As we wrap up another year, I find myself reflecting on my journey and eagerly preparing for the opportunities ahead. This time of year, evaluations are in full swing, and I'm here to share how to tackle your year-end review to ensure you’re on the path to success and a well-deserved promotion.

In this episode, I provide a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to effectively tackle your year-end review to position yourself for a promotion. Learn the importance of documenting your accomplishments, making your results measurable, and using the STAR  format to clearly articulate your contributions. Discover how personal branding, soliciting feedback, and setting personal development goals can enhance your review process. Understand the value of being proactive, handling constructive criticism, and preparing for compensation discussions.

In this episode, I challenge you to identify your 'North Star Goal' and utilize ChatGPT 4.0 as a personalized career coach. I emphasize the importance of setting lofty goals and provide a detailed step-by-step guide on how to prompt ChatGPT to create a strategic plan tailored to your career aspirations. By feeding ChatGPT comprehensive information about your achievements, strengths, and areas for improvement, you can get a customized roadmap that breaks down high-level goals into manageable daily tasks. I underscore the value of AI in professional development and encourage viewers to adopt this innovative approach to advance their careers.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I welcome Ingrid Jean Baptiste, a journalist, actor, and founder director of the Chelsea Film Festival. Ingrid shares her inspiring journey of creating the festival after a life-changing car accident. She discusses her passion for promoting the work of emerging filmmakers and raising awareness about global issues. She talks about the impact of the festival, her personal resilience, and the importance of following one's intuition. Ingrid also reflects on her outspoken activism and how she hopes to leave her mark on the world through her work.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I analyze Jaguar's recent controversial rebranding campaign, 'Copy Nothing.' As someone deeply embedded in luxury marketing, watching Jaguar's recent "Copy Nothing" rebrand was akin to witnessing a heritage fashion house abandon its signature codes. The automotive equivalent of Saint Laurent dropping Yves is a move that requires precision, strategy, and, above all, deep market understanding.

Jaguar's pivot from its storied British luxury codes to stark minimalism, no doubt visually inspired by the beauty and fashion worlds, reflects a fundamental misread of the luxury market, their customer, and the climate today. Brands must evolve, but Jaguar's approach stripped away the DNA that positioned them in the luxury automotive sector in the first place.

Drawing parallels to successful luxury fashion rebrands – consider Gucci under Michele or Celine under Slimane – even radical departures maintained a dialogue with house codes. The most successful brand evolutions in the luxury sector don't erase heritage; they recontextualize it. Jaguar's break with their visual legacy demonstrates a disconnect with contemporary luxury marketing principles.

Join me for a marketing-focused episode where I discuss Jaguar's drastic changes to their logo and brand identity and the significant backlash the campaign received. I explain the importance of not abandoning brand heritage and engaging cross-functional teams in rebranding. Drawing on my experiences with major rebrands, I offer crucial lessons for marketers on navigating brand evolution without alienating existing customers.

In luxury markets, whether automotive or fashion, brand equity is built over decades but can be compromised in a single season. The key lies in evolution that honors legacy while embracing the future – a lesson Jaguar's rebrand makes painfully clear.

00:00 Introduction to Leave Your Mark

00:26 Jaguar's Controversial Rebrand

01:12 Analyzing the Campaign's Flaws

02:42 Lessons for Marketers

05:52 Comparing with Successful Campaigns

10:16 The Fallout and Future Steps

12:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this solo episode, I discuss the current employment climate known as 'The Big Stay,' where employers have the upper hand and job-switching opportunities are scarce. But don't get discouraged. Staying put doesn't have to be negative. This episode contains actionable career advice to make the most out of your current role and keep your eye on the future.

Additionally, I offer strategies for those who may feel unhappy in their job, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and planning for a future career move while maximizing the benefits of your current role. The episode also touches on managerial responsibilities in keeping teams engaged and maintaining open communication.

Key topics include:

- From the Great Resignation to the Big Stay

- Building Credibility While Staying Put

- Proactivity: The Key to Avoid Stagnation

- Leveraging Social Capital

- Innovate and Contribute

- Mentorship and Networking: A Dual Approach

- Maintaining an Online Presence

- Strategic Reflection and Future Planning

- Managers: Fostering Engagement in Teams

- Embrace The Silver Linings

Grieving a career you loved is challenging, but it's a natural part of moving forward. In this solo episode, I share how to acknowledge, reflect, and recreate your path on a new journey. I delve into the often-overlooked painful aspect of leaving a long-term career or industry. The emotional challenge and identity crisis that can accompany such a change are not spoken about enough. The episode offers practical advice on how to acknowledge your feelings, identify what you loved about your previous role, maintain your professional network, and find new ways to stay relevant and creative. Emphasizing the importance of personal branding and self-reflection exercises from 'On Brand,' I share practical tips to help you navigate through this transition. Remember, while your career may have changed, you remain the same skilled, valuable person.

Raise your hand if you want to upgrade your personal brand but don’t know where to begin?

Today is the day you can start to take your first steps!

Dive into my latest episode and discover how small changes can make a big impact. This episode delivers actionable steps that you have no excuse not to employ TODAY. From updating your bios and profile pictures to creating a compelling email signature and leveraging your network connections, I provide practical steps you can take immediately.

Tune in to learn about the importance of visualization, overcoming fear, broadcasting your achievements through storytelling, and using fashion to make a powerful impression. Whether you're starting out or looking to advance your career, this episode has invaluable insights for everyone

Do you have to brag to build your personal brand? The answer is no. In this episode, I address the common confusion between personal branding and bragging, emphasizing the importance of creatively shaping your narrative to show off your skills without boasting. I share a personal anecdote highlighting this issue and provide practical advice for showing your professional worth, especially on LinkedIn. Topics covered include the significance of storytelling in conveying skills, creating diverse content on social media, and avoiding the overuse of self-promotion. I also discuss the importance of embracing video content and teaching others through your posts. 

Imagine what your life would be like if your mother was the CEO of a global company. She could provide advice to propel your career and help you overcome the many stumbling blocks that keep people from fulfilling their full potential at work.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I sit down with the inspiring Karyn Schoenbart, the co-founder and managing director of Duo Partners, a New York-based investment and consulting firm. Karyn shares incredible insights into how you can master your career growth, learn to be a leader, and build a robust network. The episode delves into Karen's illustrious professional journey, from leading the MPD Group, joining illustrious boards, and co-authoring the book Mom, B.A., Essential Business Advice from One Generation to the Next, a practical guide to everything from effective first impressions and workplace politics to relationship development, skill-building, and achieving balance between work and family. The book is based on the real-life business lessons Karyn amassed during her career.

Our conversation highlights critical career lessons and debunking myths, such as the stigma around making lateral career moves. Karen shares practical advice on overcoming imposter syndrome, negotiation strategies, and achieving work-life balance through strategic calendar management. You won't believe how she manages her calendar! She's also a master connector and shares how she builds significant relationships and mutual support through 'Conversations and Cocktails', a vibrant private community for C-level women. This episode provides a blend of inspiring personal anecdotes and actionable steps you can take right now.

In this fascinating episode of Leave Your Mark, I speak to Human Design expert and author of Human Design Made Simple, Emma Dunwoody, who shares transformative insights on this unique system of self-knowledge. Emma delves into the origins and scientific validity of Human Design, a system combining elements of astrology, the chakra system, Kabbalah, and I Ching to offer a comprehensive blueprint for understanding personality, strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles. Discover the five Human Design types - Manifestors, Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, and Reflectors - and learn how to navigate your unique strategy and authority to minimize resistance and increase life flow. Emma also discusses the impact of Human Design on parenting, business, mental health, and the importance of self-acceptance. Tune in to explore Emma's personal journey, the healing power of aligning with one's true self, and how to achieve success and abundance by being authentic. Don't miss out on Emma's vision of a future where children grow up true to their design and how you can work with her through her authentic success club and personal coaching.

00:00 Welcome to Leave Your Mark

00:30 Introducing Emma Dunwoody and Human Design

02:25 Emma's Journey to Human Design

05:57 Skepticism and Science in Human Design

11:42 Understanding Human Design Types

17:32 Writing the Book: Human Design Made Simple

19:42 The Specificity of Human Design

20:28 Personal Transformation Through Human Design

24:11 Impact on Relationships

27:30 Understanding Shadow Selves

30:20 Human Design and Mental Health

34:15 Finding Flow State

36:01 Creating Abundance by Bending Time

38:41 Working with Emma

39:26 Emma's Legacy and Conclusion

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I sit down with Gwen Whiting, the innovative founder behind the eco-friendly brand The Laundress, later acquired by Unilever. Gwen recounts her unique journey from her crafty upbringing to becoming a pioneer in the premium laundry sector. She shares the highs of building a celebrated brand and the sobering challenges faced post-acquisition. The discussion is a cautionary tale about the realities and risks of selling a business to a large corporation, highlighting the lack of personal care and attention that often accompanies such transitions. Listeners will learn about the importance of instinct in branding, fostering genuine supplier relationships, and the often-overlooked realities of selling a business. Now, with the launch of The Fill, Gwen is once again reinventing the cleaning industry with sustainable solutions and a private members community. Aspiring entrepreneurs will find invaluable insights into maintaining passion, managing growth responsibly, and the significance of staying true to one’s vision despite corporate challenges.