Authenticity | Peter Sterlacci | Believe. Become. Be Your Brand

4 Tips to Pass the ‘Cultural Fit’ Test

March 14, 2013 By Peter Sterlacci 2 Comments

So what is ‘cultural fit’ and how does it relate to personal branding?

A recent article in Forbes, Employers Hire Potential Drinking Buddies Ahead of Top Candidates, got me thinking about this question. After all, your qualifications and credentials are the table stakes that will get your foot in the door, but your character is what more and more employers are evaluating today to ensure the right fit. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career management, Networking, Personal Branding, Personal branding tips Tagged With: authenticity, brand story, cultural fit, personal branding

Personal Brand ‘Mechanic’ Interview: AJ Leon

January 4, 2013 By Peter Sterlacci 6 Comments

“Know what you DON’T want before you know what you do!” says AJ Leon

In 2012 I had the pleasure of interviewing 13 amazing people for the first year of my Personal Brand Mechanics series. As I kick off the second year of this series, I am THRILLED to have had the chance to talk with the world’s most remarkable misfit, AJ Leon!

I can honestly say that AJ is one of a very small handful of people who have had a significant impact on my life. AJ wrote an amazing manifesto, The Life and Times of a Remarkable Misfit. I have read and re-read this MANY times in the past few months. It is one of the rare eBooks out there that never sat in my infamous ‘Yeah, I’ll read that later’ file. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT NOW AND READ IT because it will change your life or at least cause you to step back and say, “Shit, I never thought about it that way!”

Yet, as I learned in my interview with AJ, I was amazed to find out that he almost did not publish his manifesto. I for one am grateful he did and so will you once you read it for yourself. In this interview AJ also shares his thoughts on:

what he sees as a “growing fallacy of solopreneurship”
why you have to “know what you DON’T want before your know what you do.”
why he is traveling around the world in 1080 days, and
how writing enabled him to discover his own personal brand.

Enjoy and make sure to drop by AJ’s site to learn more about how to live your life with intention, do work that matters, and change the world! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Brand Mechanics, Personal Branding, Personal branding tips Tagged With: AJ Leon, authenticity, The Pursuit of Everything

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Overnight Riches

December 25, 2012 By Dr Amit Nagpal 1 Comment

BeYB welcomes holiday post from Dr. Amit Nagpal!

For Christmas I am happy to welcome a ‘fun’ post from my good friend Amit in India. Amit shares a story about how to to be lazy and use short cuts to success. I hope you see the irony in what he says because in the end it is all about being authentic not taking short cuts or using image manipulation. Strong brands whether they are products, places, or people are based in what is true, genuine, and real. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Amit and I wish you all a happy, healthy, and genuine New Year. Stay tuned for the release of our new eBook, Personal Branding Views from India and Japan due out in early 2013.

Just Be ‘Real’. It Really Works!

November 17, 2012 By Peter Sterlacci 5 Comments

Reality TV is nothing new. It has been around since the 1940′s but exploded globally only 12 years ago with the successes of Survivor and Big Brother. I have to admit, I got hooked — at first. “Wow, this is so cool. People are just being themselves.”

Really?

Remember Jon Dalton, aka ‘Jonny Fairplay’? The guy who has been labeled as constructing the greatest lie in Survivor history when he pre-arranged to have a friend tell him that his grandmother had died.

The lie worked, people felt sympathetic, Dalton won a challenge, and then minutes later he reveals to the TV audience it was a scam! Dalton said, ”You only get one shot at winning a million dollars. And if you don’t take every advantage you possibly can, then you’re an idiot!” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Branding Tagged With: AJ Leon, authenticity, Craig McBreen, Dan Waldschmidt, Jonny Fairplay, personal branding, Srinivas Rao

What Will Your Legacy Be?

October 23, 2012 By Peter Sterlacci 7 Comments

In the personal brand discovery process we talk about the importance of maximizing strengths. There are of course tools you can use to uncover your strengths including ‘Strengthsfinder 2.0′ and ’360Reach Personal Brand Assessment’. But another way to understand your strengths is through “forward-visioning” activities.

These activities help you to define your legacy – what you want to be known for. In other words, if people were to talk about you in the future either at a retirement party or in a newspaper or magazine cover story what would they say? How have you impacted their lives or the world around you? These legacy statements define your brand and the strengths that you bring to those around you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Authenticity, Be your Brand, Personal Branding, Strengths Tagged With: 360Reach, authenticity, forward visioning, Legacy, StrengthsFinder

Vlogathon Day 30: ‘I’ to the Power of ‘We’

September 30, 2012 By Peter Sterlacci 6 Comments

Vlogathon Day 30: September 30th – Your’s Truly

WOW! Hard to believe that 30 days ago I launched my 30-day Personal Branding Vlogathon. Today is the final day and I am honored to wrap up this amazing journey with my own video post. Let me say how THANKFUL I am to the 29 other people who participated this past month. I am truly blown away by the kick-ass content everyone shared each day. YOU ALL ROCK! In my video, I share something called “I to the Power of We”. This vlogathon exemplifies this concept perfectly. Each of our individual brands are powered by the ‘we’, or the community and network around us that enables our personal brands to grow and thrive. Remember, personal branding is not just about ‘me’ but more much more about ‘we’.

Enjoy my video and let me know what you think by commenting below! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Authenticity, Be your Brand, Personal Branding, Personal branding tips, Vlogathon Tagged With: authenticity, personal branding, Peter Sterlacci, Vlogathon

Vlogathon Day 28: Create a Following by Getting Naked

September 28, 2012 By Jeff Harmon Leave a Comment

Vlogathon Day 28: September 28th – Jeff Harmon

I am happy to welcome Jeff Harmon to Day 28 of the Vlogathon. Jeff is founder of Brilliance Within Coaching and Consulting and supports his clients in developing a strong foundation that propels them towards their vision. Jeff is quick to share how much he loves being a coach and watching his clients grow in ways they never could have expected or accomplished on their own. In his video below, Jeff shares his insight from Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni and how it can help to define one’s personal brand. He emphasizes that a naked approach will create greater loyalty to your brand. Jeff tells us that when we are willingly naked then we are comfortable in our own skin and others embrace this transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability. Do you want to be naked? Watch and learn how.

Enjoy Jeff’s video and let us know what you think by commenting below! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Authenticity, Leadership, Personal Branding, Personal branding tips, solopreneurs, Vlogathon Tagged With: authenticity, Getting Naked, Jeff Harmon, Patrick Lencioni, personal branding, Vlogathon

Vlogathon Day 18: Having an Authentic Personal Brand

September 18, 2012 By Paolo Feroleto 7 Comments

Vlogathon Day 18: September 18th – Paolo Feroleto

Day 18 of the 30-day Personal Branding Vlogathon features creativity expert Paolo Feroleto. Paolo’s approach to personal and corporate branding has its foundation in igniting the creativity within people and organizations. His aim is to develop and strengthen an awareness of your creative potential. Paolo was also a contributor to my 30x30x030 Personal Branding Blogathon this past June and shared a great post, ‘Boredom is the Mother of Creativity”. In his video below, Paolo shares a simple activity to identify your personal brand attributes and specifically emphasizes why ‘authenticity’ is at the heart of any personal brand. After all, how can we be ourselves without being authentic! Make sure to visit Paolo’s site and learn more about the creative workshops he facilitates.

Enjoy Paolo’s video and let us know what you think by commenting below. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Authenticity, Brand attributes, Personal Branding, Personal branding tips, Strengths, Vlogathon Tagged With: authenticity, brand story, Paolo Feroleto, personal branding, Vlogathon

Vlogathon Day 17: Personal Branding from the Core

September 17, 2012 By Sharon Gilmour-Glover 9 Comments

Vlogathon Day 17: September 17th – Sharon Gilmour-Glover

I am thrilled to feature Sharon Gilmour-Glover on the 17th day of the Personal Branding Vlogathon. Sharon was a contributor to my 30x30x30 blogathon this past June and contributed an amazing post entitled ‘Authenticity is the Heart of Every Brand.’ Sharon really does walk her talk and is one of the most authentic and genuine people I know. Her business, Clarity for the Boss, is dubbed as a ‘serious online program for serious entrepreneurs and business owners looking for serious results.’ In her video below, Sharon shares why personal branding needs to be the core of any successful business person. She emphasizes how identifying and living your vision, purpose, values and passion are central to anyone embarking on a personal branding journey. Stay tuned for the launch of Sharon’s new website, Jump Point.

Enjoy Sharon’s video and let us know what you think by commenting below. [Read more...]