What's Your Brand? | Kent Noble | TEDxUWYO

Summary

In this inspiring talk, the speaker discusses the concept of personal branding, emphasizing that it's not about self-promotion but rather how others perceive you. Using the Las Vegas sign as a metaphor, the speaker illustrates how images evoke immediate associations. The story of Bill Daniels, a cable TV pioneer who turned bankruptcy into a testament of integrity, serves as a powerful example of building a strong personal brand. The speaker challenges the audience to strengthen their integrity through daily choices and a 66-day exercise, aiming to create habits that reflect their desired legacy.

Takeaways

• 😀 A personal brand is the perception others have of you, which is largely based on what they say about you when you're not around.
• 🏰 The Las Vegas sign serves as an example of how an image can evoke specific thoughts and associations, similar to how a personal brand is formed.
• 👤 Personal branding is about the choices and decisions you make, which define who you are and how you are seen by others.
• 🗣️ The speaker emphasizes that personal brand is not about self-promotion but rather about the impression you leave on others.
• 🔄 The quote 'I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday' highlights the importance of past decisions in shaping one's current identity.
• 💼 Bill Daniels' story illustrates how personal brand can be positively influenced by integrity and ethical behavior, even in the face of adversity.
• 💡 Integrity is presented as a foundational element of personal brand, akin to a strong house foundation that one should strive to maintain and strengthen.
• 💪 The integrity 'muscle' can be strengthened through consistent decision-making that aligns with one's values and principles.
• 🚫 Small daily choices, like not sneaking candy into a movie theater or avoiding texting while driving, are opportunities to practice and reinforce integrity.
• 🏅 The analogy of training for a marathon is used to emphasize that building integrity, like physical training, requires consistent effort and practice.
• 📅 A 66-day challenge is proposed as a training exercise for integrity, based on research that it takes an average person this long to form new habits.
• 📝 The feedback shared at the end of the script demonstrates the transformative power of the 66-day challenge on an individual's mindset and approach to life.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is personal branding and how it is shaped by the choices and decisions one makes, with a focus on integrity as the foundation of a strong personal brand.

What is the significance of the Las Vegas sign in the script?

The Las Vegas sign is used as an example to illustrate how an image can evoke certain thoughts and associations, similar to how a personal brand is formed by what others think of you.

What does the speaker suggest about personal brand being based on?

The speaker suggests that a personal brand is based not on what you say about yourself, but rather on what others say about you when you are not around.

Who is Bill Daniels, and what is his relevance to the script's message?

Bill Daniels was a cable television pioneer and a successful businessman who, despite facing bankruptcy, demonstrated integrity by paying back all his debts with interest. His story is used to emphasize the importance of integrity in personal branding.

What did Bill Daniels do after recovering from bankruptcy?

After recovering from bankruptcy, Bill Daniels went back to Salt Lake City and paid back every penny he owed to season ticket holders, players, and vendors, plus 8% interest per year for the five years, even though he was under no legal obligation to do so.

How does the speaker relate Bill Daniels' story to personal branding?

The speaker relates Bill Daniels' story to personal branding by highlighting how Daniels turned his worst professional moment into his best through integrity, which became a significant part of his personal brand.

What is the speaker's view on the role of integrity in personal branding?

The speaker believes that integrity should be the foundation of personal branding and that it needs to be strengthened through consistent decisions and choices that align with one's values and beliefs.

What is the '66-day challenge' mentioned in the script?

The '66-day challenge' is a training exercise where individuals are encouraged to work on their integrity for 66 days, reflecting on their daily decisions and choices to ensure they align with the principle of honesty.

Why is 66 days considered significant in the script?

66 days is considered significant because research suggests that it takes the average person this long to create new habits, making it an ideal timeframe for the integrity training exercise.

How does the speaker suggest we can strengthen our integrity muscle?

The speaker suggests that we can strengthen our integrity muscle by making consistent decisions and choices that are true to our values, and by practicing integrity in small, everyday situations as well as larger, more significant ones.

What feedback does the speaker share about the 66-day challenge?

The speaker shares feedback from a participant named Hannah, who experienced a dramatic change in outlook, mindset, and approach after completing the 66-day challenge, indicating its effectiveness in personal growth and integrity development.