Brenda’s Blog

Most of you know I travel a lot, but September and October were filled with two personal “never-done-that-before” travel feats: I worked on four continents in the span of seven days in September and four continents in the span of 11 days in October. Yes, in those very short time frames, I was in such places as Singapore, Sydney, Bangkok, Manchester, the U.S. Midwest, and Prague, just to name a few. (By the way, I didn’t experience any jet lag during the entire journey. If you’re curious about how I do that, stay tuned! I will be releasing a new book in 2011 that shares my proven system for achieving jet-lag-free and easy travel.)

While visiting these far-flung locales, I was able to squeeze in a few moments to enjoy some of the sites they are famous for. As I gazed at the Sydney Opera House and watched the men of Manchester raise their Boddingtons Beer bottles, I was reminded that places are branded just like people, companies, and products. And that most cities and countries have iconic symbols that have come to stand for those places – like the Grand Palace in Bangkok or the Old Town in Prague.

Then, I got to thinking … what about ‘icons’ that represent the brands of the companies we lead … and, well – why not – our own personal brands? I’m not necessarily talking about any kind of “logo” or “sign” here, per se … but something more tangible that others would say represents either the product brand you market, your company brand, or YOU™ – the Trademarked You.

Getting clear on a representative icon is a great way to pinpoint your brand and what it stands for. So, ask yourself: If people were to think of one visual symbol that represents you as an individual or represents what your company stands for, what would it be?

THE BRAND ICON CHALLENGE:

I challenge you to give this some thought and come up with a representative icon for yourself or your company — and I will reward you for doing it!

After you’ve given your brand icon some thought, let me hear from you about it! Write to me and answer one or all of these questions:

1. What is the brand icon of the place where you live? If you’re in San Francisco, for example, you’d probably say the Golden Gate Bridge.

2. What is the brand icon for “YOU™” – your own personal brand icon? Is it an animal… a flower… a type of tree… the list could go on and on…

3. What is the brand icon for your company? Get creative here, and remember: it’s important to think about how your customers would see it.

NOW, HERE’S THE ‘PRIZE’ PART…!

When you use the comment box, below, to share your response to any one of these questions, you will automatically be eligible to be one of TEN lucky winners (chosen out of a hat) to receive the 2011 Woman’s Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar, with my compliments.

This calendar is a great page-a-day type of calendar filled with quotes from successful women entrepreneurs. Now, if you’re a guy, don’t be fooled by the calendar’s name – the calendar definitely isn’t just for women! In fact, many of my male clients have commented on how much they enjoy – and have been inspired by – this annual calendar. Each page is filled with innovative ideas on strategy, teambuilding, marketing, finance, and more so it’s jam-packed with 365 valuable insights for anyone in business.

Over 5,000 quotes were sent in for the calendar this year, so I feel fortunate that my quote was selected (I am also featured on the cover this year!). I have been quoted in the past two years’ calendars as well, and I’m so grateful for this that I want to give away TEN free 2011 calendars in hopes that my e-newsletter and blog readers will enjoy them as much as I have in the past.

It’s a gift of over $20 USD, and I want to give one to you – free – because I know it’s something that will provide you with meaningful, thought-provoking information that you can use every day.

So, don’t miss out – click the comment button below, and enter the brand icon challenge!