Yesterday, I attended a job-search presentation sponsored by the Mile High Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association. I am working on a synopsis of the program, which will be posted to this site in a week or so. In the meantime, I want to comment on "personal brands."
Moderator of the panel was Andrew Hudson. When I saw his name on the program, I knew that I had to attend and introduce myself. This is what having a "personal brand" is all about! "Andrew Hudson" is to PR job search in Denver what Pepsi is to soft drinks and Nike is to sporting goods. And he used the Internet to get there.
Ten years ago, while he was employed in marketing and communications in a corporate setting, Andrew founded Andrew Hudson's Jobs List. Today, this list has grown into the premier job-search Web site in the Rocky Mountain Region for professionals in the marketing, communications, sales, HR and nonprofit sectors. Since 2005, more than 15, 000 individuals have subscribed to receive weekly updates.
(Incidentally, the site was originally called PR Jobs List. Recently, Andrew changed the name to include his own name and expand beyond PR -- another way to expand his personal brand and the scope of his services.)
I am a longtime subscriber to this list, which I find very informative (even though I am not looking for a job). I admire Andrew's ability to "monetize" over time what started out as a friendly service to fellow-professionals. But that is not the only reason I wanted to meet him.
Andrew worked in the Denver Mayor's office. I worked in the Milwaukee Mayor's office. Andrew worked for Frontier Airlines. My son is employed by Frontier Airlines. Andrew worked for a U.S. Senator. My husband ran for U.S. Congress. Andrew supports the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park, Colorado. The NSCD taught my son to ski, and my husband works for Wells Fargo, which sponsors the NSCD Wells Fargo Cup. Andrew is a professional jazz bassist who plays at Dazzle. I enjoy jazz and have heard him play at Dazzle.
How do I know all this about Andrew Hudson? Because he has steadily and consistently promoted his personal brand in a wide variety of formats -- where I have learned enough to want to attend his presentation and start a conversation. It takes numerous touchpoints to make a sale.
How strong is YOUR personal brand?
