Paul Copcutt

Paul Copcutt is a Personal Brand Architect who is fiercely committed to helping professionals and executives and the teams they lead to take control and build their careers by design not by chance.

With over seven years of experience working with amazing clients with similar worries and concerns and guiding them to achieve remarkable success, my mission and commitment is to help those who are technically very good at what they do, but struggle telling that clearly to others who need to know, so they can get their next great opportunity or do work that they are truly passionate about.
 
What lights me up about this work is that there really are no barriers. It took two attempts to pass my basic Math ‘O’ level and my biology teacher had me labeled as an idiot, so it was ironic that these subjects were the basis of a successful corporate career that started in banking and ended in biotech. After reading Tom Peters 'Brand You 50" in the late 90's and realising that I had taken many of the actions and suggestions that Peters wrote about, I knew I had to help others have the opportunity to do the same.

What sets me part from others is I do not rely on celebrity examples or impersonal theory but real client stories and practical application. Then  leveraging my personable communication skills and genuine caring approach, support successful professionals and executives get clear about their own uniqueness and then communicate it in a way that feels right to them and appeals to those they need to influence.

Over the years my expertise has been honoured with remarkable and notable accolades, inspiring Fortune 500 and professional association audiences across North America with latest information, personal examples and practical actions as well as being one of the first certified personal brand strategists globally.  Also awarded Outstanding Canadian Career Leader by the Career Professionals of Canada, contributor to a number of professional publications including Green Careers and Personal Branding Magazine and appearing in several career books for personal brand expertise including best sellers Career Distinction, The Female Brand and The Twitter Job Search Guide.

Described by Forbes magazine as one the leading personal brand experts globally, my perspectives and clients have been featured in Money, Elle, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal as well as most major Canadian press including The Globe & Mail, The National Post, The Sun and The Toronto Star and online including HigherBracket.ca and BlueSteps.com both resources for the $100k plus executive and as a top contributor to the Career/Training section of MarketingProfs.com for over 3 years.

• 7. Recession Proofing Your Career

  Gaining insight, delivering an impression, creating an impact – surefire strategies for career success in any job market
  
  Financial headlines are announcing a possible downturn and turbulent times are not unusual in any industry, but perhaps particularly in the technology sector.
  
  So what can you be doing to recession proof your career and ensure you remain on track and progressing?
  
  In this highly informative event, three of Canada’s leading specialists will be providing the very latest strategies to build and maintain a successful career regardless of market conditions using the 3i formula.
  
  Insight – firstly it’s important to understand who you are and what your unique strengths and skills are so that you can differentiate yourself from the competition.
  
  Impression – once you know why you are special you need to let others know about it, with effective career marketing documents such as the resume that are ready for the latest screening tools, but also considering the way that the latest technology is being used by employers to find and select candidates.
  
  Impact – knowing yourself and impressing others gets you to the door, but once you walk in it’s the first 30 seconds and beyond that make or break the deal. Portraying the right image and displaying correct etiquette are critical.
  
  With the 3i formula you will be better prepared, highly marketable and be leaving the right impression to get you noticed and hired.

   

• 6. Employment Branding in High Definition

  Using creative approaches to attracting and retaining the best
  
  In today’s world where people are bombarded with many messages through multi media it is hard to stand out and be noticed, especially by those who are embarking on their career search and are not using traditional media anymore to stay informed. Developing the employment brand therefore needs to appeal in the right format and then how it is communicated effectively will determine if you become an employer of choice for the best talent.
  
  Newspaper advertising or even job boards are not necessarily where you need to be connecting with potential employees. In fact in such a connected world with technology and social networks like Facebook they might be the last place you look.
  
  Also if specific talent is in high demand, sometimes the company with the biggest budget or loudest voice is getting heard most of the time. Where does that leave the small and mid-size business who on the one hand is fighting to control costs in the recession, but also has certain skill shortages that they have to hire for – but perhaps not the budget to advertise or reach those hard to find people through the traditional means.
  
  And what happens when you do get someone on board, how do you make sure that they do not just disappear as soon as someone else comes knocking with an extra few thousand dollars.
  
  This keynote session will allow attendees to:
  ·    Raise awareness of the importance of branding one self as part of your employment offering
  ·    Understand what actions can be taken to increase ones visibility and credibility with prospective employees.
  ·    Appreciate the downside of not doing anything or worse the negative impact of off brand actions

• 5. There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

  Strategies for building, maintaining and saving business relationships
  
  Technology today is rapidly changing the way that we meet, interact and stay in touch with people. But virtual or in person, good networkers know what to say in the right situation – be it meeting someone for the first time, re-connecting with a contact or having to save or resurrect a relationship that is going sour.
  
  Networking makes many people uncomfortable and does not always have the best of reputations as a business skill, it is sometimes thought of as too sales oriented, or is all about “What’s in it for me?”
  
  In fact it’s completely the opposite and in this interactive and entertaining workshop, participants will learn some of the key aspects and tools that will enable them to engage with the people who matter and be the source of help that others come to and rely upon.
  
  You will be able to walk away with:
  
  ·    A simple three step approach to make networking enjoyable and fun and part of who you are
  ·    Action steps to build, maintain and grow your network
  ·    A list of valuable networking resources and recommended reading
  
  You might even come to love the thought of networking!

• 4. Personal Branding for Job Search & Long Term Career Success - Maximizing Your Most Important Asset - YOU!

   How do you stand out in a world where many people have similar credentials and experience?
  
  The world of work is changing as fast as the technology driving it and to keep up we now have to develop a whole new approach to managing our careers.
  
  Personal branding allows us to differentiate ourselves by authentically aligning more with who we are with what we do, working on projects and seeking out opportunities that feel right because the objectives and goals are more in line with the direction we want to go.
  
  Learning Objectives of the Session:
  ·    To raise awareness of the importance of branding one self as part of your professional offering
  ·    Understand what actions can be taken to increase ones visibility and credibility with prospective employers
  ·    Appreciate the downside of not doing anything or worse the negative impact of off brand actions
  ·    Realizing the influence of the web and how critical building an on line brand is

• 3. Do You Exist On Google And Why Should You Care?

  Because the web is fast becoming THE place where employers check out you – sometimes before they will even meet with you. So if you have that questionable profile on Facebook or posted a witty but offensive comment on a blog – how do you deal with that digital dirt and what else can you be doing to raise a more positive virtual picture of yourself?
  
  The world of work is changing as fast as the technology driving it and to keep up you now have to develop a whole new approach to managing your career and finding jobs.
  
  Personal branding allows us to differentiate ourselves by authentically aligning more with who we are with what we do, working on projects and seeking out opportunities that feel right because the objectives and goals are more in line with the direction we want to go.
  
  In this informative session participants will learn the importance of personal branding and having a good Google score.
  
  Why this session is relevant:
  ·    Job seekers need to be able to stand out and differentiate themselves from others
  the traditional way to find a job has changed they need to be more tactical with their approach
  ·    Time is always a factor so it is best to be working on or seeking opportunities that are aligned with a chosen direction
  
  Participants will leave with;
  ·    How to measure a Google ranking – your GQ score
  ·    Three concrete action steps for you to build your on line brand – immediately
  ·    Understand the five things you should never do on line.

• 2. How To Use Personal Branding to Compete In The 21st Century Marketplace

  For many of you the term branding is not a new one, but perhaps personal branding and how it might apply to a SME is. Plug ‘Personal Branding for small business” in to Google and you get over 5 million returns – so why should you need to hear about personal branding?
  
  Because the mis-conceptions, mis-understanding and mis-direction by the vast majority of those references is causing you to miss out on one of the most successful, long lasting and cost effective marketing against any numbers of competitors.
  
  Personal branding is NOT personal marketing. It’s not just about a great logo, nice ad layout and different marketing pieces. It’s certainly not doing a makeover and relying on the new image to work for the next 5 years – or even 5 months.
  
  Its about being able to recognize your unique strengths and skills and ensuring that these differences are maximized to the benefit of the client or customer and your business.
  
  This session will allow attendees to;
  
  ·    Raise awareness of the importance of branding one self as part of your offering
  ·    Understand what actions can be taken to increase ones visibility and credibility with prospective and current customers and clients at little or no cost
  ·    Appreciate the downside of not doing anything or worse the negative impact of off brand actions

• 1. Square Peg Solution - Interactive Keynote or Workshop

   The presentation is highly interactive which enables participants to understand and start to experience the benefits of the subject matter. There are numerous  interactive pieces that can be included to take the participants through a discovery process and journey leading to some concrete individual steps they can take away from the session and start to take action on.
  
  Previous delivery of these presentations tailored for clients have included other aspects of personal branding and can be adapted as needed, such as;
  
  ·    Online branding – externally and internally
  ·    Employee engagement and retention
  ·    Leadership branding
  ·    Team branding
  ·    Connection to corporate brand, vision, values, mission
  ·    Communication themes and plans
  ·    Networking, relationship building – internal, external and online
  ·    Social media – internal and external
  ·    Brand environment awareness and development

• We truly enjoyed Paul’s engaging approach to his presentation and felt that the personal touches really drove home the importance and value of “personal branding”. Now that Paul has pointed us in the right direction, we are excited to see how our group can better leverage our strengths to create a more fulfilling and high performing work environment. Paul was able to connect with people of all levels and leave them feeling excited and motivated about their unique abilities!  He was an excellent choice to kick off our event and we would be glad to have him back!

  Research In Motion

• Your presentation gave a unique insight into the intricacies of branding, diving beyond esthetics into core value of our respective differences and unique business propositions.  We had chance to explore opportunities in current and popular mediums of communication (i.e. facebook, twitter, linkedin, blogging).  A clever yet entertaining method of delivery kept the agents engaged throughout the presentation.  Encouraging audience participation allowed for a great opportunity to bring to light the realities of our paradigms and allow for networking among the participants. This was a great presentation of a topic, which was not only salient but timely.

  TD Canada Trust

• Paul Copcutt's engaging presentation on Personal Branding provided new insight on how to successfully market oneself in a way that aligns to one's core values and passions. The workbook's exercises kept our audience members connected through active discussions and sharing of experiences. Many of our audience members found the personal brand statement exercise and the 360 degree feedback to be invaluable tools that are applicable to both personal and professional areas of life.

  Scotiabank

• Working with Paul, at our recent Women’s Leadership Forum, was a pleasure that was shared by over 150 women in the audience.  His insights, tips and techniques recommended to the audience were greatly appreciated, with many attendees commenting positively about his session.  I have seen Paul speak before and was very impressed with his knowledge and approach. I would highly recommend working with Paul and utilizing his services.  He is a professional; has integrity; and is an enjoyable speaker.

  Microskills

• You rocked. Everyone loved your presentation. We've been getting fantastic feedback all day long. Well done! A member of our executive committee is interested in discussing whether it would be suitable for our partners. Very cool.

  Miller Thomson LLP

• Thank you again for your tremendous presentation last week.  It was our most well-attended event of 2006-2007. And given it was the eve of a long weekend, you have every right to be proud. The feedback we received was excellent.

  AIP / IABC

• Paul gives great insight into the current experiences of the gen x demographic and how they are experiencing a pressure to differentiate themselves in a way quite different from previous generations.  A neat glimpse into the means they are using to do so.

  Royal Le Page

• On behalf of the annual conference committee I would like to thank you for your two presentations to us. The feedback was all positive, especially the personal branding session. A number of people thought this was our best 'Ignite' ever, so that's saying something. You were a huge part of that.

  Career Development Association of Alberta

• Paul, I just want to say thanks again for your great session last week. I am still getting emails on how much people benefited from your wisdom on personal branding.

  Senior Women in Technology

• Thank you very much for sharing your presentation slides and resources.  It was a pleasure attending your session.  I felt is was the most valuable session I attended at the CACEE conference this year.

  Bentall Capital LP