Erin Gallagher

Personal branding is more important than career choice. Yes, I said it. No, it’s not simple or equally achievable across every industry. But what I’ve found is that … … who you are … what you stand for and … why people trust you … stay with you *long* after company, title and role and have been stripped away. Be sure to establish those three foundational pillars early and often. And invest more and more in building them out as the breadth and depth of your work in the world increases. Because at the end of the day — with all the changes rapidly occurring in the world — all that you will be left standing with is *you.*

“Expanding your circle” isn’t a one-dimensional exercise if you do it right. It’s not just about what you can see — of the assumptions you make. Learning the levels of depth and intersectionality of people requires deep curiosity and a commitment to learning. Gender and race can be two of the most visible and assumed levels of diversity of a person. But what about… … age … sexual orientation … career … relationship status: single, married, divorced … parenthood choice or circumstance … interests / hobbies … caregiving responsibilities: kids, parents, etc There is a world of difference around you, if you’re willing to find out.

More than following up *after* networking events, I prefer to follow — and connect — beforehand. Large events where you have the opportunity to meet countless people can be overwhelming and unhelpful. Here’s where I love to do: 1. Look at the speaker and attendee list ahead of time. 2. Reach out to those you have the most interest in speaking with live. 3. Choose something specific to discuss / offer / ask. 4. Find them *at* the event as your “follow up.” 5. Decide if that first interaction would benefit from a second — and set it up on the spot.

Listening to understand — versus to respond — is the single most impactful difference between a person who is curious versus centered on self.

This is such a complicated experience for so many women. We are told that “selling” or promoting ourselves is distasteful, selfish and unprofessional. And yet, the most successful men in the world center selling themselves and their companies as their dominant business strategy. Here’s what I would love to see LESS of: encouraging women to “strike the right balance” of selling. And instead, let’s demand that society recognizes and works on their conditioning that views women’s ambition as threatening in the first place.