Building a Business Around Your Personal Brand
Posted on June 18, 2009
Mentioned in this video: Clay Collins
I know this can be a controversial topic, and I really want to hear your thoughts on it!
Jun 18, 2009
Poor Laura. Apparently Clay locked you outside.
I think personal brands can still be sold, but when that happens, you have to make sure to do it gradually and you’ve established that you are no longer running the show. You are more of a mascot.
But it might not work if you have an evil twin brother.
Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..Farewell, Analog Television
Jun 18, 2009
Agreed. (yes, I know that I’m in the choir, but still…)
I do have spin-offs that may get sold someday, but why would I sell my core personal brand business … I mean, what the heck would I do the next day?
What I do is my passion and not “work” anyway, and as a personal brand it moves and grows with me …. so why would it need to be sell-able?
~ ElizabethPW
Jun 18, 2009
I actually wanna agree with Elizabeth’s comment saying. Sure you might have some aspects of your business that you do. But why you sell off your Core Business thats your Passion and love what you do. It is not work if you love it so why would you sell it off. Maybe pieces but not everything unless you find another passion
Jon
tweetjon.com
Jun 18, 2009
Laura,
You and I had a discussion about this months ago, and it’s made me rethink how I present my company. My business has a name and I want it to be scalable beyond me, but ultimately, what’s going to grow it is the connection that I make with moms. I can’t even imagine selling off my core business anyway… that’s no fun! So thanks for enlightening me then, and reminding me now, about how important it is (for me) to build my business around my own personal brand.
Jun 18, 2009
Great! I have not become a freelance photographer just to sell my business – it seems pretty silly. I want to grow my brand, developm my skils and make a living out of it. One can always hire me
Oh, and Laura, if you’d like a bit of lighting advice for your videos – let me know.
Jun 19, 2009
I think there is big difference between owning a business and owning a job.
If your company is so dependent on you (so much so “that it can not be sold”), then you don’t really own a business… you own a job. It needs you to exist. If you don’t exist, then the company does not make any money.
This is not to say that businesses can not be created on top of personal brands. Just ask Deepak Chopra, Mary Kay, and Calvin Klein.
But the advice to build a business on a personal brand so much so that it can’t be sold (and thereby, can’t be copied by competitors) should not extend to building a business that depends on any one person to exist.
Thanks. Great work, Laura!
Jun 20, 2009
I think I’m part of the choir too, but I agree. I think that when you put your heart and soul into your business (which is what you should do, if you’re passionate about it) then there’s no point in disassociating yourself from it.
And there is always the possibility of selling it one day, but like you said, no one could ever copy it. Which is just great.
Jun 21, 2009
Your site rocks! keep the usefull videos coming!
Jun 24, 2009
2 things:
1. Notice how many of the larger businesses now are going back to having the “cheerleader” or CEO in the commercials. Also, when you think of certain companies, who do you think of?
Microsoft: Gates
Virgin: Branson
Mass Control: Kern
Subway: Jared (not CEO obviously)
2. Building around a personal brand doesn’t mean that you can’t sell, or that you have to sell. I don’t see it as a tie down either.
In fact, I just saw a commercial for the Johnny Cochran Law Firm on TV yesterday (he’s dead)… but they are still moving on his legacy.
What about KFC’s personal brand (Colonial Sanders) or Wendy’s (Dave)… both passed.
Building around a personal brand can create a legacy to build on AND if you DO choose to sell, there are also consulting and imaging rights that you can package in the deal… so that you only work every once in a while as spokesperson if need be.
3. Why sell if you have other people doing all the work and you just make appearances.
Think about your strategy and you can do whatever you want with your personal brand in business… hell, franchise it out if you want.
Just be sure to keep your name clean.
Jul 04, 2009
Love this Laura. I really have no problem with my business dying with me, so to speak. If I wanted to sell it, I wouldn’t have started it in the first place. I’m not in it for the exit strategy, I’m in it because I love what I do and when I stop loving it, “it” will no long be.
Thanks for putting this out there.
I sort of lump this branding question in the category with the whole leverage thing. Leverage is great certainly but not having leverage can be great too. I have some things that are leveraged but some that are not at all and I have no problem trading hours for dollars when it’s work I love, even though many “biz gurus” tell me “I’m doing it wrong”.
I think there is room for gray in the branding and leverage realms. We just need to do what works for us now and what we want over the long haul.
Great content as always.
Melani
Melani´s last blog ..Let’s Not Speak Wack-A-Doo Today, Okay?
Sep 25, 2009
I love the idea of making your personal brand so personal it can’t be copied nor sold. It’s a personal brand. It should never be sold in the first place!
Deneil Merritt´s last blog ..You Gave Me A Voice
Sep 28, 2009
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