“The Brand Called You” and blogging

Way back in 1997, Fast Company magazine had a cover that looked like a Tide box (denoting a well recognized brand) and an article inside by business management guru and author Tom Peters entitled, “The Brand Called You.”

Pontificating about the absolute need to brand yourself, Peters starts out that article espousing the virtues of personal branding, “It’s time for me — and you — to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that’s true for anyone who’s interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.

Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.

It’s that simple — and that hard. And that inescapable.”

I drank Peters’ KoolAid then…and I’m drinking it today. It’s important to position oneself correctly, package ourselves up and always be cognizant of our brand (i.e., perceived and actual value we can offer to the world). People are hired for their value. To build. To meet needs. To achieve. To create. To think about better and different ways to move an organization forward. To add more value than we ‘cost’ an organization.

Though this article is now nearly 8 years old, it’s worth reading again if you’ve got a moment. In my view, it’s more important than ever that we brand ourselves and invest in our brand with a focus on value-additions (get more schooling, learn something new, stay on top of trends in your industry, listen to podcasts, read blogs, read, read, read). Doing your own blog is a fabulous way to showcase your value — if you’re willing to take a risk and publically expose your thoughts, feelings and perspectives that could be available for years to come.

If you don’t brand yourself, who will? Maybe if you’re a movie or recording star, you can get an agent to do it for you. For most of us, finding our own way to achieve personal branding is all part of the adventure we’re on in life.