How’s your personal brand stack up?
I receive Seth Godin’s daily email. His stuff is short, but packed with power.
Some people don’t get Godin. Generally, those that don’t can’t see the efficacy of change, or why effective change entails taking a risk. If you’re vested in maintaining the same old, same old (aka, the status quo), then Godin doesn’t resonate with you.
Personal branding is big. There is a veritable cottage industry that’s sprung up around helping people develop their own personal brand. Your personal brand, much like a product brand, positions you and your personal “product” uniquely. It most likely requires you to leave the worn groove you’ve been traveling in. It’s also more than mere fancy packaging.
A few weeks ago, I was at a statewide convergence where A-list keynote speakers made appeals and pitches to a group of people about things like transformation, and going back to their companies and changing the status quo (previous years, the emphasis was on the personal brand).
People generally go back to their offices and stay with the brand that got them in their rut in the first place, working within the confines of a staid, conservative work culture where nothing ever changes.
Yesterday, Godin’s daily email asked the question, “what does your brand stand for?” I’d guess that for most, the answer would be, “absolutely nothing,” or possibly, “the same old, same old.”
I have a lot of plates spinning right now. I’m managing several projects simultaneously, while also trying to position what I do, as something different, or a bit out of the ordinary. I think what I’m doing is more art than science; actually, I know that it is.
As much as people talk about change, nothing in their lives smacks of reinvention, or transformation. They do the same things, day after day. They take no risks. They never push themselves beyond their perceived limits. Their actions demonstrate that they’re actually quite comfortable with the “dreaded” status quo.
Is it any wonder why things stay the same?
Your brand probably needs a makeover.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Life and business are better when we make changes, try new things and step out of our comfort zones. Succeeding in personal challenges and changes carry over into business.
I’m working on my brand. I don’t know what it is yet but I’ll get it figured out.
I agree, Robin. The road less traveled sometimes means a bumpy ride in stretches, but it also reveals beauty and experiences that wouldn’t occur without leaving the path of the masses.
It takes time to figure our one’s personal brand. I think you have a number of clearly defined parameters in place.