All
of us sometimes struggle with our personal brand – or what we want the world to
see and believe about us as we move forward in life. Branding is just as
important to you as a person as it is to a company selling XYZ widgets.
Investing in your brand equity is just as important to the National Panhellenic
Conference as it is to each of our 26 member groups.
But
we sometimes forget that our personal brand can conflict with our sorority
brand.
What
we say and do as sorority women affects every sorority woman. When you wear
your Greek letters on a t-shirt, speak while invoking your sorority name, share
on social media with a chapter name and university, you are essentially
extending your sorority brand. When you link a sorority name to a personal or
business enterprise, you are, perhaps mistakenly, impinging on a larger brand
that isn’t yours to own.
The
results are not always positive when this occurs.
We
cherish our individuality and value what makes us different and resourceful.
We
learn through the camaraderie of sisterhood and ingrain those experiences in
our lives and businesses.
But
we need to be keenly aware of how our actions affect others.
I
share this with you not as an explanation of items we see in the headlines or
shared on social media.
I
share this with you because we all should hold precious our personal brands. We
should not use them at the expense of others.We should be mindful of our words
and deeds at all times. We should not judge, envy or chastise the women around
us who do not hold their personal brands as dear as others.
As
college women head back to the 655 colleges and campuses this fall where NPC
sororities continue to thrive, we simply need a reminder to all women that what
you do – as a sorority woman and in the name of sorority women – affects us
widely.
The
world is full of people who judge. The world is full of people who hate. The
world is full of examples of people who no longer cherish respect, civility and
graciousness. We don’t intend to add to that growing circle.
We’re
here to say – cherish your brand. It is yours and yours alone.
