Teaching – Tyra Banks

Course

PROJECT YOU

School

STANFORD GSB

Dates

2017 – PRESENT

Stanford Graduate School Of Business

WHAT DO YOU TEACH, MS. BANKS?

This is my third consecutive year as a lecturer at Stanford GSB and people always are so inquisitive about what I teach. The concept of a personal brand can be difficult to grasp. In our highly interactive classes, I start by sharing how valuable a personal brand is. With multiple breakout sessions, my students learn how a strong personal brand can create a competitive advantage, how one can differentiate themselves in their respective fields, how to supercharge their brand, as well as when to pivot and evolve their brand. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

PROJECT YOU

IT’S ELEMENTARY

01

Sherlock Holmes uses his magnifying glass to search for clues to solve crimes. I have my students turn that magnifier onto themselves. It’s quite brave for them to allow this self-dissection that compels them to unearth their super strengths and clever differentiators they never knew existed.

BE YOUNIQUE

02

My students come from all fields: healthcare, law, hospitality, consulting, political science, finance, non profit, to name a few. They are disrupting today, but tomorrow there will most definitely be someone attempting to disrupt their genius. They learn that by setting themselves apart in the most unique ways, they are able to attract more capital, better team members, and ultimately be more successful at achieving their goals.

YES, YOU HAVE A BRAND, TOO

03

Many people think they don’t have a personal brand or say they don’t have the time to hone one. I say, if you have a public social media account, you have a brand. Plain and simple. The question is: Is it helping you succeed or standing in the way of your dreams?

My lessons on branding apply to everyone, not just my students looking to change the world on a massive scale. Your personal brand can have an impact on your intimate circle of friends or colleagues at work. It can work wonders for you and others.

TEACH…BUT MAKE IT FUN

04

I feel the most impactful way to teach is by making it entertaining. In the most engaging ways, I challenge my students to discover what makes their stories unique and powerful, and share mine. And yes, my class would not be complete without my own acronyms and frameworks. Think…the scholastic business version of words like smizing. I’m sure you’re wondering what those are. Well, you’ll have to take my class to find out, won’t you?

#OBSESSED

05

Teaching is my new love. My ultimate obsession. It has become my calling to shed light, wisdom, and my experience on the next generation of world leaders and I am fiercely honored to be an intricate part of their exhilarating journeys!