CEO & Founder Of SimplyBe, Jessica Zweig
Jessica Zweig is the CEO & Founder of SimplyBe., a premier personal branding company with offices in Chicago and Nashville, author of the #1 bestselling book “Be. - A No Bullsh*t Guide to Increasing Your Self Worth and Your Net Worth by Simply Being Yourself” (now available in paperback!) and host of the top-ranked business podcast, The SimplyBe. Podcast. She’s been named by Crain's Chicago Business as one of 2020’s Most Notable Entrepreneurs, by INC. as a ‘Top Digital Marketer to Watch,’ by Forbes as a ‘Personal Branding Expert,’ and by the Chicago Tribune as one of the ‘10 Entrepreneurs to Follow.’ Her distinguished accolades include the 2018 Gold Stevie® Winner for ‘Female Entrepreneur of the Year,’ and the 2019 Silver Stevie® Winner for ‘Female Entrepreneur of the Year,’ plus features in MarketWatch, Business Insider, Thrive Global, Belle Meade and HuffPost, among others. Fueled by the belief that personal branding isn’t a vanity play, but an opportunity to make the world a better place, Zweig and her 25-person team at SimplyBe. have gained a national reputation for defining and enhancing the personal brands of corporate teams, executives, and entrepreneurs, transforming them into recognized industry experts and thought leaders.
What is your favorite thing about being the Founder & CEO of a leading personal branding agency?
My favorite thing has nothing to do with me, and everything with the people I serve, both internally with my team and partners and externally with my clients and peers. I strive to reflect back to others what is beautiful and unique in them. At the end of my entrepreneurial journey, I want to leave this all behind knowing that I was able to unlock light in others.
I know this to be true: businesses grow not just because of a strong product strategy, clear vision or amazing work product alone. They grow because of the human beings within the business that bring it all to life. It’s the PEOPLE that drive the strategy, the vision, the culture, the work forward. To my fellow entrepreneurs: we are not meant to do this alone! You will go so so much farther with the right team around you than you will ever go alone. My team is what I do it for.
What does authenticity mean to you?
I love this question, and I have the perfect quote from my book, “Be.”
“Authenticity is unfiltered. It’s unapologetic. It’s honest. Authenticity doesn’t have all the answers. Authenticity owns its imperfections. Authenticity takes responsibility when it makes mistakes. Authenticity shows up for its audience on the good days and the bad days.”
Your unapologetic authenticity is what will get people to come to your business, platform, or space. It is what will make them stay, and it is what will make them tell their friends and colleagues about you. The more authentic, real, and vulnerable you are, the more traction you can expect to gain. Authenticity is not rocket science—all it takes is a dose of courage, a dash of strategy, a shit ton of self-awareness, and a willingness to serve.
All of this is to say that “authenticity” is you, showing up as 100% you, and ultimately, it is your superpower.
How has implementing humanity in business been transformative for your career?
Bringing humanity to business is not just something that we actively do for our clients at SimplyBe.—it’s part of our core and our ethos. We say all the time in our four walls that “people do business with people.” In fact, bringing humanity to business hasn’t just transformed my own career (it’s what I’ve built my business on after all), but that of all the clients that we’ve been honored to work with over the years. This philosophy is present in every touchpoint of our work.
On a personal level as a leader, the concept of being a human at work has been transformative to how I operate. As CEO of SimplyBe., I know that I create an impact every morning when I walk into my office—and it’s an impact that can go either way. I can walk straight to my desk, remain disconnected from my team, and dive into my work. Or, I can make eye contact, smile, and say hello to my employees, ask them how they are, and take the time to learn about them. These little decisions can make a huge impact (and they don’t need to be complicated or take up your time). It simply comes down to treating people how I want to be treated. It’s all a reflection of my brand as the face, founder, and leader of my organization. These moments don’t necessarily make me special but what they do make me, however, is conscious. Conscious leadership creates conscious culture. Conscious culture attracts conscious people, and conscious people can shift our society.
If I can look back and say that I contributed, even just slightly, to a more conscious workforce and a more conscious perspective in our society, then all of it was worth it.
How has speaking at events and traveling internationally impacted you as a woman and an entrepreneur?
Traveling and speaking and hosting workshops (in addition to a lot of other cumulative efforts!) have allowed me to experience the benefits of a strong personal brand firsthand. As an entrepreneur and as a leader, you simply have to have a powerful brand in the market. That’s how you attract not only great opportunities and clients, but opportunities and clients that are aligned with your values—these are the ones that can really drive your business forward, beyond just the transaction. Your own market positioning as a personal brand is everything. Making yourself stand out and attracting the right people is critical to success. This is something that I as a personal brand as well as SimplyBe. As an agency, have done really well. It’s been a secret sauce to our success and has allowed us to attract our right clients and grow in directions that are in alignment with our bigger goals and values.
As a speaker and presenter, I’ve spoken on national and international stages including those of Google, Mindvalley, Microsoft, Pinterest, Blackstone Investments and Virgin. I’ve also facilitated workshops and masterminds, teaching the power of personal branding to corporations such as Heineken USA, Mars Inc., Nike, Red Bull, BBMC Mortgage Bank, Bank of America and Dornbracht. Every speaking opportunity begets another opportunity—whether that be another speaking opp or a client (or clients!). You never know when someone in the room will be struck by your presence, your message, your unique value proposition, and open doors for you. So be sure that you are showing up in every room with an unforgettable, clear personal brand. It’s what will separate you from the rest and make you truly memorable.
If you’re just getting started from a speaking perspective, my advice is to say ‘yes!’ to the small opportunities—they are the stepping stones that will take you farther than you may think possible.
What are some tips you can you offer our readers that would help them build or elevate their own personal brand?
Get clear on your brand messaging. The best way to build your brand message is to define the following: (1) who you are, (2) what you do, (3) how you do it, and (4) why it works. PRO TIP: Gather insight from others, too. Call up your closest confidants who know you intimately and ask them, “What is my value?” Take notes and see what common themes you find—these may just be the foundation of your brand message.
Get clear on where your brand stands. At SimplyBe. we call this brand positioning. Before you dive headfirst into the market, you have to get clear on your strategy. This means a thorough analysis of your target audience and your competition. Organize your audience in three groups: your clients, your peers, and your community. Then, your competitive analysis can be fairly straightforward. Use Google to scan your landscape and social channels to search hashtags related to your industry. In doing this, focus on how you can separate yourself, or in other words, capitalize on what your competition is not doing. Circle back to your message and ensure it stands out.
Begin creating a drumbeat of original content. You are who you say you are and what you do consistently—it’s that simple. Remember that thought leaders think—meaning, they create original content. Your original message, ideas, and value, therefore, should not live and die on your Instagram profile. It should come in more tangible forms of content, like a podcast, video series, email newsletters, or even live events. □
The paperback version of Jessica's book, “Be. - A No-Bullsh*t Guide to Increasing Your Self Worth and Net Worth by Simply Being Yourself”, is now available on Amazon!
Article Credits
Jessica’s Instagram: @jessicazweig
Jessica’s Facebook: @JessicaZweig
Jessica’s Linkedin: @JessicaZweig
Jessica’s Podcast: SimplyBe
Jessica’s Website: www.jessicazweig.com
Company Website: Simply Be Agency
Photo Credits: @hannahschweissphotog