The Identity Upgrade

They come for media features

What they typically don’t expect is the huge identity upgrade that comes with it

This is what Catherine and I talk about in the latest episode of Dauntless PR Unfiltered

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Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Welcome to Dauntless PR Unfiltered. What we're going to talk about today is the identity upgrade.

Speaker 1 0:08

One of the biggest things I think that comes with being visible, being in the media, building a brand that is seen by people all over the world. It comes with just a massive shift and leveling up and upgrading of your identity, of your messages about all the things to do with you. It is, we've called it this before, but it is, it's a bit like personal development on steroids, isn't it, Loana?

Speaker 0:36

This is the biggest thing that people come to us that they weren't expecting, isn't it? Like one of the biggest comments that we get from clients is I came for the media features. I was not expecting to change, like to shift so much in who I am, and you know, and in messaging as well, because like when people start PR, they're usually clear on their messaging. It's not like they've got any issues, but what PR does is give them a whole new level, and that's the same with the identity as well. It's not that they were operating at any kind of low level before, because they're not the people who are ready for PR, it's that there was a whole new level ready to go out, and visibility forces it out, yeah, forces you to stay at the top of your game.

Speaker 1 1:34

In a sense, you're kind of getting constant feedback in a way that you wouldn't if you were just operating within your kind of bubble and your sphere of people. When you are having to explain your messages and ideas to people who don't know what your area is, they're not your kind of because a lot of the journalists won't be themselves your ideal clients. You'll be trying to get the messages that you want to get out, but to people that you're having to work out how to say it in a very simple way, in a very direct way, in a way that makes sense to other people, and that can provide some amazing clarity and really help you work out okay, so what are the bits of my message that are like the real core parts? What's the most valuable? And you're getting an element of feedback from the general public, from a wider group of people, than you would otherwise, than you would if you were just within a smaller arena. So I think it's hugely beneficial from that point of view, but it's something that people don't tend to think. People initially, when they think of PR, tend to think of it in the same way as they would sort of placing an ad. They'll be like, right, okay, I'll try and get a feature in this particular outlet, and then hopefully that feature will bring me X, Y, or Z. Whereas the reality is it's about building a presence, building a brand, and really stepping into the identity of being the go-to expert, of being the person that is at the front of people's mind when they think about the area that you're an expert. You know, you want to be that person that people feel like they know, they feel like they get you, they get what you're saying, they know a bit about you and your story so they can relate to you and you've got your humanity. And even just picking what parts of your story to share can be hugely beneficial on like helping you step into that identity.

Speaker 3:47

Something I always find that really helps as well is like in interviews when you're asked questions that you weren't expecting. And like the first time like this can happen, a host can ask a question, and you may not have been prepared for it. Like it might not have been something you'd even thought about having to answer at any point, and maybe it didn't cross your mind, and then you answer it, but maybe you didn't answer it very well, like maybe you waffled a bit or it wasn't clear, and then the host can go, could you clarify? Or maybe they ask a follow-up question, and all of a sudden you say it in a way that really, really lands and it really, really makes sense. So that comes back to that feedback that you were talking about. It's it's that feedback loop. It's like, is what I'm saying actually landing with the right people and it's constantly having that feedback and being kept on your toes, like because when you're in interviews, you don't know what they're gonna ask you. Like, apart from every now and again when they sign the questions in advance, and even then I wouldn't like count on them being the only questions asked. It's it constantly keeps you sharp, keeps you thinking. And yeah, like I like I said earlier, keep you you have to stay out at the top of your game, and that's part of the fun.

Speaker 1 5:18

Yeah, it's the thing that provokes a bit of fear in people, but that very thing is what moves them forward, and that's the thing that it's not about listening to the fear and thinking, oh, I need to stay safe, that doesn't feel right. It's about using that as a fuel that's taking it. Bringing it along for the rise. Sorry, carry on. I was gonna say because really anything that is worthwhile is gonna it's gonna feel a little bit intimidating at first, you know. Every single amazing booking, the ones that make us really like scream at Dorothy Towers and be like, that's so exciting. They do, they come with a huge rush of an excitement, but also because they're a big deal, they come with that a little bit of fear, and that's completely natural. The ones that make you not at all bat and eyelid are probably the ones that don't matter that much to you, and that's where most people stay, isn't it, Catherine?

Speaker 6:22

Yeah, that's what we do differently at Dauntless, you know. But like do those by all means, but also do the ones that stretch you because that's where real growth comes from, that's where real impact comes from. Like that that's the thing that creates momentum. I always think as well, like for years and years, when I first started in PR, I did the same. It was very like safe. Look at what I've achieved, kind of PR. Look at all of these amazing things that I'm doing. Me, me, me, I'm I'm fantastic. Look at how amazing I am, type of PR, right? Now I can look back and go, okay, yeah, that was me looking for external validation, but there we go. But a lot of people do that out of fear because they're scared to stretch beyond that. But what happens when they move with that fear? Not try and block it out, and not expect it not to be there, and not misdiagnose it as misalignment, but what happens when they move through it is that it creates real momentum. So something I really didn't expect is when I first was truly raw and authentic in my interviews, which was unexpected, I hadn't planned it. That's where the momentum really happened in my business, not in anything where I was showing, like, look at all these things I've achieved, look at all of these incredible things I'm doing. And I'm not saying that they're wrong, of course, they're great as well, but they're only one part of the picture, they're only one layer. And so when I added that that depth, and it was it was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. That's what really created momentum. And it always strikes me now that even today, I get clients coming through like personal stuff. So quite often, you know, we have people saying things like, I don't want to be in this specific newspaper, or I don't want to share, you know, things that are too personal. But in my experience, the more the most momentum that's happened in the business has come from the pieces that people are generally saying, I don't want to, and they don't see the value in them. Some people but really is that fear, I think it is, isn't it?

Speaker 1 8:56

Yeah, I think it's the exposing too much of yourself, being like raw and vulnerable is a bit scary, and people like to hide between kind of what I would call like marketing speak. So they've got the kind of their very put together thing, and you know, and I'm gonna be a little bit controversial and say that in reality, so people will often, and when you look on things like LinkedIn, you see this an awful lot. People will put a lot of time telling you about their achievements and their accolades and their awards. Do people care? I mean, I'm not gonna be too horrible, they care a little bit, you know, it it adds an element of credibility, like, oh great, they've got an award. Yeah, but is that most people are just kind of like uh and they're fairly indifferent, um, unless they're your mum, or or like they're kind of so that you know, they're kind of like, oh well done, and then they move on with the day. Whereas if you share something powerful and from the heart and that really speaks to them, that's what they'll remember.

Speaker 10:07

Not that's exactly what I'd seen. That that's what I have experienced. You know, people still come to me now talking about stuff I'd shared in the newspaper four years ago because that's what they remembered. They didn't remember about, you know, other like things I'd achieved. They remembered about this personal thing that happened and why they felt that connection.

Speaker 1 10:31

And it's a little bit like you know, it it's what moves you and makes you stand apart from other people because everybody else in your industry is going to be positioning themselves in a similar way with these are my accolades, these are my awards, these are my achievements. And it's important to do that. I'm not saying don't do that. If you've won awards, of course, tell people about them, you know, that's important.

Speaker 10:55

Yeah, but if you I'm not minimising them either, you know, if you win an award, fantastic, that's really great.

Speaker 1 11:02

But if you you need to also allow people to see more of you, so it's not about nothing, it's about sharing that side of stuff, but also sharing the other things and telling people the stories that matter. So, you know, there's a reason why storytelling is so powerful, you know, there is a reason why if you actually, you know, we can all remember there are stories that are embedded in our cultures, you know, fairy tales, things like that, we remember them because stories are memorable, and this is a really important thing. So when you tell your own stories, and you obviously will want to select which ones, I don't mean tell every story you could tell about every part of your life. Pick the ones that relate to your messages, what you do, the people you want to reach, but those are the things that people will remember, people will relate to, and it will stick in their mind. I can still remember certain people I've interviewed who told me a really powerful story, and I can remember that. I wouldn't be able to tell you the details about, you know, like people who won awards that I covered, or even, you know, I used to cover when the lottery was fairly recently here in the UK. We used to cover a lot of lottery wins. I wouldn't be able to tell you how much they won or the finer details, but I'd be able to tell you if they had an amazing story behind it of like how it changed their lives and what kind of things that happen. And that's those are the things that really reach people. It's through allowing people a little bit behind your curtain and letting them see who you really are as a person and what you've really got to say, and that's the thing that moves people to take action. We've a great example would be if you had a transformation story and you were now helping other people achieve a similar transformation, but you could really talk from experience about how this had changed your life, what your beginning point was, what your end point was, and the huge difference. People are going to hear that story and they're going to be like, that's what I want. I want to talk to you about that in a much more way than if you just sort of list things in quite a clinical way of I could this could do this, this could do that, this could do the other, by actually kind of giving a bit of humanity and a bit of personal story, it sets you apart, particularly in this sort of AI world. And I know I keep sort of mentioning that you know the world is changing, and it makes humanity even more important.

Speaker 13:47

It makes people are craving realness and connection more than ever. And that's why, even though it's like this stuff has always been powerful, it's true now on a bigger scale than ever. And this is what the people who really, really do well, like this is what they do differently, isn't it? Like they it's not that they don't have doubt, it's not that they don't get scared, it's just that they have mastered, like they're more conditioned and they've mastered the ability. I call it the visibility muscle, like they've conditioned their visibility muscle to keep moving through this and to understand that when certain thoughts come in, it doesn't mean that everything's wrong. It doesn't mean that it's misaligned, like they already know exactly what it does mean, which of course, you know, it's a brain keeping us safe. So it's the ones that master that that really really creates momentum on a big level. Any questions or comments? Hello at dauntlesspr.com. See you next time.