Why do some people get ahead in life and others don’t?

I have no clue. What I do know is if no one knows who you are or what you do they can’t connect you with valuable opportunities.  Your talents are too dope to keep to yourself.

One tactic that has worked for me is personal branding. I didn’t attend a top college or know someone that knew someone to get me a job or opportunity.

You’ve seen Player’s Club, right? In the words of the trifling, yet wise stripper Ronni, “You’ve Got to Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want.”

For me, that’s work ethic, professionalism, forward thinking and positive energy. We all have our fair share of gifts, but you’ve got to know how to work them. Ronnie tried to turn Ebony on to some game. The issue with Ebony is she didn’t know her personal brand. Ebony wasn’t using her gifts to get ahead, she was trying to be a Ronni clone to get ahead. (That was a word right there)

The pursuit of money without purpose will have us out here pretending to be all types of characters.

Let’s say you don’t enjoy your job, which means you are actively looking for some way to get the hell out. One way to improve your chances of finding a job you actually like is improving your digital footprint.

What is a digital footprint? It’s all the good and bad information floating around about you on the internet. It’s what pops up if someone Googles your name.

You’re probably thinking, well I’m not on social media or my pages are private. That’s not good either. If recruiters are looking for a candidate, one of the first things they’ll do is look you up on a website like Linkedin. If you’re not there, but the next candidate is with a shiny portfolio and colleague recommendations – that could be a lost opportunity for you.

We all wear multiple hats on a regular basis. The well-mannered professional we are at work takes a back seat to the blunt, swearing wine connoisseur we are on the weekends 😉 The truth is we need a web presence for the person that pays our bills. People need to know about the professional side of us.

We’d be a whole fool for not having a web presence for the person that pays our bills. People need to know about the professional (filtered) side of us – at least until we get the business we want.

How to create a positive digital footprint?

• Start by writing your professional biography. How did you start in your field? What are your strengths? Where did you grow up? What can you bring to a company? Be sure to add your personality to this. Don’t add emojis. Do paint a picture of your personality.

• Get a professional headshot. You don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars for this. Just put on an outfit that fits your profession and have a friend take a picture of you in front of solid wall. It’s that simple.

• Get recommendations. Nice words from co-workers, not for profit organizations and close friends help people understand your character and work ethic.

• Start an AboutMe, Linkedin or Levo League page. Each of these websites gives you a personal page to market your professional skills and a platform to connect with others.

Improving your digital footprint works no matter what your profession is. I don’t care if you’re a stripper, cashier or CEO. People need to know about your professional accomplishments and aspirations.