Hi, everyone. Thanks for being here today. We're going to speak about uh men and women branding. And I'm the director of a stunning brand. I'm also the founder and I'm also the founder and director of World Cities Artists. You might have heard of it.Um So the first question that people ask, people always come to me and say I need to create a brand. Uh And my first answer is, but you already have a brand. You don't need to create a brand. And the reason why it's my first answer, it's because we all born branded. Remember when you were a child, when you were a child, people already branded you actually from the moment you were born, people were already branded branding. You. Um People would say, oh, this baby is looking like looks like his father or her mother or, or if you start crying, people would presume you're hungry but you were not always hungry. Sometimes you just cry because it's something you didn't like. But people always judge from the moment you do something, you, you say something. And of course, when you baby, it's very hard to say anything. So people will judge you by your attitude and and the emotion you provoke in them. So if you keep crying as a baby, people will say, oh God, that baby is gonna have a quick temper, which doesn't mean anything because uh some babies are very difficult uh at the beginning and then when they grow up, they're the quietest people.

So, so we are all born branded and for my case, um I was uh born in South Korea. I grew up in a small French town of 3000 people where I was uh the first Asian, I was the only Asian in town. And, and the thing is uh at the time it was between the eighties and nineties, there were a lot of series and movies about the Vietnam war. And as you know, every films about war taps into people's emotion. So when people saw me, they referred me to the movies they watched the night before. And so most people thought I was Vietnamese now to be Vietnamese was not an issue at all. Uh The issue for me was that people constructed a story around my life that had nothing to do with my real life. Uh For example, people would say, oh this poor child, she has been through the war. I never went through the war. I just looked Asian and I'm actually South Korean and uh South Korea is about 3000 kilometers away from uh Vietnam, which is uh quite a fair distance and a very different culture as well. So we are born branded and the thing is when people brand you as a child, sometimes they will dress you a certain way or they will even your parents will even choose your activities because they think your temper fit with it.

Remember when you were a child, did it happen to you? So when people brand you, this is sometimes how you can end up. Uh on this case, I ended, ended up to be branded as a cauliflower. It was a special day and I had the face obviously to look like a cauliflower. So if you don't want to end up as a cauliflower like me, make sure you take control of your brand before someone else does. Now when you're at school, it doesn't matter uh that people brand you, it does matter actually, it can ruin your entire school years. But uh you still have a long life after that, you're going to have a career, you're going to have a perhaps a, a partner, Children who knows. So, so there's a lot of chances to change your life. And if you do work on the narrative of your brand and how it's going to influence of, then you can build a powerful brand. And when you build a powerful brand, it can change everything, everything in your life, it can change your career, it can change your business and it can change the way you network. So it will build your reputation.

It will help you promote the company you work for or your own company. It will open new opportunities. Uh You can also market better, do better sales, uh gain authority in your area, show that you own your knowledge. But also that your personality uh is uh a likable personality because there's so many com so much competition these days that it is important to stand out. Um And in networking, it will help you attract more attention, meet the right people and cultivate your relationships. So building a powerful brand is what is important. You don't need to create a brand from scratch, you're already your brand, whether you want it or not. Now, last century brand brands were all about power about money, about success and those who used to own the brands were mainly men because that's something that they are excellent that's representing. But the 21st century has changed everything. We now have the technology. We have the possibility to brand ourselves on the internet and with 4.5 billion users on the internet, that is a huge window of opportunities to build a strong brand because there's so many possibilities of attracting values audiences. But with 4.5 billion on the internet, uh it means there's also 4.5 billion people who have the possibility to brand themselves, which means it's become very competitive. Um And we live in a changing world.

Uh as you know, we live in the time of COVID and we also speak about climate change. And another thing that is coming into play that women intake will know very well is um A I which is scaring a lot of people um of the reduction of jobs. And so, so you have to think when you brand yourself these days, you have to think of your audience, how are they going to feel about uh what you're projecting? Because if you're only projecting power, success and knowledge, uh it doesn't always relate to everyone. Uh what relates to people is, is, you know, do you actually care about my future? Do you actually care about me and 21st century role models, uh celebrities, for example, or politicians try to implement this in their brand. So some people will be more authentic than others, but they will at least implement one of the values that is what build their brand. So some do it on purpose, some are born uh the way they are. Uh But let's take some examples. So first, I've chosen the men because we're in a woman event. So I thought if we're going to promote uh diversity, what's important is to lead by example. So let's start with the men, Elon Musk, you all know him. Um So people uh tend to admire him for his projection in the future, for being innovative.

Uh And for going for it as well because whatever the media say, whatever people say, if it's decided that we are going into space, he's gonna try all the way to, to do this and, and we know what is done with Tesla and, and um and we also know what is done with uh with paypal.

So, so Elon Musk is a, is a great example of what people call a visionary. Dalai Lama. Um I love the Dalai Lama because every time I see him, I feel inspired, I feel calm and I feel uh happy. He is someone who lives happiness. It doesn't only promote happiness. Uh And when you face adversity is someone that most people like to look up to and get inspired and many people would come to him because of his wisdom. So that is also value that people these days look for Dwayne Johnson. Do you imagine what it's like to be to try to become a professional uh footballer which he has achieved and then to try to become a professional wrestler? I mean, it's really, really physical and mental as well. You have to have the, the mental frame to, to, to go for it. And then he be he became an actor and he decided to learn everything about Hollywood, which makes him today the highest paid actor. And he's also become a producer, an activist, a philanthropist and people know him to be a great family man. I mean, the the strength that it takes to do all this is a lot, think about it for a second and, and he inspires people for his determination. Today, people want to have, find the courage somewhere, find the motivation and, and when they see an example of someone who is determined, they will really be impressed by that person and follow the lead. And as you can see, it's got 241 million followers on Instagram.

So that's quite a proof of a successful brand. Um Someone who is not using social media is actually George Clooney. Uh But if you're Josh Clooney, do you really need social media? So most women would say is very charming. I don't know if you all agree. Uh But most women I asked to before, when I was making this presentation said that he is also known as one of the friendliest uh most powerful figure in Hollywood. Uh He would help anyone who, who is uh new in Hollywood to try to boost their career, which is incredible at this level. And he's also involved in human rights and uh peace activism. He goes, he doesn't only promote it, but he also goes on the ground. George Clooney went to Sudan himself, he went to Chad, uh he went to demonstrate in front of the Sudanese embassy where he got arrested. Um So George Green is someone with a lot of empathy and lots of people would say he's the nice guy. Um So, empathy is something that is uh really required these days. And women are very good at proving this too. Speaking of Clooney and human rights, Amal Clooney, uh she's known to be stylish, elegant intelligence. Uh She's a great role model for women. And the reason why she's a great role model for, for women is not just because of the success in her career, but it's also that she stands out for her values and, and for what she believes in, she withdrew from several top positions from one UN commission uh role and also from a special envoy uh role for the UK government uh because she didn't agree with the way things were being handled.

Um So for a woman to have that uh strength in her career and the strength to say no uh takes a lot of integrity. She is the role model of most of my female clients, Michelle Obama. Um The amazing thing about Michelle Obama. Look at her, she's uh the first African American, first lady of the United States and look at her. She's dancing with Children. How many first ladies have you seen dancing like that on stage? Being completely natural. She's also built several communities. Um And when you see her in interviews, she doesn't have any problem to la floud to be entirely herself. And women admire her a lot for her authenticity. Someone else who is very well known for her authenticity and determination uh is actually someone who interviewed several times, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, um, Oprah did not have the greatest start in life. She was sexually abused at the age of nine by several, uh, people in our family.

Uh, and that lasted for years, uh, which is something that, uh, would be really hard to go through for the rest of your life. Uh, however, she has done excellent at school. At the age of 17, she became a news uncle. Uh she got fired in, in the early stage of her career. And still today, she's the person, the one woman who, who is known to have changed the face of the media and she didn't just stop there. She also became a producer. She's, she's been an actress. She's uh she's um she's been a businesswoman. She's written several books. Uh She's, she's incredible for most women and opera is uh has become a very inspiring figure. So what does it tell us about the, the new generation of women, a young girl who has come a few years ago to light um GRE Attenberg who has uh been diagnosed of the Asperger syndrome. Um She's a non environmental activist at the age of 11, she changed her entire lifestyle because she was depressed about uh climate change. And so she became a vegan and she also influenced her parents to take her lifestyle. Um She, at the age of 15, she was in front of the Swedish parliament to do a call to action to some of the most powerful leaders and she sails across the world uh just to go to a UN summit to show that you can lead by example.

So most people uh acknowledge that Greta is extremely brave uh for adults to challenge world leaders. It's hard. But imagine what it is when you're her age. So what people, oops, sorry what people look for. Um These days is authenticity and integrity. Um Now are women better than men at it. There will be some statistics that we could say more women or more men are better at this and that. But what we've seen today is both uh genders are able to be authentic and have integrity, same for passion and determination. Uh And social impact is really something that people uh are going to be looking for because of the way the world is evolving. Um And people like to follow leaders who have a vision. Now, there are some uh articles that say that women are not as good as men to express their vision uh maybe in number. But I'm sorry, I disagree because uh I think that we had Mary Curry. Uh today we have Greta Attenberg. She doesn't only promote her vision but she leaves her vision. So, so what does it say about if men or women are better at branding? I would say both have the ability to, to brand. I wouldn't focus on the number but I would focus on what can we actually do as a human being and, and not just what we can actually do for, for our brand, but also what can we do for the world?

Because if we live in a better world and we can continue branding, but if the the world gets into total destruction, then what, what's the point of all of this? So I would encourage you to think about that. And also remember that um you need to be yourself. Now, uh I have clients, for example, who come to me and say I used to work with an agency that told me I should be, I should dress like this or I should speak like this. Um Be yourself, tell your story as yourself. Now you can get some help uh to tell your story, to tell your values and, and to build the narrative professionally, but just remember, do not lose your values because that's all you've got, that's all you've got to, to, to brand yourself in the long term and to make an impact and you don't want to attract an audience that is not you.

So rem remember this? Um Thank you very much for, for being with me today. Uh You can reach out, you can invite me on linkedin. You can reach out at stunning brand.com.