Why you need to celebrate the small wins

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

A coaching client of mine had a stellar year in 2024 and was worried they would not be able to sustain the same level of momentum in the year ahead.
 
They had been recognised for their work, invited to sit on a high-profile board internally, elected to be a committee member and hand selected to be the mentee of a high-profile executive. 
 
I was quick to remind them, when it comes to building a personal brand and achieving career success, there is a time to plant seeds and there is a time to harvest. Success tends to only be measured in the harvest, yet you can’t have one without the other. 
 
I suggested to my client that perhaps 2025 was all about planting seeds and while on the surface it might not feel or look as though there was momentum, it would be creating fertile ground for another harvest in the future. Planting seeds includes, building relationships, asking for opportunities, sharing your thought leadership, and investing in your personal and professional development. 
 
The moral of the story – reframe success to also include the process and celebrate every seed you plant, even the small ones, into growing your goals and dreams. 

I hope this helps

Warmest wishes

Carlii 


p.s. I am hosting The Brand in You - Personal Branding Workshop online Friday 4th April, 2025. If you would like to find out more, please do so here- https://www.carliilyon.com.au/events

Word to live by in 2025

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

I am not sure if it is just me, but I feel like 2025 has only just begun!

With my boys heading back to school this week, I now have the time and space to focus on me. I have to be honest, I already feel overwhelmed. But then I think of my word.

My word for 2025 is 'cosmic'. 

Inspired by a long walk on the beach with my dear friend, Amanda Lupis, who happens to be a supremely talented life coach; Amanda suggested I give a name to that part of myself that feels like magic.

We all have it.

We are reminded of this part of ourselves in moments of serendipity. When we think of a person and all of a sudden their name pops up on our phone. Or we make a decision to head in a new direction and then as if by coincidence we bump into the perfect person to help make it happen. 

From experience, these moments increase in direct proportion to our courage to follow our instincts and listen to our intuition. It is about tapping into the self that knows when to let go and trust the timing of life. 

Cosmic Carlii is now her name and by coming back to that word, I immediately feel at ease and empowered.

I encourage you to find your word and also give that part of yourself a name. Let that be the word you live by this year. Yes write down your goals, work hard toward their accomplishment, but never forget your innate ability to make space for grace and create a little magic.

I hope this helps

Warmest wishes

Carlii 


p.s. After a long break, I have decided to host The Brand in You - Personal Branding Workshop online Friday 4th April, 2025. If you would like to find out more, please do so here- https://www.carliilyon.com.au/events

The most important thing to change in 2025

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

A little while ago I ran a group session that did not go well. 

At all.

If there was a moment where I felt like a square peg trying to squeeze myself into a round hole, it was it.

I couldn't wait for it to be over and I suspect the feeling was mutual. 

Carlii of three years ago would have walked away convinced she was not good at what she does. She would have blamed herself and her content.

Instead, my present self knew what the real mistake was. I said yes to the opportunity to speak to the wrong crowd.

This is a lesson I encourage you to take into 2025. 

Yes, personal change and growth are always essential, but on the path to change, be sure to ask yourself- is it me or is it them?

Are you trying to fit into places you don't belong? Are you seeking approval from people you don't actually resonate with?

By getting clear on the source, you are better able to work on the solution.

I hope this helps.

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

How to be gracefully disliked

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

Can you be disliked and still be a good person?

This is the question I quietly contemplated while ironically sitting in church as a guest at a friends wedding over the weekend.

My husband and I had just encountered a couple we no longer speak to hence the seemingly out of context question.

Like many of you, I have always strived to be a good person. I also believe in the good of other people and am known for giving others the benefit of the doubt. But whether we like to accept it or not, no matter how hard we want and wish to like and be liked by everyone, it is simply impossible.

Values clash, principles don't align, opinions collide, expectations are left unmet, trust errodes, and there is no seeing eye to eye. Investing any time or energy is obviously a waste of time.

Where does one go when the road is clearly a dead end?

Here are 3 things that work for me-

1. Energetically cut the chord- this can also act as a powerful visualisation method. When you cut the chord, you liberate yourself and the other party from the dynamic. No anger, no hate, just cutting off. We can all exist in the world but we don't have to exist in one another's orbit.

2. Take the emotion out of the interaction- if you have to deal with someone you dislike in a work environment, give yourself permission to dislike them but take the emotion out of any interaction. Focus on the facts and the project at hand.

3. Refuse to gossip or think about them- don't let them take up any space or energy in your mind or life. As Michelle Obama famously said, "when they go low, we go high". Go high, rise above, and be bigger than the low frequency.

In the end, I realised you can dislike someone and still be the best version of yourself. 

I would love your thoughts on this.

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

 

Pulling the plug on your personal brand

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

When I first launched my personal brand, and the business I have today, I set myself a deadline of three years.

That I thought, was the magical number to determine if I had something the market wanted. I had big goals and aspirations, if I was good enough, things would happen quickly.

The 3 year timeline was inspired after reading that Simon Sinek had been invited to deliver a TEDx talk after speaking for 3 years (often in friends lounge rooms). His TEDx talk went on to be viewed 60 million times!

I am now seven years in and I can see how the crazy deadline I set has often made me feel like a failure. My expectations were so high and the odds stacked firmly against me. 

On the days I especially feel like giving up, I think of my favourite author Steven Pressfield.

Pressfield had been writing unsuccessfully for decades before he published his first novel at 52.

The book became a big hit and was made into a movie directed by Robert Redford starring Will Smith and Matt Damon.

It took 28 years for him to experience an overnight success and go on to sell millions of books. Prior to reaching commercial success as a writer, he drove a tractor, he was a teacher, a copywriter and picked fruit as a migrant worker. He never gave up on his dreams and used his setbacks to make him better not bitter.
 
They say a goal without a deadline is simply a dream, yet I would warn against putting a deadline on some of your dreams.

This is especially relevant when it comes to personal branding and putting yourself out there. Everything takes time, and it will likely take longer than you think for there to be a tipping point resembling success.

Don’t give up, use your setbacks to make you better, and let go of the unrealistic timelines that constantly make you feel like you are failing. There is no deadline to being the best version of yourself so keep trying. 

I hope this helps.

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

What you need to know about influence

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

The topic of influence has been on my mind (and in every book on my bedside table). 

I am heading to Melbourne this week to run two full day workshops as part of L'Oreal learning week. One titled, The Brand in You and the other, Influence with Impact.

Through my research, I came across a quote that really stood out to me- 

"You don't have to be a person of influence to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me." - Scott Adams

I couldn't help but think how many people go through life assuming they have no influence at all. They act and feel, as though what they say and do, doesn't matter because they don't have the experience, role title, power, or fame, they associate with being influential. Yet it does matter, and the moment they believe that, is the moment they can make a difference wherever they find themselves on their journey.

The biggest thing I have learned recently is that being influential is a decision, not a label that has conditions.

For those interested in learning more on the topic of influence, here are three books I have really enjoyed lately-

Invisible Influence - Jonah Berger
Presence- Dr Amy Cuddy
The Art of Quiet Influence - Jocelyn Davis 

I hope you enjoy and look forward to hearing from you.

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

p.s. I have several events coming up that might be of interest to you, feel free to learn more here- https://www.carliilyon.com.au/events
 

How to create positive personal branding karma

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

And so the school holidays have begun! I have my teen and tween boys at home, and have been trying to convince them spring cleaning really is a lot of fun (so far they are not buying it).

Although we are literally only days into the holidays, I have caught myself saying over and over, "if you can't help me when I ask, then I won't help you when you ask." In this case, my ultimate outcome is an empty dishwasher but it occurred to me today the lesson is far reaching for all of us.

This simple yet profound equation is especially relevant in personal branding. Do for others what you want them to do for you, give to others the way you want them to give to you, and say to others what you would also hope they say to you. How does this look on a practical level-

1. Go out of your way to introduce people-  bringing your network together is a wonderful way to strengthen relationships, create a powerful reputation as a network broker, and give others incentive to introduce you to their contacts. 

2. Engage with others social media content- we all know how nice it is to feel seen and appreciated after we have spent time creating content. Go out of your way to make others feel that and I promise they will return the favour.

3. Help others win- buy a copy of their new book, purchase tickets to their events, help promote their initiatives, and support others wherever you can in making their dreams come true. 

Life has a way of reflecting back who you are being. If you want more generosity and support, start by giving it.

I hope this helps.

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

Back with a rebranding lesson to share

Hello there,

I hope you are well.

It feels like a lifetime since I last wrote!

As I mentioned in my last email sent in July, I was taking some time away to reinvent my brand and write my book.

I am happy to say my new website is now live – www.carliilyon.com and I have 2 more chapters to complete. Wow do I also have lots of lessons to share!

For now, let me break it down to three things-

1.     Time spent thinking about your messaging and story is never time wasted. I highly recommend reading Storybrand by Donald Miller to get you started.

2.     Money spent on your personal brand is never money wasted. I found myself at war every step of the way with this. Even with all I know, my own inner self saboteur had me questioning whether the money I was investing in myself was worth it. We all have this voice, trust me don’t listen to it.

3.     Find a team you trust- I am grateful every day for the people I know and work with. They say it takes a village to raise a child, it took a village to raise my new branding. I have created a google drive doc listing all the suppliers I used.  Feel free to reach out and drop my name.

I have so much more to come and from this week on, I will continue to uphold my promise of offering a weekly tip, tool, or story to help you keep believing in the brand in you.

I look forward to staying in touch

Warmest wishes

Carlii

How to manifest more personal branding opportunities

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

For as long as I can remember, I have believed in the power of vision boards, intention setting, affirmations, and visualisation.

I can tell you story after story of the magical ways I have manifested what I wished for.

I saw it as part of my spirituality practice but that all changed after I read 'Into the Magic Shop' and 'Mind Magic' by Dr James Doty.

It seems, there is a science to it all; and given Dr Doty is a clinical professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University, I would say that claim comes from a credible source. 

First things first, run don't walk to your nearest bookshop to buy both of these books. I promise they will change your mind on everything to do with manifesting and teach you how to rewire your brain to make your dreams come true. 

For those who want to know how they can 'manifest' more and better opportunities to put themselves out there without reading the book, here is the most important tip-

Create a clear picture of what personal branding success looks like and get SPECIFIC.

Where are you being seen?

Who is in your network?

What role are you playing?

How are you showing up?

By spelling it out and creating a picture in your mind, your brain will begin to 'value tag' information and be WIRED to SEE the opportunities to make it all happen.

Note- your brain can receive 6 to 10 million bits of information every second yet it is only able to process 50 to 100 bits in that same time. It will only let you see what it knows is important to you!

When I ask people what personal branding success looks like they often give me a vague generic answer. They are too scared to say they want to be seen on stages, they want to publish a bestselling book, they want to become a leader in their field.

Innocent as it may seem to just 'see what happens', problem is your brain will literally miss the signs because it doesn't know on a subconscious level where you want to go. 

Be brave, call it, and in doing so program your brain to help you manifest your dreams.

Happy reading! 

I hope this helps

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

p.s. I am hosting my one day personal branding workshop, The Brand in You, in Sydney this August (Monday 12th) and if you are interested in learning more, please do so here

One decision that changes everything

Hello there, 

I hope you are well.

It really is one decision.

At least, the one that matters.

It is the one that will start to open your mind and magically make opportunities appear in places you never saw before.

What is the decision?

It is the decision to put yourself out there. 

It is the moment you give up the outdated narrative of 'that is just not you' or 'you're not that type of person' and do what is necessary to harness the power of visibility.

For some, it will mean becoming more vocal in meetings and visible within the company; for others, it will be about sharing their expertise and thought-leadership on more public facing platforms. 

Different strategies, same outcome.

Though you might want to believe it is your lack of 'know how' that has held you back, I propose it is because you haven't really made the decision. 

You have one foot in and one foot well and truly hidden.

If you know that is you, please be sure to join me this Wednesday 26th June @ 7.30pm AEDT for a FREE masterclass I am hosting titled 'Put Yourself Out There'.

If you know it is time, and you are ready to make the decision, please be sure to register today by clicking- HERE

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Warmest wishes

Carlii 

Overcoming the fear of sharing your ideas online

Hello there,

I hope you are well.

There comes a moment with my one on one clients where we have everything ready to go and it is time for them to start sharing their thought leadership on social media. It is at that same moment that the proverbial sh$t hits the fan.

In theory, they have embraced the idea of putting themselves out there, they rationally understand all the benefits of doing so and they have all their platforms set up and ready to go. In reality, they are terrified and will do anything they can to procrastinate.

The great thing is I have been there and understand what they are going through.

Here are three ideas that I share with them-

1. Everyone is ultimately thinking about themselves

Though this might sound negative, it really is positive. We worry about what 'everyone' will think about us, yet the reality is they are thinking about themselves. If and when they engage with your content, it is because they have found something in it for them and that is what we want.

2. Everyone has to start at the beginning

When it comes to building an audience, the beginning is always the hardest. Rather than be tempted to buy followers and try to appear more established than you are, enjoy it for what it is. Yes, in the beginning, you might not get as much traction, but you do have lots of opportunities to experiment and try new things.

3. Always remember the power of one

I read somewhere that the appeal of social media is the gamification of it and our ability to measure our success using vanity metrics. The problem with that is the general rule is more is better. I challenge you to remember that sometimes all it takes is one person to read, like, and support your journey to completely change your life and direction.

I know the fear is real and there is nothing worse than thinking you will be humuliated publicly. I also know the weight of regret is much harder to live with. If you know it is your time to put yourself out there please do not let the fear hold you back.

You have something the world needs and if you don't put yourself out there, we all miss out.

Warmest wishes

Carlii

Personal branding advice you should NOT listen to

Hello there,

I hope you are well.

I just came back from a long walk and the entire time I was thinking about the idea of 'feedback' and 'advice'.

You see, there was a time in my life where I truly believed everyone else knew best. Somehow I had convinced myself there were even a few people who knew me better than I knew myself!

We can all fall into that trap and I see it often with my clients, "my friends and family think I am crazy" or "my colleagues believe this could destroy my career". We take the advice and feedback from others and make it gospel. As a result, we stop listening to ourselves and get busy people-pleasing as opposed to living.

There are two quotes I suggest you keep in mind next time you feel tempted to take advice without first questioning it-

If you wouldn't trade places with them, stop taking their advice.

Stop asking people who have never been where you're going for directions.

Part of the questioning process is looking at the person giving the advice and asking- Are they where I want to be? Have they achieved what I want to achieve? Are we actually on the same page?

Being close is not enough of a prerequisite, in fact, it can be the most destructive form of advice. It may very well be based (unknowingly) on who you were, as opposed to who you want to be.

At the end of the day, you really do know best and even if you do make a mistake or two along the way, isn't that part of the learning process? Trust yourself and have faith in your own decisions, you are the only one who will live with the consequences and the potential regret.

I hope this helps and as always please feel free to share.

Warmest wishes

Carlii