Peter Sterlacci | Believe. Become. Be Your Brand
Personal branding for on-the-move professionals in global companies in Japan
In January I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Annemarie Cross on The Ambitious Entrepreneur Podcast Network, a privately owned media company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Unlike other internet radio and podcast networks (that combine a variety of topics in their program lineup) all of the shows on The Ambitious Entrepreneur Podcast Network focus specifically on business. [Read more...]
Personal branding in Japan is still a very new concept. People are interested in the idea of branding themselves, but are cautious about standing out. After all, Japanese are educated that “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”
My personal mission is to pioneer a mindset shift in a country where fitting in is the cultural norm. In this interview with videoBIO, I answer the following questions:
I was pleased to recently be a guest on Rasheryl McCreary’s VoiceAmerica radio show, The Leader & The Muse – Ignite Your Brand. Increase Your Influence.
In this 1 hour interview Rasheryl and I explore the changing world of work that is requiring Japanese to shift into the concept and value of personal branding as a career builder. In this episode, I “bust” common cultural myths about personal branding in Japan and outline how on‐the‐move professionals in Japan can embrace personal branding and still honor the “we” while standing out and being “me.”
When I was first introduced to personal branding I learned two things. First, everyone has a personal brand whether we realize it or not. Second, our brands are based on how others perceive us, or as William Arruda says, they are “held in the hearts and minds of others.” I also discovered that strong brands are based in authenticity and only by being true and genuine can we truly differentiate ourselves and deliver on our unique promise of value.
Authentic, true, and genuine.
While these words are at the core of any personal branding process they present a very interesting challenge in accurately understanding personal brands in Japan.
For the Japanese, there are two mindsets called ‘tatemae‘ (建前) and ‘honne‘ (本音).
Tatemae, literally meaning ‘facade,’ is the public or outer self. It is essentially what is expected by society and is based on position and circumstance. Tatemae, therefore, generally does not match one’s honne, meaning one’s true and genuine private or inner self. Honne is typically shown only around family and very close friends, or in neutral and informal circumstances. [Read more...]
I recently read a New York Times article titled “Young and Global Need Not Apply in Japan.” The article highlighted the struggle Japanese, who have studied abroad, are having with landing jobs within Japanese companies upon returning to Japan. Although these “returnees” are eager to gain experience in a Japanese company, such companies are not sure what to do with this new breed of “global” talent. They simply no longer fit the mold of a typical Japanese new hire. [Read more...]
30x30x30 Blogathon Post #24: June 24th – Neal Schaffer
Neal Schaffer is our featured expert for Day 24 of the Blogathon. I am so pleased to have Neal’s contribution as I regard him as a ‘zen master’ of social media. His blog is ranked in AdAge top 100 and he is considered by Forbes as a top 30 Social Media Power Influencer. His books on maximizing LinkedIn are incredibly useful and a must have for your reading collection. More importantly, at least in my mind, Neal and I share a common love and passion for Japan and Japanese culture. In today’s post he even connects his experience in Japan to his own personal branding approach.
Enjoy Neal’s post and see his special offer below! [Read more...]
I had the pleasure and honor of being a guest on World Talk Radio, Marketing Matters, hosted by Yasmin Anderson-Smith.
Even though it was 1:00am Japan time for my interview, I was eager to be on the program and answer Yasmin’s questions about how you can strategically communicate and manage your personal brand across cultures so that you can stand out, yet still fit in.
Personal branding is about authenticity and being yourself. Yet, to maintain successful business relationships across cultures, you may need to ‘dial-up’ or ‘dial-down’ your brand depending on the cultural context.
Using my experience in Japan as a backdrop, I offered advice on how to express a personal brand that overcomes cultural barriers and builds up powerful relationships for international success.
The Ins & Outs of Branding Yourself Internationally
30x30x30 Blogathon Post #9: June 9th – Gabby Wallace
Day 9 of the Personal Branding Blogathon is all about redefining your personal brand in a second language and culture. Gabby Wallace is an expert language teaching professional who firmly believes in learning and using natural English in natural settings. She founded Go Natural English and frequently posts free video lessons. Gabby empowers her learners to use a new language to multiply their potential.
See Gabby’s special offer below and enjoy her post! [Read more...]
I am so pleased to have Yumi Fujino as my very first Japanese Personal Brand ‘Mechanic.’ Yumi is a perfect example of a Japanese woman who has used her personal brand to become very successful. A business owner, published author, and
sought after speaker, Yumi proves that even in a culture that values fitting in you can stand out and get noticed. After a successful corporate career, Yumi created her own consulting company Y’s Order and has helped other woman succeed in a very male-dominated corporate culture in Japan. Yumi’s two books are currently available only in Japanese but as she mentions in her interview, the English translations are coming soon along with an English version of her website.
Yumi gives some excellent advice and tips on how Japanese can embrace the power of personal branding to be more successful. Enjoy the interview!
I am really pumped to bring you my next Personal Brand Mechanics Interview with Mr. Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds! I have known Garr since the mid-1990s during my first stint in Japan. Our paths crossed again when we were both working in Silicon Valley in 2001. Then 4 years ago I returned to Japan to discover Garr was back in Japan as well, and had made quite a name for himself with the huge success of his first book Presentation Zen, now it its 2nd edition.
Before there was Presentation Zen the book, there was (and still is) presentationzen.com the blog. What started just as a platform for Garr to share his insights and ideas has become a groundbreaking approach worldwide on presentation design and delivery. Recently he was ranked as one of the top 30 male bloggers worldwide alongside such peeps as Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, and Dan Pink! [Read more...]
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Peter Sterlacci
ピーター ステラチー