We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yolanda Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yolanda, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Its the year 2012-2013, I am mid-career sitting at a conference listening to speakers talk about the importance of having mentors, coaches and sponsors to guide you and help you navigate through your career to help you achieve your goals. I am feeling dumbfounded, having spent most of my career at that point in sales, and realizing I have never had any of the three, or at least not formally and I’m struggling to fully understand what they are talking about because this was foreign to me. Then as I listened intently, I became angry, and wondered, how was it possible that I, a reasonably successful career woman, didn’t have these individuals helping me and my career, but more importantly, no one ever told me I needed a mentor, sponsor or coach.

I will never forget, returning that Monday back to the office, and as soon as I saw the VP arrive in his office, I politely stormed in, looking perplexed I’m sure and in a matter of fact tone asked, why don’t I have any mentors? He look at me puzzled and said “what are you talking about”. I repeated, why don’t I have any mentors or sponsors, and quizzically, he looked at me, and said – I don’t know Yolanda, I thought you did. And in that moment, I realized I had spent half my career without the professional guidance of a mentor, coach or sponsor and had ultimately navigated my career by trial and error. And oh yes. I made quite a few errors. I instantly understood why I often felt it was hard, constantly trying to prove myself, and I didn’t understand why others were moving much faster than I, and yet I kept pushing forward with intensity and intention to achieve the goals I set for myself.

The VP made sure that I got mentorship, and along the way I experienced the value of a sponsor, but I made myself a promise and I set out to ensure that the knowledge I lacked about the importance of mentors, coaches and sponsors would be given to many.

In 2013, I became chairman of the board of a nonprofit called Girl Talk Incorporated and I wanted to do more with the young ladies, be hands on and pour into them. I researched topics and came across a term called “personal branding” and I was fascinated by the concept that you can shape the perceptions and image of how others perceive you. I created workshops and activities to teach and inspire the young ladies and soon their mothers starting staying for my session. After a particular workshop on personal branding, several of the mothers came up to me and shared how good the workshop was and how they learned a lot and felt that adults needed this information also. That became a lightbulb moment for me. I thought about what they said, and in 2016 I started teaching a similar workshop at my job, then in other venues and settings and quickly recognized that there was an appetite for personal branding. I became more passionate and strategic about it and started speaking to career professionals at gatherings and conferences.

In 2017-2018, I faced with a lot of adversity, my dad passed away from cancer, I started having problems on my job, and then my mom was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. I was feeling beaten down, defeated but I put on a happy face and fought through, but it was in those moments I kept coming back to my passion of helping others achieve their highest potential and I told myself often, it was not about me. You see, I believe God uses you to get to others. I had to overcome the adversity so I could share my story with others. I vowed in 2018 that I would become a voice to help others unleash the power of their brand so they could achieve the rewards they desired. I wanted corporate professionals and entrepreneurs to know the value of having coaches and mentors to help guide them along their journey so they did not have to go it alone, and they could go further faster, not having to make the mistakes of those that had gone before them.

It was then that I decided to open a business and name it Branding 4 Success. I created the concept and wrote down what I would offer, I attended conferences, studying everything I could on personal branding and entrepreneurship, gaining knowledge and then I decided to write a book so that I would be viewed as credible. I prepared the outline, and in January of 2019, I secured my LLC, but then did not do a lot. I allowed life to come in and take over.

It was November of 2019 that I attended the “Embracing Our Power” conference in Indianapolis, IN hosted by Sisterpreneur, Inc. I was surrounded by so many powerful women and it wasn’t like I had not been to other conferences, but this one hit different. I was awakened inside, and I knew I was not doing all I could to bring Branding 4 Success to the forefront and fulfill my responsibilities of engaging, educating and empowering others so they can achieve their best self. The fire was lit, and I introduced myself to the founder, Linda Clemons, who later became my mentor and from that moment forward, I was all-in.

I wrote my book in 4 days, created an online course, contracted the marketing and social media services I needed to help me become visible, and I engaged, engaged, engaged, adding value to others and anyone who who would listen about the importance and benefits of a powerful brand. I became a certified brand analyst and then COVID hit, which gave me the opportunity to hunker down and work, work work. The phone started ringing, actually it was LinkedIn messenger and email, but people started to inquire about my services, they were in transition, uncertainty was engulfing us, we were isolated and feeling alone. I started one on one coaching, then group coaching and the business grew and it has not slowed down. I started working with organizations helping them re-engage employees, offering professional development to add value, and hopefully retain top talent. It was all so necessary in an ever-changing world.

And today, I continue to speak globally, coach and offer professional development workshops, helping organizations, corporate professionals and entrepreneurs build powerful brands for visibility, recognition and influence to position them for optimal results and success. I recognize the value of coaches and experts to help you set-up and build your business. I have three formal coaches and several mentors, for business, financial and spiritual. I contract with companies that provide the platforms and services I need to be successful in my business and I look forward to serving others for years to come. I am excited to know that I am helping others realize their goals and dreams through the power of personal branding and professional development. We must be the CEO of our career, and take control our destiny!

Yolanda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a speaker, author, and success coach with expertise in personal branding and professional development. With 15+ years of public speaking experience and a passion for empowering others to achieve their highest potential, I founded Branding 4 Success, LLC where I serve as Chief Brandthrupist. Prior to starting Branding 4 Success, I had worked in corporate America for over 25 years, more specifically the pharmaceutical industry where I have been successful in many leadership roles from sales, marketing, external relations and communications and consider myself a parallell-preneur.

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, in marketing and business analysis, and obtained an MBA with a healthcare concentration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Additionally, I have an executive leadership certificate from Georgetown University, along with certifications for DEI communication and brand analyst .

I believe you are Not your job title. You need to align with your ownable assets, your transferable skills, and that’s why I use my expertise and skills gained in corporate America to empower entrepreneurs and small businesses to create a powerful brand and strategic roadmap to grow and scale. I bring a strategic lens to help professionals uncover their prominent attributes, leadership skills and blind spots so they can design the career and life they desire.

Branding 4 Success, LLC is a business consulting, coaching and professional development company specializing in branding and strategic services for organizations, corporate professionals, and entrepreneurs. We empower teams and individuals to develop a powerful brand for business growth and career advancement. B4S collaborates with organizations to ignite employee engagement through professional development, and assists teams in creating a strong brand identity to influence cross-functionally and deliver positive results. Through our replicable system, you create a powerful Brand Signature to articulate your value and stand out for visibility and recognition to achieve optimal results.

​Through our coaching programs, I help corporate professionals and entrepreneurs develop and master a powerful Brand Signature to achieve visibility, financial freedom and success through career advancement and business growth. But it doesn’t stop there. I personally guide and inspire you every step of the way, however, there has to be readiness and intention on the clients part. I hold clients accountable for their actions and provide them with practical steps and strategies to be successful. This is not about the fluff, only the PIES get to work with me – Those that are Professional, Intentional, Energetic and Serious because you pay for my value, not my time. Time doesn’t make diamonds, time and pressure makes diamonds. I want to help those that truly desire optimal results.

I also offer online courses, keynote speeches and facilitate master class workshops on personal branding and career development to academic, corporate, and professional organizations across the country and consult with businesses on employee engagement, retention, and strategy development. My programs are tailored because every business and individual may be dealing with a different set of problems – no matter the problem, I will assess, analyze, strategize and problem solve with the client to align on the outcome and results they desire to achieve.

I am honored to be globally recognized and was given the 2022 Brand Analyst of the Year Award, named a Top 10 Finalist in the 2020 Author Elite Awards for my book Reputation To Reward, received the Team Lilly award for leadership and was selected as one of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Women of Influence,” which recognizes women who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in their careers and community service in addition to numerous other awards and recognitions throughout my tenured career.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

As a result of the pandemic, the world turned more digital and virtual faster than we could have ever anticipated. I moved into action and pivoted from live to virtual, became proficient in zoom, social media and the internet and started engaging frequently, with strategy and intention. I set out to become an expert in personal branding, and had a goal of building influence and authority in this space. I sought ways to add value to my connections, giving practical tips, insights and tools to help them build their brand during these times.

And because of my consistency and action on social media, 85% of my clients come from LinkedIn.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the earlier lessons I learned is that you have to be flexible and nimble in business because change is inevitable. I recall when I started my business in 2018, okay 2019 officially, I wanted to speak from the stage. I envisioned myself traveling all over the world to sold out audiences, delivering a message of inspiration and empowerment. Well, we already know what happened to that, yes the “C” word, COVID-19 hit us like a fury and shut down the world, and here I sat, told to pack up, go home and do not come out until we tell you. Me, being the optimist, I thought great, this will give us a few weeks to recalibrate, refresh, refuel and hit 2020 fully energized and ready to take on the world. Unbeknownst to me, it got worse and worse and then more worse, and reality set in and I was not going to be on nobody’s stage anytime soon.

I pondered my next move, and because I am active online, I witnessed the world go virtual. Individuals found me on social media and were seeking help to build a brand, work through transition, figure out how to keep their business afloat and elevate their visibility. And like that, I became a coach to many, helping them brainstorm options, pivot to online offerings, designing websites and developing their brand, their story and messaging for visibility and recognition.

I secured a zoom account and started hosting coaching sessions virtually, and when the one on one became to much, I started offering group coaching, hosting webinars, etc. I learned to run Facebook ads, boost posts, and use technology platforms to get visibility to my message. I believe it was God’s way of saying your plan is not my plan. There are people that need you up close and personal. And while I still like to get on a stage from time to time, I take pleasure and satisfaction is seeing my clients achieve the results they desire as a result of coaching with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.branding4success.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/branding4success/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yolandasmithbrandingexpert/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/branding4success

Image Credits
Monroe Bush Faith Blackwell