Friday Mashup of topics…!

I was brainstorming what to write about today and I ended up being inspired by several things, so rather than limit the goodness I thought I would share them all.

First up was a good article by Wendy Marx blogging for Fast Company on Personal Branding:  Personal Branding Steps  The point of the article is an example on how you can use online branding, blogging and social networking to promote a non-technical business (in this case Real Estate).

What I really liked was the advice towards the end of the article on creating your personal brand.  In this case, Personal Brand really means establishing yourself as an expert.  Here are some highlights with my thoughts:

Be passionate about your topic.

I had a great networking meeting today with a woman that works for a graphics design company and what stood out more than anything was her enthusiasm and passion about her company – it was very compelling.

Know what you don?t know and educate yourself in those areas so you don?t become a dinosaur.

The world is changing every day – those that don’t keep learning are going to get left behind.  You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but you do need to know enough to get by.

Don?t be over-protective of your own business knowledge. You don?t have to worry about a scarcity of opportunity. There is so much business available in the online space that no one can service the entire market. Be a willing participant in the business community.

I believe this applies to more than just the online space.  Giver’s Gain, genuine connections come from helping others without an expectation of payback – you will reap much more than you sow.

It’s a good article, give it a read.

Another good article, courtesy of Stella at Start-up Nation blogs:  Small Business Expresso is all about the difference between Corporate kool-aid that many of us were served in previous jobs and what Stella calls Small Business Expresso:

…a teeny-tiny shot glass containing a bitter blend of honesty and desperation that really gets the juices flowing.

The typical small business owner doesn’t have the luxury of using internal PR to spin a story that’s supposed to keep employees and customers happy.  You don’t get the benefit of a corporate cushion where things don’t matter.  You have to stay on top of your game and the more honest and informed you are about the facts of where your business stands, the better off you’ll be.

Finally, on a totally unrelated note is a really cool story that I picked up off of Bill Harris at the Dubious Quality Blog.  He referenced a story that’s on Snopes (listed as True) about a Polar Bear that ended up playing with the photographer’s sled dogs.  Here’s one of the pictures – it’s a great story!

Have a great weekend!

Shawn Kinkade www.aspirekc.com