chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

jennydrea — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:27:17 -0000

The Brand ME experience is a lifestyle. We want to help you bridge the gap between Monday (the worstbranded day of the week) and Friday (the best branded day of the week). The reason is simply this... Monday represents your Labor, the unquestionable common denominator of all mankind... WORK. Friday, represents your LOVE... your leisure, your passion your freedom, your life.

http://brandmelive.com/blog...

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

2legcaco — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:37:27 -0000

Are you ready to be schooled? This is not a common education experience. Brand Me Live will offer monthly classes designed to explore, educate, empower and engage your personal development. Just visit http://brandmelive.com/blog... if you are interested to participate in monthly 30-45 minutes online coaching sessions.

http://brandmelive.com/blog...

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

The Neo Com — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:47:24 -0000

Crap! I started working on the brand before the substance! (great post btw)

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Lisa Hickey — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:08:14 -0000

Sorry, really late in the game here -- I just had an insight as to one specific thing you could do to help "figure out what you're really good at". Ask for 5 or so recommendations on LinkedIn. Not people you think might just say nice things about you, but people you've *really* worked with. Then see what the patterns are. What are the things *other people* are willing to state in a public forum that you are really good at? Use other people's stories about you to help create your own. Hope that helps.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

myinternetbusiness — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:31:15 -0000

Great post, I totally agree that peronal branding has a huge impact on ones self.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

David Sandusky — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:46:48 -0000

@Frank - you are right on = what you are good at that matters and is not a commodity I'll add.
People make light of personal brand. Companies spend zillions on understanding brand value towards marketing communications. People are more complicated than products...even when they are productized.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

frank — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:19:45 -0000

I think the hardest part is figuring out what your good at. Next in line may be the planning for how you want to grow. Getting that stuff on straight can be a monumental task if that's not the way you think/live/do?

what do you think @Chris? Not sure if you'll see this being that i'm so late to the game :

http://twitter.com/franswaa

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Phill Mason — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:20:46 -0000

Hey Chris, cool post and bang on the money. I'm sure there are loads of people who have just rushed off to contemplate their personal brand. I decided at the beginning of 2009 that it was time to sell off some projects and concentrate on only 2 or 3 projects that I'm good at.

For me is was a simple choice, I'm sticking to making music. I've been doing it for years and wish to do it for many more. Like many, I was tired of being a "Jack of all trades" and a master of none. I'm still internet and affiliate marketing alongside my projects, but it would be great to be known as "The Music Guy" online, I'd be happy with that, so I'm off to earn that title.

Thanks for a fab post, I always look forward to the next one.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Steve Finikiotis — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:37:23 -0000

Great advice, Chris. Reminds me if Jim Collins' hedgehog (vs the fox) principle in Good to Great. “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” The hedghog gets it done.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Rachel Burkot — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:16:41 -0000

I appreciate how your blog posts are relevant to everyday life, both on and off the web. It's true that everyone is good at something. How they choose to develop that talent is up to them. If they do nothing with it, they will get nothing out of life. Even if they aren't meant to be a part of a career, everyone needs hobbies for a well-rounded life. And those things from which you ARE supposed to develop your career? You said it best - you must decide you can do something better. Then act on it.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Candice — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:59:40 -0000

Chris, this couldn't have come at a better time. With so many interests and what seems like so little time and money, I have been a bit of a wreck these last few weeks trying to decide what to do. This post has put me back in a positive frame of mind!

Thank you!

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Michael Jones — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:26:04 -0000

Thisis great advice. Whether you are branding yourself or just in need of some career advice. Many folks who aspire to greater accomplishment or position will benefit from this advice. Thanks for your clear thinking and practical advice

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Taylor Trask — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:00:52 -0000

Chris - this post really hits home with me. Oddly enough, I can rationalize this with any clients we work with, yet I can't seem to do so with myself. I suffer from a bout of "diluted he-man entrepreneurship" where I feel like I can actually facilitate all the ideas I have. Your personal references on what are hobbies and what are "brand advancers" were a great reminder that I need to be more selective moving forward.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Clinton Skakun — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:59:33 -0000

This is good advice Chris! I've been struggling with this for wuite a while. The "Am I a programmer, am I a writer or a marketer or can I be all three." Last night I was reading this and I thought to myself, man this makes a load of sense. There are a lot of other things I do for a hobby, but things that could turn into a career. I like to get rid of things that aren't going to make me successful, even eventually I just loose interest in those anyways.

I used to like to draw, but I don't have the time to draw any more because I'm spending my time making money and growing a business and therefor I eventually lost interest in drawing.

This really gets a person thinking! Great post!

Regards
Clinton Skakun

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Erika Owens — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:40:30 -0000

Great post. The arc is not only something great to think about, but also a great thing to write down and read frequently to be sure you are behaving in line with those branding goals you've set for yourself.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

dean guadagni — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:22:16 -0000

Chris,

As the fire starter that you are, off topic for a moment, what is your stance or thoughts on "Conversational Search"? Is it the possible chink in Google's armor or is it a passing trend so esoteric to us social mediaphiles that it does not matter to the masses?

Here is something to think about: http://tinyurl.com/ba8sur

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Lona — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:52:06 -0000

This is what I'm currently thinking about before I start my own blog. I'm also wanting to focus my business activity into what I really enjoy. I'll do a bit of thinking before starting my blog. And I'm going to try focusing on my other sites.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Michele Miller — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:06:35 -0000

Wow, Chris. Not only did you heighten a new sense of "personal brand" but for me, someone who's been struggling with the definition of "platform," you clarified things using an approach I hadn't encountered till now. When I read the section on arc and phrasing I thought to myself, "Chris must be a musician." Surprise, surprise - you're a guitarist. As a former classical musician, this post resonated with me. Thanks so much for the continued great stuff.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Maria Elena Duron — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:59:27 -0000

Bravo! I love this post for several reasons and agree with Danny Brown that there are many decrying the term "personal branding" and yet there are some who "brand themselves" as the expert in branding - which in and of itself is personal branding. Maybe they don't want to have any competitors so they find it best to keep this as one of their "secrets" to success.
Personal branding is about the person. And, every company is created and operated by people.

And these people either do a great job on authentically executing on the corporate brand promise or they are so connected from the corporate brand that they work against the corporate brand. Then that brings forth the question - is THAT REALLY the corporate brand? The age old discussion of “do as I say, not as I do” continues!

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

David Sandusky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:19:02 -0000

@DaveMurr - I love what you are thinking about. I know you asked your ?s to Chris, but I have an opinion.
Road block = people thinking about marketing before they identify with actual brand experience they want others to have.
Leads to your harder question about who defines the brand. I think it is always defined by others. We have control. However, if we are not listening to how the brand might be hijacked, misinterpreted or otherwise confused, it does not matter what we say are brand if "they" disagree. Trust.
This is why brand is harder than just creating one. Obviously I love this subject and why I say there is no 'ing' in brand:
http://www.yourbrandplan.co...

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Josh Hurlock http://twitter.co — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:00:41 -0000

Chris,

Thanks for the post. Personal branding is key to establishing oneself. I think personal branding can either be tied to your business professionally, or to your personality, ala Gary Vaynerchuk. The more favorable personal brand is tied to your personality as a personal brand tied to business limits the arc of your personal brand. This is vital advice for young entrepreneurs. Keep up the awesome work.

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

David Murray — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:15:52 -0000

The best posts I've read always have me thinking when I walk away from them.

As I read and re-read this, I began to put the time line of my personal brand together. Right now I would consider myself at the cusp of defining myself and discovering what it is that I am actually good at. For the longest time I thought personal brand WAS defined by what I was doing professionally. Often I felt this wasn't right or.. better yet, it didn't feel right, if that makes sense...

In your opinion,when it comes to the actual applications where do you think the personal branding blocks begin?

Maybe the harder question is who really defines personal brand? Do we have complete control over that anymore?

Like I said, you got me thinking!

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Barry Moltz — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:32:29 -0000

Chris- great post and reminders about refining our brand during these tough times

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

williamarruda — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:27:51 -0000

Hello Chris,

I love it when you make a post about personal branding because I really appreciate your perspective. Personal branding is all about focusing on your strengths - being known for what makes you exceptional. I like the arc concept. It speaks to brand extension in the traditional world of branding - where once you 'own' are area, you have permission to extend the brand into related areas.

The key to effective personal branding is to really understand what makes you exceptional - your unique promise of value. Since brands are uncovered, not created; it is critical to know who you are and what you can 'own.' That is the part a lot of people miss. Since branding is based in authenticity, you have to be amazingly self aware and get input from those around you. My company, Reach Personal Branding developed a tool (it's free) that helps you understand your brand from the perspective of others. http://www.reachcc.com/360r....

I cannot stress enough the point about authenticity. We all remember what happened to Milli Vanilli when we learned they couldn't sing!

Best.
William
www.williamarruda.com

Re: Platform Thinking in Personal Branding

Rufus Dogg — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:42:22 -0000

@Leslie Like "buggy whip" :-)

I guess my point is perhaps more micro-niche about business blogging (See Shanon Paul's blog http://veryofficialblog.com... some valid points and convergence to this topic in her post) rather than "hobby" blogs.

At some point, if my micro-niche has no market value, I may have a whole bunch of people who care and I have a very long tail, but if I can't pay the electric bill with the passion and my expertise is not "arc-able" I'm kinda screwed (reference to "screw the pooch" ... I just like saying that, even if it take a while to build up to it :-) )

Everyone who is passionate about "Barking" please visit my Buy a Bark page on DogWalkBlog.com. I will record a bark and send it to you. Really? Yes, I will. Arf. Wonder how many I will sell? I wonder how passionate my audience really is about "bark."

@Chris if we should take this exchange to another playground, speak up... but hopefully the exchange is ok with you! Buy a bark!