LITMIR.BIZ

      Book cover by: Stacey Aaronson

      Book design by: Ryan Torres

      Acknowledgments

      I tell everyone I’m the most fortunate person I know because there are so many loving, fascinating, and inspirational people in my life—family, friends, colleagues, and clients who help me be a better version of myself. The list is too long—you know who you are! Thanks, too, to the careerists whom I meet at companies all over the world who want their work to have meaning and dare to be their authentic selves. And I’d like to express my gratitude to the Reach-certified Personal Branding Strategists (hundreds of committed coaches and consultants) and my dedicated Reach team. They have put their faith in Reach and in me. I truly appreciate it. Lastly, I want to thank all the contributors to this book for their meaningful stories, quotes, and insights and the witty and wise Deb Dib, without whom this book would not exist. Her brilliance, flexibility, and focus made this writing project fun, fulfilling, and fruitful.

      —William Arruda

      My life, my career, and my joy are powerfully tied to family, friends, colleagues in the careers and personal branding communities, and my wonderful clients—you’re far too numerous to mention by name, but you know who you are! I am so thankful for your presence in my life, your courage to be real, and your inability to accept the status quo! You feed my soul, creativity, and energy—and affirm my belief that purpose, passion, and innovation (and, yes, profit), even in baby steps, can ultimately move mountains and change the world. I must especially thank my family—Doug, Patrick, and Jessamyn—and my dear friends: Chandlee Bryan and Susan Whitcomb (of The Academies); Kim Batson, Cindy Kraft, Beverly Harvey, and Jan Melnik (my C-SuiteCareerCatalysts.com colleagues); and Pat Schuler (my fabulous coach). Without your support and understanding, I could never have “played hooky” to finish this book. And of course, there’s William, my teacher, mentor, and friend—your personal brand training and belief in me changed my life forever.

      —Deb Dib

      FOREWORD

      The business world, these days, is divided into those who like the concept of branding and those who don’t. (Among the latter is Jonathan Salem Baskin, with his sardonic book, Branding Only Works on Cattle.) Personal branding, as a concept, was born unnoticed in 1937 in a book by Napoleon Hill and reborn in 1997 by Tom Peters, while experts on branding, such as Dan Schawbel and William Arruda, appeared thereafter.

      Now, those who like the concept of personal branding will rush to get their hands (or eyes) on this book, since one of the authors is William Arruda—yes, that William Arruda. Anything from his pen (or keyboard) is bound to be valuable from the get-go. And his coauthor, Deb Dib, is equally famous in the branding world.

      So, let me speak to the other people, the ones who don’t like the phrase “personal branding,” and, seeing that this is a book on “branding,” might at first sight decide not to buy or read it.

      My basic concern is that you dig deeper and understand that personal branding is not merely some modern fad but an ancient concern, only dressed here in modern language. It is the concern of the snowflake and of your fingerprints. The theme is “uniqueness.” No two complex snowflakes have ever been found to be identical, nor have any two people’s fingerprints. From the creation of the Earth and of humankind, uniqueness has been the driver.

      “Personal branding” is simply a matter of answering these questions: What makes you unique? How do you express your uniqueness? How do you gain a reputation so people will understand that your uniqueness makes you valuable to them?

      Be clear about this: That uniqueness resides in the person, not in the product. The thing we produce, each of us, whether it be ideas, or services, or things, is only the outward expression of that internal uniqueness which resides in each of us. So, don’t be put off by the vocabulary. “Brand” is just another word for “what is unique about you.”

      “The tools of branding” is just another phrase for “the playgrounds where we exhibit and act out our uniqueness.” The playgrounds are new, since 1996, and that is the value of this book: It enumerates them and discusses how to use them—Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, images, video, YouTube, blogs, thought leaders’ blogs, professional associations, etc.—in brief, two-page chapters, for fast reading and slow digestion.

      What we end up with here is a book for both “branding people” and “non-branding people.” I hope you will read it and find it valuable. I hope you discover or rediscover your uniqueness. For that is what makes you so valuable as a human being.

      In that process, I hope you become infinitely more aware of what makes others unique. For that is what makes you valuable in whatever community or communities you may happen to find yourself, from this time forth.

      Dick Bolles, author

      What Color Is Your Parachute? 2013 A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers 10 million copies sold; rewritten annually

      CONTENTS

       INTRODUCTION

       HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

       HOW TO FIT IT IN

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