Dream Big 55

There is nothing in life that comes easy. Whether it be something you want to have or want to do, it's not handed to you on a silver platter. No matter how bad you want it. Life doesn't work that way. The only way you can make it happen is to earn it. And with hard work and determination you can turn any goals into achievements. I cannot speak for everyone out there trying to make their dreams come true, but I can help by sharing how to get started and the steps to get there.

The first step is socialization. As a kid you learned the difference between right and wrong, and how to get along with others. Now that you're all grown up you should have the basic foundations of socialization, at least you should; it's time to utilize this knowledge. You should by now understand that we are all after a goal, no matter what it is. And everything we do is blasted all over social media. There's not much that is private anymore, and therefore we are at the mercy of scrutinization. If you do not think what you post on social media matters think again because it does. Especially if you're trying to achieve your goals. Now think back to your lessons of right and wrong, and how to play along nicely with others. Apply that basis on social media networking. Remember that people enjoy airing their dirty laundry for everyone else to see, perhaps they just desperately need the attention, or perhaps they don't utilize their former lessons in socialization. No matter what others do on social media, remember this. It's none of your business what they do. If they post something offensive that requires the need to give your opinion ignore it. The next thing is to unfriend them, because you don't need negativity in your life. The only reason for you to use social media in the first place is to connect with family and friends, unless you're going to use it for self-promotion. But always remember to use it in a positive way. You never know who is watching. And depending on your career goals, self-promotion is the fastest and easiest way to get your name and likeness out there.

The second step is to create a brand for yourself. If you're asking what a brand is then I'll explain. A 'brand' is the image you are creating for yourself; to put it as simply as possible. How do you do it? First you must think about your career goal. What is it that you want to become in the end? What is your main goal? Take that idea and let's create an image that you want to represent, include your personality, your hobbies, likes, dislikes, and how you want the general public to see you as. It doesn't matter what you want to do, but you must include that in your brand. The most important thing to start is through social media as this person you want to be, and how others see you. Start by making a list of your personas interests and who that persona is, then apply it to a new social media page. The top three social hubs to use are, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Use the social media wisely. This is how you develop a following, but with this power comes great responsibility. Do not constantly only say things about yourself. You can promote yourself when the need arises, such as good news. Do not spout negativity, gossip, or badmouth others, this only makes you look like a jerk. You can share things that you like, animals, foods, popular culture, and other peoples achievements. Do not share politics or religion, it doesn't matter your feelings on either subject. There is a profile page to put your social views on for which religious or political sides you follow. Do make sure you share knowledge to others who are chasing similar dreams or goals, pay it forward, information is key and helping others is always something you should strive to do. Social media is also great for networking and meeting new people with like interests in the career field you have chosen. But this goes back to watch what you post, and think before you type. There are more agents, producers, and casting directors of every kind that troll social media for the next big thing, and you want to make sure that your posts are positive in every way possible. Once you have built a good following, networked others in the business, made new friends and have a substantial following, then it's time to move on to the next step.

The third step isn't going to be the easiest in building your brand. It doesn't have to be the hardest since you're just starting out, but you have to create a website. This is how you will market yourself even more so then the socialized networking you've been doing on social media. Marketing yourself is completely different than simply promoting yourself, and it's also the same thing. The website is one of the fastest ways to get your name out there. And here's why. When you google a name or a place it automatically pops up the information, fast, easy, and precisely what you need to market yourself. Aren't websites expensive? Don't I have to be a computer wiz to create one? Yes they can be expensive, but they don't have to be. And no you do not have to be a genius to create one. Let me introduce you to your new best friend, Wix.com. One, it's free to create your website, two, you can do it yourself if you follow the easy to use steps. Since you're just starting out the complete set up is free and you don't have to have all the bells and whistles it comes with. But if you're not selling items in a store than you don't have to set one up. The only thing you should be selling is your brand. You'll start with your image, your name, what it is that you do, who you are, and can attach links to your social media pages also. Later or even now you can purchase packages that fits your budget and needs, in order to build a great website. Creating an online marketing tool is key to building the career that you want to have. Once you have made your website the way you want it to be then you use your social media hubs to promote it. Websites need traffic, and promoting is the best way to lead others to where you want them to be, on your homepage that is.

Now that you've learned the top three ways to start your brand it's time to put the devil in the details...

Detail number one is a good photo shoot. Head shots are the first thing people see when they land on your pages, either social media or your website. You must have professional images made, that is number one in marketing yourself; they need to see the product, which is you. Second detail is your pitch. If you're not much of a writer it's ok, you only need a few lines about yourself. Make sure you're spelling and punctuation is clear and concise, you don't want to look like an idiot. If you absolutely cannot write a structured sentence to save your life then I suggest finding a ghost writer. The pitch must consist of who you are, what you are, what you've accomplished, and or at least hobbies or something slightly personal about yourself if you don't have accomplishments to brag about yet. This three to four sentence pitch should be on everything you have your name on, in the about you section, whether it's social media pages or your website. The third thing is knowledge. It will be the most powerful tool you will use. You must learn what your trade is, learn the business side of it, and read or take classes about it. If you do not know what you're doing you will fail. Failure comes from not backing yourself up. But if you do fail you must learn from the experience. Take the time no matter how boring or how little you think it matters, everything you do matters and it's the only way to succeed.

The way you will build your brand is to learn your trade, pitch your persona, and share your images so you can get yourself out there. No one can or will do this like you will. Market your brand on your website, post cool things on social media, and share the things you have learned with others. Only you can take your brand and make it a household name. Only you can create the achievements you want to have.

No matter what you choose to do in life, if you want it bad enough, if you work hard enough, it will happen, all you have to do is always, dream big.