on the local noticeboard.

Now you can still do that AND have a social media presence AND be invited to host lunchtime sessions as part of a a corporate wellbeing programme. AND collaborate with your favourite yoga brand. AND build a multimedia presence on the internet that you can monetise in terms of views and welcomes a flurry of people you have never met to your work... who may pay you.

Build a life first business model

We are not all neat 9-5ers. We need to work with our circumstances, personalities and capacity.

During the last 25 years, my 'roles' have mainly remained the same (obviously improved and elevated); however my life has always adapted. There are times where I have had energy, freedom and very few responsibilities. Equally there have been times of ill health, grief, uncertainty, 2020(!) pregnancy, stress, postpartum, raising kids, moving house etc etc. My personal brand can expand when I have capacity and reduce when life needs me more. For example during August, I like to be with my kids as much as possible, however in September when they are back at school, I have more capacity.

The magic of you

I want to celebrate it all... Your skills, your story, your perspective, your flavour, your journey, your blend of knowledge, your talents, your personality, the way that only you do it etc etc.

I make money from acting, coaching, speaking, writing, content, collaborations, live events, affiliates etc etc.

On paper; it could look confused. Are you a 'Jack of all trades and master of none?"

In fact, in this climate I believe the opposite. I am multifaceted, sharp and always evolving.

Show the internet, what you can do darling...

Spoken like a true pageant Mom. I am not actually pageant Mom in real life but I can bring that energy whenever you need it. I want you to show your work. Share your message. Get to the front. Impact millions. Tell stories. Inspire the next generation. All.Of.It.