Tony Hsieh – @Zappos CEO, “Delivering Happiness Book Release”

The poster child of corporate culture and the usage of technology to connect with customers is Zappos. Zappos is ran by one of the smartest, most relevant CEOs on the planet Tony Hsieh. What does Tony do? Does he build brands, create corporate culture, deliver happiness or all three? I had the opportunity to hangout with Tony Hsieh and the Zappos Team in March 2010 in Austin, TX on the Happiness Bus at SXSW. I experienced the Zappos corporate culture for a few hours and I will validate he is doing all three.

I am an avid reader and I am excited to share with you the latest book that I am reading, “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh. Tony is a proven leader who is living what he is teaching. He has developed two companies LinkExchange which was sold to Microsoft for $265M in 1995 and Zappos.com which was sold to Amazon.com for $1.2B in 2009.

Be a part of the movement his book ships June 7th purchase part of his brain for under $25, what a deal.

Zappos’ Core Values

The Framework of the Culture

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

Follow Tony/Zappos
Follow: @DHBook (Delivering Happiness Book Twitter Account)
Follow: @Zappos (Tony Hsieh – CEO of Zapppos)
Blog: www.DeliveringHappinessBook.com

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3 Forgotten Personal Branding Methods You Can Still Use Today

Today, it is easy to forget that personal branding extends far beyond just social media. Personal branding (by other names) has existed for decades - long before the first Tweet or Facebook status update was ever sent. How did they do it back in the “old days”? Here are three forgotten ways to build your personal brand - and how you can put a “2010 spin” on each of them.

1. Read Books

Old leather books, 4Remember paper books? Those square-like objects that have a cover and a bunch of words inside? They are still around today, and can be pretty darn valuable to you. You might be thinking, “How can a book by someone else build my personal brand?“ Easy. The knowledge gained from a fantastic book will stay with you forever. The new thoughts that come as a result of an eye-opening read will have an incredible impact on your brand and your future.

Two particular books I’ve read in recent years have altered the path of my brand, and I recommend them to you:

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk - Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion.

“By combining practical analysis and strategy with the same passion and humor that’s made Gary one of the most in demand keynote speakers in the U.S. as well as network television’s go to wine expert, Crush It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand and harness the future of business and work.”

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss - Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

“Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world.”

The 2010 Way: Buy a Kindle or an iPad, and store all of your amazing books in one place. I believe that new technology will actually fuel the book industry, not kill it off. Two of my Top Ten iPad Apps for Personal Branding are electronic book readers.

2. In-Person Networking Events

To those in my generation, this concept might seem foreign and unbelievable, but - networking used to take place in person! Face to face, with a handshake and a smile. Admission time here: I’m terrible at networking in person. A strange and inexplicable nervousness takes over when I stumble across a room full of strangers. Are you the same way? I suspect that online networks will lead to a generation of young folks with underdeveloped “true” networking skills.

How can you (and I) avoid this? By sucking it up and taking the leap. Attend as many conferences as you can. Arrange to meet industry contacts one-on-one. Request informational interviews with potential employers - just put yourself out there as often as possible.

For the shy or inexperienced networker, check out this “networking how-to compilation” by Tim Tyrell-Smith.

The 2010 Way: Organize or attend a “Tweetup” to unite local Twitter connections, keeping these 10 factors in mind. By bridging your “offline” and “online” worlds, you will gain in-person networking experience with the safety blanket of familiarity.

3. Create Business Cards

Some would say that business cards are dead today, given the emergence of more efficient ways to connect. I disagree! In fact, I think most folks should likely have two separate business cards - one solely for work purposes, and another with a more personal touch. A brilliantly designed business card that is also informative will leave a lasting impression on peers, prospects, or potential employers. Plus, it is an easy icebreaker for those of you still struggling with #2 above.

rolodexCheck out this incredible list of 100 creative business cards to use as inspiration.

The 2010 Way: The beauty of business cards today is that you can include any and all information you wish. Yes, that includes all those Web 2.0 sites you know and love - your blog URL, Twitter and Linkedin profiles, you name it. Here is an article that offers more tips for integrating social media into your business cards.

These three “forgotten” personal branding methods are actually alive and kicking today - and I am sure there are many more I’ve left off the list. Are there any “tried and true” paths you still recommend today?

Ryan Rancatore discusses how to build an authentic personal brand that stands out at Personal Branding 101. Connect with Ryan on Twitter at @RyanRancatore, or on Linkedin or Facebook.

Photo credit, wy_jackrabbit and klynslis.

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Seth Godin and Hajj Flemings: Become A Personal Branding Linchpin - Interview (Part I)

Seth Godin and Hajj Flemings - Linchpin Interview (Part I) from Hajj Flemings on Vimeo.

I recently conducted a personal branding interview with Seth Godin Marketing Guru and best selling author of dozen books including Purple Cow, Tribes, and The Dip to name a few. The focus of our conversation centered on Seth recently released book called Linchpin, which in my opinion is his most profound book.

In my interview with Seth Godin we discussed two significant topics from his book: Genius and the Factory. Being a native of Detroit both of these topics resonated especially the Factory concept. ‘The Factory’ has been the motor of Detroit for almost a century with the automotive industry building the middle class in our nation with mass production.

Seth also provides his perspective on personal branding.

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What is an MBA Chat and how does it apply to personal branding?

On Monday, April 5, 2010: #MBAChat launches live via Twitter and for those in the Metro Detroit area there is a meet-up.

Many people have questions about the value of an MBA, the process of preparing and/or applying for an MBA program and personal development based upon the conversations we have monitored online via Twitter. The mission of the #MBAChat is to create an open dialogue with people who have an interest in participating in conversation about these topics. The #MBAChat will be moderated by @Hajjflemings. The conversation will be live streamed via Twitter and the re-cap will be compiled from participants tweets.

The #MBAChat will have an online/offline component. For those in Michigan area who would like to meet face-to-face there will be a physical meet-up. The physical location will be at various Biggby Coffee locations in the Metro Detroit Area which will be sponsoring free coffee for attendees.

To participate you can use http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/. Watch for tweets with the hashtag #MBAChat and follow the conversation on the @TechMBAOnline Twitter account.

#MBAChat Schedule and Locations (Physical Locations: Biggby Coffee)

• April 5, 2010 at 7:30PM-8:30 EST: 20570 Haggerty Rd Northville, MI
• April 12, 2010 at 7:30PM-8:30 EST: 112 S Old Woodward Ave Birmingham, MI
• April 19, 2010 at 7:30PM-8:30 EST: 4501 Woodward Ave Ste 105 Detroit, MI

Personal Branding

How does this apply to personal branding? Personal branding is about the development of your human capital one of the core reasons a person would consider getting an MBA.

Sponsors

Thanks to Co-Sponsors: Michigan Technological University School of Business and Economics ‘Tech MBA Online’ (@TechMBAOnline) Program and Biggby Coffee (@BiggbyBob - CEO of Biggby Coffee Bob Fish).

(Note: The originator of online Twitter chats is @PRSarahEvans who started #journchat.)

I look forward to connecting with you online.

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SXSW 2010 Recap – A Newbie’s Perspective

South by Southwest (SXSW) 2010 Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas is in the books (March 12-16, 2010). I am sharing my experience of attending SXSW as a Newbie. Not knowing exactly what to expect I jumped in feet first for it was inspiring and overwhelming all at the same time. I ran into Kevin Rose (Digg), rode around with Tony Hsieh (Zappos CEO) and the Zappos Crew on the Happiness Bus and got an advance copy of his book to name a few of my adventures.

There were over 15,000 people who attended SXSW Interactive. Imagine a city full of techies, interactive enthusiast with laptops, iPhones, Flip cams, video cameras, and mobile devices active all plugged up at all times.

My Reasons for Attending

  • Online/Offline Relationships – Connecting the dots. The value in developing online relationships is solidified when the online world meets the real world face to face.
  • Productivity – It is one of the easiest ways to connect with the movers and shakers in the interactive community. There are not too many other venues where you will have access to the majority of major players in the interactive communities all in one shot.
  • Networking – Just like in college I felt like I learned as much outside the classroom as I did inside the classroom. Attending sessions is important but doesn’t trump connecting with people.
  • Create Touch points – My focus was not to solidify business deals there unless something fell into my lap but to create a non-forced touch point to build trust. This creates a comfort level for future engagement when a non-threatening conversation happens with no strings attached.

Favorite Quote During the Conference

“It took me 8-years to get a 100 readers for my blog.” @ChrisBrogan

Lessons Learned

  • Favorable Introduction – I talked with @WayneSutton and others who created favorable introduction. A favorable introduction is when someone introduces you to someone within their network as their friend or on their behalf. The favorable introduction is the most powerful way to meet a new contact. It removes the ouchwereness and creates a layer of trust.
  • Always Keep your Devices Charged Up – You have to capture the moment. You have no idea who you will run into people from @GuyKawaski to @scobleizer (RobertScoble). If your devices cams, iPhones, Laptops are not charged and ready you may miss the moment.
  • Don’t try and meet everybody – Following the #sxswi stream and foursquare it was easy to keep a pulse on what was happening. It also created the anxiously of wanting to jump from place to place, but fight the urge. You can’t do everything. Create valuable interactions with a few people versus lots of meaningless interactions with the masses. What does it mean to be at the Mashable party with thousands of people if you don’t leave meaningful engagement with key people.
  • Don’t jock – The quote on quote rockstars get overwhelmed with business cards, requests, business offers and opportunities that they are not interested in. Jocking, brown nosing, or sweating the influencers is a no no.
  • Be a Sponge – There is always something new to learn, be open to new experiences.
  • Register Early – Hotel reservations are critical you want to be close to the action.
  • Don’t Fill your agenda with only Panels – This is the real world you learn as much from listening and engaging off-line.

I hope this post was helpful. I look forward to seeing you next year at SXSW Interactive 2011.

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