The Brand New You, Personal Branding

Just rereading a great and ancient Tom Peters article, The Brand New You, from 1997. Tom may have been to first to ever use the term "Personal Branding."

In Tom's words, "Everyone has a chance to stand out" -- in my and many other's words, if you don't stand out you're a commodity. My friends will tell you I've NEVER had a problem standing out, however not always in a positive way :)

"What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times."

Gee Tom, that's tough. YOU try it!

For me, it's something about business AND technology and success. I'm not just a propeller head any more! How about something like:

"I help people and organizations spread their messages on the Internet and have robust and reliable IT infrastructures while I drink food and wine and give keynotes, and oh, I write books on new media and teach leadership bootcamps to Fortune 500 companies and the military while wearing old tee shirts."

Hmmm, needs some work :)

Bottom, line -- ya gotta lead with something, at least according to James Malinchak, who I greatly respect. I think that makes sense?

Alan Weiss, author of a million great books including How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner points out that "multiple brands are clearly feasible and even preferable."

Hmmm, tastes good, less filling, and great for mouthwash?

Back to Tom, who suggests, "Go back to the comparison between brand You and brand X -- the approach the corporate biggies take to creating a brand." OK, makes sense. Assuming I can have more than one brand, one is Blogging for Business (thanks to James Malinchak for this one). I have written more books on blogging and new media than anyone else I think?

Now Tom also mentions that "you still have to market the bejesus out of your brand," and Rajesh Setty in his ebook Personal Branding for Technology Professionals reminds us that "Personal branding and 'showing off' are quite different than each other." Well put Rajesh, but my brand is bigger than yours and size matters! Just joking. What's a "bejesus"? Even Wikipedia doesn't define it!

Michael Port in Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling, suggests as part of a personal branding exercise that you email 5 people who know you well and ask them about your "top five personality traits or quirks."

Hmmm, that was fun. Let's see:

Eliza said I was"Humorous, Smart, Extroverted, Quirky, Daring" but then changed her mind to "whimsical, hilarious, whacky, charming, brilliant."

Scotch John says I'm "generous, humorous, devoted, intelligent, and excessive."

Bald Randy started with "Obsessive, Compulsive, Gullet ramming, Kind, Amusing" but then switched to "Hard working, Educator, Fun, Technical, Interesting."

Nomadic Gabrielle says I'm "Eccentric, brilliant, genuine, and ridiculous." Hey, that's only four! And you have an alleged advanced degree in Math!

Shaggy simply says "Fascinated by duct tape, Friend of Jughead, Sluggo, & the Ace, Addicted to talk radio, head-plunger, and Lacking in hair." Errrr, Shag, you're wrong on the talk radio thing.

My wife didn't even answer my email!

These aren't a lot of help, are they?

Branding Guru Mike Wagner, who I interviewed for What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting, says "Blogging reveals your essence. Blogging shows your living brand, your current evolving brand." I need to read Mike's blog more often too. Hmmm, so I'm a rambling kind of guy, huh? According to the Allman Brothers, "Lord I was born a rambling man" -- but I don't think they were talking about me.

Seth Godin seems to get it as far as I can tell. When asked to describe himself in one word, he said "bald." Take that Tom Peters with your 15-words-or-less description. Seth's head adorns most of his books, his blog, and his Web site, and also usually accompanies him everywhere. It works since he is clearly brilliant, phrenologically speaking. But that doesn't help me.

At times of extreme confusion like this I often go back to the words of the ancient philosophers. Popeye put it best:

"I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam."

Right on bro! I might have no idea what my personal brand is, but it is, and so be it!