It really is terribly foolish to succumb if I can’t be free of big clunky black wide screens determinedly clinging to walls, squatting in valuable picture space – good riddance, they make everyone look fat anyway.  And furniture arranged in homage of their domination.  Ungainly over-sized speakers tiptoeing on pins and stands in every corner – they can go too.

No more overflowing bookcases, heavy magazines and inky papers destroying our rain forests.  I shall buy books and newspapers for the nostalgic pleasure of weighty paper, creaking spines and stitching… the whisper of a turning page, the pink crinkle of the FT, the thick glossy seduction of Vogue.

Throw out all those movies on scratched shiny discs hiding in the wrong boxes.  Out with the CD towers in all their ungainly shapes and sizes – and banish their contents to join the vinyl graveyards along with the boxes of photo albums gathering dust in the attic.  And death to the bossy TomToms and Garmins.  Let WiFi rule with sleek speakers embedded in ceilings walls and floors, let me find my content online wherever I am and Skype whilst on the move…

Thank you Mr Jobs, freedom from stuff is on the horizon.  Well done for taking what exists, making it better and for fueling my utopia.  Only I’m not sure I can wait, patience never was my strong point and I am definitely feeling a little foolish…

And on Sunday I was very thankfully reminded of all that Africa is.  I was driven an hour out of Johannesburg to a private estate in the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site.  I believe Sir Richard Branson and family popped in over the Christmas hols to see it all first hand.  Quite simply, breathtakingly beautiful and if this is where it all began, it makes perfect sense.

Back to business, the business of personal brands and the supposedly ‘sorry’ Zuma is inspirational, if only in the possibilities to be found in change.  In reality, unless Zuma himself realises the simple law of cause and effect, change is extremely unlikely.  South African’s are furious, disgusted and fed up. Thursday’s state of the nation speech at the opening of parliament for the year will be interesting to observe.  It coincides with this weeks’ commemoration of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison 20 years ago and delivers an unavoidable, stark comparison between leadership styles.  At a time like this, the rainbow nation is in need of a President who displays presidential qualities.

Photograph: Mike Hutchings/AFP/Getty Images

And every year I spend time here in the country of my birth and notice the changes that only a gap of twelve months can deliver. For the first time in many years, the brain drain has slowed and the tight, tough markets in UK and the US have seen many returning home. A contributing factor is the changes in UK visa requirements – the legendary two year working holiday to the UK is no longer an option for young South Africans.

Day to day interaction in shops, restaurants and over boardroom tables seems so very different to that of a few years ago. There is a new wave of educated young black people who are smart, savvy, well-spoken, friendly and outgoing. Johannesburg, for all its perceived dangers, leads the way and on the surface of things, appears to be far better integrated than Cape Town or other cities. And yet, the dark face of poverty is never far from you.

<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–><!–[endif]–> Every traffic junction delivers a collection of needy people – at the top of the hierarchy are those handing out marketing materials, then the salesmen offering handicrafts, fruit, clothes-hangers – followed by the windscreen cleaners who pounce on you armed with detergent, squeegee and attitude before you have a chance to object. The entertainers perform for a pittance, and at the bottom of the pile, the beggars. The most heartbreaking of all – mothers with babies, the blind, deaf, downtrodden, those with disabilities and a plethora of aimless people with red-rimmed eyes and slow movements who are clearly stoned. And yesterday, a new approach with an imp of a child-man patiently picking leaves off the bonnet of my car in the hope that he would be rewarded with a few rands. <!–[endif]–>

If the cars on the roads are any indication of where the new money is, then it is clearly in the black market. The majority of shiny new Porche, Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Range Rover drivers are black. Private schools are packed to the rafters with black students, as are the universities and business schools. Education is recognised as the way forward and it is easy to be deceived by this thin layer of affluence. The majority are still far from the hopes and promises of basic living conditions and post-apartheid economic opportunity.

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And many young white South Africans feel disenfranchised. They believe that the only way to get on in business is to start their own or to leave the country. Many find working in large corporates deeply frustrating; with people appointed to roles they are not qualified or experienced to do because of their colour.  As a result, South Africans are incredibly resourceful and entrepreneurial.  Failure does not deliver a comforting hand-out from the state or medical care for all.  The reality of failure here is far more brutal.

<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–><!–[endif]–> Yet, for all its flaws and mixed messages, South Africa is definitely happening right now. New roads, highways, public transport and the fast march toward the World Cup – and I wonder what impact this leap will have? The world’s eyes will be firmly trained on this breathtakingly beautiful country with its extraordinary society in a few short months.  I do hope that it delivers all that it needs to… and more.

2009 will surely go down in the history books as the year our understanding of personal branding finally hit home.  The philosophies, values and actions of individuals have not only affected the rise and fall of personal fortunes, but have contributed to expensive wars and bringing down our financial institutions.  And as we have seen with Tigergate, brands built on illusions are deeply vulnerable and a lesson to us all.  No amount of smart labelling and advertising will hide the truth – well not in the long run anyway.  Certainly not where there is something to be gained through ‘kiss and tell’.  Interesting to compare Woods’ brand with that of Sir Richard Branson, who very cleverly has never set himself up for such a fall.   

Simple stuff really – its all about cause and effect and thankfully, most of us are not open to the relentless scrutiny of the media.  We are, however, open to the scrutiny of our business partners, investors, clients and colleagues and in times like these, the realisation that we have little control over anything other than ourselves has hit home hard.

So a little something to ponder over the festive season and to get you ready for 2010:

Top personal branding tips for the coming year:

The relentless rise of social and digital media means that we are all found online.  Your digital footprint is being created as we speak and its up to you to ensure that it works for you.  But personal branding is not only about managing how you are perceived online, it’s also about what you do and the impact you create in person and offline.

Potential business partners and employers will google you – ensure what they find online is a true reflection of who you are in a business context.  Un-tag yourself from those silly, party pictures on Facebook and ask your friends not to post any photos or videos of you.  There are far better, less potentially damaging ways of sharing fun times.

Analyse your markets or audience and ask yourself what each person or group is looking for in someone like you.  So if you are an entrepreneur, your markets/audience might be your customers, your investors, your employees, your business partners, the media, industry related bodies and your suppliers.  Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself if there is anything you could be doing better?

Go to market and find out how you are perceived.  The only way to do this is to ask.  Pick three or four people from each of your markets/audience and ask them how they perceive you in a business context.  What you learn will be invaluable.

Find out what it is about you that makes you compelling to others – most successful people get it right most of the time, but they are not always sure why.  This little nugget will give you the self-knowledge to keep delivering the essence of what makes you successful, which in turn delivers a sense of control over your career.  Its all about understanding cause and effect – you are the cause and you can measure the effects.

Specialise – we can’t be all things to all people so pick an area of expertise that you have, make sure that its desirable to your markets/audience and then make it well known.  You can do this online (write a blog, comment on others articles in online publications), offline (write a letter to the editor, write an article for your trade press), and in person (host a meeting, invite an expert to talk – you will raise your profile by association).

Consistency is key – consistency builds trust so keep delivering what others find compelling about you consistently.  Think about your career as you might think about Heinz baked beans – no amount of smart labelling or advertising will compensate for the consistency of the product.  When you open the can, it needs to be the same.  Every single time.

Get smart and get online.  Write a blog, record video (its bigger than blogging or social networking), tweet and get your profile updated on Linkedin.  You control the content, you control the message, you control your brand.  There is a proviso here – we really don’t want or need to know what you had for lunch unless you are a food critic.  It’s all about adding value.

Take the time and put energy into developing your talents and your self-knowledge.  Oh, and take regular breaks too.  At the risk of sounding clichéd, you need to invest in yourself and that includes having some down time, some ‘me’ time.  You will come back refreshed and it will add a fresh perspective to your work.

And on that note, I am taking my own advice and am heading off for a dose of sun.  I hope you have a fabulous festive break and look forward to seeing you in 2010.

I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where the price of a glass of champagne is so ridiculously high.  Oh, apart from the Billionaire Club in Sardinia where I was knocked off my choos by the price of a cocktail at €50.  Admittedly, it was an incredibly delicious, sublimely good berry Caipirinha…

And as with all things, its hard to shake a bad first impression.  We vote with our feet and my 39’s won’t be back.  Not unless they invite me in as Style Director and give me an open cheque book.  It could be super cool, sexy, sassy… but sadly misses the mark in too many ways to count.  Apart from counting to 28 that is.

No one buys vanilla, we like others quirks and traits and beliefs – choc chip, cookies and cream, pecan toffee – it allows us to relate to each other (or not)!  Do you remember Boris Johnson before the elections?  His minders determinedly kept him quiet, concerned that he would say or do something that might kill his chances of becoming Major of London.  And it resulted in an uproar in the press with cries of “Free Boris”.  Londoners buy Boris because he is different, speaks his mind and what we didn’t know then is that he has also proven himself to be a super hero, recently rescuing a woman being intimidated on the streets by a gang of girls who he called ‘oiks’.

Anyway, enough about Boris – I learned some pretty interesting things about various people in the last couple of days.  One of the chaps at Durham was almost sold as a three year old, but his parents managed to get him back and another had played professional football, just for one day.  A woman yesterday had met the Dalai Lama and another rode a motorbike bigger than she is.  And then there was a woman who had sailed around the world.  Now, while none of this is that extraordinary, it brings home how very human we all are.  All of these people would have disappeared into a faceless crowd had we not learned something about them.

So at your next team meeting try this out.  Ask everyone to share something about themselves that others might not know.  Oh, and ask them to keep it clean – there are some things we really are better off not knowing!  And I would love to hear your stories too – please tell us something about yourself that we don’t know…

I came across this thought provoking video, titled Did You Know a few days ago and it got me thinking about the fast march of time.  This, and the heart sinking sensation in seeing the first Christmas marketing hit our screens and stores made me realise that there are only 49 working days until Christmas.

Only 49!  So what does this mean? Well it means there are only 5 more opportunities for you to attend one of our personal branding/impact workshops and 2 to get PIPBA Certified to deliver these services yourself.  It also means that if you are interested one-on-one coaching or a workshop tailored to your organisations needs, this side of Christmas, do call me asap to get something in the diary.  And, if you would rather read our eBook or do our online iWorkshop – see below for a couple of discount codes you can use.

It means too that there are still 9 lovely weekends to enjoy, at least 30 fabulous dinners with friends, and if I am really good, I’ll need at least 40 powerplate sessions to work it all off.

P.S. I’d love to hear what your 49 working days before Christmas means to you?  Send me a mail and I’ll post it on my blog.

DISCOUNT CODES

Enter your discount code when you checkout – valid until the end of October 2009.

£5.00 off our eBook (normally £14.99): EB1009
£10.00 off our Online iWorkshop (normally £49.99): IW1009

TV reality shows – the legal human ‘guinea pig’ studies of the most base of human behaviours can be blamed for much of this. Willingly subject yourself to being imprisoned with a bunch of strangers in a house, island, or jungle outpost and if you can hack it, you can achieve fame.

And before the reality shows, various chat shows including perhaps the most excruciating to watch, Jerry Springer invited us to air our dirty laundry in front of the nation. Worse still, they positively encouraged us to rip each other to shreds, often physically. And so we coined the term ‘fifteen minutes of fame’.

The talent shows – XFactor, Britains Got Talent et al are more focused on finding real talent, although one should not forget that TV executives control them and the ultimate goal is ratings and entertaining viewers.

And today, well we are all self-published – youtube, facebook, flickr and blogging allow us mere mortals our now ‘one minute of fame’ with various warnings from the sidelines about creating our digital footprint. What goes online stays online.

So what does fame mean? Our celebrity-obsessed culture seems to suggest that fame is the most desirable goal to attain. Aren’t we forgetting that success is synonymous with hard work, ambition, dedication and real talent? And to make that sustainable, one needs a raw, driven, relentless passion to follow our dreams.

Another fantastic reinforcement of the Virgin brand – the brand that turned the modern day experience of flying on its head. Built firmly on Richard Branson’s personal brand – risk taker, maverick, lateral thinker, marketeer extraordinaire, original, great timing and fun – oh, and he knows how to make money.

And funnier still, the cries of sexism from the balefully humourless, determinedly beige brigade. And it seems that Virgin are not the only ones playing with the politically correct, Alpen have done it too. Their latest advert featuring five beautiful girls working out declares that it’s sexist, and then shows five gorgeous men doing the same thing. All I can say is thank you, thank you clever advertising people. We need a touch of humour in these dark days of doom and gloom.

In an earlier chapter in my career, I was an executive search consultant.  Organisations retained me to find the ideal candidates for various senior management roles.  I would always present a shortlist of three to five candidates.  And in and amongst the group there would often be a ‘wild card’.  Someone who didn’t necessarily tick all the boxes in terms of the brief, but just had that something special.  The WOW factor.  And these ‘wild cards’ would win the role as often as their perfectly qualified, experienced competitors.

I had always put this down to the right combination of EQ/IQ, and in those days, consumed all that I could get my hands on regarding the illusive qualities of emotional intelligence and leadership (we now add PI, or political intelligence and SI, social intelligence to the mix).  All well and good if you want to recognise success and leadership, but not a great deal of help if you want to help others to get there.
I have realised that applying the principles of building a personal brand, which result in us having the impact we need to be successful – is a little like doping athletes.  Except its legal.  An extraordinary, accelerated, leap-frogging occurs.  Take the right combination of raw materials – education, experience, skills, experience, knowledge – and add a dose of self-awareness and self-management.  It’s all down to cause and effect.  People buy people on an emotional level and when we understand what others find compelling about us, we tend to deliver more of this and less of the stuff that others don’t value.

And so the media debate continues over the value of personal branding.  And behind the scenes, young people have already got it.  Have a page on facebook?  Then your brand is out there and you know that compromising photos of a wild night out, or your opinions of your boss shared with friends may well rule you out of a job or promotion.  And if you search twitter, you will find many attributing personal branding to your social and digital media footprint.  For me, all of this is the label on the tin – vital, however, if the contents are not the authentic real deal then it will be impossible to keep up the promise offered by smart marketing and PR – on any platform.

Four years in and I hear the words ‘impact’ and ‘personal branding’ constantly bandied about – and yet still too few are delivering real value to the organisations they work for or the clients they serve.  I have long been frustrated by the lack of resources, learning, and quality associated with delivery of services.  And so, with the support and encouragement of industry colleagues and clients alike, the birth of PIPBA.

PIPBA is for everyone.  Well, everyone who has an interest in developing a powerful personal brand and creating the impact they desire.  We founded PIPBA to offer the public a trusted source of certified people to deliver coaching, training and speaker services.  So you can use us as a reference point to find a certified practitioner, tap into the knowledge, tips and insider info available on our site, attend one of our open events, or even join us as an Affiliate to get a bunch of benefits delivered to you.

And if you are in the personal and professional development fields, you will find all that you need to accelerate your own professional development and to augment the services that you deliver.  More importantly, I look forward to all of our continuing professional development as this rapidly growing industry comes of age around the world.