My publisher asked me to come up with 10-15 quotes from my book. I assume they’re for promotional purposes. It was fun cherry-picking statements to make myself appear masterly and clever. After all, I’m a “Branding Expert, Comedian, and Copywriter,” which is not my job title btw. It’s just some nomenclature for the reader’s reference. I’m not going to share any of those quotes in this article; what’s on my mind today is WHAT IF?
What if we could live an endless stream of lives at once? This is not a new conceit. It’s just what I’ve been thinking. It’s a departure from my usual “I wish I’d learned to play the piano (formally)” and more of “I wish I’d become a concert pianist.” “And a host of The Daily Show.” “And a speechwriter for Joe Biden (I love him as much as I love a challenge!).”
But not in the same life. It’s not diversity I seek. It’s unity. Congruity. Extreme competence. Across multiple human forms, with varying degrees of intelligence and aptitudes, knowledgeable in each case about one core subject. Not necessarily brilliant, because it would no doubt be interesting to be the 9th best womens basketball player in the world (since becoming a fan of Caitlin Clark at UI and now the Indiana Fever, my world revolves somewhat around the sport and I can tell you unanimously-voted Rookie of the Year #22 will NEVER be the 9th best at anything).
What’s the practical application of this exercise, you wonder?
What action steps is this leading up to?
How will it lead to success?
OK. Geez. Well, I think it IS good to shape a Personal Brand that has Clarity. It’s important to have a Mission from which you don’t deviate. And Thought Leadership plays a role as well.
So, if you’re trying to “do it all” in one body or lifetime, you might find yourself “reaching for everything and grasping nothing.”
“Michelle is a real Renaissance Person!” may not be the compliment it seems to be. That doesn’t mean Michelle shouldn’t learn to play piano, be great at basketball, and get her motorcycle license. It merely suggests that there are real rewards in being strategic about our brands.
“Michelle is The Mentorship Master,” for example, is clear, concise, and we even infer her mission. The alliteration is icing on the cake. And it’s pretty fresh (TheMentorshipMaster.com is available).
We also gather that Michelle is a nurturer and we kind of like her already!
So, I guess the point of this meandering article is that adventure is awesome, especially if it leads you to a meaningful destination. When it comes to your Personal Brand, that may mean abandoning the hyphens for something no one has ever thought of before.
Oh, and what is the title of this article all about, anyway? Now that I’ve written the article, it kinda makes sense: we can sometimes be the victims of our own skillset.
With this stuff in mind, I’ve put together a VERY SHORT QUIZ to help you figure out how your Personal Brand is doing. It takes under 60 seconds to complete, and provides unique insight into your journey.
That’s why they call me The MESSAGE Therapist!
If you want to explore what’s possible on the way to INCOMPARABLE, let’s chat!