Imagine having a personal mentor to help you take the right first steps as you begin your career, guiding you as you progress up the ladder or advising you how to make the most of your opportunities when you reach the top. Dr James Espey OBE’s latest book, ‘Make Your Mark in the Workplace’, on how to build a personal brand aims to deliver all of this and more.
Personally responsible for the launch of Malibu, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Chivas Regal 18, as well as for the building of Baileys in its formative years, Dr James Espey has spent over fifty years in international business and marketing.
Make Your Mark in the Workplace draws on his observations, learnings and experience in global marketing and senior management and offers 100 bite-sized tips that will help anyone achieve success and fulfilment in the world of business.
Building and developing a strong personal brand can be a challenge. There are plenty of resources out there on building a business, a personal website, an offline and online presence in your industry, digital marketing, and defining your target audience. James Espey’s clear, down-to-earth advice, however, will benefit readers at all stages of their careers, from novices to middle-management, and from start-up entrepreneurs to top company bosses. Anyone looking to progress their career in business and beyond should have this book on their desk.
Talking about how people might use his book in the current climate, Dr Espey said: “Right now, if you are out of work, you probably need to do a serious SWOT Analysis (Chapter 2) to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so you know what to work on.
“Then you need to polish your CV. Remember the simple formula AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. You have a brief window to get someone’s attention and pique their interest before they take action and invite you to interview or make a job offer.
“Don’t be frightened of rejection – it’s all part of the process. Similarly, in Chapter 83, ‘It’s Not So Bad Being Fired’, I explain how it happened to me, how I dealt with it, and how to learn from it if you’re in the same boat.
“It’s important to have structure in your life and to plan ahead as much as possible. I’m a firm believer in getting things done in the morning, otherwise it’s too easy to put them off.
“The book covers all sorts of topics including building you as a brand – how you shape yourself, how you present yourself, how you handle changes in a corporation, and how to successfully change jobs. More importantly in the current climate, people need to reflect on their personal health and wellbeing. Mental stress is a very real danger, more than ever thanks to Covid-19, so I’ve shared my advice for dealing with stress at work in Chapter 24.”
With James’ advice, you’ll be able to build a community, a brand message, and create content that will have long term benefits, both in the personal and professional sense. Become a thought leader in your field.
The book is available from all major retailers and to purchase in paperback and eBook from the Trigger Publishing online shop, here.
James, who was born in Livingstone, Zambia, in 1943 and educated in Cape Town, South Africa, came to London in 1977 and now resides in Wimbledon.
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