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.

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!

However, there are 3 key lessons for us all in how this situation has been handled by bp leadership that are very relevant in the area of personal branding.

1. EVERYTHING COMMUNICATES – One sound bite, visual image, or non=verbal cue can become the label by which people will remember you.  Your speed of response and how well you address issues may be seen as a measurement by which others judge you.  Be aware that people are very alert to even the simplest of statements that can be viewed as a symbol of your inner thinking.  Ensure you are sending the proper message in all situations.

2. AUTHENTICITY MATTERS – Virtually every personal interaction involves some level of emotional connection.  In a world of legal guidance and political correctness, there comes a time when you need to look your audience in the eye and be Real.  People are amazingly forgiving when they believe in the message and the messenger.  Be true to yourself, talk straight, and be empathetic.  Care about others.

3. DELIVER ON YOUR PROMISE – Quite simply, ensure you are consistently delivering what you promise, in your life, job, and daily commitments.  Be on time to work, be prepared for the school assignment, do your homework, deliver on your quality message, etc.  In today’s “business casual” environment, be seen as the dependable team mate and deliver upon your obligations.

You can differentiate yourself by considering Brand YOU a constant work in progress.

Finally, polish your personal brand every day or it can tarnish over time.

-jerry

Maybe you can get a couple of helpful hints by viewing our conversation on the Georgia Public Broadcasting website.

As always, I welcome your comments.

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.

1. President Barack Obama – Sworn in on January 20, 2009, Obama became the 44^th 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.

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.”

Managing Brand YOU, 7 Steps to Creating Your Most Successful Self is now available on digital audio downloads through audible.com in the Business category. You can also download through iTunes.

Gildan Media Corporation has done a great job of putting together the voices of Jerry and Ira in an easy to use “Book on Tape,” format. Hats off to Gilles Dana for his personal belief in the work and commitment to getting this message into a contemporary format.

Download it today and you will have the entire book on your iPod whether you are in your car, on an airplane or just sitting on a commuter train.

ENJOY and please forward your comments.

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.