As a coach and speaker – a branding guy – I guide people in the discovery of their dreams and in creating the successful life they desire. Together we find their clarity of purpose – their why. Building fearless brands is what I do.
I’m often asked ‘what is a fearless brand?’ Let’s start with ‘what is a brand? ‘
- Your brand is your unique value proposition
- Your brand is your promise to the public
- Your brand is your reputation
- Your brand is the intangible total of all of your attributes
- Your brand -put simply – is your greatest asset
Now – ‘what is a fearless brand?’ A fearless brand has complete brand clarity and the resulting conviction which comes from this knowledge. Fearless brands exhibit several important qualities. Here are a few –
- Authenticity
- Honesty
- Clarity
- Relevance
- Confidence
- Consistency
On Fridays I will be featuring individuals that I find to be a fearless brand. I came up with quite a list while thinking about who to start with. As is often the case, the answer came to me when I was not even thinking of this blog series.
It starts with you.
With that I have a question for you. Do you believe that you personally are a fearless brand? Regardless of how you answered, I know that a fearless brand exists within you. I read a poem recently titled The Guy In The Glass. (note – if written today this may have been titled The Person in the Glass as it is definitely a gender neutral concept). This poem follows. I find it compelling, enlightening and a bit daunting. For most people, self-discovery and self-honesty can be that! So I invite you to read, reflect and I look forward to you responding with any comments or questions you may have.
The Guy in the Glass
When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you king for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t a man’s father, mother or wife,
Whose judgement upon him must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in life,
Is the man staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test,
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But the final reward will be heartache and tears,
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
(c) Dale Wimbrow, Written in 1934
I found this to be a very powerful message! How cool would it be to see your closest friend every morning? How reassuring to know that you have been true to that ‘friend’? For me, this poem defines a ‘fearless brand’ perfectly.
Again, I believe there is a fearless brand in all of us. I hope you are motivated to pursue yours. If you are interested in doing so but are apprehensive about ‘going it alone’ then you may want to attend my next Building Your Fearless Brand** workshop. Whether or not you I see you there, I encourage you to pursue the successful life you dream of.
**NOTE: A year ago, when this blog was first published, there was a workshop scheduled. In this reprisal, the link now leads to the ‘Workshop’ page on this site.
Friday's Fearless Brand
Coach, International Speaker and Thought Partner - Bill’s mission is to add value to the world – one brand at a time. Bill guides individuals and companies alike in building what he refers to as a ‘fearless brand’. This is the process of discovering, embracing and delivering their greatest value – which allows them to realize greater profit. Read More
Fantastic post, Bill! That poem IS daunting, and very beautiful. It made me cry~ the good kind of tears, and I was long overdue, so thank you sir!
Love that you cried – the ‘good kind of tears’ :). Thank you for your comments and for sharing your feelings.
Your post reminds me of one of my favorite college football coaches, Ara Parseghian, who was a fearless, principled, and highly successful coach (http://www.parseghian.org/aboutcoacharaparseghian.html). He gave each graduating senior player a plaque with the poem The Guy in Glass inscripted on it. I have a moment of inspiration each time I read this poem. Thanks for sparking another inspirational moment!
Thanks for commenting Gerry. Parseghian is another example of a fearless brand – class, integrity, clarity. Your comment reminds me of another coach who was a fearless brand – John Wooden. Great coaches. Great men.
Bill, I had not heard that story before. I am grateful that you shared. I get something going, from my own ideas and I am ll excited and ready to launch, and then I see how someone else did it, and I doubt myself. I have just now, had a break through…..I have to be okay with who is in my mirror. I am okay with who is in my mirror. That made me so happy to write this.
Amy, thanks for your comment and I’m thrilled to hear that you’re okay with who is in your mirror. For what it’s worth, I believe everyone who knows you is in agreement with your assessment. sorry for late response – apparently a glitch in notification process 🙁
I met a man 10+ years ago when I was at a very low point in my life. He became my mentor and gave me a copy of this poem and instructed me to recite it at least once a day. Since that time we worked on many other areas of my life, both inside and out. My life is very different today and I believe this poem and the principles it entails has been a very pivotal part of my awakening. Thank you for sharing it with us. All the best to you on your new Branding For Results Endeavor!
Todd, I’m not surprised to hear of your experience but am delighted. I love how so many people learn and get enlightened from mentors and trusted advisors. As a result, you in turn, have passed on a great deal of wisdom and insight to so many others. Thanks for your comment and good wishes!
sorry for late response – apparently a glitch in notification process 🙁
I’m not very experienced with blogging. In Fact, until I took Dafa’s class, I had no idea what it was. I was just being told it’s a good way to market yourself and your product.
Do you agree Bill?
Yes Kevin…I agree rather strongly with the power of blogging. It is a tremendous platform to deliver one’s ideas, desires, beliefs and basically any communication one chooses. One key is to deliver authentic content which has relevance to the audience you are seeking. The desired result is to connect with people who will benefit from the value you deliver. Enjoy Dafna’s class…you’ll learn a great deal and be blogging before you know it. Thanks for commenting.