“Almost 20 years later, Dana Gerenda is now Dana Small. Her name has changed, but her belief in hard work and humility remains. She credits her Midwest upbringing for her values. “To me, a ‘Midwest value’ is honest integrity. You don’t need to brag. You need to put your nose to the grindstone and put in a hard day’s work. This is very Midwest. You don’t need to go around telling everyone how great you are,” she explained.

Small believes that your work is the essence of your personal brand. “You don’t need to say, ‘I’m the master of the universe.’ If you are, people will know that you are the master of the universe. Your work will speak for you,” she stated.”