Just Do It – Spine-Chilling Last Words That Mean Everything to Entrepreneurs

On October 7, 1976, Gary Mark Gilmore was convicted of committing two brutal murders in Utah, USA and sentenced to death. The following year on a cold January morning, he was executed by a firing squad.

Just prior to his execution, he was asked if he had any last words.

“Let’s Do It,” he said.

A decade later, advertising guru Dan Wieden was sitting in on creative meeting, brainstorming ideas for one of his clients. For reasons only known to Wieden, Gilmore’s famous last words came to mind. Though being the creative type, he just had to tweak the wording a tad, to “Just Do It.”

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“Just Do It,” not only became the legendary new slogan for sports clothing giant Nike, but also increased the brand’s popularity so much, it’s footprint in the American domestic shoe business jumped from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just under a decade.

Ever since, the popular catch phrase has been popularized by entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders to inspire and invigorate action.

Either we live in very interesting times, or most don’t know that the catch phrase they love to quote originated from a convicted criminal’s mind, just prior to his execution.

Playboy billionaire Richard Branson has used the phrase “Let’s Do It,” when faced with a potential business opportunity.

And just about every entrepreneur has either read or heard the spine-chilling last words of a killer ringing in their heads, as “Just Do It,” has become the ultimate idea every business textbook, how-to be an entrepreneur self-help book, business professor, business coach, business mentor and successful entrepreneur attempts to plant in those seeking out information about starting their own business.

Eerie. Creepy. Spooky.

“Just Do It.”

Originally, a macho mantra instructing the firing squad to just get it over with, has become the inspiration igniting the fires of those sitting at their desks with amazing ideas, to “Just Do It” and start their business.

Ironic, how the famous last words of a murder, have come to stand for so much to so many.

“Just Do It,” symbolizes the mental madness that entrepreneurs face so well. Most entrepreneurs are perfectionists, we want to get everything just right.

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We plan, we mind map, we do GAP analysis, we conduct market and customer research. Then we plan some more.

The hardest thing – the one thing really – that separates entrepreneurs from those just with a great idea – is action.

Inaction keeps many people from becoming entrepreneurs, because they just want everything to be perfect. They get stuck in the planning phase, and never “Just Do It.”

“Just Do It,” has become the mental kick in the pants that moves wantrapraneurs to entrepreneurs. It’s what separates the entrepreneurs, from everyone else.

Because to “Just Do It,” you have to take a leap of faith.

You have to be bold.

You have to be brave.

You have to “Just Do It,” otherwise all you’ll ever have is just a great idea.

And great ideas don’t make money.

Taking action does.

So, to paraphrase a convicted criminal: “Just Do It.”

Isn’t Social Media Just Shameless Self-Promotion – YES IT IS – That’s Why You Need to Be Using It to Shamelessly Self-Promote Your Business

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We live in a very anti-social, social media world.

No, that’s not a typo – social media is anything BUT social.

Think about it – how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you actually know? And by know, I’m not talking about sharing tweets.

Let’s put it this way, how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you’d invite into your home for dinner? Not a coffee shop, not some sleazy bar, or worse – street corner – your own private residence.

Asking myself that same question, I currently have 4,376 followers on Twitter. Of those amazingly awesome folks following me, I’d guess I probably really only know a couple hundred, when you consider friends, family and business associates.

Of those 200 people, I really only know about 50 that I know well enough to invite into my own, personal, private, living space.

So, out of over 4,000 “friends” on Twitter, I really know about 50 of them. Do the math – I only really know 1.25 percent of my Twitter followers.

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According to statistics, that’s about right. Studies show the average Twitter user only really knows between one to two percent of those who follow them.

One to two percent – that means, on average, 98 to 99 percent of those happy smiling faces that follow you on Twitter are complete strangers.

Doesn’t sound all that social at all.

Twitter is just like walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me.”

BINGO!

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

If everyone is using Twitter, facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, Vimeo, Pinterest, Instagram, even Linkedin to shamelessly promote themselves – then you need to be doing that too.

I know – that’s not very social. Walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me” is hardly the behavior that’ll win you long lasting friends you can count on when you really need them.

But that’s the new world order, thanks to smart phones, tablets, free WiFi, and coffee shops filled with people, none of whom talk to each other -- even at the same table!

Talking?

That’s old school.

Besides, no one cares about you.

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They are too busy taking selfies to show off their new hat, tweeting about what they had for lunch, or posting a really nasty review about the waiter that kept putting his finger in everything he brought to the table.

No one cares about you.

They are busy shamelessly self-promoting their own self interest.

However, the smart social media entrepreneur knows that social media isn’t about making friends, fans and followers.

No.

It’s about doing something that gets you noticed by the most self-absorbed generation since – well okay – there never has been another generation so interested in themselves, that they will walk into on-coming traffic, because they were eyes-down, self-absorbed into their mobile device.

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You have to use social media as a business person to get into the eyeballs of your customers, so in their own self-interest, they share your posts with their friends. And their friends share it with their friends, and so on, and . . .

That’s the real power of social media in business.

Despite it being wrongly named “social” – it really should be called “self interested media” or “anti social media” or anything but social.

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, but that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

Is Authenticity in Business Best?

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Thanks to podcasting, social media and the very public world we’ve created for ourselves through similar technologies, there is a growing trend towards authenticity.

Want to succeed in romance, your career, business or anything in life? Just be yourself.

Tell it like it is.

I’m a big fan of some of the most popular blogs and podcasts in the entrepreneurial space which tell you to just be you, as the hosts demonstrate by just being themselves.

From the always informative and interesting Smart Passive Income blogs and podcasts, where host Pat Flynn shares his story of personal success – leaving the world of architecture, to start and run several successful online businesses.

To Entrepreneur on Fire, where host John Lee Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs, sharing their stories of failure, success and tips for starting their own businesses.

I love these guys, for their bravery in being honest, true, and authentic.

There’s that word again.

Authentic.

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It’s the new buzzword of the business world. Just be authentic while providing any product or service, and watch your customers line-up ‘round the corner.

If being authentic is the best thing to be, how come the biggest money makers online still dabble in the totally unauthentic worlds of sex and drugs?

Porn still makes up over 70 percent of the commerce traded online, according to several studies. The next biggest money maker online? Discount prescription drug sales, most notably, for erectile dysfunction – you know – that purple pill called Viagra.

Neither of these businesses uses authenticity to sell – quite the opposite! The whole porn industry is based on creating entertainment based on our fantasies.

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And it is not just the realm of the online business world.

Yes, I’m a proud '100 percenter' – someone who’s listened to the Humble and Fred podcast since it first hit iTunes, and has listened to every episode then and since.

Humble and Fred two well-known Toronto radio personalities, have been together for a quarter of century, making listeners laugh with their silly – some may say offensive – fart and dick jokes.

Since embarking on their own entrepreneurial ventures, they boast about being authentic too. They talk about their lives, the lives of their guests, and share their blunt opinions about the world around them.

Their unique format has done them well -- although they began their podcast because they claim no radio station would hire them – since launching their authentic talk radio show, it has been picked up by several terrestrial radio stations, and has become the morning show on SiriusXM’s Canada Laughs channel.

Humble and Fred talk about being authentic as the key to their success – people don’t like being sold personality – they want the real deal.

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Humble and Fred, Entrepreneur on Fire and the Smart Passive Income podcasts and blogs are among my favorite guilty pleasures when I have a moment to spare.

They are all exceptionally entertaining, and informative.

Yet, they always talk about being authentic.

Tell it like it is.

Yet we still live in world where the biggest businesses don’t.

Like the joy ride automakers take us on when they show off their latest cars, speeding down a narrow mountain road -- with lots of fine print about it being a closed course, and do not ever attempt what we're seeing.

To beer commercials still selling us good times over cold brews – with more fine print reminding us to please drink responsibly.

Even burger joints like McDonald’s are trying to sell us on their “healthy choices menu” even though the number one product McDonald’s sells are their French fries.

If the truth will set you free, and being authentic in business is the new norm, why are the biggest and most recognized brands on the planet still peddling products and services the old fashioned way?

Truth is, sometimes the truth hurts.

So being authentic just isn’t in the cards for most of our guilty pleasures.

Think about it – would you buy beer if the ads showed overweight men with beer bellies, getting into bar room brawls?

Probably not.

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Clearly, authenticity isn’t always best.

Being authentic really depends on what it is you are selling.

If you’re selling entrepreneurship, being your own boss, and making it on your own – authenticity works. Authenticity works here, because it’s all in the self-improvement space.

However, if you’re selling things that are more status symbols – like high end sports cars – or ways to escape reality – like porn and beer – than being authentic could actually hurt your business.

So, does the truth set you free in business? Depends on the business.

Having Trouble Keeping Customers? Maybe You’re Not Giving Them What You’re Selling Them

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Computer programmers know all too well what “vapourware” is.

Vapourware, is when the sales guys get so caught up in the sale, they tell a potential customer that your software product does “X” – when in fact, it doesn’t.

“X” is something that particular customer has always wanted done.

So, naturally, they buy.

Next day, the head programmer is freaking out, because he’s been told to make the software product do “X” within an unreasonably short amount of time.

Because software development usually takes more time than less, the sales guys keep stalling the new customer, to buy time for the developers to create the feature which never existed in the first place.

Hence the term, “vapourware” because the software to do “X” never existed before – but was sold as if it was.

Vapourware occurs in all industries and sectors, not just ones based on software.

Anytime a company makes a claim about their products or services which is NOT true – that’s a form of vapourware.

For the company, it’s a seemingly great way to steal customers from the competition.

Internet Service Providers are a great example of this – each one promises faster, more reliable service than their competition.

The second they have a disruption in their service, which causes a massive slowdown or shutdown, all those customers that were falsely promised faster, more reliable service, call to complain.

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It’s why so many of us have jumped back and forth from one Internet Service Provider to another, and even back again.

Why?

There is a misconception in business, that constantly bringing in new customers sustains a business. This misconception starts at the top, and flows down throughout all levels of a business.

When this misconception reaches the marketing and sales teams, they figure they can say or do anything to convince a potential customer to become a new customer, because it's the new customers which sustain the business.

Why is that a misconception?

Here are the latest stats from some of the business world’s best sources:

1.     A customer is four times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service-related than price- or product-related – Bain & Company.

2.     The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60% to 70%. The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5% to 20% -- Marketing Metrics.

3.     For every customer complaint there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent – Lee Resource.

4.     96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back – 1Financial Training services.

5.     A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. – White House Office of Consumer Affairs.

6.     70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated – McKinsey.

7.     55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee a better service – Defaqto research.

8.     It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience –“Understanding Customers” by Ruby Newell-Legner.

9.     A 5% reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 5% to 95% – Bain & Company.

10.  It costs 6 to 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one – Bain & Company.

So what can we learn from this?

Constantly bringing in new customers is important to any business, however, it is far more important to take care of your current customers, because keeping them happy is what drives your business.

What’s all this have to do with “vapourware” and selling products and services that don’t exist?

It’s the broken promises we make to our customers which cause the biggest headaches, and lead to the highest customer turn-over.

Sell your customers on the Sun, the Moon and everything in between, but if you can’t deliver that, then when they find out – and they always find out – that customer will drop you like a hot potato.

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Leaving you with one less customer – or a hundred, or a thousand, or even a million fewer customers – because the more you promise but don’t deliver, the quicker your customers will come and go.

Like a revolving door of customers.

Consider this, there is a high end coffee shop in one of the poorest parts of Toronto. They sell exceptional coffees, lattes, teas, fancy drinks and gourmet baked goods, at high-end prices. They provide up-scale service too – if you get anything from them that’s not just right, they’ll immediately take it back and replace it free, without any questions. Your satisfaction is their top priority.

Yet, this high end coffee shop, is in one of the poorest areas Toronto.

How do they stay in business?

The people in the area can’t afford a $5 cup of coffee every day.

The answer – they have regular, repeat customers. The coffee shop has been in business over twenty years, and over that time, has built a large following of people that will come from all over the city, to munch on a $4 cookie, while sipping a $5 hot caffeinated beverage.

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Years ago, the area was more prosperous, and those living there were well to do. As the neighborhood changed, the wealthy customers left the neighborhood.

Had this coffee shop relied on attracting new customers to sustain itself, it would have gone out of business a long time ago. However, they've constantly delivered what they promised – exceptional foods, drinks and service.

So their customers keep coming back. Despite no longer living or working in the area.

Do you tell your customers one thing, but deliver another?

Do you have issues retaining customers?

Perhaps you should look at your products and services, to make sure they deliver what you are telling your customers they deliver.

Because it’s easier to keep current customers, rather than replace them with new ones.

Why You Don’t Know What You Need to Know Right Now and Ways to Fix That in a Hurry

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“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was supposed to do that. . . “

“What do you mean I overstepped my authority? You told me to do what I thought best.”

“You did WHAT?!?!”

Funny, sad, ironic – we live in an era where we can reach out to anyone, at anytime, anywhere across the globe – yet we don’t talk to those working for us, with us, or among us, be it around the corner, down the hall, or even standing next to each other in the same room.

It’s why you don’t know what you need to know right now.

Communication.

Or, rather – lack of communication – is why we’re constantly apologizing to our staff, our colleagues, our business partners, even our better halves.

It’s why arguments, disagreements, anger, and frustration with each other happens.

It can turn a positive, fun, and enjoyable corporate culture into a living hell.

And it’s dangerous.

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I met with a young person recently, that began as an intern, and was now charged with the task of building the business by his bosses – the owners of the business.

He told me he doesn’t use contracts, but if I wanted one, that I should just “send me anything, and I’ll sign it.”

That kind of attitude could easily cost not only this person his job, but his bosses their company.

Luckily, I’m a nice guy, and just walked away from the company.

I don’t do business on a hand-shake alone.

Though, it’s an example – a blatantly serious example – of how dangerous lack of communications in business is.

The former intern, now business developer, should have been given clear expectations of what is expected in his new role. And, you’d hope that he’d be bright enough to communicate with his boss anything that wasn’t covered, BEFORE taking action.

Because, if I wasn’t such a nice guy, I could have easily given him a lengthy contract, filled with page after page of legal mumble jumble, which he’d sign, giving me some outrageous thing that could easily bankrupt the business.

Think that never happens in business?

Years ago, investigative journalism television show “60 Minutes” did a piece about various male executives in the auto sector, taking clients to strip clubs on the day the “big deal” was to be signed. They did this, because the other male executives would be so caught up with the naked chicks, they wouldn’t notice the last minute changes made to the contracts they just signed.

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Granted, this is a form of distraction – not a lack of communications. However, it paints a nasty picture of how low corporate ethics and values may be at some companies.

So low, that a lack of communications could be a fatal blow to a business’s bottom-line.

Which brings us back to why you don’t know what you need to know right now.

Because you’ve been doing what most people do at work these days – NOT talking to your staff, your teams, your colleagues or even your boss.

Here’s how you fix that – right now.

Get to Know Your Colleagues Communication Styles

Think about who you’re communicating with and how they communicate with you. Introverts think through things on their own – so email with a follow-up call after they’ve had chance to absorb and think about it works best. 

Extroverts like to talk through a solution, so a face-to-face meeting, where you mention the issue, and let them talk, probably is the best course of action. They may also enjoy using a whiteboard, to work out their problems in a mind map.

Meet More Often, But For Less Time

Finding time when everyone can get together is tough enough, but don’t waste precious time. Shorter meetings provide a definitive end time to the meeting, making everyone focus on what needs to be done. Having more frequent short meetings – say a 10-minute checkup the next day – sets the expectation as to what everyone should be accomplishing by the next meeting, and this pattern connects people, while improving the overall workflow process.

Get Out of the Office

I’ve been known as a coffee shop fiend, for constantly taking people out to grab a coffee to discuss important and even mundane tasks. It’s a great way to break the ice, get to know your colleagues, and to establish an open communications dialogue between you and those you work with. Going out for drinks after work, grabbing lunch together, even walking to the parking lot or subway are also great ways to connect with colleagues, and open the doors of communications.

Be Mindful of How You Respond

Quick – your colleague is yelling and screaming at you. Do you:

1.  Yell and scream back
2. Try to talk loudly over their yelling to drown them out
3. Talk softly, slowly, and deliberately in between their outbursts
4. Walk away, ignore them – how dare they yell at you!

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The correct answer is 3 – talk softly, slowly and deliberately in between their outbursts. By lowering your speaking voice, you take the passive stand, and force them to listen to you. By slowing your speaking style, you send out a wave of calm, over their angered storm. And by waiting for them to stop talking, before you talk, you are showing you are listening to them – instead of just brushing them off.

If the yeller is relatively normal, they’ll calm down, so you can both work through the problem, rather than getting into a yelling match, or worse, a fistfight.

Be aware of how your responses can improve the situation, or make matters worse. Try to aim for a calm collaboration, rather than heated debates. Think about what your body language is saying, your tone of voice, your level of volume – all can be just as important as what is actually said.

The main thing from all of this is to get you to communicate with each other. Because not knowing what you need to know right now, is killing your business.

Starting a Business? Five Things to Put Your Start-Up Funds in First

Let’s face it, when you start a business, money is tight. So where do you put your limited amount of funds to get the ball rolling?

Here are my top five places to invest whatever money you have at the beginning, because without them your business may never fly.

1. Name Search and Incorporation

What’s in a name?

Plenty if you’re running a business. Names are more than a way of branding your business, they are legally required for tax purposes. Incorporating your business is a small price to pay at the beginning, rather than personally be wiped out financially by a law suit which holds you personally accountable for your business, instead of your incorporated business.

On the flip side of this, I actually find it hard to start a company without a name. I suppose it’s just my logical brain in action.

Take time to brainstorm several possible names for your new business, and then conduct a corporate names search to ensure no one else has a similar name. In most North American jurisdictions, it’s illegal for you to operate a business under a name which is currently in use within the same business sector or industry. Though it’s usually best to make sure no one currently uses that name in any business or industry sector – I often make up words for my company names.

Once you establish a name for your business – that isn’t already in use – register it so no one else can use it. Then get a good business lawyer that specializes in start-ups, and incorporate that business.

This way, you have your name, and the legal paperwork to back everything up.

2. Logo and Slogan

Starting a business really can be a fun and creative process – first you have to brainstorm a name – now you get to go all artsy and design a logo and even a slogan.

Many people don’t think they need a logo for their new venture right away. Who’s going to see it, as I’m still developing the business plan?

However, a good logo separates you from your competition, gives you a professional image, and both are extremely important elements in the ultimate goal for our first five places to spend money on your new venture – networking. If you don’t have a logo, a catchy one-line slogan that summarizes what you do, and the rest of my top five list here, you’ll be constantly struggling to tell people who you are, and what you do at networking events. And when you start out, networking is really important, because real entrepreneurs help each other.

3. Website and Email

You don’t need a fancy website with all the bells and whistles when you’re starting out. But you do need one that at least has some basic info – like your logo, slogan, and how to contact you.

Getting a website forces you to register your company’s name for a domain name – which is really important. Some people I know run their chosen company names through the WHOIS database to ensure they can secure the matching domain name. If the domain name is already taken, they won’t name their company that.

I’m old fashioned, and love the dot-com domain extension. To me, that’s the one most people are going to try first on Google and the other search engines if they don’t have it in front of them. 

However, if you have the money, it doesn’t hurt to register the most popular domains for your company – the “dot” org, net, biz, info, and co. If you’re in Canada, you might also add .ca to that list, or .us for American-based companies.

This protects your business from copycats, or worse, others using your company’s names, or even ones really close to it, and just creating a different dot-something or other using your company’s good name.

Once you have your web domain setup, and a basic website, you can also get a professional email address. Although Google’s gmail is a fantastic program, when I see john@gmail.com I just know I’m dealing with an amateur. There’s no harm in looking like a big impressive company, so use firstname.lastname@companyname.com as your email address – or whatever your professional domain is.

Remember, an email address and domain name aren’t just for communications – but for PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS.

4. Office Phone and PO BOX

Unless you want your customers and everyone you do business with to call you at home, I’d get a separate phone number and a PO Box for the mailing address. This way, you protect your family and yourself from anyone that happens on your business contact info. A separate phone line is important, even if you’re running your start-up from your home, because the last thing anyone that is going to do business with you wants to hear, is your kid answer the phone, and yell: “Dad, phone!”

5. Business Cards

Once you have your registered legally incorporated business name, a logo and a slogan, a website, email address, phone number and a PO. Box, you’ve got all the basics to put it on a slick business card, so you can hand it out to potential customers, business partners, or anyone that you want to take you seriously as a professional.

Even in start-up mode, business cards with all the correct professional information are very important – what else are you going to give someone at a networking function that might be able to help you get your business off the ground?

Business Networking Is NOT a Sales Call

The most important thing any entrepreneur does, aside from taking action on their ideas, is meeting people.

Networking – the idea has sent a chill up the spines of many – putting yourself out there for public viewing isn’t an easy task.

Though some mistakenly take networking as an opportunity to make a sale.

I hate it – no – I despise it – when I exchange business cards with someone, agree to meet up with them to talk business, and the first thing they do is force me to watch a sales presentation, then immediately after try to close a sale.

Although in a sense, you are always selling something, WHAT you are selling during networking isn’t your products or services.

YOU are the only thing that matters during a networking event, because it is YOU that is being sold.

How knowledgeable, resourceful, helpful, encouraging and inspiring YOU are is what really matters. Because networking is NOT about making a sales call, it’s about assisting others with their business.

WTF? You ask yourself – how do I grow my business, by helping others?

The greater your professional circles, the greater your business success.

Although you may not have an immediate need for someone in the business of widgets, you never know who that person knows that can help you in your business.

It isn’t always what you know, but WHO.

There’s a story, about a man, hired by IBM to create an operating system for their then-new line of personal computers, the original IBM PC. This man was a computer genius, and created the IBM Disk Operating System (IBM-DOS) which launched the original IBM PC and later the IBM PCjr to stardom in the 1980’s.

However, like many genius’, he didn’t get along well with his bosses over at Big Blue. So he left, and brought with him some associates he made at IBM, to create a rival operating system as he went down his own career path.

That man was Bill Gates, and that rival operating system was Microsoft’s MS-DOS, which IBM itself started using with it’s PCs, and later MS-Windows, which run the majority of the world’s computers today.

Bill Gates would never have built Microsoft without his prior experiences, knowledge and contacts from his days at IBM.

And you’ll never build anything in the business, or personal world either, if you try to go it alone, without anyone’s help.

However, you’ll be alone in the world, if every time you go to a meetup, a networking function, or even a personal function, shove your business card in front of everyone you meet, and try to sell them your products and services.

That’s NOT very helpful.

But if you offer to help others as you meet them, you’ll be amazed and delighted with just how far in business – and in life – you’ll go.

SO next time you think about pitching someone, think again. And just ask them: “how can I help you?”

SEX -- Now That I Have Your Attention -- Personal Branding is All About Sex Appeal

Once the domain of corporations and their slick marketing campaigns, branding is no longer limited to just that -- but encompasses you too.

You are a brand -- and if you aren't -- you better create your own personal brand because everything depends on that personal brand.

Perception, whether true or implied, is how we accept the world.

So how you present yourself, even when you aren't there to do so in person, is how others see you.

Think about anyone you know, and you'll develop a mental picture of that person. That's their personal brand -- or rather -- that's the personal brand they are representing to the world.

It wasn't always like this, we used to accept people on their face value and a handshake.

But since the explosion of the social media universe, when our images, our thoughts, even our voice can speak when we aren't there, now we base our decisions about liking, unliking, or despising someone completely on the way they appear to us, even before meeting them.

Human Resources professionals have been doing this for years. Statistics show that over 80% of those responsible for hiring people, Google job applicants BEFORE calling them for a phone screen interview.

So those pictures of you drunk dancing on top of the bar at your friend's party might actually prevent you from getting your next job. Unless drunk table dancer is the job you want.

Is this fair?

Hell no!  We all make mistakes. Just so long as we learn from those mistakes and move on, instead of hitting our heads against the same brick walls every time.

However, creating and managing your personal brand -- the way the world sees you when you aren't around -- isn't hard. You just have to always be aware of how you present yourself to the world, and you have to have sex appeal.

No, I don't mean taking it all off and flashing the cameras.

PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!!!

The first step to creating a personal brand, is making you appealing to others, usually by wrapping a catchy descriptive slogan around who you are, what you stand for, and why anyone should pay you any attention.

Coke is it, and Timex takes a lickin' but keeps on ticking, and you -- well -- you . . .

PSST. . . this is where you insert your catch phrase that tells us in as few words as possible who you are.

Personal branding is all about asking yourself questions, to dive deep into who you are, and creating the message that you want to convey to the world when they hear your name.

Some key questions to ask yourself to help you build your personal brand:

• How do I make people feel?
• How do others benefit by having me around?
• What words do others use to describe me to their friends? 
• What industry am I in?
• What's my job or ideal job?
• Who are the people you want to respect your personal brand the most?
• What can you do best for those who you want to respect you?
• Why me, instead of everyone else? What makes me special/different?

Ask yourself these questions, and create a short catch-phrase which sums up your answers. That's your personal brand. Or at least, the start of a great one.