Your Online Personal Brand

I thought it very important to share this piece of wisdom By Mirim Chege of the Kenya Institute of Management. 

With the world living online, it is amazing the kind of connections and information that is shared every second. From people posting what is going on in their minds, to sharing photos, updating profiles, commenting on posts, tweeting, sharing blogs and articles, the platforms for engagements are phenomenally mind-boggling. We can now share content and news and even give feedback on real time basis. 

Unlike in the old when first impression was made within a physical encounter, today people are googling you as soon as they see your name in a workshop schedule or in a news item. By the time you are standing before an audience or appearing in an interview, people have already formed perceptions of who you are. By a click of a button, your potential employer can pick bits of digital information ranging from your bio, articles, posts on Facebook, comments on twitter and blogs and make a judgement on whether to employ you or not. The same info might be the reason a potential business partner keeps away or gets interested. 

This means that we cannot just interact online without strategically and deliberating thinking of the effects of our social media activity on our personal brands. With social media, we have a huge opportunity to exploit our business and career potential. Your collective social media presence can give you an advantage which you should not only manage but shape continually to give you a competitive edge. The question then is - how can we strategically leverage our social media positively to build our personal brands? A personal social media strategy starts with you thinking of your goals both personal and professional. What do you want to achieve on both ends and how do you consistently address both in the most authentic manner. You don’t want your social friends to post comments or images that can compromise your professional image and neither do you want to remain stiff and aloof to your family and friends online.

Protect Your Personal Brand Online

There is need to protect your personal brand online. Without proper consideration of the kind of people you want to befriend and information that you seek to receive and share, your personal brand can be vulnerable. Ensuring that you have your settings in control is a good place to start. Previewing friends is also a good idea. Ensuring a professional profile online can be an advantage. A current bio and a professional picture gives you a good CV. Ensuring that your username is unique is highly advised. 

Distinguishing yourself from other online users with similar names can be the differentiator that you require to ensure your brand is not compromised. It might be helpful to google yourself and see the kind of information or comments around your brand. Minding your language, ethics and ensuring a professional decorum is a must. It is worth noting that compromising real life situations can filter into your social media space, go viral and become a scandal that not only hurts your personal but also professional brand. The rule here would be to avoid compromising situations and pictures which can be used against your brand at some point even long after. Some of those posts might be a permanent record for the consumption of generations to come. 

In a highly online world we have many platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn to build a personal brand. As organisations spend time and resources to manage their institutional brands online, professionals cannot afford to be casual and inconsistent on the same.

Happy and blessed Easter to you. 

TRAINS OF THOUGHT

I sat down in silence,

Reflecting on my day,

And its occurrences,

Trains of thought emerged.

I recalled the morning meetings,

And the mid-morning tea,

And the great lunch with friends,

Trains of thought emerged.

The effects of my thoughts,

Towards the afternoon plans,

And the evening program,

Trains of thought emerged.

That all day’s work formed a character,

And shaped my work and my being,

Which affected my client’s life and future,

Due to my trains of thought.

© Agnetta Nyalita – Joseph

24/03/2016 7:40 a.m.

UKYA NDWI MII, NI KUUKUA WENDA (POVERTY HAS NO ROOTS, YOU CAN UPROOT WHEN YOU WANT)

Mwaitu, Nau

Usuu, Umau

Mwanaa mwaitu, mwiitu wa mwaitu

Ukya ndwi mii, nikuukua wenda.

Andu musyi, mekoma na nzaa

Mayiiia Mulungu, “Asa mbumisye Ukya uu”

Neo mailye nthi, matambaaitye maau

Ukya ndwi mii, nikuukua wenda.

O kila mwaka, muundani

Mevanda mbemba, O vandu vamwe

Nayo mbolea ng’o!, mbua nayo malovoto

Ukya ndwi mii, ni kuukua wenda.

Ngetha yooka, liu maisembya ndunyu

Maita silingi mbau, mayiua manunu na mbovulo

Yua yooka, mayinza na silingi miongo

Ukya ndwi mii, ni kuukua wenda.

Mayitania Ngavana, mwa nitwausakuie!

Tuetee mwolyo, syana syikw’a tusyene?

Mbaitu yua niyinzawa, wakwitu ndumbiw’e!

Ukya ndwi mii, ni kuukua wenda

Mbesa sya kukuna viasala na kwitethya, milioni mionga iiina na itano!

Mwasyonie va?, syitengwa uunike?

Ukuane na ukya musyi, uthwii uutwikanye

Ukya ndwi mii, ni kuukua wenda.

Mwana muka, mwana muika

Mutumia, mundu wi thina wa mamutha

Saa sya kukua ukya ni oyu, weteeele ki?

Ukya ndwi mii, ni kuukua wenda

Mwanaa mwaitu, mwiitu wa mwaitu

Ngavana Kivutha ndaisye atii, “O Kila Nyumba Kalila”

Ndukile ukwate kaku, nikaa kakweteele

Too ni ukya, ikalaa ukyene

Ukya ndwi mii, nikuukua wenda

© Agnetta Nyalita – Joseph

24/03/2016 4:40 a.m.

How to Start Spreading the Optimism: 7 Simple Tips

Advise Courtesy of Feedblitz.com:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Winston Churchill

Optimism.

It can turn a situation that looks negative or bleak into an opportunity or something to learn from.

It can replace the draining thoughts of pessimism with something that will give you more energy and enthusiasm again.

And it can help you to jump over obstacles, to keep moving when you fall or stumble and to not give up just because you have had a couple of temporary setbacks.

So not just adding more of it to your own life but to the lives of the people in your world too is good idea.

Because you tend to get back what you give in the long run. And in the short run, well, you get to enjoy the smiles when you spread the optimism.

And you’ll boost your own self-esteem when you feel you are doing the right thing.


Here are 7 simple tips that can help you to get started with that.

1. Just be there for someone.

Listen and lend the optimistic and grounded perspective to someone in your life in need of it.

At first I find it best to just the let other person vent, to let him or her get issue at hand out into the light. So I am just there fully and listening.

Oftentimes this might be enough. Because just being there will help him or her to let the emotional tension out and to analyze the issue and to find a solution or to let it go.

If she or he gets stuck in negative thinking or in making a mountain out of a molehill then it can be helpful to add your own perspective to ground him or her and to help shift perspective on the situation.

To make him or her see that if you zoom out then things aren’t that bad really. And together the two of you might be able to find a solution or a first step that he or she can put into action.

2. Play Positive Music.

Uplifting music is of course a great way to boost your own mood and open up new perspectives again.

You can do the same for people around you. Put on a really positive song when you are hanging out. Or send them an uplifting playlist for Spotify or a similar program.

3. Take 30-60 seconds to give a genuine compliment.

Think about one thing that makes the other person tick. A small or bigger passion. Or something good that people too often take for granted about him or her.

And then give a compliment about that. It often means more than you might guess.

4. Smile.

A smile puts you and the people around you into a better and more relaxed headspace.

It works even when you don’t feel that much like smiling. If you like, do a brief experiment. Force a smile for 30 seconds or a minute if you are feeling a bit negative and see what happens to your mood.

5. Help someone to wind down.

Being busy with work or school can over time add a lot of tension and stress. And that can certainly get in the way of optimistic and constructive thinking.

So help someone in your life to wind down. Suggest going for a picnic. Just laugh and perhaps go for swim in the nearby lake or ocean. Just lie together in silence on the blanket and watch the clouds go by for a while.

A break like this can do wonders for the mood and perspective for the both of you.

6. Hug.

A hug is, perhaps often even more than a smile, something that can make someone feel a little better and a bit safer again. Use it when appropriate of course.

But don’t underestimate the effect of it and how that little nudge can turn someone’s thoughts around towards something brighter and more positive again.

7. Pay it Forward.

If someone in your life adds a bit of optimism to your life then don’t just return it somewhere down the line. Pay it forward to someone else too.

And together build a growing upward spiral of optimism, encouragement and kindness.

"Have an optimistic time, won't you?" Agnetta M. Nyalita - Joseph

Advocating for Youth Development and Volunteerism

I would like to share an article on my work for the last few years as shared on the 500 DAYS, 400 WAYS platform. Click HERE for the full story.

"Agnetta has great passion for volunteerism and youth development. She has successfully engaged in volunteer centre establishment and coordination and organizing the International volunteer days in Kenya and South Africa. She promotes volunteerism as a tool for personal and community development across the world. As the youth representative of International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), Agnetta actively supports in the shaping of the youth strategies. She has been a VSO organisation development specialist in Southern Africa for 2 years.

Volunteerism is very unique as it cuts across all fields of expertise and is all inclusive.

Agnetta has teamed with young leaders and experts across the world to promote and run flourishing volunteer movements, events and campaigns such as the IAVE’s Global Youth Volunteers (Pursue your passion, Build your skills, Multiply your Impact), the Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), Africa Peace and Service Corps and PFGF. These initiatives bring together thousands of youth, youth organisations, schools, and Companies and governments to learn about service impact and participate in personal and career development activities both at global and local (community) level. 

As a social entrepreneur, she has established enterprises which support communities and help solve cyclic challenges within rural and marginalized communities.

She is the Founder and board chair of the PFGF which seeks to utilize business strategies in solving community needs of Education, Health, Water Access and Food. The organisation has great partnership with global companies and NGOs and operates the first and so far only free-to-access community library in Makueni County, Kenya stocked with learning resources and fully powered networked computers. To learn more about PfGF, please visit www.partnershipforgrowthfoundation.org

 

Besides this, she is a fellow at the Promethean World and Education Fast Forward which addresses learner and educator issues relating to technology, business and policies.  And has worked with Universities, Volunteer organisations in training, capacity building and advising on volunteer matters."

I must say it is very humbling to be featured on international platforms like this one. It gives a greater challenge to up my game in promoting sustainable development in my county Makueni, country Kenya, continent Africa and the world at large.

NB: Please sign the Call to Action for Volunteerism to be included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is the post 2015 strategy on this link. http://chn.ge/1vOJscz

Will be Back in August 2014

The Year That Was: A 2013 Reflection

In April, I had to move from a wonderful place in Limpopo which has very fertile land and lots of fruits. Though the reasons for moving have been unclear, it takes lots of courage and confidence to speak out about the reality. I moved due to Xenophobic attack. This may be a sad thing but the great news is that I survived 2 incidences, one of food poisoning and the other a planned physical attack. This is not an exceptional or isolated case as there have been recurrent incidences to innocent and hardworking Africans and can only hope that one day, it shall come to a complete end. Thanks to my wonderful organization which withdrew me immediately and to my wonderful workmates who continue with the work which we started in supporting communities. It has always been interesting to discover that the people, who commit these heinous acts, do so due to sheer ignorance, lots of insecurity and self-mistrust. For sure what does not kill you, builds you and so I learnt to be more careful and trust my instincts.

Through interaction with a diverse community of people, my patience and viewpoint of so many things changed for the better. I am able to appreciate a lot of things which I had initially taken for granted.

I have come to appreciate and connect more with my family and close friends while blessing and wishing my enemies well. Through-out the years, my family has always been and will still remain my central focus after God. I have very loving Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers and Partner who have a very special place in my heart. My close friends, mentors, workmates, fellows and other relatives have continued to be wonderful in my 2013 journey. All these have been a great blessing to me.

Young people in the wonderful Itaava Development Youth Group (IDYG) supported each other and took up its leadership to continue with the great vision of developing each other and the community as well. These are upcoming great leaders in 4-5 years time. IDYG is a youth group I established in my rural community in the year 2009 after University. Thanks to another organization I co-founded with a wonderful team of top-notch professions, the Partnership for Growth Foundation (PFGF).The team has been supporting the young people from the youth group & the community by offering them jobs and to the schools (students / learners and teachers) by offering academic reading material and space through a community Library which they direly needed.  

Lastly, we lost Nelson R. Mandela, a great son of Africa and world Icon. He was a great inspiration to many generations and will remain so forever. Seeing him as he lay peacefully in Union buildings on December 12, 2013 was a proof that everyone is a mortal being and must play his/her role in this world. My prayers are with his widow Graca Machel who really has had a difficult time in mourning and to the rest of his family as well.

As a parting shot, I would like to share Robin Sharma’s 53 greatest Lessons of 2013. My Top 10 that resonated with me this year were:

1. Why resist change when it’s the main source of your growth?
2. Adore your parents. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
3. Have the discipline to clean out all the energy-draining people in your life. You really do rise or fall to the level of your associations.
4. Talk less. Do more.
5. Model Mandela and you’ll find at the end of your life you lived an awesome one.
6. Money invested in personal development and professional growth generally has a 30X plus return on investment.   
7. Self-belief and self- trust is so incredibly important.
8. Spend time in nature to renew and refuel.
9. The more you serve, the more joyful you’ll become.
10. Life’s short. Have fun.

As the year 2013 comes to an end, I appreciate you very much and pray that all your wishes for 2014 are granted. I believe you will be an outstanding person in the coming year.