13 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Kobby Blay, a driven and passionate young nurse. It was at the peak of my first book launch and blog and I was doing multiple radio and TV interviews. We all felt passionately committed to driving positive change in our society through our gifts and passions. Kobby was on a mission to fill the gap in health information through his blog and medical photography. His unwavering passion led to the creation of the highly successful Ghana Health Nest, which has become a trusted source of health information. Kobby’s passion project has taken him on a journey around the world, and it can happen to you too! I have seen firsthand how several of my friends have transformed their passions into profitable ventures. Today, I am thrilled to share my knowledge and offer tips and strategies to help you kickstart your own passion-driven business. It all starts with taking that first step and starting today! Are you tired of working in a job that doesn’t fulfill you or align with your passions? Are you ready to turn your passions into a profitable business? If so, you’re not alone. Many young professionals dream of turning their passions into a successful career, but often struggle with knowing how to get started. That’s where this guide comes in. Turning your passions into a profitable business is not only a way to make a living doing what you love, but it’s also a way to live a more fulfilling life. By pursuing your passions, you can bring your unique talents and skills to the world, and make a positive impact in the process. So, how do you turn your passions into profits? Here are some key steps to get you started: Let’s quickly look at some cost-effective ways for establishing a system and effective processes: To provide excellent customer service, here are some tips to follow: In a nutshell, monetizing your passions and skills requires a combination of identifying what you are good at, packaging your skills and passions into a product or service, getting it to market, establishing systems and processes, and providing excellent customer service. It is my hope that by following these simple steps and taking action, you will be able to turn your passions and skills into a profitable business. Get started and let me know how it’s going for you; I wish you the best! Recommended Reading Market-in-g!: Conversation with a Marketing Guru – Seth Godin

Personal Branding Podcast

Quick Guide to Monetizing your New Found Passion

The Top 5 Myths about Goal Setting – And How to Ditch Them for Good Are you trying to make changes in your life but feeling stymied by goal-setting myths? Do you ever wonder if setting goals is worthwhile? You are not alone if this sounds familiar. Goal setting is a popular topic, especially during this time of the year, but it can be fraught with misconceptions. In this article, I will debunk the top five goal-setting myths and offer practical advice on how to get rid of them for good. Continue reading to learn how setting goals can help you achieve your dreams and realize your full potential. 1. Your Goals must be in writing! Not entirely true, you can have unwritten goals. You know what? When I wrote the last book – Bruwaa, which I published last year, I didn’t have a goal of writing it, but once I thought about it, I wrote it and published it! You should have a goal, but your goal doesn’t have to be in writing. For achieving goals, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. You can still make your goal, even if it isn’t written down. 2. Goals Have to Be Big to Be Worthwhile One of the biggest myths about goal setting is that you need to have big, lofty goals for them to be worthwhile. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Hey, smaller goals can often be just as effective and sometimes more achievable. Big goals can seem intimidating and overwhelming, which can prevent us from even starting. Breaking down our goals into smaller, more manageable steps can help us stay on track and make progress. Plus, achieving those smaller goals can give us the confidence boost we need to keep going. Rather than setting an ambitious goal like “start a business” or “get a promotion”, set smaller goals that are related. For example, if your ultimate goal is to start a business, your smaller goals could include researching potential business ideas, writing a business plan, or finding a mentor who has experience in the field. Each of these tasks should have a specific time frame attached to them so you can track your progress. By breaking down your goals into smaller steps, you’ll still be working towards the same end goal but without feeling overwhelmed. 3. You Need to Know Exactly What You Want Setting goals can often seem intimidating because you feel like you have to know exactly what you want before you even start. But that’s not the case at all! You don’t have to have a perfect plan for achieving your goals in order to start the journey. Truth is, it’s perfectly normal (and recommended) to start with a general idea of what you want and then build from there. When you don’t have all the answers, don’t let that stop you from getting started. You can always adjust and refine as you go. Start by writing down the outcome that you want. What do you ultimately want to achieve? Once you’ve identified that, ask yourself some questions: What resources or skills do I need to reach my goal? What steps do I need to take to get there? Who can help me? These questions will help you develop a clearer picture of what you need and how to get there. As you answer each question, jot down any ideas or insights that come up. You don’t have to have all the answers right away. This is just an opportunity to gather more information so that you can move forward. Your goal doesn’t have to be perfectly defined when you start. As long as you have a clear idea of the outcome that you want, that’s all you need. The rest will come together as you go. 4. You Need to Set a Deadline. Goals Must be Time-Bound! One of the most common myths about goal-setting is that you need to set a deadline for achieving them. Many people think that setting a goal without a deadline just isn’t enough and that there needs to be a specific time frame within which you must reach your goal. However, this is not necessarily true. It’s important to understand that deadlines are just one part of the process of goal setting, and they are not always necessary. Having a rigid timeline can actually hinder your progress in some cases. When setting goals, it’s important to take into consideration the time and effort it will take you to achieve them. If you have an unrealistic timeline, then you are more likely to become discouraged if you don’t reach your goal as quickly as you had hoped. Furthermore, if your timeline is too restrictive, it could also lead to burnout or even frustration as you try to cram too much into too little time. On the other hand, having a loose timeline can be beneficial. Having an idea of when you’d like to achieve a goal gives you something to work towards, but it also allows you to adjust your plan if something unexpected comes up or if you realize that the timeline needs to change for any reason. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that deadlines should not be a source of pressure when it comes to goal setting. Rather, deadlines should be seen as a helpful tool for keeping you motivated and on track. Whether or not you decide to set a deadline for yourself depends on what works best for you and your situation. 5. Once You Set a Goal, You Can’t Change It What has become of your childhood dreams and High school goals? One of the most common misconceptions about goal setting is that once they are set, they cannot be changed. This may appear to be logical, but it is simply not true. Goals are intended to be fluid and should be revised as needed. Life does not always go as planned, and goals are no exception. Your […]

The Top 5 Myths about Goal Setting – And How to Ditch Them for Good

Building your Personal Brand as a Student Here are a few quick tips to help! “Personal Branding is the combination of one’s SKILLS and TALENT to produce VALUE for others, that creates an IMPRESSION, PERCEPTION, and REPUTATION…” – Bernard Kelvin Clive 1. Start with a clear vision for who you want to become and what your goals are. (Find yourself) 2. Be innovative and think outside the box when it comes to marketing your brand. (Find your power, Get Skilled!) 3. Develop an effective social media strategy that will help you connect with your target audience. (Find your place) 4 . Think about ways in which you can monetize your brand, and make sure all of your strategies are legal and ethical. (Find a need) 5 . Stay true to yourself, and don’t be afraid to experiment – this is how you’ll find out what works best for you and YOUR brand! 6 . Keep track of trends so that you know where the industry is going, and adjust accordingly! 7 . Make use of technology resources available online to amplify the reach of your brand. (Pay to Play) 8. Stay humble – no one succeeds alone! Collaborate with others in order not only build a better yourself but also strengthen relationships across different industries/disciplines/geographies…etc 9. Don’t forget networking events; these opportunities provide excellent opportunities to network with potential customers as well as professionals within related fields. (Network) 10 Always remember: be your best self and live your commitments in line with what you believe. Your brand is as important as the value you consistently bring to the marketplace, don’t lose your worth! Bernard Kelvin Clive Recommended Books Q.EST. Building a Reputable Presence Online On Becoming An Authority

How to Develop a Personal Brand as a Student

Why do authors lie to themselves?  It’s because they think that telling them these lies will help them write, edit, publish, and sell their book.  Unfortunately, the opposite usually happens – some authors waste days of their lives with lies and empty promises. Every author writes to fulfill their dream of seeing their work in print, but many get swept up in the day-to-day business of publishing and forget why they started writing in the first place. The result? Author burnout, writer’s block, and more unfinished manuscripts than published books.  Today, I will share with you three lies that authors tell themselves and explain how to avoid these self-destructive mistakes. #1 My Book Will Become a Bestseller One of the many lies authors tells themselves is that their book will become a bestseller. Especially if the book is published on Amazon. In reality, only a few books become bestsellers – Yes! There is a science and strategy to it. We’ll save that for another time. The problem is that many authors and books do not become best-sellers, regardless of how well-written or interesting their content is. I’ll go over strategies for becoming a bestseller later, but let me say that factors that can influence whether a book becomes a bestseller include competition from other similar titles by authors, the timing of the release, and marketing effort. I advise authors not to make becoming a best-selling author a major goal in their publishing journey, as this can potentially derail their writing. I’ve met several authors who were disappointed because their books didn’t sell even ten copies or become a bestseller as they had hoped. #2 My Content is Just Perfect One of the most common lies that authors tell themselves is that their work is flawless. This lie is mostly believed by religious people, who are so glued to their ideologies and interpretations of their faith. From the title of the book to the cover design, they would never give in to opposing opinions. This belief may cause them to avoid making any changes or adjustments to their manuscript, even if it isn’t working well. It may also prevent them from seeking feedback from others, which would aid in the improvement of their work. This can stifle your creative writing and render you unsuitable for professional criticism. Constructive criticism is necessary for the development of a good piece of writing. Receiving feedback on your work will help you identify areas for improvement and how to implement those changes to ensure that the final product meets all expectations. Relying solely on self-evaluation can result in stagnation and decrease writing quality over time. #3 I can do this alone it’s Easy Another lie authors tell themselves is “I can do this alone, without any help.” If you think that you can do everything by yourself, then you need some help.  Getting your work published through self-publishing is often portrayed as an easy and quick process, but it isn’t always that simple. As a result of the tremendous amount of work necessary to publish a book, self-publishing may be harder than going through traditional publishing houses. To turn a manuscript into a paperback or hardcover book, you need an editor, beta readers, proofreaders, designers, and printers. Setting up your website can be difficult enough without having to deal with all of the logistics of actually publishing a book. It’s not an easy task, and it takes a dedicated team of experts to pull it off successfully. The author may sometimes want to be the writer, editor, and expert, but this is not always the case. In my experience, most writers and authors who act in that manner produce crappy content that doesn’t deliver on their promises.  To publish your book successfully, you need experts in a variety of fields to assist you. Even if you want to self-publish, you won’t be able to do it all by yourself. You simply need to concentrate on what you do best: writing. To make significant progress and achieve success in the publishing industry, you must hire people whose skills complement yours. This will allow you to complete the task faster and better than if you attempted to do it alone. Let me mention that several local authors do not want to pay experts to assist them in the publishing process, so guess what happens? Yes, I believe you are correct. There’s nothing to write home about! In conclusion: Writing and publishing are two separate businesses. Until authors understand this and play by the rules of the game, they will forever live in deception and be consumed by their lies. For authors who seek to make money from their books, here are two things to note: Build a solid system that can help you scale and sell more books. Look at other avenues of making money than just your book, example could be events, courses, souvenirs, etc. As a self-published author, you need to think like an author who writes quality content that people want and need as well as an entrepreneur to establish a marketing system that aggressively markets your books to succeed.  Bernard Kelvin Clive Recommended Books Q.EST. Building a Reputable Presence Online On Becoming An Authority

Lies Authors Tell Themselves

Do brands last a lifetime? What makes some brands survive while others fail?Think about this question as it relates to your own life. What brands and products do you remember from your childhood? Are those brands still existing?If so, what could their main secrets be? If they are no longer around, what could have led to their extension? So, perhaps you already know the answers to these questions. My favorite childhood car brand was the French-built Peugeot. The Peugeot company was founded in 1810 by Jean-Pierre Peugeot, who began making coffee mills and bicycles.Despite not having seen my grandfather’s functional Peugeot 504 (Peugeot’s first Saloon Car), I did see the spoilt immovable car kept in the garage. The car’s round headlights and sunroof caught my attention at the time. On occasion, he gathers his young children and tells them stories of his car-related antics. From Ho to Hohoe and Aflao to Accra, he traveled.It was the most adored vehicle in the 1970s and 1980s. I used to only consider traveling by the Peugeot. All this time I was hoping for a meaningful experience that I would be able to talk about with my grandfather. Was his account of the car similar to my personal experience, in other words? Brand’s perception vs customer experience.Admirably the Peugeot still exists today with different models made, and the company has evolved. Today, I will share with you three key secrets among the many that help brands thrive over generations. There are several ways brands can survive and thrive. The key to success lies in understanding these strategies and applying them to your business. Let’s get started… Customer-focused: if your goal is for your customers to feel satisfied and you put your all into it to achieve that result, your customers will come back to serve you in many ways. Some may become your unofficial brand ambassadors. Brands that attain iconic status are people-minded. They take pride in their work and they go the extra step to ensure that their clients and customers are satisfied. Brands that last know that they’re in business because of people. They realize that these people will be spreading the good word and image about the brand, which will bring in more clients and more money. Brands that last put a premium on their customer acquisition and retention processes and don’t let it happen by chance. are the ones that succeed over the long term. The key to creating enduring customer value is to figure out how to build sustainable competitive advantage, not just for individual companies but for entire industries. Be value-driven! Communication: Brands that last keep their communication channels open all the time. Lasting brands use both new and old media to promote your business. Social media is used to engage with people, listen to them, provide feedback, and promote products and services. Listening helps provide avenues for bettering your products and services and strengthening your brand’s presence Lasting brands have a strong digital presence and constantly improve their digital presence to stay top of mind for their target audience.These actions help to strengthen the bond between the brand and its customers Consistency: Consistency is key. Nothing remarkable can be achieved without consistency. It’s the value, the voice, and the brand that drives home the message. Brands that last are always improving, always innovating, and always marketing their products and services Follow Coca-Cola’s lead. They’ve improved, even their formula, packaging, and messages, and constantly market themselves.Returning to the Peugeot brand, one of their success secrets has been their ongoing commitment to innovation and improvement. They never gave up, and today it’s one of the most sought-after cars in Europe by tourists.In addition to nine other Car of the Year wins in Spain, they have won five Car of the Year awards in Italy. I will summarize it all by ending with the words of James C. Collins from His Book, ‘Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, “The good news is that one of the key elements of being a visionary company is strikingly simple: Good old-fashioned hard work, dedication to improvement, and continually building for the future will take you a long way… The bad news is that creating a visionary company requires huge quantities of good old-fashioned hard work, dedication to improvement, and continually building for the future. There are no shortcuts. There are no magic potions. There are no workarounds. To build a visionary company, you’ve got to be ready for the long, hard pull. Success is never final” To remain relevant, brands must continuously reinvent themselves to attract new customers or retain existing ones. This requires constant innovation and adaptation. In conclusion, note that lasting brands are not built on autopilot, when it comes to building lasting brands, it’s important to understand what makes your brand different from others, and then find ways to leverage those differences to create lasting value for your customers. Bernard Kelvin Clive Recommended books visit https://www.amazon.com/author/bernardkelvin

Brands that Last: Three Secrets

Tips for Building a Reputable Online Presence Tips for Building a Reputable Online Presence “We must be careful not to let our current appetites steal away any chance we might have for a future feast.” ~ Jim Rohn Let’s look at some factors to consider while developing a great online presence: 1. Branding Branding is the first step towards building your online personal brand. You will be perceived based on how you present yourself, so make your brand worth every glance. Make use of both visual and verbal content. Your content is your digital currency, and the value you provide determines how much it appreciates and depreciates over time. You need to decide what type of content you want to create around your niche. Do you want to focus on creating videos? Or maybe you are more interested in writing articles? Once you know what kind of content you want to produce, then you can start thinking about how you can make this content better than anyone else out there. 2. Social Media Social media is another great way to connect with people who share your same interests. This is a great place to get started if you are looking to build your own online personal brand. If you have never created any social media profiles before, then you might want to consider starting with Facebook. You should always use a platform that makes you feel comfortable and happy. Don’t stress too much about trying to figure everything out right now. Just start somewhere! Don’t create an account only to leave it idle; instead, be consistent with your content and provide value to your audience. That’s how you get your message out while also keeping your brand at the forefront of people’s minds. 3. Email Marketing Most essential, use your content to develop a list and then grow your business from there. Your email is your powerful connector for establishing rapport with your audience and even sell your services. Email marketing is something that you can do from anywhere at any time. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. So, don’t wait to sign up for an email list. Start sending out emails today to help you build your own online personal branding. Above all stay trustworthy! Recommended Books www.amazon.com/author/bernardkelvin on becoming an Authority Above all stay trustworthy!

How to Build a Reputable Online Presence

The Rise of the Gig Guys, Are you in? “You have no idea how many people may require your services if only you could muster the confidence to put your skills to use” – Bernard Kelvin Clive I’d been up all night trying to memorize a slew of notes for a mid-semester exam. My eyes were heavy with sleep at 3 a.m., and my head couldn’t take it any longer. As I contemplated whether to go to bed or go for a walk to get some fresh air, the door flung wide open with a boom! He was hot and sweaty, and his clothes were dirty with clay from his ceramic work at the Art Shed. KKD, my roommate, rushed in and yelled, “chale, we have to go to town; Asafo Market, Kumasi, this morning at six o’clock and back for early morning classes at seven o’clock.” “Huh!?, I am tired!”, I replied. “Believe me, it’s a good deal!” he retorted! When he announced the news, sleep fled my eyes and my energy was quickly restored… The concept of side gigs and freelancing was extremely popular among students at KNUST’s College of Art & Social Science. Particularly in the Rural Art Department(IRAI). The course’s innovative and robust nature not only provides individuals with academic information to earn diplomas and certificates but also prepares them for the world of work. The course was challenging and rigorous, requiring students to study six main art disciplines in addition to other necessary semester courses. Other extracurricular activities would be difficult to fit in. Perhaps this is why I graduated ‘4 – 0’ no ‘intɛ’ (girlfriend).LOL. As difficult as the course was, so was the delight and satisfaction that came with the side gigs where students get to sell the products they created. We dubbed it ‘comɛ’, after the word “commercial.” ‘Man must survive,’ is a common slogan we chant during the gigs. Several of my classmates were ‘comɛ’ experts. Sandy Gyimah, often known as Toa, bursted with enthusiasm and versatility. Toa could sell anything, including the jute ropes used to make Macrame goods. (Toa is a serial entrepreneur at the moment.) George Preko was a brilliant carver and designer; I still have one of his sculptures at home (he now operates a creative advertising agency). Saka was a natural entrepreneur who saw money practically everywhere. (Saka, now a real estate mogul of Saka Homes). My roommate Kwame Kyere Diabour(KKD) was multitalented and creative; just give him an idea and he’ll make it a reality, be it wood, clay, or whatever. (Dr. KKD, now a senior lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UCEW)). These individuals had the potential to generate money right on campus. I recall KKD landing a big gig back then, manufacturing citation plaques for one of the municipal assemblies. That’s why he dragged me to town that morning to obtain some supplies for the work. We had a feast that weekend when we delivered the completed work. Chale, the feeling was gooood! Later, using my leatherworking skills, I began making stunning backpacks out of ‘tye&dye’ leathers. (The first of its sort on campus.) I remember making one of these backpacks for my Massdrama colleague, Michael, aka ‘Pocho’ (now CEO of Team1000words). Instead of the inscription ‘pocho,’ the words turned out to be ‘poche,’ a story for another day. The point is, in all of these situations, I noticed a common success factor running across with these guys: their ‘comɛ’, side-gigs were in areas where they were talented and had some degree of competence. [What are your present skills?] The lesson here is that there is always something extra to do, whether it is a side gig, freelancing, or running a full-fledged business. The catch is to rely on your natural abilities and things you are proficient at or can potentially develop, this, then becomes the first point of entry. All of my friends mentioned were gifted in some way, and the course had also helped them develop their talents, making it quite easier to monetize. The second point is that there existed a demand for their services, and they generated that demand. ‘Man must survive,’ was the driving force. If you are thinking about living a luxurious and exciting life, or if you need to survive the pressures of life, have expenses to pay, and numerous needs, you would not minimize your talents – your expertise. You have no idea how many people may require your services if only you could muster the confidence to put your skills to use. Are you prepared to start a side hustle? Here are some Benefits of Freelancing 1. Work from home or anywhere in the world Asabea refers to herself as the nocturnal guru. She enjoys staying up late to write. Early mornings are not her thing, and she battles with it all the time. So working a full-time job in Accra’s city center is hell for her. Freelancers are free to work from home or anywhere in the world at their own pace. You are not obligated to work from a particular location within a particular time frame. You choose your schedules. It’s also possible to freelance as a part-time job, which makes it easier to balance with a full-time role. While flexibility is key for many workers, so is working with people you enjoy and trust. Remote jobs allow you to build your reputation by working on small, personal projects before moving on to larger ones. Plus, since the other person isn’t in your office or in the same state or country, you don’t have to worry about office politics or being disliked—the only things that matter are the quality of your work and relationships. 2. Build your portfolio and proofs Bellerin wanted to pitch corporate institutions for photography jobs, but he didn’t have any references —portfolios, or endorsements to display. This is why portfolios are so important—your portfolio serves as proof of your expertise. And when you’re a freelance writer […]

Is freelancing a thing for you?

Why do you want to write a book? The recent boom of interest in self-publishing has led to an explosion of books being created. While there are positives to this new market, it could also have negative impacts on book quality. Writing a book can be a daunting, time-consuming task. However, it is one of the best things you can do and leave as a legacy. There are many benefits to writing a book. Writing helps you better understand your thoughts and who you are as an individual. It also allows you to contribute to the world by adding to the vast body of knowledge that already exists on the subject. One of the most common reasons people write books is to share experiences, teach lessons, or inspire others. That said, not every idea will make it into books. Some ideas and write-ups are best kept as blog posts and articles. Blog posts and articles are the perfect media for publishing content on a given topic. Blog posts are a great way to share insights and tips for readers, while articles provide in-depth analysis of specific topics. Sometimes these articles and blog posts serve a better and more timely need than if they were written in books. As much as I advise people to write books, I also place a caveat that not everything can turn out as a book or for that matter a great book. This is because the task of writing a book has several pitfalls that need to be avoided. For example, some people don’t have the time or discipline to write a book. Others have an idea that isn’t likely to sell well in the market. The first governing principle on writing books is the reason for the book. Now, it may seem like an obvious starting point, but many people forget about it or neglect to consider it. If you don’t know what your book is about or what you want your readers to get out of reading it, then how can you expect them to buy and read your book? That serves as a precursor for publishing. It informs the option of the right audience, the market, and the specific need. In my book publishing classes, I always assert my belief that authors should clarify their reasons for writing a book before beginning the publishing process. This will give them a clear vision of their goals and what they want to achieve. If they would like to write a book for profit, they can use this information when choosing how much time and effort to put into writing. For authors who are not looking for monetary gain, it helps know if this is something they are willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money on it. It is clarity that will set the direction of the book publishing project. People write for so many reasons, either to make money, inspire, educate, or gain social status. In a recent Facebook post by the Zimbabwean telecommunications mogul, Strive Masiyiwa, who also founded and presides over Econet in Zimbabwe, Canada, and Zimbabwe respectively; he had this to say “I wanted to reach people who don’t usually read books. I ended up reaching more than 100m according to Facebook!” He believes that a book would have limited him in reaching out to a large number of people. Additionally, he didn’t want people paying for his content, he said: “I did not want people to pay for this material.” So he resorted to using Social Media as a means of sharing his content. He’s the go-to guy for entrepreneurs seeking to learn more in the field. He offers deep insights and openly engages with his audience on Facebook. I highly recommend every young entrepreneur follow his page on Social Media to learn more. His ‘why’ was crystal clear, so he chose the appropriate channel that would help him achieve his goal. There are some people just like Strive, experts in their various fields without a book in their name yet they share insightful long post content on social media. Perhaps, they may write a book someday. Something I always encourage them to do, however, for now, they believe the best medium to reach their audience is through their blog or social media posts. Take a look at the following people in my social media circle and get some insights from their content: Selorm Branttie is an ICT Business Specialist, Raymond Ablorh is a Communications Specialist, Nana Kwame Snr. is a Chartered Banker and Entrepreneur, BigGodwin is an IT Entrepreneur, and Kojo Akoto Boateng is an Entrepreneur and Broadcast Journalist. I have benefited a lot from the content of these people. So, for upcoming writers and authors be guided by your ‘why’? Once you are convinced, then do it! Remember that why you do what you do is more important than what you do. The question is, is a book the best medium for you? Think through again! To conclude let’s look at some benefits of writing a book: Increased Income: As technology makes advancements, there are new ways to make money. One of these ways is through self-publishing an e-book on sites such as Amazon. When you self-publish a book you can earn up to 70% royalties per sale of the book. This is a great way to make money without having to go through the hassle of submitting your book idea to traditional publishers. Your book may become a source of residual income. You write and publish it once, then it returns keeps coming. Increased Exposure: Some people think that writing a book is a waste of time, but in reality, writing a book increases your exposure. This is especially true for authors who are just starting out. The more books you write; the more people you reach. As people read your books, they will often be interested in finding out more about you and your other works. So if you have been considering writing a […]

Personal Brand: Do you really need to write a book?

Tips to grow your brand FInd your unique audince Feed them value – over deliver Generate ‘Word of Mouth Marketing’ – Power referrals Feedbacks – get them and use them properly Stay Consistrent Stay Creative – Be diffirent Branding Resources

Brand Nuggets

12 Things to Dare in 2022 “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― Andre Gide There comes a time in our lives that we must step out of our comfort zones and prisons and get into new territories.  We all have some areas that we need to Dare to venture into in the coming year. So, today I present to you some ideas for daring discoveries. Go through and give it a shot. 1. Dare to Break mental strongholds It all begins in the mind. Your mind is either your prison or palace. Several people have been stopped not by demons but by their own beliefs: self-limiting believes. So many “I can’t” block the flow of possibilities. To do and have more, one must first believe. Expand your capacity to receive. Sometimes we place a cap on what we can achieve based on our past failures, which ought not to be so. Until one breaks self-imposed barriers in the mind, success becomes a wild goose chase. Believe you can and work towards it. See it first in your mind then work towards it.  “Don’t let mental blocks control you. Set yourself free. Confront your fear and turn the mental blocks into building blocks.” ― Dr. Roopleen 2. Dare to Raise the bar on yourself Truth be told, unless you deliberately upgrade yourself and see the worth in you, people will always treat you less than you deserve. They will devalue you and underpay you. You must dare to make a conscious effort at all costs to work harder on yourself, become a better person in your niche. I believe you are capable of achieving more. Place a demand on yourself, sacrifice more and stretch to reach for great heights. Self-worth is your first wealth.  “I dare you, while there is still time, to have a magnificent obsession.” ― William Danforth 3. Dare to Write a book Writing may not come easily for everyone, however, everyone has a story, an experience, lessons to share. This may be the best time to write that book for you. Your story needs to be heard. Whether aiming at becoming a bestseller or not, make it a goal to share your story, lessons, strategies, and thoughts with the world. Listen, you may be helping someone you may never meet or know. Just start writing. At best hire a ghostwriter to professionally help you with your book. 4. Dare to go on a date If you’ve been postponing the idea for the date, now might be a good fit to give it a shot. Yeah either married or single, you can just pick a location to go spend some quality time with yourself, your spouse, fiancée, or family. It makes a lot of difference. Hey, why don’t you dare ask that person you’ve been admiring all this while for a date? You may be lucky, dare, go for it! 5. Dare to Travel/ tour/ retreat/ vacation Travelling opens are a new world of possibilities, to meet people of diverse cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs. It offers you an opportunity to learn and have fun. Perhaps, you have never traveled outside your village, town, city, or country. This may be the time to do so. Plan for that trip today. Additionally, Dare to Go on a retreat! You also deserve some vacation. Go out of town, find a serene place to meditate, have deeper soul searching, pray and commune with God. 6. Dare to learn a language Language is a very powerful communication tool, if you are at least multilingual the better. Learning a new language can be empowering, just add one more you your list. 7. Dare to go back to school/ learn a Skill Dare to go back to school, either online or offline. You may think it is too late but hey! No! You can still take that course.  Learn something new. Upgrade yourself. Find out what skills are needed in your industry and learn. It offers you more opportunities in life. Skills get you hired. If necessary, make it happen this year. Make inquiries and pick a form. 8. Dare to Start a business (side hustle) It is a good practice to have multiple streams of income. It makes life worth living and lightens the pressures of life. Starting a side gig may not be for everyone, but the idea of trying something on your own has many wells of lessons one can draw from. You may need an extra income or may have plans for a startup business. Just begin, get the needed resources and launch out. 9. Dare to hire an expert Yes! You cannot do it all on your own and certainly cannot master everything in your lifetime. So to save you some time and money, you must hire experts in areas that can help complement what you do. Dare to delegate and focus on the things you can handle effectively and efficiently. Successful people leverage experts to help them succeed. 10. Dare Start to foster a child You may want to start a family and possibly raise children or perhaps just want to foster a child. Whatever your family goals are, Dare to make it happen. If you’ve been planning on settling down and the right time is up, go ahead don’t keep postponing it. Prepare for wonderful family life. If adopting or fostering is the best option for you, go for it. Your adoption may just be to cater to the needs of someone’s child. Do it! 11. Dare to own properties – Dare to acquire some lands, if you have land, you can have more. If you have none, now it’s a great time to secure one. Invest in lands, it always appreciates. – Dare to start a backyard garden A backyard farm would be an ideal starting point if you have space for it. Be it plant or animal farming, cultivate this as a hobby or […]

Daring Greatly 2022

“If you don’t prepare you will repair” – Bernard Kelvin Clive The Power of Brand Preparation. In this episode I talked about the power of preparation in brand building. Preparation is a critical process in the brand-building journey. If you don’t prepare you’ll repair. So start right and build right, prepare!

Prep your Brand

“Find a balance between the art of writing and the business of publishing“ As an author, the question that has been asked on countless occasions has been ‘How do you find inspiration to write?’ Today, I will share with you some simple truths and challenges faced by writers and authors alike. Listen, there would be days you have the drive and internal motivation to write, the flow will be natural and uninterrupted. And well there will be other days that regardless of what you do, the inspiration and flow will not be there. Yeah, that’s life, don’t let the not-so-good days discourage you. The recent pandemic (Covid-19) took the world by surprise. While it shut down some businesses it also reshaped the minds of others. Before this, many thought to themselves they were too busy to slow down to enjoy the simple pleasures of life or pursue the list on their bucket list were awaken to the realities of life. For the last 12 months, I have seen several people writing and publishing books, yes! Surprised? Suddenly, they’ve got the time to write and share their stories and ideas with the world. Truth be told, sometimes it takes an uncertain tragic situation to turn men towards living their dreams. The thing is that, if one desires to write, every day presents an opportunity to do so, it might not be as fast as one desires, but there will be progress. That simple action and habit will lead to many creative ideas being birthed. We are all sometimes slack, slow, and lazy about taking simple action, but when we commit to it, a whole new world of possibilities is born. So, here are simple tips and tweaks to help you in your writing and publishing journey. 1. Block some time off your daily schedule to write. It could just be 30minutes.2. Write when you are inspired or not. It’s the habit that counts.3. Treat your first draft as such, it’s a draft, don’t try to polish it during the writing process.4. If you are writing a book, make it a great one. Put all your all into it. That’s the beginning of your success.5. Invest in a professional editor6. The secret has been to always start promoting your book before it’s ready. Promote before publishing.7. Great writers are readers as well. So read other books, build yourself up.8. Join a network of writers and authors, this helps greatly.9. Quality design sells. Get a professional cover and book layout designer to do your book cover and typesetting.10. No matter how great a writer you are, never try to do everything on your own. Engage the expertise of others, it pays!11. Don’t stress yourself over who should write the foreword for your book12. If you desire to stay in the game for a long time then, consider writing multiple books(series) than trying to make a killing from just one book.13. Book tiles do change. Your current book title may need to change before publishing14. Publish on Amazon and other platforms. Sometimes smaller platforms may offer you more royalties. Don’t be limited, spread!15. Make friends with bloggers, publicists, and book reviewers, if not hire them when necessary. They help create buzz around your book.16. Blogging and podcasting are great marketing channels. If you can, consider guest blogging and podcasting. They are a prodigious book promotional avenue.17. Get reviewers for your book online. Reviews help to drive sales for your book.18. Prepare to be a guest on TV/Radio, Podcasts, etc. An avenue to market your book.19. Get an author website or landing page for your book. Giveaway some content!20. Be consistent and committed to writing. Craft your writing style. Write for your ideal audience and grow!21. Learn well the art of writing and the business of publishing. Book Publishing is a big business, do all you can to stand out! Bernard Kelvin CliveAmazon bestselling author of over 50 published books. Recommended books: CEO Branding Simple Branding Guide for Small Business Owners

21 Tips for Writers, Authors & Publishers

In this episode, I discussed the subject of branding and rebranding with Susan Meier. Susan Hamilton Meier coaches business leaders on how to position their brands with clarity and impact. An alumnus of Harvard Business School and the Boston Consulting Group, Susan has helped the world’s leading brands understand their customers, evolve their strategic vision, and create effective communication. Based on her experiences, she developed a workbook that equips entrepreneurs and small business owners with the same tools her Fortune 50 clients use to identify their brand’s unique niche and craft their key messages. RESOURCES: Books by BKC www.Amazon.com/author/bernardkelvin

Convo on Branding, Rebranding, and Repositioning with a Brand Strategist – Susan Meier

“Branding is more than just a creative name and cute logo…” – Bernard Kelvin Clive Building a brand is about much more than coming up with a brand statement, logo, and colors. And still, too many businesses seem to think that’s all there is to it. This is why so many of them end up getting lost in the sea of other competitors and can’t seem to stick with their audience. But if your goal is to get your brand out there and attract the right people, you have to know how to build a brand strategy and avoid some crucial mistakes. Here are a few of them. Not Starting with a Brand Strategy The biggest issue is not coming in with a strategy. You should always start with your biggest competition and see what they’re doing. This will inspire you as to what you can do and how you can differentiate yourself. You also need to have a clear audience of who you’re catering to. Remember, this is all about your customer and aligning yourself with their experience. If you start from this angle, you’ll realize that fonts and colors have very little to do with your brand. It’s about being as persuasive as possible to your core audience. Not Delegating This is another major issue for many companies. They might want to put their in-house marketing team on the job when they might not understand all the aspects of branding. Branding online and offline are two completely different things, and people who do not have the expertise to build a brand online cannot be expected to learn on the fly and get good results. You need to hire a team for the job and find one with significant experience working on this type of project. People like main-rose.com are a perfect example. Outsourcing online branding will result in better results and will allow you to save time and money. You’ll also be able to allocate your team to asks they are better at. Cutting Corners A lot of people try to build their brand on the cheap. The issue is that a cheap brand will become synonymous with who you are, and it will be very difficult to shake off. This is why you need to invest all that you can into a proper design at first. While the logo isn’t everything, it is still a very important part of branding, so don’t make the mistake of hiring someone on Fiverr to do the job. What you’ll get is a mishmash of overused stock photos and cheap fonts. While you can get away with a cheap site at the beginning, make sure that the colors and logos are consistent and that the logo is professionally made. One of the big issues with having a cheaply made logo is that you might have difficulty transposing it to different formats. You don’t want to have to redesign the logo so that it looks the same on print and online. These are a few examples of mistakes people make when building their brand. Make sure that you avoid these, and understand what makes a strong brand to begin with. Recommended books: CEO Branding Simple Branding Guide for Small Business Owners

Common Mistakes People Make When Building a Brand

If you have a desire to write a book or you have a book written and want to generate more revenue from it, then this is the right episode for you. In this episode my guest Dr. Angela, shares with us, secret strategies of writing a book and making a 6 figure income out of it. Dr. Angela E. Lauria is the founder of The Author IncubatorTM and creator of the Difference ProcessTM for writing a book that matters. The Author Incubator was ranked #275 on the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies and #60 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur 360. Dr. Angela won the Stevie Award’s Coach/Mentor of the Year Award and her program, The Author’s Way was named Coaching Program of the Year and was named, by entrepreneur Magazine, as one of the top 10 most inspiring entrepreneurs to watch –one of only 2 women on the list. Dr. Angela has helped over 1,000 authors-in transformation write, publish, and promote their books. Her clients have been responsible for over $100 million in cumulative revenue. She has a B.A. and an M.A. in Journalism and Media Affairs from The George Washington University and a PhD in Communications from The European Graduate School. She is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author of: Make ‘Em Beg To Work For You: How to Find, Hire, Manage, Reward, and Release All-star Players to Help Make your Dream a Reality Make ‘Em Beg to Be Your Client: The Nonfiction Authors’ Guide to Selling, Serving, and Funding a Movement Make ‘Em Beg to Publish Your Book: How To Reach A Larger Audience & Make A Full-Time Income In The Extremely Overcrowded World of Personal Development The Incubated Author: 10 Steps to Start a Movement with Your Message The Difference: 10 Steps To Writing A Book That Matters. She lives at The Author Castle in McLean, Virginia with her husband Paul, son Jesse and their Castle cats Princesses Feathers & Foxy McFuzz Bucket. RESOURCES: Download FREE books by Dr. Angela www.TheAuthorIncubator.com/freebooks Follow me on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheAuthorIncubator Books by BKC www.Amazon.com/author/bernardkelvin

How to Write a Book and Make Money

Join my weekly discussions and interviews on Personal Branding | Personal Development | Publishing | Providing inspiration and teachings on branding, social media and authoring. I'm your host Bernard Kelvin Clive.

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Personal Branding Podcast

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