--
-- --
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Pinterest
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: FORT Review a thought leadership platform that aims to strike a finer balance between timely and timeless ideas by producing cutting edge thought-leadership pieces went live with a new video series in February 2018.
Directed by FORT director, Bongani Morgan, the thought-provoking nine-part video series presents alternative and interesting viewpoints on varying subjects including black voices and black excellence, women in business, erotic capital and building your personal brand.
-- --
Marketing industry heavyweight, Romy Townsend is one of the contributors for this edition of FORT Review. Townsend's contribution is titled The Purpose-Driven Brand . In her article she gets into the subject of personal branding, what it means and how to go about it. I think we all seek purpose in life: Something to make sense of our existence, and give our brief time on Earth meaning beyond fame, reward and recognition, says Townsend.
Screen Africa chatted to Townsend to find out more about the purpose-driven brand' and what personal branding means to her:
Tell us a bit about your journey and personal branding?
Personal branding is still new to me. I am still discovering and evolving my personal brand, but the reason this topic piqued my interest was when I changed industries about 18 months ago. Prior to that, I had spent a number of years in one organisation and I realised that when you spend a long time in one place, people inside the organisation build up a perception of you, whether good or bad. When I received an opportunity to work for a new business I saw it as an opportunity to reinvent myself. I had grown a lot over the past decade and I knew myself a lot better, this was my chance to hone in and project the skills I wanted people to notice and to lean on me for. Sometimes the journey is about un-learning or un-becoming everything that isn't really you so you can feel confident to be who you are meant to be, that's what personal branding is to me.
As a women in business how do you use your personal brand' in that space? What tools' of a personal brand is one able to use in the professional space?
I define one's personal brand as being purpose driven. It is more about intrinsic qualities than it is about extrinsic qualities but I understand that being a woman in business means that in some, sometimes most instances - the extrinsic can matter more. I believe you need to be true to yourself and be as authentic as possible. Women have to prove themselves more than men do and I find that one of the best ways to do this is to let some of my qualities show to divert attention from the extrinsic. I use a different set of skills such as wit and humour for example, this changes the extrinsic perception immediately and allows your true potential to shine. Women need to have a clear direction and purpose so that the poor societal norms that weigh us down do not distract us.
Your article is title The Purpose-Driven Brand', and you mention purpose in your video, tell us a bit more about what purpose means to you?
Purpose can be big or small, it can be the thing that gets you up in the morning or makes you love what you do every day. Once I knew what that purpose is, I found spaces and people that help me access or get closer to that purpose every day. Purpose can also be something that is ever-evolving, sometimes it changes because you change as you discover and in a few years from now I may be needed somewhere else, so be open to it evolving. Your personal brand can also influence whether you are considered for work, how much time people will be willing to give you, how valuable your thoughts and opinions are and how much a business is willing to pay you for what you do. The most important thing about building your personal brand is that it tells others what you are about so you need to live it authentically. This is when networking opportunities start to happen, and where you bump into individuals who share similarities with your purpose and get you closer to it every day.
In your article you say that building your personal brand requires strategy'. Talk us through this in your personal journey, and what are some practical steps you would advise for someone who is seeking to find their purpose in life?
Reflection is key. We have to take time out of our busy lives to think. Keeping a journal can also be helpful, document what inspires you, or lessons learnt along the way. Think about what you really care about, what gets your blood boiling or what fills your hearts with joy. It's not about some calling that will suddenly come to you in the middle of the night, it's about recognising the simple things that make you tick as an individual. Some find purpose in service, some find purpose in creating new things, it can be big or small but it will tell people what you're about. If you have the goal in mind you can start to plan how to get there, the goal in this case is your purpose and getting closer to that purpose is the plan.
How does your purpose align with your profession today? What are you doing in your capacity as marketing manager at Domino's Pizza that you would say speaks to your inner purpose?
I have a passion for people and connecting with people. My purpose is to inspire those who come into contact with me. I think South Africa needs leaders at all levels of society, we need better leaders in families, better leaders amongst groups of friends, etc. and we certainly need better leaders in our organisations. My purpose is strongly linked to leadership, I want to bring out the best in the people who report to me and even just those I come into contact with every day. I believe that energy is infectious and if I can impact people in a positive w
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
09/05/2025
Wooden Camera, a leading innovator in camera accessories, is proud to announce the launch of a new line of products for the Blackmagic URSA Cine Cameras. These ...
09/05/2025
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions is expanding its popular Series 5000 platform with three new 12G-SDI cards. The new cards provide ...
09/05/2025
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, has completed a project to migrate ON TV, the major independent broadcaste...
09/05/2025
NUGEN Audio launches its new speech intelligibility plug-in, DialogCheck. A mono, stereo and multichannel dialog clarity meter, the software provides an objecti...
09/05/2025
Disguise the technology platform and solutions provider that powered MDL Beast Soundstorm 2024, Dubai Expo's Al Wasl Dome and visual displays at the Burj ...
09/05/2025
CVP has announced it will demonstrate its cutting-edge broadcast, live production and studio solutions at MPTS 2025. Taking place at Olympia London from 14th - ...
09/05/2025
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, and White Peaks Solutions, the prominent e...
09/05/2025
SportsEngine Play, the first-of-its-kind streaming service for youth sports, has agreed to a multi-year extension with AI-automated sports content leader, Pixel...
09/05/2025
Friend MTS, a leading global provider of content protection services, today announced that TOD, the premier sports and entertainment OTT subscription service fo...
09/05/2025
ZEISS announces that it is in development on a new virtual lens technology that will allow visual effects and compositing artists to apply an authentic lens loo...
09/05/2025
At the 2025 Media Production & Technology Show (MPTS), Cerberus Tech will showcase the latest major enhancement to its Livelink IP video delivery platform the...
09/05/2025
Capitol Broadcasting Company welcomed Warren Thomas as the new Vice President an...
09/05/2025
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Studio Technologies said the Harvard University athletics department has integrated Dante-enabled equipment from the vendor into its broadcast ...
09/05/2025
NEW YORK ITN, a provider of a local linear supply side platform, and Magnite, a independent sell-side advertising company, have announced that they working toge...
09/05/2025
LEEDS, U.K. Nugen Audio has launched a new speech intelligibility plug-in, DialogCheck and offered up quotes from technologists working at places like Netflix p...
09/05/2025
AJA I/O Gear: The Heart of Broadcast Solutions' VEGO Mobile Editing Solution
Brie Clayton May 8, 2025
0 Comments
When working remotely on broadcas...
09/05/2025
What do they teach in an Advanced Adobe After Effects Course?
Roland Kahlenberg May 8, 2025
0 Comments
There aren't many advanced After Effects co...
09/05/2025
Larry Jordan Sits with Trevor Morgan of OpenDrives at NAB 2025
Brie Clayton May 8, 2025
0 Comments
Trevor Morgan, COO of OpenDrives, shares how the co...
09/05/2025
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...
09/05/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
In the season finale of The Late Late Show, ...
09/05/2025
My Eurovision Party 2025 - join in on the fun with RT Kids!
Eurovision launche...
08/05/2025
A sinister fairy infiltrates a desperate family in Kenneth Dagatan's In My Mother's Skin, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo co...
08/05/2025
As expected, continued weak demand from key sales markets and declining economic...
08/05/2025
A new three-part series is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One
(Image: The Christie Archive Trust)
The BBC has announced Agatha Christie's Endless Night, a...
08/05/2025
For skyward-bound operators, training focuses on the unique aspects of flying ISR missions, including the management of onboard surveillance equipment and the e...
08/05/2025
The cable industry has told the Federal Communications Commission it supports the National Association of Broadcasters' proposal to allow broadcasters to us...
08/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Consumer Technology Association has continued its opposition to mandates requiring that NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 tuners be included in new TV sets, sa...
08/05/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real time visualization, has named Paul Maroni as Vice Pres...
08/05/2025
This year's UK Pavilion in hall 5, once again managed by Tradefair, will provide visitors with the unique opportunity to discuss and be involved in cutting ...
08/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest energy-efficient transmitters and 5G Broadcast technologies, designed to support network operators and content provider...
08/05/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has tapped Bill Nardi as vice president of station operations, responsible for overseeing the day-to-day broadcast operations ...
08/05/2025
SEATTLE LumaTouch is partnering with CNN Academy to improve mobile storytelling techniques and support training across all of CNN Academy's training simulat...
08/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Society of Broadcast Engineers has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission that support a proposal by the National Association ...
08/05/2025
Senior adviser to the United States Agency for Global Media Kari Lake has announced that One America News Network (OAN) will provide newsfeed services for fre...
08/05/2025
EdMon Expands as AI-Driven Post Production Workflows Gains Traction in Sweden an...
08/05/2025
Using Luma Mattes in Adobe Premiere Pro
Graham Quince May 7, 2025
0 Comments
This very quick tutorial shows you how to take an RGB clip and apply its ...
08/05/2025
OpenDrives Unveils Free Your Data' Initiative with New Astraeus Cloud-Nativ...
08/05/2025
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...
08/05/2025
08 May 2025
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board at 2025 AGM, Founder Augie Fabela ...
08/05/2025
Comedy and entertainment channel U&Dave bring back their #1 ranked programme of ...
08/05/2025
May 8th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival 2025 Unveils New Premieres Spanning Film and Music
Slick Rick's Victory with Idris Elba a...
08/05/2025
May 8th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival 2025 Announces Lineup for Inaugural Storytelling Summit
11-Day Industry Event Launches with Tal...
08/05/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Vizrt's Nicholas Jameson on AI in Workflows, Pushing Boundarie...
08/05/2025
Creating Alternative Brand Experiences: Live Sports in the Age of Fortnite, Meta...
08/05/2025
PGA TOUR's David Piccolo: Advanced Graphics and Virtual Production Tools are...
08/05/2025
Tech Focus: Advancing Immersion in Sports Broadcasting with AR and Virtual Produ...
08/05/2025
Expect even more chaos this July with Harriet Webb leading the returning cast, p...
08/05/2025
Back to All News
Now in Production: Comedy Action Film Husbands in Action'...
-- 
