Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Jen Dalton, the CEO & founder of BrandMirror. Self described on their website: “We partner with you to build your reputation strategy so you can be more relevant, increase your impact, and generate new opportunities & business.”

Behind the Business with Jen Dalton, Owner of BrandMirror

1.)  What is your business called and what is it you specialize in?

My company is called BrandMirror and we specialize in Reputation & Thought Leadership strategy and execution. It is all about helping Executives and Entrepreneurs grow their visibility and impact for their employees, their clients, and their community.

2.)  How did you start your business, and how long has it been in existence?

BrandMirror was started in April 2012 on my son’s birthday. 

3.)  How did you get to where you’re at today in your career? (family, job, growing up, college, career steps, etc.)

Growing up in a household of entrepreneurs I knew one day I would want to pursue my own endeavor. In high school my passions were theater and rowing, so I have always been in love with teamwork and am very comfortable on stage & speaking. My passion for business really kicked in at Georgetown where I got my undergrad degree in International Management and Human Resources. After graduation and 10 years later at a top Fortune 150 company, working in marketing and strategy, I took the leap and launched BrandMirror. As part of the transition, I went back to Georgetown and pursued an Executive MBA and then right at graduation took off launching my business. 

4.)  What is your favorite part about you job?

Meeting people and helping them rediscover what makes them so amazing, different, and enable them to tell their story to others to drive new business, motivate their team, and connect with their customers. We have to be relevant, timely, and clear on why people should work with us. I get to do one on one work and then a lot of speaking. Recently I gave a talk at the Navy and they gave me a plaque with a piece of the USS Constitution. That just blew me away. 

5.)  What is the hardest part about your job?

As an entrepreneur, the hardest part is staying on top of everything and being sure in a service business that you don’t drop the ball. Customers and relationships are the most important thing to invest in, except things don’t always work exactly the way you planned. Delegate what you can and do what you love. 

6.)  What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten when it comes to running your own business?

Double your goals, even triple them, to ensure that you are really thinking differently about how you might want your business to grow. We can get stuck growing piecemeal and not set ourselves up to scale.

7.)  How do you start your day during the work week? 

Get coffee! Then get my kids up and going, while preparing for meetings and setting key priorities that have to get done that day – no kidding.

8.)  What’s your favorite thing to do in Loudoun on the weekends?

I enjoy trying all of the new businesses! We recently went to One Loudoun and checked out Spinfire and Pind. Also, I like participating in events like the Superhero 5k Run through the Chamber and other community activities. There is never a shortage of interesting new things to do in Loudoun — from vineyards to murder mystery theater.

9.)  What’s your favorite app?

Red Karaoke. Yes, I love to do Karaoke. Probably does not help me stay on task though! In all seriousness, I love Priority Matrix (for prioritizing urgent vs. important tasks) and of course BrandMirror’s app. 

Thank you, Jen!