BE A GIANT: POWER BRANDING
February 20th, 2008
Did you catch the NBA All-Star slam dunk contest on TV last weekend? Dwight Howard brought a new brand of showmanship to New Orleans this year, and he’s reaping the rewards.
I work with NBA players in my life coaching practice, and when I hear a guy gets a contract, I always think the same thing: Congratulations … now what are you gonna do with it?
An NBA contract is good money, but it’s nothing compared to the endorsements and other business opportunities that come with it. Everybody gets a chance to prove themselves on the big stage, and when Howard’s time came, he was ready. He was having a good season before All Star weekend, but after he killed it in that slam dunk contest, I guarantee his phone is ringing off the hook now with new offers and opportunities!
Now THAT’S power branding! Here’s some more about Building a Personal Power Brand from my new book, Success for Life.
There are practical reasons why you need to stand out from the crowd: attracting a partner, improving job security, or taking advantage of promotional opportunities. I mean, with all the economic uncertainty today, competition in the job market, and a rapidly changing, technology-enabled world that offers little in the way of predictability or stability, you’ve gotta find ways to differentiate yourself, to stand out from the masses.
Say there’s a rumor about a promotion in the air; well, who’s more likely to get it? Will it be Steady Sam, the nice guy who works quietly and obediently at his desk all day, or you, Dynamic Dan, packaged and presented as the confident, smart company asset that you are?
Once you view your personal power branding strategy as both defense and offense, you understand that taking care of yourself, dressing sharp and staying groomed and cool is not self-indulgence - it’s good business.
What’s YOUR power brand? If you don’t know, I’d suggest you give it some thought, because you won’t achieve big time success with one. Take me, for instance. I’m Burrel Lee Wilks III, America’s Most Authentic Life Coach. It tells you what I do - life coach; and, how I’m different - I’m as real as they come!
Think about your power brand, and get yourself ready for your big chance. Maybe someday I’ll be writing about you!
Be a Giant,
Burrel
PAY YOURSELF FIRST IN STYLE!
February 1st, 2008Last week, I wrote about flipping the script when it comes to negative attitudes toward exercise. You’ve got to think of exercise like paying yourself first, making sure you’ve got a strong body … and mind … that is willing and able to take on any challenge that comes your way.
This past week, I’ve been observing people while they exercise, on the treadmill at the gym or running outside. I noticed something that might be hindering their progress: most people were dressed like slobs!
Now, I’m not saying you should wear your cashmere, diamonds and fur to the gym; BUT, at the same time, you still gotta represent yourself with pride! Ladies, toss your husband’s nasty, ol’ stretched-out shirt, and those AKA sweatpants from college that we both know are waaaay too small! You don’t have to be a perfect size 6 to wear yoga pants, and you can purchase a t-shirt in your size that will cover the bulges and still maintain your pride.
For the voluptuous woman, there’s lots of great retailers online that offer fashionable, flattering and comfortable workout wear specifically for full-figured women. Always For Me has workout clothes, swimwear and coverups, and even lingerie in plus sizes. They’ve got great sports bras in all sizes, including the 100 ENELL sports bra, which Oprah featured on her show. Junonia also produces great sports bras and exercise gear in plus sizes. If you’re a fashion-forward girl, Nelly’s Apple Bottoms got the best tops and bottoms in regular and plus sizes.
Apple Bottoms has fashionable workout tops and bottoms in regular and plus sizes!
Guys, you need to get your closet in shape, too! Men should always have at least one pair of clean, sharp sneakers. Doesn’t matter what game you play: make sure your shoes look good! DSW has great prices on name-brand shoes, and Shoe Pavilion is another good spot if you’re on the West Coast. If you’re a big man, King Size Direct makes great workout clothes for men of all sizes.
King Size Direct has NFL, NBA and college gear in all sizes, all the way up to 8x.
You don’t have a spend a fortune buying new workout clothes. In fact, if you keep up with laundry on the regular, there’s no reason why a few good pieces can’t get you through at least three workouts a week.
And, the bottom line is you’ll feel better about yourself while you’re working out, and you’ll notice other people will react to your new attitude. You’ll stick with it, and before you know it, you’ll be fit AND fine!











