Category Archives: Personal Branding

Lizard Brain – Shut the F*** Up!

Posted on November 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

Why do we insist on thrashing when we’re so close to shipping? Why is it easy to always find excuses? Why do we procrastinate? Why do we sabotage our own success? Well, the answered is wired into our system – literally so – It’s our Lizard Brain, also known as the Amygdala, or the reptilian brain!

The Lizard Brain - John Antonios

The amygdala operates behind the scenes, regulating our survival needs: food, oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure and reproduction. It is also responsible for our fight or flight reflex. It’s been described as your personal bodyguard, always scanning your surrounding environment for potential threats. So why on earth would I want to shut it up?

I think of the Lizard Brain as more of an overprotective parent, who won’t let you ride the bike because you might end up hurting yourself. It’s the part of your brain responsible for your fear, anxiety, and negativity. The Lizard Brain hates my to-don’t list, cause that’s like its credo. The closer we get to shipping, the louder the cries of the Lizard Brain. I’m certain you’ve heard it before, actually, you hear it more than once every day – it goes something like this:

Don’t quit your job, where would you get money from?

Don’t go up on stage, they might laugh at you!

Why don’t you take a nap now, it can wait … don’t worry about!

You have to keep your ego at the door, try to blend in more …

How many times do you need to fail to understand that you’re just not cut out for it … give up already!

They told us to follow the instructions to the letter … I wouldn’t recommend you do try that!

Start a blog, why would you do that … who’s going to read anyway?

Dancing, that’s not a profession, are you kidding … if you want respect in society, you need to be a doctor or an engineer … not a dancer, get real man!

You want to quit practicing medicine to pursue cooking as a career … have you completely lost your mind?

If people ask you what it is that you do, are you seriously going to tell them you’re a photographer … that’s a hobby man, not a profession, go find a job!

And the list of excuses goes on forever … we all do it – I’m certainly guilty of doing it often too, but they say, acknowledging the problem is the first step in solving it, so how do we do that? Before I answer that question, let’s first highlight the tactics used by the Lizard Brain to sabotage of success:

  • Procrastination
  • Being overly critical of our work
  • Invent Anxiety
  • Obsess over details
  • Create Excuses

Identifying the tactics allows us to recognize early on a strike by the reptilian brain and build up a defense against it. Here are some of the ways you can silence the lizard brain:

  • embrace failure and learn from it - Allow yourself to have bad ideas – see the thing with ideas, it’s not hard to come up with them, the hard part is doing something about it … don’t worry about it being the perfect planned idea, most of them aren’t, but you’ll never know until you ship. So what if it fails, you’ll come up with another one, and another … most successful people today have failed one too many times before they made it!
  • do something you would have never thought of doing? get up in front of a group of people and sing (even if you can’t, actually specially if you can’t) … or take something you have at home and try to sell it to someone, and see how it makes you feel, note down what you learn about yourself in the process … surprise yourself, you might actually like it!

In short, I would recommend that you do everything your Lizard Brain tells you not to do …

More often than not, the negative results of a “What if” scenario are far less than positive outcomes. Here’s only one example, of which I have many:

You’re in an elevator, your boss is there, you have this idea that you wanted to share with her … your lizard brain tells you to shut up and go to your office and let the day go by without embarrassing yourself … do the complete opposite to that, tell her about it – what’s the worst that could happen? She might completely ignore the idea, or laugh at it? Now, think of the magnitude of positive outcomes that might come out of it – she might tell you to schedule a meeting to discuss it further, she might ask you to prepare a study and present to the board, she might ask you to join her for lunch to discuss it with the partners … and so man more possibilities!

The Lizard Brain sabotages your success by camouflaging itself with logic – tell it to Shut the F*** Up!

Think About It!

Book & Article Recommendations on the Subject:

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The Personal Branding – To-DON’T list!

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 11 Comments

Saturday, October 22, 2011 marked a milestone in my Personal Branding Coaching career. As part of my personal brand plan, one of my targets was to get my personal branding message across the TED platform. Thanks to TEDxTanta, I was able to share the Personal Branding – To DON’t List with a wonderful crowd. In that same spirit of sharing the knowledge, I’m laying out the 7-points list, in the hope that the readers take this list and convert it into an action list.

A while back, I spoke about the 10 Commandments of Personal Branding, which basically laid out the basics rules that should be followed as you build your brand. Serving that same purpose, I developed a more practical list addressing the basic To-DON’T when it comes to maximizing your potential that was inspired from my working with different students and listening to their concerns post graduation.

John Antonios - Personal Branding To-DON'T List

Don’t Waste Time: to understand what I’m talking about, I want you to try to measure how much time you spend on the phone per day – be it answering calls, or text messages, or BBMs, etc … The problem is that every time you do so, it takes you an average of 25 minutes to regain absolute focus on what you were doing! If you do the math, you’d realize that it’s a great amount of time lost. This is only one example of how we waste time during in our daily routine. Recommendations Work in chunks of time at full throttle (like 90 min) and then take a break of 10 min to recover. Similarly, do so throughout your work week, and then take a full day of complete unwinding. Leave your emails, laptops, phones … and just use that day to reenergize! Read a book, spend time with your friends & family, go hiking …. whatever you do just make sure it’s a stress free day. Following this methodology, you’ll notice the ability to get more work done with less effort – this is working smart!
Don’t Blame Others: The easiest thing to do when something bad happens to us is to blame others. Ironically, we always attribute the good stuff to us, but NEVER the bad stuff – the latter is always someone else’s fault. Even as kids at school, when we fail an exam and we’re asked about it, we instantly say something along those lines “That B#$% gave me an F“, but when we score a high-grade, we proudly walk around flaunting our achievement saying “I got an A+” – when in fact, you were responsible for both results. Unfortunately, the latter situation is not limited to our high-school days, we do it on a daily basis. The jobs we’re in, the treatment at the office, the friends we have, the money we earn … if you don’t like them, you’re the only one to blame, there’s no one else! Recommendations Instead of wasting time blaming others for our current situation, why not try reflecting on it and learning from it. This will prune you for a better future!
Don’t Complain: this brings us to one of the worst possible habits that destroy our brand bit by bit. Some people blame their misfortunes on others, and others find nothing better to do than complain about it. “I have the worst luck in the world”, “I hate my job”, “I can’t stand my boss”, “They expect me to survive till the end of the month on that”, “I hate my major” … Complaining about it, is actually the easy way out (just like blaming others); but the problem is that it won’t make it any better. Recommendations why not do something about it. if you don’t like your job, why don’t you quit? trust me, you can waste the same amount of money doing nothing if you take opportunity cost into account. So stop complaining, and starting doing something about it!
Don’t Comply: “I am majoring in medicine because my parents wanted me to”, “I am veiled because society expects me to”, “I’m arriving to work at 8:00am because of company policy”, “I am going through 6 months training because its mandatory” … I see people all around me diluting their brand in order to fit in, and be accepted. Recommendations Stop trying to fit in, when you should be trying to stand out. Dare to be different! You can’t live your life trying to please others, and you can’t allow others to live their lives through you. You need to live your own life, the way you want to. Don’t be a number, just a face in the crowd … defy the norm, be crazy … trust me, it’s much better than being normal (at least you have your excuse)!
Don’t Be Afraid: ”What if I fail”, “What if she says no”, “What if there’s something really scary inside”, “What if I no body likes my work”, “What if they laugh at me” … we comply because we’re afraid. We’re always afraid because we seek recognition from the people around us. Recommendations Don’t allow yourself to live with the “What if” question … look back at the “What ifs” I had mentioned … now imagine the other side of that coin; you’ll notice that the worst case scenario does not stand a chance with a multiple possibilities that lie on the other end of that spectrum … Embrace your fear, welcome the unknown, accept the change! Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing something over and over again, and expecting a different result. If you want to reach great success, you have to be willing to go where no one else is willing to go – you have to remove the fear factor!
Don’t Pretend:  people are walking around in masks, and it’s very tiring to do so. The mask you were with your in-laws, the mask at the office, the mask with your friends … so many pretend roles, we forgot how to be ourselves. Recommendations Don’t plagiarize your identity, dare to be different. Remember Personal Branding is not a beauty pageant, you’re not trying to have everyone like you, in fact, a good indicator to a well positioned Personal Brand is when there are people that hate you. You’re not a mass product, your brand should serve a niche, and to that particular niche, all you need to do, is be YOU.
Don’t Compromise: When asked what salary Layla expected in the new job she was applying for, her answer was “uh … it doesn’t really matter, I’m more interested in the experience” – the HR manager heard “perfectly naive, I can underpay her and look good in front of management at the annual reviews”; so he said “OK, we’re offering 500 USD all-inclusive” – Layla said yes to the offer, even though she thinks her work is worth at least 1000 USD, but she compromised out of fear! Recommendations Never compromise – if you believe that you are worth what you’re asking for, than don’t settle for anything less … and make sure to ask for it! Remember what I always say, “YOU SHY, YOU DIE”
Hang on to that to-Don’t list – you can print out the picture and hang it on your desk – I’m daring you to try following the list for one month, and if it doesn’t work, you can spit in my face! Think About It!

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Personal Branding – To Thyself Be True

Posted on September 9, 2011 | 8 Comments

Scene: Church – Confession Booth

John: Bless me father for I have sinned, it’s been 3 months since my last blog post …

Priest: Son, I’m not sure absolution applies in this case, you need a miracle … 3 months!!! you’re alone on this one!

Had to start with some humor – they call this in psychology a defense mechanism … you might wonder why i’m resorting to humor, and the answer is simple, i’ve failed my reader and I haven’t posted anything in over 3 months. I wish I could blame it on work and the lack of time, but I believe we can always make time … so for failing you I apologize, but I promise to pick the pace once again. So without further adieu, let’s focus on today’s post.

I’m sure you’ve seen me talk and write about authenticity with regards to personal branding on several occasions – in fact, “thou shall be true to thyself” is the first commandment of Personal Branding. Today, I received my daily google alert digest on personal branding and to my horror, I came across an article featured in Fast Company entitled Personal Branding: Have You Identified Your Niche Yet? The author of that post basically asks you to identify your target audience and customize your brand accordingly!!! I don’t know about you, my dear reader, but in my opinion, this goes against everything I’ve been talking about since the creation of this blog. This is exactly why personal branding “haters”, well, hate it and call us posers, fake, etc … We have demoted Personal Branding to mere branding … forget authenticity, forget the REAL you, just follow the money and if I say dance, guess what, you’ll throw a party!

Personal Branding is not a beauty pageant – you should not be seeking everybody’s approval. Here’s a rule of thumb: if everybody loves your brand, then there’s a big chance you’re lying to yourself and in turn to others. You are neither Coke nor Pepsi, fighting over the same customer, who couldn’t tell the difference in a blind tasting to save his or her life … you are Layla, Tim, Ahmed, Mariam … with all your flaws, mood swings, like and dislikes, bad days, weird habits … don’t forget the “Person” part in “Personal Branding” – you are human and nobody’s asking you to be otherwise. If everybody were perfect, then everybody would be the same, and referring to us in numbers wouldn’t really make much of a difference. It’s our imperfections that make us stand out, that make us shine and be the best we can be.

Think of all the big names in music – Freddie Mercury (Queen), Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the list continues … what do these people have in common? They dared to be different … they certainly had their fans and most certainly their haters. Michael Jackson didn’t stop grabbing his groin just because you found that appalling, Freddie didn’t stop wearing pink because you thought that is too gay, Madonna didn’t dress up in turtle necks because you thought her clothes are too slutty, Elton John didn’t start playing the drums cause you thought the piano is lame … So even though, some of you might hate them, but they have certainly earned your attention and they will forever be remembered because they were true to their brand and certainly stayed the course against all odds.

Forget finding your niche, find yourself first. If you do that, and communicate that wholeheartedly then “your niche” will come to you. You will earn that right only then! The trick is to be comfortable in your own skin, not someone else’s. Think About It!

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You Only Get One Shot!

Posted on January 5, 2011 | 11 Comments

Do any of these situations sound familiar?

  • you’re in the subway and you notice that the CMO of Starbucks is standing right across from you. You know She’d be getting out on the next station. You build up the courage and walk up to her and then …
  • you see the girl of your dreams hailing a cab at the entrance of the hotel. You know that you can’t let her get away. So you put your best smile on and then …
  • you run into a well known VC at the checkout booth at Carrefour. Finally, you within arms length of getting some funding for your great project. You give her a slight tap on the shoulder and then …

… and then YOU FREEZE!

Look closely at the situations presented above – do you notice any overlapping factors?

  • it’s something you really want
  • it’s within your reach
  • you have a short window of time

You were so close … to get that job, girl, funding … but you blew it. Why? Because you weren’t ready. Louis Pasteur said it best, “chance favors the prepared mind”. And yours just wasn’t! Don’t blame your bad luck, because the latter was standing right there, in your face! You had one shot, and you let it go!

Elevator Pitch - John AntoniosUnderstanding your personal brand allows you to be in full control of your brand attributes – what I referred to as personal brand DNA in previous posts. This in turn allows you to formulate an elevator pitch in any situation your presented with. The name “elevator pitch” reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver a pitch in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately thirty seconds to two minutes (source: Wikipedia)

My personal brand DNA is best described as Creative, Passionate, and Dedicated – this applies to all aspects of my life, be it work, family, love, friends … this DNA strand inspires my situational elevator pitches.

Your DNA is acquired by matching your brand identity (what you think your brand stands for) with your brand perception (what others think of your brand). William Arruda and the team at REACH Communications Consulting have developed a FREE Personal Brand Assessment tool that can help you do that and much more. I would highly recommend it to be a first step to self discovery. Next I advise you think of your personal brand just like any other brand with strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Yes, I am talking about a Personal SWOT Analysis – you may think that is easy but I really want you to try it. Here’s a link to the template you can use. The combination of the results of these two tools would provide you with enough information to formulate your personal DNA.

So what are you waiting for? Will you freeze the next time you’re presented with a lifetime opportunity? Or will you be prepared? Think About It!

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100 Indispensable Personal Branding Tips

Posted on November 16, 2010 | 6 Comments

Personal Branding Tips - John Antonios

Last month we brought you 100 Social Media tips that you need to carry with you to 2011; this month it’s all about Personal Branding. 50 of those are quotes and tips from branding experts and the rest are based on our experience. So without further adieu, let the countdown begin:

100. Don’t plagiarize your identity, dare to be different

99. You are immortal, Take control of your legacy

98. Define your Personal Brand DNA – it’s what makes you unique!

97. Communicate your brand – it’s all about engagement

96. Brand Identity is very different than Brand Perception – the closer they are, the stronger your brand position.

95. Vanity is certain suicide to any personal brand

94. What does your personal SWOT analysis look like?

93. Prepare you elevator pitch

92. Monitor what’s being said about your brand

91. If I google your name, would I find you? Where would you be – top 3 results, 1st page, 2nd or 3rd? What will I find?

90. Learn to listen

89. Learn to give

88. You’re role is not to blend in, but stand out

87. Stop whining and start fighting

86. The only person worth comparing yourself to is your previous self!

85. There’s no room for the shy!

84. Your online and offline brand are one and the same – they should reflect YOU

83. Don’t stop learning

82. Online you have nowhere to hide, so you should have nothing to hide! Transparency is the new currency.

81. You can’t take a break from being the real YOU

80. Personal Branding is for everyone – the CEO, the student, the mother, the sitter, the chef, the writer, the celebrity, the geek, the priest … EVERYONE had a brand – it’s time you put it out there!

79. Stop being afraid – YES YOU CAN!

78. Learn to tell a great story

77. Don’t beg, bug, or buy attention – EARN IT

76. Think of yourself as a brand; are all the marketing elements in play?

75. “Be the real you because everyone else is taken and replicas don’t sell for as much” @DanSchawbel

74. “I get to play golf for a living. What more can you ask for – getting paid for doing what you love.” @TigerWoods

73. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head; if you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela

72. “It’s loyalty to peers in your industry and not to a hierarchy. You have to develop a Rolodex obsession, building and deliberately managing an ever-growing network of professional contacts.” Tom Peters

71. “Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.” Jason Hartman

70. “In the end, it’s about being smart.  Present a good face, but know that your reputation will ultimately be decided by the actions you bring to bear, not the consistency of your presentation. At best, the presentation will only get you a shot to be on the stage. Your performance is the ultimate barometer.” Geoff Livingston

69. “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

68. “Know what you want. Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.” Washington Irving

67. “You are your own 24/7 billboard and interactive ad campaign. Every day, in everything you do, you tell the world about yourself, your values your goals, and your skills.” @WilliamArruda

66. “Patience and passion are personal branding virtues.” Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)

65. “Find out what you want to do every day for the rest of your life and do that – you can find a way to monetize it.” Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)

64. “It’s your life, Own I” @WalterAkana

63. “Personal branding is not about being all things to all people or trying to please all of the people all of time; it’s about taking a stand and being comfortable knowing that some will not agree with your point of view. Of course, this does not mean being contrary for the sake of it, either. You must be clear about what you believe and willing to express those beliefs.” @WilliamArruda

62. “Commenting on other people’s blogs builds awareness fast.” @ChrisBrogan

61. “Your digital identity defines who you are and in this genre of Web-savvy content creators and purveyors, your online reputation does indeed precede you.” @BrianSolis

60. “Visibility creates opportunities.” @DanSchawbel

59. “Companies have to connect with their audience as individuals and individuals have to behave as companies.” @DanSchawbel

58. “Your personal brand separates you from the nameless masses” James Adam

57. “Whether you’re a student, currently employed, seeking a new job, a brand ambassador or the official community manager of a company’s social media strategy, your activities online contribute to and ultimately shape your identity and lay the foundation for your reputation.” @BrianSolis

56. “While building your personal brand, allocate 85% of your time to behind-the-scenes work and allow 15% for public-facing activities.” @RyanRancatore

55. “More than anything else, I think prospects, customers and citizens watch what you do more than they listen to what you say.” @SethGodin

54. “Branding is no longer for Fortune 500 companies and Madison Avenue agencies with excessive budgets and inadequate tracking. Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records …” Tim Ferriss (@tferriss)

53. “I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”  Henry David Thoreau

52. “STOP asking what’s in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then, and only then, will you have achieved your potential.”@SethGodin

51. “As a personal brand you engage your community, perspective employers, customers, and future business partners through a series of brand impressions that can be leveraged through your online community.” @HajjFlemings

I know you’re expecting 50 more, but @Maltaee stole them from me … don’t worry, I got you the link, but please don’t tell him I gave it to you! It’s our little secret!

I’m certain Mohammed will claim that I was the whole the remaining 50 from him, but who are you going to believe … Think About It!

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