Scary task number one: brand yourself

You know that story… finally your website up and having written that first post, than summer kicked in. A gazillion other things happened you are passionate about. For me it is all about helping others, connecting people and being able to meet amazing new people to enable change in the humanitarian sector.  Most of these new people (as well as connecting with old friends) happen at events. This summer I was fortunate to talk and challenge several audiences with my thinking and call regarding responsible innovation in aid. Those moments I am on fire, an energy ball ready to make change happen together, not tomorrow but now. There is so much momentum these days to support those in need, enable partnerships for humanitarian causes. So many people are ready to step up. But the willingness to do good it just not good enough. Please let’s do it right, be prepared to challenge your initial thinking, be critical, ethical and most importantly: connect. However, in the meantime none of these events I attended or speeches given ended up here online… Really, blogging is a challenge, something I relish because there is so much I wish to share and write down. All the time thinking, I just need to get in the rhythm right? Knowing that with my expertise and background, my energy and thinking I can support so many, to enable much-needed change in order to support those in need, I relish to speak more often. However, that means I first need to brand Claire…

What?! “Brand yourself”, a friend gave me this task today. She challenged me and she was absolutely right. However, nothing sounds more unlike me than that. The reason why I have stepped in this sector decades ago has never been about me. It was about the job that needed to be done. We humanitarians are no saints, or saviors; we just do what needs to be done, or do what we think we need to do. Hence, me being Claire has always been of no importance in comparison to the job that needed to be done. But from today that needs to change… I have an objective, a goal, with my life. To make sure we are making the humanitarian sector faster, smarter and more efficient; being innovative and responsible at the same time, in order to address the needs of millions of people around the world.

It is now time to give back to the sector, after all my years in the field, head offices and advising offices, humanitarians globally as well as field operations. It is time to speak up. I need to speak up, challenge, connect and share experiences, in order to help enable the sector to make the next steps. Did I just say that? Changing the sector is not ‘just’ something to happen overnight, but I see it as my moral obligation to participate and enable, to share and connect, to challenge and reflect. Yes, my friend was right, I need to brand Claire, in order to become the next speaker at your event, or able to support you in your workshop. But branding yourself, where and how to start?

Googling how to brand yourself gives you lots of hits. Books to read, assignments to do, steps to undertake. Most of them have in common the first step: you need to carve out your niche and reflect on your expertise. What can you offer the world? Ideally -according to the gurus- an area that fires you up, you are an expert in and have something to offer. It is about who you are, what you (can) do and how you want to be seen.

Right, this step by step approach is not that hard so far. For me this is a no-brainer, what I am all about and care about: responsible humanitarian innovation, enabling partnerships and connections with use-case driven challenges to address (as opposed to business case and price money challenges for humanitarian innovations). Okay, that was easy, I have successfully managed that first step!

Step two is defining what makes you different or unique. After staring at my screen, doing several chores (and a few more) I just realized that it is all about my energy, experience, no-nonsense drive (and dry humor) but mostly my agenda. My sole agenda is to genuinely make a change possible in this sector I care about so much. Looking at all sorts of innovation hubs, foundations, public-private partnerships, institutes with consultants, all have their visible as well as hidden agendas. Rightfully so obviously, but I am not in it to gain credits for an academic institution, visibility of an NGO, reputation of the brand of a multinational, credibility of an accelerator program, etc. For me it all boils down to the core issue: there were 201 million people in need of the ‘last resort’ of international humanitarian assistance in order to cope and survive in 2017*, number of 2018 not available yet. We just have to be smarter, faster and more efficient in how we deliver this support, in order to save lives and provide dignity. Are you in it to support, fund, provide service, expand business, or ready to volunteer, start CSR projects, I would relish to get you started, challenge your thinking, ask questions to spark debate, provide insight in the sector and help you connect.

So what’s next in line for this step-by-step branding Claire task? The next three steps, according to the branding authorities, are about Create (among them professional head shots -yikes-), Connect and Evolve. The steps that I can not yet write about in this blog obviously, but will be carried out in the near and far future. Today I started, writing this blog and acknowledging that in order to help the required change in my beloved sector, enable responsible innovation, I need to start branding Claire first. So hello world, my name is Claire Barnhoorn, a seasoned humanitarian aid passionately and critically standing at the crossroad where innovation, solutions, partnerships and technology meet humanitarian aid. I relish to support you, meet you and challenge your thinking to enable change in the time to come.

As for this website, I will update on my whereabouts, blog about the humanitarian sector, answer questions (feel free to send them, cannot wait to hear from you!), challenge thinking, highlight and reflect on current practice. In the meantime, you can subscribe to my newsletter (max once a month, promised!) with a summary of blogs, news flashes and other items regarding humanitarian innovation, humanitarian partnerships and enabling networks!