What Is YOUR Brand?
Branding is interesting. We talk about Branding a lot at our house. My husband has created several brands. Eight of them have all became real. Those ideas became reality, because he made it happen, with the help of so many other people. The world knows about them now. People buy tickets, purchase the services, download the ap and invest in those BRANDS.
However, we each have personal brands as well. My husband is an empresario. An empresario was a person who had been granted the right to settle on land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur. John Smale, former CEO of Procter and Gamble, gave Bill that title, right before he passed away. It was perfect. It absolutely captures Bill's essence. What a gift.
So, what is my essence? Your brand isn't what you do. Your brand is who you are. I do lots of different things. I parent, teach, write and play music. Why do I do those things? I do them because I am a human being who wants to learn, grow and become the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Then, when I figure something out, I want to share it. I don't just write about parenting, marriage, homeschooling, mental health or fitness. I write about all of that. I write about my life. I even write about writing.
I include the struggles, when I write. I assume that other's are going through similar things. I hope that, when they read my writing, they will know that they are not alone. That's because I don't want to feel so all alone. I don't write for them. I write for me.
Connection. I want to feel connected to people. I want to initiate and maintain positive relationships. They are truly the only things that matter to me. No one is an island. We can't exist without each other, even when we really think we want to.
We have to reach out. We need help. I hated that when I was younger. I wanted to do everything by myself. I felt like I could do it better than anyone else, whatever it was. Sometimes, I still feel like that.
However, it isn't possible. To desire to do everything, all alone, with no help, is pure ego. It's also fear of rejection. If I do everything by myself then I won't have to depend on anyone else. If I don't depend on anyone else, then I will never be hurt when they go away and leave me in the lurch.
We don't do anything all by ourselves. That's hard to admit. We didn't create ourselves. Our parents did that. We didn't teach ourselves. Our parents, teachers, mentors, friends and favorite authors did that. We would not exist without our parents, just as our children wouldn't exist without us.
I never played team sports, until I swam for a while. I did do a lot of theater, which involves a lot of people working together. I also marched in a band. I worked for companies. I'm part of a family. I do get the idea of 'the team'. I just usually want to be the captain. I'm a co-captain, now. My husband and I are equal partners in our family life. We are in charge. We decide how things will be. Then we execute. I could not do this without him. Terrifying, right? Yeah, it is. Losing him is my biggest fear and my recurring nightmare. However, even he is not necessary for me to live my life, the way that I want to live it. Harsh, but true.
I'm in charge of my life. I have a lot of freedom, but no more than anyone else on this planet. That's right. I said it. We are each creatures of volition. We create our own happiness or misery. We move towards our future with hope and purpose, but our days are numbered. Time is our only non-renewable resource.
I think my one word is Teacher. I asked my son, Soren, to describe me in one word. He thought. He said it was hard. Then he said, "You're nice and smart."
I said, "That's two words. And those are adjectives. I need a noun. A thing."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Okay. Well, that's easier. You're a teacher."
I couldn't help feeling elated. I asked Kieran to describe me in one word. "Teacher! You teach us everything! All the time!"
Done. I'm a teacher.
However, we each have personal brands as well. My husband is an empresario. An empresario was a person who had been granted the right to settle on land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur. John Smale, former CEO of Procter and Gamble, gave Bill that title, right before he passed away. It was perfect. It absolutely captures Bill's essence. What a gift.
So, what is my essence? Your brand isn't what you do. Your brand is who you are. I do lots of different things. I parent, teach, write and play music. Why do I do those things? I do them because I am a human being who wants to learn, grow and become the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Then, when I figure something out, I want to share it. I don't just write about parenting, marriage, homeschooling, mental health or fitness. I write about all of that. I write about my life. I even write about writing.
I include the struggles, when I write. I assume that other's are going through similar things. I hope that, when they read my writing, they will know that they are not alone. That's because I don't want to feel so all alone. I don't write for them. I write for me.
Connection. I want to feel connected to people. I want to initiate and maintain positive relationships. They are truly the only things that matter to me. No one is an island. We can't exist without each other, even when we really think we want to.
We have to reach out. We need help. I hated that when I was younger. I wanted to do everything by myself. I felt like I could do it better than anyone else, whatever it was. Sometimes, I still feel like that.
However, it isn't possible. To desire to do everything, all alone, with no help, is pure ego. It's also fear of rejection. If I do everything by myself then I won't have to depend on anyone else. If I don't depend on anyone else, then I will never be hurt when they go away and leave me in the lurch.
We don't do anything all by ourselves. That's hard to admit. We didn't create ourselves. Our parents did that. We didn't teach ourselves. Our parents, teachers, mentors, friends and favorite authors did that. We would not exist without our parents, just as our children wouldn't exist without us.
I never played team sports, until I swam for a while. I did do a lot of theater, which involves a lot of people working together. I also marched in a band. I worked for companies. I'm part of a family. I do get the idea of 'the team'. I just usually want to be the captain. I'm a co-captain, now. My husband and I are equal partners in our family life. We are in charge. We decide how things will be. Then we execute. I could not do this without him. Terrifying, right? Yeah, it is. Losing him is my biggest fear and my recurring nightmare. However, even he is not necessary for me to live my life, the way that I want to live it. Harsh, but true.
I'm in charge of my life. I have a lot of freedom, but no more than anyone else on this planet. That's right. I said it. We are each creatures of volition. We create our own happiness or misery. We move towards our future with hope and purpose, but our days are numbered. Time is our only non-renewable resource.
I think my one word is Teacher. I asked my son, Soren, to describe me in one word. He thought. He said it was hard. Then he said, "You're nice and smart."
I said, "That's two words. And those are adjectives. I need a noun. A thing."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Okay. Well, that's easier. You're a teacher."
I couldn't help feeling elated. I asked Kieran to describe me in one word. "Teacher! You teach us everything! All the time!"
Done. I'm a teacher.
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