From Overlooked to Unforgettable: Building a Brand Rooted in Purpose

What does it take to be seen, known, and remembered for who you truly are? In this episode of Going Beyond the Image, brand strategist Turiya Hodge shares how purpose-driven entrepreneurs can build confidence, embrace visibility, and create brands that reflect their authentic selves. As founder of Myabah Consulting Services, she helps women entrepreneurs gain clarity, own their expertise, and confidently share their stories.

If you've ever struggled to own your expertise or show up fully in your purpose, this episode is for you.

Transcript

Why Hiding Breaks Your Business

SPEAKER_01 0:00

You know, it's so easy. And I see this, and this is why um I love working with you know my divine clients because there's an underpinning, right? They all have the heart to serve others, and so sometimes we can lose ourselves when we, you know, show up for others and we want success for others, and we're doing all the things, but in the background, we're almost muted, you know, and so I've had to learn, you know, on this journey that in order to really make my business work, I can't hide. You know, I too am required to show up. So just as much as I help others show up, I have to show up for myself as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

I'm your host and founder of Gobi Marketing Group Loanne Lake. In each episode, I sit down with leaders and executives who are walking their talk, who understand that branding is behavior, culture, and service, both inside their organizations and out in the community. These are conversations about what it takes to build trust, inspire teams, and create meaningful impact in today's world. So whether you're leading a company, a nonprofit, or a movement, this show will help you to reconnect with why you're doing the work that you do, how it connects to who you are, and how you show up with intention in every space you occupy as a leader. So

Meet Turia And Grounded Identity

SPEAKER_00 1:50

let's get started. Today I'm joined by Turia Hodge, founder of Mayaba Consulting Services and creator of the Serve Share Shine movement. Turia helps purpose-driven women entrepreneurs move from being overlooked to becoming visible, confident, and aligned in how they show up in the marketplace. Through brand strategy, messaging, and storytelling, she empowers women to own their expertise, share their stories, and attract what she calls their divine client that they are uniquely called to serve. What I love about Turia's work is that she doesn't simply teach marketing. She helps people to reconnect with who they are so they can show up more authentically in every space they occupy. Today we'll be exploring the Gobi pillar of grounded identity. And that's what happens when your brand becomes an extension of your purpose rather than a performance for others to see. So let's welcome Turia. How are you, my friend?

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Well, thank you so much, Loran, for inviting me to sit down with you on the Go Beyond the Image podcast. I just love the work that you're doing. I've had the opportunity to catch a few of the episodes. So it's been, it's my honor and my pleasure to have this time with you today.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Thank you. But we're happy to have you. And the the viewers are gonna see some of the real moments because we're having some, for me, I'm having some issues with my camera and my line of sight. So hopefully that is we're able to fix

Island Roots And A Service Mindset

SPEAKER_00 3:17

that. So I've I love to ask my guests where home is for you, whether it's where you're from originally and where you currently live.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

As you know, Louen, I hail from the beautiful island of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. And currently I reside in Baltimore. So I'm in Baltimore, Maryland, right now. But I get a chance to do what I call the half and half. And so the beautiful thing that I'm enjoying in this season of my life is being able to spend half of the year here in the Baltimore area and then the other half in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. So I'm an early snowbird.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

I was about to say, you're what we grew up calling a snowbird. And that that's the life I think most of us from the crew from the islands dream of having at some point in our lives where we're not bound to the winter months and we have the opportunity to go where the sun is always up for the part of the year. Would you say your upbringing in the Virgin Islands played a role in the type of career you had or in the type of entrepreneur that you are today?

SPEAKER_01 4:22

The answer to the question is yes. So when we talk about upbringing, being able to just have values and being able to grow up, you know, with um a culture that's rich in helping others. So I came from that background. My dad, you know, is an educator. I always say is, even though he's retired. And so I've always grew up watching, you know, my dad serve the not just in the school system, but others in the community that way with his gifting. Um, I look at my mom, you know, my mom has always been, she always is, that person who jumps in right away and says, How can I help? What can I do, you know, for others? And so I think that gave me a strong foundation for the person that I am today. You know, even when I worked in my in the corporate space, even in my business today, those set of values still carry through and it's the underpinning of everything that I did.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

I love that.

Learning Social Media The Hard Way

SPEAKER_00 5:18

And how did you get into social media marketing? Because you've been in this game for a very long time, even before I would say, I would dare to say at the start or the emergence of social media, that's where I learned that you were in this space. So can you tell us how you got into it? And was it through your studies or something else that drew you to the field?

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Not through my studies. So when I shared the beginning part of my entrepreneurial journey, I always I could laugh at it now, but I always shared that I was that person who was fast tracking in corporate America, but did not like it. I love the work that I did, but I had some issues, you know, with companies that I've worked for a particular one. And so what I decided in my own brilliance is just to step out into entrepreneurship. I heard of this thing that's called entrepreneurship. It sounded really cool. Everyone was running around talking about the time freedom at the time. And I was just like, oh yeah, I could do that. And I stepped into it and I had no idea, no clue what you were in for what I was in for, what I was doing. But one of the things that intrigued me was the social media. And I I told I tell people all the time, I was not that person who was attracted to social media in the beginning. So I was never on MySpace and all of those other sites that came out. I wasn't either. Yeah. So even when Facebook came out, I was just like, who wants to get on that? Who wants to get on Twitter? I have no desire to post what I'm doing every minute of my day. Like, that's so not me. But when I stepped into this space, I started to see social media different. And what I saw was an opportunity. So, like I said, I was that person who left corporate, didn't leave with a plan. So I don't advise people to do that. Have a plan if you're transitioning. So I didn't leave with a plan. So the opportunity that I saw with social media is that it gave me the chance to build, grow, position my business in, you know, just like other players, but it was free. And so I learned to do a lot of things on social that other companies had to pay big dollars for. And I was just like, oh, this is gonna be something big. And so I came into the social media space when people thought that social media was a trend. But it was gonna be something that was gonna go away. And as I started to learn, you know, these strategies and put put in place things that allowed me to grow my business, I just started sharing them with other entrepreneurs. And that's how I literally got started in social media. It just intrigued me.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Wow. Well, that's great. That is really wonderful. And you know, I chuckled to myself when you talked about MySpace because I I never did any of those things either. And quite frankly, when Facebook came out, I remember everybody was posting, or maybe it was Twitter, everybody was posting food. And I'm just I couldn't get with it. It was either cats or their food, and I had zero interest in either. I feel as though I forced myself to learn it. Maybe I think I came on the scene about three or four years after Facebook was already launched because I realized that if I didn't learn how to do it, I would become obsolete in my career. So it was, I am such a late adopter. Like I was dragged to the, to the to the game just so I could stay current. But I just I smiled when you said my space because that was early 2000s, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

2000, um, people were doing, like I said, a lot of things. I could consume cat videos. I love cat videos, I still watch cat videos, but to just give people the opportunity to see um my life from every you know aspect of it, I was just like, oh, that's not me. So I too felt that it was intrusive. But one of the things, like I said, that I picked up on is that as an entrepreneur, like I noticed that I was doing a lot of things, you know, particularly networking and going to networking events, driving from place to place. And what really stood out for me is that people were literally checking me out after networking events. Yeah. So, you know, I had and I share this story all the time. So please allow me to share it very briefly. So we all know we, you know, if you're networking, you know, there's a process. You go to a networking event, if you're really prepared, you identify like your five or six people that you want to meet. I had a process. I would get the business cards, write notes on the business cards. I had my nice little email template that I would come back after the networking event, sit down, email people, all of that stuff, send it out and say, Hey, can we have a conversation? Cricket. So I ain't nobody answering that email. People ducking you because every everything that goes on is like, oh, she's trying to sell me something. But what I started to pay attention to, even though I had um a Facebook account and I had a LinkedIn account that I wasn't really utilizing for business, people were going to those social media accounts and they were sending connection requests and they were sending um friend requests. And so that gave me an idea. So, oh, before people get on the phone with you, they really want to know who you are. Who they're talking to. Who they're talking to. And so I tell everyone I had some cleaning up to do, and so that was the first insight clean up your profile. So I started to clean up my stuff, and then I was just like, this is such a great opportunity for me to network and connect with people, you know, before we have a conversation, even after we have a conversation. So I started to see social media as this wonderful tool.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

I love that, and I hope that people who are listening to this will take some notes because, folks, we have a real expert in the field. As I said, she has been working in the social media realm from the early 2000s, I would say, mid-2000s, and has really developed a grasp of how to position yourself in a very organic way so you're not purchasing followers and having to do those things. It's about identifying the people who need to hear your message so that you're not just randomly throwing time away or throwing money to see where it sticks. Um, so I really hope that you're taking

From Exposure Fear To Authentic Presence

SPEAKER_00 12:08

notes. So, why don't you tell our listeners a little bit more and our viewers a little bit more about your business, Mayaba Consulting, and the type of work you do and the clients that you serve.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

This season, I have the pleasure of working with purpose-driven women, coaches, consultants, and experts. And where I choose to help hang my hat is helping them be able to shine on social media. And so when we talk about shining on social media, is being able to show up, you know, um, in your true authentic self, honey in, get clarity on who you serve and how you serve, being able to showcase your um influence so you could create impact in the world. And then my favorite is to be able to nurture and build relationships and ultimately create relationships or experiences around our branding. And so I get a chance to really work with women, like I said, to show up in their authenticity, not just take a look at social media as just one thing or another thing that they have to do in their business, but how do you really use it to become attractive? How do you really use it to attract those people that you are purposed to serve? How do you get your messaging out into the marketplace? And so this um is the fun thing that I get a chance to do because I know there's a lot of head stuff that goes on. People think it's just the technology, it's not just technology, is the stories, is the the limiting, you know, thoughts that we have in our mind. Because once again, if especially if you're a woman over 50, you're really not accustomed to this type of exposure that social media brings. And so a lot of women tend to what I call hide or tend to shy away because they really don't understand how to use the platform. So I get the pleasure to work with women through that.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Yes. And it it you hit on something very true because you know, we hear a lot about the different generations. I think Gen X, we're the first ones to kind of dabble in technology because we were around when the word, you know, the Microsoft Word and all these things popped up. Um, but at the same token, we came from analog technology. It wasn't anything really video. I remember the days when I was on the phone with my friends in high school saying, I wish I could see who I was talking to, you know, and it went that hit me some time ago. And I said, Well, we're actually living that now and to the point where I forget to do video phone calls just to chat with people because I'm so used to picking up the phone and talking with it to my ear versus on a camera having just an everyday conversation, you know. And so there are a lot of us who are, as you said, we're so used to doing things either behind the scenes in our lives or even if we're having careers that are forward-facing, it wasn't with a video camera in front of your face where you have to be or feel like you're on all the time. So there is a bit of an adjustment period for sure. So, you know, you present very confidently. And when people see the confident brand strategist and entrepreneur that you are today, they probably assume that you've always known what you wanted to do and you were always this person. Can you take us back for a moment and just talk about who you were before you got into business, before all of this visibility? Like, were you a shy person? Were you someone who tended to be out and on and in front?

SPEAKER_01 15:52

True story. I'm an introvert. And when I share or I tell people I'm an introvert, everyone goes, no way. But I'm really an introverted person. So I am that person who could absolutely sit in a room and watch people all day long and have the best time of my life doing that. But that doesn't really work so well for business. And so that's what really gave me the idea of being able to show up because I had to learn how to show up for myself. You know, it's so easy, and I see this, and this is why I love working with, you know, my divine clients, because there's an underpinning, right? They all have the heart to serve others, and so sometimes we can lose ourselves when we, you know, show up for others and we want success for others, and we're doing all the things, but in the background, we're almost muted, you know, and so I've had to learn, you know, on this journey that in order to really make my business work, I can't hide. You know, I too am required to show up. So just as much as I help others show up, I have to show up for myself as well. And so those um that that's just a little bit about me. So if you give me the opportunity, you know, I am an introvert, but you know, I have extroverted tendencies, so I plan to show up. Plan to show up.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Well, I would say extrovert very well and very comfortably because no one would know that this was something you had to actually prepare for. But I like to ask these kinds of questions because oftentimes, you know, like I said, for those of us that are public-facing in our work, people assume that it's easy. And, you know, as you know, I'll just give this plug for you. You know, I utilize Touria services as I was preparing for my podcast. And somebody might say, But Loanne, you're a journalist, you've worked in PR. Why do you need a coach? Because as a journalist for over 25 years, I interview people for sure, but it's off-camera. I'm on the, you know, we might do a Zoom call to connect. I'm writing, my stories are on in print, whether in a traditional publication or online, but there's no video of me doing my work. So there was a preparation process to get comfortable with being on camera on a regular basis, making sure I knew how to, you know, fix my face, not fidget, all these things and just even the production part of putting a podcast together. And Turia walked me and several other students through the process because you had to start intellectually first with your mindset, believe it or not, and get comfortable before you even start to put one word on a page to be able to do a script. So I wanted to put that little plug in there because, you know, it it may come off natural when we do it, but it's because we had to practice, we had to prepare. Not everybody can just whip out a camera and start talking, and it looks like they've done this their entire lives. So there is a skill required, there is a learning process, and and I'm glad that you know we're sharing that for those that may have considered this as something they may want to do.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

So, my next question for you, you wanted to say something? Yeah, I'm gonna go back before we jump into the next question because I think what you uh highlighted on there was so important that sometimes I think gets overlooked a lot of times. It's not just the preparation, but giving ourselves the opportunity to do something, you know, enough times that it starts to become, you know, natural for us. So I'll share my story with you, Laurent. One of the things that when we reconnected, you said to me, Oh my gosh, you're so consistent. And I always get taken back when people say those words to me, you're so consistent. And I was just like, Wow, that's what people are attaching to my brand is consistency. But how but how did I become consistent? I had to plan. So one of the the things I believe is my strong suit is being able to strategically break things down step by step. Because, like I said, I am you know an introverted person. I can't drive down the street with the video camera doing the lives. Some people could do that, not me. So, what did it take for me to show up every week to do my podcast? I had to break it down into these small steps and execute on the small steps. And at the time doing that, I didn't realize that I was building out processes that I have today that I shared with others. These were just questions that I had, you know, for myself when I realized the places that I got stuck, the things that I couldn't do, you know, um, because fear showed up in my mind. How do I make these things, you know, so easy that I could do them? And so what I always share with everyone, it is a journey. And so being able to just start where you are, you know, uh and prepare as much as you can, things are always going to shift, but how can you start where you are, break things down, and as you continue on to the journey, what am I learning and what am I applying? And just keep building in the small steps. I didn't want that piece to be overlooked because a lot of times people, you know, think that you arrive at a place. You don't arrive at a place, you journey through that.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

You journey there. And I agree. I have quite a few entrepreneur friends that I met them at the start of their business journey. And I see them now almost 20 years later. And they, you know, to those that just discovered them, it looks like, oh my gosh, they've got this business so together. And the the branding, the packaging, the work that they do, be it yoga or skincare or something else. But I remember when they were just getting started and it was such a trial and error process, you know. And or I have another friend who she left her PR career to become an interior designer doing um full finishing. And actually, her work is behind me here on the wall. And shout out to Leslie Nesbitt of Rhythmic Walls. And she always used to say, Life is too short for beige. So she just lives in vivid color. But I remember when she was starting and she was the one that first introduced me to Pinterest. I'm like, what is that? You know, and she just learned and built, but you see her now, and her work has been featured on HGTV, and she's got murals and things that she's painted and decorated in buildings across the country. Somebody might say, Oh, she's so lucky, you know, but it just there's a process and it takes time. So I'm I'm glad that we're able to highlight that that for our listeners.

The Zipline Moment And Vulnerability

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Um, was there a defining experience or season in your life, Taria, that forced you to really say, hmm, how am I showing up in the world? Do I need to make a shift in my personal brand?

SPEAKER_01 23:28

True story. I went on a retreat, did a zipline, and got stuck in the zipline.

unknown 23:34

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

And I was stuck on that zip line um about 600 feet in the air for six hours. Oh my god. Okay. That experience really gave me an insight to how I showed up in the world. So I wasn't stuck in that tree by myself. I was stuck in the tree with others. But I was the only one freaking out and losing my mind. I was not a happy camper, and I apologize. I still profusely apologize to anyone who was in that tree with me that I was unkind to on that day. But one of the things, I always have great people in my corner. And I started to unpack the experience with one of my mentors. So shout out to Suzanne Hart, who helped me uncover this or walk through this. Um, she asked me a question and it was really a serious question. So you weren't the only person in the tree. You were the only one freaking out though. So why didn't you ask for help? You know, and that was my first insight that you know what? I wouldn't show up perfect all the time. Yes. You know, I don't want people to see my mess, you know. I don't want people, you know, because I'm like I said, I'm not in the social media space. You know, I have social media Saturdays, I get on and I smile, you know, every week. So no one really had the opportunity to see me in a bad moment. And that was a bad moment. And so that was my first look in the mirror around um authenticity, around vulnerability. It that moment required for me to be vulnerable, and I couldn't do it. And so I had to really go and study, you know, um, vulnerability. And I spent some years like just unpacking, you know, what the what what is that? You know, what is it, you know, in my past experiences that didn't allow me to be vulnerable, feeling like I had to show up a certain way to be perfect. And once I understood that, that become became the foundation of the work that I do.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Well, thank you for being honest and for sharing that. And, you know, I I feel like this will help someone who listens, who's thinking, you know, I've always wanted to do such and such, but I'm not there yet. And, you know, as I've learned from working with you, as I've learned in my own my own path, you just have to start. You know, someone sent me a message several months ago. It said, um, just start, you can become perfect later, or something to that effect. And I I kept it with me because, like you, you know, you keep waiting for the perfect time, for everything to align, for all the all the fear to be gone and all the nervousness to be gone. And it it doesn't. I mean, over time, yes, you get more comfortable. But I will say in my first several recordings, I was like a duck. You know, they're calm on the top, but the feet are like this, and I was sweating, but nobody would know it. But I think it's just you making yourself available to people for them to see you as you are. It is a very uncomfortable feeling. But once you start to grow in yourself, it's just, you know, as my producer told me, the reason people like podcasts versus hard news is you don't have to sit there and just not move. You don't have to, because I, you know, I'd be afraid to fidget or slouch a little. And he's like, but people want to see real people. And the difference between a broadcast and a podcast is that it's it's you as you are versus having to maintain this set image for the duration of the program. So it's a learning process, but it's it's a it's a great thing, I think, to realize that I don't have to have it all together to start to share my knowledge. You know, when you go back and watch people who have become the the ones that we all follow, they all have that initial footage that's really raw, you know, and probably not the greatest lighting, probably not the right attire or things that would um affect the quality of the broadcast, but they put themselves out there anyway.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

That I wanted to even just go back a little bit more and highlight about showing up where you are. So it doesn't mean that we don't strive, you know, for excellence. So I like that you shared is like um you could be perfect later. What I usually say is do your best today. Right? So every day you get up, you do your best, and then what you do is come back tomorrow and then you make your best better. The the beauty in it though is that number one, showing up where you are, how you are, in that moment, you get a chance to free other people because there's someone out there who's probably stuck in their mind. Okay, and you showing up where you are, you know, flaws and all, let's that person know that they're not alone. Right, you know, that they could relate. The second part to it is as a servant leader, I always jump in to spaces where I see I could help others, but once again, is the vulnerability of it. Okay, so I've also had to learn to show up just as I am, and for others who could pour into me, give them the opportunity, allow them the opportunity to pour into me as well and my growth. Okay. And so there's beauty on both sides. So you get the opportunity to help others where you are in your journey, and then you know, for you, you allow others to help you grow in your journey as well.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

And I have the quote that's sticking with me is come back tomorrow and make your best better. I I really love that. Um, so we're going to shift a little bit more to learn about your work and your journey.

Clear Strategy Beats Copycat Marketing

SPEAKER_00 29:57

How have you how have you been able to distinguish yourself in a crowded field of social media experts over the years?

SPEAKER_01 30:05

I I think my distinguishing factor, and I was noodling on this this week, is the strategies. And not just looking and applying things that we see other people doing in the marketplace, but really understanding number one, why? Why is that particular strategy necessary? Who is that strategy for? And how does that strategy apply to the individual? Because one of the things that I know is that once again, if we don't understand what it is that we're doing, if we don't have clarity. So I'm just gonna use that word because that covers everything. So if we don't have clarity around um who we are first, we don't have clarity around who we're purposed to serve, we don't have clarity in what we want our business to look like, clarity in our message or messaging, all of the things that you're trying to do is gonna feel heavy. And chances are you're probably not gonna do it. So my sweet spot is being able to not poke holes in the the things that I see, but let's go ahead and explore the gap. Okay, why why this here? What's missing? What's not being talked about, you know, in this particular space? And then how can, you know, an individual, how can a coach, you know, take the the same strategy, but make that strategy applicable to them and what they're doing based on the goals that they have in their business?

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Excellent. And so, you know, you've you've worked, you're you said you said you're working with purpose-driven women who I'm sure have incredible expertise, but they hesitate to put themselves out front. What fears would you say tend to show up most when people begin stepping into greater visibility?

SPEAKER_01 32:05

The the the fear of being seen. It's the perfection. Okay, so how would people perceive me if I don't have it all together? Will will I lose clients because I'm less than perfect? The real story that you want to share, if I share that story, you know, would it damage my brand? Like if people, you know, knew that, you know, um, I had a tough season a year ago, which like literally almost put me into a depression. And for a whole year, I didn't market my business for a whole year. Okay, when I share that with people like Terea, the surf share shine social media Saturdays, what is she talking about? But yes, okay. So being able to show up and just be real and have those conversations, the real, real conversations. Like I said, so the people who you are purpose to serve, those people find you because people are looking. So people aren't just on social media looking at cat videos and food. People are searching for community. They want to know that whatever it is that they're doing in their life, what whatever journey they're on, they're not journeying alone, that there's others. And they're not just others, that there is a trusted guide that gets them. That person who has the same value alignment because once again, there's more than one way to get to the destination. Okay, so it's not really the destination that people are concerned about, they're concerned about the journey. So we all want to get to the destination, but the how we get to this, the destination may not be the same. I don't want to get to my destination at by any means necessary, because there are certain things that I don't want to sacrifice to get to the destination. And so once I show up as who I am and those people who I'm destined to serve, purpose to serve, we have the same value and alignment, then the journey becomes juicier, the journey becomes better, you know? And so I think like that's the the biggest thing, if I would say, you know, um, in the work is just a very rich spots, very rich response.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Um, and it kind of segues into this next question, which is have you ever felt pressured to become a different version of yourself in order to be successful?

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Yes.

Stop Comparing And Review Your Vision

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Again, that is always the challenge. Okay. So uh one of the things that um I used to question is why does it seem like everybody else is moving faster than I am? And I'm pretty sure that, you know, there are a lot of you know, people out there, women, men alike, who ask the same question. It seems like everybody's moving, like um light years ahead of me and my business. I should be further along. That's the one thing that I heard, yeah, I hear all the time from my women, right? I should be further along by now. And so it's that comparison. And I too really had to sit back and look at it and say, well, no, I'm building something and I'm building different, okay? And it my picture is not gonna look, and I'm okay with that. It's not gonna look like somebody else's picture. But you know what? When I get up and I look at my vision, I review my vision every day, how well am I working towards my vision? You know, am I feeling fulfilled on the journey when I take a look at the things and the people that matter to me? How well, you know, am I in alignment, you know, with that? And can I tell the moments when I'm beginning to stray? And then how well do I come back? And so it's that being able to chart our own journey as um as you as people would say, you know, being able to chart your own course and then have the courage. And that's the the other word. Have the courage to be like, you know what, it's okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

Yes. And I one thing I just took away from what you said was that you you review your vision daily. And that's that's a that's a lesson for me too. That's something that I I need to incorporate into my business or just into my life, is just not having the vision but keeping it inside. It's you know, reminding yourself every day, like what is the purpose that I'm focusing all of this energy for and making it a part of your everyday.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

You know, I tell people record it. Ah you know, grab your phone, you know, you just record it and play it back. Record it and just hit playback in your voice notes like every morning, you know, as you wake. And that keeps me, that simple practice just keeps me in alignment, like, oh, you know, this is what I'm building, this is what I'm working towards. Okay. And so just that simple practice just keeps it in front of you.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

That is excellent advice. And I mean, we all have a recorder on our phone. So again, folks, you know, we're not offering complicated things that you have to go buy equipment to do. It's using what you have right there in your possession to just step a little bit further out of your comfort zone and just start to do the do the daily habits that will help you to succeed in your business or if it's a nonprofit or even in your life. Just, you know, you might have a vision for your life and things in your personal development. And so when we talk about branding here, it's not just for people who have businesses. Every person has a brand. And once you're online, you're creating a brand, whether you do it intentionally or unintentionally. So you might as well err on the side of being being the one who puts out the message you want people to receive about

Personal Branding Is Stories And Experience

SPEAKER_00 38:15

you. Um, so we're gonna shift into the section that we talk about authentic branding lessons. And within the Gobi podcast, you know, Gobi is going beyond the image, which usually people think of the visuals of their brand. But one of the reasons why I invited you to join me today is, you know, when I say grounded identity, Taria, you have spoken so well about the living authentically, making sure that what you do in your professional life aligns with how you operate in your personal life. And so that's something I want to delve a little bit more into. What would you say to an up-and-coming leader about how they show up in their personal and their professional lives? So, and I go by saying, would you agree that it should look the same in both realms?

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Because if, and and that's the alignment. So if you show up in your personal life one way and then you try to make a business look another way, in my opinion, eventually is only a matter of time that the tr the crash and burn is gonna happen. Okay. So it's about being true to who we are. So I I say this all the time. One of the um the the principles or the values that I hold to one of my values is serving. And when I really started to answer that same question for myself, Loan, I had to get real clear about what it is. And in the beginning, it was the the thing that I was just like, oh no, um this this isn't gonna work. It needs to be something else. And I started to feel bad about it. And then I really said, you know what, Taria? Like your value is you really believe that we are all here to serve. Like, that's why we're on the planet. And I started to go back and I started to look back at the thread of my life. So when I was in corporate America, the reason I got in trouble is because I wanted to help. And I saw things that I could do to help, and I showed up that way. Unfortunately, um, leaders, managers, that wasn't what my role entailed. So why are you doing that? Right. And so I had to learn like when I step into this journey, don't shy away from serving. So, how am I going to show up and I'm going to serve in every opportunity that I have? And so now when I talk about serving for other entrepreneurs out there, it's not about giving your services away for free, you know, because sometimes people mistake that word, serving, you know, it's not that, but in everything that you do, how do you seek to serve? And that's how I walk through the world. And so why should my business be any different? Business isn't any different, okay? Because if if you try to be someone in one space and then somebody else in the other space, there's gonna be such misalignment. And the word that I use early before is fulfillment. That fulfillment that you think that you um want, you're not gonna have it because you're out of alignment.

SPEAKER_00 41:45

Agreed. And, you know, one of my questions for you with that, which I think you may have already answered, was what do you think people get wrong about brand about personal branding? I'd love to get your thoughts. If there's anything extra you wanted to share, you know, you've already broken it down so eloquently, but is there anything, you know, when people hear the word brand, they don't often think of experiences. They often think of a visual, a physical thing that represents a person or company or whatever. What is there something else you think that people get wrong or don't fully understand about personal branding?

SPEAKER_01 42:21

Said my word. So the E in shine stands for experiences, and your personal branding is all about your experiencing or otherwise known as your stories. Okay, so how do you use um your stories, these experiences that you had on your journey to once again allow your people to see who you are and how you show up? And so a lot of times people think the personal brand, it's all about being, you know, perfect. And so I'm gonna, like you said, the branding materials, but I'm gonna go away from the branding materials, is also about the messaging.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:07

Okay, so how do you communicate? How are you walking through the world? So when people um encounter you, do you always have to have, you know, the perfect answer? My space is the so the social media space. So when we write our content and we show up on social, is it that I've arrived here at this place and now I am the the perfect strategist, and this is what people see. So how or read or see on the videos? So how well do we incorporate our experiences or our stories? How well can we show people that you know what? Okay, and now I've come through my own journey, my own experiences, and these are the things that I learned. So somebody Have the same experiences, but the lessons could be different. Yes. Okay. So the lessons is what we take and we give back to our people. Okay. Those things become your unique journey. They become your unique frameworks. This is the language, this is the language in MySpace. It becomes your unique framework, your unique methodology. All of those things go into the personal branding. And so I've seen people go and work with brand coaches, and they come up with ideas and frameworks and all of this stuff because it sounds cute, but people can't live into it because it's not really them. They're not giving themselves the opportunity to tap in, you know, to themselves truly.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Oh, you've heard it here from a proven expert. And I really hope that what she what Taria said resonates with those that are

Saying No When Values Do Not Fit

SPEAKER_00 45:00

listening. Um, we're coming down to the end of our time together, and one of the things I would love to hear from you is is there a leadership decision that you made that may have tested your values? And if so, what did you learn from it?

SPEAKER_01 45:14

That's a good um question. One leadership decision that I made that tested my values. Um, if you ask me what's coming to mind right now is getting clear on who my people are. So I have um a term that I use that's called a divine client, and being able to anchor into that and say, you know what, this is you know who I serve, okay? And being willing to say, you know, other opportunities or yeah, yeah, it's not the opportunity um for me, and just being okay, you know, with that. And it it's uh it's a thing that I've learned like all opportunities sound good on the outside, but not every opportunity is best opportunity, you know, for you. Because once again, if you are doing something and you're required to be somebody that you're not, and you're it's taking you away from your value system, then that's not the opportunity, you know, for you. So I've learned to do an assessment, I've learned to take things really slow, like have conversations, okay, and really spend some time thinking, you know, uh about the opportunity before you say yes to the opportunity, because there was a time where every opportunity sounded good. And I've been like, yeah, sure, I could do that. And then I get into the middle of it and be like, oh no, not quite, you know. So just being able to slow down and take that time and make sure that there's value alignment, first of all. And then just knowing who you're called to serve.

SPEAKER_00 47:15

Well, excellent. And um, before we go into our rapid fire, I just have one more thing for you. What does living your brand look like when no one is watching?

SPEAKER_01 47:25

No sleeves. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

I'm sitting here admiring the physique. I'm like, Turia is just killing it right now on camera. You know, it's it's just, and thank you for that, you know. Um, and I asked that question too, because again, and we touched on it before, you know, the tagline for this podcast is how leaders live their brand. And one of the things that led me to using this topic as my first podcast is um just watching the news headlines and seeing so many business owners or executives in the C-suite having their company and their revenue and their hard-earned reputation crash and burn because of one slip of judgment or something they may have been doing that they knew was wrong, but they thought they wouldn't get caught on. And it's important in leadership that we do what we ask the people working for us and with us to do. And so, as we've said before, how you show up in the workplace should mirror who you are in your personal life. And granted, we're not saying bring your whole life to work because there may be things in your personal lifestyle that don't need to show up in your career. But what we're what we're encouraging is that you don't have to live a double life. You don't have to become a secret agent to have one persona at home and another persona when you show up in your workplace. We're saying that who you are should be, it should feel so good to you that you want to be yourself. And yes, there are parts of your life that will remain private, but for the most part, if somebody encountered you at work, if they encountered you in your personal life, the the feedback would be the same, or it should be somewhere in the spectrum of sameness, not wait, what? I I don't know that side of that person because when I encounter them, I get X. That's what we're talking about. Not saying that your whole life has to be on display, you know, and everyone's in your business or anything like that, but just that you're not having to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or, you know, whoever your comparison might be in today's terms, that you're almost a new person when you get into one section of your life versus the other. So that's really what we're talking about here today. So Turia, I have totally enjoyed this conversation. It's been very, very informative and very eye-opening, I think, even for me as a seasoned professional to hear some of your insights.

Rapid Fire And How To Support

SPEAKER_00 49:58

So we're gonna close out with our rapid fire segment. I do this with every guest. It's a quick segment called Beyond the Image. So there are no wrong answers, just the real ones. And I'm gonna start now. What is one value or belief that keeps you grounded no matter what role or title you hold? Show up to serve. Show up to serve. Okay, excellent. And what is one practice perhaps that keeps you aligned with the leader you want to be? It could be spiritual, exercise, something else. What is a a daily practice that you do that keeps you aligned as a leader?

SPEAKER_01 50:31

My daily practice, um, I have a couple. So definitely it's reviewing my vision. Like I said, I stay in touch with my vision on a regular basis. But I always journal, I journal too, you know, and journaling gives me the opportunity to explore the questions that I have in my mind. Um, and always just keeps me grounded to who I am and where I'm journeying to. So journaling for me.

SPEAKER_00 51:00

Excellent. And what about what is there something about you that people assume from looking at the outside that doesn't tell the full story of who you are?

SPEAKER_01 51:09

Together, I hope I pair like I have it all together, but really and truly, no. You know, I'm on the journey just like everybody else, learning. My word is learning, you know. So every day I just give my app myself the opportunity to learn. So I always say there's no good, bad, no right, wrong. You know, just what am I learning from the experience?

SPEAKER_00 51:29

I love it. And lastly, when people experience your leadership or your work as a consultant, what do you hope they remember the most?

SPEAKER_01 51:38

What I hope that they remember is that they have a safe space when they work with me. You know, you could show up fully as who you are, no pretenses, you know, um, just having a safe space and once again knowing that I journey with you for as long as I'm allowed to journey with you. I'm gonna journey with you. I'm not gonna leave you hanging. I journey with you.

SPEAKER_00 52:06

I love that. So you've heard it all here, everyone. If this episode spoke to you, please don't keep it to yourself. Share it with a leader or an emerging leader who might need to hear these nuggets. And don't forget to like, subscribe, and definitely share these episodes with someone else. You can also follow Gobi Marketing Group on Instagram and Facebook at G O B I Marketing Group. Thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, this is Going Beyond the Image. Be blessed.