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I dropped out of a Ph.D. program 6 figures in debt, but I'm now a multimillionaire at 33. Here are my 3 tricks for building a hit brand.
I dropped out of a Ph.D. program 6 figures in debt, but I'm now a multimillionaire at 33. Here are my 3 tricks for building a hit brand.
Amanda FrancesSep 28, 2019, 01:00 IST
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Amanda Frances is a self-made multimillionaire, digital course creator, writer, and podcaster.
Five years ago, she left a Ph.D. program hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Now she's a multimillionaire CEO in Malibu, California.
Her company grossed $1 million dollars in the first quarter of 2019 alone. Frances says it's because she knows the power of viewing herself as a brand.
She believes in herself, posts authentically online, and lets different aspects of her life merge together.
Realizing the superpowers of social media, over the past 8 years I've created a following of over 500,000 women who I'm able to serve, support and empower through online courses, digital training programs, mentorships, and masterminds - as well as through my podcast and weekly YouTube training video.
In 2019, my company, Amanda Frances Inc., has processed over 18,000 transactions and grossed $1 million dollars in the first quarter alone. My company creates digital courses, coaching programs, and online trainings that helps hundreds of thousands of women take control of their lives, start and grow their own businesses, and create their own wealth. Each year, my company helps to create new six-figure, multiple six-figure, and seven-figure business owners.
Amanda Frances.Courtesy of Amanda Frances
How did I go from being six-figures in student debt, dropping out of a prestigious Ph.D. program, while working multiple jobs at a time ... to leveraging the power of the internet to become an internationally known thought leader in the realm of financial empowerment for women?
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By believing in myself. And by knowing the power of viewing myself as a brand.
Whenever someone asks me how I grew my business so quickly and no matter how many times I'm asked, I always cite a huge part of my success to personal branding.
Now branding is one of those terms that basically begs the question: What exactly is it?
Simply put, your brand is just how people think of you.
Branding is not just about perfect color and font choices for a flashy website or photos of you in front of a private jet or clinking champagne glasses on a yacht. You can have those things if that's authentic to you - but to create a personal brand people know, love, and trust, we have to go deeper.
The foundation of anything you create is believing in yourself first.
Doubts will come up. They'll come up often.
Examine them, shift them and get back into a place of deep faith and belief as quickly as possible.
My branding strategy is this: I know myself, like myself, and believe in myself. I let this be reflected through my work. (That is some magnetic stuff, huh?)
Of course, you will have to take a lot of practical action steps over the years. But your number one focus should always be maintaining deep belief in the power of your work and commitment to getting it into the world.
I encourage you to answer this question each day, "Why is my work needed and powerful?" This is something you can do with a friend or in your journal.
Be the real you
One of the most important parts of creating a powerful online presence and brand is authenticity. People are attracted to truth. They want the real you. You may feel tempted to build your brand to be who you think people want you to be along the way. But a contrived version of yourself is essentially a watered down version of your natural greatness. The world needs the real you.
Social media followers, clients, and customers are savvy! They know when you're just doing it for the 'gram! And while likes and follows are a measure of success for some, I have created an online presence where people feel safe to buy from me. (To the tune of 18,000 transactions this year.)
Showing up online in an authentic and transparent way will build massive trust and loyalty that keeps your fans and followers around for the long haul and purchasing on repeat.
Blur the lines between work and life
People have a lot of silly ideas about what it takes to be successful in our lives and businesses.
One idea is that when must be somehow balanced between work and play, family time and productive time, happy hour, and an hour of cardio.
And it's all noise.
The truth: The more you allow the sections of your life to merge, the stronger your brand will be.
Once I allowed family time, friend time, work time, and play time to all bleed into each other, my life got easier and my brand got stronger.
It doesn't mean that I am required to document everything I do in real life, online. But it means I can document any of it that I want, as I choose.
The thing is: You are your brand. It's all your life. So any and every aspect can be part of your brand. (Whichever parts you want.)
This means I might do a little work from the spa, gym, or social setting when I want to do. I might include friends of family in my social media posts or sales emails. It means watching movies on a plane when some people may write emails. It means I might not work on a Wednesday and work all day on Saturday.
I recommend that you allow your life and business to flow together, so that there is nothing to separate or balance.
Because of my belief in myself, my work, and my ability to monetize my mind and my life, I have created a brand that impacts hundreds of thousands of women through my free and paid offers.
This has allowed me to create a thriving, multimillion-dollar global brand with both the impact and income to show for it.
