In today's digital world you can't afford to pause or you'll get left out, left off or left behind. Having an around-the-clock virtual representation of yourself can be fortuitous, self-serving and just plain smart––no matter your circumstances. Maybe you're gainfully employed and not looking to change. Maybe you don't think you have a story to tell. Maybe it's something you've been meaning to get to. Or maybe you think you're beyond needing this whole social media thing (yes, there are those). The digital train is moving quickly and the sooner you get on board and establish a meaningful virtual presence, the better off you'll be in terms of meeting the requirements of a rapidly evolving new age preference for relationship management.

1. Tom McCollum is a visibility & personal brand thought leader and highly regarded auto industry innovator and CEO. Tom recently co-
founded SCORESTRONG™, a new First Impression Resource™ and Personal Brand platform.
1
Press Play–Not Pause
In today's digital world you can't afford to pause or you'll get left out, left off or left
behind. Having an around-the-clock virtual representation of yourself can be
fortuitous, self-serving and just plain smart––no matter your circumstances. Maybe
you're gainfully employed and not looking to change. Maybe you don't think you
have a story to tell. Maybe it's something you've been meaning to get to. Or maybe
you think you're beyond needing this whole social media thing (yes, there are those).
The digital train is moving quickly and the sooner you get on board and establish a
meaningful virtual presence, the better off you'll be in terms of meeting the
requirements of a rapidly evolving new age preference for relationship management.
Whether you're a college student, new in the workplace, a seasoned executive, a
stay-at-home-mom, a community leader or a small business owner, your objective is
simple: Bridge the gap between your online presence and your offline persona. Tell
your story and tell it well. It should be complete and unpretentious but a
comprehensive overview of your background, skills and attributes. There are a
whole host of platforms to tell your story, however, the easiest and most effective
utility would probably be LinkedIn. It's well designed and guides you through an
organized display of your background, attributes and credentials and allows for easy
edit work as you continue to fine tune one of your most important presentations:
YOU. It's also worth noting that LinkedIn indexes well with the various search
engines and will elevate your discoverability. Take your time to do it right and make
sure you are the dressed up version of yourself, including a quality (preferably
professional) photograph. In other words, be the version of yourself that people see
in meetings and other professional and social gatherings. You'll be on display to the
world, so avoid presenting yourself in the equivalent of that old pair of sweats and
the wrinkled shirt––save that for when your home alone!

2. Tom McCollum is a visibility & personal brand thought leader and highly regarded auto industry innovator and CEO. Tom recently co-
founded SCORESTRONG™, a new First Impression Resource™ and Personal Brand platform.
2
Make no mistake, people are looking at and for you online––more than you might
think or want to believe. As a matter of fact, we all have an expanding virtual
network of friends and associates and as our tribes grow, person-to-person contact
gets less intimate and more difficult. The efficiency of online interactions are
becoming more and more of a reality in this digital age and frankly, online
interactions are becoming so efficient that they are preferred by many and quickly
becoming the norm. Be in charge of your personal narrative. Your virtual presence is
a phone book, a business card, a resume, a publicist and your agent, all rolled into
one. It represents you on a 24/7 basis and is available to anyone, anywhere in the
world. Maybe it's a old friend checking up on you, a nosy neighbor, a competitor, a
business associate, the person you're meeting with next, a recruiter, a committee
member or a whole host of other opportunity givers... and takers.
Press Play.
Tell your story or leave it to my imagination.