skip to main |
skip to sidebar
... & Why Setting Up An "Alltop" Account Is A Good Thing !...by David BookoutRead, be more interesting, succeed !!! If your an entrepreneur, individual contributor, or team player in a large organization you'll want to check out this useful tool. I watched an introductory video this weekend on FREE Market Research, and validated a long time suspicion that it is really easy to find out a few basic things relative to market size, competition, etc. - more on this later. Then I thought about all the people that have told me "We don't have any competition" - which, when you think about it, is a pretty lame thing to say. Here's why - the very first thing anyone does when they are being pitched to is think - "what similarities does this idea have to anything I already know about?" - then, what I call the "slotting process" begins. The idea pitcher has lost control, and the idea catcher is down their own path trying to compare. Now, if your a blogger, or a micro blogger the difficulty is fresh content that's relevant to the Personal / Product / Service / Company Brand your building. In either circumstance, and many more that I could illustrate, the critical component is what you know. A key component to making you an interesting person is your ability to converse with others on a variety of topics - and this doesn't mean that you have to know everything - that are interesting to them. I've found that Alltop is a way to quickly get connected to top stories in a variety of categories that you control !! No, the Alltop folks don't pay me, and here's the fifty thousand foot view:  => Alltop Is A Super Aggregator - of the RSS Feeds your probably already following with a REALLY slick way to organize the content headings, which give you one, simple place to get everything you want. => A Variety Of "Categories" Of Interest - that you can choose from: Work / Health / Culture / Interests / Tech / People / Good / News / Geos / Sports => Hundreds, and hundreds of "Topics" - are within those categories, and are searchable either alphabetically, or by category. => Complete Control - within your account. Add, subtract, and reorganize the information configuration anytime you want. So, now that you know the Alltop secret, don't get caught behind relative to what's going on in the world around YOU, your company, your team, and your goals => Enjoy !!!© Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.The image is my.Alltop.com/EFFETTI
... is growth in excess of 1,000% on Twitter a good thing? ...by David Bookout When I first got on Twitter Guy Kawasaki started following me. I thought that was pretty cool. Then I realized that with nearly 80,000 ( it's 93,049 now ) other people that Guy was following I WASN'T EVEN a bug on Guy's windshield. So, now what? Well for me, I wanted to research how Social Media could impact the ability of companies to make money, here is what I see so far:01 - Expanding Circles Of Influence - The amazing thing about Twitter, that is different than LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo and other Social Media tools is that it is OPEN. You can "connect" to anyone you can find, you just need to have enough social graces to stay connected and build a relationship. Just like life. This is Twitter's power, and why Facebook has been moving towards their micro-blogging model. 02 - It's ALL About Mood - The "mood" on Twitter is awesome. When the stock market was diving last week, there was nary a mention. Negativism on Twitter is almost non-existent. If you find someone is too negative, and there are a few, you can either "block" them, or "unfollow" them so they don't show up on your windshield. 03 - You Still Have To BUILD Relationship - This takes work in life, and it takes work on Twitter. What is most amazing is the "feeling" that you can build new relationships on Twitter. So, it's no wonder that in these difficult times Twitter growth is amazing. 04 - There Are Wonderful Opportunities - Which I'll be commenting on as things unfold. If your jumping in, here is what I suggest you do:A - Set Up Your Accounts Now - Do this on Twitter, and Facebook to ensure you get the "handles" you want, and nobody "squats" on an essential "identity" for you, or your business. Once you've set up Facebook you may want to take a look at the "pages" portion, which is currently where you can get a "vanity page", while they are trying to work thru how to handle vanity urls like Twitter offers. B - Define What YOU Want To Produce - Then keep that VERY PRESENT somewhere as you begin to experiment with the tools, because it's VERY EASY to burn a huge amount of time. Actually, I'm thinking about writing a piece on "Getting Off Twitter - A 12 Step Program" => You heard that here first ;-) !! C - DO NOT Sign Up For Everything You See - Just like life, there are ALOT of offers, particularly on Twitter where people are offering "get quick" this, and "free" that. D - Relax, Observe, Experiment, Have FUN - Spend a little time, particularly watching the leading posters, see what they do and emulate. Thanks for reading !! © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to MatchVideoZine.com
...for a more complete picture of who you really are !!...by David BookoutRelated Post: How To Build A Personal Brand...Related Post: Why build a Personal Brand ?...Related Post: What is a Personal Brand ?...Related Tool: Personal Brand Strategy Brief Having done personal development work for over 15 years one of the things that continues to intrigue me most is the often difference in interpretation we have between; what we think about ourselves, and what others think about us. This plays a particularly important role in Personal Brand Development because who we "think" we are doesn't really matter when it comes to getting the job we want, or building the relationships we want. In a business context what matters most is how others view you ! Why? Because chances are they have the power. They have the power to introduce you to others, or not. They have the power to add value to what your up to, or not. They have the power to hire you, AND MAY NOT, based on who you are for them. There are many ways to get at the vital information you seek - what do others really think of me - AND conversations of this type need to be held in a certain context to avoid becoming opinion sessions. Aside from our tool, which gives you a framework to get at this critical area: Related Tool: Personal Brand Strategy BriefHere are three key things to do:01 - Listen carefully to what others say, AND what they don't say in regard to who you are for them. 02 - Observe closely what other do, AND what they don't do in regard to the offers and requests you make. 03 - Ask people you can trust to give you an honest assessment of what they see. Often, it is NOT the best thing to ask family and close friends. They have a different connection to you that may not enable them to be clear, concise and valuable in what they share. Enjoy and mobilize !! © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Personal Brand Tip - Get An Inside<->Out Look...", the subtitle "...for a more complete picture of who you really are !!..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to Math.UCR.Edu
...is a lot like great dancing !!...by David Bookout 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, break, hands & twirl - 5,6,7,8, and back... Dancing is a wonderful metaphor for leadership, and follower-ship in business because just like great dance teams great business teams know how to share the leadership role. The key is learning to effectively share control - back and forth - as needed to move with maximum velocity. Observe any highly effective business, or dance team and you will see the leader making requests ( let's now focus on this new sector - twirl left ), and the followers moving to fulfill that request. AND, if you look carefully, you'll notice that the followers have complete control over how they fulfill. Outside of breaking ethical, or legal standards effective leaders aren't concerned with exactly how things get done. Effective leaders care about results, velocity, and mood, and not necessarily always in that order. Unfortunately a more common interpretation of leadership, particularly in business, is that it is a one way street. People think that the "Boss" controls everything. Subsequently, those followers want to lead so badly that they forget to watch where they themselves are going, and in doing so they forget that their true value is playing their position the best that it can be played. They forget that the way to build a successful Personal Brand is to become virtuoso in their current role.Ten Quick Tips To Being A GREAT Follower:01 - Know your position ( role ) inside and out. 02 - Don't fall into the common trap of being entitled. 03 - Observe, study and understand the business game your in. 04 - Remember that respectful, public decent opens the door to new thinking. 05 - Don't undermine your leader with private conversations about other directions. 06 - Study best practices, and refine and invent new ones. This is where you can make your Personal Brand shine, and stand out. 07 - Make valuable offers to your leader BEFORE you just go and fulfill them. 08 - Study and learn your direct leader's role. 09 - Remember that the best apprentice is the one that anticipates the tool that is needed BEFORE the craftsman needs it. 10 - Publicly declare that you want to be a good follower ( not this exact language ) to attract the help of others. Pay particular attention to what other successful leaders and followers advise and do. Ten Quick Tips To Being A GREAT Leader:01 - Know you're position ( role ) inside and out. 02 - Don't fall into the common trap of being entitled. 03 - Observe, study and understand the business game you're in. 04 - Remember that respectful, public decent opens the door to new thinking. 05 - Empower your followers to be creative, think and do for themselves.06 - Study best practices, and refine and invent new ones. This is where you can make you're Personal Brand shine, and stand out. 07 - Make effective requests of your followers.08 - Have compassion when followers don't understand.09 - Past the healthy debate of decent and co-creation DO NOT have sentimentality for followers that don't want to follow. 10 - Publicly declare that you want followers to offer reciprocal leadership in their discreet domains of expertise. Know these areas well enough not to be blind sided. © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Great Leadership / Followership In Business...", the subtitle "...is a lot like great dancing !!..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to Kezrush @ Xanga.com
...Three Links For Your Interest & Review !!!...by David Bookout A: Only when I need to - Tech Crunch reports on LinkedIn's recent upswing in users. A: All the time - SF Business News article on "timely" new study. { Hmm - if it's timely why was it released when when jobless claims just peaked ? } Download the study @ UpWardlyMobile for a full read. The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to HealthCareLeaders
...Your Gonna Have To Do Some Steppin Out !...by David BookoutRelated Post: How To Build A Personal Brand...Related Post: Why build a Personal Brand ?...Related Post: What is a Personal Brand ?...Related Tool: Personal Brand Strategy Brief Perhaps not dressed exactly as our photo suggests, but to build a successful Personal Brand today, I think it is pretty much a guarantee that you'll have to step outside of your comfort zone. After all, what's comfortable, particularly for the growing number of folks that have been affected by the "corporate sizing" issues we seem to be hearing so much about these days, just doesn't matter. Discomfort is becoming normal. We've got some posts coming up in which we'll be offering some uncommon thinking about actions you can be in, right now, today, to set yourself apart. But, this post is about technology as a differentiating medium for Personal Brand Building. So, let's look at some examples of people stepping out to use technology to create not only their own personal brands, but whole businesses in the process: Justine Ezarik @ iJustine.com is steppin out ! Dan Schwabel @ PersonalBrandingBlog.com is steppin out ! Stephanie Quilao @ TheEveryDayBlogger.com is steppin out ! What makes each of them unique? It's not that they are young! It's that they are each embracing technology to extend their reach and expand their circle of influence!! They are exploiting the benefits of technology to create a life style that works for each of them, in their own way, and on their own terms. I was recently contacted by a client who said "I'm thinking about doing a blog", what tips can you give me!? My advise? Get started. Now, for the particular business this client was in, a blog was almost a standard of care in terms of keeping in touch with their client base, and desired audience. In other situations, this is NOT the case. Nothing is a blanket fix. But, some things just make sense. If YOU need to build your identity to get where you want to go next, here are four ( 4 ) quick thoughts: Start Practicing / Do Something - Blogger.com, and LinkedIn.com, and FaceBook.com are great places to get started. Share With Friends - Each of these sites, with the exception of Blogger, which needs another mechanism to facilitate the process, is fundamentally about connecting with friends. In regards to Blogger, set up a private site, and invite your friends, and colleagues to read. Venture Outside Of Your Own Standard Practices - Spend a little bit of time everyday to be an observer of what's going on in the world. I'm not talking about reading the newspaper online. I'm talking about clicking around and see what others like; Justine, Dan, Stephanie, and others are doing with technology. How they are using the technologies they are using and why. Don't Give Up - This isn't like watching TV. It takes a little bit of time and energy, but can be well worth it in the long run. Because if your looking for a new job, looking to turn your hobby, or passion into a business, or just looking to focus on giving back to the community through service, these mediums are essential to a successful future. © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "How To Build A Personal Brand ( II )...", the subtitle "...Your Gonna Have To Do Some Steppin Out !..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to RecitalExpo.com
...Obama's "return to virtuous ethics" as a good example !...by David BookoutRelated Post: Why build a Personal Brand ?...Related Post: What is a Personal Brand ?...Related Tool: Personal Brand Strategy BriefYou may, or may not like our smiling President, but that is NOT the point of this piece.  Obama's suggestion that we return to virtuous ethics is more than interesting. I'm not suggesting he actually said this, but, in effect within the language he chooses to use as our leader in describing how he will lead America into the future, this is what he is advocating we do as followers. Powerful stuff !! "Ethics" are our standards for how we treat one another. "Virtuous" is about having excellent standards. I've got to say that I LOVE to hear Obama speak, and if you've taken the time to watch / hear him, perhaps you too may have noticed the physical change in your body when you see and hear him. Look, feel, tone, manner, and clear, compelling content is at the heart of effective Brand Building. Personal Brand Building is no different. A good place to watch / experiment with how; look, feel, tone, manner and content effects / affects us is, oddly enough, in the John Stewart segment on The Daily Show on Comedy Central, where Stewart refers to "The Bradley Effect" ( @ 4:44 )( count begins after the 15 - 30 second commercial - sorry ! ). When I watched this segment for the first time I noticed how I began to actually feel different about Obama as a person - in fact, so much so that I've taken the time to hear him speak every chance I get - why? Not because of my political views, but because what he says connects with, and relates to the things I care about. When we make these connections with others we have a beginning, and as a Personal Brand Builder to build on that beginning the thing to do is maintain consistency. Building a Personal Brand with consistency:First, take the time to actually think about what YOU care about - make a list. Next, take the time to design how you might talk about the things you care about. What are the key points? Is there proof for these points? Are the points mainstream, or contrarian - make a list. Then, be an interested listener and observer to the verbal / non-verbal reactions you get - make a list. Finally, continue to honestly refine the process until you're producing the results you want - check with others. Would you invest $0.04 ( 4 cents ) a day to build an Obama like Personal Brand ? Then you need our Personal Brand Strategy Tool to help you get started thinking about and designing your Personal Brand Building Strategy and Tactics today ! © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "How To Build A Personal Brand...", the subtitle "...Obama's "return to virtuous ethics" as a good example !..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to TrustWinsOut.org
...YOU Bet It Does, and NOT in a good way, every darn time !!...by David BookoutRelated Posts: Closure & A New Design ( II )...Maybe this happens to YOU? - I think it happens to all of us, but we can control it !! I was talking to a colleague this morning about fear, and they were sharing that the very thing that they we're afraid of seemed to keep happening to them.  I thought "so, very, very true!" During our conversation I also thought how sports can be such great metaphors for things! Golf is a great example. I'm certainly not Tiger Woods, but when I was playing well ( NCGA 7 ) I could make a golf ball go through a pretty small "window" of blue sky, between the branches of a LOT of trees, from the rough. But, NOT when I was scared that I was going to fail. I could ONLY accomplish this WHEN I WAS: a) Clear on the desired outcome, (b) Clear on the strategy, (c) Clear on the execution, and (d) Clear in my mind that I was going to succeed AND unwilling to let doubt enter my mind and control me !!!!I also thought about U.S. Airways Captain Chesley B. ( Sully ) Sullenberger's heroic actions yesterday in the crash of Flight 1549, which may in fact be the most amazing story of the decade, if not the most amazing story in commercial aviation history !! Had Sullenberger surrendered his mind to fear; the fear of failure, fear for his own life, fear of uncertainty, then I think there would have been a VERY, very different outcome. Because letting fear control you and being scared are two different things. In closing, our reader's survey, and the specific comment below was / is not only prophetic, but a very valuable thing to consider, and probably for some time to come. Thanks again! "I think 2009 is going to be a very challenging year and we need to continually be reminded to stay focused on those things that we CAN control, rather than all the negative stuff that's bombarding us."© Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Does Fear Affect / Effect Outcomes ?...", the subtitle "...YOU Bet It Does, and NOT in a good way, almost every darn time !!..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to DarkSkyFilms.com
Control what you can - a real life reminder that focus is key !!...by David Bookout The photo shows an almost surreal setting of U.S. Airways crash - Flight 1549 sitting in the Hudson River. As I viewed this story on MSNBC this evening I was also reading our year end survey results, and specifically the comments of one, very kind reader: "I think 2009 is going to be a very challenging year and we need to continually be reminded to stay focused on those things that we CAN control, rather than all the negative stuff that's bombarding us."The two just seemed to naturally go together, and this seemed like as good a time as any to underscore, highlight and celebrate the point one of our dear readers was kind enough to make. So, please join me in a silent acknowledgement - Hats off, and I'm sure many, many heartfelt thanks to U.S. Airways Captain Chesley B. ( Sully ) Sullenberger, and his incredible role this evening in staying focused on the things that he could control and bringing MANY more passengers back safely to Terra Firma than what is normally expected in in-flight crash circumstances !! © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "U.S. Airways Crash of Flight 1549", the subtitle "Control what you can - a real life reminder that focus is key !!..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to AlleyInsider.com
... may be One More Reason to go Web 2.0 !...by David Bookout Social Networking and Social Media are hot topics, and sites like: MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, DodgeBall, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Spoke, Zoom, Blogger, YouTube, Joost, Flicr, Picasa, SlideShare, and more are pretty familiar. But, knowing how to best leverage these technological tools within your brand development strategy, regardless of whether your focus is corporate, or individual is the question! The ManyOne Portal may be an interesting, and valuable new alternative ?!Personally, you might be thinking; Some of these applications don't seem serious enough for what I want, or I don't even know where to start, or I don't have time to keep up with all these discreet accounts. At the corporate level you might even be thinking, hey, this is someone else's job! But is it? At the core of all the applications mentioned is the function of establishing an " identity" amongst a specific desired audience set. The purpose of brand building is to expand the shear number of people that are; aware of, interested in, and ultimately accept the brand's value proposition in some sort of transaction. Historically, I think it has been difficult, particularly for the SMB market, to create appropriate content, including graphics, that do a good job of establishing a consistent, brand building look and feel. Website building has been difficult at best, and most of the applications mentioned have a primary ( yet, perhaps hidden? ) agenda of significantly building their own brands on the backs of their users. The ManyOne Portal seems different in that regard, as well as providing the opportunity to expand identity / brand building possibilites by giving companies, AND individuals the opportunity to manage multiple interests and passions, in one relatively simple, easy to use place.For example, I built this new Effetti Portal in less than an hour with ONLY my extensive cut and paste capability !! Honestly, while I've been building websites for ten years, I have just about enough HTML experience to bold some copy. Post Publishing Add - Additionally, the ManyOne Portal acts as a Wiki / Collaboration / Coordination tool with the ability to house 100's of documents for either public, or private view depending on how you set up each portal. Teams with designated members, that the portal owner controls, can view private portals, anyone can view public portals. My colleague and project management guru friend Kimberly Wiefling recently turned me on to these new collaboration tools, thanks Kimberly ! - Post Publishing Add EndSo, if you've been thinking about building a new website, or getting a bit more active in the Social Networking / Social Media space, I would give the ManyOne experience a try ??!!© Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Brand Building - Portal Strategies...", the subtitle "...may be One More Reason to go Web 2.0 !..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image was found on, and may be © Copyright to ManyOne.net
... because you're actually brand building no matter what !...by David BookoutWhat is a Personal Brand?... If you don't think you need to worry just look around, and take note of the random thoughts you have about people - "So and so is always late! He's really quite smart! She always runs a great meeting!" As humans, we can't help having such thoughts. Just try to stop yourself. The compilation of what we think about people over time, even over a few seconds, shapes what we will and won't accept - "I would never work for him! I'm going to buy it, but not from her! I'm going to get on his team if it's the last thing I do! When she takes the new job, I think she's going to take me with her, I can't wait!" And every time you talk with someone you're negotiating your personal brand. These are all elements of Personal Brand Thinking, and chances are you have a Personal Brand, it just might NOT be the one you want, or need to have !Here are a few examples of the benefits of a focused Personal Brand:Be a more compelling candidate for that next project, new job, or promotion. When we are clear about our true strengths and weaknesses we can create narratives that resonate more effectively with specific audiences. Sell more / be more productive. When we are clear about those same strengths and weaknesses we can design more effective actions for ourselves and our teammates to increase results and velocity. Be a more successful leader. When we understand why some people readily accept our leadership offers, and others don't, we can actively design and implement ways for our teams to be more productive and have more FUN. Build more powerful networks. Similarly, where we are clear about our interests, goals and passions we can design and implement more effective ways of connecting with greater numbers of people at a deeper level. As we offered in the previous post ( What is a Personal Brand?...) the process for brand building is the same for companies, products, services, AND individuals. Successful people have known, and used the secrets of powerful brand building for years. Now those secrets can be yours! We've taken the same principals used to create brands like: Blue Shield, Charles Schwab, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Starbucks, etc., and customized the process for individuals, and Personal Brand Building. For just $14.95 you can have 12 month subscription access to your own Personal Brand Strategy Brief. This web based tool is available 24 x 7 x 365, and once accepted in this limited offer program, the tool can be used to repeatedly ensure the competitive advantage you deserve. In closing, we hope we can be of value as you begin the new year and consciously design and implement a more powerful Personal Brand Strategy, and that you stay tuned for more Personal Brand Review feature articles and Personal Brand Building Tips in the coming weeks !! © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Why build a Personal Brand ?...", the subtitle "... because you're actually brand building no matter what !..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image "Relax, this won't hurt much" is © Copyright to VisualFountain.com
... and other key terms in the Effetti Lexicon of Personal Brand !...by David BookoutEveryone seems to be talking about Personal Brand. With today's Google search revealing 990,000 exact uses of ( "Personal Brand" ), within web sites that range from ranting about the ridiculousness of even thinking about Personal Brand, to offers to be your Personal Brand Coach, there is more than a bit of confusion regarding the meaning of the term. There's even more confusion relative to the essential steps someone would need to take to actually build a Personal Brand. This blog; is an offer to change that, to reduce the confusion, and give you a set of clear, actionable steps that can be used to build your distinct Personal Brand. David Aaker has defined Brand Building within a very clear framework in several books, which I highly recommend. However, these are NOT for the faint of heart, or those looking for a "Cliff Notes" approach to brand building. If your interested in a deeper dive follow the link at the end of this post, and get the books. If your interested in quick surface explorations you might want to sign up for our RSS feed, because that is exactly what this blog is about - quick, surface explorations into strategy, and grounded, proven tactics for Personal Brand Building. While Aaker's work focuses on company / product / service Brand Building, the same rules apply to Personal Brand Building. Similarly to the world of finance, where there are a specific set of terms, distinctions, tools and rules that apply to the financial concerns of many different types of businesses brand building has its own set. We're going to be using and working through those terms, distinctions, tools and rules for Personal Brand Building right here !The Effetti Lexicon of Personal Brand:Personal Brand - a widely held assessment, within groups of people ( constituents ) that matter, that an individual holds critical skills and expertise to successfully address concerns, held by those constituents, in specific domains. Personal Brand Equity - the total accumulated value or worth; the tangible and intangible assets that an individual contributes to their ability to fund their goals and ambition, both financially and in terms of their personal networks. Personal Brand Identity - part of the individual's overall equity; the total perception of that person in the marketplace, driven mostly by the positioning of their; personality, skills and expertise. Personal Brand Positioning - what an individual stands for in the minds of their; customers, prospects, managers, peers, and direct reports relative to their competitors, in terms of benefits and promises. Personal Brand Personality - an individual's outward perception, the positive and negative traits others assess that that individual naturally exhibits. Personal Brand Essence - the core or distillation of an individual's Personal Brand Identity. Personal Brand Character - having to do with the internal constitution of an individual's Personal Brand, how that individual is seen in terms of their integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness. Personal Brand Soul - related to an individual's Personal Brand Character, defined as the values and emotional core of that individual's Personal Brand. Personal Brand Image - generally synonymous with either an individual's Personal Brand's strategic personality, or that individual's reputation as a whole. Aaker Books on Brand Building:Click here to review and purchase one, or all of these great books by David Aaker: Building Strong Brands, Managing Brand Equity, and Brand Portfolio Strategy. © Copyright 2009 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "What is a Personal Brand ?...", the subtitle "... and other key terms in the Effetti Lexicon of Personal Brand !..." and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image "Relax, this won't hurt much" is © Copyright to VisualFountain.comThe Effetti Lexicon of Personal Brand was adapted from "The Lexicon of Branding" - Author Unknown.
...Rule Breaker, Perfectionist & Amazing Visionary !!!by David Bookout Utzon is the architectural genius behind the spectacularly beautiful and renowned Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. But, until earlier this week, I'd never heard of him. I'd certainly heard of, and seen pictures of the opera house. So, I was a little surprised, when I Googled him using quotation marks to do a specific use search, and found a little over half a million uses of his name. The first five pages of links were predominately related to the fact that he recently passed away at 90. The more I read, the more fascinated I became, and the more I wanted to share what I think were some key aspects of his Personal Brand. Breaking Existing StandardsUtzon was a rule breaker, a style that doesn't work for everyone, and one could argue didn't work for him. Despite the exquisite beauty of the Sydney Opera House there were precious few other commissions awarded Utzon causing him to remark at one point "if you like an architect's work, you give him something to build". The opera house project itself a fluke, as he had failed to comply with several of the submittal rules, which resulted in his entry originally being rejected. No cost estimates were provided out of uncertainty as to whether the building could even be built. Today, from a Personal Brand perspective, I think it very important to understand; where to work to existing standards, where to push the boundaries of existing standards, and where to work to create entirely new, more effective standards.Being A PerfectionistWhen contrasted with his quest for total control, and the need for others to follow his rules, the difficulty others had in building the design, and in working with Utzon himself played into his departure from the project, and Australia in 1966. He never even returned for the ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony in 1973. Upon final completion the project was 10 years late and grossly ( in excess of 1,000% ) over budget. But, to me, Utzon's quest for perfectionism was a personal ethic that has led to amazing advances in design and construction, which in turn has provided the opportunity for millions to learn new things, and forever change our world. The Sydney Harbor skyline is just one, small aspect. Today, from a Personal Brand perspective, I wonder if perfectionism might be a welcome and refreshing change ? Let's bring back some perfectionism and pride in doing things well the first time around !! However, in the process, let's remember that; it is important to hold others to the same standards that we hold ourselves to, and equally important to creatively work together in areas where we don't have collective understanding. Having VisionThe ability to see radically new and beautiful building designs emerge from; billowing clouds, ship's sails and salt crystals poured onto a table top was certainly Jorn Utzon's gift. The gift of amazing vision. But, we all have a gift, and many find it difficult, as Utzon did, to capitalize on that gift. Part of this may be that as adults we stop playing, we stop imagining, and we stop visualizing things as we did as children. Another part may be our need for instant gratification. Today, from a Personal Brand perspective, it is important to reconnect with our ability to envision new things and harvest the energy that provides us to not only persevere, but to design and create anew.© Copyright 2008 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Jorn Utzon...", the subtitle "...Rule Breaker, Perfectionist & Amazing Visionary !!!" and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The photo of Jorn Utzon may be © Copyright to the estate of Jorn Utzon, and / or Reuters. Image obtained @ Economist.com.
... is he the UAW's Last Samurai ?by David Bookout  From a Personal Brand building perspective it is always helpful to get outside of yourself. So, as I tuned to MSNBC early this morning I was presented with a swirl of information, and wondered how might this be valuable to you? First, came the story of the return of Tom Cruise, a familiar personal brand. Tom's movies have grossed an incredible $1.5B. Then came a lengthy segment on the Auto Industry Bail Out. ( Forcing two, completely random thoughts in my brain to collide - The auto industry and Hollywood have been holding hands for years. Perhaps, THEY should get more serious about their relationship, and work together to save the U.S. Auto Industry? ) The segment featured UAW President, Ron Gettelfinger, who, compared to Tom, has a much less familiar Personal Brand, but maybe not for long. Then I wonder - What if Ron took a few tips from Tom? If you've watched The Last Samurai you know that Tom takes an incredible beating, more than once, and survives. Ron may not be so lucky. As UAW President, elected to his second term on June 14, 2006, I'm sure Ron, in his wildest dreams, didn't imagine that he would ever be in the position he's in right now. Getting a few Samurai lessons from Tom might not be a bad idea. Even if Ron submitted to a few whacks with a big stick it might be less painful than his next press conference. Don't get me wrong, I don't even know Ron, and certainly wish him no harm, or ill will. But, I can certainly argue that Ron Gettelfinger is in the midst of THE Personal Brand challenge of his life ! For example: What would you do if you were Ron ? What would you be concerned about if you were Ron ?Would you be concerned about the potential brand damaging personal attacks on your integrity, your sincerity, your motives, your competence ?Would you be concerned for the people you lead ?Would you maintain clarity relative to the "real customer" in this process ?What can you learn from Ron as it relates to building your own Personal Brand ?Regardless, Ron faces the kind of challenge that we might all agree that we would look back on before we pass on, and think either: (a) What a mess and what the heck did I do to deserve that !?, or (b) I'm proud of who I am, what I did, and I'd do the same thing all over again. Perhaps, only Ron will know. © Copyright 2008 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article "Ron Gettelfinger...", the subtitle "...is he the UAW's Last Samurai ?" and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The photo of Ron Gettelfinger may be © Copyright to Ron Gettelfinger, and / or the UAW. Image obtained @ UAW.org. The Tom Cruise Last Samurai image is © 2003 Warner Brothers. All rights reserved. Image obtained @ IMDB.com.
...The Value of a Balanced View !by David Bookout There are two things that you would immediately notice when meeting J.G. ( Jerry ) Mikolajczyk, Chairman and COO of Minecore International, Inc., and former Interim CFO of Silicon Valley's Valley Transit Authority ( VTA ). First, is his big smile, which is difficult to miss even though he is sitting at a remote table at a local Peets Coffee & Tea, and then you notice that he is wearing a blue suit, fresh white shirt and colorful tie. If I didn't know better, I would think this was all just for the interview, but if you know Jerry, you know that he always smiles a lot, and that he always dresses for success. As we move into the interview I ask him how much formal marketing and branding education he has had. He quickly responds that "We are all marketers". I know Jerry as a finance guy, and quickly rephrase - he adjusts and confirms my speculation that his study of corporate marketing and branding, as a percentage of his total course work, has been relatively small. As I assure him that my opening question was in no way intended as an insult he relaxes and we move into the interview. ? - What is a Personal Brand?A - "It's my label. It's how I want others to see me." ? - Do you have a Personal Brand, and how would you describe it? A - "Sure, integrity. Get the job done. Do it now." ? - Did you happen to do the exercise? I remind him hopefully ( writers just want to know that someone is reading and taking their work seriously ), the one at the bottom of the last post? The one about starting to "Define Your Personal Brand"? I hold my breath as he answers. A - "No, I didn't." His smile broadens, and he adds - "But, you could ask anybody that knows me at VTA and they would tell you that I have integrity, and get the job done." Jerry goes on to describe an issue he encountered early at VTA. The Federal Transit Administration ( FTA ) endorses a specific set of values each year that greatly effects VTA's revenue calculations. When Jerry started, the values had not yet been endorsed and there had been quite a bit of back and forth, mostly via eMail. After checking with staff Jerry decided to request a meeting with FTA's Region 9 leadership. Jerry reflects - "The meeting lasted less than 1/2 hour and the issue, which had been open for over a year, got resolved right in that meeting!" As I listen I think about how effective it can be to go straight to the source. I also realize that Jerry has just unknowingly broken the first rule of Personal Brand development. In brand development of any kind, and particularly in Personal Brand development, it is critical to review, understand and move with exactly what the customer ( your boss ) and the others around you think! As I know Jerry, and there is no pun intended, he has a very balanced view when it comes to business and financial strategies. But, I call what Jerry has done, in terms of thinking about his Personal Brand as being "internally focused". There is no doubt that internal focus ( in this case what we think of ourselves ) is a part of brand development, but it can not be the only focus. Why? Because "brand", if we have a brand , lives externally. Brands live in the minds of others, and we don't know what others think unless we open a dialog and ask them. We need both an internally focused, and an externally focused view! Coming at brand development from this perspective effectively balances the vision we have of, and for our brand. The dual observation allows us to not only see where we are in our brand development, but where we need, or want to go. Check back as we continue our interview with Jerry over the coming weeks and learn more about his views on Personal Brand, becoming successful, and get his quick tips on being successful in an increasingly competitive market. © Copyright 2008 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The article and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.MineCore International, Inc. is publicly traded as an OTC.PK stock under the symbol MCIO.
...or, How To Distance Yourself From The Crowd !by David BookoutIs it possible that if you; just got turned down for the job, big sale, or critical funding you were expecting, maybe even counting on - then perhaps you were NOT different enough to stand out from the crowd? In the coming weeks and months we will be interviewing a variety of people and asking them to share their views about their own personal brand. If you want to be one of these people ( anonymity available ) please let me know.Sometimes we want to be like others, we just want to fit in. But, sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we want to generate distinguishable points between ourselves and others. The question isn't when, where, how, or why we create these points. The question is - is differentiation enough? Today, particularly, as the world gets smaller and more competitive, it is becoming more and more difficult to generate differentiation. If you're looking to; get that new job, sell your products and services, or fund a new business idea, then just being a degree of difference apart from your competition may not be enough to separate you in the mind of the decision maker, or makers.Someone reminded me recently that "people don't quit jobs, they quit bosses", which supports the fact that every business is ONLY as good as the people behind it, and their unique abilities to work effectively on their own, and with other individuals. The point is that at the end of the day we are all just individual contributors regardless of the business structures we find ourselves in. So, when the ability to achieve your goals, by simply submitting a request, or an application as indicated in the "Fran" cartoon, seems too remote, then this is the time when you must begin to think differently. You must act differently. You must BE different!Do you have a Personal Brand?
Here's a way to find out:First, reach out to ten ( 10 ) business associates, and simply ask them FOR THE ONE ( 1 ) WORD THAT THEY would use to describe you. Then, OFFER to give them the one, single word you would use to describe them. Second, write each result down and look for a common word, or theme. If there IS NOT ONE ( 1 ) commonly used word, or theme, then the work to do is on the path before you, ENJOY & Please share with others !!!© Copyright 2008 - Effetti, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
The title "Define Your Personal Brand", article, and contents herein, unless otherwise specified in writing - by Effetti, Inc. are ALSO licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting the author through Effetti, Inc. http://www.effettigrowth.com/about-contact.php.The image shown "What made this guy stand out?", is copyright to the original artist. A request for licensing the use herein has been submitted.
|
David
Posts
