In this economic tsunami you have to stay fresh at all cost
There is a reason why bakeries charge less for day old bread
Bakeries often have two options for their bread customers: fresh and day-old. No big surprise, the fresh bread typically sells for more than the day-old variety, which people only buy if they are short on money or possibly making croutons. Brands are a lot like bread - fresh brands are more in demand and bring in more money than brands that are old and stale. People who achieve meaningful and long-term success personally and professionally understand the critical importance of staying fresh. You can't just land your newly developed personal brand today, put it on a shelf and expect it to carry you throughout your career and life while you sit back and reap its rewards.
What's love got to do with my brand?
Anyone who has ever been in love (or even thought they were in love) can attest to this. The initial courtship is passionate and you can't see enough of each other. But as you know, time goes on, competition enters, and that once passionate flame begins to flicker and eventually burns out. If a relationship is to have any chance of achieving long-term success you've got to keep it fresh, right? You are essentially in a relationship, or pursuing a relationship, with bosses, clients, co-workers, customers, and teachers. For your relationships with the people who consume your brand to thrive long-term, your brand needs to stay fresh, current and vibrant enough to retain their interest and outshine the other brands vying for their hearts.
Even baseball players have to keep it fresh or they strike out
Or to use another analogy, right now Major League baseball teams are in the heart of spring training. For about six weeks before the start of the official season, teams practice, work out, bring in minor leaguers and possible free agents for evaluation, and play exhibition games. Even the most experienced and accomplished veterans can be seen at their team's spring training complex (which to lessen the sting are generally located in either Florida or Arizona), running sprints, chasing ground balls and performing other repetitive, mundane tasks to help them prepare for the upcoming season. Why do some of the world's most highly-paid athletes subject themselves to this often dull and grueling annual routine? Because they realize that after a long winter away from baseball they need to sharpen their skills and improve their physical conditioning so they are fresh as possible once the season starts in April. If people who in some cases already earn upwards of $25 million a year can make the effort to stay fresh, so can you!
What's your Fresh Score?
Wondering how your efforts to stay fresh stack up against the pros? Let's compile a baseball-themed "box score" of your freshness. Rate how strongly you agree that each of the following fresh statements applies to you today from 1-5, with 1 equaling strongly disagree and 5 equaling strongly agree: 1. My friends and colleagues come to me for the most up to date information. 2. If you are looking for fresh ideas, I am the one. 3. My current skill set is the most competitive out of anyone I may come up against for a job and/or promotion. 4. I am aware of the latest technology that can help me personally and professionally. 5. When my friends and colleagues want a fresh perspective or strategy I am the first person they call. 6. The last book that I read was one that was published within the last 12 months. 6.5 My resume is current, up to date and competitive.
The meaning of your Fresh Score
Now that you've taken the test, let's analyze your score: If you scored from 7-13, you have struck out. You know what that means: nobody wants to purchase your brand and you'll soon be taken off the shelf. If you scored from 14-20, you hit a single. There is minimal demand for your personal brand, but only at a steep discount and when the more popular and competitive brands are all sold out. If you scored from 21-26, you hit a double. Your brand will sell if it stays on the shelf long enough, but anyone seeking real fresh results will look elsewhere. If you scored from 27-33, you hit a triple. Your brand is a respectable choice for the discerning connoisseur, but not the top choice. If you scored a 34 or 35, you hit a home run. Congratulations! You have the brand that is most in demand and fetches the highest prices. You will sell out early in the morning, when only the most competitive shoppers are out evaluating the available brands.
www.TheMichaelDBrown.com
There is a reason why bakeries charge less for day old bread
Bakeries often have two options for their bread customers: fresh and day-old. No big surprise, the fresh bread typically sells for more than the day-old variety, which people only buy if they are short on money or possibly making croutons. Brands are a lot like bread - fresh brands are more in demand and bring in more money than brands that are old and stale. People who achieve meaningful and long-term success personally and professionally understand the critical importance of staying fresh. You can't just land your newly developed personal brand today, put it on a shelf and expect it to carry you throughout your career and life while you sit back and reap its rewards.
What's love got to do with my brand?
Anyone who has ever been in love (or even thought they were in love) can attest to this. The initial courtship is passionate and you can't see enough of each other. But as you know, time goes on, competition enters, and that once passionate flame begins to flicker and eventually burns out. If a relationship is to have any chance of achieving long-term success you've got to keep it fresh, right? You are essentially in a relationship, or pursuing a relationship, with bosses, clients, co-workers, customers, and teachers. For your relationships with the people who consume your brand to thrive long-term, your brand needs to stay fresh, current and vibrant enough to retain their interest and outshine the other brands vying for their hearts.
Even baseball players have to keep it fresh or they strike out
Or to use another analogy, right now Major League baseball teams are in the heart of spring training. For about six weeks before the start of the official season, teams practice, work out, bring in minor leaguers and possible free agents for evaluation, and play exhibition games. Even the most experienced and accomplished veterans can be seen at their team's spring training complex (which to lessen the sting are generally located in either Florida or Arizona), running sprints, chasing ground balls and performing other repetitive, mundane tasks to help them prepare for the upcoming season. Why do some of the world's most highly-paid athletes subject themselves to this often dull and grueling annual routine? Because they realize that after a long winter away from baseball they need to sharpen their skills and improve their physical conditioning so they are fresh as possible once the season starts in April. If people who in some cases already earn upwards of $25 million a year can make the effort to stay fresh, so can you!
What's your Fresh Score?
Wondering how your efforts to stay fresh stack up against the pros? Let's compile a baseball-themed "box score" of your freshness. Rate how strongly you agree that each of the following fresh statements applies to you today from 1-5, with 1 equaling strongly disagree and 5 equaling strongly agree: 1. My friends and colleagues come to me for the most up to date information. 2. If you are looking for fresh ideas, I am the one. 3. My current skill set is the most competitive out of anyone I may come up against for a job and/or promotion. 4. I am aware of the latest technology that can help me personally and professionally. 5. When my friends and colleagues want a fresh perspective or strategy I am the first person they call. 6. The last book that I read was one that was published within the last 12 months. 6.5 My resume is current, up to date and competitive.
The meaning of your Fresh Score
Now that you've taken the test, let's analyze your score: If you scored from 7-13, you have struck out. You know what that means: nobody wants to purchase your brand and you'll soon be taken off the shelf. If you scored from 14-20, you hit a single. There is minimal demand for your personal brand, but only at a steep discount and when the more popular and competitive brands are all sold out. If you scored from 21-26, you hit a double. Your brand will sell if it stays on the shelf long enough, but anyone seeking real fresh results will look elsewhere. If you scored from 27-33, you hit a triple. Your brand is a respectable choice for the discerning connoisseur, but not the top choice. If you scored a 34 or 35, you hit a home run. Congratulations! You have the brand that is most in demand and fetches the highest prices. You will sell out early in the morning, when only the most competitive shoppers are out evaluating the available brands.
www.TheMichaelDBrown.com
Source...