ATMS SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
Home » ATMS Speaker Spotlight with Kirryn Zerna
Kirryn Zerna
How did you get into your area of expertise and why do you stay?
After working for 15 years in corporate comms and marketing comms, I left to work with the NSW Small business commissioner and gained an insight into the amazing support in NSW through their business advisory program called Business Connect. Not long after I started my own small business. I had to navigate the process of building my own brand, and from that combined experience began teaching other business leaders and entrepreneurs how to get known and grow their brand online.
What has been the main focus or outcomes of your research/work over the past year?
That as attention has turned online during COVID19, there are many great opportunities and at the same time many challenges. Many businesses are trying to navigate how to stand out and grow their business (or change their business), while using new or different technology and strategies.
How has your field changed in the past 5 years? What new areas are emerging?
There are always new technologies and new platforms emerging, and yet there are some fundamentals that stay in place. Knowing who you are as a brand, what content will help you get noticed, what audience or client group is a focus area for your brand, and how do you put a plan in place to create a sustainable presence.
What is your proudest professional achievement and why?
Being awarded the Kerry Nairn Scholarship in 2017 by Professional Speakers Australia. It was a scholarship for an emerging speaker, and it involved receiving over $10,000 worth of training and coaching with some of Australia’s best speakers and trainers. I was so blown away, and have been thrilled with the experience and support of the association.
What’s the questions you get asked the most often in your field, and how do you answer it?
So Often the answers I get are the fundamental ones. Where should I post? How often should I post? What time of day?
All good questions, and always important to remember what your purpose is, who you’re helping and how to create a system to keep it up. You’ll have to come along to hear more!
Fun Fact for the Readers: Tell us who inspires you / or who your professional idol is and why?
I love Gary Vaynerchuk – an American entrepreneur who regularly speaks on building a brand. I love his quote, “Ideas are sh#t, execution is everything.” This really motivated me in the early stage of business. It’s good to have ideas, but you need to take action. The first step, and then the next step. Just start, that’s the important bit.
Optional: Do you have a motto or quote that drives you?
My favourite quote at the moment is “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important”.
I’m reminding myself to slow down, notice the little things and remember what really matters.
