PRACTICE MARKETING blog

I was interviewed by Long Island Business News about the wonderful resources of the Middle Country Library’s Miller Business Center.  It’s free for HIA members.  You can read the LIBN article here. In April, I also posted about how cool your library is.  Click to read my blog post here. This weekend, stop by your local library and see if they can help you get free mailing lists, how-to videos, market research materials, and oh yea, books.

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All of my comments on other people’s blog are listed on the right hand side of my blog through a cool utility called CoComment. For example, I just commented on Maria Elena’s blog and felt my comment was worthwhile enough as a post here!

Core Values is vital to our inner Character (our outer Character is our Style). Yet reading corporate mission statements that list core values is like reading about motherhood and apple pie… Of course, of course, of course. Your personal brand core values should immediately make you stand out; after all, you’re unique just as you are!

We all tend to agree with what I call the “MOTHERHOOD 5.” It’s the 5 values our mother’s taught us. When we violate them, it is the most destructive and leads to the common media scandals. So we better remind ourselves, affirm ‘em, and follow em… but our personal brands should go beyond these: 1. Honesty 2. Accountability (integrity) 3. Trust 4. Loyalty 5. Lawfullness.

How we put these principles into action may vary: For example, is going 85 in a 55 zone violating our core values? Not for me

But more important for our Personal Brand core values, are the ones that MOST PEOPLE don’t share: Its the values and principles that make us who we are, and differentiate us from the rest. Its also the values that help us connect with a niche target market Community that most of our peers won’t.

For example… I have 3 core values that most people do not share: 1) Entrepreneurship - Less 5% of our nation practices this value, even though we are the global leader in free enterprise 2) Vegetarianism - Less than 10% practice a day-to-day philosophy of not killing animals for a living. 3) Frugality - I’m cheap. I don’t thrive on status: I enjoy making money and spending money on people… but not on commodities. Ironically, I enjoy looking beyond brand status and am more practical. Personal brands are worth the emotional and economic value; rarely are corporate brands.

So beyond the typical “Motherhood 5″ (the values our mom taught us), what are your core values that shape your personal brand?? I look forward to reading about you! Got anything to add to my Motherhood 5?

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The July/August issue of Harvard Business Review features an article that discusses a new study about “What makes an expert?”

My quick podcast highlights the best parts.

…speaking of experts, I was interviewed to be on a panel of Blogging Tips, by the Egg Marketing Blog. Click here to read the 5-part series.

Happy listening!

Listen Now:

 Standard Podcasts [4:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download | Embeddable Player | Hits (1300)

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I’m on vacation right now. My uncle suggested I blog about my trip, and look out for [personal brand marketing] tips along the way. Of course I should web-log my trip… I’m On The Road, with my tablet (Kerouac 2.0, I’spose - 40 years hence).

Well, I’ve been having too much fun on my vacation to blog daily. But I got a couple of down hours waiting for my Grand Canyon tour to pick me up…. so here’s 2 vacation-inspired tips:

1. Yesterday’s off-road ATV 4×4 action through the Sonoran desert makes me think of this: You should brand yourself by showcasing your unique interests! It makes you more memorable: Remember, ↑ Remembered ⇔ ↑ Referrals 2. Of course, sharing the hobbies of your community helps to create a bond too. For example, how many of you Mix Greens? …Golf with business?

But that’s not what really inspired me to blog right now. Last year I wrote an article called “What are your White Wires?” for Debonair Magazine. I was also invited to share this personal branding insight to the graduating athletes of C.W. Post University. (I finally got to tell the jocks what to do!)

Yes, times they are a-changing: While white wires still brand the iCommunity, nowadays it hardly brands you. Personalize your vanilla iPod earbuds, brand your distinctive persona: I just learned about Emotibuds (and its extended Emotibles line) while reading nytimes.com/Magazine.

Moreover, this functional-to-fashion accessory helps to illustrate tip #3: How can you take a seemingly ordinary part of your style, and make it extraordinary?

By accentuating something positive about your “external character,” e.g., your wardrobe, body language, etc., you become (as Cosmo Kramer said) “more you, than you’ve ever been!” Its a simple way to stand out. (Tip 4: Like white wires, splashy ties are old hat. My article will help you be more clever.)

I give you specific areas & steps to brand your own “White Wires” in my article. (Tip 5: Caricature artists are great at picking up our distinctive quirks.) “What are your White Wires?” Here’s mine (from the article)…

…I’ve got a penchant for mixing and matching colors like a bad acid trip. So I’ve set out to become known for my eye-popping blazers: Business, creativity, and showmanship, all wrapped up into one.

Last week, I met a colleague at the bank branch he manages. To be introduced to his superiors, I donned a navy suit, tan shirt, and a tame scarlet tie. His eyes popped to a grin, “What? No crazy jacket today?” He leaned over to his partner, “This guy’s got the wildest suits!”

I smirked at his quip. It tells me my fans are noticing, remembering, and talking about me, exactly how I want. I’ve branded my persona onto his mind: My “white wires” may be a 4-button saffron jacket and a striped chocolate shirt. What are yours?

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After the on-line magazine, Slate, “outted” her (click to read article)… Rudy Giuliani’s daughter Caroline left the political fanclub for Barack Obama, “One Million Strong for Barack” on her Facebook profile.  Who knows who she plans on voting for… but this isn’t a good sign for Rudy’s personal brand.

Caroline and Rudy have had a rocky relationship, and it’s sad that her private life will now be dragged into the public realm.  Regardless, she should be smart enough to know the media will be watching (after all, she goes to Harvard).

But Caroline is not at fault… after all, she may be voting for a better presidential candidate.  Rudy should know that family always matters.

The value of personal brand can be measured by the strength of our closest relationships.  And no, Rudy, quantity doesn’t count more than quality!

I hope we can all value family beyond its personal brand value.

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