Passion Drives Personal Brand

November 19, 2007 · Comments

Thinking and Planning Passion is what fuels the best of what we do. It’s that tireless drive to do something that we feel matters that will bring us forward in so many ways. Whitney is passionate about helping parents understand (and feel more comfortable with) learning disabilities. Jon is passionate about connecting with communities to provide spiritual guidance and observations from simple life. Gary Vaynerchuk is passionate about wine in ways that startle first time observers of his show. A key to your success in life is to find and enhance this same passion.

Passion Is Rarely Aligned With What’s Popular

A bunch of years back, I talked to Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos. They’re calling themselves a jazz band, but they do New Orleans style swing jazz. When Swing hit really hard in the US, they rode the wave, but they’d been doing swing for YEARS before folks came out to see them. Now that the wave passed, they’re still doing what they’re passionate about, and it still sounds great.

If you’re in the current wave, ride it, and that’s cool. But don’t seek out something to do based on the wave. My best advice in this regard is that sometimes that which you’re passionate about can be made to align with what’s currently interesting to the world. But don’t fake it. It just won’t last, and your own brand will suffer along the way.

Passion is Hard to Fake

Authenticity matters. Most people can sense authenticity without a lot of effort. They can also sense when you’ve one astray from what truly matters to you. So be true to your passion. And here’s a thought on that: if you suddenly are very much NOT passionate about something, think about moving on to that which does have your passion and attention. I’ve certainly changed what matters to me over the years. I was VERY into fitness and nutrition in 2004. You can go back on my blog archives and see me talking about the right mix of carbs and protein, when to hydrate, etc. Back in 1997, I wrote passionately about writing fiction. Don’t fake passion. Move on.

Sometihng to think about here: it’s okay to move on from what you were passionate about, even if that’s what defined your entire brand. You can seek a sideways move that shows a tangent back to your passion, or you can start over again. It seems daunting, but it will pay off in the end.

Passion Includes Mistakes and Failures

Never worry about doing something wrong, going afoul, pissing people off. Don’t SEEK to do it, but don’t be afraid of it. How can you create passionately if you’re worried about going outside the lines. Make mistakes all over the place. Don’t TRY to hurt people’s feelings, and most especially, admit when you’re wrong, apologize, try to be friends again, and keep going. I seem especially skilled in pissing friends off. My friend, Christopher S. Penn has said many times over the last year, “We have to take Brogan everywhere twice. The second time is to apologize.” He’s right.

But with people, you try really hard to rebuild where you step on toes, piss people off, etc. With business, if your passions hurt something, try to recover and see where it all goes.

Life doesn’t have a do-over button, and you learn really quickly who gets mired in the past and who’s focused on making the experience of the present and future better. Focus on those who understand the latter. History is there to learn from, but not to obsess over. Make mistakes. Apologize. Repeat. And grow from your passion.

Passion Means Helping Others See It

I guess you can be wildly passionate without sharing, but what’s the fun in that? I tell people when I speak at events that I want their guidance and input because if I wanted to just talk with myself, I can do that any day of the week. Passion is best expressed when it’s shared with others.

Want to see someone really passionate? Talk to Michael Smolens about dotSUB, his translation project/software. Michael brings you into his frame of reference, whether or not you were even talking about language. Talk to Jeff Pulver for more than 10 minutes and see if you don’t land on any one of Jeff’s 3,891,774 passion land mines. The man is FUELED by passion.

Share your passion liberally. Be the C.C. Chapman of your own passions! This man makes shows and shows and shows and blogs and more shows about what drives him, what turns him on, what matters. Emulate C.C. and you won’t be too far off.

Passion Requires Work and Thought

There’s a really important point to consider: just talking about things all the time isn’t exactly the same thing. You’ve gotta get in there. You’ve got to try things, experiment, do new things, work with others, HELP others, and share your thoughts and ideas then. Suggest new things, and then see if you can try them out. Work on something in the lab, and then show it to the world outside. Know who has a cool lab? Bill Cammack. Experiment, do new things. Try stuff.

I’m trying AttentionUPGRADE to try out new video technology (and Seesmic, and Facebook video, etc). I’m trying Utterz to use audioblogging. I experiment all the time, with the hopes of finding new ways social media can help people and organizations. My new gig will have tons of that built right in. Only way more geeky. (I’m looking forward to using virtual machines again).

Passion Isn’t a “Me Too” Game

There’s only one Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots. Believe me, I’ve heard this man during three different Superbowl victory conversations talk about what his team could’ve done differently to make the game even better. He says it with love of his team, and with a drive to hold them responsible for what they’re doing out there. Bill believes that his duty to his team is to keep them focused on playing the best game they can place. You RARELY see him smile. And yet, you know he’s passionate in ways humans rarely exhibit.

Be yourself all the way to the core. And trust that what’s unique and inherent in you is what people will want and why they’ve sought you out in the first place. Finding your own unique notes is tricky, and takes a little bit of work, but once you get those notes, play them loud and proud.

I’m a really big fan of cover songs. (And if you like them, subscribe to Coverville. Why do I love cover songs? Because it’s amazing when artists play someone else’s song in THEIR style. I love it. Don’t be a cover band because you’re not original. Play covers because they show off your uniqueness against someone else’s original style.

Engage People With Your Passions

How do you reach out to people and talk about your passions? How does your business or vocation allow you to express your passions? Have your passions ever given you a job? (They did for Jeffrey Glasson). What are the ways you’re building your brand around your passion?

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  • Really liked this post and I don't think you can understate the value in "helping others see it". That's a skill that I am continually trying to improve upon.

    I almost disagreed with the idea that passion is rarely aligned with what's popular, because sometimes awareness is what makes people realize what they truly enjoy. But on the flip side, it's easy to get caught up in the hype and think you are excited about something.

    I can honestly say that I am where I am now because I'm doing what I enjoy best. That being said, there's still a long way to go and posts like these keep the motivation alive!
  • I knew I'd found my niche when, unprompted, people started saying "Your eyes lit up when you talked about XXX".

    They were right. Not sure whether it was 100% the most "commercially optimised" way I could have spent the last four years, but in terms of "overall happiness", definitely 11 out of 10.
  • bgavin
    Might be the last photo of you taken at Conant Street, eh?
  • and sometimes it really does take someone else to help you see what you are passionate about. I never would have written the phrase the way Chris did and yet, as I read it, i say, "yes, that's it!"

    Some of us are so inductive in our approac to life that we just live. We aren't 'about something' inside our heads (and hearts) we are just about. And then we look around and realize that most people AREN'T about our something. And that's when we realize that it is a passion, not simply living.
  • Thank you Chris. Passion drives personal branding. No questions asked.
  • For me that passion thing is me being one of those information share-ers. i've got all this stuff swirling thru my head, and i just want to tell you all about it, whether you want it or not.

    People see that if its on Gardenfork, its something i'm into, and it does show in the video. One viewer said, "You blossom on the show"

    And you can't be afraid of failure. That is what keeps so many from pursuing their passions. You're going to make mistakes. But sometimes those mistakes are beautiful. I call them happy accidents.
  • Thanks Chris!
    I think it's about taking what CC Chapman and Mitch Joel said about Personal Branding at the very first Podcamp- "There's only one you- so instead of trying to be someone else, be the best you you can be."

    The hard sell for some people is convincing them that being themselves is enough.

    And it's hard when you want to be "better" to know what that means, but ultimately it's about going with your talents and listening to what the world is telling you, what your gut is telling you. I hardly ever go wrong this way- I go wrong plenty when I ignore the gut and try to overthink things. You can talk yourself out of plenty of good ideas- if you are unsure- sleep on it- and the clarity of a new day will help.

    I love that no matter what, I know you are doing your best and have a good, kind, generous heart. It's great to see you pursuing what makes you happy!
  • I liked this article alot - not so much the title, as it relates to "personal brand" - but more on the points of what passion is, in work or topics that really drive a person grabbed by a cause, belief, product or purpose.

    I think people that are really passionate on something aren't usually thinking about "personal brand" at all in fact, when they are in that mode, since passion is not really contrived typically - it is deeper, and like you said, it is natural and driven... They are simply doing what drives them, naturally, and uncontrollably a bit even.

    However, sometimes when you are passionate on something, it is a crutch. I mean, even though you are passionate on ideas - it still doesn't mean that execution is always easy.. Sometimes it's not - which just sucks. I guess though that passion given clarity of vision and purpose, and a some boost - and without it, well the fog is that much thicker, perhaps? Cheers!
  • Chris,
    I've followed you for a while now, but this post is still my favorite. It keeps me going when I feel like I'm the only one, when I'm telling myself that I'm weird and crazy, and when i get fearful that I'm wasting my time. Thank you. I just cited it today on my website for advanced grad students and the faculty who care about them, AllButDiss.Ning.Com.
  • lemusita
    Chris,

    I teach a leadership course at the college that I work at. We are working on personal branding for each one of my students. Thank you for providing resources that will help my students. I will be directing them to your best of insights.
    Thank you very much for your gift. Where would I find an eBook of all of your insights?
  • Nothing is able to fulfill, as long as confidence. Everything is difficult at the beginning, is now at the beginning of the show that you have succeeded in half.
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