We recently had the fantastic #iAlso100 2021 Michelle Carvill host the first f:Entrepreneur breakfast session of the year all about our digital presence, which is more important than ever. Michelle is the founder of Carvill Creative – digital storytellers that help business owners share their brand stories digitally.
It was a great session filled with so much insight and actions we can all start implementing straight away – a huge thank you Michelle for hosting for us. Please find here Michelle’s fantastic blog: How Do You ‘Show Up’?
In this increasingly digitally connected world, a world where during these extraordinary times we’re currently moving through, we have become even more dependent on digital connection – my question to you is… how do you show up?
There are three key aspects I want you to consider when pondering that question:
1) Your first impression is likely to be a digital one. And even more so now. Just think about how you connect with people – and your own behaviour. It’s highly likely you see a comment, article or video that piques your interest – and then you check them out – heading to LinkedIn, Twitter or straight to the mighty Google.
2) A digital presence is expected. More than half the world (59%) is now connected to the internet. 87% of those are regular users of social media. Despite controversy around data hacking and ‘the social dilemma’ and negative news and bad press around social media – our dependency on digital, hours of activity and numbers of users continues to grow.
3) You cannot NOT influence. People are making decisions about you all the time. You’re making decisions about me right now. So what trail are you leaving to inform them. What people find online about you is part of your story – wrongly or rightly. The words you write, the pictures you share. What you’re saying, and even what you’re not saying. How many people you’re connected with, the amount of followers you have, the type of connections you have, the conversations you’re having, the people or organisations you’re collaborating with, the views you’re sharing, the images, the profile pics, the videos, the headlines, the profile summaries and intros – it’s all building a picture.
So, with those aspects in mind – is your digital footprint and your digital assets, your channels, your activity, the content you share – all telling the story in a way you want it to be told?
Get your story straight
I’m going to give you three tasks to support you in getting your digital story straight – and these simple tasks are set to encourage you to get really clear on your intention and purpose. This critical piece is by far more important than learning how to use and optimise the digital technologies that you may share them on. The tech is relatively easy – but our ‘message’ what we say and how we communicate and the narrative we build continuously and share onto the tech is what’s really far more important.
Ok – so…
Task 1: Understanding how you show up right now.
Google yourself. Yep, pick up the phone (probably right by your side or in your hand right now) – and simply google yourself. You may need to google your name and your place of work – but just go for it.
GO
Ok… so what shows up for you? Are you visible? What’s your story? Is it a true representation? Anything missing? Anything ‘out of date’? Happy?
Simple task – but often telling.
And if you’re not showing up in the way you want to – then what are you going to do about that? That’s going to take regular action to ‘own’ your space. Writing, podcasting, vlogging, blogging, speaking, interviewing, conversing, sharing opinion, networking.
Task 2: Tuning in (Warning: This task requires getting quiet which for some is a major challenge – so come play and keep an open mind).
Aligned with Task 1 – a key question to ask yourself is – ‘Are you clear on what you want to be known for and seen as?’ If so – are you sharing the right narrative online. As a wise woman said to me recently – ‘Your story is your power’.
Getting clear on what you want to be known for and seen as – is potentially simpler than you think. In fact, I pretty much guarantee that you are already clear on those aspects – but you might not yet have realised it.
The world realise has two powerful meanings. 1) To become fully aware of something, to understand clearly and 2) to cause something to happen – making it happen.
So, when I say, you haven’t realised it yet – I mean, you’ve either not acknowledged it or don’t believe it’s viable – due perhaps to limiting beliefs, or perhaps lack of courage to reinvent the story that’s currently playing out.
So, I invite you to get quiet for a while and to sit with the question – ‘what do I want to be known for and seen as?’
And for this task, I want you to do some quality thinking – and give yourself some space to think. Whether seated or standing, I want you to stand or sit tall. Nice long spine. Press your feet into the ground and feel a rooted connection to the ground beneath you. Close your eyes – and take a really deep breath – noticing the breath – and then sigh that breath away. Good – do one more just like that. And now settle the breath and just focus on getting quiet and breathing deeply. Breathing in deeply and exhaling deeply for at least ten breaths. And then once settled and feeling more grounded, I want you to ask yourself the questions -what do I want to be known for – what do I want to be seen as.
Remember I said you need playfulness and an open mind for this task – because there can be no judgement, no challenge, just let go of those aspects for a while and just sit with the quiet and with these questions – and then seriously wait, patiently and breathe and just see what comes up for you. Write it down. Whatever comes up for – write it down. Again, no judgement – trust yourself. Just do it.
Task 3: Showing up is not showing off
It’s very likely, particularly if you’re a woman, (but same goes for many men too), that you have REMARKABLE talents, bursting with potential and but you are your own best kept secret. You don’t shout about just how remarkable you are, (unlike Men who are far more comfortable with this – promoting and rating their performance 33% higher than equally performing women.)
So…for this task – imagine for a moment that you are being invited to talk to an audience that are the most sensational audience in the world – and you have a moment, an opportunity of a lifetime. This audience is your perfect audience – and I’m your MC, I’m introducing you to this amazing audience – and boy do you want to connect with them. So the introduction is going to need to be short, impactful, it’s got to resonate and connect with this ideal audience.
Write down the key 3 things that you want me to say about you in the introduction.
OK… I then want you to check out your digital profiles, your LinkedIn profile, your online bios – and I want you to assess if you are owning your space and showing up online in the way you really want to. When was the last time you even updated your profiles, or checked to see how you ‘show up’?
The great news about digital is that you have assets and opportunity to build your presence, occupy a space and share a narrative at your fingertips.
So, back to where we started… how do you ‘show up’?
Michelle Carvill, Digital Educator, Founder of digital agency Carvill Creative and The Online Digital Academy. Host of The Connected Leader Podcast. Five times published author on the subject of marketing and social media strategy – educating leaders and organisations ‘how to show up’ digitally authentically and on purpose.
