Mustaches & Your Authentic Brand

Wore these onto our flight. Made leaving Barcelona and Sardinia a hair better.

After almost a month away living life, running a business and writing a book (and goofing around with these two) in Barcelona and Sardinia, I’m back mustache-rich 😉

(I had a video in my heart for you but alas the mustache inspired me and the writing came and I just decided to let that guide me instead…).

This is entitled “Many of Us Think…”.

Many of us think…
• That in the expression of our businesses and of our “brands”, we must BE, DO or SAY a “certain thing” that is outside of ourselves; that we must copy some other successful person. Not true. In fact, it’s OUR very being…the being guided by our values, what we believe, what we stand for and the unique brand of FUN we have inside that makes up our brand.

Authentic branding is rooted in what’s FUN for you.

• That “branding” is somehow technical, un-fun and well, an “I’ll get to it later”, process or project. The “branding” or communication of who you REALLY are is not a technical process, it’s actually super fun and is a process whose very “fun” centers around the archaeological dig of YOU. How could that not be fun?

And, digging into you and your essence or brand personality doesn’t have to be (and dare I say, don’t let it be) a process you wait to do. Do it and find out how exactly to share your voice with your tribe consistently throughout all your touchpoints. It yields such reward in regards to profit in business and, as importantly, profit in the growth of your happiness and joy in life.

Self-expression is a huge part in the happiness of your life!

• That sharing should be left for dinner parties or phone calls with bff’s. Truth here is that transparency and sharing is the bridge to connection so we must open up…we must learn to open the doors to our story and our flavor so that we make true connections. Connections that will sustain us and our businesses.

Brands, just as our best lives, are built by relationships.

Think I’d be sharing a photo of me in a mustache 12 years ago when I started the business? No. But that’s the whole point. Even though I was in the “expression” business long before I started my own and worked with big brands such as got milk?, Starbucks and Nike, I learned my own true expression much late(r) in my business. I would love love LOVE for you not to feel like you have to wait another day to express who you are unabashedly and allow that to actually HELP you grow your beloved business and get you out there even more to sing and teach what you have to say most in and to this world.

So, to end, today, I want to leave you with one question:

What makes you happy and how could you build a brand around that? Answer in the comments below and I’ll make sure to respond to each of you there. (I’ll still be mustache-less but still rocking the after-effects of my happiness…travel).

Until next time, ladies, make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand.

Enjoy your business, enjoy you life!

{VID} The newsfeed to your HAUTE BRAND + HAPPY LIFE (Ciao from Sardinia!)

http://youtu.be/bgURWqUPB4E

There’s no magic pill to a crazy, HAUTE brand. But there is a way to create something that will then translate on the outside as a true, authentic reflection of powerful YOU.

Once we work on this one piece (or few pieces) consistently as noted in the video above, we create a fabulous foundation to then do the expression and brand personality work we need to do with elements such as your brand’s photography, logo work, additional visuals, copy, videos and so much more. Branding for women like you and I is way more than skin deep.

If you agree…check-in. Today, tomorrow and all week…
Be conscious.
Ask yourself these questions to create a consistent powerful brand:
What is the quality of my thoughts?
What is the quality of my words?
What is the quality of my actions?
What is the quality of my habits?
They ALL determine my character.

Do you agree? How does this make you feel? Does branding now seem more difficult or easier? Leave a comment about your thoughts below. We learn from each other and I know you have something amazing to add or say…

Enjoy your business, enjoy your life. And enjoy the video! Create the brand you know yourself to be, ladies.

Ciao from Sardinia. I’ll be looking forward to reading your comments!

{VID} Our greatest brand, greatest authenticity and greatst happiness all have the same root.

This photo was taken after I created the video for you below
My Barcelona, Spain Birthday

Creating the brand you know yourself to be is much easier than you think ~ use what you got and that’s a lot. I just made this up but basically this is what I constantly remind women entrepreneurs when I’m speaking to them, whether that’s from a stage or in a one-on-one session. We don’t hear this often enough yet it’s the most true thing you’ll probably ever hear re: branding work: it isn’t difficult and for many pieces, you don’t even need to pay someone to help you achieve what you need.

Why or how do I know this? Beyond having worked with Nike, Starbucks, got milk? and other huge brands and knowing how “faceless” companies “do” branding (and having the base of knowledge of how to create brands), I’ve had another decade in working with women in business. I see this “use what you got and that’s a lot” simple truth alive and well everyday. I help women create their brands exactly with what they have! Nothing tricky or “marketing-speak” about it. And, personally, I can say that it’s helped me create a business that has now made it 12 years and continues to grow in profit and purpose. I have used what I have and simply been consistent.

Yes, I “grew up” in the industry but it’s really the GIFT of our authenticity, our unique and individual story, our purpose and genius zone that make up our brands. That’s it. (Yes, you may have to get support to do the archaeological dig at first to be able to start putting the pieces together but it’s all there and once you uncover it, you can create a plan for how to express this consistently in your brand personality throughout everything you DO, SAY and SHOW. Once you’ve got the hang of it. you’ve got it!).

In the video I created for you from Barcelona below I go more into THE SIMILARITY between our greatest brands, authenticity and happiness. You’re going to love the link! Just proof that our haute brands and happy lives come from the same thing (I invite you to download the iiT Factor: A Short Guide to a Haute Brand and Happy Life from the RIGHT side of this page for free if you haven’t already). It all has to do with 1 thing!

ONE! (watch the vid for what that is)

In closing, you have everything you need inside to create the power, influence, true connection and trust with clients that will not only invest with you at the highest level but will make your days a living JOY.

Speak your truth at every opportunity! You’ll see business growth and business that will seep into all the nooks and crannies of your life too.

Here’s the video…after you watch it (3 min), please comment below! What did it bring up for you? Find it true?

http://youtu.be/4iaJvctsWXM

Enjoy your business, enjoy your life! Off now to Sardinia, Italy. I’ll check in with you when I get there. Much love, ladies. Mucho amo. Molto amore. xx

The new us! Time for a new you?

Hello beautiful women and friends of MGI! And welcome, welcome, welcome to so many of you who have joined our community since the launch of the new Michelle Ghilotti Int’l site! Welcome to the place where we start with a purpose, get clear on what makes us happy (REALLY happy) and create brands from that place.

If you haven’t perused the haute new look of MGI, please do. There are some of my most favorite photos there…jet plane, dancing in the streets of LA, you name it. The “no apologies” approach is alive and well and I must say that there’s a haute, little movement going on and it’s not just happening with my clients either. Women business-owners all over the world are wanting to inject more of themselves and more of their values into their businesses. It makes me extremely happy to be a part of this movement…more and more authentic women are living strong and creating wild success through their businesses as a result.

In fact, this all makes me as happy as travel makes me…here’s a video I created right before sitting down to eat dinner with my husband and son in Maui. Travel, biz, family, fun are all an authentic part of the same day for me:
http://youtu.be/I48HqGUEx_8

So, before I leave from Hawaii to do a month in Europe as I do each Summer, I wanted to share some of the things that travel, doing business overseas and even anonymity (while traveling) continue to teach me and therefore my clients:

• Inject MORE OF YOU, never less. Permission? You have it! In fact, your ideal clients need to see, feel and hear more of you in your business communication so they continue to add more to their trust bank for you (always key in business and in branding). Once they have enough trust in their trust bank for you, they will invest in themselves with you. In short, our ideal clients need to know we’re not a faceless company but the FACE of a company filled with depth and heart.

• You don’t have to do it all alone. In fact, it’s a genius idea to have an observer and guide. Specifically, carve out resources to work with someone that can support you in gaining clarity on your PURPOSE or YOUR WHY. This is the heart and soul of any business, book, family (yes, family), cause or movement. MGI starts all coaching work and sessions with this piece. It’s extremely important and helps you create a foundation that will help you make more solid, strategic and smart decisions all in alignment with who you really are and what you’re here to create in this life.

• Get clear on what MAKES YOU HAPPY in your business (seriously, it may sound trite, but what products would make you jump up for joy?). Building a brand around your happiness can definitely continue in this element ~ from the products and services you offer. The sustainable and $uccessful choice is the authentic happy choice. Sounds simple…and is for the most part.

• Sit down and CREATE A PLAN around this very happiness. All successful business women/entrepreneurs know that heartful planning, amidst our crazy-cool creativity, is important. How will your communication moving forward express the purpose work and clarity around what makes you extremely happy? Who do you need to help you get there (who is most “on-brand” for you to work with)? What needs to change (are you “on-brand”)? What is going well? What type of editorial and social media posts will match up beautifully with your happy, haute brand? There’s much more here but you get the picture. It’s important to cover off on each piece of your business as the combination makes up our brand or, in other words, the impression people leave your business with.

• Lastly, IMPLEMENT what you have on this plan, or in other words, rock your iiT Factor. But here’s the key ~ do SOMETHING towards it every single day. Walk it, speak it on stages, look the part, write it and rock it on your blog! Consistently strut your uniqueness, unabashedly, everyday! If you haven’t downloaded the free iiT Factor: A Short Guide to a Haute Brand and Happy Life from the home page please do! It covers off on what intuition, innovation and your truth or purpose have to do with your success in life and business) and it all ties back to what I’ve mentioned above.

So, put one Jimmy Choo in front of the other towards your greatest vision. Again, whether it’s two small “micromovements” or one major mojo movement each day, keep moving forward with clarity, confidence and your unique charisma. If there’s a day you don’t feel butterflies in the belly, you aren’t implementing or rocking your iiT Factor to the degree the greatest version of you needs and wants you to for the success you deserve and can have…

One last note on your iiT factor, you can’t create six or seven figure BRANDS without your iiT in full effect. Each piece must dialed to a 10 to deliver the results you want. If you don’t have each one dialed to a 10, turn up the volume or level of support so you can start or continue reaping the rewards. The business you’re envisioning awaits and the woman you know yourself to be, well, she’s always been just in arms reach. Make decisions as she would and enjoy your business and enjoy your life!

You’ll continue to change the world “just” by being focused on your authentic happiness. Show us how it’s done, beautiful woman. Show us how it’s done…

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