I am not one who has ever had much interest in attending business conferences. I am also one of those people who virtually never wins anything in raffles, lotteries and the like. Imagine my surprise to find myself at the Extreme Business Makeover (XBM) in Orlando and hearing my name called as the random winner in a drawing for one of the featured speaker’s books. Trust me, that was totally out of my norm.
The speaker who authored the book I won was Libby Gill. To be honest I had never heard of her prior to that conference but was quite excited to have won her book as I learned that she was a branding authority. So I had a great book to read on my flight home the next day. Perfect.
Let me tell you about Libby and what makes her this Friday’s Fearless Brand. To begin with, she is bright, energetic, enthusiastic and smart. She is the CEO of her own executive coaching and consulting firm, is an international speaker and a best selling author of several books. Of her many accomplishments one of the highest profile is that she was the PR and branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show. (In speaking with her at that conference I half jokingly told her that I wouldn’t hold that against her. :)).
Libby’s success is not what makes her this Friday’s Fearless Brand. Her success is the result of her being a fearless brand. While she embodies all the traits of a fearless brand it is her courage which I want to emphasize. For nearly twenty years she held senior leadership roles in communication for various media giants including Sony and Universal.
Around the year 2000 Libby decided to pursue entrepreneurship and founded Libby Gill & Co. Making the leap from a seemingly comfortable corporate career into the risk of starting a business took courage. Libby was able to do this because she realized that this is where the intersection of her competencies and passions was leading her. However, there’s more to her being Friday’s Fearless Brand than even that bold move.
It wasn’t until I was on my flight home that I took out Libby’s book, eager to read the branding insights it contained. Another surprise. The book was Traveling Hopefully: How to Lose Your Family Baggage and Jumpstart Your Life. What the heck was this? It certainly wasn’t the branding book I had expected to be reading. Regardless I opened the book and began to read. As I did the surprises kept coming.
This book was one of courage. This book was a story of introspection. It was the story of dauntless exploration of baggage from her past. This book revealed a childhood of tremendous challenge and the negative impact it had on her into adulthood. Importantly, Travelling Hopefully delivers the key to face those negatives, rewrite your story and become your most authentic self.
Now THAT is why Libby is this week’s fearless brand. The single most important attribute of a truly effective brand – a fearless brand – is authenticity. Reviewing and reconciling the negatives and challenges in one’s life is courageous enough. Writing a book about it not only promoted her own healing but it delivered answers and hope to countless others. That is fearless.
Her latest book was released this week to rave reviews from business and thought leaders including Stephen M. R. Covey, Martin Lindstrom, and Joe Callaway. Capture the Mindshare and the Market Share Will Follow: The Art and Science of Building Brand explores why we connect, with whom we connect, where we connect and, most of all, how we connect. To learn more about her book and to get to know Libby, head over to today’s blog from Bob Burg and check out his interview with her. It promises to be both provocative and enlightening.
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
