Mila Grigg is a very successful branding and leadership expert who runs her own company. FORGED BY FIRE, subtitled “How to Develop an Unstoppable Personal Brand”, is a comprehensive guide book to aid readers in taking their businesses to the next level. Packed with personal anecdotes about her own life, the book is a relatable and inspiring text that is adaptable to suit any kind of business or brand. Grigg guides readers through the various stages of building a brand right from the initial spark of an idea. From the get go she is encouraging and inspiring the future entrepreneurs she is targeting. “Whether you realize it or not,” she writes in the introduction, “you already have a brand. In fact, you are one. Your brand is you. It’s WHO you really are. It’s what you say and do, who and what you associate yourself with, and the way you show up in the world.”
Through eight chapters, whose subjects include identifying brand values, brand narratives, brand awareness and maximizing social media interaction, Grigg lays out a tool kit for both experienced and novice business people to improve their chances of success. Each chapter is broken down into four key components that turn often complicated subjects into easily digestible segments; The Spark, the insight that uncovers the essential concept; The Fuel, how to keep the brand alight; The Fire, examples from which to take inspiration; The Heat, where ideas get turned into reality. By being frank and open about the trials she has experienced on her own business journey, including, at one key juncture, the incarceration of her husband, Grigg elevates her text above many of the frequently dry-as-dust “how to” manuals that clog the business book sections. There is a warmth to Grigg’s approach that sets her apart from more rigid and traditional business gurus. FORGED BY FIRE may be an objective guide to branding but it is eminently readable with tips borne out of decades of experience.
By including personal stories alongside hard won business acumen, Mila Grigg delivers an engaging guide to building a brand in FORGED BY FIRE, a comprehensive and clearly laid out book that will inspire readers to develop their businesses in new ways.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader