The Real Brand

Caught this post on Building a Personal Brand from The Engaging Brand today.  It makes me think that you and I are the real "brands" out there.  Far too many have given up on this principle.  This is truly a tragedy!

In my upcoming book, "Waking Up in Corporate America" I address personal branding in the final chapter…seems fitting.  The following is a brief excerpt from that chapter:

WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

Ludwig van Beethoven is quoted as saying, “I do not write for prestige or honor.  What is in my heart must come out.  That is why I compose.”  What if we lived out his statement?  What if what is in our hearts is the key?  What if our personal brand (brand you) is the thing we should be focusing on?  It may not surprise you to know I’m sold out on Beethoven’s statement!  My quest is to assure that what is in my heart gets out.  Care to join me?

When you reach the finish line, will you be measured by how much money you made or how long your title was?  No, you will be measured by your legacy, which in many ways is your brand spread out for the entire world to see.  There is nothing wrong with making lots of money along the way, and I am in favor of great success of all varieties.  But success should be a by-product of living what is in your heart.  And believe me, your heart is the best place to begin defining your brand.  Your heart doesn’t lie, it doesn’t ignore, and it isn’t looking for approval from the outside world.  Oh, that we would listen to our hearts and have the life well lived.

One of the best examples of listening to the heart comes from my dear friend Clay Biggs.  Clay is a fine musician (he plays the drums), and I’ve known him for almost twenty-five years.  Music is what brought us together.  Clay and I dreamed as teenagers we would play music for a living.  Visions of fame and fortune danced in our heads.  One thing was true of us as well, we were very insecure—insecure about how good we were and whether we could make it. Unfortunately, these insecurities (along with other pressures) choked out the desire to be living, active musicians.  This was sad because we were wired to play and communicate through music.

Fast-forward, almost twenty years later, and Clay is playing again.  He plays more than I can believe, but what is most inspiring and sweet is Clay’s perspective.  He now is secure! He’s free from the burden of making it and free to pursue what is in his heart.  Strange as it may seem, Clay is now better prepared to express his gift than when he was more energetic and goal oriented.  This is not to say he lacks energy and goals.  On the contrary, he has them…they’re just new and more mature.

Now Clay is comfortable in his own skin.  He knows who he is and what that means.  How did he do it?  Clay would tell you he is a work in progress.  One event that had tremendous impact and defined a lot of what is occurring now was the death of Clay’s father almost four years ago.  Clay loved his father deeply, and the reality of his passing set Clay in place.

Though Clay has never told me directly, I believe he came to a point where time started to matter.  The idea of time mattering is foreign to many.  It is usually embraced by the dying or those who’ve lost deeply.  Clay realizes he won’t live forever and, while he has the energy, he must truly live.  For Clay, part of truly living is playing music, his beautiful brand for all to hear.

So as you’ve discovered, the heart is a key component in unearthing and manifesting brand you.  You have to stop holding your heart back because you fear you won’t be a worldly success.  Get the order right and you’ll see the harmony.  A key question is whether you and I are willing to take on the process of creation and living.  It is not easy, and many ignore this path.  If you plan to be truly successful, however, you’d better get comfortable with your heart and what’s in it.  The journey is worthy of your best.