Here's Brenda Bence showing off the book that you will receive if you were one of the first 100 people who registered for ASSAP 2008! On 24 April Brenda is conducting her workshop 'Mastering the Brand Called YOU^TM'. This unique one-day workshop reveals how you can craft and communicate your personal brand at work for greater career success.

I'm pleased to say Brenda has written an article for us about how people can be branded. Take a look at what Brenda has to say about her Personal Branding System.

Do you have a favorite brand that you've been faithful to for years and years? Perhaps it's your favorite brand of sportswear or shampoo, and maybe you've even driven out of your way to find and buy that one brand that is like no other, even though you know it's more expensive?

If brands are so powerful that they can bring out such loyalty in us, then why shouldn't people be branded? Wouldn't you like to evoke that kind of loyalty? Indeed, the question isn't whether people can be branded. The question is: How do you create a personal brand that makes YOU^TM - the trademarked you - the "brand of choice" in your workplace? Take a moment and think about what that would mean for you in terms of promotions, recognition, and higher pay.

Are YOU like Shampoo?

Now, of course, I'm not suggesting that you are a product like a bottle of shampoo. But the truth is that we are all like shampoo! Just as shampoo has to offer the customer great hair, you have to offer value in the workplace, or you're out of luck - or out of a job - right? But don't worry - personal branding doesn't mean you have to walk around in a sandwich sign, advertising yourself. There are actually many more subtle ways you can work on your personal brand without anyone knowing it.

Take Six Elements

Your favorite toothpaste or shampoo didn't get that way by accident. Using a proven step-by-step framework consisting of six powerful elements, corporate branders work hard to earn your loyalty and succeed in the marketplace. Those same six corporate branding elements - with a few adjustments - are just what the doctor ordered for your own personal brand, too. These elements make up your Personal Branding Positioning Statement^TM, which is Step One in the proven Personal Branding System outlined in my new book, How YOU^TMAre Like Shampoo.

To read about these six elements and find out what Steps 2 and 3 in Brenda's Personal Branding System are, please read the rest of this very insightful article.

Do you ever feel like you're losing control? I know I do. Well I'm very pleased to introduce you to a special seminar series presented by eminent counsellor Karen Gosling from Goslings International. In her seminar series 'Surviving Life Dramas', Karen will teach you how to re-interpret your life dramas to see them as non-threatening - or at least manageable. Would that help you start to feel more in control?

Surviving Life Dramas is about learning where emotion comes from, giving emotion a label, and giving yourself permission to have the stress response as you determine what you are going to do about it. Regardless of what other people know or what other people say. This is about you understanding you. More than anything, you will leave these seminars understanding yourself better.

Here are some of the things you will learn at Karen's seminars:

• Why you react the way you do at times of conflict.
• Why you get angry, or fly off the handle.
• Why you withdraw or get sulky.
• Why you dwell on things.
• Why some people seem happier than you do.
• Why others seem more uptight and anxious.
• Why your kids drive you crazy sometimes.
• Why you have mood swings.
• Why you can love your partner yet feel like a housemate.

In her seminars, Karen will teach you how you can do things differently, for example how to:

• communicate with your partner, kids or boss.
• raise your self-esteem and keep it elevated.
• overcome anxiety and deal with panic attacks.
• manage feeling down during times of change
• deal with disappointment or grief.

Find out more about Karen Gosling's unique seminar series by checking out full details here. Or just call up Goslings International on 6281-5157 and tell them you heard about them in Shirley Taylor's newsletter.

Each half-day seminar costs only S$130, including afternoon tea and snacks. I shall certainly be attending some of Karen's seminars because I consider they are a great investment in our emotional health. I do hope to see some of you there! Very often the most difficult step is the first step, so take that important first step today towards your own emotional health!