003: The Value of Establishing Your Personal Brand with Caroline Bedford

What is intrapreneurship, and how can it help you or your employees to promote innovation within your organisation? What is the value of generalist skills and knowledge when considering executive positions? Why is it so important to establish a personal brand and network prior to leaving the corporate environment to pursue your own industry ambitions? In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Caroline Bedford, Chief Executive at EDII! With a background in the technology sector, Caroline undertook a career in insurance, working in various exciting roles before departing the corporate world to build her own business. In conversation with Sandra Lewin, she highlights the key values underpinning good leadership, emphasising the importance of promoting innovation at every level of a business in order to sustain growth and talent retention.   Quote of the Episode “With the intrapreneurial roles, you know, it's in company's interest to be able to cultivate those kinds of passions and capabilities in their staff, and to really nurture that. I don't see any specific job applications from organisations seeking to employ an ‘intrapreneur’. However, I do now see that in terms of people's development programmes, creativity, authenticity, curiosity. Those types of mindset and behaviours are now being welcomed, and expected in many cases. Those are all attributes that people who work for organisations can also share with entrepreneurs who, who work for themselves and take the risks that are associated with that.” Intrapreneurship refers to the application of entrepreneurial skills to promote growth within one’s organisation. Caroline asserts that developing these skills is a key way of building up your reputation within your organisation, thereby establishing valuable connections which you will retain if and when you move elsewhere. Furthermore, she argues that fostering these skills within one’s employees can facilitate talent retention. A key demographic of talented employees who leave the insurance sector every year is women in their 30s-40s. Caroline argues that this is fuelled by companies failing to allow these employees to creatively innovate in order to solve real problems. It is crucial to invest in your staff at all levels and ages, and give them an outlet with which to apply their unique skills, thereby achieving personal growth and developing the business simultaneously.   Key Takeaways Caroline highlights the value of generalist knowledge at all levels of the insurance industry. Upon leaving school, she joined the technology sector, and ultimately chose insurance to practice that specialism. Consequently, she brought a wealth of external knowledge and skills to the industry that has fuelled her individual growth and that of the firms she has worked for. Additionally, she notes that having external skills and expertise provides an excellent foundation for entering executive positions. Today’s CEO requires an understanding of the broader business environment in which they are operating, with generalist capabilities ranging from business development, operations, strategy, deliverables, product development, and more. For Caroline, as a business owner it is crucial to prioritise one’s staff above all else. A key tenet of leadership is the capacity to motivate and inspire people even when the chips are down; to work through challenges and frustrations whilst recognising that you are ultimately responsible for the livelihoods of your team. Caroline recalls ‘Don’t wait till you need a network to build one’ as the best piece of advice she has ever received. You need connections, especially when transitioning from one role to another, or from a corporate environment to your own business, who can support you and verify your credibility. Before departing the comfort zone of the corporate world, it is crucial to establish your personal brand. Many of your industry connections will likely be a product of the brand with w