chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in Personal Branding

Re: Personal Branding

Contractors — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:02:25 -0000

I think personal brand extends from customer service in many ways or at least the two are very closely linked. Contractors need to ensure their customer services is the highest standard.

Re: Personal Branding

Divyesh Dodiya — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:54:55 -0000

it is your personal Brand that decides the retaintion of the customer or loss of the customer forever.you are the Brand Ambassador of your product and the company you represent.

Re: Personal Branding

Divyesh Dodiya — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:50:05 -0000

Thank you very much sir..!it really gave me insight of where actullly i am in percieved frame of other people

Re: Personal Branding

Dan Schawbel — Sun, 06 May 2007 12:30:21 -0000

Personal Branding will become even more relevant in the coming years, as the population grows, along the side of competition. It is actually very complicated to brand yourself and requires extensive effort at first and then to maintain it over time is a challenge as well.

I speak about this subject all the time in my blog..... www.personalbrandingblog.com

Re: Personal Branding

Clintus — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:26:04 -0000

You told me once that you subscribe to people; that you are into people. You see the bigger picture and I think that's what makes you above the rest.

Re: Personal Branding

Jon — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:40:18 -0000

To Ted's point (assuming the "nonsense" label was applied to my comment, as well):

If you have a genuine or authentic desire to connect with people in a way that isn't 100% about your interests 100% of the time, then that will happen fairly naturally. The point was more about presenting one's self in a way that is focused or "on message" without appearing to be a glad-handing salesman or a fake.

Yes, personal branding does require diligence and effort. What I'm saying is that, for me, if I'm gearing up to go to a conference (or unconference, as it were) I'm going to be focused on "being genuine" because I'll have a better chance of making real, lasting connections with people, meeting and talking with people whose interests are aligned with or complementary to my own, and avoiding exchanges that are a waste of mine and the other party's time.

"Be genuine" is a guiding principal rather than a strategy or plan. Strategies and plans will vary for each situation or medium. But, speaking personally, I need that guiding principal to keep from drifting off course and/or overcomplicating things, which I tend to do. I need it because it means I can "think" or "strive" less and "be" more, if that makes any sense.

"Simple, honest, easy to work with," as Chris said.

-Jon

Re: Personal Branding

Ted Demopoulos, "Strange Comme — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:23:03 -0000

Hmmmm, if I decided to become an Elvis, or maybe even a Seth Godin, impersonator, what would that say about my brand . . . :)
Seriously though, great post. Personal branding is much more than this nonsense about "be authentic," "just be yourself," etc. Yes, that's important, but there's more as you mention.
If I was 100% purely and totally authentic, I'd blog, speak, publicly disseminate info about, and otherwise annoy people with stuff like: great food, biking, saltwater flyfishing, wine, my kids bowel movements, and more. ALL my interests, ALL the time.

But focus matters, as do many other things

Re: Personal Branding

Doug Haslam — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:59:35 -0000

Great post topic Chris-- I have been thinking a lot about personal branding, that's why I re-started my personal blog (which I am still finding a voice for) while still being part of the Topaz blogging/podcasting hydra. Kinda like being in a band and trying to have a successful solo career at the same time, without robbing either of its energy. I credit lots of people for energizing my thinking on that-- you are one of them, Chris Penn of course, and Ed Lee is another who had a similar post that kicked me in the head and got me going.

Keep killin' em, man!

Re: Personal Branding

chrisbrogan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:46:09 -0000

Nick- quite honestly, your brand says that you're an observer of life. You really find things interesting, and you highlight your passion of what others say and do, in the best of ways. It doesn't say that YOU stand out huge and take big roaring swings at everything, which says to me in turn: Nick's probably a great team player.

Whitney- Party lines are for sucks. : )

Re: Personal Branding

Nick — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:31:06 -0000

I don't know what does my brand say?

Re: Personal Branding

Whitney — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:12:29 -0000

Being involved in New media, I see the lines between on stage and off stage blurring. In a lot of ways, this is a good thing- I have always been a WYSIWYG girl anyway.

This means you have to know who you are and try to be centered with that. Even when you have to make hard decisions, say No to someone, or break bad news, if you have a reputation for authenticity and honesty, people take what you say as perfectly acceptable- they aren't searching for subtext or subtitiles to decode your message, when there isn't any, anyway. If you always have a difference between your professional persona and your real self, then people rapidly start to look for the code.

I've been in meetings where people exchange looks or don't seem to say what they're thinking and feed you a party line, and I HATE this more than anything. Just say it. No matter how bad it is, I'd rather know than start making up my own version or guess at what the heck is really going on.

So maybe the message in personal branding is to ditch the subtitles.

Re: Personal Branding

chrisbrogan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:27:14 -0000

Hello to you, Rob! Doubt we're related, but drop me a line. I love knowing more Brogans.

Aliza- you are a brand and then some. Techie Media Mom is a killer brand right now. Hottest ever. Hell,, *I* have http://gnmparents.com for the very reason. I love the space you're in right now.

Good thoughts, everyone.

Re: Personal Branding

aliza — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:18:41 -0000

ah, you mentioned my idol Madonna. When asked by a reporter 10 years ago who I admired, I said "Martha Stewart and Madonna because they are both in control of their brands and businesses." Of course, this was pre-jail for Martha, but never mind that. I love the idea of re-inventing one's identity like Madonna and really take it to heart, especially the older (read: less cute factor) I get. I've been so out of the loop lately, however, that I feel like I'm stuck in a non-brand limbo, the purgatory of brandaholics.

Re: Personal Branding

Rob Brogan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:53:12 -0000

I admit that I first came across you when searching myself on Google. Oddly enough though, it seems like I see your name pop up more frequently. Especially via Twitter. I'm not sure how many Brogans there are out there, so there may be no relation at all, but it was pretty weird when I found that you were interested in podcasting. (That's one of my main hobbies.)

Well anyway, I enjoyed the advice in this blog post.

-Rob

Re: Personal Branding

Jon — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:29:25 -0000

I prefer to be as hands-off about personal branding as possible. You're either being genuine or you're not. If you are, the rest will take care of itself.

Professional branding requires a more attentive approach but really isn't all that different to me.

-Jon

Re: Personal Branding

Bronwen — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:32:34 -0000

Sometimes people use "we" instead of "I" not to pump themselves up, but to deflect attention away from themselves.
I know we do it.
Great post BTW

Re: Personal Branding

Behind the cam — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:27:11 -0000

Me too Annie. I always thought I'd be good at self-promoting, once I got over myself, and also once I was reached a, uh, "more mature" point in life when I actually had decent "product" to promote. 'Course I had some good stuff back in my teens/twenties to promote too, but I don't think it would have been, say, Twitterable.

Re: Personal Branding

Annie — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:15:52 -0000

Very timely for me, I love the idea of branding and controlling your own image, even in everyday life.

Re: Personal Branding

Sue Murphy — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:58:49 -0000

"I spent my entire 20s thinking that I was a writer. When I threw away that label, I started writing like there was no tomorrow. Go figure."

Brilliant.