When the NBA canceled the remainder of its season due to the coronavirus outbreak, the writing was on the wall… Coronavirus was real… and people would lose their jobs all across sports.

Sponsorship deals would be put on pause. Hourly workers, food and beverage employees, gameday staff would all be left without a command center to report to… athletes would surrender their hopes and dreams of a championship title. Ugh.

In the sports business, we’re all feeling the hurt right now. I know we’re not the only ones.

But there’s no time for whining.

Leaders don’t whine. They lead.

What do you do when you’re up against a potential job loss or period of reduced or even zero income…? 

It’s in those times that you’ve got to take a good hard look at your personal brand and determine how and why you are unique and valuable to your industry. Then, you’ve got to start telling that story.

Now is a great time to do just that. 

Your personal brand is the only thing you’ve got when your ‘job identity’ gets shaken.

I’ve changed my job identity several times over the course of my career. Sometimes strategically and other times out of need. And I can tell you just how to take inventory of your personal skillset and use it to navigate your way into your next role in the business.

There’s really only one place to start.

Polish up your LinkedIn profile.

Most of us have a profile on LinkedIn, but I’d venture to guess that the majority of us have not optimized ours. Since a ton of job placement and networking (duh) is done via LinkedIn (have I mentioned I’ve gotten all of my clients using this platform?), you’re going to want to put your best foot forward there.

Focus on your bio. Be short and to the point. Highlight your accomplishments. Complete each section. Add publications and accolades. Switch your profile to public (if you’re wanting to be seen.) These are just a few things to get you started. There is a wealth of resources on the internet to help you do this, so dial up your friend google and get going.

Now, market yourself. (Gulp)

Anyone can post on LinkedIn here and there, but those who have a network of loyal followers always have something to fall back on in tough times. I mean, think about it. Does Gary Vaynerchuk worry about his job? No, he doesn’t, because he built an empire around his own personal brand! He could post a thumbs up emoji on LinkedIn and get 1,000 likes. It’s a joke!

I’m not saying you’re going to post a couple of times and wake up tomorrow with the following of Gary V, but I am saying that you can begin to take steps toward building your own following by posting regularly. Just try it, you’ll see. There is an audience out there waiting to engage with you. All you’ve got to do is press publish.

Don’t sweat the views, likes and shares…

I get it, posting on LinkedIn can be majorly intimidating… but guess what? Most of your network is not even going to see your posts! Unless of course, you get enough engagement to be lifted to trending status.. but let’s save that for another post.

Think about how you’d like to be viewed, dig into your psyche for your WHY, and begin to build content that showcases your unique value. If you need a bit of help to get started, take a twirl through this guide I created for that exact reason.

Do some good old fashioned networking.

People are literally sitting at home on their computers for the next few weeks with little to no human contact.

What better time than now to reach out to old friends and colleagues to check in on how they’re doing?

What better time than now to reach out to a wishlist employer or a friend in a high place to put yourself on their radar? 

Again, I go to LinkedIn for this type of outreach. I wrote a post recently about how to stick to the basics to grow your network over time. The same advice applies here.

What have you done for yourself lately?

Take some time each day… at least one day a week… to do some basic outreach. Schedule some phone calls, make some new connections. Set yourself up for success.

You’ve got to ask yourself, what have I done for myself lately? Who have I called that can be a resource for me if I need to move onto my next role?

Don’t you dare quit.

Even if you’ve been dealt a bad hand this spring with coronavirus… I urge you to keep your head up. Do not quit. Look away from your TV remote and remove your hand from the bag of chips.

You are valuable and employable and remarkable in some unique way… Take the time to brush up your profile. Start marketing yourself. Tell your story. Share your opinions. Prepare for that recruiter to land on your profile. Reach out to that recruiter. Make that phone call.

You are your best resource… now is the time to get serious about your personal brand.

If you want to talk about it, I’m here to help. Just take that small step forward and book a call.

Here’s to you!