Some may ask what’s in your wallet, while others may ask what’s up?
My question this week is what’s your Ethos? This weeks post includes a brief exercise which is designed to assist as you grow and develop as yourself. Working to understand and create your ethos is a great way to take root in being who you are. Your ethos is the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person…and in simple terms it is your personal brand. I am a firm believer in the phrase “you have to use what you’ve got, to get what you want,” and building a successful personal brand will assist you in all of your endeavors.
Branding occurs all around us, and is on the forefront of most all retail consumable products that we buy. It is not always that a company has the best product on the market, however if they have created trusted brand loyalty consumers will continue to buy their products. In life you are your own commodity, and branding yourself is essential to creating your own personal success. In May of 2016 Forbes listed the top 10 brands in the world. As you can imagine the list includes corporate giants such as Google, Disney, and in it’s top spot Apple was recognized as the #1 brand in the world. What is interesting is that the list is not comparing the net worth of these companies, but they are reviewing their ability to connect with customers in a consistently unique way. You probably know exactly what these companies do and the products or services they offer.
This association is the result of organized and deliberate branding as Apple stores creates store symmetry through creating a specific store experience, and the new iPhone always comes out in September. It is the way they do business, and it becomes their ethos. Such is the same for people, as the way we communicate, appear, and handle ourselves in various settings becomes our brand loyalty.
Top brands are known for what they do, and how they do it. Below are some questions for you that if answered honestly will help you identify and improve your personal brand. In this world we can only be ourselves, and working to become a better you is what we all owe to ourselves.
Answer the below questions:
- What do you do better than anyone else
- What are your values
- What do people frequently compliment you on
- What words do people use to describe you
- What is your story
- What can’t you live without
- What are your passions
- How do you like to enjoy spend your leisure time
- What are your physical attributes
- What people would be good ambassadors for your brand
These questions are just a sample of many that can help you along your path of self discovery. Remember, you are building your brand everyday.
make the rest of your life the best of your life