Senior Vice President of 
and Chief Customer and Commercial Officer
OWN Your Own Success
brand management
On 1.1.11, OWN, the new Oprah Winfrey Network was launched with great expectations, fanfare, and excitement. Oprah, with her Midas touch, has proven her ability to build a loyal television audience, operate Oprah Magazine, and lead Harpo Productions. Now she takes her passion of “personal betterment” to a new platform with the creation of her own media network. With OWN, Oprah takes further control of her own future .
Clearly, Oprah has chosen to create her own future and you should do the same.
So, what lessons can you seize from Oprah’s move with OWN that you can put into action while Managing Brand YOU?
Challenge Your Status Quo
Oprah could easily have maintained her presence with her daily television show indefinitely or retired to the beach. Yet, at her prime, she has chosen to re-invent Brand Oprah. She is shaking up her comfortable status quo in pursuit of a larger endeavor. When was the last time you challenged your own status quo? For 25 years, Oprah delivered great daily programming to her audience. What have you done for many years that deserves a fresh push? Whether you are at the top of your game or in need of a tune-up, don’t become a victim of complacency. Look into your weekly routines and mix it up a bit so you can begin to see beyond your comfort zone. This will help open your eyes to innovative ideas and greater personal opportunities.
Leverage Your Strengths
While creating OWN is a courageous undertaking it is a natural evolution of Oprah’s strengths. How will you evolve your own situation to become more fulfilled in life? In your own Brand YOU re-invention begin with a clear understanding of your core strengths. These areas of strength will provide greater confidence to explore fresh avenues of personal growth and development. Clarify those areas of great individual strength to the point that you can answer the question, “What are my top 3 personal areas of strength?” Take time to fine tune these skills with greater training or mentoring and use them as a catalyst to re-invent Brand YOU.
Differentiate with Purpose
Oprah has shared her vision of creating an entire network focused on quality programming that is designed to be a positive force in the lives of people. She feels a real purpose in helping people live their best life through constructive content and empowering messages. This will become a major part of how she differentiates OWN from other networks. What is your inner passion? Have you defined your own purpose and allowed yourself to find a space where you can excel? In today’s competitive world, you must find a way to stand out in a crowd while being authentic. Take time to understand, appreciate and activate your inner motivations as the basis for differentiating Brand YOU.
Build Value-Based Relationships
One thing is perfectly clear with OWN. Oprah has developed a network of trusted friends and advisors over the years and these colleagues will be integral to the programming. From Gayle King to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Oprah has built strong partnerships with people who share similar values while representing unique perspectives on various topics of interest. How developed is your own network today? Are these relationships valuable or merely superficial? Frequently, people do not recognize the importance of surrounding themselves with people of similar principles where win-win relationships can be nurtured over time. Investigate where, how and with whom you want to proactively expand your alliances so you can grow while contributing to the success of someone else.
Oprah Winfrey’s life story is a true inspiration and her most recent move with OWN provides a great example of re-inventing from a position of strength. Take a few lessons from Oprah and you too can build a fulfilling and sustainable Brand YOU.
2011 – Happy New YOU!
brand management
Make 2011 your Best Year EVER by repositioning Brand YOU.
Now that 2010 is officially logged in the books, what better time than today to step back and set Brand YOU priorities for 2011. During these times of high uncertainty, from unemployment to housing foreclosures there are steps YOU can take to reposition your situation and live a more fulfilling life. The key to establishing a strong Brand YOU is to be authentic and true to yourself.
However, this is the perfect time to take more control of your future and there are a few easy steps you can take every day to begin the journey to greater personal happiness.
SIMPLIFY
Take steps to “de-clutter” your life. Every day there are opportunities to create complexity or simplicity and these choices become semi-automatic. Begin by “being present” for every moment to determine if there is an alternative approach to those everyday decisions that wind up guiding levels of complexity. Whenever possible substitute complexity with simplicity
DE-STRESS
Stress is the not-so-silent killer that manifests itself in the daily routine. How many times has one red-light defined your entire morning while in frantic pursuit of a personal appointment? Take action to be ahead of the curve in 2011. Build buffer time or anti-stress periods into your daily routine. Allow yourself to let the small things come and go without creating undue stress in your life
ENJOY
Find at least one good thing that you can celebrate regularly. It is easy to focus on everything that is going wrong without even noticing the many positive factors that you encounter. Learn to enjoy the beauty of nature, the friendliness of people, the song on your ipod, etc. YOU should never relinquish your happiness to the actions of others and remembering to enjoy life pays great dividends.
VOLUNTEER
Make it a habit to be proactive with your contributions. Help someone in need and feel the benefit for the remainder of the day. This may be just holding the door for someone entering a store but such moments of kindness can be contagious to others. Take actions to learn new skills by volunteering for a fresh assignment in your community, organization, or family.
BREATHE
Find at least one time each day to elevate your breathing with simple exercise. Park at the end of the parking garage and walk briskly to your destination. Take the stairs to get your heart rate up for a few seconds. Over the course of the next few weeks extend your cardio-vascular activities so you are enjoying at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. It is amazing how this single commitment will help you deal with the daily stress you may encounter.
Repositioning Brand YOU begins with a state of mind. Make the personal commitment today to simplify, de-stress, enjoy, volunteer and breathe. These actions will help to re-set your base to allow you to focus on the most important priorities for creating your most successful self.
Happy New YOU!
Top 10 Personality Brands in America
brand management,Managing Brand YOU
What makes a powerful brand? Sales? Popularity? Longevity? According to a recent BusinessWeek article, the top five U.S. brands for 2008 were, in order: The Coca-Cola Company, IBM, Microsoft, General Electric and Intel.
Obviously, selecting those that shine the brightest and are best defined in the minds of the American public is a bit subjective yet criteria for selection are public awareness, authenticity and a well-defined personal brand identity. These are the same criteria that make a consumer product a strong brand. The more clear and concise the image other people have of them, the more memorable and impactful they are.
So, these are my Top 10 Personal Brand picks in America for 2008.
- President Barack Obama – Sworn in on January 20, 2009, Obama became the 44th president of the United States. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, President Obama has credentials beyond reproach. He was the first African American to become president of the Harvard Law Review and was elected senator of Illinois in 2004. Brand Obama is more than intelligence; he is a world-class communicator, collaborator and compassionate leader. He has planted a strong seed of optimism during the greatest economic challenges since the Great Depression, leading with a genuine smile. President Obama is THE power brand of today.
- First Lady Michelle Obama – Mrs. Obama, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, met her future husband when he joined the law firm where she was employed. The mother of their two beautiful children, Malia Ann and Natasha (known as Sasha), Michelle was thrust into the public domain during President Obama’s marathon campaign to the White House. She proved that she could maintain her strong independent mind while letting the world get to know her personal side. Now she is a statement of education, women’s issues, fashion, parenting, communication and the turnaround of America.
- Oprah Winfrey – Brand Oprah, reached into the democratic process and urged millions of Americans to exercise their privilege, right and obligation to VOTE. By casting her personal support and endorsement to Barack Obama she demonstrated her own willingness to take a stand. Oprah’s entertainment and media impact is huge and growing. Her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley-on-Keip, south of Johannesburg, South Africa, is a living statement to her commitment to human betterment. Even her open and honest confessions to the real challenges she has faced with weight management reminded everyone of her realness.
- Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana was omnipresent during 2008. With her father, Billy Ray Cyrus at her side and the Disney magic, Miley released her album Breakout which debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with first week sales more than 350,000 copies. Not bad for a 16 year-old.
- Ellen DeGeneres – Fun-loving, married and making people happy on her daily talk show, Ellen has really hit her stride. Dancing her way through each Ellen DeGeneres Show, she has proven that you can be true to yourself while bringing joy into the lives of every day people. This modern Brand Ellen is proving that authenticity and confidence can translate into commercial success. Well done Ellen!
- Michael Phelps – At a mere 23 years young, Phelps holds 14 career Olympic Gold Medals, a record eight during the Beijing Olympic Games, plus seven current world records in swimming. He has appeared in every major newspaper, the cover of Sports Illustrated and even hosted a season premier of Saturday Night Live. In spite of the recently released party boy pictures, he remains a strong brand.
- Brangelina – Really two people, they are known as a single brand. Brad and Angelina are the ultimate Hollywood duo and we all know them and what they believe in. They are big-time celebrities, but their brand extends well beyond the silver screen. From their humanitarian efforts spreading from New Orleans to Darfur, perpetual film-making and parenting, the paparazzi can’t seem to get enough of the Brangelina phenomenon.
- Tina Fey – This 30 Rock star and veteran of Saturday Night Live transformed into a look-alike / act-alike for Sarah Palin. She single handedly galvanized a group of SNL actors with a year of comic relief during the stressful months leading up to the election. Tina makes America laugh.
- Anderson Cooper – AC360 has come on strong in the world of television journalism. His years of experience came to the forefront during the Katrina disaster, and now Cooper is a talented prime timer who was right in the thick of reporting the various angles of the election in real time.
- Joel Osteen – This televangelist connects with millions of viewers each week as the senior pastor of Lakewood Church, a 16,000-seat arena previously home to the Houston Rockets. He is a best-selling author who really came on strong during 2008 with his message of optimism, goodness and empowerment. Whether you buy into his religious foundation or not, his message in these challenging times seems to be a welcome piece of positive news for his growing audience.
Repositioning “Brand America,” Yes We Can!
brand management,inspirational leadership
An important page of American and world history was written on November 4, 2008. Once again, the electoral process produced a new leader of our United States of America. By selecting Barack Obama, many paradigms have been broken and new paradigms are quickly emerging.
Lets face it, America’s Brand Image is in desperate need of a remake and this year’s election could be just the galvanizing force we need. Already, the world has responded with favorable votes of confidence and now the citizens of the United States can begin to dream about a brighter future.
Clearly, there is much to do and the expectations are high. With rising unemployment, growing foreclosures in the real estate market, escalating prices of everyday household goods, a meltdown in the financial markets, limited access to credit, two active wars, increasing costs in industrial commodities, price fluctuations in fuel, eroding consumer confidence and so many other issues at stake, what is this great country to do?
Now is the time to undertake a full scale repositioning of “Brand America.”
This country was founded with the fundamental belief that “all people are created equal.” A united America can rise to this challenge and use this unique time as an opportunity to seek new frontiers, new solutions, and creative alliances that can contribute to our finest turnaround ever.
Never more than now should all Americans recognize this is not a Washington problem, a governmental issue, a Democratic or Republican dilemma, or a legislative predicament. This is a citizen of the USA issue and can become a rally cry in support of a new momentum of CHANGE. A population that was motivated enough to show up in extraordinary numbers to cast their votes for our mutual future can now demonstrate their commitment to this USA recovery.
Creating a new Identity for Brand America will leverage the essence of the entrepreneurial spirit of this country. Everyone has a chance to pitch in and help this nation build a new future with a strengthened Position both domestically and internationally. Scientists, mathematicians, business leaders, homemakers, engineers, educators, students, designers, inventors, writers, artists, must come together to solve this multi-faceted challenge. The quicker America realizes this is an US challenge not a THEM problem, the quicker we will configure collaborative long term solutions.
Between now and January 20, 2009, President-elect Obama will make the most important decisions of his life. He will select the key leaders who will help facilitate this uniting of America. What type of people with be chosen to begin this important “Repositioning of Brand America?” How will this new group of leaders act as a team to set top priorities? Will the USA citizens have confidence in these important Change Agents?
People are always the X factor of any turnaround story and it will be the people of the USA that will be at the forefront of this renaissance in America.
While President-elect Obama initiates his transition plans, we can all prepare for the future. Lets all look in the mirror and commit to being a part of “Repositioning Brand America.”
Personal Branding in the Digital Age
brand management,Managing Brand YOU
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to Dan Schawbel, personal branding guru for the Gen Y sect and author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success. Dan’s site, the Personal Branding Blog, explores personal branding in the digital age and offers a fresh take on many of the same principles we discuss in Managing Brand You. We delve a little bit into “Brand Jerry” in this interview and how anyone and everyone should approach personal branding at different career levels and paths. Enjoy!
LEADS at Spelman College Launches Intergenerational Leadership Mentoring Program
brand management,inspirational leadership,Managing Brand YOU
Spelman College, founded April 11, 1881, is a very well respected and celebrated university in Atlanta, Georgia. This small, historically Black college for women is committed to making a positive impact on society through sisterhood, empowerment, leadership, love of learning, community involvement and change.
LEADS at Spelman College delivers on the stated mission of developing and teaching a leadership model based on the experiences of African American women leaders. Through innovative training and mentoring programs, LEADS develops Spelman students, women who have made “a choice to change the world,” into leading women who are leading change.
On September 16th in the Johnetta B. Cole Living and Learning Center Auditorium, LEADS at Spelman College inaugurated yet another outstanding commitment to leadership, The Spelman College Intergenerational Leadership Mentoring Program. Once again, Spelman College is demonstrating its commitment to the great tradition of developing leaders for today and tomorrow. This new Mentoring Program is based on an interactive and mutual relationship among three generations. The Mentoring Program envisions empowering students to develop wise decision-making skills that accelerate their personal, professional, and community service developments. The face-to-face dialogue addresses roadblocks and obstacles to success.
Spelman College students will now be able to engage directly with powerful mentors from fields including legal, business, medicine, architecture, acting, fashion, and community leadership. These one on one nurturing relationships will contribute to new ways of thinking, shared experiences, exciting networks, with dedicated partners in growth. Both mentors and mentees have the opportunity to benefit greatly from this structured mentorship.
Congratulations to LEADS at Spelman College for once again setting the standard for excellence.
Phelps-mania: A Global Brand is Born in Beijing
brand management,Managing Brand YOU
Michael Phelps has clearly emerged as the biggest story of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, so far. Only time will tell how strong Brand Phelps will become but suffice it to say, this is a global brand in the making. There are brilliant lessons for us all in the Michael Phelps brand platform.
First, Phelps has remained focused and proven his willingness to sacrifice in the quest of his inner drive and passion. Swimming has been his area of dedication since age 11 and now he has a record 8 Gold Medals, in a single Olympics, surpassing the previous record of 7 set by Mark Spitz in Munich during the 1972 Games. He can now boast of having won a total of 14 Gold Medals in the Olympics.
Successful brands focus and sacrifice!
Second, Phelps used his competition to actually strengthen his own brand. While swimmers from other countries predicted his inability to win so many Golds, he posted their actual comments in his locker for mental motivation to reach new levels of personal achievement. This was especially true when the French team openly claimed they would smash the USA team during the relays.
Successful brands beat competitors through differentiation and conviction!
Third, Michael Phelps could not have accomplished his 8 Gold Medals, without winning 3 team relay events. He understood the power of teamwork and the need for synergy in the pool. In all three relay events, he had to rely on the strength of 3 others in order to stand on the Gold Medal awards platform.
Successful brands have a comprehensive strategy and game plan to win!
USA Swimming is another part of this winning story. With so many children and adults in America looking for ways to develop themselves mentally and physically swimming emerges as a very viable activity. One should expect a surge in swimming interest might follow this Phelps-Mania.
Once again only time will tell if Phelps stays true to his own brand positioning and leverages this extraordinary and historical Olympics effort into a greater purpose or cause.
As personal brands, we all have the opportunity to excel in our own area of focus.
What is your own passion?
Are you focusing intensely on what matters to you?
Have you set appropriate long term and short term goals with clear strategies to achieve these objectives?
Michael Phelps is now a Global Brand Icon and he has reached this status through perseverance, focus, and plenty of support from his mother and team mates.
You do not have to be in Beijing going for 8 Gold Medals, to Manage Brand YOU. Take these key learnings from our newest Beijing Champion and determine how you will commit to creating your most successful self.
Best of Success.
Reinvent Brand YOU and Thrive in This Turbulent Economy
brand management,Managing Brand YOU,people development
Differentiate OR Vegetate!
Look no further than the city of Seattle for a lasting example of a successful reinvention. Back in the 20th century, Seattle had become one of the shrinking cities in the USA. With a declining defense industry, a struggling logging industry and a climate that was hardly idealistic, Seattle was a city that was losing population and self esteem. At one point, an outdoor billboard expressed the public sentiment with a bold statement, “Will the last person leaving SEATTLE – Turn out the lights.”
Today, Seattle is a vibrant, hip city that has gone through an incredible “brand repositioning.” Fueled by the likes of Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon.com, Alaska Air, Nordstrom, music, technology, innovation and environmentally sensitive lifestyles, Seattle is a great example of the power of reinvention.
During these turbulent times when the news is riddled with yet another corporate downsizing, rising gas prices, and declining home values it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. NOW, however, is the perfect time to take stock in your own life situation and consider your own personal reinvention.
Are you in a career that is susceptible to a future downsizing or have you already been the victim of such a restructure? Do you have a bona fide plan for your future? How well are you differentiated in today’s marketplace?
These are just a few questions, everyone from the CEO to a front line worker should be asking themselves before it becomes a reality. This turbulent economy represents tremendous potential for those individuals who are playing to their strengths and true to their inner essence. But everyone should have a personal plan to stand out in the crowd by differentiating themselves with unique skills and capabilities.
10 Tips for Personal Differentiation:
1. Embrace and Accept Change . . . Do Not Fight Reality
2. Be Able to Describe What Makes You Different, Better and Special Compared With Others In A Sentence
3. Learn New and Relevant Skills All The Time
4. Know What You Like To Do and What You Do Not Like To Do
5. Meet New People In Different Areas All The Time
6. Volunteer For Interesting Assignments
7. Take Intelligent Risks
8. Establish and Deliver Your “Brand You Promise”
9. Look For Unfilled Needs That You Can Fulfill
10. Have a Positive Attitude and An Optimistic Mindset
Today is a great day to examine how well you are prepared to win in this turbulent economy. While the prospect of change and uncertainty can be very troubling, taking proactive control of your future is very empowering and quite liberating.
After all if Seattle can reinvent, certainly you can do the same.
Manage Brand You, now and forever.
A lesson learned (hopefully)
brand management,inspirational leadership
A recent photo shoot for Vanity Fair may have added a bit of tarnish to the otherwise spotless image of Hannah Montana, the acting/stage name of 15 year-old actress Miley Cyrus. For those of you unfamiliar, Cyrus, the daughter of famed country singer Billy Ray, is in a hit Disney show, playing a girl who lives a double life as a high-school teen by day and a famous pop star by night.
Cyrus, no stranger to the spotlight came out and apologized immediately to her fans for the “racy” photos, citing them as a mistake and adding that she hopes she did not disappoint anyone. Good move on her part. Hopefully this will be a good lesson learned in personal branding. Even a small slip can stain the clean sheet of your image, personal, professional, or company, if not handled in an appropriate and timely manner.
Rebrander beware!
brand management
In case you haven’t noticed over the past few weeks, your Starbucks cup has taken on a new (and slightly less colorful) look. This bold move of changing one of the worlds most recognized logos is all part of effort to rebrand Starbucks, tracing back to its roots of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. In addition to the new design, Starbucks has also begun to serve the Pike Place Roast.
Some argue that Starbucks has a strong enough brand equity that they can afford to experiment, while others have come out in protest to the subtle changes to their morning ritual. Will these new changes take hold among the Starbucks loyalists or are we seeing a slow demise to the treasured franchise as they fight to compete with the low price leaders.
speaking
Media
Jerry enjoys speaking publicly, to small or large audiences, on various topics ranging from personal motivation and development to creating customer alliances, and of course on Managing Brand YOU.
recent media
about the
book
by Jerry S Wilson
& Ira Blumenthal 
What is the book all about?
Nationally respected brand experts Jerry Wilson and Ira Blumenthal have helped some of the most exceptional companies and individuals in the world perfect their images.
Now, in Managing Brand YOU, they reveal their proven seven-step process for personal brand building. Using illuminating examples from successful corporations like Coca-Cola and Starbucks, as well as high-profile celebrities like Bono and Oprah, Managing Brand YOU gives readers a step-by-step guide on how to build their own brand.
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