Top tips from Angela Farrugia, personal brand expert and infocus: Women in Innovation senior business mentor.
Confidence and genuine charm are essential to an entrepreneur’s armoury.
Angela Farrugia, Executive Vice-President and Founder of The Licensing Company, is a globally recognised expert on brand management. One of 22 senior business mentors in the infocus: Women in Innovation programme, she explains why personality is as important as product in successfully marketing a business.
Why is personal brand so important?
Your personal and professional brand are closely aligned at the start of any business journey. It is vital that you take time to know who you are, what your mission is and able to be eloquent about your vision for yourself and your business. This groundwork will stand you in great stead throughout your career, and becomes the core DNA of your project.
What is the value of working out who your audience is?
Knowing your audience is a vital tool in tailoring your communication style and the emphasis on any key messages. I have personally found that if you are confident about your subject matter, you can adapt your style dramatically.
What are the key things to communicate about your personal brand?
The emotional values of any brand are the ones that set us apart. Integrity and honesty, even sense of humour shine through before any other more physical markers.
“Working with the Women in Innovation team has been enlightening and humbling.”
How can you become less anxious about self-promotion?
Confidence will always win through. Confidence means that you know your stuff and are ready to explore any situation to discuss it further. Take deep breaths – slow down and practise.
Tell us about your experience with the infocus: Women in Innovation programme
Working with the Women in Innovation team has been enlightening and humbling. These are talented women, who are sometimes juggling many life requirements of motherhood and so on, and are still coming through with extraordinary ideas. My work on the mentoring side has meant that I can get close to those journeys – and use some broad applications to personalise my help and suggestions. It has been extremely rewarding.
-Interview by Katharine Rooney
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