Personal Branding (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Personal Branding

[Savage]

Related to this post, an interesting exercise to do here in the forums would be to start a new thread (not a reply in this one) asking people for branding feedback on your current forum persona. Just mention the personal branding article and that you'd like people to offer 3 adjectives describing you. If you prefer they don't post it publicly, you can request they PM you instead. I think you'll find the results interesting.

The reason I asked people to email me their branding adjectives instead of posting them here in the forums is that it's faster for me to compile the results via email, and I want to get as much feedback as possible on this. Most blog readers haven't registered for the forums. But if you want to share your answers in this thread too and/or discuss them, feel free.

I've gotten about 90 email responses in the first hour, so I'm going to have a lot of adjectives to sort through.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Related to this post, an interesting exercise to do here in the forums would be to start a new thread (not a reply in this one) asking people for branding feedback on your current forum persona. Just mention the personal branding article and that you'd like people to offer 3 adjectives describing you. If you prefer they don't post it publicly, you can request they PM you instead. I think you'll find the results interesting.

Interesting exercise. Should it be started in the Steve Pavlina forum or a different forum?

[Savage]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Interesting exercise. Should it be started in the Steve Pavlina forum or a different forum?

Doesn't really matter. It just depends on how you want to brand yourself.

[Michelle]

Just want to say thanks for this article - thanks!

[Jeff Lilly]

Steve, I was amazed to see that 'courageous' wasn't one of the top adjectives that you used to describe yourself, and it wasn't something that Erin (or your daughter) came up with, either. It's hands down the first thing that comes to mind when I think of you.

Perhaps that says more about me than it says about you.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Doesn't really matter. It just depends on how you want to brand yourself.

{Aspiring to Clarity} and I have each started a thread in the General Introduction forum if you're interested in responding to the question of our branding adjectives.

[Lenie]

'caring' instead of benevolent.

But I thought it might be too limiting. (for Steve's)

Now I'm going to check out Seeker5 and {Aspiring to Clarity}'s blog to brand them.

[wolfgang]

How does branding effect the ego? It occurs to me this would be an exercise in either making yourself feel better or finding disappointments in what other's think of you. Marketing yourself, hmmm... Is all this just ways to support the separate self that is stuck in ego land? How can one approach this if they are looking at way to not worry about the ego and the form it has? If one is looking for not identifying with the separate self that is not in the now or Being?

[Savage]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

How does branding effect the ego? It occurs to me this would be an exercise in either making yourself feel better or finding disappointments in what other's think of you. Marketing yourself, hmmm... Is all this just ways to support the separate self that is stuck in ego land? How can one approach this if they are looking at way to not worry about the ego and the form it has? If one is looking for not identifying with the separate self that is not in the now or Being?

I tried to address this in the article:

"Paying attention to your external image needn’t become an ego trip. Really it’s just the opposite. Becoming aware of how others see you helps you identify blind spots within yourself. Then you can work on those blind spots to help you become more internally congruent. For example, our bearded salesperson may realize he (hopefully not she) was sabotaging his results because he didn’t really want to work in sales anyway."

[Savage]

Just an FYI that the branding exercise will work best for senior members who've been posting a while and have given others a chance to get to know them.

It can still work, however, for new members. People may initially brand you based on nothing but your handle. Consider the branding effects of a handle like "CoolDude" or "SmartSkeptic" or "McLovin."

Even your own name can have a branding effect. For example, whenever I see Angela online, I automatically think of the word angel because it's part of her name and also describes her positive posting style. If she picked a different handle, I might have a totally different image of her.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Even your own name can have a branding effect. For example, whenever I see Angela online, I automatically think of the word angel because it's part of her name and also describes her positive posting style. If she picked a different handle, I might have a totally different image of her.

Hmmm, that's interesting. What impression would you have of the handle "seeker5"?

EDIT: When I see the name Angela, to me it reminds me it's a real person who is not hiding behind a made-up name like many of us are. Furthermore, she's on a first name basis, not like AngelaSmith, so it makes it more personal and friendly.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Hmmm, that's interesting. What impression would you have of the handle "seeker5"?

Your handle conveys the impression (to me) that you're open-minded, curious, growth-oriented, persistent, and flexible.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Your handle conveys the impression (to me) that you're open-minded, curious, growth-oriented, persistent, and flexible.

Cool

[KacperWrzesniewski]

In general I agree that we should be honest and project ourselves externally in the way that we feel reflects us.

But there are a lot of people that start, for example online business or blog and they are very afraid that they won't manage to handle this. They have a lack of confidence. They are not so creative, smart, and intelligent. Should they project and brand their poor qualities?

In my opinion it might be a good way to 'fake it till you make it'. Start with creating your desired brand in your mind, write three most important adjective. Then start branding yourself in this way and simultaneously put a lot of effort to develop that brand internally.

What is your opinion?

[Savage]

Originally Posted by KacperWrzesniewski

But there are a lot of people that start, for example online business or blog and they are very afraid that they won't manage to handle this. They have a lack of confidence. They are not so creative, smart, and intelligent. Should they project and brand their poor qualities?

For an example of a popular blog that projects "poor qualities," check out Violent Acres.

In this area I think honesty is the best policy. I don't like the "fake it til you make it" approach. I think it's better to look for the strengths in who you already are instead of pretending to be something you're not.

An article that relates to this topic is Self-Acceptance vs. Personal Growth.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

For an example of a popular blog that projects "poor qualities," check out Violent Acres.

I just checked it out and it's hilariously funny! Thanks . Great example of projecting poor qualities and yet being totally accepting of them, and using them to great effects.

[Savage]

A well-known celebrity who embraces poor qualities would be Woody Allen. Another is Jeff Foxworthy.

There's no reason you can't turn your neuroses into an asset. You might just be a brilliant comedian who doesn't know it yet.

[firefly]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

In this area I think honesty is the best policy. I don't like the "fake it til you make it" approach. I think it's better to look for the strengths in who you already are instead of pretending to be something you're not.

I'm not sure it has to be an either/or dilemma - brutal honesty vs. an outright lie.

As a personal example, I'm overweight but I've lost about 15 pounds so far this year (nearly 50 pounds total). I could pretend that I'm a size 2 and gross people out with inappropriate clothing, or I could wear baggy, frumpy clothes that accentuate the extra pounds, or I could wear flattering, appropriate clothes that brand me as someone who is happy and becoming healthy.

Other people who have always enjoyed good health may not consider my current level of health a strength worth projecting, but I certainly do because I know what it used to be. You may not be quite where you want to be yet, but you can still be proud of how far you've come and the progress you're making now.

[Vanessa]

How appropriate for me to find this post today... Last week I've turned my attention to personal branding and have been listening to A Brand You World to wrap my head around the image I project and what I am as a brand to the outside world.

Thanks Steve!

[bravebluemice]

One thing I'd like to see if and when Steve gets his list compiled, or any of us who get a lot of results on our own, is a tag cloud.

A tag cloud is a great way to visualize such experiments, as common threads or themes are easy to pick out.

An easy to use web app is at TagCrowd - make your own tag cloud from any text and I'm sure there's others.

I just put mine in there

brave colorful creative funny giving mousey original smart witty

So what I can gather, is besides a lot of the little things, I'm generally Brave and Smart. Neat.

~BraveBlueMice

[Angela]

It really says something about this forum, I think, that everyone is so supportive and willing to see wonderful things in each other. You can't see it if you don't have it!

I've seen some really nasty stuff in other blog's comments and forums, and it's remarkable that kind of nastiness just doesn't live here.

(of course, since I've seen nastiness, now I have to look at my own nastiness to see what I'm reflecting! D'oh! sometimes personal development can be so irritating!)

[Brutha]

Related to this post, an interesting exercise to do here in the forums would be to start a new thread (not a reply in this one) asking people for branding feedback on your current forum persona. Just mention the personal branding article and that you'd like people to offer 3 adjectives describing you. If you prefer they don't post it publicly, you can request they PM you instead. I think you'll find the results interesting.

Without reading this post before, I have opened a thread in the personal development forum to gather people who want to be rate each other person who posts in the thread.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Without reading this post before, I have opened a thread in the personal development forum to gather people who want to be rate each other person who posts in the thread.

That might work too, but it seems like it could become really chaotic if each person gets 10 pieces of feedback about themselves, all mixed in wth feedback about other members. I figured it would be simplest if each member started their own thread. That seems to be working well so far.

[robertanthony]

Branding is a major issue in the U.K. The problem is that people follow the formula and it becomes very difficult to know who is authentic and who is not You: The Brand

Almost overnight U.K. people started to describe themselves as "passionate" about everything that they were selling. Also the lanaguage has changed were people say that they are "proud, happy and confident" and the weird thing is that many people believe this. A few years ago it used to the fashion to say that you were "spiritual" and then after that it was "I love my job".

Actions always speak louder than words.

[Ali from The Office Diet]

I loved Emily's "tough, big and strong", Steve :-) I vote for it as your new tagline!

I did the 3-words exercise for you (at the point which you suggested in the article). My first thought was actually "quirky", then I decided I could come up with more accurate words. So it was interesting to read on and find that others think of you in that way, though you yourself disagree.

To me, "quirky" is a positive word, suggesting a fun and refreshingly different outlook on life, along with a (healthy) unconcern about what other people might think. It also makes you seem more genuine and personal, which is one of the many reasons I read your blog avidly!

Best,

Ali

[KacperWrzesniewski]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

In this area I think honesty is the best policy. I don't like the "fake it til you make it" approach. I think it's better to look for the strengths in who you already are instead of pretending to be something you're not.

Thank you Steve for answer. The example you shown is very interesting and the post you linked gave me a new point of view for the subject.

Will you dedicate more posts on your blog to branding topic in future? I find it really interesting, as well as related to personal development.

[anamoly]

Interesting article, curiously enough when first asked to describe myself in 3 adjectives I wrote down "Source, Loving, Caring," and I found resistance in my mind as I was reading through some of the article. When you label yourself, don't you start feeling like you have to live up to these labels? I suppose the answer is to not make an identity out of it, but to simply roll with the flow of life and not take things personally. Also, perhaps I should not make an identity of being identity-less because that's just another trap into ego.

As you mentioned, one day you may be loving and compassionate, another you may quirky and introverted, and on the very wild sex-driven banjo's (THAT'S FUNNY, RIGHT?) night you may be extroverted, wild and well - banjo'd up. Okay, so I realize I am not funny at this moment.

So basically, my question is on what level is it okay to label yourself? Should we label ourself with true awareness that these labels are just form and our true essence is formless? Is labeling ourself an important part of being part of society? Also, fake it till you make it - does it have some uses? For instance, when you are trying to attract certain circumstances in your life.

[Savage]

The labels are just a tool. They can be used positively or negatively.

Consider this for any label:

• Is it true/honest?
• Does it help you connect with the real you?
• Does it help you grow?
• Does it empower you?

Some labels have these positive effects, while others don't.

Even individual labels have two sides to them.

If I think of myself as smart, that's empowering for me, and it helps me grow. But on the other hand, it can also disconnect me from others by causing me to think I should be smart enough to solve every problem myself instead of asking for help.

I find labels/branding to be more helpful than harmful when done consciously, but it's important to be aware of their limits. Labels can't define you, but they can help you become more self-aware.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

The labels are just a tool. They can be used positively or negatively.

Consider this for any label:

• Is it true/honest?
• Does it help you connect with the real you?
• Does it help you grow?
• Does it empower you?

Some labels have these positive effects, while others don't.

Even individual labels have two sides to them.

If I think of myself as smart, that's empowering for me, and it helps me grow. But on the other hand, it can also disconnect me from others by causing me to think I should be smart enough to solve every problem myself instead of asking for help.

I find labels/branding to be more helpful than harmful when done consciously, but it's important to be aware of their limits. Labels can't define you, but they can help you become more self-aware.

It occurs to me that branding is a form of labeling your role, which is a facade in some ways. So then the trick is to be able to find those parts of oneself that cuts through the ego and roles - that isn't an ego trip, just is. If the role or brand becomes something to identify with, to create a self image, then it's an ego trip.

• Is it true/honest? (can you actually believe it w/out trying too hard)
• Does it help you connect with the real you? (does it humble you more that make you feel a proud ego boost)
• Does it help you grow? (which happens when you connect with the real you)
• Does it empower you? (the real you)