- Monday, December 28, 2009
The topic of ‘What is Normal?’ has been on my mind for a while and I thought it would make an interesting blog post. The idea was birthed out of the Tiger Woods saga as I start asking myself this question what is normal for celebrities, icons, politicians, and successful people.
If you were a worldwide icon like Tiger Woods life as you know it would change. Your privacy would be sacrificed for fame, fortune and a loyal following. How would you manage? This question is easily answered when no one is following you or cares that you even exist. The definition or understanding of normal I believe is changing.
Webster’s define ‘normal’ as according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle; and conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern. Success is the enemy of normal. Success breds responsibility and accountability that is larger than most people can imagine and the price is higher than most people want to pay.
What is Normal?
This is a particularly interesting question since the line is blurring between Celebrities and Super Personal Brand Brands (i.e. Chris Brogan, Robert Scoble, and Gary Vaynerchuk).
Three Impacts of Success:
- Lost Privacy – Celebrities can’t go anywhere without paparazzi, TMZ following them and making living a regular life non-existent. With the rise of social networks, status updates, social search, Twitter, Facebook and other social tools personal privacy is starting to diminish for personal brands as well.
- Demanding Fans – Celebrities lives have been defined by their fans and the same is happening to personal brands. The increasing influx of DMs, blog post comments, emails, and online engagement with followers requires a committed person to grow their following.
- Feeding the Monkey – Continuing to create engaging content that will cause your community/following to grow is mandatory for celebrities and personal brands.
The point of this post is that normal is redefined as you reach certain levels of success in business and life. What was once normal is no longer normal. It creates challenges and opportunities that can benefit or damage your personal brand. As you grow your personal brand how will normal be redefined in your life?
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- Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Does platinum tarnish? The answer is no, due to it’s high purity which is the way most people felt about Tiger Woods personal brand, that it could never be tarnished. He has been the embodiment of focus, drive, and winning. The world’s first billion dollar athlete who until November 25th had a seemingly impeccable reputation that most people and brands admired and envied.
Sponsorship Impact
- 80-90% of his annual earnings are from endorsements.
- His approval rating has dropped 18%.
- Gatorade, Accenture, and Gillette sponsorships dropped.
- Pac-10 has pulled their ad with Tiger Woods.
Seven Lessons all Personal Brands can learn from the Tiger Woods Situation
- Be Authentic: A personal brand should not be a make believe image that you cannot live up to. Whether you are a billion dollar athlete or not packaging your personal brand in away that is consistent with your lifestyle is important.
- There is always somebody watching: We live in a digital world that is online 24/7 that archives every step of your digital footprint. Understand everything you do will come to light so live your life as though everybody is watching. When the public makes you how you are, you sacrifice your privacy for brand equity, fame, and fortune. Remember your personal brand cannot be compartmentalized.
- Reputation is NEVER more important than Character: What is more important reputation or character? Tiger is the poster child for impeccable reputation. Reputation by definition can be distorted which was clearly the case for Tiger. Strong character can be developed.
- Who in your inner circle?: Do you have a person or people who are not bought, not “YES” people, but individuals who are capable of giving you sound advice. “YES” people make you feel good that will literally destroy your life and your brand. You need people around you who will help you to stay accountable especially as your influence and personal brand grows.
- Understand the 30-Second Rule: How long does it take to build a strong brand? It takes a lifetime to develop a strong reputation and 30-seconds to destroy it. Think before you act.
- Where is your Focus?: Whatever you focus on is what will grow. What you focus on creates actions, those actions create habits, those habits are the foundation of your personal brand.
- What is your Personal brand Connected to? As your personal brand grows and your influence expands your every decision impacts future opportunities, future earnings, and the strategic partners you are connected to.
Conclusion
Will Tiger continue to make money? The answer to that question is yes. Has Tiger Woods personal brand been tarnished? Absolutely. Can it be restored? Absolutely. The strength of our personal brands are determined by our character, which is a product of our habits. If you don’t want to Tiger your personal brand think about the seven lessons that I have listed and the value of your character.
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- Wednesday, December 2, 2009
What are the Terms and Service of your personal brand? According to Wikipedia, Terms of Service (TOS) is defined as rules by which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. Usually, such terms are legally binding. The average person is typically not in a position to write there own TOS.
As I have been listening online recently there is a very interesting theme occurring with high profile people leaving companies, organizations and changing industries. This has me thinking about the power and ability to leave on your own terms.
High Profile People who are Changing
- Oprah Winfrey announces, The Oprah Winfrey Show ends September 2011 and she will focus on her cable network, OWN = Oprah Winfrey Network.
- Allen Iverson announces he is leaving the Memphis Grizzlies for personal reasons (basically because he isn’t starting) and later signs with the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Fritz Henderson former CEO of GM is forced to resigned after 8-months
- Alec Baldwin announces that he is not interested in acting anymore after 30-years in the profession.
- Bobby Bowen built the Florida State University Football program over 34-years and at the end of his tenure is basically asked to step down, but we still want you to help raise funds for the University.
Why are these events significant? This is significant because the world of work is changing and dependence on companies is fleeting. One of the greatest benefits of developing a strong personal brand is to be in a position to write your own Terms of Service. Whether you like Allen Iverson or not he is a first ballot Hall of Famer basketball player and he has decided he is either going to start or not play. That means he has limited his opportunities but has decided to live on his own terms. Oprah Winfrey has decided to develop her own network and be on TV on her own schedule.
The Elite Personal Brands Rewrite the Rules
Elite personal brands rewrite all the rules that we are instructed to follow in college. The ability to do this comes from paying the piper and spending the 10,000 hours that Malcolm Gladwell talks about in his book Outliers. As a personal brand I am working to get to the Steve Jobs, Russell Simmons, Oprah level where I can rewrite the rules and live by my own Terms of Service: corporate dress consisting of blue jeans, sneakers, and maybe a baseball cap and start my own television network.
Are you operating on your own Terms of Service (TOS)?
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