Imagine Yourself as an Object or Image - What Would You Be?
April 1, 2008 at 11:19 am | In Personal Branding, Positioning |An interesting way to understand who you are or just to describe yourself to others is to attach your personal brand to an object or image. Choose wisely, as your selection should embody exactly who you are, in terms of personality, values and qualities.
If I could be anything, it would be a bridge. A bridge connects two places together, which are typically separated by water. A bridge is strong and sturdy. A bridge supports cars, trucks and other vehicles, and allows boats to freely pass.
3 key words
- Connection - One of the major personal branding themes is networking. By bridging two parties together, an opportunity is created. In order to do this, you need something to speak to (blog, website, profile, resume, etc). A connection can also be an association that someone makes when they hear your name, see your picture or a video you’ve generated. A connection can be as simple as a handshake and as complex as a social graph (think Facebook).
- Support - A personal brand is only as strong as the network that supports it. By building friendships and professional contacts, you are in fact creating a support matrix that your brand stands ontop of. If that matrix were to collapse like a bridge, you would be taken down with it.
- Strong - A strong personal brand never backs down, despite the obstacles and resistance. Be confident with who you are and have some pride. A bridge cannot support vehicles without strength (concrete, etc) and if you give up hope, you will fall much further than if you stand tall and never give up. Every successful brand makes mistakes and has failed at some point, in order to learn how to succeed. Only the strong will survive.
Why I chose a bridge
My dream is to become the bridge that applicants cross to land the jobs they deserve. Therefore, the bridge symbolizes my personal brand and the connection that the bridge makes allows for high potential individuals to be employed at the job of best-fit. By connecting people in this manner, I would be mutually helping them, and by being the “connector” I would be positioning my brand as well.
Your Turn
What object or image would you choose for your personal brand?
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Dan,
I’m going to have to think about that for a while - but thanks for bringing up such an interesting question. I think considering your personal brand from this perspective will also allow you to define (narrow down?) your brand even more.
Comment by Sabine Pyrchalla — April 1, 2008 #
That is a very interesting question, and I have to admit that I don’t have my personal brand figured out to that degree yet.
Your choice of a bridge is very effective.
Comment by Michael Henreckson — April 1, 2008 #
Cool question.
Come to think of it, I think I’d like to be a prism (thus the logo and header of my blog). What I like about a prism is how, it reflects things, and shows it in a different light.
A white light - ordinary, plain - when passed through a prism, becomes a rainbow - colorful, beautiful. The prism doesn’t change the light, it just portrays it in a different way, to bring out the different colors of the light. It brings out the best of the ordinary white light.
And that’s what I want to be. To help inspire others to be the best they can be. And also to show the opportunities in different situations. To portray things, in general, in a new, fresh, inspiring way.
Yep. Hope that makes sense.
Comment by Derrick Kwa — April 2, 2008 #
Dan,
I love your decision about the bridge. I think I would want to be a bridge as well…with me being an effective networker. I love connecting people and creating synergistic relationships.
Comment by Scott Bradley — April 9, 2008 #
[...] Oh well, it is a weekend, so let’s have some fun! A blog Queen named BizChick just recently created a nice little post about “What 80’s band Heart has to do with Personal Branding” - and what song best represents your Personal Brand? The question to ask yourself is…if a TV show or movie was made about your life, what song would be the theme song? Now, I like such exercises for defining ‘who you are’ which I see as a critical (and fun) first step in developing a Personal Brand. Dan Schawbel recently posted a similar thought about if you were an object or an image, what would you be? [...]
Pingback by Land Down Under and the Olympic Rings | The Chief Brand Officer... — April 26, 2008 #