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What will people say about me at my funeral

What will people say about me at my funeral

Sparkling brand engineer, Margareth Gustavo of Cornerstone brand specialists, last week broadened the horizon for more than a hundred business and professional women when she told them about the importance of establishing and nurturing a personal brand.

Margareth was the guest speaker at a regular breakfast meeting of the Economist Businesswoman Club, held in the Moringa Room on the top floor of Avani Windhoek Hotel. She enthralled her keen audience explaining the mechanics of a personal brand, what it entails, and what it contributes to the careers of working women.

A personal brand is not a novelty concept, instead Margareth views it as essential for building a career and for self-fullfillment.

As a first stepping stone, she advised women to develop and hold a vision about themselves. “Know who you are and love yourself, discover your gifts and passions, and then refine and develop your gifts” she said when introducing her beautiful presentation.

“[The process] to start defining [your own] value, must begin by adding value” she said showing an extensive list of international leaders who are all known for their contributions to their collegues, their communities and to life itself.

The process of self-discovery which leads to a personal brand, she advised, starts by defining your goals and objectives. It is a structured process for which she indicates a number of steps to reach the ultimate goal.

Do research, she stated, adding “Check up on those who have made it in your field or who share the same aspiration. See how they got to where they are.”

And then she asked the key question which every woman must figure out for herself. “What do want your personal brand to convery?”

This may be the most difficult part for most people, but here again, the brand specialist laid out a roadmap of steps to take.

“Assess your current state” she listed as the first concrete step in reaching that often elusive goal of finding a brand concept that suits each individual according to her individual requirements. “How do people currently perceive you? How large is the gap between the current you and the person you want others to perceive you to be? What needs to change and why?” she listed as key questions to help stimulate this process of evolvement.

Once this is clear, she said a woman must develop a concrete plan or strategy involving both intangibles and tangibles.

A personal brand must be managed. In this regard, Margaret sees Credibility as one of the key ingredients. “Deliver on the brand promise” she said. “Become really good at what differentiates you, make your work visible, be consistent, be present, be helpful” she added.

Each woman has a special gift which is uniquely her own. Building on this gift “will bring you to a place of impact, thus before those who can notice, the kings, living a life of significance.”

“Find your Sweet Spot by defining what you can be the best in the world at that will be relevant and inspiring for consumers, and differentiate [you] from competitors?” she said.
In the picture, from the left, Desèré Lundon-Muller, Marketing Manager and partner of the Economist, Baronice Hans, Managing Director of Bank Windhoek and incumbent Namibian Businesswoman of the Year, Margareth Gustavo of Cornerstone and Andrisia Aluteni, Application Analyst: Billing at Telecom Namibia.

The activities of the Economist Businesswoman Club are sponsored by Telecom Namibia.

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.