Cristal Carrington The Uptown Diva

Personal Branding Tips

2012-02-23T18:00:00.002-05:00

When Do You Want To Start?

2012-02-20T18:16:00.001-05:00

The answer is now. Personal Branding begins now. Even if you aren’t a superstar or already known, your personal brand is important and you should begin to work on being your best self.

These personal branding tactics are designed for you, the average person looking for new ways to express yourself, your brand and your product/services to the world.

Starting now with self examination helps to make things a lot easier. So let’s get to it.

Self-discovery is the best discovery.

For a consultation or to just chat about brands, find me on Twitter @theuptowndiva or @thesocialiteprj. Find me on Facebook at Cristal Carrington

Smooches & Stay Fabulous!

Carrington

Who do you want to reach?

2012-02-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

Reaching your audience is apart of the golden marketing 101 rules. Reaching the proper audience is the goal. There is an audience for your brand and this is the time to turn up your personal brand to get them to notice you, your service or quality you possess. Your audience may vary, but it is up to you to get them to see your potential. You will do this by being creative, constantly tweaking your brand and perfecting your outlook on your industry and personal image.

Your target audience is looking for you; they just don’t know it yet. This is a famed quote and it is very true.

Let’s take a clothing designer as an example. Obviously everyone has to wear clothes (although, not everyone does), but you have a wide audience available. What separates you from your competitors? Is it price point? Style? Do you only offer seasonal wear? What is it?

Do you even wear your own clothes? If you don’t wear them, why would someone else want to? Even if you wear your own clothes, do you look swaggerific when you wear them? Take note.

Where does your audience hang out? For most people their audience isn’t far away, but being strategic in your approach is paramount. If we are still talking about clothing designers, there are many blogs, websites and magazines dedicated to fashion. Why shouldn’t your product be a feature story? Exactly!

I will delve into your personal story in another post, but I want you to write down your audience and discover where they hang the most. This is where you will need to be. If you are Carpenter, trade shows related to your industry is where a potential audience would be. Not everything has to be about press or being in the limelight. Find your audience and your audience will find you.

For a consultation, or to chat about your brand, find me @theuptowndiva or @thesocialiteprj on Twitter and on Facebook at Cristal Carrington.

-Smooches and Stay Fabulous!

Carrington

What Do You Want To Become?

2012-02-20T09:06:00.006-05:00

What do you want to become?

Obviously, you are at a cross roads in your career or life. Tired of blending in with the crowd, you’re ready to take yourself to the next level and you landed at www.theuptowndiva.com. Good for you!

Personal branding is a process. It takes daily crafting, tweaking and even tossing wreckless elements out from the past to get the recipe just right.
We have arrived at the 3rd W. What do you want to become?

Your primary occupation may already be set in stone, but how do you differentiate yourself from everyone else that does what you do? What do you want to be known as? By answering these not-so-simple questions, you will find in no time that you are on your way to creating a successful brand.

You answered who you are. You figured out what you stand for, now let’s think about the future. In a perfect world, where you can have whatever you want, What would you choose to be? Remember this isn’t, "Who do you want to be" – we aren’t trying to clone someone else. You are striving to be original and even if there are a million Realtors who love puppies, surely there are less in your metropolitan area that advertise themselves to clients as the Realtor who welcomes pets to house showings. Hey, Fido has to be happy too! This is what being original is all about.

Take some time to piece together the first two W’s and come up with an angle that is true for you. What do you want to become?

For a consultation or to just chat about your brand, find me at Cristal Carrington on Facebook and Twitter @theuptowndiva and @thesocialiteprj
Smooches and Stay Fabulous!

What do you represent?

2012-02-18T09:04:00.007-05:00

On the journey to discovering your personal brand, you may bump up against the question, What do you represent? This question can be best translated as, “What do you stand for?” or “What are the things you care about?” Is it a charitable cause? Women’s rights? Or, simply being a Soccer mom?

Successful brands usually have a philanthropic thrust behind it and you should too. Large corporations such as Pepsi, Microsoft and even Starbucks have foundations or causes they support. What do you support? This isn’t to say that you must have a charity to support, but it is saying that you must have something in this world that you care about that makes you unique from all the(add your profession here)’s in the world.

Do you care about technology? Science? The arts? Great, this is exactly some ingredients you need to maximize your brand. Truth be told, there are many Tax Preparers in the world, but there aren’t many Tax Preparers that support the science of swimmer safety. Do you know any? Of course, there is someone in the world out there, but for arguments sake, if that simple Tax Preparer pegged themselves as The Surfing Tax Man, wouldn’t you be a little interested to learn more about that person? Of course you would. It is the individual that stands out in the crowd.

We will begin the process of creating a tagline and a mantra for your personal brand. So, while we are still in the 5 W’s, we can ask questions like, What type of book would you read on your off time? What service/activity do you enjoy doing so much you would do it for free? What is your moral code made of?

Jot down a few things that really resonate with you and get ready because we are going to explore the 3rd W: What do you want to become?
For a consultation, or to simply chat about brands, find me on Twitter @theuptowndiva or @thesocialiteprj, of course I’m on Facebook at Cristal Carrington, so find me there!

-Smooches and Stay Fabulous

The 5 W’s of Personal Branding

2012-02-16T17:26:00.002-05:00

In the process of personal branding, you will need to answer a few questions about yourself. This process may take time, but I assure you it will be worthwhile. There are 5 W’s to the branding process and they are:

1. Who are you?
2. What do you stand for?
3. What do you want to be?
4. Who do you want to reach?
5. When do you want to start?

The Who, is probably the most important question you will ask yourself. Who we are isn’t just a matter of name, nationality or background. Who are you inside? This may take some soul searching, but it is essential to the process of personal branding. All successful brands know who they are? Do you?

Crafting a sentence about yourself will naturally start with ton of activities that you are good at, but it will dwindle down to about three or so major points. Chopping this sentence down to size is key to exploring the best you have to offer. Most times, the list will start with what your profession is and maybe a hobby or two. For me my list goes like this:

Personal Branding Specialist
Radio/Entertainment Personality
Author
Foodie
Mom
Shoe Junkie
Humanitarian

If you notice, behind the first three qualifications are qualities that can easily be merged into my brand at any time. This keeps me versatile and allows me room to concentrate on the things that I want to pursue most. Pick your best three qualifications and hold tight, we’re building…

My next post will delve into the second W. What do you stand for? Stay tuned…

For a consultation or to just chat about your brand, find me on Facebook at Cristal Carrington and Twitter @thesocialiteprj and @theuptowndiva

Smooches and Stay Fabulous!

-Carrington

Why Personal Branding? Inquiring Minds Want To Know.

2012-02-15T17:42:00.003-05:00

Lots of people have asked me, “Why should I brand myself? I’m just a regular person.” The answer is: Brands that stand out are brands that stay around. The days of the cookie cutter impression of the same old, lifeless individual is long gone. In these days and time, people who stand out and are sure of their brand make lasting impressions.

As a person who loves personal branding and the concept behind it, I know you have things about you that are unique and we are going to find out those traits with personal exploration.

Personal Branding is not an overnight work. It takes time to discover and uncover the real you. Often times, we get bogged down with life and its “rules and regulations,” that we fail to tap into our own personal uniqueness.

So you ask, Why Personal Branding? I ask, Why Not?

For a consultation, or if you simply want to chat about your brand, email me at aquapromos@gmail.com.

Find me on Twitter.com @thesocialiteprj and @theuptowndiva. Find me on Facebook at Cristal Carrington and stay tuned to www.theuptowndiva.com for more insight on how to maximize your personal brand.

Smooches and Stay Fabulous!

- Carrington

Brand You - The Time Is Now!

2012-02-12T14:59:00.015-05:00

What is Personal Branding?

Personal Branding is defined by Wikipedia as the process whereby people and their careers are marked as brands.It has been noted that while previous self-help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging.Further defined as the creation of an asset that pertains to a particular person or individual; this includes but is not limited to the body, clothing, appearance and knowledge contained within, leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable.

The key words are uniquely distinguishable.

Great brands don't follow the crowd. Great brands create their own crowd. Don't follow the trend - Set them.

Being uniquely distinguishable can be as simple as what you wear, how you project confidence, or even how you walk. There is something unique about you and we are here at www.TheUptownDiva.com to help you define that uniqueness.

We are all quite familiar with brands that we buy in stores, but you are also a brand and it's time for you to shine like the Diva or Divo you are. Personal Branding is a self discovery and it begins with you.

Stay tuned to www.TheUptownDiva.com for more insights on how to craft your personal brand. This site will enhance everyone from the entrepreneur to the average Joe, because quite frankly, we all are special.

For a personal branding consultation please email us at aquapromos@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for videos and audio to enhance your brand and remember to Shine! You're worth it!

To give you a briefing of my Personal Brand, I like to think of myself as a mix between two popular brands: Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana:
Classic
Classy
Expensive quality & design
Multi-dimensional (They don't just make clothes or perfume - it's a lifestyle)
Highly duplicated, but never as good as the original.

I am not only a Diva and a radio personality with a great voice, but I'm a brand strategist, a business woman, a social butterfly who's comfortable being a hermit at home, a God lover who's a champion for those without a voice, plus, I create digestable communications for others and remain a foodie, mom and all around fab girl all at the same time.

Time to get your pens and paper ready, I'm going to show you how to take your own personal paragraph and sum it into a brand promise and mantra that has staying power, so stay tuned!

Find me on Twitter @thesocialiteprj and @theuptowndiva. Of course you can also find me on Facebook at Cristal Carrington.

Be Original and you will shine. Smooches & Stay Fabulous!

-Carrington

The Champagne Show Finale

2012-01-31T18:50:00.004-05:00

Thanks to all my friends and fans for holding me down these 3 years and enhancing the Cristal Carrington brand. I love all my guys and dolls. #Smoochesandstayfabulous

Listen here! Copy and paste link and enjoy!

http://limelinx.com/files/2962a18e9e704dce0e9a41e6dca3abe4

Champagne Show Finale Address

2012-01-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

Beauty-in-a-Purse National Charity Drive

2011-05-26T17:49:00.003-04:00

Hello friends,

If you could boost the self esteem of a woman effortlessly - would you?

Take a peek at Beauty-in-a-Purse National Charity Drive. Find out how you can help this National effort.

- Smooches & Stay Fabulous!

Spotted: Cristal Carrington

2011-05-23T22:28:00.001-04:00

Pamper Party & Contour & Corsets....

2011-05-16T22:54:00.003-04:00

I recently went to a pamper party and boy did I have fun! Speaking of pampered fun, I want all of my dolls to come to Contour & Corsets - Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 6-9pm at Nzuri Spa.

Contour & Corsets...the event
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Nzuri Spa
2435 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD
6-9pm
GET YOUR SEXY BACK **Shrink your fat in 45 minutes! Great for Abs, Back, Arms, Legs. etc**Tightens/Tones, No pain/surgery, works on both men and women.
Plus view the hottest Corset line from - Alter ?Ego www.defineyourego.com and the Spring/Summer jewelry line from Tracy Lynn Jewelry!
Corset prices start $50-$85
$10 with-out body wrap
$40 with body wrap
RSVP at aquapromos@gmail.com or (202) 361-5768 – Cristal
WALK-UPS WELCOME
Bring 4 people with you and your wrap is FREE*!
*must purchase wrap service at full price

Contour & Corsets...the event

2011-04-25T18:23:00.003-04:00

Come out for the first body wrap party of the spring and view the 2011 corset line of Alter Ego clothing. This fabulous event will be held at Nzuri Spa, located at 2435 St. Paul St., Baltimore MD 21218. For more information email aquapromos@gmail.com

Cost: $40

Bring 4 friends and your wrap is FREE!

Contour & Corsets - May 21, 2011 - Nzuri Spa, Baltimore MD

2011-04-19T23:51:00.003-04:00

On May 21, 2011 mark your calendar for Contour & Corsets. This event will feature body contour wrapping and the latest line of corsets from Alter Ego.

You Don't Want To Miss This Event!

May 21, 2011 (Saturday)
Nzuri Spa
2435 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD
Cost: $40
Refreshments will be served

For More Information Contact: Aquapromos@gmail.com

SEO Optimization - $50* - Limited Time Only

2011-04-16T18:48:00.004-04:00

Is your business ranked #1 on Google? If your answer is NO, you need SEO Optimization to help you reach the top of the ranks and get your business noticed!

Call today (202) 361-5768 for this exclusive offer that gets results!

Take your business listing to the next level - Get Optimized!

Use Promo Code: Carrington to receive $49 off your service.
Aqua Promos
(202) 361-5768

*Regular price - $99
Promo price valid to 6/1/2011
WE ACCEPT PAYPAL

Natural Hair Care Expo - Baltimore MD - Pt. ii

2011-03-28T19:19:00.003-04:00

Pics Pt. ii

Natural Hair Care Expo - Baltimore MD

2011-03-28T19:07:00.004-04:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Natural Black Hair Expo at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore MD. Vendors and attendees came far and wide to experience this yearly event that celebrates black natural hair care. Here are a few pictures of the event.

Spotted: Cristal Carrington at Milan

2011-03-19T14:43:00.003-04:00

Cristal Carrington and friends has been spotted at Milan for the Black & White Affair for DeJuan D Hov's Birthday Bash!

R.I.P NATE DOGG

2011-03-16T22:22:00.004-04:00

We've really lost a gem this time. The sultry hip-hop singer Nathaniel Hale, better known as Nate Dogg lost his life after suffering two strokes and a heart attack. His rise to fame came with the West-coast rap era of the 90's. His style was fly and his voice buttered every track. He will truly be missed.

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011) - We Love You Nate Dogg

- Cristal Carrington & Friends...

Women of Power Networking Event

2011-02-28T00:24:00.003-05:00

Every Thursday night Baltimore's Women of Power come together to celebrate women who make a difference in their world and others. Women of Power or WOP is the brainchild of Eric Stewart of EMedia and has taken on a life of it's own.

Here are a few pics from last weeks event of which I co-hosted.

Enjoy!

Visit us every Thursday night 6-11 pm for Happy Hour specials and empowering women in the Baltimore/DC area.

Women of Power Networking
Edens Loungs
15 Eager Street
Baltimore MD
DJ'd by the hottest female DJs in the Baltimore/DC area

Personal Vid Pick of The Week - Dr. Dre - I Need A Doctor

2011-02-27T19:24:00.004-05:00

I can't help but love Dr. Dre's new video feat Eminem. The song is very loaded with shots at Dre's so-called friends as he reminisces on his experiences and his rise to the top as rap's elite.

I give the video concept two thumbs up and in fact am quite excited to hear more from the best doctor this side of the Mississippi - Dr. Dre.

- Carrington

Charm Culture Presents...An International Affair

2011-02-19T06:27:00.005-05:00

Feburary 25, 2011 you are invited to get a little charm. Come out and ejoy free tapas, open bar and door prizes at ParangFiesta, an event presented by Charm Culture. Here's the W's on this swag-filled event. Hope to see you there.

Who: Charm Culture
What: ParangFiesta
When: February 25, 2011
Where:NZuri Spa, 2435 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD
Why: Why Not?

Time: 6-9 pm

Carrington Birthday Bash Pics

2011-02-18T00:55:00.003-05:00

Enjoy!

For more pics, become a friend of my fan page on Facebook. Find me at Facebook.com/CristalCarrington

Cristal Carrington Birthday Bash

2011-02-14T16:37:00.000-05:00