The Me Brand

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.

Are you spending enough time on the You brand?  Here’s a few items to consider when evaluating your identity:

• Presence on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.
• Your personal mission statement
• Your physical appearance
• Your elevator pitch about how you add value in your profession

A great exercise, whether you’re in search of employment or not, is to review your resume.  Make sure you don’t have an old-fashioned resume!  You need a marketing brochure for the You brand.  Instead of a static list of titles held and positions occupied, your marketing brochure brings to life the skills you’ve mastered, the projects you’ve delivered, the braggables you can take credit for. And like any good marketing brochure, yours needs constant updating to reflect the growth — breadth and depth — of the You brand.

As the new year begins, take some time to review your brand and make some positive changes.  Happy new year!