Meeting: October 18, 2010
When author, publicist and communications strategist, Kita Szpak, informed a crowd of attentive club members, journalism students, future authors and others about the art of self promotion, she began by pointing out that a sense of self is paramount to effective self-promotion.
“To gain self confidence, you have to know whatís going on internally, î she said, offering some helpful steps to follow. Begin with self-identification, she said. Ask yourself ëwho am I?í Then think back to your childhood and remember your nicknames. They relate to the way people saw you at that time and are likely to indicate things you did easily. They are your special gifts.ì Ninety percent of the world will tell you your dreams and aspirations are crazy,î she continued. ìInternalize, think of what you were doing when time passed so quickly you didnít know it had passed because you were enjoying yourself so much. Whatever it was, thatís what you should be doing. It might be gardening …. it might be writing ….î
Using the example of someone who has published a book and wants to sell it, Kita went on to say that to promote your project or yourself, it is key to have a platform. You need a way of getting your name and product out there. You need personal branding to establish your visibility. ìTake a few ideas and do them well”, she suggested.