Personal branding is about aligning your vision, creative energy, desire to win, skill, and value, into a tangible, relevant, innovative, and practical, and useful product that changes the way people live.
When I think about branding, Steve Jobs immediately comes to mind. Steve Jobs was the brand. Apple is the company or vehicle that gave his brand ubiquity. The iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and iTunes are some of the products that represent his brand.
In order to leverage your brand, you must see yourself as a creator. First, begin with your name. That is, how do you perceive yourself, and how do others perceive you? What skills have you mastered, or presently mastering? What are your values and passions?
Second, what vehicle will you choose to make your brand available to others? For example, if helping people is your niche, then your vehicle might be a healthcare facility, working as a doctor, physical therapist, nurse anesthetist, etc.
Third, what type(s) of product will represent your brand? Personally, the products that represent my brand are self-empowerment books about Winning. My products embody the values I represent and the awesome responsibility of making meaningful deposits in the lives of those within my sphere of influence.
It is important to note that your brand might not be limited to a specific industry or market. Here's an example. Although Steve Jobs' brand was heavily concentrated in the computing industry, he also branded himself in the music distribution business through iTunes. He also founded the company, Pixar, which is responsible for creating awesome animated films such as Toy Story, The Incredibles (a personal favorite), Finding Nemo, Brave (another personal favorite), and others.
Thomas Peters puts it this way. "We are CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You. [Personal branding] is that simple-and that hard. And that inescapable."
Dare to be different :
Has ever occurred to you why most people experience only marginal career success? Well, it isn't because most people are average.
I would argue that most people experience marginal career success because they are unwilling to resolutely, completely, totally, and fully immerse themselves in meaningful work related to their passions and skills. In essence, they have not branded themselves.
How many books have you read this year relating to a skill you're trying to develop? I asked this question to a person who realized that he was living far beneath his potential. Here's his response: "I don't like to read."
In essence, this guy was saying that he enjoyed living in the status quo-doing what average people do, and that's wasting time, and being what many working people are, and that's unhappy and broke. If you truly want to experience a stunning career-a stunning life, you must differentiate your brand from others.
Personal branding is ultimately about creating the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary things you encounter.
References:
1. http://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josiah_Harry
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