Tag: Personal branding

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5 Life transforming Quotes

Sharing with all of you another set of powerful quotes that helped me sail through life and transformed the way I look at life. The words are few but the impact they had on me was life transforming. So here are some powerful insights that will shake up your life.“Why do you stay in prison when the door is wide open?”~ Rumi

We always see this world as restrictive, always finding ourselves being stopped and suppressed by this world and what we do is putting the blame on poverty,unemployment and what not . We think that world is stopping us but most of us don’t think that it is we stopping ourselves” I cant do that”, ” That’s not possible for me”, ” How can I do it?”, does’nt all this sounds familiar. The reality is that we are afraid of the vast possibilities waiting for us out there and find comfort in something comfortable. Whatever we wish to do, if we start for it today , if we dare to think about it, dare to live in it, there is nothing we cant achieve. So, stop being afraid of your dreams. Every person is capable of everything. Don’t let your mind blur your vision of life.

“I Stopped explaining myself when I realized people only understand from their level of perception” We always keep explaining ourselves to others but we must know this that we wont be able to please everybody, however hard we may try, we wont be able to live upto anybody’s expectation, the only one we can please is ourselves. Everyone will see you from their eyes, their prejudices and their attitude. So, stop justifying your actions to others. I have heard people saying ” I could’nt sleep yesterday so I am sleeping now”, why I mean why do we need to justify everything that we do, cant we simply say that I want to sleep and that is why I am sleeping. So, stop explaining yourself to others but do what you feel like, even if you make a mistake, say sorry but don’t justify for we all are humans and evey time you make a mistake, you justify the divine plan which made us imperfect, so stop pleasing others, just be yourself because no one will ever see you as you see yourself.

The more I feel imperfect, the more I feel alive”¬ Jhumpa lahiri

It saddens me to see that so much life is wasted in trying to prove that we are perfect. The world never designed us for perfection. Yes we can always strive for it but in that process we must never lose the essence of being a human being. We are so full of light and darkness but all the time we try to prove that there is only light within us. Our rejecting the dark side which is very much a part of us is the leading cause of all unhappiness. Why cant we say that I did a mistake because I am human and why cant we get rid of those silly excuses that we make to show that we are epitome of perfection.

All creative heads were successful because they never strive to become ‘normal’, they never thought of themselves as the perfect person. As a famous man once said that without a tinge of madness, there can be no creativity. So, don’t try to become perfect because imperfection is the new perfection. ”You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens”¬ Rumi

Every relationship, every struggle and every pain in life has a purpose. Till the time we don’t understand the essence of pain, we wont be able to understand the nature of happiness. In our life we encounter love, hate, jealousy and all other emotions, our heart breaks so many times but just as diamond gets polished by rubbing it against stone. Similarly ,the more we are rubbed by life, the more pain we see, the more we know the worth of happiness. Heartbreaks and loss may jam us for a while but when the heart opens again, it opens much wider than before. So, be great full to all the dark events of your life because more than anything else, these dark moments made you seek true happiness, it made you seek life, it made you seek love more than anything else. Without tasting false love, we would never realize the true one! ”Don’t wait. The time will never be just right”¬ Mark Twain

We always keep waiting for that moment which would change our lives forever because we value one moment over other but what we forget is that all moments are same, each one capable of changing our lives in a second. I wanted to write a book but this dilemma did’nt spare me too, I was always searching for that one moment. It was not under that unusual light or divine guidance that I wrote but it was just a moment which I grabbed and that made all the difference. Time will always be same, each second going by is a chance to live your dream life. The only difference between those who succeed and those who not is that the former make every moment special and the latter leave all moments to search for the special. We must know that all these moments are just made for me.

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‘AUTHENTICITY’ – The Skeleton Of Personal Branding

I would like to start this blog by asking you all to close your eyes and imagine the taste of ‘Pepsi’ and try to differentiate it from ‘Coca cola’, what do you feel? Both look alike but are they really same? Does it takes a lot of time for us to differentiate between the two? I don’t think so, it is just a matter of time! Now what we see is that two so similar looking brands differ so greatly that with just a sip of it, we know what is it! We with our strong perception of things are able to distinguish the more sweeter and less fizzy ‘Pepsi’ from the more tangy and fizzier ‘Coca cola’! This is because when we see an object, the moment we experience it, we associate it with certain features and this is how branding happens.

Branding as I have said before is not just limited to things alone but humans do fall under its clutches. Lets go in for another example, for instance, if I ask you to imagine MR Mahendra Singh Dhoni, what all comes to your mind? A calm, cool and an experienced young man with extraordinary genius and profound wisdom! Am I right? So, what did you do? You just branded the ex captain of team India. Just like MS Dhoni, we too are micro celebrities of our lives and we too are branded all the time.

Personal Branding is to actively and consciously associate yourself with certain qualities that precede your name and becomes ‘YOU’. Just like Business Branding, Personal Branding too fetches us some benefits like we are able to define ourselves which is the first step in building a strong personality and opens the gateway for opportunities and professional invites. The statement we make about ourselves enables us to find a unique place for us in the world of duplicates.

The only path to PERSONAL BRANDING is authenticity and uniqueness which are the fundamental basis of it and determine the quality of brand called YOU.

WHAT IS ‘ AUTHENTICITY’?

The word stands for being true to yourself. Authenticity is searching the real you beneath the heap of characteristics people throw at us freely, it is the mild boundary between what we know about ourselves and what the world wants us to know about ourselves. It is the distinction between what we wish to do and what world wants us to do! All the success stories across the globe shout that when we know ourselves, what we really are and what we intend to do, there is absolutely no force stronger than this that can make a person successful! The moment we decide to be our true self, we automatically come in sync with our unique self and we become one of a kind!

ACHIEVING ‘ AUTHENTICITY’ OFFLINE

Branding happens both in offline and online space. To become our authentic self is not an easy job as we are often affected by the world we live in but it is the only way to success if we wish to create a powerful brand. Here are a few tips which might help us in achieving authenticity in our offline space:

1 . Ask yourself what you really wished to do if there were no social obligations that now decide the course of your life

2 . Ask yourself what is your vision even if it sounds unrealistic

3 . Ask yourself what unique skills you possess

4 . If the skills you possess are not unique, ask yourself that how can you use them differently

5 . Form a philosophy for life and define your values and ideals and believe in them wholeheartedly

6 . Reflect your values in your action, behaviour and gestures

7 . Define your goal and try achieving it with values you have based your life on

8 . Form genuine relationships with people and maintain consistency

9 . Maintain consistency of behaviour, action and thought

10 . Keep your eyes firm on the destination but don’t question the various paths that lead to it, learn about each , change directions but not the destination

11 . Do the same thing but in your own unique way

12 . Do or say things which are needed

ACHIEVING ‘AUTHENTICITY’ ONLINE

When you are creating an authentic version of you, then you cannot afford to be two different people at two different times or in two different spaces, so its very necessary for us that our professional and personal life must reflect the same ‘YOU’. Authenticity on Social Media is when your profile wall reflects your life as closely as possible. Here are a few tips one can adopt to create an authentic image on social media:

1 . Use your authentic name, place and date of birth while making a profile

2 . Create a unique and authentic profile name which must be logical, short and in some way connected with your idea

3. Share your likes and dislikes openly and the movements or events you support

4 . Say things you actually believe in and support those things which you associate with and not just supporting it just because others did so

5 . Have an authentic profile picture

6. Have a say on things you have an expertise in! Also go for blogging or other form of expression like making videos and so on

7 . Be consistent in your expression and differentiate your work from others

8 . Improve your visibility by expressing your genuine and new ideas on platforms like LINKEDIn which provides ample of opportunities for us to grow

Whether it be online or offline branding, personal branding cannot be achieved without the framework of authenticity because authenticity brings us in sync with our unique mission and label us with immortal and perennial characteristics which are totally ours and no one shares with us. Our visions vary drastically and so are ideas and we. So the strategy used by one is not a sure path to success, if it suits one it doesnt mean that it might suit all. If our dreams are not alike then why should our actions be? If we are not alike then why should our ideas be? The only road that guarantee you success is the path of authenticity and also the most fundamental process when it comes to Personal Branding.

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Branding is in the air, beware!!

Personal Branding is everyone’s cup of tea and is not just about Actors or Politicians or Businessmen. It is more common than we think. You know what is the difference between a doctor and a patient? both have a fine body system, both pump blood but one takes a breath without being conscious of it and the other knows the process by heart. Now who is at the advantage? Or who can do self care? We all know the answer well, its the doctor! And now answer me that who will run for help in all directions? Yes, ofcourse, its the patient. That is exactly the difference between a person who is ignorant of Branding and a person who knows it well.
Branding happens with each one of us, some remain ignorant towards it while others are much aware of it and become masters of their lives. ‘Branding’ appears to be a commercial term and is like an iceberg, what appears on the surface appears light and superficial but it is deep as hell. I realised lately that ‘branding’ is not just a part of our life but is deep rooted phenomenon and comes out in each word that pours down from your mouth.

Lets take a drive towards ‘Astrology’, the moment we were born, do you remember we being handed over a character certificate by the universe which we call the ‘Janampatri’, just kidding! It makes our life so easy, all steps laid down for us, “at 3 you will walk, at 5 you will talk, at 7 you will dance and at 21 this and at 22 that.” Does it sounds familiar? Jokes apart, it is a valid, authentic and scientific piece of information which at the end of the day might fetch a husband or a wife for you! Are you with me on this? Now lets take a step back, just relax yourself and think about it, what exactly happened with you? The shocking truth is that universe just branded you! Oh my gosh, if universe is doing this to you then spare us guys, for we are just humans!

Lets spare ‘Personal Branding’ for a while because till the time we haven’t tasted branding, we can never understand the true essence of Personal Branding. A large number of us are alien to this process and we are dealing with it, each day and that too ignorantly. The moment we start talking about branding, people start coming up with things like “spare this talk for professionals for we are common people who have nothing to do with brand”  and they put a full stop before things actually begin. The truth is that Branding is shaping our destiny, every single day and we are nodding in ignorance!

When I started becoming conscious of ‘Branding’, I felt transformed and I realized how it was controlling my life up till now. My face, my choices and even my goals were branded by others! The other day I was talking about the increasing number of molestation cases against women and the high vulnerability of women in India, when suddenly out of no where, I heard these words “You are a feminist, don’t you see bad things happening with men out there”. The moment I heard this, I knew I was being branded, everyone would view me in the sane light because that day that girl was painting a false image of mine for other people to see, I sprung up and told her that I was just a common person with a fine sense of judgement who with help of stats could easily weigh the difference in abuse rate of men and women. I told her that I don’t have to be a feminist to see the difference that was obvious. You may wonder what this has to do with personal branding? Wait for a while and you will know what I am talking about. The moment I realized that I was being branded, I decided to refuse the tags which people were throwing at me passively and all of them were going unchecked. That day I decided that I will create my own tags for others to see! I wanted to put out my authentic self and from then, I took charge of my branding by becoming conscious of it and this is my friend, the very moment I met ‘Personal Branding’ face to face.

Branding can control your life to the extent of suffocation. Never underestimate its power. On the other hand, Personal Branding can transform your life in unexpected ways. The other day I was listening to a mystic who beautifully explained the science of Astrology which though authentic is a default map of our lives. It is just like those passive tags people throw at us. If we don’t change the system or put our own program into it, we would be governed by the planet system. The default branding of the universe will carry us throughout our lives. The idea is to take the drivers seat and since branding can never stop, so keep on being branded but doing it actively by throwing out what you wish to take in! If you are satisfied with the passive branding whose victim you already are, then your life will be in hands of people who brand you but the moment you take charge of your own personal branding, then you will make other people see what you want them to see! Don’t let branding control you, be the boss of your own life and make people see or hear what you wish them to see or hear!

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Brand the life called ‘You’!!

When it comes to ‘Personal Branding’, all we talk about is making Branding a conscious and living process. It is creating our authentic self and finding that unique space in the world of copies. ‘Personal Branding‘ means that we get to decide how people must see us or what we hear about ourselves. It is the process of making others see what we wish to make them see about ourselves. But the only way one can tap this power is by nurturing Authenticity and Uniqueness. Now the question comes up that ‘Why’ is it important? and ‘How’ to go about it?

There are 4 Ws’ of Personal Branding which I would love to discuss one at a time.

Why go for Personal Branding?

You may be an artist or an ambitious entrepreneur but in a world so full of talented people out there, do you find yourself standing out in some aspect? The question is who knows you? Or, if they do know you then what is that they know about you? In most of the cases, we may be known to a group of friends or our next door neighbours or to the people of our colony we live in. Then think about it when no one knows anything about us, how are they going to approach us? People perceive us on the basis of information they receive about us from various sources. So, the only way to show yourself out there is to become visible. To gain success, your reputation must precede your name. These words like ‘Reputation’ or ‘Fame’ are nothing but the quality of information circulating about you!
If you aspire to become an entrepreneur, then till the time your ideas reach out to others, no one will spot you and we shall remain a wasted talent all our lives. Do you want this for yourself? No employer shall hire you without knowing about you. Not just this even for finding a suitable spouse today, one does a lot of research. Everything comes back to your visibility.
For instance, you are going on vacation to a new place and you have no idea about the place, its hotels or other tourist spots. So what will you do? Most of us go to the official webpage of that hotel and learn about its rating, the facilities available and the reviews and then you make a judgement. What they show you online, you believe it with all your heart. Am I right or am I not? This is exactly what we do. Branding in simple terms mean making a statement “This is who I am” , laying down a set of your characteristics and projecting it with conviction.

What to do?

To become a brand, there are two things that need to be taken care of, first we need to be Authentic and secondly we have to identify our Uniqueness.
Authenticity means that we are what we actually are. You cant be two different people when it comes to your professional or personal life. When you have no faces to hide and when you are yourself, you earn trust from people which is the basis of all personal and professional relationships. What is your reaction when you are fooled by the pictures of a beautiful hotel which in reality turns out to be a disaster! Do you find it pleasant? Of course not! Then if you are trying to show something which you are not, then sooner or later you will be caught. Authenticity can never be replaced.

I love Ranvir Singh for the reason that wherever you find him whether on a film screen or a social event or at his home, he is just the same and that’s what make him a great person. Authenticity empowers you because it means you are not afraid to be yourself. Your relationships, your words and even your pictures must be an extension of your personality and not something that you take from outside.
Uniqueness is another dimension that we need to work on. Most of us exist as photocopies. If a person is doing great in something, we blindly follow it without thinking for a second that do I as a person relate to it, is it my extension? Is it really me? I have seen people doing food blogging, if one starts, others follow. There is nothing wrong in it but where is the variety. Thousands of people going to the same place, posting the same kind of food and expecting attention. This is not how things will work. We need to pick just one thing but do it with all the passion that is inside of us. Not even one DNA matches another, then it is for sure that at our fundamental level, we all are unique. We can’t last long in this race of life till we have something which no one has! Write a blog, use the same ideas but do it in way that is only yours. If you promote business ideas, think out of the box, don’t just repeat what other person said. There is a possibility that initially you may not receive the desired appreciation but in the long run, you will win because you are not a copy.

Where?

Be active on Social Media
Its time now to remove the negative connotation from the word ‘Social Media’, I m not judging whether it is good or bad but all I know is that it is our current reality and if we use it to our advantage, then there is nothing better than that. Go for Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or say even Snapchat. There is nothing wrong in it . Say something which you relate to say for instance, fashion, business or anything. Your say counts! What you say becomes ‘You’, so be cautious of what you say. Write a blog or share a picture that you associate with. Never forget you are branding yourself, your words are becoming you! Make a profile, choose a name which is unique and get started right away.

What to write and When to write?

Sometimes on Facebook or Instagram we do get these friend requests with weird names which we often reject. So the next important thing is that we need to create a profile with a unique name which is not shared by anyone, so that when people search you, there must be less number of people competing with you. The name of your profile must be attractive and easy to pronounce.
After making a profile, you need to decide an area of your expertise or even for your personal life, the pictures you select must have some meaning for you. The relationships you form must be genuine. Consistent relationships which decorate your profile walls attract people and make you a loyal and trustworthy person.

Whatever you post must have relevance to you irrespective of what the world demands. Whatever you write or say must be consistent with your daily actions and you must regularize your writing or blogging and must be done on weekly or monthly basis which is even true for your personal life. There are people out there whose personality gets reflected with a single post, one day you get a subliminal post on spirituality and the other day they come with some practical and materialistic tips. Are we trying to fool ourselves or others? What we are doing is purely contradicting ourselves, if you are spiritual then you have nothing to do with the practality of life! That’s the only rule! I am not saying that being practical is something bad but if you just accept it and don’t go on contradicting yourself on social media. That wall is a scanner, if you are not authentic, your name won’t last long!

Offline Branding

Branding is not to be limited to Social Media but it must be an integral part of our existence. We say we are creating our authentic self which means that what we are online we must be offline as well. So what we say or do in our personal lives is very much a part of personal branding. For instance you are in a party, surrounded by people of all kinds who have little or no information about you, so in order to create a unique space for yourself where people remember you in a certain desired way when they leave the party, you need to adopt principles of personal branding like you must be the same person in front of all people out there, you must say things which really matter to you and are consistent with your own life, you must know well the direction you are heading in and you must have impressive communication skills and just by being your true self, you will attract people who admire you and you shall show them what you want to make them see. Everything you say or do in real life, the relationships you hold and your unique personality is exactly what you need to pay attention to in order to create the brand called you. Here too you need to focus on two things, your authentic personality, authentic relationships and authentic style of living and also nurturing your uniqueness as a person.
Making yourself a brand is not something bad but it means that you are the driver of your own life. Somehow life will always brand you but the moment you decide for yourself what you wish to make others see what they want to see in you or hear what you wish to hear about yourself, then you become your destiny!

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Era of Personal Branding

I shall begin with a simple question, ”What comes in your mind when I ask you to think about a KFC burger?” Apart from that drooling, does anything else strikes your mind? I will tell you what goes inside your mind, you visualize a “crunchy” bite with minimum spice. Am I right or am I not? You know what we call it, we call it “Branding”. It is not at all uncommon, its very natural to us that we link specific features to certain objects and when their names come up before us, we are suddenly reminded of its qualities.
Branding is a usual phenomenon in business world. It is also there in our personal lives but it is that we are just not aware of it. From getting up in the morning till late at night, we surround ourselves with all sort of ‘Brands’. Let us go for another example, I usually prefer eating ‘Parle – G’ along with tea. You may find it absurd to talk about Parle – G and what connection does it have with the topic of discussion. But believe me, it does have! When I hear the word Parle – G, I associate it with some qualities like ‘light’, ‘soft’ and tastes like baby food. You may say that there are a good number of mouth melting cookies out there like ‘Bourbon’ or ‘Hide & Seek’ and who can forget everyone’s favourite ‘Oreo’. But in spite of so many mouth watering cookies available in the market, no cookie can ever match the ‘baby food’ taste of Parle – G. I am not against other cookies but every cookie has its uniqueness which can never be replaced by another.
Now the question is that if we are so willing in creating a space for the products we create, then why should we spare ourselves? Are we not important as Parle – G or Bourbon? Do we not deserve a uniqueness like that? Why should we limit ourselves as a ‘Brand’ of some company, sharing its ideals and principles and why not becoming a Brand of life? Why should we live two different lives at the same time? Why can’t we celebrate our uniqueness both at home and office? This is where the concept of ‘Personal Branding’ steps in.

Branding happens everyday!

Remember the time your maternal or paternal uncle or aunt came to see you and what they said, “You look just like your mother, or your nose is like your father, or you have such a bad handwriting, you would surely become a doctor” Does all this sounds familiar? It happens with each one of us, everyday of our lives. We are branded to that extent that somebody else tells us what we must do in life.
Just like the products around us, we too are ‘Branded’ every single day of our lives. When our name comes up, people who know us, associate us with some characteristics which may be good or not, depending upon what we project outside. People mostly brand us when we are not around. There are multitudes of brands out there, some stay for long while others fade away soon, for some their features are so attractive that their fame comes before their name while for others, we need to do a lot of research. Same goes for us, if we are unique and attractive, then our fame comes before our name.

What is Personal Branding?

Branding was initially a common trend among Celebrities, Sports people, Businessmen and Politicians. Like we all know who is ‘Ambani’ or ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ or ‘Amitabh Bachhan’. We don’t need to do a lot of research about them, though distant from us but we know much about them. Personal branding means to create an authentic true copy of our self in front of others, promote it and make our presence feel in the world. It also means to create the ‘Unique You’ which never dies and is never out of trend. In other words when we consciously brand ourselves, we call it Personal Branding. We are not products, but we are no less than products if we allow others to brand us from their perspective. What makes us human is making the process of branding a living and conscious process and living it each day of our lives.

Personal Branding comes from ‘Authenticity’

We see M.S Dhoni choosing advertisements which promote his real life tag line as ‘Captain Cool’, he does so because it matches with his real self, with who he actually is! He is not pretending in front of cameras and when we see him, we know before hand that he is a man of patience and extraordinary calm. He is not leading two lives but what we see on the screen is actually close to what we are told about him. Similarly, Akshay Kumar promotes healthy lifestyle because it is something which really matters to him in his real life.

With Authenticity comes Uniqueness

Like it is said that no two DNA’s match each other, so is true when comes to Authenticity. When we are Ourselves, then we can never be a ‘Copy’, and when we are ‘Unique’, our place can never be replaced. Can this world have another Rajnikant? Of course not, there can be no replica of him, because he is one of a kind. We see that no two brands are absolutely alike, they are all different in different ways and exist side by side in the same market of life.

To become a Brand, Reputation must precede name

For instance, I need help from ‘Sadh Guru’, then do I need to enquire about him?. ‘No’! because his reputation is widespread and comes before his name. But how was it possible? Because with one tap of phone, I can know his entire world but if I need some spiritual advice from a less known mystic, then I would have to do a thorough research and there are chances that I wont trust him in the same way as I put trust in ‘Sadh Guru’. Though he may have all abilities which ‘Sadh Guru’ is blessed with, but just because there is no information about him nor anyone has heard him, he may tend to go unnoticed.

Reputation comes with a sense of Purpose

In order to show yourself and to create an indestructible space for yourself, you need to have a strong sense of purpose behind everything you say or do. There are people who post most carelessly on social media, their posts are so haphazard that one cannot make out who actually they are. This happens when we post things without a true sense of purpose.

Digital Presence makes you visible

Many people blame Social Media and think about it as waste of time. They take excessive pride in staying away from Social Media. But we don’t realize that today it is the perfect platform where our voice could be heard by using it wisely, we surely can create space in this world. Recently I was inspired by a dance team called ‘Team Naach’, a group of girls who reached to such height not solely by their hard work but by consistently sharing their videos on YouTube. They attracted a good number of opportunities by making a strong digital presence.

Say what you want to hear back and show what you actually do!

Whatever we may post on Instagram or Facebook or LinkedIn, it must be in sync with our attitude. We are free to choose what we wish to share but there must be a ‘Why’, ‘What’ and ‘To Whom’, behind our each word. Also, what we show out there, must not be different from whom we actually are. Our relationships must be genuine and there is no room for pretension in world of Personal Branding even if you are the CEO of a great company!  You must be what you actually are!

To conclude, I would simply say that now we have entered an era where ‘Personal branding’ must not be limited to just Celebrities or Businessmen, but it must be a universal phenomenon and each one of us deserves to use it to the best of our ability, because at the end of the day, we all wish to be heard and seen. We must always remember that the only thing which differentiates us from inanimate objects is our consciousness which no product has. We can be a piece of block hit by tags from all sides or I can jump to the drivers seat of my life and redefine the tags which I want to hear for myself. That is what makes us human. The ability to change and to create is what makes us human. Branding is passive but Personal Branding is pure creativity.

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Whose driving your car?

There are two kinds of people in life, one who prefer sitting on passenger seat and then those who love sitting on the driver’s seat. Which one of them are you? Don’t you think we human beings are always conflicted when it comes to our driving force, whether we are capable of pulling ourselves or is it life which is pulling us. Too much of confusion. I have seen some people who consider themselves responsible for every single thing that happens and then there are those who hate responsibility and find it easy to put the entire blame on God or Government.

Sometimes I think about great people like Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi or Rosa Park who brought about a change in their world. It seems as if these people were different from us in some way. Why it happens that only few of us reach the height of excellence? Initially I thought that people are different but you know the reality is just the other way round, we are very much alike. Then the question is what is it that makes us appear so different?

There are a variety of people we meet everyday, some are of the view that life is what controls us, whatever happens with you is fated and will happen with you no matter how hard you try to escape it. I have seen such people behaving like victims of fate! ‘O life did this to me’ or ‘I am ill fated’. I have seen these people waiting outside the Astrologer’s home just to know what they must be doing next. Again there are those who think that they get to decide what happens with them. They love sitting on the drivers seat and they spare life for all mishaps. After thinking about it for a long period of time, I have reached the conclusion that our perspective about life makes all the difference.

Recently I was listening to a psychic who was talking about Astrology and how it impacts mankind, with so much ease he summed up the concept by saying that planets will affect you till the time you allow them to affect you. If I think that so and so planet is transitioning and such and such thing will happen, I have already decided for myself and that will surely happen. I can’t control my laughter when people say that they are aggressive because Mars is strong in their chart! I am not against the Science of Astrology and I too believe in it but the only influence planets have on us is that they either accelerate our success rate or slow it down but they are not going to work for us, efforts need to be put from our side and universe shall garnish only the result of such efforts, either speeding it up or slowing it down. We don’t listen to Astrologers to predict our future but to know that if universal situations are not suitable then what efforts should be put in to nullify the bad energy. This is the correct way of looking at Astrology. We cannot allow things to happen to us. Universe is doing its job, you need to do yours.

I remember a story of two boys who were predicted by a known psychic to top in their respective classes and as a result of the prediction, they had left putting efforts in their work and as a result of which they failed. Like many other people, they too had put all the blame on the psychic but never realised that universe only backs us when we put in the efforts and if we just let it go then nothing can make us succeed. Thoughts are so powerful that the moment we decide to think differently, our life changes. At the end of the day, our thoughts decide the course of our lives.

What Mahatma Gandhi did was next to impossible but see it happened. It happened because he thought it was possible or he was capable of bringing about a change. There is a famous story that goes around Edison, for making bulb he tried approximately 500 elements that could be used as its filament and then failed. Once he was asked by a reporter that how bad he felt that he had spent so many useful hours for nothing. Many would have agreed to what the reporter had said and think it to be absolutely true and many of us would have felt disappointed but you know what Edison said, he said that he was fortunate that he tried 500 elements, identified them and now he knows that these 500 elements cannot be used as a filament.

Just a change in perspective, and our lives shall change many folds. I have seen people crying over their fate and doing nothing about it, it is purely pathetic. Life only provides us with raw materials but what we make out of it is totally our call! Suppose some injustice happens with a stranger and you did’nt like it and it pissed you off then what would you do? Would you raise your voice or just leave the situation, most of us would choose option B. Who are we to them and what can we do? Such questions we ask ourselves almost each day of our life and how we react to it makes all the difference. If I think I can make a difference, then surely I can. People differ not because what they do or what life does with them but because what they think. If we take the drivers seat, we are not sure what kind of roads we may encounter but when we are driving, we will be able to cross them successfully. We will surely become less fearful because we are holding the steering wheel and we can turn it in any direction and we can decide the speed. But if we are on the passenger’s seat, we would be more anxious because we don’t know how to drive and the outside conditions are driving us nuts, then we shall only cry for “help, help and help”..

There are 2 kinds of people which I already mentioned , one who think that they are the drivers ,who take control of their lives and consider themselves responsible for what happens with them in life. (Internal locus of control) Such people are capable of bringing about change in life and take an active role in life. They are less affected by outside circumstances. On the other hand there are those who love passengers seat and think that external forces control them , they believe that life is driving them and they are just passengers. (External locus of Control), Such people are passive in their approach and are strong believers of fate. They think of themselves as incapable of bringing about a change.

In order to provide a clear picture of the concept, lets jump into an elaborate comparison. Lets consider 2 persons namely A and B.

A Have high external locus of control Strong believer of fate Dislike taking responsibility for their actions Lose morale easily Fear of dreaming big Fear of exploring new paths Lack confidence Never take risks and initiatives Never think out of box Go with the flow approach

B

Have high internal locus of control

Believe in themselves

Take responsibility for their actions

Are self motivated

Love dreaming big

Often walk on unexplored paths

Have high self confidence

Take risks and initiatives

Nurture new and unique ideas

Creative approach

So i would end with a question for you to decide that whether you want to drive your life or allow life to drive you?

 

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Personal Branding – ‘I ‘ in the Making!

When we hear the word ‘Brand’, we think of it as some external embellishment which only the privileged section of the society can enjoy. We often associate ‘Brand’ with something artificial or something outside us. But is that so? Is branding an art of only the rich? Is branding an addition to our existing lot? Another very glittery term that has got our attention is ‘Image’ . Everyone is running after forming an indestructible Image . If you don’t believe me then check out your Instagram or twitter or snap chat or the all time famous, our ‘Blue Fairy’, Face book. It appears as if some audition is going on, each member trying to create a never fading image. So, I got it, we need an imperishable image? Right? But how to do that? do all images leave an impact on us?  are all entrepreneurs shining out there? Do all business profiles invite customers? The answer is a big ‘NO’! The only way to form an indestructible image is to make ‘Personal Branding ‘ a living and conscious process. But the need of the hour is to understand ‘Personal Branding’, its nature and how it functions.

Personal branding is the art of being our True and Authentic self. In a world full of copies and copies of copies, we reject our own self to fit in framework of others, so the image we form is too an imitation which wont last long! Personal branding is always happening, whether consciously or subconsciously, that’s our choice. We will always be branded by other people who think of us in one way or the other, but if we control it, we will be branded just the way we desire to be!

Personal branding is not moving outwards but going inwards, exploring our Uniqueness, Realizing that we are one of a kind and not merely becoming a copy. Personal branding is the coupling of Authentic Attitude, Belief, Knowledge with Right Expression through Words, Gestures, Confidence and Clothes. Personal branding is for everyone, it is not just for the privileged or for entrepreneurs, it is a conscious process that must be lived by every person. Personal branding aims at creating an image which transcends beyond time and space and is not transient.

What Personal Branding is ‘NOT’:-

  • Wearing best of Brands (Clothes, Jewellery) but lacking an Authentic and Right Attitude, lacking in confidence and imitating others.
  • Creating high merit profiles on Social Media but lacking Authenticity and Uniqueness.
  • Creating an account on LinkedIn but lacking original ideas.

Functions of Personal Branding

Personal branding is like your Signature, you own it! It is creating your own space when it comes to Entrepreneurship or forming a high profile effortlessly. Personal branding makes you Authentic and Unique and attracts Customers or viewers. If you are different, people will come to you because what is new is always invited. Personal Branding automatically creates a hype around us and people will be attracted. When personal branding comes into play, competition becomes irrelevant because competition occurs between individuals or groups which have parallel characteristics, so if one defines themselves as a unique brand, having a unique set of characteristics, then any type of competition becomes irrelevant. You don’t seek business, business seeks you. 

Personal Branding is ‘I’ in making, which is your own unique self! It will never go unheard or unseen because what is unique can never be defeated! When we choose to be ourselves , then there is no one better than us in that. ‘I’ may sound egocentric but it is not pride but defining us as one of a kind . When it comes to you , your own unique space, your own brand statement, then there is no one near you. Remember, originality never fades, it is imitation that crumbles down!

So choose for yourself, whether you want to be a brand which others decide or a brand that you decide!!!

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6 Myths About Branding

  1. Brand is a LOGO- Often we confuse brand with its logo or with a personality.

Look at these logos-

What comes to your mind after looking at each one of them? The thoughts that cross your mind after looking at the logos is what those brand stand for based on your experiences, biases and understanding. Logo is merely a visual representation; it differentiates the identity of brands from each other.

  1. Branding is a ONE time initiative- Most of the times people think that changing the logo, redoing the website is branding and it can be done once in a blue moon. But no, there is much more needed and it is a continuous process. A brand always builds over time, it will never happen overnight.
  2. Customers don’t care about it- Branding is not what we do for ourselves; it is what we do for the customers. Our image matters in the eyes of the customer. Imagine getting a faded and torn packet of lays, will you buy it? That is what branding is. Wrapping ourselves in a wrapper which appeals to the customer.
  3. Branding is Pricey- Well yes, branding is a pricey affair if you wait for something wrong to happen and then opt for branding. That surely is a waste of time, money and loss of reputation. If in the first place branding is given prime importance from the day a company is set up there won’t arise any need to throw away huge bucks.
  4. Branding is being who you’re not- The mindset people have about branding is that one has to pretend being who he/she is not. But no, that is not how branding works. Branding doesn’t mean wearing a veil of falseness. The most important principle of branding is- be you. Nobody accepts a perfectly perfect human being and branding is well aware of this fact! Branding is just projecting your image in the right way. You do not want people to think who you’re no
  5. Only beginners require branding- Yes! Many of us think that after attaining a certain amount of success or reaching a certain point in life you don’t require branding. You’re mistaken. 77% B2B marketing leaders say that Branding is critical to growth. Branding is helpful at all levels. If a beginner, it helps in rapid growth and if successful it helps you to stay on that pedestal.

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7 Seconds’ Decision

We are all aware about the saying- “First impression is the last impression. But did you know that for making the first impression all you have is a window of 7 seconds. The moment we enter the room, people start judging. They judge us and we judge them! It is something that comes naturally; we don’t even realize that we are doing it.

Don’t miss out on giving a smile to the people you meet. This will give them a feeling that you aren’t a snob and can be easily approached. People hesitate in talking if they find a person expressionless or frowning. Smile open heartedly and people would love to indulge in a conversation with you.

In the first 7 seconds people judge you based on the following parameters:

  • Are they friendly/ approachable?
  • Are they confident?
  • Are they successful?
  • Are they intelligent?
  • Are they trustworthy?
  • Are they credible?
  • Are they immoral?

So to make the first impression the best, here are some things you need to do-

  1. Smile- Imagine entering a meeting and people look at you but don’t smile. Will you stay there willingly? Will you feel like working with them? No you won’t. This is what people expect from you too. A smile is the first indicator of positivity.
  1. Handshake- In ancient time handshake was a way to show the strangers that you have no weapons. In the present, a handshake is powerful enough to make or break the image. In a study, researcher Florin Dolcos suggests that a handshake increases a positive effect towards favorable conversation. A firm, friendly handshake has long been recommended in the business world as a way to make a good first impression.
  2. Body Language- Researchers at the University of Texas found that people can very accurately guess 9 different personality traits about you; just by the way you hold your body. The hand gestures and postures silently communicate all that is going on, in your mind. You are sitting with your arms folded and someone is sub consciously forming an image about you. This is the power of your body language. The ideal posture is standing straight with chin up and arms at your side. This suggests that a person is friendly and warm.
  1. Eye Contact- 12 different studies have found job candidates who made strong, lasting eye contact when meeting their interviewer were judged higher and offered jobs more often. People will trust you based on your eye contact with them; it is because eye contact triggers the brain’s trust response. Do not stare at people. Look into their eyes while greeting but avoid a constant eye contact, it may look aggressive.
  2. Appearance- It is always said- dress the way you want to be addressed. It does not work always in all scenarios. Always dress based on the occasion and the people you are going to meet. Wearing the best outfit you have is not the aim.

Imagine going to a formal meeting and meeting someone wearing a costly tattered jeans with expensive t-shirt and shoes. This must be the best and most expensive combination in his wardrobe, but is it appropriate? No, it is not. It is a natural human tendency to judge people based on their clothes right when they enter. Do you do it? Yes of course you do, you may not realize it but it keeps happening naturally. Everyone judges everyone. You too get judged when you enter a room. So dress appropriately.

  1. Congruence- Authenticity is the key to success. You never have to pretend who you’re not. You just have to project yourself, your thoughts, your beliefs in the right way, by doing things YOU believe in. You have to be congruent to yourself!

For an example we discussed about appearance earlier. If you do not believe in wearing the western wear then you can always look for Indo-western or Indian. But yes, suitable to the occasion and the setting. We have so many times seen people wearing things they are not used to, and the discomfort can always be seen on their face as well as in their body language. Don’t struggle wearing what makes you uncomfortable or doing what you don’t believe in.

Now you know how important these 7 seconds for your image are. Make sure you don’t miss out on creating that unforgettable first impression!

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Personal Brand Icon – Jaji Vijayaraman

An experienced professional in automotive product design & development business with diverse expertise in tooling, engineering and product oriented organizations. Began the journey as graduate trainee with BPL Automation, Bangalore in Tool and Die design and Plastic simulations.

Gained experience in automotive systems development, manufacturing and assembly processes at Visteon Automotive Systems, Chennai. As Program Manager, managed multiple projects with all major automakers.

Moved to Product Engineering with Tata Autocomponent Systems at Pune, establishing all new engineering team and building competencies to be self sufficient, then at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, Chennai in R&D managed different functions and now with Valeo INDIA as R&D Director-Mechanical. With a Passion to drive innovations in the organization, he has groomed and inspired many young engineers on patenting their innovations thus increasing intellectual property for the organization. Having 18+ technical patents to self’s credit. Dynamic leader with personality traits that helps individuals, teams and the organizations to achieve excellence.

Interview With Jaji Vijayaraman

Author: Tell us something about yourself.

Jaji: I am an automotive engineer. I have worked in the automotive industry for the last 23+ years. I have worked in Visteon, TACO, Daimler and now I am heading GEEDS Mechical R&D Center for Valeo.

Author: Do you think we form impressions of people when we meet them?

Jaji: Yes, it’s a hard fact that all of us form impressions of people based on their gestures, dressing, the way they talk, etc.

Author: What are some of aspects that contribute to forming first impressions?

Jaji: Gestures, dressing and communication.

Author: How does this impact your further interaction with the person?

Jaji: It challenges me to ride over my impression and try to understand the person with an unbiased view. This could, in most instances, make me lose confidence or interest in the person.

Author: What is the first thing that you observe in a person when you meet them?

Jaji: Overall attire and eye contact.

Author: Is personal branding important in your profession?

Jaji: In this fast-paced corporate world, it indeed makes a big impact. Mostly, one has very little time to impress or make an impression on the other person.

Author: What is your personal brand?

Jaji: My smile.

Author: Do you consciously work on your branding?

Jaji: No

Author: Who has impacted you the most when it comes to branding and dressing?

Jaji: People who are very close to me, my friends and most importantly, my experience working with multicultural/multinational organizations.

Author: Complete the sentences:

  • As a brand, I stand for – Trust and comfort.
  • First impressions are – hard to erase/undo.
  • Dressing appropriately is – important both in professional and personal life as it gives a visual meaning to one’s image and helps building a positive perception.