my personal brand

March 8, 2009

Okay, the overload light just came on. Reached the saturation point. The overuse alarm is now blasting in my head.

"Personal Brand." That's the trigger.

• "Build your personal brand" 
• "Where is YOUR personal brand's hub?" 
• "Be your own best brand ambassador"
• and so on

Personally, I don't want to build a personal brand; to protect it; to evolve it; to burnish it; to support it; to nourish it; to work it… seems so divisive. Like it's a by-product of me — separate. The root to future schizophrenia.

[WARNING: questionable self-revelation ahead about TV watching] During the show Celebrity Apprentice last night, Andrew Dice Clay trotted out his success at building his own brand in a desperate attempt to prove he's a good business man. Performers, actors, and entertainers develop "characters" as an essential part of their art. (i.e. Ziggy Stardust) But we're not all in that field… and those characters are separate from the artist.

I certainly want to acknowledge that the concept of a "personal brand" strikes me as useful to focus one's attention on actively managing one's career, and useful to support the independent worker's sense of empowerment. But, I'm feeling like the concept is being diluted and misdirected.

• What do you think?
• Is this concept of "personal branding" being overused?
• What are the real benefits and costs?