Change. Supposedly as good as a holiday and takes just as much planning am I right?
I’ve been working on this for quite some time, since before my stroke actually. That slowed things down. Then a global pandemic changed how businesses were working. And it took a long time to work through. See, ‘rebranding’ as myself took a whole lot of courage and sitting outside my own comfort zone to get comfortable with putting myself front and centre.
I am still heading in the same direction so there is no pivoting. I am not doing something millions haven’t done before, so it’s not unprecedented. It just required a change of how I did things and how I presented to the world.
I first started considering it when I was doing a business coaching session with Nick Bowditch at the beginning of 2019. Nick’s not the kind of guy to have sessions with if you want somebody to be gentle with you (in the best kind of way). He asks the hard questions and he doesn’t let you not answer. The question he posed is “Al, if it’s you that does all the work, if it’s you that people are writing great things about, if it’s you that people are quoting in their books and hiring to work for them – why do you have these other brands? Why can’t you just say – I’m Alison Hallworth and I do it?”
Well I don’t mind admitting that I umm-ed and aah-ed and stuttered through a number of replies to which he replied
“Bullshit – you’re just scared.”
He was right. I was. I know I’m good at a lot of things but I always feel very arrogant owning them. And so, like most things, I use humour to deflect and skirt around the issue. It’s something I’m excellent at by the way. Anyway, by the end of our session, I had promised to buy the domain and think about it. And I did. I bought the domain immediately and told him so I’d get the gold star. I like gold stars. It makes me feel like I’m achieving things.
Then I had the brain bleed and a lot of things went on hold. But earlier this year I spoke to my little coven of accountability thugs and committed to this ‘rebranding’ by the end of September and like good accountability thugs they held me to it and I actually did it.
My ‘Positively Social’ URL sends you to alisonhallworth.com.au now and the ‘Talking Frankly’ blogs and podcasts are now part of that same site. The one with my face on it, my skill set, my recommendations. My little corner of the internet is now all in my name. I’m not getting rid of Talking Frankly – it sums up that little piece of the pie nicely and I have had so many opportunities, made so many great friends and learned so much as a result of that ‘thing I do on the side’ that I could never abandon it.
But ‘positively social’ I came to realise was an ethos that lives inside me. It’s not just about social media, but it’s about being positive in all social settings. It’s about being kind, having an impact and being proactive about bringing about change. It’s not about perfection, it’s not about playing the game or having the right title. Those things are great – but they are not the things that motivate me. Connection is what motivates me. Connecting people with ideas. Connecting people with people. Connecting businesses. Connects words and great content with audiences. And yes I use online social to do that and I teach people how to do that online social thing well – but I also do it offline because it’s just part of me.
Just being myself also gives me the opportunity to work on things that I enjoy as well as do the things I’m best at. Maybe I’ll write the book I think about, maybe my little podcast will grow to be a great big one. Who knows. In the meantime, I can keep doing the things that I’m good at, working on projects that have a positive impact on the world around me, just as me.
It seems fitting on the day that Helen Reddy passed to yell loudly ‘I am woman, hear me roar’!
So.
Big deep breath.
“Hi, I am Alison Hallworth and I provide connection through great strategies, training, coaching, writing and podcasts.”
Spread the word.