You are in business for yourself. This has never been more imminent that ever than to the Personal Branding and Social Media explosion of the last 2-3 years. Even those working at dream jobs and for companies that you love walking into everyday, you are building a business, the business of YOU.
- You are making contacts, calling people on the phone, meeting them at conferences and shuffling business cards at happy hours or chamber events.
- You are working to manipulate the amount of money you make. Make more sales, get a higher commission check. Land huge projects, receive big bonuses.
- You are acting as the CEO, the expert and the leader by posting your thoughts and ideas on blogs, Twitter, Facebook walls and YouTube videos.
I took this concept to heart after chatting with John Jantsch for the latest Personal Branding Magazine (link). John encourages all of his employees to think long term and act as a CEO. As we move from company to company, job to job or take that leap into entrepreneurship we take the experience, the contacts, the ideas and the financial resources we have accumulated over the course of our careers.
Treating your brand as a company
photo by jared
Isn’t that the concept behind personal branding? Treat the way you market yourself as you would a product or a business is a definition I have used before and I think its totally relevant. You want to build buzz, create anticipation and put value in yourself and your work. The reward can come in many forms and may be different for everyone.
The one common denominator is that you are the CEO of your company. The company that puts food on the table and mortgage checks in the mail. This is your company. You may have employees that depend on you or have a family that depends on you. No matter the situation, you need to be in control and thinking of how you can grow your company.
Settling
Sam Davidson wrote an amazing piece on settling a few days ago and stated that:
“Refusing to settle and resisting the urge to compromise is uncomfortable. But, as we all know, being uncomfortable is what can make us great leaders, so if we want to rise to the top, we have to resist the urge to settle.”
Settling as the leader, or commander, of your own business can be disastrous in today’s landscape. Those that get complacent and stumble into a routine are the ones that are expendable to a company. Your value to a company is in your growth. Your value as the CEO in your life is growth.
If you get fired, laid off, whatever and you are not working your brand like a CEO, you are going to have a rough transition. If you are already working on your brand, this may be an opportunity to tap into your personal company’s resources and rock your next move.
The Jay-Z principle
photo by NRK P3
Shawn Carter is someone I look up to. Not just because he is one of the greatest rappers of all time, but because he is always planning for tomorrow while living in today. At the start of his career, the Reasonable Doubt days, he was looking towards the next move, expanding his label’s roster and building a larger distribution pool for his music. Eleven number one albums later his next move is the most anticipated in the entertainment industry.
When he left Def Jam Records he didn’t have to start from scratch, look for a label and beg for a job. Instead he was the CEO of his own career, started a new imprint, Roc Nation and brought his catalog of hits, worked a deal that heavily favored his interests and started at a higher level than he left.
That needs to be your goal
When you leave a company, when you switch jobs or when you start your business you want to begin at a level that is stronger than where you left off. This may sound difficult, but if you are managing your life like that of a CEO, or someone who is running their career like a business, than this is very achievable. Start today by:
- Developing your network, stay in touch with awesome people and valuable resources
- Continue to educate yourself – grab online courses, eBooks, read blogs, take additional college or technical classes, intern, volunteer or get a coach/mentor
Develop and incubate your ideas through blogs and social media outlets - Leave your comfort zone and head to networking events, conferences, happy hours, random lunches or meetups, Tweetups, start your own event or talk to the person next to you in line or in the elevator
How are you becoming the CEO of your life, your career and your future? I’d love to work together in the comments below or in conversations on Twitter!
Author:
This post was written by Greg Rollett, a Gen-Y marketer. Find resources on starting a business and building a brand at the Rock Star Business Series or visit his blog, Rock Star Lifestyle Design.
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Thanks Greg for your advice, guidelines. But In case you do not live in an environment where there ample opportunities for neworking events, what do you do? Most networking online-where there is distance do not help much , in most cases even though it is good,
Hey Yinka,
The biggest advice I can say if there are no opportunities for networking events is to start your own! Use things like Tweetups, find other local people through Twitter local or WeFollow or some other directory and get them out in the open. Even if it;s only 4-5 people in the beginning. Expand by using sites like Meetup, Eventful, Craigslist or Eventbrite.
We have thrown local meetups for homeless agencies, electricians, marketers, designers and everything in between. Be the leader in your community and start the groups yourself.
Hope that helps.
Awesome write up bro!! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, how I can get into a position to if I was ever forced to leave my current job that I would be bigger and better at what I do. Would you say part of it is managing your money well while being a rock star at your career?
Thanks Chris. I think it has to do with both your finances and taking the things that you have learned, your resources and relationships with you to the next level. Even if your move is lateral you still bring the stack of business cards you’ve accumulated, the personal touch and your knowledge with you – that doesn’t stay with your old company.
If you always have your eyes open for something bigger, when the opportunity comes the money will find its way.
THe best advice I can say for you (since I know what you do!) is to really cultivate the relationships you have with booking agents and artists. Make them want to work with you. They are investing with you, no matter where you work. Send New Years cards to them saying they made your year that much better and in 2010 you can’t wait to have them back to an even bigger crowd. Call them to tell them how a show went instead of an email. Show that that Chris G. cares about every detail and makes sure everyone has a blast.
Treating your brand like a company is such a great point. I think most people fail at the brand “you” simply because they don’t take it seriously. You have to put time, effort, thought, strategy into it just like a company!
Hey Greg, I think the most important concept here is education. Like the quote “formal education will make you a living, self education will make you a fortune”–people need to go out and invest in themselves. Self education is a heck of a lot cheaper than going to university and you’ll probably learn a lot more applicable information. People pay $150k for 4 years of college–don’t hesitate to splurge at Barnes and Noble once in a while!
I use a scenario in presentations, I give my teenage boy a cell phone and the next day he has 200 names in it! What happens? Heck the only way I could do that is by purchasing a list!
The opportunity to stay engaged in your life with practically everyone you meet is there. Nice post and an area we should develop. Hardly a reason left not to stay in contact!
[...] put a lot of time and effort into our posts, building our brands and moving towards our goals and exit strategies. So why are you aiming so damn low? For those [...]
Develop your career like a business and when looking for a job — make it your job, every day. This is a great way to stay focused, cope with job loss, keep a positive attitude and shine when you meet with employers. You are not only the CEO of your life, but you are your own salesperson as well. Sell yourself, make contacts (network every day)! Good presentations take good preparation, so work on your interviewing skills. There’s a lot of work to be done, so don’t feel unemployed, because looking for a job is a full-time job.