A few years back Tom Peters taught us the importance of building our personal brand. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come to realize that I learned about personal branding long before Mr. Peters ever wrote about it. I learned about personal branding from Tom Dick Harry — my dad.

He might not have been Billy Mays, or Seth Godin, or Barrack Obama, but he was definitely a unique man! In the 1970s he grew hip sideburns and a handlebar mustache. The mustache stuck and became his personal trademark until the day he died. That mustache became his personal brand.

Dad understood the power of networking.  He was always looking for ways to help people connect with each other.  He loved people and being the center of attention.  He also loved introducing his friends to each other. His strong faith led him to work hard to connect people with their God…whoever that might be. While dad was definitely a Christian, he was open to helping people find room for other understandings and interpretations of God.  One young man, raised a devout Jew, asked if he could go talk to Dick because he “had a few questions about religion that Dick would understand.”  Dad did.  He was open minded enough to know that his image of God, while strong and based upon biblical principals, was incomplete.  He was a champion “connector.”

My dad taught me to WORK HARD while I was at work, “If you don’t have anything to do, grab a broom and start sweeping. If the boss walks through and sees 2 people standing around and one sweeping, who do you think he’s going to send home?” I hated it as a kid, but I love it as an adult.  It’s not difficult for me to find work because I am willing to do almost anything that needs to be done. That’s what dad taught me to do.

Dad was a musician and an artist.  As a child, I can remember the family standing around the piano and singing boisterously while dad played the piano. His voice was strong and he always sang at the top of his lungs.  I could hear him singing even when we sat in different parts of the congregation.  I loved knowing my dad was there giving it all he had.  He was a passionate musician.

Dad also had a sense of humor with his music. He once told me that, while in college, he and his friends would gather to sing in the parlor with him at the piano. At the end of the evening he would play a series of scales and finish by playing an incomplete scale. He’d play 7 (out of notes and leave the room in darkness.  Inevitably someone would traipse downstairs to complete the scale by playing that last note.  I love it! I have instructed the musicians at his memorial service to end their postlude that way!  I wonder if anyone will notice. I wonder if anyone will complete the scale.

Dad influenced many young people in his lifetime.  He was an elementary school teacher and volunteered to work with youth in our church. People loved having him around for his vibrancy and uniqueness.  Dad taught kindergarten in the 1970s–highly unusual for that era to have a man in the classroom with young children. Dad taught the same silly songs to high school kids at camp that he sang with 5 year-olds at school.  I don’t know how many adults taught “I Wub A Wabbit” to their own kids, but I do know they learned it from dad when they were in high school. . . hand motions and all!

Dad was passionate about life and living. He almost died many times over the past 15 years, but his will to live always pulled him through.  He didn’t want to miss a party or the chance to make a new friend. He was ill for a long time, but he never wanted to let that stop him from going somewhere or being with someone he loved. He was always up for going to coffee or lunch or a movie. His love of living poured out in generosity as well. Dad never was a rich man, but he always wanted to pay for your drink or meal. If someone asked him for the shirt off his back, he would give it to him no questions asked. Of course, the shirts dad wore were usually pink or flowery or gawdy in some other way. . . perhaps that’s why people seldom asked for his shirt!

Dad encouraged me to live an authentic life, to love boldy, and to enjoy being around people. He was my number one fan, standing out in the rain at our football games in High School (I played on the C team, so he was pretty much the only person in the crowd), attending every concert. I visited dad the day before he died in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. I was supposed to be the guest preacher at his church that evening, and the first thing dad said was, “I’m so sorry I won’t be able to make it to support you.” He was that way for all of his children and many more who’s father wasn’t willing or able to be there.

Tomorrow we will gather to celebrate dad’s life and to bid him farewell. It will be a sad occassion, but it will also be an amazing celebration because dad loved people and life so much.  I know the church will be full to the brim with people sharing wonderful stories of how their lives have been touched by Tom Dick Harry. We will laugh and cry. We will sing from the bottom of our hearts. We will share stories and lean on each other–his friends and family. We will be together, just as he would have wanted it.

Dad was a special man with a unique personality and a distinct personal brand. Thomas Richard Harry–not just any Tom, Dick and Harry, but my dad. I’m greatful he taught me how to love life. I’m greatful he taught me how to passionately love God’s people. I’m greatful he taught me how to live my own unique, personal brand.

Thanks dad! I love you and I will miss you.

One of the most common mistakes people make when they go looking for a job is to cast the broadest net possible hoping that “something will come along.”  I hear it all the time: “What kind of work are you looking for?”  “Oh, I will do ANYTHING!”  Really?  You will do anything?  Then why aren’t you sweeping the sidewalk or washing windows for a living?  Since you are willing to do ANYTHING, maybe you should apply for this gal’s job:

It’s not just job seekers! Small business owners are quite similar to job seekers in this regard.  When asked who their perfect client is, many small business owners will say, “anyone with a checkbook”, or “I can work with anyone.”   The truth is, you can’t work with just anyone.  Business is done between people. People don’t hire companies, they hire other people who can help them accomplish their goals. Businesses don’t do business with other businesses, they work with people within the business no matter how large or small your company is.

Contemporary wisdom tells us to use a “shotgun approach” to finding a job or clients–firing off resumes or business flyers in every direction. Truth is, this approach is expensive and unproductive.  It’s one of the major sources of pain for every job seeker and every small business owner.  One thing we know to be CERTAIN is that if you aim at nothing, you are very likely to hit it.  In order to be successful, you MUST focus your market.

Here are three reasons why focusing your target is a good thing:

1. Focusing your target helps you get crystal clear about what you have to offer. What do you have to offer that nobody else does?  What makes you unique?  Focus on that and you will shine.
2. Focusing your target allows your networking partners to think of specific people to introduce you to. Networking (or word of mouth) is the most effective marketing tool around. Whether you are  looking for a job or trying to find new clients, your best shot is to empower your network.  Using the shotgun approach just confuses your network because they don’t know how to refer people to you.
3. Focusing your target will help you set goals for your marketing campaign.  If you know WHO you are looking for, you can leverage your time and energy.  Every call, every resume, every cover letter, every flyer, and every conversation moves you in the direction of your goal! When you are moving in the right direction, you can measure you progress.

Personal Brand Related Posts

• What is a Personal Brand and Why Do You Need One?
• Your Personal Brand – Tips From A Branding Expert
• Important Personal Branding Links
• 7 Key Ways to Promote Your Personal Brand
• Use LinkedIn to Promote Your Personal Brand
• What Everybody Needs To Know About Writing A Blog To Promote Your Personal Brand
• What YOU Can Learn From Leonardo Da Vinci’s Resume

Alicia Keys understands the power of the web! On Tuesday, April 6 she took out an ad in Monster.com looking for a new head blogger. If you are a blogger, a journalist, a writer, or a social media junky you need to check this out!

Christina Warren of Mashable writes, “Make no mistake, this is a real job and not a contest. Applicants need to be qualified and they will be held to high standards. The Head Blogger search underscores the growing importance of social media in various industries — and also the power that the web has in employee recruiting.”

I find this fascinating in so many ways!

1. Alicia Keys knows that a blog will help her build and promote her personal brand.
2. Monster.com (not know for their ability to put out many REAL job opportunities) has scored some great press in this one!
3. Mainstream media has not yet picked this up, but I bet Ms. Keys has had hundreds if not thousands of responses in just a few hours.
4. Social media is quickly becoming one of the most important tools for job seekers.

What can you learn from this that will help move your job search (or your business) forward?  I’d love to hear your responses!

And don’t forget, if you live in the Portland area and are interested in beefing up your own blog for your job search or to grow your business, we are having a “4 Steps To Blogging Success” seminar on Friday, April 23. Sign up now!

Leonardo DaVinci was the ORIGINAL Renaissance Man.  Below is a copy of a  letter Leonardo sent over 600 years ago to the House of Sforza. Look closely, it’s his resume!  Modern day job seekers can learn a lot from Leonardo!

“Most illustrious Lord, having now sufficiently seen and considered the proofs of all those who count themselves master and inventors of instruments of war, and finding that their invention and use of the said instruments does not differ in any respect from those in common practice, I am emboldened without prejudice to anyone else to put myself in communication with your Excellency, in order to acquaint you with my secrets, thereafter offering myself at your pleasure effectually to demonstrate at any convenient time all those matters which are in part briefly recorded below,

1. I have plans for bridges, very light and strong and suitable for carrying very easily…
2. When a place is besieged I know how to cut off water from the trenches, and how to construct an infinite number of…scaling ladders and other instruments…
3. If because of the height of the embankment, and the strength of the place of its site, it should be impossible to reduce it by bombardment, I know methods of destroying any citadel or fortress, even if it is built on rock.
4. I have plans for making cannon, very convenient and easy of transport, with which to hurl small stones in the manner almost of hail…
5. And it is should happen that the engagement is at sea, I have plans for construction many engines most suitable for attack or defense, and ships which can resist the fire of all the heaviest cannon, and powder and smoke.
6. Also I have ways of arriving at a certain fixed spot by caverns and secret winding passages made without any noise even though it may be necessary to pass underneath…a river.
7. Also I can make covered cards, safe and unassailable, which will enter the serried ranks of the enemy with artillery, and there is no company of men at arms so great as not to be broken by it. And behind these the infantry will be able to follow quite unharmed and without any opposition.
8. Also, if need shall arise, I can make cannon, mortars and light ordnance, of very beautiful and useful shapes, quite different from those in common use.
9. Where it is not possible to employ cannon, I can supply catapults, mangonels, traps and other engines of wonderful efficacy not in general issue. In short, as the variety of circumstances shall necessitate, I can supply an infinite number of different engines of attack and defense.
10. In time of peace I believe that I can give you as complete satisfaction as anyone else in architecture, in the construction of buildings both public and private, and in conducting water from one place to another.
11. Also I can execute sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay and also painting, in which my work will stand comparison with that of anyone else whoever he may be.
12. Moreover, I would undertake the work of the bronze horse, which shall endure with immortal glory and eternal honor the auspicious memory of the Prince of your father and of the illustrious house of Sforza”

What strikes me as most impressive (and perhaps most instructive for job seekers) is the way in which Leonardo highlighted his talents to meet the needs of his potential employer(s).  Leonardo most enjoyed painting and scupting — it’s what he is MOST known for these days (think of the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”)  However, he doesn’t mention that until # 11 in his list!  That’s because he knew Sforza was looking for someone who could provide assistance with his military and building affairs.

Did it work?  Go to Milan, Italy and you will see that Leo did indeed get the job!  What can YOU learn about your job search from Leonardo DaVinci?

Personal Brand Related Posts

• What is a Personal Brand and Why Do You Need One?
• Your Personal Brand – Tips From A Branding Expert
• Important Personal Branding Links
• 7 Key Ways to Promote Your Personal Brand
• Use LinkedIn to Promote Your Personal Brand
• What Everybody Needs To Know About Writing A Blog To Promote Your Personal Brand

“Did you ever wonder???”

Yesterday, Andy Rooney had the following to say about our current job situation.  It’s so true when he says, “there is so much to do everywhere in the world that there should never be any unemployment.” And yet, unemployment is the highest it has ever been in my lifetime — probably highest it’s ever been in HIS lifetime too!

What do YOU think  about his comments?  Are you one of the Executives that is not willing to pick up garbage along the road?  Are you a recent college graduateDo you agree or disagree with Mr. Rooney?  I’d like to know what you think.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

There is an old saying that goes like this, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

I tell my clients, “You MUST have a target, because if you shoot at nothing you will absolutely hit it . . . NOTHING.”

One of the things job seekers today do most often to sabotage their job search is to be unclear about their perfect job.  When asked what kind of job they are looking for, many will answer, “Any job. Any shift. Anywhere.”  I understand about keeping your options open, but the truth is that you will not be happy in just ANY JOB.  Unless you are specific about what you can and will do in your next position, other people can’t help you find opportunities.  If your job search does not have a clear target you are very likely to hit that target . . . which is NO JOB.

Here are the 4 key ingredients you MUST be clear about in order to define a target for your job search:

1. Job Satisfaction. What do you do well that you would like to do in your next job?  What skills, knowledge and abilities would you like to use in your next career position?  What gives you energy on the job, and what sucks the life out of you?  What are you good at, and why?  These are key questions, because if you don’t have job satisfaction you will not be happy or productive in your next career — which ultimately will lead to looking for another job soon.  More than 2,500 years ago Confucius said, “Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Some things never change!
2. Growth Opportunities. What kinds of growth opportunities will keep you engaged in your next job?  Is it important for you to have the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder?  Or are you more satisfied by doing work that is physically engaging or mentally challenging?  Without opportunities for growth you will, sooner or later, become disengaged from your job . . . which leads you back to the job hunt (see above).  It’s important to know yourself and what learning, development, growth opportunities you need in order to stay engaged.
3. Work Environment. Do you work best in a large company or a small one?  Do you need to have a team of people working along side of you or would you rather work alone?  Are you willing to travel or do you prefer to have a routine schedule every day?  Is relocation an option?  To where?  What kind of corporate culture fits with your personal values? Do you like a fast paced environment or one that is slow and relaxed?  What kind of boss or manager do you work best with? These are questions that you need to research before you agree to your next job. The wrong environment can be deadly to you and your career!  Do your homework BEFORE you start looking for your next job.
4. Salary Requirements. What do you need to make in order to be satisfied?  What is your target salary?  Do you need health insurance, or are you covered under your spouse’s plan?  Are retirement benefits important? How about vacation, training, etc.  One problem I see too many times is that people put the salary question first.  That’s a BAD idea!  As we have discovered above, if you aren’t satisfied on your job, don’t have opportunity for growth, and are working in the wrong environment you will not be happy.  If you are not happy in your career it doesn’t really matter how much money you make, because you are not likely to stay there long.  Salary considerations are important, but only so far as they fit in with the other three keys to your perfect career.

Identify these 4 keys to your perfect career and your job search will start to move along quickly.  By being clear on what you are looking for, you will see more opportunities and you will help others (i.e. your network) help you find potential jobs.  Get a clear target and you will have something to aim at!

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“This may be the BEST day of my life . . . I just got fired!”

That’s not what you feel like saying on the day you lose your job, but it may be true!

As for me, well I’ve been fired twice in my life.

The first time I got fired I had been absent from work due to a flu bug that had worked it’s way through the office. The boss called me and told me not to come in to work the next day. Half delirious I thought, “how nice of him to be concerned about my well being.” When I finally awoke from my stuper I realized he meant, “or the day after that, or the day after that, or ever. . . ” Boy was I pissed! What a whimp to call me on a sick day and fire me! He didn’t even have the stones to tell me to my face!

However, as it turned out, that firing led to an opportunity for me to return to school and complete a degree I needed in order to move to the next level of my career.  Little did that whimpy boss know, he actually did me a favor!

The second time I got fired I had been working on it for several months. I was making good money, but the company I worked for had no soul. In fact, they went out of their way to suck the soul out of their employees. Clearly, the company had some ethics problems, and after 2 solid years of enduring them I decided I had to go. They were good at getting rid of people! The company had a nearly 200% annual employee turnover rate.

I wanted out, but couldn’t justify leaving. If I was going to go, they needed to provide me with the safety net of a severance package.One day responded to an email from the site manager — although some might say  I picked a fight with him.  He was clearly breaking his own “office computer use policy” by sending inane and meaningless emails to the entire staff. I sent a “reply to all” indicating the violation and 10 minutes later I found myself in his office. This was my chance. . .

Unfortunately, he was willing to let me off with a warning. Bummer! When I got back to my cubicle my supervisor said, “what do you think you are doing? Are you trying to get fired?” I answered, “Yes. But the site manager didn’t take the bait. I guess you are stuck with me a little while longer.” He replied, “Go home, I’ll take care of it.” The next day I came in to find my cubicle cleaned out, a moving box full of my stuff, a pink slip with my name on it and a severance package that helped me bridge the gap between jobs. That was one of the happiest day of my life! As it turns out, both of those days were!

So you’ve been fired? Join the club.

It may feel a bit devistating, but in reality it could be the best thing that ever happened to you.  The key is to learn from you experience and move on.  Here’s my simple formula for doing that without taking the poison from one position into the job search with me.

1. make a list of what you did well at you job.  Be specific.  Give numbers whenever possible. You will use this list when you create your resume, interview, and negotiate for your next salary.
2. make a second list of what you did not do well, and what went wrong.  You are going to use this list in your next job search when researching company culture.
3. purge yourself of the poison feelings you have about getting fired.  Talk to a friend, a counselor, a career coach or someone who can help you get the venom out of your system.
4. develop a statement about why you left your last position that allows both you and your former employer to be seen in the best light.  Le me be clear here — DO NOT LIE!  EVER!  On the other hand, you don’t have to “bleed” all over the place either.  Something like, “After 7 years things had changed, and we came to an agreement that it was time for me to look for other opportunities.”  You don’t really need to say much more than that.  You former employer won’t, in fact, they have probably already forgotten about you.

I hope these tips for getting past getting fired are helpful to you.  I’d love to hear some of your experiences.  Feel free to share them with us below.

In the mean time, happy hunting!