When bestselling author Roz Usheroff contacted me regarding the unauthorized use of her name as a reference in which there were no corresponding links to her site or work, she asked if “people can just use your name to get others to their site?”

In my response, I indicated that besides name dropping, people have also used a writer’s articles and posts under an aggregation model in which some sell access to your written work for another publication. I discovered this a couple years back when I did a search and came across articles I had written for a magazine that ended up on a pay to access site.

In the case of the poaching of articles, my lawyers informed me that while I could go after them the costs in time and money to pursue it must be carefully weighed.

I then suggested to Roz that the best thing to do is regular searches of her name on the web.

This way I reasoned she could at least stay on top of how her name was being used in the virtual world of social media, and take action on the most egregious utilization of her brand including corresponding works.

Just as a side note I concluded, corporations actually pay good money for software that scans the Internet daily in an effort to be proactive relative to any negative or unfair comments. So the practice of vigilance would seem warranted.

Based on the above response, Roz suggested that I should write an article regarding this question as she thought that my experience and creative use of prose would perhaps generate awareness for the unauthorized use of one’s brand without the reciprocal cross reference.

This exchange took place in mid-October.

Just recently, the issue surfaced again, but this time involving Gary Larson of The Far Side cartoon fame involving a letter he had sent to the owner of a web site titled “Gary Larson Cartoon of the Week.” I think that you will find it interesting, especially as it relates to Roz’s question:

Gary Larson is the creator of The Far Side Cartoons. The comics include all kinds of animals, such as dogs (i.e. what dogs hear), cats, cows, sheep and worms. Some time ago, the Far Side Cartoon Master himself, Gary Larson, sent me this letter by email:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I’m walking a fine line here.

On the one hand, I confess to finding it quite flattering that some of my fans have created web sites displaying and / or distributing my work on the Internet. And, on the other, I’m struggling to find the words that convincingly but sensitively persuade these Far Side enthusiasts to “cease and desist” before they have to read these words from some lawyer.

What impact this unauthorized use has had (and is having) in tangible terms is, naturally, of great concern to my publishers and therefore to me — but it’s not the focus of this letter. My effort here is to try and speak to the intangible impact, the emotional cost to me, personally, of seeing my work collected, digitized, and offered up in cyberspace beyond my control.

Years ago I was having lunch one day with the cartoonist Richard Guindon, and the subject came up how neither one of us ever solicited or accepted ideas from others. But, until Richard summed it up quite neatly, I never really understood my own aversions to doing this: ”It’s like having someone else write in your diary, he said. And how true that statement rang with me . In effect, we drew cartoons that we hoped would be entertaining or, at the very least, not boring; but regardless, they would always come from an intensely personal, and therefore original perspective.

To attempt to be “funny” is a very scary, risk-laden proposition. (Ask any stand-up comic who has ever “bombed” on stage.) But if there was ever an axiom to follow in this business, it would be this: be honest to yourself and — most important — respect your audience.

So, in a nutshell (probably an unfortunate choice of words for me), I only ask that this respect be returned, and the way for anyone to do that is to please, please refrain from putting The Far Side out on the Internet. These cartoons are my “children,” of sorts, and like a parent, I’m concerned about where they go at night without telling me. And, seeing them at someone’s web site is like getting the call at 2:00 a.m. that goes, “Uh, Dad, you’re not going to like this much, but guess where I am.”

I hope my explanation helps you to understand the importance this has for me, personally, and why I’m making this request.

Please send my “kids” home. I’ll be eternally grateful.

Most respectfully,
Gary Larson

In order to avoid a legal dispute, I followed the cease and desist. Therefore, these Gary Larson comics are now off-line. I respect the copyright of Gary Larson and respect his wishes to put these Far Side pictures off-line. Nevertheless, I hope that there still are a few places left in the Internet where you can get in touch with this excellent kind of humour. Thanks to all the people who take the time to write me. And have fun with the Farside cartoons of Gary Larson.

Despite Roz’s assertion that my written eloquence would serve to advance the issues and concerns writers have with the unauthorized use of their work, I could not help but feel that Larsen’s letter created the needed point of context that best illustrated the thought process behind brand infringement.

What are your thoughts?

Y’ulz. There comes a point in every blog’s life where y’all gotta realise ur destiny. But y’als I am scared.

I am so scared.

Why is MY destiny all gross and orcy?

When I was in high school and still ‘developing my personal brand (via my personality)’ I looked to my parents 4 guidance. Basically, they were OBSESSED with rugby, so I decided 2 HATE rugby. Pls see equation of Teenage Personality Development rule.

Developed this equation myself. Proved it myself too (via slamming my door @ roughly 3pm every Saturday). Felt like I had ‘found myself’ back then (via dating the skinny arty bros & taking them 2 the Bosch vs Bishops game as an ‘act of defiance’.).

Those were the days.

But now am an older / wiser / faster / stronger blog. Have realised ‘there is more 2 life than defying the ppl who mortgaged all their 4 of their Bishopscourt properties’ so I could ‘afford 2 go 2 ad school’. Have realised that ‘cool don’t pay the bills’. Have been contemplating ‘dating a normal guy’ in aid of ‘living a herp- / tattoo- / converse-shoes-plus-dress – free happy life’. Was mulling this stuff over quietly in my cre8ive bloggy mind when 2OceansVibe DM@tweeted me that I made a ‘blogger XV side’.

Srsly?

Srsly y’ulz – basically the unthinkable just happened. MyBrandedLifeTM just got picked 2 be on a ‘blogger rugby team’. Srsly. That just happened. Maybe just drive your car inside coz it might be “raining blue moons”.

First came shock. Oh my word y’ulz.

Then came denial. This is not happening y’ulz.

Then came this other feeling. It feels kind of warm. Almost like how I would imagine ‘potential’ 2 feel y’ulz. Then the theme song from Invictus started playing (via time travel) & I had a ‘transferred memory’ (that actually belongs 2 Francois Pienaarvanwykdewaal) from that time Nelson Mandelabro told me 2 ‘unite a nation’ (via winning the rugby world cup 05).

Matt Damon as Frankypants

Am thinking y’ulle – what if ‘loving rugby’ is actually my destiny?
It would be kind of ‘extremely ironic’, and y’all know I love my irony.
What do y’ulz thank?

Scared, y’ulz.

PS. Should I sue myself for not buying myself a ghd sooner?

The goal of this blog is to dispel that twisted feeling of dread in your stomach that you get when you realize that you have a business holiday party to attend after work and then yet another holiday party with your friends after that.  Now why would someone experience dread at the thought of having fun with colleagues and friends over the holidays?  Well, if you live in L.A. there’s no godly way that you’re going to be able to drive home from work to change for a party, drive to your work-related party and then do the same thing over again for the party with your friends.  Actually, this is virtually impossible in any city!

So, I’m here to help dispel that feeling of dread.  In three easy steps I can help you change your outfit from work, to business holiday party, to personal holiday party.

1.  The Work Look:  Wear a shift.  Look for something simple and classic and if you want to make it super easy, black.  Think little black dress with an appropriate hemline for work – This isn’t the time to show off your gams starting at mid-thigh if you know what I mean.  Throw on a chic jacket, sweater or whatever will cover your shoulders that is appropriate for your work environment.  Personally I’m a big fan of the statement fitted jacket in a color that contrasts nicely with the little black dress.  Wear day appropriate makeup – aka put together but not screaming “look at me”.  Depending on your work environment, throw on some layered chains or a subtle pearl necklace.   Complete your look with a statement bag and nicely-turned out heels.

Piazza Sempione Dress

2.  The Work Holiday Party:  Retouch your makeup.  You can get away with a more pronounced look but don’t go for the “I’m hitting the club after this party” look.  Change your jewelry to a statement piece.  Think long Coco Chanel pearls looped around three times.  Personally I’m a huge favorite of these stunners by Claudia Endler Designs - gorgeous modern and contemporary interpretation of the classic. 

Claudia Endler Designs Pearl Necklace

Emitations Ring

Take off the work jacket and go for a hot, fitted leather jacket that ends at your waist.  Not your look?  Wear a wrap to keep the cold away, you’ll be taking it off at the party anyhow.  Shoes, here’s another shot to go sexy.  Go strappy or go stacked heels – just go with statement. 

Christian Louboutin Ernesta Sandal

All three looks can be prepared the night before, just drop the component into your stylish tote or leather overnighter (I do hope you have one, yes?) and you are ready to rock-n-roll.

Happy Holidays Chicas! Party Safely and With Style!

What’s that?

You’re not?

If that’s the case, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity – one that might even cost you a job.

In fact, recent studies claim that up to 80% of businesses are checking out potential hires on LinkedIn before extending an offer.

For example, let’s say you had a killer interview with a company you really want to work for. You’ve been meaning to set up your LinkedIn page, but haven’t quite got around to it yet.

That shouldn’t matter, right? After all, you ACED the interview and are feeling good about your chances for a call-back.

Now, let’s say the company truly was (very) impressed with your resume and interview.

Actually, they’ve narrowed the search down to you and one other candidate. Good news! However, as a form of due diligence, they decide to Google you and that other loser to see what comes up.

Under your name, a lot of white noise about high school basketball stats.

Under the other guy, a LinkedIn page that features more than 100 connections (some of which the interviewer knows personally), recommendations from former professors, as well as an in-depth narrative on specialties and real-world experience gained from a summer internship.

Suddenly, all of those fond memories of your “killer” interview evaporate and candidate #2 gets the job.

Now who’s the loser?

To avoid this very real scenario in your own job search, here’s what you do:

1.) Sign up for a LinkedIn account. If you don’t know where to start, visit http://grads.linkedin.com and take the tour. LinkedIn is free and, like most social media sites, once you get the hang of it – it’s really not that intimidating.

2.) Make sure your profile is 100% complete. Not only does this demonstrate that you are detail oriented, but complete profiles show up higher in search engine rankings. Also, bonus points if you have a professional headshot made (even if you just go to the mall) rather than posting a pixilated and poorly-cropped snapshot.

3.) Ask for recommendations. Don’t be shy about this. Assuming you’ve been a good student, most professors and former bosses are more than happy to say a few kind words about your work and employability. Note: Only those who actually have LinkedIn accounts can provide endorsements.

4.) Stay engaged. As with everything in life, you get out of LinkedIn what you put in to it. So be sure to jump on every once in a while and fill out the status update, find a cool new application to download (Amazon reading list, Slideshare, etc.), a great group to join, or just research jobs and businesses that interest you.

In other words, there are a million ways to use LinkedIn to put your best professional foot forward. So don’t trip up because you’re not in the game.

Posted by Eric Ungs

When you begin to feel comfortable with your personal brand your brand begins to drift backwards from becoming the best, you become satisfied with where you’re at while others are passing you by.

I am never satisfied with where I am at…ever.

I am proud of the things I have accomplished and how I have progressed but I am never satisfied; I always want to do better and to be better. The moment I realize I feel comfortable or content with any aspect of my life (personal, work, health, etc) I begin to draft changes. I don’t replace or take away things I look for ways to build on them. I begin to brainstorm new goals, search for new and greater responsibilities, challenges, projects, etc. I look for something that draws me out of my comfort zone and into a new and uncomfortable place. This allows me to become the best at whatever I do in life.

This way of thinking defines your personal brand. You have to want to sail the uncharted waters. What gets you through this unfamiliar territory is your confidence, your passion, and your thirst for success. But first, you must be willing to be uncomfortable. 

“Pursuing perfection requires a willingness to be uncomfortable.” Training Camp by Jon Gordon.

So, are you uncomfortable with your personal brand?

Photo courtesy of Canon Camera

Selling is tough – I can say this as I am all too familiar with it.  Selling requires a sales strategy, tenacity, discipline, a lot of activity, a thick skin and patience.   The sales cycle varies significantly dependent on the product or service you areselling however more often than not (aside from retail sales) it is not an instant process, taking weeks, months or even years.  It takes time to find the decision maker, to then get in contact with them to present your offering, followed by the follow up calls and emails to build the relationship, convince other stake holders and eventually make the sale.

Salespeople generally have high daily activity targets to achieve, from keeping in touch with and selling to current clients, to developing prospects and cold calling.  The activity numbers vary dependent on the type of sales and role however for most salespeople it is making 20+ calls a day even up to 50 calls. During this daily activity you can guarantee a lot of knock backs, following of wrong leads and hopefully some positive leads.

If you are not in a sales role the level of activity and commitment required to make a sale is likely to be unfamiliar. Selling requires a lot of hard work. The same can be said for securing new employment. This is why there is merit in understanding the sales process – to then adapt relevant parts to your job search to assist you in securing the job you want.

When job seeking, you are selling the product you – your ‘Personal Brand’

Your job is to convince an employer that they need your services / skills at a particular point in time for a specific rate, which when you think it about it is the same as selling any product or service. The same level of discipline and commitment is required for a successful job search.  There are a few selling fundamentals to follow, outlined below.

• Firstly create your sales strategy – what are you selling and who are you targeting? Where will you find these people? How will you approach them?
• Identify who are the decision makers you need to be speaking and meeting with.
• Be clear about how you solve their problem/s before you contact them (do your research)
• Set realistic activity targets with a bit of a stretch for yourself each day/ week to call, email and meet with leads. If you are serious this should be a minimum 40 a week and should always include at least half of these making phone calls.  Any sales people will tell you its unlikely you will ever make a sale via email, next to always its face to face or on the phone.
• Discipline yourself to follow up emails, applications, calls and meetings weekly/monthly for those leads that are going to get you the sale! Remember it could take weeks or even months of follow ups before you land the job, however if it’s the one you want, then it is worth it. See the article ‘How Not Achieving Something Is the Key to Achieving It’ and why it is important to enjoy trying.
• Tenacity and a thick skin to keep going knowing that you will get a lot of no’s and only a few yes’s. Focus on the yes’s and the positive leads to ensure you achieve your dream job

Too many job seekers have a half hearted approach to the job seeking process and give up to easily. As a result they end up staying where they are or accepting a job that is not particularly what they are after however all they were able to secure given their commitment to the job seeking process.  As I mentioned, job seeking like selling is tough, I don’t deny this. However it all depends on how much you value securing a great job over simply having or getting another job. Success comes at a price which is more often than not a lot of hard work, just ask any sales professional.  In fact, if you a serious about getting a great job, I would encourage you to call or meet with someone in sales that you know to find out more about how they sell. You will no doubt pick up a lot of great tips and also hopefully some enthusiasm, direction with your sales strategy and potentially even a mentor or supporter.

I’ll go ahead and say it now – Tiger Woods is going down on this one. And the reason is simple – he’s underestimating the competition.

He’s used to muscling his way around a golf course, pulling out the thick sticks and literally crushing his enemies with his power game. Tiger, however, has never faced a foe like this. The celebrity media (fine, paparazzi) feasts on PR blunders like the one made (and continuing to be made) by Woods and his camp over the long weekend.

Seasoned PR pro Kevin Sullivan said it best in a Yahoo! Sports blog posting:

“Tell it first, tell it yourself and tell it all.” That is the rule of thumb when it comes to PR in a crisis situation like this one. And believe me, when you’re Tiger Woods, and facing the type of innuendo and speculation that he’s facing right now, this qualifies as a full blown crisis. Even if his sponsors are standing by him, what happens if a sordid tale emerges? And, worse, what if Tiger isn’t the one who breaks the news, but rather has to fess up – a la Alex Rodriguez and countless others on the MLB Steroids issue – after getting busted by the media/blogosphere/etc.?

Tiger is literally putting his entire personal brand, reputation, golf legacy and much more on the line – and needlessly if this truly is just an embarrassing accident that was no big deal.

Because if that was the case, why wouldn’t Woods just say so? If it involved some type of medical issue/family emergency that constituted him leaving his house at 2:25 a.m., why not say that and put the whole thing to rest? Why not talk to the cops, issue a detailed public statement saying it involved matter X and beyond that it’s over and done with? Instead, he put out a wishy-washy, non-statement statement and blew off the cops three times in three days. (Side question: Would you or I be treated so delicately if a state trooper came to our house and our spouse said, “You know what, he’s taking a nap. Come back tomorrow”?)

Of course where there’s smoke there’s often fire on these types of stories, and the celebrity media smells the chum in the water with Woods. Something is fishy here. And believe me when I tell you the real story will come out, and the chance for Tiger Woods to control the way it is told and (most important) the public reaction is waning by the second. This is too juicy a story and Tiger Woods is too big a name for this to evaporate. Tiger can control the golf and sports media, but the celebrity paparazzi and bloggers/gossip columnists will keep digging and dumpster diving until they find out the real story behind the late-night crash outside his mansion.

From a PR point of view, this is a fascinating case study to me in how NOT to handle PR and crisis communications in 2009. I really think guys like Tiger and A-Rod either get terrible advice from PR people who serve more as Yes Men than PR pros, or else they just refuse to listen to anybody, act human and panic.

Either way, it’s fascinating to watch this saga unfold. What do you think?

I was asked to answer a few questions at a talk I gave last week at the Nationwide Networking Event. It was aimed at Small businesses with the topic about new media and the advantages of being small. I thought it was a nice snippet of ideas worth sharing here.

Q: What type of changes can we expect from media in 2010 and how do we need to prepare for it as business professionals?

A: Media will fragment further, it’s increasingly like fashion with new ideas appearing daily. The art of value, like with fashion is by going with the classics and choosing the right style for the brand you want to build. Match your environment, by being involved in the right channels.

Q: Where do you see the role of the blog in the future?

A: Increasingly important. Blogs are a trusted source, because bloggers become, or are an expert on their topic of choice. This is because all good blogs are topic specific. And people want to deal with experts.

Q: What can we expect from the evolution of twitter and our capacity to use it as a marketing medium?

A: If we use it as a marketing medium we’ve already lost. It’s a conversation…. Conversation can turn into business, but it is primarily a conversation. First we need to be a resource. A resource to others, from which we can build trust and valued relationships. These may eventually lead a business relationship.

Q: What trends are coming from America that we need to be aware of?

A: Trends are global now. We don’t have to look overseas to see it. Things arrive simultaneously. It’s not like it was 20 years ago where our friends return from sojourns overseas to tell us all about the cool things they saw, and we have to wait for them to appear in our market a few years later. Now it’s on our desktop the day it happens. This is been further facilitated by web tools such as Springwise, Twitter and Youtube.

Q: How do we (small business people) benefit from the changes in the media landscape?

A: Barriers to entry have been removed so anyone can play. But it requires a long term consistent effort. New media requires a low financial investment, and large human capital input. Where as old media requires a large financial investment with little human effort. At least now we have to choice. In addition large companies have been (so far) pretty bad at using new media. It creates an advantage for us.

Q: How can we better utilize technology tor reduce our costs and increase our profits?

A: Shift from being doers, to becoming project managers. Outsource where ever possible. It’s easier now with all the tools we have at our disposal like elance and skype. Why do we even need an office? Is it because we need to, or because we don’t trust the people we work with?

Q: Your blog has 50,000 readers a month, how did you do that?

A: Two simple things. One blog entry every day. Staying on topic (entrepreneurship / startups). Then wordpress and Google did the rest. It’s not a trick, it just takes consistent effort.

Q: What is the meaning of micro brand building and how would it be relevant to soloprenuers?

A: Build your personal brand first. That’s the first part of micro branding, becoming known for something. Having a skill you can share with others. Then eventually cross fertilize to your business brand.

Q: What are the simplest things we can do to build a micro brand?

A: Have a tight focus area of interest. Share our lessons honestly and openly. Frequency of output.

Q: How do we protect our brands?

A: Not with IP and legal stuff…. Most of that is a simple waste of money.  We protect it with customers, innovation and reliability.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to those of us that need clients and need them quickly?

A: Cold call. Not on the phone, but turn up and talk.

Q: What books have influenced  you?

The Cluetrain Manifesto

The Purple Cow

The art of the start

22 Laws of marketing

Q: What marketers / speakers have influenced you?

A: Steven Wright (comedian) he taught me how to flip my perspective for alternative solutions.

Boken ”Du – ett varumärke” kommer att finnas på bokhandelsdiskarna under tredje veckan av januari. Vi firar detta med en öppen workshop i Stockholm den 10 februari. Du kan läsa mer om detta under fliken öppna workshops.

Boken handlar om hur avgörande ditt personliga varumärke och därmed ditt professionella rykte har blivit idag. Det avgör din framgång på jobbet, i karriären och hur du lyckas som chef, medarbetare eller entreprenör. Det har en avgörande betydelse för vem kunder lyssnar på och får förtroende för. Kan något vara mer lönsamt att analysera än detta!?”

Det yttersta målet med att arbeta med sitt personliga varumärke är att bli Top of Mind – den person man först kommer att tänka på och väljer. Den avgörande frågan är hur väl du känner ditt personliga varumärke och professionella rykte. Den frågan kan sannolikt avgöra din framtid.

Here’s an article that has been circulating for a while.   Mr, Viscusi makes some very interesting and relevant points regarding looking and staying youthful.  His book, which I have linked to below, seems to be getting good reviews.  If anyone has read it, please leave a comment for the rest of our readers.

Take 10 Years Off Your Image
Suggestions on how take 10 years off your image and be perceived as more youthful in the office.
March 23, 2009
By Stephen Viscusi
How old an impression do you make when you’re interviewing? Of course, we all know that an interviewer can just count backwards from the year of graduation printed on your resume. However, here is the truth: Perception is the new reality, like 60 is the new 50. So you need to learn the fine art of being perceivedas younger as well as looking younger. It’s more than just the way you look.

Is this fair? Is it even legal? And most importantly, should you give in to such nonsense? I’ll put it this way: If you are over 40, you need to read on.
The recession we’ve all been feeling for months is now official. So now bosses can use that magic “R” word as a blank check to fire almost anyone for any reason. And pay attention, over-40s: The wounded economy is an especially perfect opportunity for higher-ups to fire those senior workers whose high wages and big egos have outlasted their welcome.

For those who are unemployed, you must do whatever it takes to convey to hiring managers that you are employable. What does this mean? No one wants to hire someone who’s stuck in the old-fashioned way of thinking that being qualified, working hard and being loyal to a company is enough. Your Princeton degree and enviable references won’t get you far if you’re that naïve.
So back to the age thing.
While many workers have learned that good looks and a polished appearance go a long way toward success in the workplace, too many of them fail to realize that cultivating the perception of youth and a hip attitude is an equally important part of the equation. It’s no secret that we live in an age-obsessed society. Like it or not, “interviewing younger” is the new catchphrase.
“Interviewing younger” and being perceived as more youthful at the office is a vocabulary, a body language and a look. And here’s a secret: These rules apply even more when your boss is your age or even older. It’s not like you are following these rules to impress a young person. Whatever the age of your boss or interviewer, you need to create a youthful perception about yourself. Otherwise, there’s someone else waiting in the wings with quicker computer skills and contemporary pop-culture knowledge who will be all too happy to fill your shoes.
So how do you do it? Here are some of the secrets in my new book, “Bulletproof Your Job” (HarperCollins) , use them to remind yourself how to hold onto your job while those around you are losing theirs):

Rule #1: Crest Whitestrips.
Yup, this is a shallow, cosmetic-based tip. But I get so many letters from people who just don’t understand that having coffee-stained teeth doesn’t do you any favors in the interview department. Stop rolling your eyes; go buy the strips (use the store brand for all I care – I’m not picky); and whiten those teeth. Then smile. Smiling makes you look and feel younger – not bitter, old and unemployed. I don’t care if you really are bitter, old and unemployed. It’s about perception, remember?

Rule #2: If you are over 40, I want you on Facebook today.
No friends? You already have one: just Facebook me. If you don’t know how to join, let your kids show you, or even better, have a young person at work “reverse mentor” you on how it works. Let that same person help you choose your profile picture. Seriously. Read our coverage on how social networking plays a role in the job search.
Rule #3: Know about and frequently use Google and Wikipedia.
Bookmark them on your computer, and set one as your homepage.
Rule #4: Watch an episode of “Family Guy.”
Discuss. Repeat.
Rule #5: Peruse your local Apple store.
At least learn the difference between an iPod Classic, iPod Touch and iPod Nano and you’re on your way. And buy a set of those identifiable white headphones to keep around, even if you don’t have the iPod to go with them. It’s all about perception.
Rule #6: Do not disclose your SAT scores.
If for some ungodly reason you still remember your SAT scores, keep them to yourself. Not only does no one care, but the scoring isn’t even the same anymore, and you’ll just wind up aging yourself.
Rule #7: Don’t talk about how you’re so addicted to Starbucks.
Or Coffee Bean, or whatever your coffee place of choice is. It seems like this would make you appear younger, but it won’t. Starbucks screams “unemployed loser.” Besides, you should never walk into an interview with a coffee cup, especially since you just whitened those teeth.

Rule #8: Pick up a copy of “Entertainment Weekly” before an interview.
But for God’s sake, don’t take it in with you and don’t let anyone see you reading it. That said, nothing gets you more up to date on the youthful world of pop culture like an issue of EW.
Rule #9: Learn how to text.

Rule #10: Lose the paper.
Young people get their news online – they don’t read newspapers. So don’t carry one into an interview with you or be seen reading it at the office like someone’s mom or dad.

Rule #11: Brush up on sports.
This is easy; you can still get away with talking about Michael Phelps and get credit for this one. Bonus points for knowing who’s in the NCAA tournament.
Rule #12: Make eye contact.
Eye contact is so critical to being perceived as young; don’t be afraid to use it.

Rule #13: Rarely refer to your children.
Never refer to your grandchildren and never ever your great-grandchildren .

Rule #14: Go to the gym.
Or at least say that you do.

Rule #15: Never talk about the ’80s or ’90s.
Never use words from “your day.” Nothing at work is groovy, dy-no-mite, or tubular. Ever.

Rule #16: Get a TiVo or DVR.
Know how they work.

Rule #17: Practice “sounding young” on the phone.
Take a small survey of how old you sound on the phone, and then practice with a friend sounding younger. (A tip: Talk higher and peppier.) This is critical. In the same vein, make sure your outgoing voicemail message isn’t too long or boring. Short and sweet with a positive attitude is all you need.

Rule #18: Dress is very important: always dress age-appropriate.
No 40+ man should be wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. For more tips on updating your look without looking too young, review TheLadders’ recent coverage on losing the frump factor.  Take 10 Years Off Your Image
Career Advice from TheLadders

* What Really Counts with Recruiters
* Find Your Brand Harmony
* Handling the Dreaded “You’re Overqualified” Challenge
* Communicating Your Brand Message to Your Target Audience
Rule #19: Give your hairstyle a long, hard look.
No wonder there are so many makeover shows! My advice is to ask an outsider his or her opinion. Someone who loves you won’t want to hurt your feelings or may love your look for sentimental or romantic reasons – but sadly, that won’t help you find a job. A bad coloring job spells disaster for both men and women, and let’s face it, hair weaves for men rarely work. Men, don’t go overboard on finding a new hairstyle – just clip your nose and ear hair and you’re on the right track. Ladies, pluck or bleach facial hair.
Rule #20: Skip the cologne and excessive perfume.
And while we’re on the subject, wear deodorant. You may laugh, but many people just don’t do it.
Okay… Feel any younger, or just berated?
Trust me, I just took 15 years off the way you come across. Yeah, some things I talk about here are cosmetic, but most are not. It’s all about perception … and perception is the new reality.

Remember, It Only Takes ONE,

Matt

How can the most successful and popular athlete on the planet go 36 hours without clearing up what is turning into one of the great PR blunders of the 21st century?

Where is Tiger’s PR team on this? Where is his agent? 36 hours in today’s social media environment is an eternity.

What was Tiger doing leaving his house at 2:25 am? What caused him to crash his SUV into a fire hydrant and then a tree? Are the rumors about marital problems true?

For someone who has done such a great job controlling his image for the past 15 years, the bizarre actions out of the Woods’ camp the past three days have to make you wonder:

Either Tiger’s PR team is completely tone deaf and inept, or else he isn’t listening to them. Either way it’s a colossal blunder from a PR and crisis communications standpoint. Shocking to see from a guy like TW given how carefully scripted and executed his public persona and PR has been in the past.

Meanwhile the rumor mill continues to churn at a record pace, and the longer Tiger waits the more important it becomes that he come up with a REALLY good explanation.

What’s your take on this whole situation from a PR perspective?

How many times have you heard that “networking” is the only way to find a job in this economy. Or that 70% of the people who are getting hired found the opportunity by “networking?” So how does this work?

Many people think of networking like a bad Seinfeld episode – obnoxious people cornering some poor guy, like George, at a party and going on and on about their great job, their sky rocketing career, their wonderful life, and, “Oh, yeah – what did you say you do?”

Maybe if people had a few simple tools in those situations, it could actually be fun. Like a simple 3 part script: (1) Hi, I’m George Costanza and (2) I enjoy helping companies see their projects completed on time and under budget, and (3) have a good time doing it!”

Or for those that are uncomfortable in social settings like this, networking also includes one on one meetings over coffee, using social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook to find someone who may know someone at your target company.

In fact, this is a very effective way to get in front of a hiring manager: Identify the company you want to work for, identify the types of positions you would like to have, then if there is a position (or similar type job) posted on their website, now the fun begins.

Use the Companies feature in LinkedIn and you’ll see people in your network who may work there or have worked there. More likely there will be people who are 2nd or 3rd degree connections. By clicking on them, you’ll see who in your network is connected to them.

Then, call or email them and ask for an introduction to the person you want to meet. You’ll be surprised at how helpful people in your network are – even if you are not close to them.

Now, they have introduced you to someone who can possibly help you – offer to buy them coffee at Starbucks or at a place of their choosing and get to know them with a series of simple, but powerful questions (more on that at a later time.)

What’s the worst that can happen by doing this? You may not get any introductions – you’re no worse off than you are now, but at least you’ve taken some action. Or, you may have gotten the introduction, but no response from the target person. Again, no worse off, but at a later date, the target person may remember your reaching out.

And how hard is any of this? Do you think you can try this kind of networking? It may just land you your next dream job.

For a very concrete example of how this type of networking works, read this post from WSJ’s Laid Off and Looking blog.

JP McDermott is a financial services and insurance advisor in Walnut Creek, CA. He is also a career and financial coach, has been volunteering his time and experience to various non-profit, service and civic organizations, most recently helping those in transition. His philosophy is to help others be more successful and to enjoy the benefits of meeting new people.

JP lives in Danville with his wife Candy.

Check out his LinkedIn profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/jpmcdermott

The answer is yes, a plan is needed for any kind of marketing program a business will embark on. The plan must include goals, objectives and budgets. Without a plan and direction the effort that will be made will be time consuming and will most likely not achieve goals or impact a business positively.

The buzz today is all about social media marketing. Many business people are focusing all of their attention on this, taking their eye off the ball and forgetting about other types of marketing. Social media will become a more integral part of marketing but traditional marketing, advertising and media relations should not be forgotten or put aside. Although the internet and social media marketing can drive sales and be a fantastic tool for brand building it will not work for everyone. What is really disturbing is that most people don’t really know how to use this kind of marketing effectively. Social media marketing can be time consuming and if done improperly will not achieve the return on investment desired. The return on investment for any marketing program should be measurable.

At Corbett Public Relations I regularly work with clients to create messages, set marketing goals and determine what image clients want to have with their target audiences. I would venture to guess that most people who have Facebook pages or Twitter accounts and are using some form of social media marketing did not and do not think twice about the image that they were seeking to convey to the general public as well as potential customers. This is a huge mistake and a topic for another blog entry. Most people dabble with social media sites and post information ranging from what they had for lunch to some type of new product or service they are offering. These mixed messages don’t work and confuse followers. Followers don’t care about these types of posts and that’s the worst thing that can happen, if they don’t care they will stop following, probably forever.

We saw in the early and mid 1990s the growth of the internet. Businesses started to create websites and the “Field of Dreams” movie quote “If you build it they will come” was often used. We found over the years that this is the farthest thing from the truth. The truth is that if you build it they might come but probably won’t. Search engine marketing and optimization has helped with this for websites. People can now find what they are looking easily on the internet. Businesses people now also understand that websites for the most part are marketing and branding tools, not direct business generators. Social media also allows more businesses and people to have a presence on the internet but just because you are doing it does not mean anyone is following or even cares what you have to say. This is why you need to have a marketing plan.

A marketing/social media marketing plan will help to remedy the situation of no one following your or caring about what you have to say. A plan will set goals for pushing out messages, acquiring followers and branding your business (or you personally). Each of these efforts requires planning and the use of the proper tools and having the right creative message and image. Simply put if you do not have a clear image or brand to promote your social media marketing or any marketing program is likely to fail.

Social media offers many opportunities, but how these opportunities are taken advantage of and used is the key. Do it right and do it with a clear plan.

I am compiling a long list of tips for social media marketing and will eventually publish this with comments and best practices for small businesses and individuals seeking to build their own brands. If you are interested in a copy of these tips feel free to e-mail me at wjcorbett@corbettpr.com I will be writing over the next few weeks about creating the right online image and brand. This will be followed by how to communicate with prospects and friends to generate a buzz and business.

My husband and I are currently choosing a new family car. It doesn’t have to be ‘new’ but almost new would be nice. When I chose my own car last year, I knew exactly what I wanted – a car that is easy to park, safe, sporty, fast, but frugal and environmentally friendly, but not necessarily in that order.

At a recent workshop about personal branding, we asked the delegates what car they think represents best who they are. They mentioned lots of practical, unusual or luxurious cars, and spoke with great passion about their choice!

My own personal brand is probably best expressed by a distinctive Audi TT sports car. It is different to other sports cars, but as it doesn’t tick the environmentally friendly box, I now drive a distinctive, unique and very different Audi A2, which is both fun to own and drive.

Choosing a new family car has led to some lengthy discussions and we still haven’t been able to make a decision. We would both like something that’s frugal and environmentally friendly, roomy and with style, zest and zing. We may be ‘middle aged’, but are not in the middle of a mid- life crisis, and really enjoy driving!

We are previous owners of an original Fiat 500, a unique Italian Mini Innocenti with lots of ‘Va Va Voom’, and various convertible sports cars. When the children came along we drove Golfs, a fun VW camper, a huge Chevrolet and more recently a trusted German estate with tons of space to transport the camping gear in the summer, as well as daughter No2’s belongings to and from university.

For some bizarre reason, my husband is currently being drawn to a purely practical brand (type withheld!) – a brand that never turns my head or makes me feel excited. It is neither ‘me’ nor ‘us’, regardless of what perks, boot sizes and performance figures I may have been told about!

I thought I might be unusual as a woman in that I feel so passionate about researching, buying and driving the right car! But then I read that women purchase nearly 50% of all new cars, and influence 80% of all car buying decisions! We are quite clearly very influential consumers, and feel passionate about making the right choice!

It seems that our cars, alongside other personal belongings like handbags or shoes, express the personality inside us, in one way or another and touch some emotion inside. Even BMW captured this perfectly in one of their recent ads, in which they said it is all about “how the car makes you feel”!

So if you were a car, what brand symbolises you the person? Are you a sporty convertible, a quirky beetle, a fun mini, a reliable golf, or a luxurious, quality saloon?

Ute Wieczorek-King is an experienced trainer, mentor, business coach and facilitator who specialises in business and career development, time management and personal effectiveness. As an expert in balancing lots of different commitments, she enjoys helping other busy women achieve more in less time- with less effort and stress. She also supports women via Success Network, a not-for-profit business community which can be found at http://www.successnetwork.org.uk

"Holy cow, the opportunity to mess with one of the most recognizable icons on Planet Earth," says Junction Point Creative Director Warren Spector, who's working on the Epic Mickey game.

Epic Mickey could be my new hero.  At the very least, he’s proof that redefining my brand in an edgier way is a good idea.

Here’s the back story.  Disney protects Mickey Mouse like a mother bear protects her cubs…if Mama Bear also had a battalion of lawyers at her beck and call.  But Disney is rethinking this approach…worried that Mickey has evolved from beloved character to corporate symbol, it’s taking the risky step of re-imagining him for the future.

They’ll start the tweaking next year with a video game, Epic Mickey, in which squeaky clean  Mickey shows traits like cunning and irritability — along with being heroic — as he travels a forbidding wasteland.  This is the first step in a bigger project to rethink Mickey’s personality — including the way he appears on the Disney Channel and how our kids interact with him on the Internet — and raise his appeal with edgier tweens and teens.

I’m not equating my brand with Mickey’s but there are some parallels.  I’ve struggled to define my brand as I look for work in an environment where hiring managers seek reasons to eliminate you rather than reasons to hire you.

In my previous job, I was known for my passion and intensity.  I was seen as someone who could get difficult tasks done.  I was once cautioned to keep the “body count” low, although in my defense that had more to do with my disdain for the bureaucracy I was being asked to overcome than my normal strategy for getting things done.

I was once described by MBNA’s chief marketing officer as a “bulldog” to a large group.  She meant it as a compliment.  I was the guy top management asked to fix the issues that came up in those annual “what keeps you awake at night” exercises.

But as I started my job search, I avoided that description.  I went vanilla, because I was worried that “bulldog” traits would cost me interviews and job opportunities.

But as time went on, I realized — thanks to the advice of friends and mentors — that I’d be wasting my time interviewing with companies that would feel my approach wouldn’t fit their culture.  In short, I needed to embrace my “inner bulldog.”

So I named my consulting company Bulldog Management Solutions.  I have built a brand focused on Bulldog Simplicity.  My LinkedIn profile doesn’t dance around the subject.

I’ve probably lost some interviews and consulting jobs.  But it makes it easier to talk about my strengths…and my weaknesses.  The approach hasn’t resulted in a full-time job yet, but I’m convinced that when it does, I’ll be happier and able to demonstrate the passion that has driven my success over the years.

What about you?  Have you taken an “edgier” approach to your personal brand?  If so, what have you done?

If you are still one of the holdouts – one of those job seekers that thinks face to face networking or, worse yet, thinks that job boards are the way to find a job – I suggest you take a look at the following blog post.

Here’s an excerpt showing how the big three are growing with professional users:

An overview of key membership and usage statistics of the top three networks…

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn has approximately 50 million users worldwide in 200 countries. The membership on LinkedIn is growing at roughly one new member per second. When LinkedIn launched in 2003, it took 477 days, almost a year and four months to reach the first million members. The last million took only 12 days. Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.
• Facebook: Facebook has over 300 million members with 150 million that log in at least once per day. The fastest growing demographic on Facebook are 35 years and older and according to Facebook more than 2 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared across the network, each week.
• Twitter: Twitter has more than 32 million members with the segment of 45-54 year olds being the top demographic and 25-34 year olds following closely behind at second. It has been found in other studies that baby boomers and senior citizens are more likely to join Twitter than their grandchildren.

If you are not exploring these social networks for job seeking purposes, you should be.    Let’s hear some success stories using one of these or the lesser known social media sites!

Remember, It only Takes ONE.

Matt

There’s a never ending amount of posts out there on how to develop your personal brand; the topic seems like it’s been beaten to death. But nowadays, how you define your brand changes a lot quicker so there’s always something to learn.

It’s easy to develop who you are online when you’ve only been active in the space for a few years, like myself, but what about the younger generation that’s growing up with social media at their fingertips? Unless their parents are watching their every move online, and let’s face it many aren’t, kids are going online without thinking of the future.

I don’t expect a 13-year old to think about what his future employer will say about the things he posts, but as he grows older with the comfort of posting his life online, will it be common sense that he knows those drunken pictures or angry blog posts can easily be found, or will the same things need to be taught?

I got to thinking about this after reading a CBC.ca article about Nathalie Blanchard.

As the article points out, Nathalie is fighting with her insurance company to get her sick benefits back. It all had to do with Manulife finding Facebook pictures of her seemingly having fun at a party when she was on sick leave for major depression.

The pictures used to “catch” Natalie were apparently private, and photos like that are supposedly only findable if you know the direct link, even if it’s been deleted off of Facebook, according to the article.

Natalie’s pictures probably weren’t as bad as Manulife is making them out to be. This brings me back to my original point. If a teenager posts questionable photos of themselves but later realize they don’t want those photos out there, is it too late? That content is available long after they’ve been deleted, and could pop up anywhere.

Also, if a potential employer decided to research your online persona, and 45 per cent of them do, according to Harris Interactive, you should really avoid posting about how much you hate your boss or job; common sense really.

So for everyone untagging and deleting photos they don’t like, look out because they’ll always be there. And for those that may be comfortable with posting anything now, down the road your priorities could change and that content could come back to bite you.

Det finns ett uttryck i Polynesien som heter Coconut time. Det innebär att först när kokosnötterna mogna – då faller de till marken. Det hjälper inte hur många ledningsgrupper, konsulter eller marknadsförare som står under palmen och på olika sätt försöker påverka kokos nötterna att falla. De kommer att sitta kvar tills de är mogna och faller precis då innehållet är som allra bäst. Det handlar om tid och timing. Och timingen att satsa på ditt personliga varumärke både för dig som individ och företag  är som allra bäst ….just nu ! Det är Coconuttime.

Ditt personliga varumärke och professionella rykte styr din framgång på jobbet, i karriären och hur du lyckas som chef, medarbetare eller entreprenör. Det har en avgörande betydelse för vem kunder lyssnar på och får förtroende för. Kan något vara mer lönsamt att analysera än detta!?

Karriärkartan håller i dag på att skrivas om i mycket rask takt och de traditionella karriärråden börjat idag att bli inaktuella. Karriärcoachernas roll kommer snabbt att omdefinieras eftersom de långa karriärbeslutens tid är förbi. Framtidens arbetsmarknad är här och då måste vi också agera med framtidens metoder, annars riskerar vi snabbt att bli akterseglade. De viktigaste råden som jag ser det är.

De kortsiktiga karriärbesluten. Till skillnad från tidigare kommer framgång i karriären att handla om kortsiktighet och att vara öppen för alla de möjligheter som dyker upp i ett starkt ökat tempo. Och de dyker upp på helt nya vägar, inte minst på Internet och då blir din bevakning här och  synlighet att bli avgörande. Verktyg som Google Alert, Twitter, Linked In och liknande blir avgörande.

Bygg ditt personliga varumärke. Att bygga ditt personliga varumärke gör dig till en mer värdefull tillgång till företaget du arbetar i, en potentiell arbetsgivare eller i ett eget företag. Idag är det nya framgångsfaktorer som avgör, det handlar om en kombination av rätt person med relevanta erfarenheter. Att känna sitt professionella rykte och varumärke blir den helt avgörande inkörsporten till en mängd nya möjligheter.

Ditt varumärke på Internet blir starkare än ditt CV. Din röst online i t.ex. nischade bloggar ger en mycket bättre bild av dig än ett CV. Intressanta bloggar får mer besök än till exempel din profil på LinkedIn. Så bygg ditt personliga varumärke och bli synlig med det på nätet! Bli den nischade experten och få arbets-, eller uppdragsgivaren att jaga dig – I´m not joking!!

Bloggen som karriärverktyg. Tom Peters, mannen som skapade Brand You berättade att han bloggat under fem år och det fanns ingenting på de senaste 15 åren som förändrat hans företag och karriär i så positiv riktning som just hans bloggande. Det hade utvecklat hans företag, förändrat hans liv och givit honom helt nya perspektiv. Eller som han uttryckte det: ”It´s the best damn marketing tool I have ever used . . . and it´s free”.

Stick ut med video!! Idag handlar det mesta om att nischa in sig, bli extremt bra på ett litet område. Video blir ett allt naturligare verktyg för att lansera ditt personliga varumärke på din blogg eller på You Tube.