Apr 2, 2009 | blog, leadership
If there’s one thing you should always do, it’s to keep your unique individuality.
As an individual we need to recognize how and what we do differently. Protect and nurture those qualities that make us who we are. It’s important to realize that these qualities are what others see in us, and differentiate us in a crowd.
Quite a bit of this relates to your personal brand, and perhaps that context helps make the most sense.
Walk Different
Walk a funny walk, have fun, explore who you are and what others see in you. Dare to be different. In doing so, you’ll start to learn what others value in you. You’ll also be able to realize that there’s opportunity in doing things differently.
Try those new things, find ways to step out into the future and expand your skills and worldview. You may be great at what you do today, but there are other things you may be well suited for. It’d be a shame not to find out what those may be. It’s rewarding to relearn things about yourself that you may have forgotten.
Walk Tall
Be proud of where you come from, what you do, and how you accomplish your work. Your walk can be compared to your “brand personality” when you meet a person , often the first thing you see is them walking towards you. Much like the t-shirt you brand from Print My Logo, you have control over what is seen.
There are no unimportant jobs in society, and it’s what we do with our lives that’s the real testament to each of us. It’s what we do day-in and day-out that people remember, and this is the base of who we are. It’s always a good idea to start from a firm foundation, and that is what walking tall is about.
Don’t let others define your success as success is a subjective label to begin with. Only we can define what that is, because only we know what’s important, or what the next step in our path was supposed to be.
Walk Straight
Sticking to your values is what this is all about. Its when we stray from our ideals that we begin to loose our way. By following through on your plan and remaining true to your core values, its easier to reach those goals that you prize most. This is also something that people remember about us. It’s about being consistent, honest, and following through. Not always easy, but never ignored either.
Walk With Purpose
Having a purpose to things is just as important as everything else. It’s about direction. There’s a reason that we’re all good at different things and make different decisions every day. Define for yourself why you do things the way you do, get to understand what that purpose is, and refine it as time goes on. This is ultimately what drives each of us in our own way. We have some ultimate goal that we alone hold.
Stepping Up
Finally, taking the time to map out a path to walk in life is a great thing to take time to do. Plan out short and long goals, match your pace in life with your ultimate goals. Enjoy the each step along the way.
This is a post from my ‘inspirational’ list. Not sure if it really is, but I like to give it a try from time to time. All feedback is welcome! That’s one of my goals as I walk through life, to learn from anyone willing to share suggestions or criticism. It’s all good from my perspective as I just want to learn.
Mar 27, 2009 | blog
Ever run across a phrase or two that you’ve heard that sums up things really well? Short, simple, clear points that makes what you’re trying to say much easier to understand are always worth repeating. So with that, here are a couple that I try to share with clients as they start exploring social media and online communities.
“Don’t Be Stupidâ€
Credit for this phrase goes to Gary Koelling, co-founder of Best Buy’s BlueShirtNation. If you’ve met Gary, or have the chance, you’ll know that he cuts through the gobbledygook corporate speak phraseology quickly. Once everyone has their say, and the external communications policies are written, and the training is complete – the simple, boiled down essence is: Don’t Be Stupid.
“Don’t Shame the Nameâ€
Credit for this one goes to Brian Rogers, a colleague at Accenture. In relating stories of family and youth, we covered lots of ground. When he mentioned that one, it stuck with me. It’s simply another perspective on being responsible. It keeps a person thinking about positive actions, respect, and of pride.
So, keep these simple phrases in mind, share ‘em with friends, coworkers, and people who ask for advice about interacting online. Social media is a powerful medium, and you can’t go wrong by keeping it simple in whatever you do, either for yourself or for your company.
Feb 11, 2009 | blog
Sorry, but that’s the truth. If you’re afraid of sharing your opinion and letting the online world catalog and categorize you, then you’ve already lost the edge. The realities of future (read: today) is that you need to be an active part of your industry or genre, or you lose out. Want that corner office? Then get out there and prove to folks that you’re the person for it.
To be an active participant and be considered for advancement as we move into the future, folks are going to be looking to find out about you. If they perform several searches online for you and find nothing… well, what does that speak of your accomplishments? Yes, references and a call to previous employers is important, and prudent. However, if folks just can’t find out about you outside of work, or what your passions are, or what your opinions are – it does allow them to form an opinion about you.
Feb 9, 2009 | blog
We had an interesting discussion around the lunch table the other day regarding many aspects of the current economy. From the mounting job purges of too many large companies and what it all means to us the average person.
Really the discussion came around to how the traditional exercise of searching for a job is changing. There were three of us at lunch today and, not surprisingly, there were three different perspectives and understanding of the process in an environment that we all find ourselves in.
Here is where the differences in age come into play. Among the three of us around the table, there was about a decade from the youngest to oldest. The perception of how best to position oneself in today’s market was probably best understood by the younger two of the group, with the oldest standing fairly firm to the notion that job search and how you go about it hasn’t changed much.
Really, the truth is that it depends on the job you’re looking to get. Calling it a job to begin with is part of the problem, as anyone looking for the next job should really believe that they are looking for the next step in their career. Following the old, tried and true methods of mass mailings, cold-calls, and relying on a headhunter finding you may still work, but one wonders for how long?
Instead, following the example of many an enterprising young millennial may actually be your best bet. Maybe everyone doesn’t feel up to posting videos of themselves on YouTube, or spending hours on Twitter, or the many other social networks. However, at least a full LinkedIn profile, and even a Facebook page, so folks are able to find you, may be in order.
The point I suppose I’m trying to get to is that change has already taken place in the area of job search & career placement; and the sooner you understand that the easier it’ll be to prepare for the next phase of your career. This is as true for seasoned corporate veterans as it is for the new college grad looking to jump into the fray.
It’s time to manage yourself into the next career change rather than falling into it.
Photo credit: ChrisB in SEA
Jan 27, 2009 | blog
Yep, it’s time for the next issue of the magazine that can change your career: Personal Branding Magazine. I’m quite proud of the work that I’ve contributed to the magazine, and want to send a personal thank-you to publisher Dan Schawbel for putting together a great magazine in every issue. So please check out the latest issue – I hope you purchase a subscription as a large portion of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
Personal Branding Magazine Volume 2, Issue 3 focuses on the first step of the personal branding process, brand discovery. Many people rush into personal branding, without first taking precious time to discover who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In this issue, we expose how to unlock your true potential, unearth your passion, acquire the necessary skills and how to set achievable goals. We’ve interviewed some of the leading businessmen, such as Marcus Buckingham, to help you with your own personal development.
Features:
- Focus on Discovering Your Brand
- Interviews with Marcus Buckingham, Marshall Goldsmith, John Assaraf, Tim Sanders, and Gurbaksh Chahal
- Full paid issue (available February 1st) with 24 articles covering personal discovery and related topics
- Free sample issue with 6 articles, including how to Use The Internet To Discover Yourself, and SEO for Brand Discovery
- Join us on Facebook!
Video note from publisher Dan Schawbel:
This is a post from my ‘inspirational’ list. Not sure if it really is, but I like to give it a try from time to time. All feedback is welcome! That’s one of my goals as I walk through life, to learn from anyone willing to share suggestions or criticism. It’s all good from my perspective as I just want to learn.
