Be Your Own Brand—A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd

Ask Around

If the relationship is important, then it's worth managing deliberately rather than by happenstance. Just from your own day-to-day observations, you can begin to develop a sense of whether people are experiencing the brand you are seeking to create.

But don't settle for a single data source—and a subjective one at that. The observations of people you know and trust (spouses, friends, and others) can help you fill in the picture in more detail. Take full advantage of their perspectives on a regular basis. Ask them what they're seeing, and combine their observations with your own to further guide your brand-building efforts.

Think of it as a form of navigation. Whether you're in a canoe or on a cruise ship, a basic principle of knowing ...