Faith James Of ‘The Personal Branding Consultancy’ On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Believe — The idea of believing goes back to this Oprah Winfrey quote that I love: “What is true and what do I believe?” Do I believe I’m a successful speaker or that I’m not? Until you clean out and reset the computer that’s running, old thoughts are going to show up everywhere. This is when it’s time to do affirmation work to get back to the core of you: if you believe things that don’t serve you, you need to shift that. Believe you are enough; believe you are of value.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Faith James.
Faith James is affectionately known as the Queen of Branding or the Branding Ninja depending on what side of the street you live. She is an award-winning marketing and branding executive with over 25+ years experience creating branding and communications campaigns for Fortune 500 brand like IBM, Microsoft, Pepsi, Mary Kay and Liberty Mutual to name a few. She is a highly-sought after speaker and has presented at industry shows such as the Advertising Research Federation and The American Marketing Association.
Faith is a 2x International Amazon Best Selling Author with her books:
“Ladies, PowerUp Your Brand” and “Experts and Influencers: Women’s Empowerment Edition” She is currently writing her 3rd book:m“God is My Brand Strategist”.
She is a certified Personal and Social Branding Strategist and is the CEO and Founder of The Personal Branding Consultancy, LLC, an international branding and marketing agency that helps forward-leaning female entrepreneurs, and a few enlightened men, from Austria to Atlanta, build a stand-out brand and improve their professional reputation in the market place. Faith was recently named a 2021Top 100 Influencer in Advertising and Marketing. Her agency was awarded the 2019 Branding and Marketing Agency of the year in Port St. Lucie, FL and the 2020 Business Hall of Fame in the Best of 2020 for Ave Maria, FL. Faith was also awarded Alignable’s Local Business Person of the Year for 2021 for Ave Maria, FL.
Faith has been featured in a range of media and appeared on several broadcasts including The Tech with Heart Show, B.Y.O.B Show, The Happy Entrepreneur Show, Speakin, and CoronaTV to name a few.
She is the creator of a suite of signature branding events such as The Branding Over Brunch Event, Branding Over the Internet Networking and Branding Over Lunch Workshop. She recently launched a monthly version of the Branding Over Brunch Workshop where she trains on key brand development tactics and strategies.
She hosts her own streaming TV Show The Brand Momentum Morning Show where she offers inspiration and leadership coaching. She is the creator The Brand Accelerator Online Course and Accountability Program, and has collaborated with AppSumo to bring that course to the masses across the globe. She is currently in development with her soon to be launched podcast: Branding After Dark. She is the Founder of the Being the CEO of YOU Retreat where she guides entrepreneurs into their transformation to embody the essence of being a CEO.
Faith is co-Founder of The Alpha Collective, a premium membership to help executives and entrepreneurs unlock the values and opportunities in Web3.
One fun fact about Faith: President Barack Obama follows her on Twitter.
When asked how she is able to do so much, her favorite responses are:
“Branding is in my blood!” And “Me and God are a majority!”
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Jamaica, the second of three children. I have an older sister and a younger brother. My mom was a seamstress and my dad worked for the Jamaican government in the Public Works department.
What I remember most from my childhood is that I was raised to believe that your life is what you make it. Being creative, free, and independent were character traits instilled in me by mom at a very young age. Because of these perspectives, I have always given a good effort in everything that I do.
One of my earliest memories is seeing my dad off to work each morning. I always had an envelope that he’d put a penny in each morning. The bottom line is that I did not let my circumstances dictate my path. I decided at an early age I wanted success.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I migrated to the US in 1981 and attended Midwood High School in Brooklyn, NY. In high school, I quickly to acclimatized to me new surroundings and focused on my studies, which was engrained in me from my mom.
After I graduated high school, I went on to attend CUNY (Hunter College). I was initially going to be declare a Nursing Major. Until my Aunt, who I always held in high regard, told me she didn’t see me as a nurse. It wasn’t because I wouldn’t be good at it or that I wouldn’t be a good nurse — it was because my aunt saw my creative side.
The reason I was choosing nursing was practicality. There’s a saying, “you’ll never be out of a job if you’re a nurse.” However, following my aunt’s advice, I took a TV production class freshman year and was hooked. I realized my love of creating content and solving problems had an outlet and that being a communicator and encourager was my calling. So I switched my major to Communications immediately.
My original plan was to be a TV News anchor. I did an internship at a major regional station. This opportunity fed the wheels that were already turning. Then came the real breakthrough: my 7-week internship with Ogilvy & Mather.
This was not an internship I originally sought. I had been working at a textiles company and a college friend was the one who had the internship. My friend got an offer for a better internship opportunity and asked if I wanted the one with O & M. Without hesitation, I said yes.
I showed up at O & M the day my friend was supposed to, told them she chose something else, and that I was there instead. I interviewed on the spot and landed the internship. After the 7 weeks, O & M hired me to work on the IBM Small Planet campaign. My advertising career spanned other agencies McCann Erickson, Kirshenbaum Bond and Partners in New York and then to Carmichael Lynch and Hunt & Adkins in Minneapolis. I have had the great privilege of working on major Fortune 500 brands.
In 2008 recession, I was laid off and decided it was time to become the CEO of Me; I was never happier. I realized that for many years, I’d been wearing what I call “The Golden Handcuff”: I was tied to the companies I worked for because of the money. The feeling I had when I became the CEO of myself is far better. I consulted on a freelance basis for a while, then started The Personal Branding Consultancy in 2017 and as they say the rest is history.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The Ogilvy & Mather story is definitely the first — it demonstrates who I am at my core, who I was taught to be. The second story isn’t so much a story as an experience. I love to see the transformation of clients who have no understanding of what a brand is, come full circle to where they have an intuitive and intrinsic understanding of what is “on brand” for them. When this happens, they are transformed and empowered. It’s a huge reward every time it happens. My ethos is about teaching a woman to fish rather than giving her a fish. This is how we develop empowered and confident beings.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I launched my branding business hosting a series of branding events, one which was the Branding Over Lunch Series where I trained 30+ attendees on a variety of brand development topics. On this particular day I was rushing around and decided last minute to change my hand bag to better coordinate with my outfit. In my haste to be fabulously coordinated I neglected to transfer my wallet. And at the end of the lunch when it was time for me to pay the restaurant I had no money and no credit cards! Luckily one of the attendees stayed back to ask me some questions about building his brand and he graciously offered to pay the tab for the luncheon.
That was a major lesson learned for me. As the saying goes “measure twice and cut once” I have now used that to double and triple check that my wallet and phone are always with me before I leave the house.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mom, hands down. I observed my mom as she went through huge challenges in life. My mom rose up and became a woman of substance. By doing this, leading by example, I learned that life is about your being, it’s not about strategy. In the midst of tremendous family drama, my mother anchored me in the love of God. Her willingness to be brave and to overcome the drama made her my role model. Simply put, I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for my mother.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Fear of failure is a big one. There are universal fears for so many people. We think it’s a fear of the unknown, but many times it’s the fear of the known. If you’ve historically not been a risk taker, you’re going to naturally gravitate toward safety. You need to affirm yourself and start that affirmation now.
What works for me is that I anchor myself in who I am and whose I am: I am child of God. I am his masterpiece. I choose to anchor into that truth. It’s all about choice: you have to make a decision and take action. I’ve decided that all things are going to work out for me, this is my north star. Something better is going to come.
For example, when I first started my business, I did a Branding Over Brunch event at a country club. I put on the entire event myself. I had 40 to 50 people in the room, a really nice number — but only one person bought a package for $297 after I had spent a great deal of time and money putting the event together. Most people would like at this as a negative, but I saw it differently. What I saw was the glass half full. I chose to see a cornel of goodness and decided to build upon that.
I did the event the following year, I changed the program to a group coaching format, boosted the price of my packages to $2500, and had more purchases. I’ve continued to do this event and now my packages are at $50,000.
As Oprah says, “You don’t get what you wish for, you get what you believe”. It’s an inside job first and foremost: get anchored into the truth of who you are. Believe there is something greater for you and anchor to that. This is where I suggest everyone starts.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
I’m on a mission. We are all here, we all have a purpose. Mine is about encouragement, giving inspiration, helping people rise up to their fullest potential. I know that if I don’t show up, there are too many people who won’t get the inspiration they need. I could do work that just serves myself, that’s easy to do. What gives me the drive is that I’m impacting others for the good.
For example, this past week, a woman who’s been attending my Brand Momentum Show for months finally wrote a vision statement for her brand and declared it publicly. This made me light up as she not one to speak up. Your gifting isn’t about you, it’s about serving others. This is what drives me every time. It’s about getting people prepared for their journey.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
My main work is with entrepreneurs, predominantly leaning-forward female entrepreneurs. The projects range from doing a Platinum Brand Experience program to Branding workshops. Right now, my clientele is a mix of everyone from wellness coaches and paralegals to cooking coaches and business coaches — it runs the gamut.
Another new project I am excited about is my Alpha Collective project which is all about helping executives and entrepreneurs unlock the value and opportunities in Web 3. I am bringing all I know about business and adding to Web 3. I tend to have a lot of balls in the air because I love the variety of creativity. People ask how I manage it all and my answer is “me and God are in the majority.”
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is “I’d like to thank the Academy.”
I latched on to this because it’s the recognition of a role well-played. When you’re locked into feeling fearful, play a different role: find the role of the person at the top of their game and do what they do. It’s about assuming a role in the moment. When the director says “action!” you have to be that person. You get prepared, you may feel the fear, but you do it anyway.
I’ve purposely put myself in places where I face the fear. For instance, I opted to participate in a Financial Data Analytics panel at the MARSum 2021 conference. Most might look at that and say “I’m in branding and marketing I have nothing to add to a Data Analytics discussion. I however, chose different and my contribution to the dialogue was well received. In this instance, I leaned into my second go-to quote which is from Shirley Chisholm: “When they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” I believed that I had something to contribute and that is exactly what I did.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
1 — Don’t Get Stuck on the “Me” in Message — Focus on your message– Period. Don’t focus on how you look or whether your suit is too blue or if your curls aren’t right. People aren’t there to evaluate you; they are there to evaluate your message. Focus on the message — give examples, tell stories to connect with the audience, serve them. Be selfless; Focus on yourself less.
2 — Get into a spirit of service — “I’m here to serve you” — this is the mantra. What do they want — That is the question. Do your work and know your audience so you can give them what they want. It’s not about sounding cool; it’s about staying on message. What did they come to hear? It’s not about you seeming important, it’s about them being important. Focus on what they need in this moment and deliver that.
3- Mirror Work — Have trouble speaking publicly? Stand in front of the mirror and deliver. When I was in advertising and working on the Liberty Mutual account, I had to deliver a 50-page report to the entire C-suite group. I practiced in the front of the mirror so I could see myself deliver it. Mirror work allows you to be more comfortable in your role. And remember, “pressure is a privilege.” Billy Jean King says this and she’s right: it is a privilege. Your job is to move through it as best you can.
4- Get into Character — This goes back to “I’d like to thank the Academy.” Think about Beyonce: she has an onstage character called Sasha Fierce — the ego takes a break and lets the other character deliver. Same with Michael Jackson, he had an alter ego when he performed. Get into character, get into the role. Who are they, what do they do? Make eye contact, project. Play the character, get into the essence of the character.
5- Believe — The idea of believing goes back to this Oprah Winfrey quote that I love: “What is true and what do I believe?” Do I believe I’m a successful speaker or that I’m not? Until you clean out and reset the computer that’s running, old thoughts are going to show up everywhere. This is when it’s time to do affirmation work to get back to the core of you: if you believe things that don’t serve you, you need to shift that. Believe you are enough; believe you are of value.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
All I mentioned above, but also, start with those you know: invite friends, family, and colleagues over and do run-through. Ask for feedback on what you did with your body, face, and content. Make it your own workshop about you presenting. Start with familiar, friendly faces who want to help you shift from fear to powerful.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would definitely do self-love. It says so right in Scripture: “Love others as you love yourself.” If you don’t love yourself, you aren’t cable of loving others. I do self-care every Saturday to remind myself I am worthy of taking care of. Self-love is so needed.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I am lunching with Oprah for sure! She’s the epitome of being open and transparent. She’s someone who is focused on being outward, being in service; she wants people to be a higher version of themselves. She reminds me of a saint of service. I love everything she stands for and everything that her brand stands for. I would love to hear all about what keeps her going and keeps her showing up in such a big way.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I am on Instagram @faithajames and @personalbrandingconsultancy
I am on Twitter @faithjames
I am on LinkedIn @faithjames
I am on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/thebrandingninja
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Faith James Of ‘The Personal Branding Consultancy’ On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
