Victoria Branson, the Personal Branding Expert that entrepreneurs cannot get enough of

Portrait of Victoria Branson © Yanina Kaufman

They are at the peak of their career and more than ever feel the need to know themselves in depth and align their personality and values with their professional practice. The pandemic and current global upheavals have exacerbated this sentiment among the many decision-makers who call on personal branding experts for guidance. Specialist Victoria Branson has seen her activity increase over the past two years as business leaders around the world, from Geneva, Paris, London, New York, and Tel Aviv turned to her for guidance on how to discover themselves.

Victoria takes us through the psychology behind these successful leaders and tells us more about how she works.

What motivates the decision-makers and business leaders who seek you out?

Victoria Branson: As the American psychologist Abraham Maslow expressed through his hierarchy of needs pyramid when people begin their professional journey, it is important for them first to make money, then to gain stability, and finally to succeed and receive recognition from others until they reach a certain position in society.

But sooner or later, these external objectives fade and give way to questioning vocation and self-realization. People start to wonder, "To what extent do what I do and how I express myself correspond to my vocation and my inner self?" The quest for meaning manifests itself at this stage of their career.

 The same is true for the people I accompany; their main goal is not to win more clients or businesses, because they are already successful. What matters to them is to express themselves authentically and communicate their core values, and also to work with people who share those. These decision-makers have reached a stage where they want and can afford, the luxury of this alignment.

However, the process of self-realization requires a deep and objective understanding of oneself. This is when people come to me, because generally speaking, there is a marked difference between how a person sees themselves and who they really are.

The Victoria Branson method is highly sought. Your clients are high profile, coming from prestigious institutions and multinational corporations. How do you get these leaders to let down their guard, examine their self-image and accept criticism?

Victoria Branson: It is a mistake to think high achievers have unswerving confidence in their abilities and never criticize themselves. In fact, they succeed precisely because they are always dissatisfied. Self-dissatisfaction is the key driver of all change and development, as well as the preeminent reason for success. A contented person feels no pressing desire to change. They are not multinational corporate leaders and have not reached any pinnacle of power because they remain safely in their comfort zone and accept when things are going tolerably well for them.

Ambitious, successful people are ready to listen to me and are very open to the process of change. Furthermore, it is not my role to criticize anyone, nor to project an imaginary vision on my clients that has no bearing on who they really are. I help my clients become aware of their points of divergence, to see the gap between who they really are and what they present to the world through their brand. I connect people with the best version of themselves and with their deeply held values.

What are the pillars of your methodology?

Victoria Branson: From the very beginning, my goal was to create a high-level branding agency with a 360° vision to meet all the needs of brand identity creation. I formed a professional and highly efficient talent team (copywriter, brand identity designer, web designer, photographer, stylist, etc.) with whom I share the same core values. Our signature is passion and excellence. The starting point of each project is the personality analysis (values, character traits, objectives, motivations, etc.). From this introspection phase, I create a symbolic reflection of the brand which elevates it to a high level of sophistication and luxury. This permits us to align with the exigent demands of contemporary brand identity.

Before developing this for others, I completed this demanding process both for myself and for my personal brand. Only then was I able to use this model to help others.

My own values are the ability to see the beauty in our world, self-development, self-realization, and also success and achieving results. I have come a long way to develop my personal brand based on these values. My personal brand has brought me great joy, filled my life with meaning, and, as a result, has assured my professional success. This has allowed me to pass this model on with confidence, helping my clients achieve the same ultimate goals.

Can coaching, without mastering psychology (in which you have a degree), effectively attain this Holy Grail?

Victoria Branson: There is a huge difference between coaching and psychology. A coach, by asking various questions, leads the subject in finding answers to certain questions by him or herself. A psychologist, on the other hand, has professional knowledge about the laws of the psyche, he or she leads people to understand their subconscious, and to confront what is hidden. For me, psychological education is very important because it activates deeper processes.

Branding is more than just a simple slogan or an attractive logo. Embodiment and authenticity are key to a lasting relationship with clients and consumers. What advice do you give to "know yourself better to be better known"?

Victoria Branson: There are two ways to approach branding. The first is to ask the question "How can I please?". In this case, you need to study your audience very well, its expectations, and the methods to influence it, and build a brand image from that. The second is sincerity and authenticity.

This approach is knowing, "How to express and realize yourself?", and "How to embody your unique individuality in this world?” Every person thinks, feels, says, and acts. If there is no cohesion between these four dimensions, then the interlocutor will feel it sooner or later and perceive it as a lie or manipulation. It is only when we truly realize ourselves that we gain public trust. It cannot be achieved in any other way.

Victoria Branson: "It is a mistake to think high achievers have unswerving confidence in their abilities and never criticize themselves. In fact, they succeed precisely because they are always dissatisfied. Self-dissatisfaction is the key driver of all change and development, as well as the preeminent reason for success. A contented person feels no pressing desire to change. They are not multinational corporate leaders and have not reached any pinnacle of power because they remain safely in their comfort zone and accept when things are going tolerably well for them."

This is why the most successful global brands are an extension of the creator's personality. Chanel could not exist without the personality of Coco Chanel; the same can be said of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. When people trust the personality behind the brand, they identify with it. Only sincerity inspires trust, and that's the basis of all my work.

This quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry perfectly illustrates my way of working:  “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

And where does charisma come into all this? Like a charm, it makes a real impact, it attracts us. Is it innate or can anyone access it?

Victoria Branson: A charismatic person knows how to be authentic and to remain true to their values in any situation. They know how to live life and enjoy it to the full. But be careful, charisma is not a kind of model to which everyone must aspire. On the contrary, one must dive deep to realize, then express it. Being authentic is not only very attractive to people, but it is also a beautiful journey of self-discovery. When we get to know ourselves and dare to live by our values, we start to enjoy life in a much more powerful way and, at the same time, we receive positive feedback from the people around us.

We are living through a period of many global crises and yet you have never been so in demand! How do you explain it?

Victoria Branson: Firstly, in today's world, our attention span has been reduced to three seconds. This shorter span is linked to an extremely excessive flow of information. According to Brendan Kane, the best-selling speaker, and author, more than 60 billion online messages are sent across digital platforms every day. Brands are challenged to convey a compelling image in a shorter period of time than ever before. Secondly, in an increasingly digital world, people are lacking human connection and sincerity. This places very high demands on personal branding, which must be both authentic and visually flawless. This explains why our team is in such great demand.

Of which projects are you the most proud?

We immerse ourselves fully in every project and take pride in them all. But I can point to the project for one of our loyal clients, Whitney A. White, an innovation leader, and seasoned entrepreneur. It was her fourth attempt at web design when she contacted us and she says it is our agency that finally captured the true essence of her brand. She now feels much more confident in sharing her brand and website because they are elevated to the level of prestige and quality she wished to attain.

After successfully launching her new brand, she has effectively doubled her prices and is now invited to speak at five-figure conferences. She describes the rebranding as a launch pad that helped catapult her business to bigger and bolder horizons.

Useful Links

Victoria Branson: Official Website