How Etiquette Mastery Helps Supercharge Your Personal Brand with Crystal Bailey

Branding Room Only with Paula T. Edgar

Have you ever felt like a deer in the headlights at a fancy dinner?

You look down at your table setting and don’t even know where to begin when you see a dozen or so forks, knives, and spoons! So you look around to see if you can follow along with someone who knows the correct way to proceed.

While it might not look like it on the surface, there’s a parallel between table etiquette and your personal brand. When you’re networking, you want to follow certain protocols so that you look like you know what you’re doing and make the best impression possible.

My friend of over 10 years, Crystal Bailey, is an etiquette expert and image consultant who puts the “pro” in protocol. She works with a wide-ranging clientèle of executives, professionals, and diplomats in-person and virtually. And I’ve invited her to the show to discuss best etiquette practices for any fine dining or networking event.

In this episode of the Branding Room Only podcast, you’ll learn about how mastering etiquette can impact your brand. You’ll discover etiquette mistakes to avoid, how to best respond when someone breaches protocol, how to keep your brand consistent, and more!

1:45 - Crystal defines personal branding, describes herself in three words, and reveals her favorite quote and hype song

6:06 - The duality of Crystal’s life and how she became an etiquette expert

11:43 - Communication mistakes people frequently make in the etiquette space and a major shift in etiquette practice post-pandemic

13:49 - The proper way to use your eating utensils and napkin at the fine dining table

16:40 - How to approach food and drink consumption and handshaking while you network

20:49 - How teaching etiquette to kids differs from teaching it to adults

22:40 - How Crystal approaches cultural differences in how people eat and act during her in-home lessons

24:32 - When ignoring social mores can become a dealbreaker and the best way to let someone know they’ve broken etiquette protocol

29:40 - How Crystal pivoted during the pandemic, the biggest mistake she sees people make when networking, and how to remain consistent with your brand

35:46 - Why Crystal gets such joy out of being a solo traveler and how it helps her business

38:43 - The one brand aspect Crystal will never compromise on and how joy plays into her Branding Room Only magic

Mentioned In How Etiquette Mastery Helps Supercharge Your Personal Brand with Crystal Bailey
The Etiquette Institute of Washington | Instagram | LinkedIn

Crystal’s Personal Instagram

“Personal Branding Bruisers: Paula’s Professional Pet Peeves” | YouTube

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC is dedicated to providing a practical hybrid of professional development training and diversity solutions. From speaking to consulting to programming and more, all services and resources are carefully tailored for each partner. Paula Edgar’s distinct expertise helps engage attendees and create lasting change for her clients.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at

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