Friday, December 29, 2017

The First Book for Your 2018 Reading List


With all the female voices, silence breakers, female empowerment, and attention paid to the #MeToo movement in social media during 2017, there’s a book you should definitely add to your 2018 reading list. WOMEN WHO WON, Stories of Courage, Confidence, Vision and Determination was written by Bill Ellis as inspiration for his twin granddaughters. I met Bill, a brand marketing professional, through our Twitter conversations as well as our respect for the enduring Budweiser brand.

Bill often writes about fearless brands. “A brand can be a person, place or thing – it can be a business, a product or a service…While we define a brand, a brand’s value is built, managed and communicated to us.”

So, what makes a brand fearless? According to Bill, “A fearless brand is one which has achieved clarity as to its value and purpose. A fearless brand has attained the conviction that comes from true humility. Fearless brands accept their strengths and shortcomings exactly as they are – without deflection and without exaggeration.”

Bill explains that there are three aspects to creating a fearless brand:

[1] Passion: motivation or purpose.

[2] Talent: assessing one’s skills and assets.

[3] Relevance: identifying the people and businesses that find relevance in your (product or service) offering.

Bill’s branding refresher course prepares readers for stories of 28 remarkable women. The women represent a variety of ages, backgrounds, and industries. From Queen Elizabeth II to Dr. Maya Angelou to Indra Nooyi to Ellen DeGeneres to Betty White, to name just a few, Bill explains how each woman is a “fearless brand” in addition to including their personal branding lessons.

Here are some of those lessons. Queen Elizabeth II is a fearless brand because she has remained relevant for 65 years. Dr. Maya Angelou is a fearless brand because she knew not only her parameters but also her opportunities. Indra Nooyi is a fearless brand because she didn’t seek a job, but instead, followed her calling. Ellen DeGeneres is a fearless brand because she is authentic, kind, funny – and dances a lot. And Betty White is a fearless brand because she is resilient and positive, especially admirable while still acting well into her 90’s.

As fearless brands, these 28 women shattered glass ceilings. So, to quote Bill, “Teach your daughters to worry less about fitting into glass slippers and more about shattering glass ceilings.”

Connect with Bill on Twitter: @WCEllis

Follow Women Who Won on Instagram: @Women_Who_Won

Image Credit: Bill Ellis / Women Who Won on Instagram