Personal Marketing: Own The Mountain, by Doug Grady

Personal Marketing: Own The Mountain, by Doug Grady

Do you remember the movie Gorillas in the Mist? It's the story of Dian Fossey, a Kentucky woman who dedicates herself to saving the African Mountain gorilla from illegal poaching and likely extinction. But this is not about her. This is about you. And two men behind the movie. And owning your own mountain.

Hollywood legend has it that two of the movie's producers had a vague idea for a movie about gorillas in Africa but not much else. They scouted out the only feasible location on the continent where filming could take place and bought the rights to the mountain.

Anyone wanting to make that movie had to come through them. In the mind of their market, nobody could do exactly what they could do. They received a seven figure Hollywood paycheck and were credited as producers for one primary reason:

They owned the mountain.

The best personal marketers understand this concept and go out of their way to own their own mountain. The good news is you already own your own mountain. Your mountain is your personal brand. It may be foggy and off in a distance. It may not be worth much right now. But all that can change.

Personal marketing is your ability to embody your personal brand in a way that is compelling to your market. At its best it is simply a natural self-expression of who you are. Peter Montoya, branding expert and friend of High Achievers, puts it like this:

"It's not enough to market your Personal Brand. You've got to live it. This is why it's so important to choose a brand that reflects who you really are and what you really care about." -Peter Montoya

Let's get started.

Step one: Who are you? Distinguish your personal brand. Building a unique brand starts with your uniqueness. Taking the time to reflect on the following questions can bring you closer to your mountain. 

1. Who are you at your core? Athlete? Mother? Geek? Comedian? Adventurer?
2. What can you and only you do?
3. What are your unique strengths?
4. What do you identify with outside of work?
5. What causes are you drawn to?
6. Why do people do business with you?
7. Why would they do business with you if you were living your personal brand?

"What I love about you is that you are unique and different, just like everybody else." -Paula Abdul

Step two: How will you communicate this? There are many personal marketing strategies to choose from, including Lone Ranger Leave Behinds, Strategic Alliances, Packaging, and Becoming an Authority; some of which you can learn about on this blog (be sure to subscribe if you haven't already).

Still not easy, I know. Settling into your personal brand can take months, even years. Communicating it to your market may take significantly longer. But it is a worthwhile journey. Just like climbing a mountain, it starts with preparation and taking the first step. I am honored to be a part of your climb.

Climb with us.

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