Name Your Brand, define the You Brand

Name Your BRAND

As we in the last days of 2013, milking the last of its few hours or days to death, we are all excited about the New Year.  This is the time when people start naming the New Year with all great phrases linked to a successful perfect year. We have heard of 20-great (2008), 20-Elevate (2011) and so on. Today I stand here and pleading with you not to give names to 2014, the number is just fine. How about you start naming yourself, give yourself a new name, reposition your brand, and change your status from being okay to being awesome. Stop being good and start being great, Name Your Brand, define the YOU BRAND.

We all say we want to be successful, but success means different things to different people so instead of generalizing our dreams, let’s make it personal. Leave the year alone and focus on the YOU Brand, give yourself a name, and a motto.  You might ask me why you need to name your brand when you already have a name. Well your name was given to you by your parents and you had no saying in its meaning. In many cultures parents name their children to what they wish their children to become. But we all know we don’t always share the same dreams as our parents. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying change your name but I’m saying it’s time to take yourself serious.

Most of the biggest companies in the world are built on a singular brand, so all you need in 2014 and beyond is the YOU Brand. It is very important to take time in your busy schedule and think about what kind of a brand you need to be in order to achieve your goals.  Here is the formula you can use; DR + RS+ AP+ I= YOU Brand. (Desired results + Required skills + Action plan + Implementation = YOU BRAND)

 Let me explain it is important that your brand is relevant to your needs; your brand should be the vehicle that helps you to deliver great results and achieve your goals in 2014. For me a great year it’s not only about ticking the boxes from my to-do-list but it’s about HOW I got those results. Fast forward to the end of 2014 what are the 10 most important things you wish to achieve and how do would you feel to have achieved them by design not default. Yes it’s important to do things by design not leave anything to chance where our dreams are concerned.

Now that we all agree this is the way forward for 2014 you must be asking yourself how do go about establishing the YOU BRAND. You can establish the YOU Brand in just four simple stages and these are the building blocks you need to create the wonderful YOU Brand in 2014;

1. Desired results (DR)
2. Required skills (RS)
3. Action plan (AP)
4. Implementation (I)

Desired results + Required skills + Action plan + Implementation = YOU Brand

Well the first step is to have goals, write down 10 things you would like to achieve in 2014. Then get into the details, visualize the great results you wish to have for those 10 things. You need to agree with yourself on what are your desired results. Once you have established your desired results then it should be easy for you to establish what skills you will need to learn or polish. The next two steps are very much crucial as the first two; the third step is creating your action plan, now that you know what is it that you want it’s crucial to plan on how to get what you want. This is more like your blueprint for action, a business plan if you like.

Now that you have your wonderful plan in place you can’t just sit and expect a great 2014 to happen, you need to implement what you said you will do. You need to start the engine, get your brand on the move. The last stage is the implementation stage, I call it the GSD stage.. ‘get sh**t done’. I’m not being rude but it’s as simple as that. Do something and you will achieve something? It’s the oldest scientific rule, for every action theres a reaction; you just need to make sure the reaction is exactly what you planed.

Right now you should have a name for your Brand, there are no rules on how you can do this but the name of your brand should mean something to you. Let me give you a clue, for example while I’m writing I might have branded myself as MR X the Inspirational coach. To me this is clear and explains what my brand is all about, I seek to inspire people and coach them into action so they can get the results they desire. So in just one sentence I have named my brand and defined what I stand for.  I can even make it sound cool and call my brand XIC. I am very clear in my mind I’m not a motivational speaker, I don’t believe people can be motivated. I believe you can inspire them to be motivated and that’s what I seek to do but that’s not all but I coach you into action, which will lead us into results.

 To me this is clear this YOU BRAND concept can also be used in your day to day tasks, this means you can have your permanent YOU BRAND but also create sub brands when needed to accomplish certain small or short term tasks. There is no limit what you can do with your brand, but it’s important for you to be conscious of your brand positioning and how does your brand measure up against its deliverables. Just in all great functioning organization, you need to review your brand performance regularly, is the YOU Brand performing well against the target, is the YOU Brand still relevant, what extra resources your brand needs to maintain its position or to improve its position.

Name your Brand, define the YOU BRAND

What do you call your brand? How would you describe it to your friends, family, colleagues, would you buy it if it was on sale?

 … Name it, define it…win with the YOU BRAND.