In This Issue

Looking Back to Look Forward - Our Entrepreneurship Story

Our Gratitude Give-Away!

See You in Thailand!

Self-Leadership: Important for Entrepreneurs and "Intra"Preneurs, Too!

 



Build an executive leadership brand that inspires loyalty and drives employee performance

Brenda's step-by-step leadership personal branding system to take charge of your career.  Earn more, do more, and be more at work.

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Build a powerful brand that is high on results but low on cost
How YOU(tm) Are Like Shampoo for Job Seekers Front Cover

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Branding Matters

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Brenda travels around the world


Where in The World is Brenda Now??

Author, Speaker, Trainer and Coach Brenda Bence travels extensively to present her unique approach to corporate and personal branding at conferences, conventions, & corporations all across the globe...

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If you'd like Brenda to speak or train at an upcoming event, conference, or meeting, please

e-mail her at:

Brenda@BrendaBence.com

 
In addition to coaching sessions, here's where Brenda has engagements scheduled in the next couple of months:

April 3-24: Singapore
April 25-May 8: U.S.A.
May 9-23: Singapore
May 24-29: Bangkok
May 30-June 9: Singapore
June 10-17: Phuket
June 18-Aug 9: Singapore
Aug 10-18: Hong Kong
Aug 19-Sept 26: Singapore
Sept 27-Oct 11: U.S.A.
Oct 5-9: Singapore
Oct 12-16: Singapore
Oct 17-20: Hong Kong
Oct 21-22: Singapore
Oct 23-24: Hong Kong (TBC)
Oct 25-27: Singapore
Oct 28-Nov 4: Phuket

Brenda is currently booking additional engagements for 2017.


Get a Deal If I'm Working Near You!

Save money by sharing expenses with my other clients. If you see I'm going to be at a location near you in the future, feel free to contact me so that we can explore what I could do to help build your team's leadership capabilities and help make a stronger Corporate Brand/Personal Brand Connection™. I look forward to hearing from you!


Contact Us

 

Brand Development Associates International  

 

Singapore Contact Information

 

Phone: +65-6322-1491

Fax:      +65-6322-1493   

6 Battery Road #30-01 

Raffles Place

Singapore 049909

 

U.S. Contact Information

 

Phone: +1(312) 242-1830
Fax:      +1(312) 277-9211

10785 W. Twain Ave., Suite 102

Las Vegas, NV 89135

 

 
E-mail: Brenda@BrendaBence.com
Website: www.BrendaBence.com

Brenda Bence - Achieving Greater Success for YOU and Your Company Through the Power of Branding
 
April 4, 2017


,

    
This past Saturday, April 1st, 2017 was a big day for us here at BDA. Not just because it's April Fools' Day (although we do have a lot of fun with that) but because 15 years ago on that date, our company, Brand Development Associates (BDA) International, was born!
 
In this newsletter, I share more about this very personal brand-building journey.  And, to add to the 15-year anniversary excitement, I was also humbled to learn that I have been recognized as one of the Top 25 Global Coaching Gurus and one of the Top 20 Global Branding Gurus for 2017!  And, to honor these exciting milestones, we are offering great prizes to 15 lucky winners - you'll want to check out the details below!
 
Lastly, I highlight the critical importance of self-leadership, both for entrepreneurs and "intra-preneurs" alike.  How well are you leading YOU™?
 
Thank you, thank you - sincerely - for all of the support you have offered these past 15 years. We are grateful!

All the best, and here's to YOU™ --

 
Brenda Bence signature
Brenda Bence

Brenda@BrendaBence.com
 


Looking Back to Look Forward - Our Entrepreneurship Story

It feels like April 1, 2002 was only yesterday. I sat in my new office - well, at that time, it was actually a converted small bedroom in our home - and thought with such excitement, "I did it! I started my own business!" After almost two decades of working in big companies, I felt an incredible sense of freedom to go out on my own.
 
But it didn't take long before fear seeped in, with questions like, "I've given up the comfort of a high-paying corporate job with all the perks. I'm starting from scratch with nothing! What have I done?"
 
In fact, I jokingly say I chose April Fools' Day to start the business because if it didn't work out, I could always go running back to the corporate world and say, "Just kidding!"
 
In all seriousness, though, I was determined to make it work. I had some savings, but I knew I had to spend funds wisely if my business was going to survive. I had to get smart - fast - about how to do that.
 
Faced with this dilemma, I took a deep breath and gathered up all the tips, tools, and techniques I had learned during those many years of big-brand management. I began applying them diligently to building my own brand - but this time, in ways that didn't cost much. I kept my eye on the target - on the brand I wanted to build - and that brand became the North Star to guide every day-to-day decision I made. In other words, I focused on what I did have, rather than what I didn't have.
 
In the process, slowly but surely, I uncovered hundreds of ways to build my brand using the same methods I had employed with household name brands, but without the need for the deep pockets I had in the corporate world. Then, I was able to take what I learned and teach other business owners how to do the same. I started out showing them how to master corporate and product branding, and my focus eventually evolved into leadership branding - how to help individuals, executives, and leaders build brands for themselves.
 
Looking back 15 years later, I can honestly say this journey has been the most amazing ride, and I'm grateful for every minute of the experience. Five years into the company, Daniel Jackman joined our team, and that's when the magic really kicked in!  The business grew and grew to the point where, today, it's been enormously rewarding to serve as a professional speaker, corporate trainer, and senior executive coach to dozens of the most recognized companies in the world.
 
Currently, BDA International has had the honor of working with clients across six continents and 70 industries, and people often ask us how we achieved that. In fact, such a large number of clients and other individuals ask about how to become a successful entrepreneur that I decided to write a short book in which I share the top 15 lessons I've learned from 15 years of running my own business. Watch for the release date - it will be out in a few months!
 
Do YOU Have What it Takes, Too?
 
In the meantime, I wanted to share with you two of my favorite articles about what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. It's an active, engaging topic, as more and more people decide to take the plunge and start a business. What are the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur, and ... if it's appropriate for you, do YOU have them?

 
 
Don't think this topic applies to you? Think again: Even if you work "inside" a company, are you an "intra"preneur, using your entrepreneurial skills within the organization to get faster, better, and more innovative results? Those skills will help you both inside or outside the corporate world.
 
Thank You!
 
Finally, to celebrate our 15-year milestone, I want to give back to all of our fantastic clients - both corporate and individual - and all of our newsletter readers who have followed us all these years and been so supportive. If it weren't for you, this company would be nothing, and we are incredibly grateful to you every single day. Thank you, and please read below for a special offer that I think you'll want to take advantage of!
 
Once again, thank you for the incredible support you have offered our company over the years. I look forward to hearing from you and to staying in touch through the years to come! Feel free to reach out anytime.
 

Our Gratitude Give-Away!

UDEMY - SBBB To demonstrate our great appreciation for everyone who has supported us these past 15 years, we are offering 15 F*REE subscriptions to my online video course, "Smarter Branding Without Breaking the Bank: Five Proven Marketing Strategies You Can Use Right Now to Build Your Business at Low Cost - or No Cost at All." (Find out more about the course at https://www.udemy.com/smarter-branding/ ).
 
How can you win? All you have to do is answer the two simple questions below. I'll put all the answers in a hat and draw 15 winners who will receive the free course. Here are the questions:
 
1.  In which two countries does BDA International currently have offices?
 
2.  What do YOU think is the single-most important characteristic of a successful entrepreneur?
 
Remember: There will be 15 winners, so your odds are good. Don't miss out on this opportunity. Good luck!
 

See You in Thailand!
 
"Please let me know when you'll be speaking at a public event!"  This is a phrase I hear often because I normally only present at private corporate meetings, conventions, and conferences.  
 
However, next month, I will be speaking at a regional coaching conference in Bangkok, Thailand on May 26 - and it's open to the public!   At that conference, I will be presenting material from my upcoming book, The Choice , where I reveal a simple yet powerful choice that every leader has before them - whether focused on leading self or leading others.  
 
I would be delighted if you would come join me!   Click on the visual below to find out more.  I hope to see you there!
 


Self-Leadership: Important for Entrepreneurs and "Intra"Preneurs, Too!

During my years of coaching senior executives, I came to understand that
self-leadership is the most important - and most overlooked - driver of overall success. It's a key part of being a successful entrepreneur - and a successful "intra"preneur, too. Self-leadership allows you to lead yourself to reach both "doing" goals - (Executive Presence, speaking up, effectively addressing conflict, etc.) and "being" goals (strengthening confidence, staying calm when facing tough situations, making difficult decisions, etc.)
 
As a coach, I was able to pinpoint the 15 most damaging self-leadership behaviors, which became the basis of my latest book: Leading YOU™: The power of SELF-LEADERSHIP to build your executive brand and drive career success. As always, I've filled the book with lots of practical ways to correct these behaviors in your world, along with real-life executive coaching case studies that illustrate how these tools and techniques can help you become a markedly better leader.

This book picks up where Would YOU Want to Work For YOU™? left off, providing what I believe is the missing link for most executives and entrepreneurs across the globe.
 
I'm excited to share that the book is receiving positive feedback and impacting leaders around the world! Here are just a few of the comments that people have shared with me after reading the book:

 

"I recommend Leading YOU™ to anyone who is a leader - or aspires to be.  As I look at myself and others in my profession, I can see that author Brenda Bence is right: Self-leadership is the missing piece for most of us. Brenda has been invaluable to me at critical points in my career, helping me bridge my current role with my aspirations. A decade later, I continue to view my work with Brenda as a true breakthrough moment."
-- Andrew Padovano - Managing Director, Citibank New York

" This book closes on the value of coaching to help you implement changes. I can personally attest to this. I was fortunate enough to enlist Brenda as my coach 6 years ago, and I estimate she has added well over US$150,000 to my compensation since that time."
-- Marion McDonald - Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy PR, Asia Pacific

" Almost every leader focuses on leading others. [In this book], Brenda shows that self-leadership is just as important - maybe even more important - because it's the foundation of all leadership."
-- Dale A. Martin - CEO, Siemens Hungary
 
" Many practical tips in this easy read as Brenda uses many real-life scenarios as illustrations. It spoke to me in so many ways - I highly recommend this book!"
-- Angelia Kay - Regional Director, Garlock Asia Pacific

"Just what I was looking for! Brenda cuts right through the confusion on this topic and she provides a clear pathway for career development. I highly recommend Leading YOU™ to anyone looking to find the right balance and direction in their career."
-- Reid Velo - Consultant, Trust Edge Leadership Institute, Minneapolis

                         

 
All the best, and here's to YOU™!
 
Brenda Bence signature
Brenda Bence

Brenda@BrendaBence.com