What forest? What trees?

Be more than you seem, again

We had a new instructor at spin class the other day. I'm semi-embarrassed to admit that I go to a spin class at a health club, but I've got to say it really helps me get through the grim un-lighted days of winter. Exercise is good for the mind. It wards off depression, and it keeps me in shape for summer bicycling season.

So the new spin instructor shows up, noodles around with the adjustments on her bike at the front of the room and in the process of introducing herself, also mentions (lets us know!) that she is an ironman (2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, full marathon) athlete. And she's got three teenagers (she can't be that old!). This was her way of credentialing herself to us. But you know, who cares? I don't care if she's the best ironman athlete in the world; all I care about is her leading a good spinning class. But this is the way the world has been. Is? It's the (old) resume way of the world. "Let me tell you what I've done." But the world is now more like the movie industry, where, famously, "you're only as good as your last movie." Same for spin class: you're only as good as how you lead the class.

So, don't come in and tell us all this crap about yourself. We don't care. Just come in and lead the class. We'll decide if you're good or not. Nothing you can say will have any influence on that. Then in time you can let us know about yourself and your interests. But for now, just impress us with how well you can help us get the most out of this 45-minute session at 8 in the morning.

And just the other day I was talking with a guy who goes around doing workshops about how to properly demo software to potential clients. He said that when he does a workshop he doesn't introduce himself. He just starts in. Then later on if someone asks him about himself, he'll then talk about who he is and what he has done, etc. In the meantime, though he is demonstrating his knowledge and how it can help these people. That's what they're there for, not to worry about where he went to college.

Is that a photo of you?

This one really irks me: people who use photos that were taken 10 or 20 years ago as their website/twitter/facebook photos. C'mon people, get with it. Do you intend to meet any of your clients in person? Won't they be a little surprised when the real you doesn't look much like the virtual you? What's wrong with using a current photo of yourself? Could it be any easier to do? Get someone to take a picture of you and then upload it to your computer and then to your various sites. The next time I meet someone whose picture doesn't correspond with their current age, I'm going to say, "My how you've aged since you got on the web." Why not put up a new picture every month? Why not?

Brand You Friend

I've got a friend who is in the midst of changing her life around. LJ Rose has worked for many years as a corporate change facilitator and leadership consultant. And now she's had enough of that stuff and wants to do her own thing. And not quite sure what her own thing is. But we all feel this way, right? Well, most of us. We're doing something for work that we like well enough, but we always have that feeling deep inside (or not so deep inside) that keeps asking the question, "But don't you want to do something of your own?" It's that urge to create something that no one else would create; to make something you can point at and say, "I did that" and be proud to say that. My friend has done that. She's working through things. She wants to do something with images and music and so she's taking pictures and taking video and just messing around with stuff. And she's thrown out a ton of stuff in her apartment to make way for her new life. Pretty exciting stuff I think. And below is a small bit of video she put together. I think it's from Amsterdam. It's an example of what many of us do, particularly now that we have video capabilities in our digital cameras. And she's taken the next step of editing it somewhat and then sharing it with people, in this case me. And I've decided to post it here.

And the subject of the video is a brand you, too. They're everywhere.