I’m not a huge fan of the ol’ eBook – but I’m quickly learning to appreciate and value the contents of them as I go. The latest one that struck me – Chris Brograns ‘Personal Branding for the Business Professional.’
As most of you will know by now, I’m a huge advocate of the Brand Me lifestyle. Tom Peters wrote the seminal article in Fast Company some 12 years ago now, but Chris’s latest work comes from a place of true experience rather than the ‘Practicum/Theory’ piece from Tom. Have a read and see what you think – I particularly liked the following points:
1) Your Own Company: Each opportunity is a chance to learn a new skill and add a new experience. I too don’t really see a resume in the traditional sense. I want a story to tell someone about what I have done. I try to hunt for interesting projects as often as I can.
2) Innovate and be a scout. I’ve read a lot about this recently. I think it falls upon you as a personal brand to be innovative and blaze a new trail…even if the trail is small/not often used or even entirely uninteresting to most people. The fact that you have created the path is evidence of another option or experience someone might use in their own project. Blaze often, blaze weird things and then see where the path takes you. Often, I find several paths I beat seem to come together to create one really valuable path for my client/project/partners.
3) Read widely: I read often. Someone once told me that the average Corporate CEO reads about 12 books a year. As CEO of Brand You, it’s a responsibility that you must accept. Check out different blogs like 800-CEO-read and build an Amazon wish-list which people can check out on Friendfeed etc etc to build a list of good titles that may pique your business professional bone, then link/blog about them. Get Love is the Killer Ap for a good introduction to the professional-reading world, and become a love cat.
Finally – follow interesting brands on the net. Chris alludes to many in his eBook but some of my favourites are: Pat Allan, who is living the next installment of the brand me life by connecting with a truly (amazing) global vocational community, Col Duthie. who is trying to help blaze a trail of international co-existence between the business, government and non-profit sectors and Ross Hill , who has just gotten back on the blogging-bike to better discuss his growing internet empire.
The Squiggly Line 
Steve, I’m honoured by the mention.
As for the points you’re making – the third echoes most loudly for me. Reading a variety of sources brings in such a weath of information, and helps you grasp the bigger picture of topics. It can also lead to you meeting people you otherwise wouldn’t, because of their different fields.
I don’t often think about ‘Brand Me’ – especially in relation to myself. I guess I view what I’m doing as what I’d do if I was still at home – attending events, occasionally speaking at them, and meeting/catching up with peers and their friends. I definitely don’t do it to build my brand – that’s just an added bonus.
Hey Pat,
Thanks for the comment. I admire that you are so wholly focused on just ‘doing what you do’ rather than building ‘Brand Pat.’
This still makes me laugh…
Thanks @ethernz
On that ‘read widely’ point – I’d say try hard to go to the edges. Forget the daily headlines in the media, what is the truly innovative stuff that is happening but either won’t hit headlines for 12 months, or won’t _ever_ hit them.