Here’s an idea that I guarantee you will grow your personal brand…and your wallet if you’re willing to put in the time: WORK FOR FREE!

Yes, I said it….but I’ll say it again because I’m really passionate about this approach to growing brands….WORK FOR FREE!

This is why, as we start the new year, I wanted to do an episode about this concept.

It works and I am proof of it.

To get behind this idea, you have to understand that you’re only as good…or great…as the people that know you!

That’s right!

So many people I interact with today think that the minute they want to put themselves out into the world as a personal brand, success happens overnight.

WELL THE TRUTH IS THIS!

Becoming an overnight sensation is a fallacy! In fact, there’s an old joke that it takes 10-years to become an overnight sensation. It’s actually not a joke! It takes years for novel ideas to gain widespread acceptance, dispel old behaviors, and filter down into actual daily practices.  I often say that branding is a “marathon” and products are “sprints”. Patience becomes a very important trait to embrace as you craft your personal brand.

When I left my corporate career behind at age 50, many people thought I truly lost my mind. They would say things to me such as:
Why would you walk away from all the money you’re making to start over?
Your 50 years old…why can’t you just right ride out the last phase of your life?
Is your wife really on board with this?…as if I needed her permission to live my own life.

Here’s the deal:
I absolutely loved my 25 year corporate brand marketing career….but I wanted to leave a legacy of IMPACTING people, not brands.

AND IN ORDER TO DO THIS….

I needed to go and do something seismic, like quitting my career, without a definitive plan. I guess you can say that’s the CATALYST in me. I knew in my heart that this was the ONLY way to give myself a kick-in-the-ass to figure out how to bring my legacy to life.

AND…I WAS FULLY PREPARED TO ENACT THE FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPT I LEARNED FROM CRAFTING POWERFUL IDENTITES FOR SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC BRANDS…AND IT’S THIS:

DO FREE WORK TO GET PAID WORK….

I’ve even given a name to this FREE WORK TO GET PAID WORK concept…I’ve coined it “The Costco Sampling Method.”

I can’t tell you how many times people tell me how much they love going to Costco because of all the FREE samples they give out. In fact, People literally shop at Costco during lunchtime and eat their way up and down the aisles for FREE.

Here’s the deal!

Costco isn’t giving away FREE food because they have extra lying around. The brands know very well that you’re more likely to PURCHASE the product if they put it in your mouth…

AND this is exactly the method I’ve been doing for the past three years to build both my personal brand and my business venture, SCORE, around my ‘One Word’ concept.

Now please don’t get me wrong….we all need to make a living so we can exist in this world and I fully understand this. However, as you start crafting your personal brand, I’m simply asking my listeners to think of themselves as a “BRAND” that you would buy in a place like COSTCO. If you want to drive awareness of both yourself and your business venture, then I strongly encourage you to consider trying “The Costco Sampling Method.”

I promise you it works and here’s why: MONEY FOLLOWS VALUE.

After three years of sampling my ‘One Word’ concept, I’m starting to generate MONEY because each individual I work with can see the VALUE of discovering their ‘One Word’ so they can craft their personal brand around what they give away to improve the lives of others – that being their core value…using just ‘One Word’! They experience my core value as a CATALYST to help them discover theirs.

I would like to share 5 ways you can drive revenue by doing FREE work, like I do as a CATALYST, for my SCORE business venture:

Go out and speak live – or virtually – so you can inspire audiences with your unique value. In 2019, I hustled and landed 40 speaking gigs; I received a stipend for about 30% of them.

Create a link to give away a FREE 30-minute one-on-one consultation so you can showcase your expertise! The more people that experience the passion behind your initiative, the more buzz they will generate for you…and the easier it becomes to sell your program. I do on average about 20 FREE consults per week.

Select key people you believe can help you strategically move your brand forward and give them your program for FREE. In exchange, invite them on your podcast, if you have one, so you can share their stories. This is a very effective strategy for me.

Barter your services for something in return that will evolve your brand. For example, I helped a young entrepreneur craft her brand foundation around her ‘One Word’ core value and in return, she helped me develop my sales funnel strategy. A true win-win for both of us and something people will absolutely do if you offer this option.

Offer to become an advisor to companies that are in the industry you want to build your brand around. Since my passion is to help young entrepreneurs craft both their personal brands and their business ventures around their ‘One Word core value, I am an advisor to multiple start-ups. In return for my branding expertise, they offer referrals in the form of clients and paid speaking opportunities that help drive awareness of my ‘One Word’ concept.

I’ll finish this episode by asking you to think of the last time you tried a sample of something amazing. I’ll bet that not only did you buy it, but you also shared your finding with friends and family.

That’s my challenge to you all as we begin 2021…SAMPLE yourself by showcasing your core value if you want to craft a winning personal brand. In other words:

DO FREE WORK TO GET PAID WORK!
I’m Rich Keller, the CATALYST, and see you next time on The CATALYST Effect.