Sidney Evans is a strategist that works with companies, founders and revenue-generating startups. He is a speaker, thought leader and expert in branding and communications. He mentored young entrepreneurs in Stockholm for Start-Up Stockholm Weekend powered by Google for entrepreneurs. He has been published and referenced in Forbes, Branding Mag, Oracle Marketing Cloud and American Express Open Forum.
Evans is an international speaker and host, presenting his research on the most effective techniques for companies and individuals to communicate their unique story by developing clear messaging and implementing a sound strategy. Most recently, he delivered his speech, “Building a Powerful Personal Brand”, at the Brand Summit conference in Cairo, Egypt and he was host of the Rebels & Rulers conference for Branding Mag in Bucharest, Romania.
He is the creator of the “C-Suite” interview series for Branding Mag whereas moderator he has interviewed some of the world’s top C-level executives. He has been featured as one of the keynote speakers for the “Personal Branding Day” conference that was broadcasted internationally from Poland. Evans’ first book on personal branding, “Run Your Race: 12 Pace-Setting Tips to Building Brand”, will be published June 2019.
Roger Maloney -What inspired you to become an author and write RUN your Race?
Sidney Evans- At my core, I am a teacher and writing is just one way that I exercise that gift. I am passionate and fully committed to sharing my experiences in order to help others win. I vividly remember my late Grandmother telling me to channel my thoughts into writing. She shared how writing was such an effective way to fully communicate your feelings around any given topic. My Mother took that a step further by challenging me to write with depth always having perspective around a given topic. I am humbled to say I have written for publications from Forbes, to Branding Mag and have been featured in Black Enterprise as well as a number of global publications. The decision to write my first book Run Your Own Race was born from my life and story. To be honest, I have not always run my own race. I would often over process or focus on other people’s journey which by default delayed my own. I decided to write this book and share my story albeit painful at times to give a roadmap for people to be encouraged that the ebbs and flows are a part of the process and their race is their path. It truly was a labor of love and I trust the book will continue to provide solutions and a framework for people’s personal growth.
Roger Maloney- Can you share your experience in high school and college and how that shaped you into the person you are today?
Sidney Evans- I began high school at a very young age. While I excelled in my studies, I often struggled to fit in. It taught me how to focus and to stay disciplined around my end goal. I remain grateful for my tribe that helped me to be confident when I truly was not. That said, I remained focused on my goal and was excited to graduate and head to college. My college years were truly formative as I started to find my place. I was truly fortunate to find friends that taught me the ropes to skip and the ropes to know quickly. I am grateful to call them life-long friends and no surprise leaders of industry. I have learned that life is a journey filled with ebbs & flows and your singular purpose is to Run Your Own Race.
Roger Maloney- What advice do you have for anyone that wants to create a personal brand in today's climate?
Sidney Evans- Great question! First let me define what a personal brand is. Personal branding is an individual commitment to perform intentional tasks to market yourself and career as a bonafide brand, similar to recognizable corporate brands. Every unique characteristic and skill set that you have is what differentiates your personal brand from others. I believe that your personal brand is your insatiable Why. Think about why you do what you do. What motivates you? What tasks make you feel fulfilled? Are you striving to become better? Personal branding embarks upon the activities that you need to carry out each day by delivering your core values to your desired target audience.
Sidney Evans - Successful brands are built by having clarity of purpose. Be clear about what you are offering and start executing consistently.
Roger Maloney- Tell me about your show called the C- SUITE series for Branding Magazine?
Sidney Evans- The C-Suite is an interview series that I developed for the global publication Branding Mag. A few years ago I thought about what would be the most effective way to share stories to help others win. There is no better way to grow than to study those that have achieved a level of success. And by success by no means do I equate that to money. So, I pitched an idea to the magazine to interview C- level executives across industry with a short interview format which is now globally known as the C-Suite. There is true power in having an idea and executing consistently. For the last few years, every month I have been humbled to speak with CEOs and leaders of industry discussing current and emerging trends. One of my most popular interviews was speaking with media mogul Byron Allen. We spoke about a myriad of topics but I distinctly remember his robust understanding of the power of data and discipline. I am actually turning the C-Suite into a podcast and will have live episodes moving forward. If you don’t follow, you should at www.brandingmag.com
Roger Maloney - What was it like mentoring entrepreneurs in Stockholm for Startups and what was that experience like?
Sidney Evans - Again, at my core, I love to help others win. I have been the beneficiary of so many great mentoring that have shared their lessons and sacrificed to help me win. It is my duty to continue that tradition and I will. I have been humbled to speak in over 6 countries to date and Stockholm was an amazing experience. I was honored to coach startups over a weekend of innovation as young entrepreneurs developed solutions to a number of problems that we all face. My goal was to help them understand their value proposition but also to think about potential culture if their companies were ever funded. A few actually were funded and I am happy about that!
Roger Maloney- Wow Sidney Thank you so much. I had the pleasure of talking to Sidney Evans on the phone better this interview and here some tips that he gave me hlep me with my brand. I hope this information helps you as well.
1. Formulate A Clear Plan
He says a key to any successful venture is one’s ability to devise a clear but comprehensive plan. What are your goals? How will you achieve them? What are you passionate about? This can only be accomplished by taking an honest assessment of your skills, i.e., personal SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. In Evans’s case, he was well aware that he was entering a competitive market but devised a plan that clearly articulated his value proposition. He decided to focus on helping organizations and people build powerful corporate and personal brands. The ability to communicate and write effectively requires consistent effort. His goal is simply to add to the conversation by giving perspective based on the multitude of lessons learned over the years.
2. Find Your Audience
After clearly defining your goal, what’s next? It is vitally important that you engage an audience/community to illustrate your expertise. Evans began by writing articles and self-publishing on platforms like LinkedIn and Medium. Consistency and commitment to the process are key pillars to building a global following. Having a clear perspective and staying consistent builds a following. Evans carved a noticeable niche by focusing on personal branding and highlighting upcoming trends for brands. Always remember: value is essential and people all over the globe are looking for solutions.
3.Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up
“People follow-up according to the extent that they see value,” he says. He has taken a much different approach by utilizing technology as a tool to ease the follow-up process. Further, he sees follow-up as a vehicle to build community—based on the exponential effect. Essentially, you never know whom you are meeting and whom they may know. That philosophy has clearly worked well as he has proven so adeptly. Three international talks in three months is not bad, and Sidney maintains that none of these recent accomplishments would have been possible without effective follow-up.
Roger Maloney- For more information about Mr. Sidney Evans go to his webpage now at https://sidneyevans.com and buy his book called Run Your Own Race. This amazing book was published already and release # 1 and is available on Audible recored by Sidney Evans.
