Building Your Personal Brand - Part 1

“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
- Matthew 7:17

In the business world of products and services, defining your BRAND is a huge success factor. Nike, Apple, Starbucks, BMW, and thousands of others have built brands that convey a message or an ideal. Their name and logo strikes a chord in the minds of the public and we immediately develop an impression. Ultimately, everything they do builds and represents that brand.

When I think of Apple, I think of innovation, cutting edge technology, futuristic design, and simplicity. Apple has a brand that says, ”Our products are simple to use, light years beyond the competition, and we’re COOL.” Their IPods, desktop computers, laptops, and software all support that brand. Nike has built a legacy brand that is still strong. When we think competitive sports apparel, we think NIKE. Their brand message is to go all out in life, be a winner, push yourself to the limit and just do it. Branding is EVERYWHERE and not only in the business world. Did you know you carry a brand?

The minute you walk out of your door, you become a mobile billboard. The clothes you wear, to the way you talk, the job you hold, the work you produce, your attitude, and even your facial expression contribute to your personal brand. If you exercise this particular set of behaviors consistently over time, you strengthen your brand whether bad or good.

In today’s world of public leadership, building a personal brand is something we have to be conscious of. As an Evangeleader, what market are you trying to influence? Does your brand image, both externally and internally, influence that market effectively? These are questions we should ask ourselves in order to create an influential brand in the public arena.

During the next several weeks, we’re going to dive into the Evangeleader brand. What is it? How do we align with that brand? Remember, the goal is to maximize our influence and make it tangible, measurable, and real. Don’t get stuck in the “potential zone”!

As we begin this “brand” journey, ask yourself, “What is the brand image I convey on a daily basis?” Does it need some tweaking and improvement? How does the Lord feel about your personal brand? Till next time…

Pop the Culture,

Bro. Wize

Embracing Risk

“Fear not for I AM with you; be not dismayed for I AM your God.”
- Isaiah 41:10

I’ve been learning more and more about myself as an evangeleader and one of the challenges I face is my own aversion towards risk. It is something I’ve had to face in the mirror, question, and manage in order to get where I am today. Ever since I started pursuing my true calling in 2000, it has been a journey of making decisions that require me to embrace risk.

Risk is defined as “exposure to the chance of injury or loss.” Certain decisions may expose us to a loss of money, respect, image, comfort, stability, riches, or even bodily health. When we fly, we are exposed to the possibility of crashing into the open sea. When we eat, we’re exposed to the chance of food poisoning, but most of us do these things without thinking much about the risk involved. Why?

Well, for one, we see the great benefit of eating and flying. In my case, if I don’t eat, I’ll disappear…so it is not an option for me :) I also highly doubt anyone wants to sail across the sea or drive to every work assignment that is several states away. We take on risk because of the overwhelming benefit.

Also note that we take on the risk of everyday decisions because somehow we have already estimated the possibility of experiencing loss or injury. We fly on vacation because we doubt anything would really happen. The possibility of injury or loss is very low. There are no equations or statistics running through our minds, we simply move forward because past experience and our observations give us a feeling of comfort.

As an Evangeleader, the ability to embrace risk is going to be a huge part of your success. Decisions to follow a career path, move across the country, take a new promotion, start a small business, or enter the mission field cannot be made without embracing risk. If we live in fear of the risks involved in life, it will be very difficult to fulfill our calling and glorify God at our maximum potential.

Before you opt out of your next decision because of the risk involved, consider these 3 key points:

1. First, what is the potential benefit of embracing the risk?

2. Second, think about your past experiences with God. Has he demonstrated a pattern of letting you down? Probably not. If so, you have to question whether your decisions were outside of His will.

3. Third, before you run towards your comfort zone, what do you observe in the lives of other men and women of faith. Has God let them down when they made a Godly and Risky decision?

Past experience should tell you that God delivers big time and observing God’s hand in the lives of others will just reinforce that fact. Remember, the Evangeleader is not just a leader in society. We’re leaders that walk with the Author and Finisher of our faith. Learn to embrace risk, because the benefits could be beyond your imagination.

Pop the Culture,

Bro. Wize