COMMENCEMENT
“Action is the foundational key to all success.
—PABLO PICASSO
CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS on your
dedication, perseverance, and belief in yourself. Through your
personal commitment to the 7 Steps to Creating Your Most Suc-
cessful Self, you are now in control of the development of your
personal brand. Regardless of what life throws your way, you can
reinvent, restage, and reposition yourself, yet remain true to your
core principles. By applying the techniques successfully pursued by
businesses, you’ve built a new brand identity that inspires brand
loyalty. Your role models have been high-profile individuals, leading
corporations, and a few fictional characters such as Roger and Julie.
You’ve received their ideas, tips, guidelines, methods, and, we hope,
inspiration.
Remember, though, that your new Brand YOU is a work in
progress; just because you have a plan and the plan seems to be
working, don’t take your eye off the ball. The one constant in life
is change. You’ll constantly be confronting new situations that de-
mand decisions on your part. Questions will arise, such as, “How
will I position myself in this world of mixed messages and frantic
217
timelines?” and “How do I stand out in a crowd, and remain true to
myself?” The Brand YOU process is repeatable, continuous, and
worthy of revisiting when things dramatically change in your life—
or when you’re ready to dramatically change your life again. You
should constantly monitor your brand’s health. After all, unpoliced
brands lose their value. Focus on continuous improvement, and
plan your life to work your plan.
This process was not intended to provide a quickie makeover.
The book was born of some great branding best practices in the
business world and was crafted to serve individuals with the belief
that people are as much brands as are corporations, products, and
services. It is our hope that you will find in these pages the help you
are seeking in making changes in your life.
You should be proud of your dedication to personal improve-
ment. In the spirit of Managing Brand YOU, we wish you well on your
personal journey. Should you wish to tell us of your experience, we
can be contacted at www.managingbrandyou.com.
Commencement
218

Get Managing Brand YOU: Seven Steps to Creating Your Most Successful Self now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.