A personal brand is about what you say, how you say it, what you do, how you do it, and how you look while doing it. But, Personal Branding is not about showing off to others. Here are some great examples of personal brands.
tiger forest. What a magnificent Personal Brand. Even the name grabs you. (What if her nickname had been “Poodle?”) Tiger! Slowly. Tiger! You can hear the roar of a tiger. The pumped fist at the end of a good shot. Aggressive. His brand is so strong that he earns much more being the personal brand than playing the game! And he is the best at golf. Is there a lesson in this? Yes. The personal marketing of your personal brand can play as big a role in your success as your actual performance.
arnold schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger, in the 1984 movie Terminator, said three words that allowed him to win the election for governor of California 20 years later. Those three words were: “I’ll be back.” Those three words drove and defined the Schwarzenegger brand. Those three words stayed with him for two decades and were etched in the minds of enough voters. “I’ll be back,” he suggested that he would be powerful in times of crisis, resolute when things were tough, focused and determined. Without those three words, there is no Schwarzenegger holding political office. What is the lesson here? Words have power. What you say and how you say it can make or break you.
austin, texas has a strong brand. When I travel around the country, people always ask me, “Where are you from?” When I say Austin, Texas, they say, “That’s a really nice place. What a great place to live!” In most cases, these people have never been to Austin. But they know the brand. They comment on the music… the barbecue… the rolling mountain country. And Austin has been attracting a large number of people from some of the other most sought-after cities. These people, who could live anywhere, choose Austin over New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago… The Austin brand attracts a lot of the right people. What is the learning here? If your Personal Brand is correct, you will attract the right people to your side.
I’ve been wearing bow ties since I was 4 years old. I like them and have collected hundreds over the years. The look has become such an important part of my personal brand during formal events that I dare not show up without my bowtie. There have even been times when I’ve dressed casually while traveling on vacation and people have come up to me and said, “Where’s your bowtie?” What is the lesson here? Your audience has expectations of you and feels disappointed if you don’t meet those expectations. This applies to your job performance, your appearance, and your style. All. What is your brand? You project it in every contact with others.