personal branding that is not ughhhhh

The idea of a “personal brand” isn’t new or unique. It was first introduced by author and salesman Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book “Think and Grow Rich.” Originally promoted as a self-help text, the book proposed that a person’s personality could potentially supersede skills and talent to create wealth. To date, the book has sold over 100 million... See more

Scott Galloway was the marketing guru, then the big brand whisperer, then the algebra of happiness guy, then the hero of America's young men and troubled youth, then the guy giving you wealth advice, and now, mark my words, I believe he is gearing up for a political run based on how his writing has changed yet again. If you followed him, you were... See more

Someone needs to have the point of view and the audacity to communicate it, over and over, for a long time. That’s what other people will be attracted to. The magic is you.

Naming something invisible is what allows us to see it.

Don’t wait to figure out your personal brand before you start writing. You will arrive at your personal brand through the writing.

Your personal brand is not something you create. It’s something that reveals itself to you. Part of it is positioning, but a more important part of it is unleashing.

You gotta bump into people and let them mold you a tiny bit. Ding you up. Dent you, expand you, inflate you, deflate you. You have to be in and of this world if you want to reflect this world back to others.

Don't forget that people start following you for expertise, but they continue following only if you help them grow. And the only way they grow is if you grow.

Now don’t get me wrong: people can certainly own brands. They can invent and direct brands and they can design, manufacture, and promote brands. But rather than manufacturing a personal brand, why not build a reputation? Why not develop our character? Imagine what we could learn from each other if we felt worthy as we are instead of who we project... See more

When a person aspires to be a brand, they forfeit everything that is truly glorious about being human. Building any brand requires consensus. When we position ourselves as a brand, we are forced to project an image of what we believe most people will approve of and admire and buy into. The moment we cater our creativity to popular opinion is the... See more