Building Blocks
A person I can be proud of
This summer, I’ve had the delightful opportunity to speak to two different groups, giving the same presentation: I’m A Celebrity Spokesmodel…And So Are You. Both events were delivered remotely; the first to over 200 people in one company, the second to 70 in a professional organization. The topic, well served by the cheeky title, is building a personal brand.
I talked to the groups about the true definition of a brand: not a logo or a product or an iconic person. Those are mere artifacts. Instead, a brand is a promise, a promise to behave a certain way across every touchpoint. I described the value of CPR—being Consistent, Predictable, and Reliable. I shared that whenever we are inconsistent, unpredictable, or unreliable, it destroys our brand, just as it would for a corporation.
It’s the way I strive to live, but giving the presentation twice in the space of two weeks brought the notion to mind in a new way. I’ve been in a bit of a rebrand over the past couple of years, and it’s a good time to take stock, to ask myself the hard questions I gave to the participants.
What is my brand promise? And do I keep it?
I wrote my personal brand promise over ten years ago and, when I dusted it off this summer, I had to admit, I still like it. More important, I still believe it.
The problem for some people is they craft a brand promise aspirationally. It’s who they want to be, not who they are. As Henry Ford once said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.” Likewise, your brand is a current state. If you want a different one, build it.
Not with words. With deeds.
(Fun fact: That may be the first time in the two years I’ve written Because Words Matter when I’ve alluded to the possibility that words might not matter. At least sometimes.)
Every brick in the construction of your self matters. What you say, what you think, what you listen to, what you eat, where you spend your time, when you go to bed, how you treat others, on and on and on….
But Cindy, what about things that really don’t matter? Aren’t there just unimportant somethings?
I would argue that no…there aren’t.
Every single thing (touchpoints, in business speak) matters. Because what I spend time or money on either reinforces or dilutes my promise. Sure, some things are only mildly dilutive—think of a couple of drops of red food coloring in a 12 ounce glass of crystal clear water. Other things are like dumping toxic waste into the same glass. But in both cases, the water has been changed…and not for the better.
The truth is, we are an ongoing work of construction. We build our selves brick by brick over the years, and often we’re unaware of the edifice that we will become in the decades ahead. It’s essential we consider our daily lives in a deeper way: Who we are today influences who we will become. And all the aspirations in the world won’t get us there. A pretty brand promise framed and hung on our wall won’t get us there.
What will? We have to do the dirty work of building.
Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher, said it well: “Say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.”
On one hand, it sounds exhausting. Every single thing matters? It all adds up to make me…whomever I end up becoming?
On the other hand, how liberating is it know that we are the masters of our construction? We decide how we act and react. It doesn’t mean we are in charge of the external forces that can devastate or derail us. But it does mean that we have the ability to act—to pick up the brick and the mortar—and to build the person we want to be.
A person we can be proud of.
And so I look over my decade-old brand promise again. It’s the blueprint for my life, albeit a little smudged and with tattered corners. It reads,
I am a joy-filled, compassionate leader providing imaginative solutions to difficult problems. I lead with an eye toward unlocking potential and maximizing achievement. In every endeavor, I have an absolute commitment to integrity, honor, and black belt excellence.
First stop? Let’s follow our Stoic friend and say what we would be (See? You knew I’d get around to words mattering).
Next? Get rid of the toxic waste that dilutes our crystal clear brand. It’s simple…but not easy: Do what you have to do.
I have to love.
I have to be kind.
I have to encourage and create and be a light in this mad world.
Hold me to it.
If you’re in Florida, I’d love to meet you and share more about midlife reinvention and my contemporary romance novels, Bread Pudding in Barcelona, Something Will Sing to Your Heart, and A Thistle in the Cevennes. It’s never too late to be who you’ve always dreamed of being.
NuggetCon, 15 August, 4:00 - 10:00 pm
Keel & Curley Winery, 5202 Thonotosassa Rd, Plant City, FL 33565
New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 29 August, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
1001 S. Dixie Fwy, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Florida Authors Book Fest, 11 September, 12:00 - 5:00 pm, 12 September, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Boss Lady Women’s Leadership Conference, 18 September, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Daytona Grande Oceanfront Resort, Daytona Beach, FL
Page & Pen, 3 October, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd, Oviedo FL 32765.