Reflections of a Square Peg

What a difference a day makes

Looking out of my Seattle hotel room early this morning (trying to stay on Ontario time), it really struck me the differecne between last week in New York and now.

Everywhere you look in Seattle are construction cranes - it's booming - and it's exciting, people are positive about the city - it is becoming a destination of choice to work, the outdoors lifestyle is attractive to many and the city has won numerous climate control and environmental awards.

When it comes to personal branding we take a close look at our own values and in the corporate work we do it extends to marry up personal values to those of the company. Perhaps there is even a reason to look at the values of where we choose to live as part of that comparison.

Have you heard the news in New York?

Currently working with a client in New York, the discussion is all about Wall Street and the impact that may or may not have on their business.

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Congratulations on your new job - NOT!

Just came across a new branding blog Dim Bulb by Jonathan Salem Baskin, author of Branding Only Works on Cattle and saw this post today - a memo to Mark Snyder the new VP- Chief Marketing Officer at K-Mart congratulating him on his new job.

Whilst humorous (and biting) it still makes some very important points about the changing landscape for branding - and made me think equally about how that impacts personal branding and managing your career.

• Focus - it's no longer about touchpoints, get out there and find where the hiring managers form, make and actually hire - forget the traditional apporaches to finding a job
• Living - find organizations where everyone is really living the culture and values that are a fit for you, not just paying lip service to some mission statement that means nothing and they have not had a say in creating and developing
• Influencing - working for organizations where that brand extends beyond its own walls (virtual or otherwise) and makes a difference to all that it touches - suppliers, customers, community.

Make sense?