The Personal Rebranding Blog is authored by Anne Elder-Knight and is part of the larger site personalrebranding.com It offers resources, ideas and rants on personal branding for the mid-career professional.
The subject of personal branding has been a personal and public passion of mine since before Tom Peters gave it a name in his Fast Company article in 1997. In 1996 when I was living in London, I piloted a two-day program, I loftily called “The Right Stuff!” I coerced an unsuspecting group of friends and clients to spend a freezing cold weekend in a small seaside hotel where we covered much of the same material that has since evolved into Personal Rebranding @ Work™. One of the original attendees assures me that from time to time he still refers to his notebook from that session, although I’m not sure I can take much credit for his subsequent career trajectory even though I’d like too!
Despite such a heady beginning the public program I subsequently scheduled was a complete flop, largely I suspect because I knew absolutely nothing about the seminar business. Since then I have read every book I can find on the subjects of personal branding and personal leadership and have continued to weave the principals into the individual work I do with executive coaching clients.
Having worked for big and small consulting companies over the years, I now consider myself fairly unemployable in the traditional sense (by choice I hasten to add!). I have returned to New Zealand and have based myself in Auckland where I spend my days writing, coaching, consulting, speaking and learning about the possibilities of sharing knowledge and ideas online – for which the learning curve is both steep and fascinating. (Yes I do generally get up early!)
I continue to be passionate about the possibilities of personal rebranding as a vehicle for self-reflection, growth and realizing your potential. My favourite quote of the moment (which kind of sums it up really) is by e. e. cummings who said ”It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” All I can tell you is – I’m still a work in progress!
