I think it all goes back to providing people in your industry especially with something that takes you outside your comfort zone and seems crazy or remarkable without hurting yourself or anyone else. There are some great examples in the book Citizen Marketers and some great tips in Purple Cow/Free Prize Inside.

What would make the chapter great is to have some references where to look and then a list of places/times where you can expose your “stunt” to the public.

Just my two cents…

Defining the brand is the most important bit, though, I think.

Also, I would love to see less on the personal brands of people such as Oprah, Jordan, Trump, etc. and more on how your average cubicle worker starts to develop his/her brand.

I’m always honest about working for two benefits, my bosses and my one, and the only way that works is IF your boss can handle that. Otherwise you’ll have to start working on your own soon…

On the other hand, personal branding can boost your career, and create loads and loads of business for your company. Bas says above that it’s harder to build a company of multiple persons on just one “big personal brand”, which I think is true, on the other hand, employers who encourage their employees to build a personal brand themselves can get a LOT of exposure and business through these employees.

The “extra” for them is that people will start thinking “hey there are more great people there, what kind of culture do they have that these people can flourish?” etc. etc.

Anyway, just my 2 cents

2. Then I’d appreciate learning about the best software for logo design and branding if you can’t afford an expert.

3. Show your readers that branding can work miracles! Find an
“Eliza Doolittle” of a site and make a lady out of her!

I happen to have such a site if you’d consider it!

I think maybe taking the 4 elements of personal branding a bit further, then building off of them to the EXTREME.

I agree with Matt J McDonald, above, that some unorthodox or unexpected tips will make it interesting. But even those need to have real life application possibilities. Turning conventional wisdom on its head for its own sake may be entertaining, but
meaningless.

I agree with Scot Herrick, above, that behavior (and product, for that matter) must be consistent with your personal brand. Therefore, when is rebranding appropriate, and how would it affect my authenticity, real and perceived?

I would also like to see information on any limitations of personal branding. I think it is a great concept, but there may be situations where, if taken too far, it is either not necessary in its most individualistic form, or could even backfire.

But, a personal brand is more than the creation and the marketing — you actually have to behave and act in accordance to the personal brand.

So I would list the hundred ways you can have the brand — but lose it through your behavior. Think Paris Hilton. Or Britney Spears. Or the insurance agent who blows you off on your insurance request while parking his SUV in an handicap spot at a busy restaurant even though his insurance company logo is all over the door of his SUV.

Creating and marketing the brand is easy. Living it is full of pitfalls. It’s worth writing about.

What do you wear? What do you smell like? How do you speak? What personality quirks do you have? Your office, your briefcase/bag, there are countless visual cues that help build your brand and they all need to be cohesive.

That’s what I would like to see… Something that encompasses all of that kind of stuff.

Also, how about a section for narrowing down your skills and abilities into one sentence, such as “Personal Branding Spokesman”, etc etc. Developing that one core brand statement.

You may also want to use example of successful Personal Brands such as Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey.

just some ideas…ill send you more when I think of them!

I’m in line for that book already.

I like the title, but I would never say, “I’m kinda a web developer”. I think it lacks confidence and is a bit arrogant. I’d be drawn more to a person that said “I am a big deal” rather than someone who is in doubt about his/her confidence by saying “I’m Kinda a Big Deal”. Think about it. A vice president could say, “I’m kinda the president” becasue he isn’t THE President. Knw what I mean? Maybe I’m wrong, but I AM excellent at what I do. I’m not KINDA good atwhat I do. Who would hire me with that confidence? Just my 2 cents and I am super interested in what others think. Which sounds more unsure? “I kinda” or “I am”?

2 things would be great to include:
1) Anecdotes, examples, real case stories of normal people — not the celebrities we typically think of.

2) Re-branding yourself – mid-career & 2nd career. In fact, one of my clients is an expert on Baby Boomers (aka, “Head Boomer”) staying vital in the workplace (with young-centric age-ism that has ironically blessed us). She may be a good person for you talk to.

Let me know…
~ Vikram
PersonalBrandMarketing.com

Would enjoy reading the book, good luck with it

I’d love to see some sort of an “action plan” for people who are getting starting in defining their personal brand, that perhaps along with some quirky, unorthodox tips might make it interesting and stand out.