Is your personal brand working?
Last month I talked about personal brands based on a ChatGPT search result asking, “Who is Mark Kamachi?” I want to revisit this topic after having had an incident last month which resulted in two deaths which I was involved.
I was driving home, west to Bragg Creek late one night from the city on Highway 8, an unlit, two-lane highway. The night was not hampered by any harsh weather or wet road conditions. In fact, a perfect night for a drive. Stars sparkling and very little traffic.
Suddenly, from my right, a large creature appeared from nowhere. Immediately, I tightened my grip on my steering wheel. Larger than a horse, it dodged in front of my yellow Jeep (Yes, I drive a yellow Jeep). Ironically, the same yellow as a CAUTION sign. At first glance, it seemed this creature would clear my path, however, it suddenly turned back towards me. The whites of our eyes locked as we collided head on.
Crunch.
Fast forward a week and a half later, I was told my Jeep was a complete write-off. That’s two deaths: my Jeep and a bull elk. I was now tasked with finding a replacement. The Jeep that is. I asked myself, “Where do I find another yellow Jeep?” As my buddies always say, “Who in their right mind drives a yellow vehicle?” They know me well.
My now departed Jeep, hopefully being driven by a bull elk in Elk Heaven (if there’s such thing as a happy ending), was a long process to find 5 years ago. To find another yellow Jeep today is almost impossible. Asphalt Grey, Bitumen Black or Barney Purple are just not part of my persona. I like to think my personal brand is bright. Attention seeking. Yellow is my favourite colour. And Jeeps, although more common now, still stand out. A yellow Jeep stands out more.
Jeeps have a brand identity all to their own. Anything close in resemblance is a copy: Hummer, Toyota Land Cruisers, the new Ford Bronco, Suzuki Samurai, Land Rover, etc. And that’s where branding plays a huge part in your business or personal relationship with your customers or peers. Connections to people are created when you leave an impression. Whether it’s your personality, your product/service, your actions, your goal, when you meet new customers/friends is to leave a memorable and lasting impression.
What’s your unique identity? Is it working in your favour?
Case in point. The following morning, I had several friends, commuting to the city, call and/or text me asking if I was okay. They saw my mangled Jeep on the side of the road and immediately made the connection. On top of that, I received over 200+ replies within hours of a Facebook post recounting the incident. My personal brand came through.
We all have a personal brand. Some like theirs to stand out whilst others like to lay low and use other means to communicate their brand. Regardless, it’s advantageous to use your brand to grow your audience. Especially if it comes down to growing your business/service.
The accident proved having a brand has its advantages. So don’t be afraid to stand out. But don’t do it on a highway at night.
RIP Mr Elk.
Cheers, mark.
