Personal Brand 101: What's Your ONE THING? The story of Michelangelo's David

We are ten days away. Members of my Samita Lab Mastermind head to Tuscany for the annual retreat. All 8 are giving a Tedx style talk on a NYC stage November 16th. The retreat is a time for deep reflection and writing time to flesh out the message each will leave the audience. 

Afterwards, I return to Florence to host a VIP Day.  I'm excited to take my one on one client to the Roman Baths.  I'm delighted to do yoga at sunset, overlooking the Duomo.  However, the most important place I wish to take her is to Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze.  Audio here.

I'm fascinated by Michangelo's story. Since he was 17 years old, he was obsessed with the human form since he was 17.  How would he carve the human body in marble, stone or any other material if he didn't understand the dips and the connections of muscles. He would steal away to the morgue in the local hospital to study the cadavers in the morgue. However, his father was poor and had serious doubts about Michelangelo's ability to make a living as an artist. He wanted his son to go into business. Michelangelo would lie to his dad, saying he was commissioned to sculpt this statue or that in order to get the project. It wasn't that he wasn't getting commissions, but perhaps not for the florins his father had hoped. In 1501, Michelangelo lobbied to take a crack at sculpting something from an abandoned 17 foot piece of marble. It had been lying fallow in the Duomo's backyard, baking in the Mediterranean sun, doing a whole lot of nothing. Two artists had started and failed.  Michelangelo was convinced he was the man to create something magnificent from it. When finished, David was placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, with much fanfare and celebration. It was a symbol of Florentine independence and spirit. When asked, how Michelangelo created this magnificent piece of work, he replied, "I removed everything that wasn't David." 

This is the message I want to share with my client. Often, women leaders want to talk about EVERYTHING they are qualified to talk about. We are spending her VIP Day, going through a series of exercises to find out THE ONE thing people she will be known for. The thing I notice women forget is that your ONE THING, needs to be repeatable. If you are writing an essay or a laundry list every time someone asks "What's your one thing?" it's not repeatable. Its not repeatable nor clear for someone to put you up for an opportunity.  She and I will figure out this ONE THING and then forge a content plan and calendar to position herself as a thought leader around it.

Coming to Italy is a huge big step.

I can take one more client in Florence. Join the waitlist here.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

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The waitlist is open for the Class of 2025.

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