No One Ever Told Us That: Money and Life Lessons for Young Adults

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

BRANDING: PULLING THE WAGON

We're all pulling the wagon at work in various ways every day, to put bread on the table and make our way in the world. Part of making our way has to involve an effort on all your parts to make yourself stand out a bit in a crowd. You're stuck endlessly in traffic; you're frustrated with the medical system; you smile knowingly when you see people with the push buttons on their desks that blurt out, “I'm surrounded by idiots.”

Here are a few examples of how to brand yourself, how to get people's attention, no matter what your job. Years ago I had an idea for a book. It seemed at the time that we all faced a society that was too busy, was too cramped, and had declining standards in civility, with no one seeming to care enough. Sound familiar? This was in 1980. The book was called Smart People, and it was a guidepost to assembling your team of experts to care for you and your family in all the important areas of your lives. As I was writing the book, before a publisher bought it, two young people came into my life as clients, a young man and woman. They made enamel jewelry, small items in vibrant rainbow colors. One of the items was a heart-shaped pin. I started wearing one on my suit lapel, as a walking advertisement for them. It seemed accidental. But everywhere I went, people asked, “What's that pin?” The real answer took too long. So, after a while, I'd make up answers. “It's an award for love from the French government,” or, “It's ...