In a way, personal brands are similar to corporate brands. Both require the right tools and appropriate effort to be built the right way in order to have a story told without really telling it.
My post on Jose Canseco's irremediable personal brand is one of my most-read entries. In this post, I want to share my thoughts on a few examples of personal brands I admire plus share details about my go-to tool used for developing my own personal brand.
PERSONAL BRANDS I ADMIRE
Over the past year, I've come across the work of two unique individuals that has made me want to learn all I could about these people. I think that's the level of interest all personal brands should strive to reach. It's certainly what I want my personal brand to accomplish.
Casey Neistat is a filmmaker that does a masterful job of incorporating his flair and fearlessness into his work. You may know Casey from his viral video that captured the reaction (or lack thereof) of New Yorkers when he tried to steal his own bike. Another showed what happens to cyclists when they obey the law and stay in the bike lane.
Casey has a very active YouTube channel, which features his daily vlog. In addition to being cutting-edge, perfectly edited and so sharing, Casey's vlogs are inspiring. It's difficult for me to admit that a person younger than me is inspiring but...he totally is. We're in a lot of the same spots in life and the following clip shows the same urge that I've been feeling lately.
I'd summarize Casey's personal brand by saying he's all about daring athleticism, passionate creativity and pushing limits while being conscious of his relationships. He's a relentless worker whose many talents contribute to the success of his amazing projects.
Anthony Bourdain has become better-known for his television shows than his accomplishments as a chef. Netflix introduced me to Anthony by way of his show, Parts Unknown, and I've read his book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, that kick-started his media career.
In all of his shows, Bourdain comes across as achy and rarely wrong but also lovable. It's not really "my way or the highway" with him but his critiques of odd cuisine do have a hint of "I enjoy this and if you don't, there is no hope for you." Above all else, Bourdain is very knowledgeable about many topics (he's even an accomplished fictional crime novelist).
I am a foodie by no means but Parts Unknown has really enlightened me. The show's visuals and each episode's adventure is clearly influenced by Bourdain.
Bourdain's personal brand features heavy doses of knowledge, culture, experience and attitude. It's perfectly understood why corporate brands (like a Scotch distillery) are now lining up to get his endorsement. Of course, any blessing Bourdain gives to a product will have to be done his way.
MY #1 TOOL
The best personal brands seem to appear as if they fell into place without much direction. But, some effort is required - especially for those of us that don't have a team of publicists at our command.
You already know to establish your presence with various social media profiles and perhaps a website. But it's important to be efficient and make the many branches of your personal brand accessible from a central location. For me, no other tool has helped with this task than my about.me page.
Think of an about.me page as a compact, less-corporate version of a LinkedIn page. Capable of being fully customized, about.me pages can feature beautiful background photos, fonts, colors and other design qualities that make your story stand out. Add "apps" to your page that will link visitors to your social media accounts and then use those apps in an about.me HTML widget on your website or blog (as I've done in the sidebar). If you act fast, you can customize the URL of your about.me page and feature it on your email signature, resume, business cards and other locations that will be sure to attract visitors.
WHAT YOU MAKE IS WHAT YOU SEE
I see personal brands as self-portraits. The work you put into developing your personal brand gives insight into to way you see yourself. I'm not as outspoken as I should be so I've really benefited from digital tools like my about.me page to share my talents, interests and credibility. I felt very vain when originally building my brand but a little vanity is required when telling your story, I guess. Along the way, I've learned new skills that I use in my job as well as improved my ability to tell my story.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to reach out to me - I'd love to answer your questions or learn who's personal brand inspires you
{Top Photo: Courtesy}
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