S4 Ep08: Let’s Talk About Building Your Brand Messaging with Kate DiLeo

This week I am excited to talk with a new friend, Kate DiLeo the owner of Brand Trifecta, which, fascinatingly enough, is a software that helps you build your brand and refine your brand messaging. 

So that is, of course, what we are talking about today.

We're talking about how to approach building your brand message and how that may differ for a personal brand versus a B2B brand versus a B2C brand. Then we dig into all the parts of branding to understand what you really need to express your brand. 

Tune in as we talk about: 

[00:00] Welcome Kate DiLeo!
[02:10] How do you define brand?
[04:16] How did Kate start to build a SaaS (software as a service) brand technology?
[06:28] Are there differences in the approach to building a personal brand vs a company brand?
[08:00] What about B2B or B2C, is there a difference in the brand messaging there? 
[09:50] How does a brand get the consumer to ask "Who am I?"
[12:05] Where does brand messaging fit in with your overall marketing content?
[14:44] What do brands need to have in order to have a strong brand message
[17:03] When did brands shift from being aspirational to being real and relatable?
[20:10] Let's talk about becoming a personal brand inside of an organization
[22:55] How did Kate start her personal brand?
[28:05] What is the most effective way to get your brand message out there?
[30:18] Catch up with Kate DiLeo

Contact Kate DiLeo:

Website: https://katedileo.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedileo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedileo/

• Read Transcript Here

  [00:00:00] Welcome Kate DiLeo!

  [00:00:00] Christine Gritmon: Hello, and welcome to Let's Talk About Brand. I am your host, Christine Gritmon. Please make sure to subscribe to Let's Talk About Brand on your podcast player of choice and leave a review if you like it.

  I always love to hear from people. You can reach out to me anywhere, really. I always love to hear feedback on this show and have chats on personal branding in general.

  One person who I had some great conversations about branding with recently is my new friend Kate DiLeo. Kate and I met. At an event at which we were both speaking, of course, we're both talking about brand.

  It is what we do. Kate owns Brand Trifecta, which, fascinatingly enough, is actually a software that helps you build your brand and refine your brand messaging. So that is, of course, what we are talking about today.

  We're talking about... How to even approach building your brand and how that may differ for a personal brand versus a B2B brand versus a B2C brand.

  We dig into all the types of branding, what you really need to know in order to get that brand solid and how to express it. We even go into Kate's own personal branding story a little bit, which I always love doing with my guests, because of course they all have personal brands. That's why they're here on Let's Talk About Brand after all.

  So, really looking forward to today's conversation.

  [00:01:20] Host - Christine Gritmon: So without any further ado, Kate DiLeo, come on down.

  [00:01:30] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Thank you so much for having me, Christine. I'm so excited to be here.

  [00:01:34] Host - Christine Gritmon: I'm excited too. So now you and I met a couple months ago at the Marketing Profs B2B forum? Summit? What was it? It

  [00:01:42] Guest - Kate DiLeo: The Forum. Yes. In Boston.

  [00:01:44] Host - Christine Gritmon: We both spoke and we immediately were just like, Oh, we're vibing. Especially since we are both Brand Girlies, you with your company Brand Trifecta. So we're here to talk about brand.

  I was like, I have to have a conversation with you. So let's actually dive in with a question that I ask a lot of my guests, not quite all of them, but a lot of them. How would you define brand?

  [00:02:10] How do you define brand?

  [00:02:10] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Oh my gosh, where do we start? So really, I define brand as The promise of who you are and the value that you deliver in the world. Specifically, what that looks like is a message. Brand is really the message of who you say and what you do, how you solve somebody's problem and how you're different and better than the rest.

  And it's ultimately this message, Christine, that compels our target audiences and our partners and our customers to want to take the next step with us.

  [00:02:46] Host - Christine Gritmon: I love that. That is a fabulous description of brand. What is your brand promise, Kate? And what is brand promise of Brand Trifecta? And are they the same promise?

  [00:02:57] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Well, I actually do have two brands. I have a personal brand and then a corporate brand. For many years, I just had my personal brand of katedelio. com. As a consultant and speaker and author that is really about helping organizations build brands that win more work. Now for my product brand, the brand trifecta that whole promise is around building messaging that delivers revenue results, both of them tied together.

  And it's really around my thesis and around my whole philosophy that your brand is your path of least resistance to revenue, period. yet the messaging is slightly nuanced for both.

  [00:03:39] Host - Christine Gritmon: I love that. I love that whole concept. And the really fascinating thing to me when I found out about you and about brand trifecta is that it's a SAS product. It's software as a service. And it's really fascinating to me because when I work with clients on their personal branding, it's so like manual and personal and all of that.

  So I am fascinated By how you were able to translate branding into a SaaS product. Could you tell us just a little bit just about how that process even occurred to you? Like, Hey, why aren't people doing this and how you even, made that a thing.

  [00:04:16] How did Kate start to build a SaaS (software as a service) brand technology?

  [00:04:16] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Yeah. It's first of all, I don't think that anybody gets into business to say I'm going to build a tech product. Oh my gosh, I'm so tired. No, I'm kidding. But For me, it actually was a few part process. So if we rewind a number of years, I was consulting, building brands, I've worked with about 350 companies as a consultant to take them through my proprietary branding approach, which is called the brand trifecta.

  And about two and a half years ago, I decided to write down my method in book format. Because I had a lot of people asking, Hey, can you give me kind of the one, two, three Kate of how I can do this on my own? I may not need you as a consultant, but I'd love to give it a shot. What's the playbook, Kate?

  So I wrote that down in a book format of really a tactical method to build your brand. And that was the impetus for then building a technology platform that allowed people to go through that same process. But without me in the room, and so I created a platform that is extremely interactive. It's very intuitive. It uses a lot of interactive content and videos and exercises to take marketers and leaders Through that brand building process that I've done for more than a decade But do it in a way where you're going through that iterative writing process and brand building process and only a matter of weeks That was the goal is to get you through the hard knocks of how I write this How do I actually write brand?

  [00:05:39] Host - Christine Gritmon: And that is so important because of course, if you can't convey it, if you can't express it in a way that other people can receive and understand and process, you don't really have a brand.

  [00:05:50] Guest - Kate DiLeo: that's right.

  [00:05:52] Host - Christine Gritmon: So, so of course, I would imagine a lot of the companies that are using the brand Trifecta software are probably more like bigger brands, like either B2B or consumer brands.

  So I'd like to hear from you as someone who's also built a personal brand, what some of the differences are between how you approach building a personal brand versus how you might approach building a company brand. So, first, so, I mean, we can talk about similarities as well, but I'd like to start with the differences in how you would approach those two puzzles.

  [00:06:28] Are there differences in the approach to building a personal brand vs a company brand?

  [00:06:28] Guest - Kate DiLeo: So I think the number one thing that we need to remember for the personal branding side is that it's not so much about products and services, right? So as a corporate brand, you often need to think through the how and the what. How am I delivering a particular product or service? Do I have a proprietary approach?

  Do we deliver a streamlined technology abc on the personal writing side? The biggest difference is really getting rooted in who you are as an individual first and foremost authentically with your tone of voice and personality But then understanding Out of all the things that I've done as a human, what is my zone of excellence, my expertise, and how do I build a brand around that promise of whether I am showing up in my career, I decide I want to do freelancing on the side, I'm building my own business in a few years, I'm writing a book, I want to speak, whatever it may be, what's your zone of excellence, and how do you write a message around that for you as a human?

  Whereas for a corporate brand, it is more around the promise of how the company's products and services can solve a consumer's problem.

  [00:07:38] Host - Christine Gritmon: That makes sense in terms of that focus. Now, gonna go to another level there, which is, let's say you're talking about a consumer brand. B2B vs. B2C. Are there any sort of differences in either approach or even the ingredients that go in between those two types of brands in your professional opinion?

  [00:08:00] What about B2B or B2C, is there a difference in the brand messaging there?

  [00:08:00] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Okay, so I teach that the method is still the same in terms of, based on biopsychology, your target audiences still need to know three components in your brand message before they're compelled to want to take the next step and convert, whether that is contact you, click to watch the explainer video, go to your products or services page, whatever it may be, whatever the conversion moment is, whatever action you want them to take.

  And those three things are the brand trifecta, which is one, a tagline that tells somebody what you do, followed by two, a value proposition statement that says, here's how I solve somebody's problem. And three, a set of differentiator statements. Here's the one, two, three, or four ways that I'm different than others.

  Okay, so psychologically, that's what somebody needs to understand for them to go. Oh my gosh, that makes sense. Now tell me more. Now, here's the difference between B2B and B2C. One of the biggest differences is that the first line of defense of what a business wants to know is what do you do?

  And so that means that the type of language you use speaks very quickly to having, for example, a tagline that speaks to we do blank for these businesses. We deliver IT services. We are a tax consulting firm. Whereas if you sell to consumers, the first logical question that a consumer has is not what do you do?

  But who am I and what experience can I expect to have when I have your product in my hands?

  [00:09:34] Host - Christine Gritmon: Ooh, who am

  [00:09:35] Guest - Kate DiLeo: that

  [00:09:36] Host - Christine Gritmon: I love that ingredient. Wow, dive into that a little more, please. I want to know how you can... As a brand, kind of get into that headspace of what's going to have that consumer asking who am I in relation to your brand.

  [00:09:50] How does a brand get the consumer to ask "Who am I?"

  [00:09:50] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Yes, so Where this comes into play is your tagline your response when somebody asks you Oh, it's so nice to meet you. Let's say you're at a networking event. Oh, it's so nice to meet you They ask you well, what do you do? What do you say in those first five or six words consumer brands often have taglines that can feel very Nebulous and kind of out there.

  It's very like fluffy. Just do it. You're worth it You know things of that nature. Well, why is that because for again for the consumer brands it is about having somebody understand when I have this product I Live differently. I think differently. I become somebody slightly different. And that is ultimately what a consumer brand cares about is because product purchasing comes from a place of heart and tension around who I become and what experience I can have.

  Whereas a business needs to deeply understand. What do you do? Get to the nuts and bolts as quickly as possible. What do you do for companies? Two very different things. I would say, by the way, personal branding often falls kind of in the middle. You do need to speak to what somebody else can experience with you, certainly.

  But you also can't get so convoluted that you've lost sight of clearly articulating. What you do as a human, as an individual with your personal brand.

  [00:11:10] Host - Christine Gritmon: And that can certainly get tricky for any kind of brand, because there are certainly those in marketing, I think especially in things like B2B marketing, who have the sense of, it's not a, brand being this fluffy thing that they don't need to focus on as much, whereas, they focus on, features and benefits, or, the bottom line.

  all of that stuff. But there is, of course, a place for brand. I think that brand is incredibly important. We'd both agree on that much. So I'm wondering how you'd articulate not exactly what the split should be, but sort of the position that pure brand messaging or pure branding content, things that brands put out there that are perhaps not directly about the product.

  What place those maybe should have in a brand's marketing activities, and if it differs depending on situation. Does that make any sense?

  [00:12:05] Where does brand messaging fit in with your overall marketing content?

  [00:12:05] Guest - Kate DiLeo: It does. You're asking a question, Christine around in my opinion, kind of hierarchy of content and placement of brand messaging as it relates to the rest of your marketing content and various marketing and sales activities you may undergo. And one of the things that I always want us to remember is that when we talk about brand and when I teach about brand content, that brand trifecta of tagline, Value proposition statement, differentiator statements.

  I want us to remember that's almost like the tip top of the content hierarchy. It's the very first line of defense. It's what you say in that first 30 seconds to compel somebody to want to know more. And so it needs to be strong. It needs to be highly emotional and provocative. Not pretentious. And what it should do is open the door to that person going, now I want to know more.

  Now let me dig into features, benefits, pricing, inclusions, explainer videos, how it works, content, proprietary approach, and then even into other things like white papers, blogs, case studies, social proof, et cetera. All of these things back up and bolster the message that you've delivered in the front line with that brand trifecta messaging at the tip top.

  But nobody cares about the thing you deliver or your customer case studies until you can tell them What you do, how you solve their problem, and how you're different in the first 30 seconds. And so that's why brand is imperative. You still need to create this message and deliver this message that authentically allows other people to opt in to have an actual conversation with you.

  [00:13:47] Host - Christine Gritmon: So it's about getting that real hook, not necessarily something as shallow as a hook, because that can just be snazzy work that says nothing. But in terms of that concept of the hook being the thing that draws them in, that makes people want to learn more, that prevents them from scrolling past on social media or swiping past or, whatever, or just kind of skipping your Google results, any of that gets them to want to know more.

  Ah, love that. So, in terms of what a brand needs in order to get people to not only want to know more, but also to recognize them when they see them again, to seek them out to get that stickiness, what are some things that you feel A brand really needs to have in place and that, that can run the gamut.

  Obviously, I'd imagine some sort of statement because that's what you've talked a lot about and I gather that's really the core of brand trifecta's work. But what are some things that brands of all sorts really got to pull together before they really have a strong brand?

  [00:14:44] What do brands need to have in order to have a strong brand message

  [00:14:44] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Well, I'll tell you, even before you write the statements, right? Before you write a winning tagline or a winning value proposition statement that's memorable and people go, Oh yeah, I know that company or that organization or that person. Number one, you need to know how you authentically show up in the world.

  And so one of the first pieces of work that I do with any client is to take them through understanding their brand's authentic personality and tone of voice. So I'm going to talk a little bit about how you sound and seem and show up in the world because brand is not aspirational. Brand is really true to who you are today and how you show up in the world.

  You can have strategic business goals, but if your brand does not sound like you and seem like you, people will smell it a mile away. So you've got to be number one, extremely authentic and know how you sound and seem so that every piece of your messaging and every piece of your content and every piece of your materials.

  Thank you. Feels like something that is truly you. The second piece is you need to know who you're talking to and why. Because in order to have a brand that resonates at a heart level, you need to know who it needs to resonate with. Your brand's job is not to convince everybody in the world that they need to buy from you or like you.

  Your brand's job is to speak to the few who will most deeply resonate at a heart level with what you're saying and will want to opt in and take the next step with you. Those two pieces of knowing who you are and how you show up and then really understanding who you actually need and want to speak with are imperative before you begin the brand building process.

  [00:16:19] Host - Christine Gritmon: One thing that I love that you pointed out, you said brand is not aspirational. It's who you are and kind of how you show up right now, and that is a really strong take, because I think in the past, a lot of times brands have kind of tried to be a little more aspirational. I think that represents a shift.

  [00:16:38] Guest - Kate DiLeo: It

  [00:16:38] Host - Christine Gritmon: I mean, what do you think about that? And how do you think that shift really occurred? Because I think brands used to be seen As being more, smooth and polished and aspirational and that really has shifted. We want to relate to brands. We want to see ourselves

  [00:16:52] Guest - Kate DiLeo: right.

  [00:16:53] Host - Christine Gritmon: in brands really clearly.

  Do you feel like that's a shift? I think we're, similar ages. I think that we've both seen the shift. So what do you think that comes down to?

  [00:17:03] When did brands shift from being aspirational to being real and relatable?

  [00:17:03] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Well, I'll tell you two big things that happened to start to make that shift. Number one, and I talk about this in my book which is called muting the megaphone, but do you remember Christine, like five, 10 years ago, ClickFunnels came onto the scene and you'd go to a website page and it was just like, So long and 75 buttons and you couldn't figure out what you're clicking and you're

  [00:17:23] Host - Christine Gritmon: I'm sure they'd lose people very high up in that funnel. They'd lose people. It's like you have to jump through hoops in order to get to the meat. What they're trying to sell you.

  [00:17:34] Guest - Kate DiLeo: The first thing that I began to notice in my work was that people were tired of being inundated with content Get to the point. Tell me authentically who you are and what you do And I think the second big thing that began to happen is not only was there an overwhelm of content that made consumers go, Ugh, please just be real with me.

  Stop trying to sell me with like a three stage funnel. Oh my god. The second thing that began to happen was pure digital exhaustion. COVID made us really tired. We spent more time on our computers and devices than ever before, and more than ever, we were also the loneliest that we've ever been as a society.

  And that loneliness really created a craving for human connection and authentic human connection. So more than ever, consumers, no matter your age, no matter what generation or where you live even, or your socioeconomic dynamics, we want authentic. Brands to whom we can relate and surely understand who they are who's behind the brand And that's why I say brand is not aspirational if a consumer can't see the human behind the brand message You're gonna lose them.

  You're gonna miss them because at the end of the day People buy from people.

  [00:18:51] Host - Christine Gritmon: They absolutely do. And that brings me to another topic that I want to dive into. So as one of my One of the things I've been really geeking out on lately is about the concept of people within organizations having their own personal brands, which also represents a shift. There used to be this sense of, you don't want to rock the boat, just be a cog in the machine.

  Otherwise, if you stand out too much, you're going to get clipped or, your company is going to worry that either you're putting all your energy into your profile and business and activities rather than theirs or some other competitors gonna swipe you up. But now smart businesses are recognizing that it is really smart to have internal people developing thought leadership developing a professional presence, so I just want to hear your take on sort of how, if someone out there listening is kind of ready to take that leap and is interested in figuring out how their brand fits within their organizational brand.

  We, we are assuming here that they want to stay. We're assuming they want to grow within their organization. They want to be a good representative of their organization. They aren't, testing out the waters for their own gig. They Want to stay there. What are some brand considerations there that perhaps they should have while building their brand within the Organizational brand.

  [00:20:10] Let's talk about becoming a personal brand inside of an organization

  [00:20:10] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Well, I think first and foremost, I love that you call it. This is not about trying to jump ship or leave your organization, right? So, so often we think, Oh, I have to build a personal brand to leave and get the next job. Actually, hold on. If you take a step back, your best place where you want to start to bolster and strengthen your personal brand is when you have a great company that you work for and you want to continue to grow and thrive and add value to the organization.

  Here's the thing. Leadership. And I think a lot of employers as well as employees around you will begin to see you differently and lean on you for your expertise and seek you out when you have a strong personal brand said differently, people need to know you right and so I think we've got to go back to the beginning of our conversation, which is what is your lane in your zone of excellence?

  What are you known for? When I began to build my personal brand many years ago when I was working in corporate, I sat back one day and I thought to myself. Because I was challenged by a boss, by the way, to say, well, what's your one liner? I was like, oh gosh, what do I say? My name is Kate and I'm known for what?

  And I had to sit down and think very hard about what am I known for? What's the pattern of what people always call me for help? And I began to realize it was messaging. In finding the pattern and the clarity among all of the details for people, I was able to synthesize and say it's this as quickly as possible.

  This was many years ago. And so I had to build a personal brand around that. And the second thing that I needed to do is be really confident in that and begin to evangelize that brand meaning I would start to show up and speak about it in gentle ways. Talking about, I'm passionate about this. I love doing this.

  I had this great opportunity to help so and so with this. And I've leaned on them for other things. You've got to softly evangelize. And the third thing that I think is important with personal branding inside an organization. Is to really be curious and open to asking questions of other leaders, even outside your own leadership team.

  That's direct. You directly report to let them know you and see you and begin to see other parts of the organization. When that happens, you're going to create this consistency among different parts of the business that see you for your core brand.

  [00:22:30] Host - Christine Gritmon: I love that and you started getting into something that I was gonna ask you about next. So there we go which is Kate, how did you start building your own personal brand and What were those kind of? plOt points along the way where you realized, first of all, that you did have a strong personal brand.

  And second of all, when you realized you could leverage that into helping build the brands of others.

  [00:22:55] How did Kate start her personal brand?

  [00:22:55] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Yes. I'll tell you it. There were many years where it felt like a zigzag path because I was working for a couple great organizations and at the time I didn't really want to be an entrepreneur. I had my business is kind of a side hustle. I was building my family and I thought, Oh, this is great, but I don't know if I ever want to do that full time.

  I was concerned about certainly growing in my corporate career and I needed to take that seriously. And so I had a number of positions in marketing As well as sales and operations, and one of the things that I was really adamant about was sitting down and getting to know other leaders and other teams, and I used to drive them nuts because I kept asking them, Well, why do you do it that way?

  And well, so what do I need to do differently in my role in marketing it to think about what operations is doing to deliver on the promise we're putting into the world or I go and ask sales. But why do you say it that way? And how come I can't see it this way when I run an ad for us for marketing and I'll tell you what being almost a bit of a pain was a big part of my personal brand building that I recognized if I don't have clarity of how other people view this organization, I'm never going to be able to help them create consistency and I certainly won't know where I fit into the puzzle when I was

  [00:24:08] Host - Christine Gritmon: one thing that, one thing I just wanted to pick up on is I just had a conversation with someone recently who is going out on his own as a consultant after a while being in house at various companies. And one thing he pointed out is he said, I was always that guy. People were like, Oh, that guy again, asking the questions, digging into these things, questioning everything.

  And I said, you know what? You can go from being, Oh, that guy to. Yes, that guy. Sometimes that's what you need. And I love that you pointed out that really brings people to a point of understanding and insight. Sorry to interrupt. Continue. I just had to, I just had to point that out because I love it.

  [00:24:44] Guest - Kate DiLeo: It's so great and I was that person and I think the other thing that I noticed though Is I began to ask others around me. So this journey of me figuring out what my personal brand was For a while there. I felt stuck because I was so in the weeds of oh, i'm a project manager. I'm a marketing manager I'm a brand manager.

  I'm a this and i'm a that and I was so title focused that I missed the clarity around understanding what am I actually really great at? Because it's about more than title, right? So I actually had to start asking coworkers, family, friends, and I asked him a couple of simple questions. If you had to come to me with any sort of problems, what do you know I could solve for you?

  And then I started to ask, what am I like the best at? Like, what do you know out of your entire friend circle? Oh, if you need that, go to Kate. And it was fascinating. I began to see a pattern. I asked like 20 people and the number one things that they started to tell me were, you are incredible with language.

  You can totally take a complex message and boil it down. You somehow clarify complexities. Kate, you're a wizard. They just started saying these, and you know what? That was imperative for me to hear what others were saying. Because I was so in my head, and I was so lost in my job title, and my job responsibilities, that I think I lost sight of that out of some of the parts of All the various titles and roles that I've had, what is the true pattern of excellence and natural capability that I have as Kate?

  That was the beginning for me to then start to put language around that and go, Oh my gosh, it is brand. That is what I'm good at. And now I can start to speak to that differently.

  [00:26:26] Host - Christine Gritmon: And I love that you pointed out that it really kind of had to come from outside. So many times we just, we're just rocking along doing our thing and we think, well, yeah, I can do that. It's not that hard because we're great at it.

  [00:26:38] Guest - Kate DiLeo: That's right.

  [00:26:40] Host - Christine Gritmon: yes, oh, that is so huge, so I absolutely love that you had that experience, that you were able to build upon it and ask people what that meant for them.

  Ah,

  [00:26:50] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Absolutely. It was great. Christine, at the end of the day, I always try to remember that for branding, whether it's a personal brand or corporate brand, we're stepping out into the world and we have to remember that we're not in the business of convincing. We're in the business of converting.

  And so it's really important for us to spend the time talking with folks and working with other coaches or experts who can help us synthesize our brands, nail that down and get things aligned in such a way that when we step into the room, we can speak to that with confidence and clarity. That's the stuff that somebody else sees at the other end of that conversation and goes.

  I want to know more. I want to go deeper with you. I want to partner with you in some way. I want to take the next step and buy.

  [00:27:38] Host - Christine Gritmon: So you've worked with lots of brands, your own and those of others, of course, that you've seen. What do you feel are some of the most effective ways to get your brand message out there? Once you've defined it, once you know what you stand for and how to phrase it so that other people can kind of see themselves in it and be like, yeah, that's me.

  That's what I need. How do you even get to the point where they? Can encounter your message. What do you feel is really effective there?

  [00:28:05] What is the most effective way to get your brand message out there?

  [00:28:05] Guest - Kate DiLeo: I would say believe it or not running ads is one of the last things you need to think about, I say that jokingly, but i'll tell you You've got to use your immediate network. So what do I mean by that? So not all of us need to go build a personal brand website unless you're ready to go consult or do something on your own.

  Okay. And if that's you, that's wonderful. I do think you need a digital presence, a digital footprint that includes a website, but for many of us that might just be leaders within our organizations. Maybe we're trying to be better known in our spheres of excellence. Maybe it's in our communities, our industries.

  You've got to leverage getting that message out there through your social channels I want you to remember that like your linkedin profile for example is really your walking resume and your walking website, your own personal website. And so it behooves you to really make sure that your messaging is updated on your LinkedIn profile or on your Instagram, wherever maybe you show up most frequently and where your community is.

  And then of course, show up in those rooms and engage with people. It might mean that you join some CEO mastermind groups. Maybe there's some free networking groups with peers. in your community or in your sector or industry, but you need to show up in the room and then begin to speak to it in that way.

  That's when the glue starts to kind of happen. And then the last piece is posting on things that you're passionate about as it relates to what your personal brand is all about. Are you posting? Are you sharing others content? Maybe you don't need to do a 15 minute video or run your own podcast, but maybe it's sharing a great article that inspired you, that has to do with what you are so great at and what you love.

  People ultimately connect with others who are passionate about the work that they do. And so if you can stay in your zone of excellence and stay passionate and share that passion with others, Even through something as simple as social media, that is a first big step in getting your personal brand out there.

  People will know you and see you and refer to you.

  [00:30:03] Host - Christine Gritmon: Amen. Well, Kate, this has been incredible. I was so excited to have this conversation with you. Absolutely delivered. So tell the good folks at home where they can find you, why they should find you, and what they'll find there.

  [00:30:18] Catch up with Kate DiLeo

  [00:30:18] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Well, thank you for having me. So you can take a look at LinkedIn, of course, Instagram, but you can also check out my website, which is www.katedileo.com. I'm sure Christine will have that link in the show notes. And you'll see details not only on my book and speaking but you'll see a link to brand trifecta, which again is that digital brand building platform.

  And I invite you to check out the book or the platform and learn more about this approach around how do you build those 1, 2, 3 components of a brand message that's ultimately going to bring more of the right people to the table at the right time.

  [00:30:52] Host - Christine Gritmon: I love that. Well, I'm very glad that this right person, Kate DiLeo, was brought to our table here at Let's Talk About Brand at the Right Time. Thank you so much for being here, Kate.

  [00:31:01] Guest - Kate DiLeo: Yes. Thanks, Christine. It was a joy.

  [00:31:03] Christine Gritmon: And thank you for joining us for Let's Talk About Brand. Whether you are listening to us on your podcast player of choice, or you're joining us here on YouTube for the video podcast, either way, please be sure to subscribe, leave a comment if you like it, and join us next week, because every single week we're coming at you with a different, very smart, extra special guest talking about a different element of personal branding.

  See you