Home » Blog » Category: Uncategorized

Human Networks: Personal Brands are built on relationships

As a personal brand you are in the business of people and relationships, which is the currency, that business is built upon. My good friend George C. Fraser put it best with the following quote.

“Business is about relationships. Without relationships you have no business. Without relationships you have no business being in business. I am going to tell you what no one has ever told you, you are in the business of building relationships.” – George C. Fraser, Author of Click.

Relationships are not numbers. Facebook friends, Twitter followers and Linkedin connections are geographically dispersed or concentrated communities of passionate people that can enable you to grow personally and professionally, spread ideas, build your reputation, build influence and create demand.

The last time I checked life was a team sport.

Nine Tips for Building Relationships
1. Build it before you need it – The worst time to build something is in the middle of the storm, build your network before you need to use it.
2. Add value – Give before you get. Givers get more than takers any day of the week.
3. Maintain trust – Gaining the trust of another requires you be competent and reliable. It also requires you to leave someone with a positive emotional impression . . . – Chris Brogan (Trust Agents)
4. Be irresistible – What is it about you that people can’t live without? You need to know what it is.
5. Re-tweet - Show some love to your Followers and other posters
6. Develop Second Degree Relationships - Linkedin or other social network connections that are created through your network that you didn’t invite in directly can be very valuable connections. Remember opportunities can come through people you do not know.
7. Write Blog Comments - The greatest gift you can give another blogger is a comment. (I need to do a better job myself in this area)
8. Meet People Face-to-Face - Nothing beats face to face, attend tweetups and meetups
9. Swim in different circles - Expand the circles that you travel in.

Human Networks
• Seth Godin calls them Tribes
• Twitter calls them Followers
• Facebook calls them Friends
• Chris Brogan calls them Trust Agents

Whatever you call your network they are all made up of people, treat them with care.

» Read more...

Personal Branding Rule of One

one is the loneliest number, originally uploaded by horizontal.integration.

If you’re like most ambitious careerists and entrepreneurs, you’re probably involved in many activities that span both the professional and personal areas of your life. It is tempting to take on a host of responsibilities as you attempt to enhance your reputation.

However, spreading yourself too thin poses a threat not only to your mental and physical health, but also to the health of your personal brand.

Your personal brand is the unique differentiating value that you bring to the table in any situation and should reflect the strengths and contributions for which you are best known. If you are not careful and focused in your project selection process, you may risk diluting your personal brand as you become more and more involved in your own and others’ ventures and activities.

One way to tell if your personal brand is being diluted is to ask your family members or friends to describe what it is you do in just a few words or sentences. While every case will be different, their responses should give you a relatively clear picture of how your personal brand is coming across to others. If they find this request challenging, or their descriptions don’t accurately express or align with your personal brand, then you may not be communicating your personal brand effectively.

How do you avoid the ‘kiss of death” that is brand dilution? Your best bet is to stick to the Personal Branding Rule of One. Consider the following principles of this Rule of One:

Identify your strengths - Write down your strengths and areas of contribution and then ask your family members, friends, co-workers etc. to do the same. Compare them and find the crossroads of your and their perceptions.

Create one brand - Choose your greatest strength or find a creative way to combine or link your top two or three into one communicable and differentiating value. You can be many things to many people across multiple areas of your life and still communicate one distinct brand message.

Don’t pigeon-hole - While it’s important to select one unique and differentiating value in order to stand out from the crowd, don’t go overboard in over-specifying/narrowing down your niche. Make sure that your personal brand can still effectively encompass the activities that are most central to your personal and professional life.

Be consistent - When taking on new projects, be mindful of how they align with your personal brand and whether they reinforce your communication of that brand. If you believe you are currently over-extended or unfocused, consider scaling back to emphasis only those activities or projects that comprise the core of your career.

Whether you are creating your personal brand for the first time or giving your current one an overhaul, by observing the principles of the Personal Branding Rule of One, you are helping to ensure that your personal brand is both powerful and sustainable.

Chris Perry is a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.

» Read more...

Evan Williams of Twitter @ TED Conference: What is your Side Project?

Interesting talk by Evan Williams of Twitter at the TED Conference where he talks about the unexpected uses of Twitter. The success of Twitter has been chronicled as it has hit the mainstream media. At this point in my life I couldn’t imagine going through the day without my laptop or blackberry to check the pulse of the world through the eyes of the Twitter community.What grabbed me the most about his talk was the fact that Twitter started off as a side project. The first word that comes to mind after watching the video is the word GRUSTLE.

GRUSTLE is the combination of a daily Grind (job) and a Hustle (your passion) and most people are caught between the two. Most peoples side project is their passion, which I believe fuels their success.

The average person is one side project away from their greatness. What side project are you working on?

» Read more...

Operating in your Genius: The Method of Identifying your Passion

GENIUS (SIMON), 1980, originally uploaded by galessa’s plastics.

There is a genius inside of everyone. Operating in your genius has nothing to do with scoring 140 on your IQ test. It is tapping into your God given talents and abilities and developing them to their fullest.

Data shows us that we only use about 10% of our brain capacity and I am a strong believer that this is due largely because we have no interest in the work that we do. So why on earth would you ever challenge yourself to tap into your hidden potential and unlock your inner genius? The golden handcuffs of the American dream have handicapped most people’s thinking and locked them into a passionless existence.

When you love what you do you think creativity to solve problems. The premise of personal branding is: Unlocking your inner genius and connecting it to your passion and addressing a specific problem that can lead to profitability - emotionally, mentally, psychological, spiritually, and economically.

Geniuses

Personal Brands Inner Genius Accomplishments
Michael Jackson Musician King of Pop
Tiger Woods Golfer Defines Golf
Seth Godin Marketer Marketing Guru
J.K.Rowing Author First Billionaire Author

Are these individuals smarter than you or me? What if Michael never became a musician? What if Thriller was never made? What if Tiger never played Golf? What if Seth never wrote his best selling books? What if J.K. Rowing decided to act on her suicidal thoughts never wrote Harry Potter? Their success is connected to them finding out what their good at and out working their competition.

Personal Branding Note: Personal Branding Should help you identify, package, and build awareness of your inner Genius.

What if your job has nothing to do with your inner Genius? Could you transition? Are you stuck between a genius and a job?

» Read more...

2009 Brand Camp Conference Updates: Coming Soon!!!

The planning for the 2009 Brand Camp University - Personal Branding 2.0 Conference is being finalized. Updates for the conference will be posted to the site soon. SAVE the Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009. Looking forward to seeing you in Detroit.

» Read more...