b'The Tech Cumulus February 2025GADGET OF THE MONTHThe Influential AnkerWork Bluetooth SpeakerAnd Phone StandPersonal Brand:Life demands a lot from us these dayswork spills into dinner prep, exercise happensHow To Turn Your with kids underfoot and calls interrupt, well, everything.Reputation Into RevenueYettools like AnkerWorks Bluetooth speaker and phone stand aim to simplify the chaos, keeping you connected, productive andMany business owners dismiss buildingFor example, after 10 years dedicated to research hands-free when you need it. Its AI-poweredpersonal branding as unnecessary or time- on shame, Bren Brown now owns the problem VoiceRadar 3.5 technology cuts through theconsuming. YetRory Vaden, co-founder of Brandof shame and is recognized as the leading chaos by filtering out up to 99% of backgroundBuilders Group and author of Take The Stairsauthority on the topic. Similarly, Dave Ramsey built noise, making it great for noisy households orand Procrastinate On Purpose, argues that aan empire by focusing entirely on solving personal shared workspaces. Whether youre followingpersonal brand is essential for earning trust anddebt. Become an ambassador of the problem, a recipe or streaming a workout, the 70-degreegrowing your business. His practical approachVaden says. Thats how this works.adjustable magnetic phone stand lets you staymakes creating a personal brand much simpler hands-free and focused. Add 15W wirelessthanyouthink. To deeply understand your uniqueness, Vaden charging to keep your devices poweredsuggests answering each of the following and 360 rich sound for calls or music, andCredibility + Recognition =questions in one word:suddenly life feels a little easier to manage. YourPersonal Brand 1.What problem do you solve?At its core, a personal brand is what people think of when they think of you. Vaden defines it as2.Who do you solve that problem for?For Your Eyes Only:the digitization of your reputation. According3.How do you solve that problem?to recent studies, 74% of Americans are more4.What one revenue stream matters most?THE COST OF FREE BROWSING likely to trust individuals with a personal brand. Online interactions fuel companies like Google,Thistrust impacts consumer action, with 63%If youre struggling to answer those questions, allowing them to gather data on your habitsmore likely to buy from companies whose leadersVaden offers this shortcut: You are most and location for targeted ads. While these freehave personal brands. powerfully positioned to serve the person you services seem convenient, they come at the costSo why do so many business owners avoid it?oncewere. Sharing your journey makes your of your personal information. This trade-off notVaden explains that branding is often linked tomessage authentic and relatable.only makes ads feel invasive but also exposesposting on social media or YouTubeactivitiesContent That Convertsyou to risks like identity theft and scams. that seem annoying or irrelevant. However, he emphasizes that personal branding buildsTheres no point in creating a personal brand To protect your online privacy, considercelebrity authority, a blend of authentic credibilityunless it helps you connect with more customers. thesesteps: and recognition that is necessary to convinceOnce youre clear on your uniqueness, Vaden consumers to work with you. says, its time to create content that builds trust. 1. Use Incognito Mode: Prevent browsers fromYourcontent should help customers to:saving history and cookies. Why Most Personal Brands Fail 1.See you (understand what you do);2. Switch Search Engines: Privacy-focusedJust because its simple doesnt mean its options like DuckDuckGo avoid tracking. easy, says Vaden. A common mistake is to2.Know you (understand who you are);3. Add Privacy Extensions: Block trackers andimitate others success, leading to diluted focus.3.Learn from you (solve their problems).secure connections with vetted tools. Whenyou have diluted focus, you get diluted 4. Use a VPN: Encrypt your connection and hideresults, he says. Instead, the key is to hone in onFocus on the Three Es, Vaden says, creating only your IP address, especially on public WiFi. what makes you unique. content that entertains, encourages and educates. 5. Clear Cookies: Limit tracking by managingShare relatable stories, inspire your audience and or deleting cookies regularly. How To Stand Out provide practical advice. Standing out isnt simply Find your uniqueness and exploit it in the serviceabout what you do but who you are. By focusing on With simple measures, you can minimizeof others, Vaden advises. Start by answeringyour unique value and creating meaningful content, exposure and reclaim control of yourone crucial question in one word: What problemyou can build a personal brand that earns trust and digitalfootprint. doyousolve? transforms followers into loyal customers.Technology That Works!216-393-24843'