Can We Stop Talking About Personal Branding? By: Richard Laermer

“Personal Branding” is a term that gets bandied about at every cocktail party despite not having any real discernible meaning. We know the purpose of branding products: to sell them to their market. What exactly does it mean to have a personal brand, though? Further, is a personal brand actually going to help people with their lives, or just their careers?

I say that personal branding, whatever it is today, is a trend that has its merits and is not a complete step toward wholesale change in the way you are perceived. The new fame is more complete, achievable, and effective. (Read on for more.)

Much like anything else these days, a whole host of experts are quick to tell you what a personal brand is and why you need personal branding.

Author Martin Lindstrom suggested a few things regarding the quest for a solid personal brand under the guise of explaining how to be indispensable at the workplace.

Martin advised that while at work, people “take two everyday tasks and combine them in an extraordinary way. For example, let’s say you’re a cashier in a big-box store and you enjoy sitting in its fast-food emporium during your breaks. Is there anything you've observed that might be valuable for management to know about—for instance, that customers wish there were more prepackaged sandwiches and salads? Let management know.”

“Create a distinctive mark or "signature" that other people can’t get out of their minds,” he says, “It can be a logo, a symbol, or a saying you affix to the end of your personal e-mails. Once again, combine two elements that have nothing to do with each other—flying monkeys, for example.”

Flying monkeys are going to help me do what, exactly?

Notice that the author of Buyology didn’t exactly say what these things are supposed to accomplish – just that they will help you brand yourself as indispensable. Eh? These superficial moves aren’t exactly changing the world or creating any real benefit for anyone involved. They are more like stunts.

Personal Brander Dan Schawbel – author of the newish book Me 2.0 –wishes to be Gen-Y’s personal branding expert. His very popular blog advises people on creating a new brand attitude (brand new attitude's bastard cousin).

Dan is a smart-as-whip guy who spends time defining personal branding as “how we market ourselves to others.” I think this definition is apt. It is similar to faming, an idea of mine that I’ve been wandering the country talking about, better known as a way to get a leg up on the competition and become the go-to person in all facets of your life. It is also “pragmatic notoriety.” This ensures folks see the best in you at all times. PB is a bit more on the business side of things, whereas Fame is an actual organic adventure. [Oh, this is not the kind of fame that balloonists go after either…]

More telling than semantics of the definition of personal branding are what Dan Schawbel calls the “benefits”. These would be the whys of personal branding. Here are benefits, according to Dan:

Promotions: Anyone who is ambitious and works at a company will want to move up. By building your personal brand, you become the best choice for a promotion.

Happiness: By aligning who you are with what you do and appending goals to it, you can turn “work” into a “hobby.” Get paid to do what you would count as a hobby.

Compensation: Personal brands command premium prices. Just like Apple and Gillette can charge more for products you can get for less, you can do the same.


Business: People want to purchase from other people who they know, like, trust. When you make those people happy that they chose you, by giving them great results, they will refer you to even more people.

Perks: Strong brands get perks. I get free books from authors and other bloggers get free products, such as limited edition Pepsi cans. Celebrities, like Halley Berry don’t have to pay for anything because of who they are.


Notice what all the benefits have in common? They are all (but for happiness) essentially saying make more money. Yeah we are all here to make money, but if a raise is the only thing you are looking for, all this effort may be overkill.

The biggest difference between personal branding and this thing called faming is that the personal one exists solely for capitalistic purposes like getting into a good school, getting the right internship, getting a better job, getting customers. Basically it purports to help you get more cash.

Conversely, faming exists to help you live a fuller and more consistent life from which things like getting the internship and getting the job come into being. Faming doesn’t turn itself off when the workday ends. This helps you get more life and the money may follow, if you so choose.

The other component of personal branding seems to be the pursuit of making its practitioner a “mini-celebrity.” Ah the celebrated life—dimming isn’t it? This is problematic today for many reasons. As writer Michael Wolff pointed out on Newser.com: Celebrities simply do not exist any more.

All those antiquated notions of celebrity are far gone and inconclusive.

“We tend to think that we live in a celebrity-driven culture,” wrote Michael Wolff, “But, it’s actually a nobody-driven culture: vaguely familiar faces carrying their coffee.”

This is it. Personal branding misses the boat because there are no true rock stars anymore. The recent passing of Jackson and others have indicated to all of us that there are simply no actual talents who radiate incandescence to because of their trade. There will never be one more Jackson, just a ton more Wentzes. Celebrities are media creations, and inconsequential ones at that.

In the 1970s and '80s when Michael was at the top of his form, we only got the images that were given to us. If Epic wanted to show us Michael at home, that's what we got.

In order to be an icon, you have to be a mystery. Mystery is king. Mystery is queen. Alas, there are no more mysteries! Jackson’s passing definitely marks the end of an era. His celebrity was classic. It was about the authentic look: the pose, the attitude, the dress, the mystique. Who is left now? No one.


Fame acknowledges that the world has changed. Fame doesn’t mean “self-promotion.” You need to alert people that there is a ton of substance between your ears, and that you aren’t one of the drones carrying coffee just because everyone else carries coffee.

And with that, I introduce How To Fame – www.howtofame.com/details as a guide to making more money, getting a better job, or becoming another slightly famous face. It’s about living your best life, and showing others what you truly are – you.

It’s about something that you know you’ve got to do but just don’t know how.

Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard is Welcomed as Nine-Thirty Consulting's Newest Client

Nestled at the end of Rancho California Road in Temecula Valley lies this family estate vineyard and winery. When the Wilson family acquired a 20-acre winery in 1996, their intentions were simple: to run a fun, family business that would produce great wines from the conducive climate and soil of the Temecula Valley. The only previous winemaking experience the Wilson family had was Gerry and Rosie Wilson's -the well-know patriarch and matriarch of this large family who are seen daily stolling the ground of the winery and vineyard - attempt to make dandelion and rhubarb wine in their basement in Minnesota!

The challenge of the vineyards has won over the entire Wilson family, of which three generations of family members are involved in the day-to-day business. You can usually find Gerry in the tasting room or at the NEW Creekside Grille, while Rosie cooks lunch every day for the staff. Bill is the General Manager who oversees the vineyard and wine making, while his wife Jenifer manages the gift shop. Libby Wilson Johns oversees weddings and her husband, Craig, helps with large special events. Mick oversees the Wine Club and marketing, while his wife, Deanna, handles personalized label design and distribution.

With over 70 acres of vineyards, award winning wines are the product from the grapes grown at Wilson Creek. Winemaker Etienne Cowper oversees the arduous task of pruning, cultivating, planting, harvesting and nurturing the vineyards.

Due to the diverse terrain, rich soil and unique micro-climate in Temecula, the grapes produce wonderfully year after year. The warm summer days, and cool evenings are the perfect growing environment for both red and white varietals. Most notable is the hands on approach to farming the Wilson family has embraced, using man power to do most of the work, which leads to a more gentle approach to wine making.

Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards is famous for their Almond Champagne, so make sure to take a day trip out to their Temecula Valley tasting room for a sample, or pick up a couple bottles at your local grocery store or Beverages & More.

Nine-Thirty Consutling Welcomes Annie & Jade as New Client

ANNIE & JADE'S MISSION STATEMENT:
Annie & Jade by Annie Le brings eco-luxury to contemporary women’s fashion through our commitment to the use of natural, organic and sustainable fabrics, as well as recycled materials. The constant duality of ultra femininity infused with the strength and courage only a woman possesses, translates to the duality of the luxurious style and green sensibility of the brand. With a commitment to uncompromising design and integrity, Annie & Jade stays true to our design style but also to social responsibility. We are a progressive brand, always evolving and always moving forward with our consumers.

BIO OF ANNIE & JADE OWNER/DESIGNER, ANNIE LE:
Vietnamese-American fashion designer Annie Le began her career in fashion as a young girl learning to sew by her mother’s side. From a young age, Annie could be found sketching designs, sewing, and as she grew older, sporting the latest trends and styles. Although fashion was always a major force in Annie’s life, she knew she wanted a traditional university education, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Riverside. While attending university, Annie became exposed to public relations and advertising, and found her detour from fashion via a Master’s program in Communications at Hawaii Pacific University. Moving forward with a career in advertising, Annie pursued her new direction for four years as an account executive for some of the most notable advertising agencies in Southern California.

With fashion never far from her mind, Annie opened a small t-shirt clothing company in 2007, achieving mild success. This venture gave her a taste of what she was capable of accomplishing in the fashion industry. During her short-lived experience with the t-shirt line, Annie realized she could not bear the thought of going through life always wondering if she could have been a successful fashion designer. Making a drastic change in her personal and professional life, Annie chose to leave her career in advertising and pursue her passion for fashion as a design student at FIDM. True to form, she was inspired to begin developing a new fashion line prior to graduating.

Annie’s design aesthetics are quite simple. However, it is her belief as a fashion designer that simplicity can inherently cause more complexity because there is no façade to hide behind. Creating clothes for women that rely on clean designs with strong silhouettes and construction, Annie ultimately designs clothes that compliment the female form. Regarding her philosophy on designing, Annie states, “I want to make clothing that my female friends and family members would feel comfortable and confident wearing. But just as important, I want to bring the eco-luxury element into my clothing, offering the contemporary customer a green option for day and evening luxury.”

Applying social networking - in this case, Twitter - to your organization's PR strategies

Take Advantage of Twitter:
How to leverage the latest social media craze to benefit your business

By Rachel Meranus, Vice President-Public Relations, PR Newswire

Twitter has rapidly become the hot tool for marketing and communications, but many individuals and organizations are jumping into Twitter without a clear strategy in mind. Poor planning can prevent an organization from productively engaging with audiences or gaining influence on Twitter and, in some situations, can even lead to backlash against the organization.

I spoke with Vicky Harres Akers, the voice behind PR Newswire's corporate Twitter account @prnewswire, about steps that companies can take to most effectively build their brand on Twitter and avoid embarrassing missteps.

Rachel Meranus: What is the best way to get involved in the Twitter conversation?

Vicky Harres Akers: The key is to understand your audience and to give them content they want. The most important thing you will do using Twitter is to listen. Know what your audience is talking about. Know what they're saying about you and about the industry you function in.

Twitter happens in real time, so this is something you have to constantly be on top of. Make a mental note of what people react to and how they react. If you get "retweeted" (quoted by another user), it's a great honor. It is a validation of your contribution to the conversation. Someone thought what you said was of value, and now more people are getting to see your post via the feeds of those who retweet you.

Don't underestimate the value of promoting others in Twitter as well. If someone says something you find value in, consider retweeting it. If someone posts a link to an article you find interesting, pass it on to your followers and make sure you include the author's @twittername to promote him or her. It's part of being a good citizen in the "Twitterverse" (Twitter universe).

What do you do if someone says something negative about your brand on Twitter? It's not always wise to react or respond to negative tweets. Just as you would use good judgment in deciding to respond to any negative blog post, or bad press in general, you have to think carefully before choosing to confront a negative tweet about you or your brand. If you see a negative post about your brand, pause. Look into the issue. Are they right? Could your company have made a mistake? If you find out this is so, then by all means reach out to the negative twitterer and offer a solution or even an apology, if it is warranted. If the person's negative posting is a matter of opinion, it is highly doubtful that you're going to change anyone's mind. If it is a matter of misinformation being stated, it might be better to just post the correct information without directing it to anyone in particular.

How can a company or brand benefit from Twitter? The No. 1 use for Twitter is and always shall be a means to listen to your customers, clients, colleagues, industry leaders and anyone else who might comment on your product or business. Twitter is about networking and knowledge sharing. If you approach Twitter as just another medium for broadcasting your company's communications, you will have missed the point completely, and it's doubtful that you'll build any following.
The uses for Twitter are without limit. You just have to find your niche. You have to ask, "What can I (my company) offer by being on Twitter?" Some will share knowledge, and others will just use Twitter as a way of being available to customers. Either way, as long as you are actually listening and staying engaged, you will benefit.

One of the best things Twitter can do for a company is simply to humanize it. Allowing a real person to put a voice to an otherwise impersonal entity can give a dimension to your relationships with clients that is otherwise not possible. Some of the more successful brands on Twitter allow and encourage a multitude of voices from within the corporate walls to twitter, not only engaging clients, but also each other as well.

How do you find out what other people are saying? There are several tools you can use to monitor what is being said, and new applications are popping up all the time. The most basic and easy to use is the one now owned by Twitter itself--the Twitter search engine. Simply type a search term in the window, and the results will be displayed. It also will give you current popular searches on the right, which gives you an idea of what the hot topics are at that moment. I also like to use monitter.com, which gives you the opportunity to search multiple terms at the same time.

How do you build an audience on Twitter? Before you actively try to build an audience, post a few tweets to familiarize yourself with the process, and spend some time reading what others in your industry are talking about on Twitter. Use the "Find People" search function at the top of your Twitter page to look for people you know will want to follow you back: people within your company, current clients and colleagues. Send a few @ replies out to people who are following you. Respond to things they are talking about. When they in turn respond to you with an @ reply, the people following them will take notice of you and may choose to follow as well.

It's also a good idea to look at whom the people you know are following. That can give you ideas about whom you want to search for. Use the Twitter search function to find subjects relative to your industry and see who's talking about them. Remember that conversation is very important. If all you do is post your thoughts and ideas without engaging anyone in conversation, you're just a broadcaster. Eventually, if you are a well-known brand and if you do things right on Twitter, new people will start following you every day.

What are things that brands should avoid on Twitter? Don't be a robot. Too many companies represent themselves on Twitter by spewing automated and static information, or authorized quotes from the PR department. These only serve to keep the brand parked neatly in dry dock, gathering dust. Most people who twitter do it for the human connection.

Don't bring up politics and religion. Your mother told you this a long time ago, and it's still good advice; unless, of course, your business is politics or religion. In that case, go for it. Otherwise you are just going to alienate half your followers, maybe more. People are passionate about their political and religious beliefs; if you are representing a brand you will do it a great disservice by taking a position on either subject.

Don't rant about other brands or people. Think of Twitter as a ship we are all traveling on. You have to play nice with others or you'll be shoved aside and ignored--or, worse, made to walk the plank. Besides, you never know when you might end up doing business with someone you now consider a competitor.

Don't be a pessimist. No one wants to listen to someone who keeps whining or pointing out all the things that are going wrong in the industry or the world. If you want people to follow you and listen, look for the positive. Sure, there will be times when you have to talk about things that aren't encouraging or upbeat; some situations demand a solemn tone. But don't make this a theme. Don't make it what you are about. Remember, anyone can whine and complain; a leader offers solutions.

Copyright 2009 by Entrepreneur.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

"Tech picks: Casey Kaczmarek" article from Examiner.com

Casey Kaczmarek, owner of Nine-Thirty Consulting, uses technology to keep in touch, online and up to date when it comes to her West Hollywood, California-based PR, marketing and special events company. Here, she shares her favorite tech tools.

Must-have for mobility: When business takes her on the road, Kaczmarek never misses a beat with her Blackberry. "It allows me to stay connected with my clients and family at all times," she says, "no matter where I am or what I'm doing."

Favorite app: MemoPad on her Blackberry sees the most use on an average workday. Says Kaczmarek, "New ideas regarding my business, clients and projects I'm working on always come to mind. So I quickly input notes in MemoPad to refer to later."

Mac or PC: Kaczmarek has been a PC-user from Day One. But aside from comfort, "A PC tends to be more compatible with my clients' and vendors' files," she says. "[It's] more efficient for work."

Web 2.0 in one word: "Social networking!" Ok, two words.

Social networking style: Of all the social network sites out there, Kaczmarek spends most of her time on blogs. "[They] allow anyone to have a voice in the social networking hemisphere," she explains. "By blogging, anyone can become an author, share their expertise in a particular field or even promote their business - and it's free!"

Necessary news outlet: Working in Hollywood, pop culture updates are probably easier to come by, so Kaczmarek regularly logs on to AOL.com to stay up to date. There, she gets her daily dose of politics, the economy, health, fashion and entertainment, she says.

On her iPod: Her self-described "eclectic mix" includes artists such as Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Enya, Dave Matthews Band, Lady GaGa and T.I. Says Kaczmarek, "I love songs that get me pumped up to work and work out, but I also need great music to relax at the end of a long day."

Copyright 2009 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Author
Lindsay Holloway is an Examiner from Los Angeles. You can see Lindsay's articles at: http://www.Examiner.com/x-18659-LA-Business-Technology-Examiner

Diamond in the RAW Foundation and The Stuntwomen's Awards

Nine-Thirty Consulting welcomes our newest client, Diamond in the RAW Foundation and The 2009 Stuntwomen's Awards. Please view the press release below for more information on this wonderful non-profit organization and the red carpet awards show they are producing.

DIAMOND IN THE RAW FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
THE SECOND ANNUAL STUNTWOMEN’S AWARDS AND HONOREES

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laila Ali named among top award recipients.

The Diamond in the RAW Foundation has announced The Stuntwomen’s Awards 2009 honorees. In its second year, The Stuntwomen’s Awards will honor the fearless and outstanding achievements of action-oriented women within the entertainment industry and stunt community.

“These unsung ‘sheroes’ risk their lives daily to help create some of the most memorable moments in film, television and commercials,” stated La Faye Baker, co-founder of the Diamond in the RAW Foundation and co-creator of The Stuntwomen’s Awards. “These talented women perform death defying stunts for the hottest, sexiest actresses in Hollywood and deserve to be honored for their achievements.”

This year’s special guests include TV Guide Channel host Patrick Stinson, who will serve as co-host for The Stuntwomen’s Awards, as well as actress Emily Procter of “CSI: Miami” who will be presenting an award. The 2009 award recipients include Jamie Lee Curtis for the Action Icon Award; Laila Ali for the Dare2bDifferent Award; May Boss for the Helen Gibson Award; Svetla Krasteva-Foley for the Gone But Not Forgotten Award; Angela Meryl for the Diamond in the RAW Award; and Mary Albee for the Special Achievement Award.

“Laila is honored to be offered the 2009 Diamond in the Raw Dare2bDifferent Award. Laila embraces her position as a role model and is thrilled to be part of an organization whose goal is to open the eyes of at-risk teens and young women about the many opportunities and careers that are available,” stated Eric Kaufman, Ali’s manager.

Additional award categories include the Gem Award, Jewel Award, Mentorship Award, “Wow” Stuntwoman Award, and Dynamic DUO Award. Members of the stunt community are invited and encouraged to submit their nominations for these awards at www.StuntWomensAwards.com.

Paula Bond of First Option Entertainment will be producing this year’s event. The Stuntwomen’s Awards will take place Sunday, October 4, 2009 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A reception and silent auction will kick off the event at 11:00 a.m., followed by the luncheon and awards ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the Awards are available for purchase at www.DiamondintheRAW.com.

About Diamond in the RAW Foundation:
The Stuntwomen’s Awards benefits Diamond In the RAW Foundation, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and expose at-risk teen girls to a multitude of careers in the entertainment industry, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The Foundation also bestows educational scholarships which are presented to deserving youth annually during The Stuntwomen’s Awards. Through Diamond in the RAW Foundation, exceptional women who have achieved success in stunts, athletics and extreme sports are recognized for their outstanding achievements during the annual Awards luncheon. For more information about the Diamond in the RAW Foundation and The Stuntwomen’s Awards, please visit www.StuntWomensAwards.com.