Personal Brand Equity...

My Aussie friend Jonathan Marshall and I used this term back in graduate school at Arizona State...every day is another opportunity to either build your personal brand equity, or lower it. P.B.E. is MBA-speak for what people think of you.

I later found this article by a much better known thought leader, Tom Peters.

Jonathan and I were astonished that some people, even marketers, never thought about how they presented themselves. You are the most important product you could ever market. Whether trying to find a job (or keep it), get promoted, or land a deal (or a date).

Last week, one of my students suddenly realized that his personal brand equity took a dive when I called him out for sleeping in my (highly engaging, I'm sure) class {I told him to take a walk}. I know that he is an exceptionally bright student. I also know that he has a reputation for sleeping in class. In fact, there is a facebook group honoring this. Later, another student showed me the YouTube video of him sleeping through an entire semester of Astronomy. It is hilarious. And it is sad. Sad that someone as intelligent and talented as Eric is known for this.

To his credit, he is now staying awake and engaged. Good for him. His Brand depends on it...

What am I doing to improve my brand equity?


(Eric, i'd figure out a way to delete that video.)