After 5 Detroit one of the hottest online websites about Detroit and events around the region recently did a write up about me in their, ‘We Chose Detroit’ section. The write-up focuses on me as a local brand strategist who has chosen the city of Detroit. I am committed to assisting in the branding of individuals and the city of Detroit. Check out the article it is a great piece (hit the link below). For the latest happenings in the ‘D’ check out their website as well.
I recently watched a commercial entitled ‘When You Let Everyone Play…Nobody Wins’ by ‘The Ladders’ which is an online job search provider for $100K+ jobs. The commercial embodied a topic that I planned to write on for a while that I term, ‘Maximum Capacity’. The video is a scene of a tennis match that is soon flooded with amateurs/people so that no one stands out. Have you ever felt in life and at work that it is impossible to stand out it the crowd? This video is funny but it is very real and very true. With the changing job market, downsizing, and outsourcing we all at times feel like we are stuck. There are more than 6.5 billion people on the planet and you are a mouse click away from your farthest competitor, so how do you stand out?
Personal branding is the new human capital, I will be developing a series of blog post on this topic covering the following content:
o Human Connections (Relationships)
o What’s my Human Capital?
o Your brand story
I will talk about how to develop your personal brand to increase your new human capital.
Are you ready to stand out?
Hello and I would like to welcome you to the 2008 Personal Branding Election. My name is Hajj Flemings and I am campaigning to be your personal brand strategist in 2008. Part of my charge is to help the American people to become more globally competitive. I believe that this is a season of change. I believe that common, average, everyday, working class people such as you and me can get uncommon results in their life.
My Platform
1. My platform is one of anti-abortion. I am tired of people aborting the vision and destiny for their life.
2. The price of Oil is increasing at an alarming rate. I am running into people everyday whose dreams have simply run out of gas, who don’t have the fuel to finish the race. I am here to restore hope, passion, purpose, and mission to all people of all races, all creeds, and nationalities.
3. War is Heavy on the hearts of many American- Many of you are @ war with the real you. Fighting who you were created to be.
4. Health Care is a major issue my personal branding plan is to restore the health of your personal brand.I have developed a 7-point Brand Plan:
1. Identify your Passion
2. Define your Mission
3. Count the Cost
4. Create your Voice
Let’s pause for a moment. Hilary was recently quoted on the cover of Newsweek, saying that ‘She has found her voice’. America Hilary is 60-years old, please don’t wait until you are 60 to find your voice. Had she just read my book. ‘The Brand YU Life’ she would have found her voice a long time ago.
5. Develop your Core
6. Be Authentic
7. Shift to Now
Go to my website and purchase my book, ‘The brand YU Life’ which outlines my plan to develop your personal brand. Vote for me as your personal brand strategist. My name is Hajj E. Flemings, your personal brand strategist and I approve this message.
On Valentines Day we typically focus on our love for that special person in our lives. As a personal brand do you love your life? How many of you know people who don’t love their life or their career? Many of us know those people. Some of us might be one of those people. I believe life was meant to be lived, experienced, and enjoyed. I love my personal brand more than any business brand. I love my life and what I do more than Starbucks’ White Chocolate Mocha, more than my Apple laptop, my Tumi laptop bag and more than my Blackberry that keeps me connected with the world around me.
Branding is a love story. It is a story of happiness and it is a story of desire.
Branding is a story of value, it is a story of connection, connecting you with the thing you were always created to be and to become. Branding is the story of the pursuit of happiness, it is a story of passion. I don’t believe that passion can be taught, but every person is passionate about something. One of the major pursuits in life is identification of your passion. How bad do you want to live your dreams? What price are you willing to pay to live your dreams and live a life of significance?
Today (01.21.08) we celebrated Martin Luther King Day, a man whose life spoke volumes. One of his most profound speeches was ‘I Have A Dream’ delivered August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Martin Luther King is one of the most recognized leaders and personal brands in our country’s history. Consistency is one of the hallmarks of successful brands, his life and message communicated consistency, values, and a clear since of purpose.
As I reflect on the significance of his life. I reflect on the significance of my life and my purpose for sharing personal branding with the world. Part of my purpose is to help people ‘live their dreams’ and I take it very seriously. I don’t mean that as a cliche, I hope my blog continues to be a source of inspiration, education, and motivation, to assist you in reaching your life goals.
Imagine this. You step on to the elevator. The doors are closing. All of a sudden, the leading pioneer in your field or the CEO of a Fortune 100 company steps on the elevator and pushes the button to the top floor. The opportunity of a lifetime has just presented itself. Your mind is racing, you have 30 sec. to sell yourself and present your brand. What do you say? You may be thinking, ‘I can’t possibly compress my life into 30 sec. My resume is 2 pages, I’ve accomplished so much, I’m very valuable, I need more time’… If that is what you are thinking, I submit to you this. If a multi-billion dollar corporation can pitch a multi-million dollar product to millions of people in 30 sec. or less (known as a commercial), then surely you, as awesome as you are, can communicate your elevator speech in 30 sec. Now let’s take it a step further. Let’s say Oprah/Larry King/CNN/or The Today Show called and said they have a 3 min. segment available. They want you to come on the air. You can say anything you want about whatever you want. What would you say? What is your message to the world? There are approximately 6.5 billion people on the planet and they are all waiting to hear from you. Do you know where your passion lies? Do you know your purpose or reason for existence? What is your brand message? Who will your message impact? Will it ignite others to fulfill their destiny or cause them to change the station? If you can’t answer these questions right now, they I leave you with an assignment. Identify your brand and develop your message to the world.
What is your Message for the World? (Please share your message in the comment section)
