PREPARE.

For over ten years I have taught, coached and trained people, almost on a whim.  I realized I had been called to live my life and passion through this gifting and I have done everything to ensure that no month passes that I don’t have to prepare for a new challenge in this industry.

To tell you the truth, I was coaching even before I realized that what I was doing was coaching.  The more I prepared for new challenges and the more I rose to the occasion to teach, the better, it seemed to me, that I got.  Because I was determined to be the best in what I was doing, I ensured that with every opportunity that came my way, I submitted myself to learning from the very best that existed.

Books became my greatest assets.  I bought books and I read them, I took notes while reading and I developed my own notes based on my audience and my personal style.  As I did this I kept praying that an opportunity will open up for me to do this with the best in my book when it comes to communicating. Today, over ten years later, I have received the privilege to learn from the Master himself, John C. Maxwell.

All these time, I have come across people who recognized my gift and wanted to be able to tap from what my gift could offer, and I did my best to pour out what I knew. I rose up each time to the challenge of having to learn something new and I did my best each time with excellence.  Today, I can tell you that even though I will keep learning and growing, I am as good as a trainer, teacher and coach can be.

So when people, especially those younger than me, ask how it happened for me, I am quick to say that I prepared! And prepared hard! I prepared and prepared adequately!  It didn’t matter if I was going to speak with one person or with a hundred, I gave my all and I gave with joy.  Now it is beginning to pay off and people are starting to recognize my brand for what it is.

So I guess what I am getting at today is that a brand is only as good as the background work that is put into it.  Preparation is absolutely important and should never cease.  If as a number one brand you stop preparing and stop doing what you need to do to get better, a day will come that even though you remain number one, your following may have dropped from 80% to 60%.

You may still be number one here, but you can tell that something has reduced.  The only way to remain the top brand is to keep preparing and learning new things.  Remember that your brand is the sum total of who you are, and your ability to prepare can add to or enhance the totality of your brand.

This week do something to deliberately prepare for when your opportunity will show up and you will be amazed how far you will go.  While at it, remember that every chance you get is an opportunity to get better at what you do.  The implication is that in the end every step is a learning curve and every curve brings you closer to your dream brand.

You will make it NeverTheLess.

Hugs

Sistar B