By: Lexy Farris
Major: Mass Media Arts-- May’12
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lexy-farris/2a/6b8/429


“You better get me now while I’m cheap, cause I’m about to blow up!” Now, I cannot take credit for this fabulous quote, but I can definitely spread the word about what it means. Since there was no PRSSA meeting this past week, I found myself in search of something else that could broaden my horizons. So, on Tuesday night, I attended the International Association of Business Communicators meeting. The guest speaker was a woman named Erica Benoit who is the owner and founder of Benoit Enstyle. She started a mini empire all by herself through her love of clothes. She is an image consultant, wardrobe stylist and personal shopper. Originally from Atlanta, Benoit grew up with very modest means. She graduated high school, went into the Navy and searched through numerous jobs to find her true passion in life. She eventually made her way back to Atlanta where she attended American Intercontinental University and got her BFA in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing.

Now, you may be wondering, “What does Erica Benoit and clothes have to do with PR?” Right off the bat, it may seem as though they have nothing in common, but this could not be further from the truth. Tonight, Benoit talked to us for over an hour all about branding. Now, I know we hear it all the time. “You have to brand yourself! What is your personal brand?” When I hear these statements it all lulls together in the back of my head because with everything I have on my plate right now, the last thing I even want to think about is how to brand myself. However, I will be graduating in May, and the fun will soon be coming to an end. So, I suppose it is time I listen to all my elders and work on my brand.

How do I go about doing this? What do I want my brand to be? Although Benoit did not answer these questions directly catered to me, she did have a fresh and invigorating take on branding that got me excited to work on my own personal brand. When Benoit was attending AIU, she was a single mother paying her way through college. She heard of an opportunity in which Usher would be coming to the campus interviewing possible stylists (yes THE Usher). At the time, she had not even graduated from AIU. Her advisors scoffed at the idea of her getting the job, but after a great deal of pleading she got the interview. Benoit walked into that room with her brand set in stone. She sat down and said to Usher, “You better get me now while I’m cheap ‘cause I’m about to blow up!” Guess what? He bought it! Usher hired her. The rest is history and now Benoit styles for the VMA’s, numerous music videos, television shows and much more. She has certainly made her own powerful brand for herself. Benoit stresses the fact that as long as you believe in yourself and in the powerful brand you have created, there is always going to be one person out there who will believe your hype. Then, you’ve got to live up to the hype! The confidence is one thing to have under your belt, but you have to have the skills to back it up. As students at Grady, we are putting a massive amount of time into learning what it really takes to make it in the industry of our choice. We are also presented with opportunities everyday that students at other schools would only dream of. Therefore, we have to take our classes seriously and get as much as we can out of them because our brand is only as strong as our product, and in this case...WE are the product!

So get out there and start honing your skills. Develop your brand. Practice your craft. Be professional. Order the headshots and the business cards; opportunities like this do not come often. Benoit’s speech inspired me. I am ready to stop procrastinating and fine tune my own personal brand. I have the skills, now I just need to market myself. I am going to start right now, so that by the time I graduate I can say to someone in my own words, “You better get me now while I’m cheap, ‘cause I’m about to blow up!”