Personal Branding and YOU

When you think of personal or professional branding, what are the first things you think about?

When you hear names like Nike, Sprite, KoolAid, Disney, or Michelle Kwan, what comes to mind?
Chances are, you think about what associates them to you in some way. You think about the swoosh, the green bottle, the KoolAid man, Mickey Mouse, and ice skating.
But what else do you think of, beyond these basics?

The following keys can help you to see how brands work, and can help you to figure out what will work for you if you allow yourself the time to really sit down and think about it.

• Success comes from a combination of value and brand recognition.
• Brands with power tend to "rub off" on others.
• Like a rubber band, a brand can be stretched... and should be.
• The stronger the brand, the stronger the survivability rate if and when things don't go as planned.
• Keep monitoring your brand and adjusting as necessary.

I have heard it said:
INTEGRITY, COURAGE, and STRENGTH are the Hallmarks of a GREAT Life Brand!!

Here is the challenge I pose to you:

Create some top ten lists of your talents, values, personal characteristics, and skills.

Once you've created the lists, figure out which two or three things from each is most important and noteworthy to you.

Ask a random sampling of people from your life to give you some key words describing how they see you. Do these things match up with what you have in your lists?
       If now, why not?
          You are presenting yourself differently from who you truly are when greeting the world.
      If that's the case, how can you change your image?
          You can start today by showing up in the authenticity of you. Follow the guide of your principles, the top ten lists you created, and your belief statements (see previous post). Highlight the things you see as most important from these resources called YOU. Continue to stick with it, no matter what.