If you take a look at large companies that sell products or service that your purchase or enjoy you will notice one thing that stand out in all of them.  It is their brand, and it is the reason you choose their products over yours every time you comsume those products or services.  Branding is a key componenent in marketing, but it is not reserved for only the large players out there it is for all of us.

It is time we all take a lesson from these large brands and focus on our brand…the BRAND YOU!  So what is the Brand You?  Personal Branding is positioning yourself and all that you do to stand out in the crowd.  It represents how you carry yourself both personally as well as professionally in all that you do.  Personal Brand is the perception of what people think about you and your abilities.

So you may be asking yourself what is in it for me and why should I care about my own personal brand.  Well let’s aface it people like to do business with people they like right?  We all go to stores thatw e feel are the best, we buy products that we identify with in our lives.  We socialize with people that have simlar interests and habits.  That is why Personal Branding matters so much.  I cannot say enough about the imprtance here, and why you need to strive everyday to do better.

You must care about your Personal Brand to stay competitive.

Here are some popular Personal Brands:

• Donald Trump
• Oprah
• Richard Branson
• Michael Jordon
• Tiger Woods
• Jack Welsch

So today is the day that you start to look internally at yourself and what you stand for in your own personal brand.  What steps can you take to get started today?

1. Take a long hard look at yourself and write down everything that you are good at, and focus on those activities.
2. Items that you are not as good at, with er get experience with them, or acknowledge you are not good at them and avoid them if possible.
3. Be a great communicator all of the time.
4. Always know what skills you have to bring to the table in every scenario.
5. Sit down with your friends, coworkers and family and ask them to tell you a list of words that come to mind when they think of you.  If these are not the same words you were expecting, time to change your brand.

So take time today to reflect on your Personal Brand and remember Person Branding is all about relationships, so make all of yours successful.

Peace
Frank

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