Alex Germany-Wald, Inc.

Way back in the dark ages of information technology, Tom Peters wrote an insightful article on personal branding titled The Brand Called You. Even though Peters published the article in 1997, much of his advice, which reads like a 'success 101' self-help manual, is even more relevant today than it was thirteen years ago.

Peters argues that everyone is their own individual "brand"-- the sum of their skills, professionalism, qualities, traits, connections, appearance, reputation and legacy. He urges readers to proactively consider their personal brand when making everything from basic choices to life's most complex decisions.

In today's world of omnipresent social networking, the individual's brand is constantly exposed to others. In 1997, we had to meet people in person, talk on the phone or publish something in print to expose others to our personal brand. But now Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, blogs, YouTube, etc., allow others to "view" our brands 24/7, without our implicit knowledge.

In short, the need to consider our own personal brands has never been more important than it is today.

"If you were a consultant, you'd measure [power] by the number of CEOs who've got your business card in their Rolodexes. (And better yet, the number who know your beeper number by heart.)" ------From Tom Peters, The Brand Called You

Oh, the nineties...