How to Build a Personal Brand That Actually Matters with Vanessa Errecarte | #29

Jim Fielding (0:00)

There was times I wanted to take away some of the frustration, or there's times I wanted to provide the answer, and I'm like, I can't, because you kind of just have to do it yourself. And each situation is different, and each author is different.

Vanessa Errecarte (0:13)

Yeah, people like it when you ask for them. It just really makes step three and four so much more meaningful and faster. I really do feel like that's the magic part of the why. Even if you can't put your finger on it before you're writing or as you're writing. Yeah, that's the why.

Jim Fielding (0:29)

Hi, I'm Jim Fielding and welcome to my podcast, Ask For An Answer. This isn't just a podcast, it's a practice space. Every episode, I'm sitting down with a leader, someone navigating a real challenge, a hard transition, a moment where they don't have all the answers, and we're going to work through it together. Not in the abstract, clear, honest, and with a growth mindset. Right now, live with stakes and shared insights. I have gathered a diverse group of visionary guests, from innovative young leaders to global CEOs and educators. You'll learn practical tools you can apply immediately, including a new decision framework, how to handle conflicts and constraints, how to create safety so people tell you the truth, and how to let go without abdicating. But more than that, you'll hear what it sounds like when leaders stop performing and start thinking. When they let go of the armor, ask for help and trust the process. Welcome to Ask For An Answer. Hello, kind, curious, talented human beings. It is time for another episode of Ask For An Answer with Jim Fielding.

I am thrilled about my guests today on so many levels. We were just talking in the preparation on all the different levels. But Vanessa, I'm so excited that you're here.

I'm going to tell how you and I know each other. And then I'm going to let you introduce yourself and do your bio. But this is I'm so excited. You are my first guest who also is a person I coach. I realized that this morning. I love that. But Vanessa and I met because of books, because I met Vanessa when I was at UC Davis for my first for my book tour, for the first book, All Pride, No Ego.

She got in contact with me and inquired about coaching because she was writing a book. And so I've been on this journey with her. I have her book here. It's behind her. For those of you who can't see, I'm holding up Valuable and Visible by Vanessa Errecarte.

And we're going to talk about the book journey. We're going to talk about coaching. But Vanessa, welcome. I'm so excited about this episode.

Vanessa Errecarte (2:42)

I'm excited too. I love, I love our chats and I am excited. We get to do it for another hour here. I can never forget that.

Jim Fielding (2:50)

Yeah.

And we get to share it with everybody. So tell, I mean, this story is big. I mean, your bio is big, but tell our listeners and viewers the story of Vanessa. Like what does Vanessa do? Besides write the book I just showed, but what else do you do?

Vanessa Errecarte (3:06)

Yes. And I'm awfully bad at this. This is why I am on a mission to keep defining personal branding, to be about the service versus the human, right? Because I think a lot of us struggle with this. But here I go. Here's my best take.

Jim Fielding (3:23)

So I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready.

Vanessa Errecarte (3:28)

There we go. There we go. Well, actually, the best thing that I've ever done in my career was an accident. So I had a consulting business for many years, over a decade now, and probably about five years into that marketing consulting business. UC Davis asked me if I'd teach digital marketing and corporate branding shortly after. I had always done corporate training in my business, but gosh, I loved teaching students. There's something magical about being on a journey with someone who is there just to really take that next step that has those big ideas and everything.

As I was teaching these students those two classes at the UC Davis MBA program, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, I started realizing something like circa early 2020s, and then AI came along and it got even worse. But if you make it into the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, you are excellent. It is a top tier business school. But then, I felt this struggle from so many great students that they feel invisible. It's a competitive, crowded world out there. Even when you post on LinkedIn and stuff like that, everybody's posting these credentials and the same kinds of things, and it's like, now I'm just invisible somewhere else.