Hi, JereMaya. It's Daddy. Today is February 21st, 2022. And for this seventh episode. I want to talk about a question that mattered to me as a child. This question also matters to me now as a working professional and it will most likely be one of the most important questions when I'm a much older man. The question is what do you want to be known for?

The first time I really thought about this question was during a really dark time in my childhood. This was way back in the 1980s. When bullying was more common and less of a public concern. If classmates were mean to you, you were basically expected to resolve the situation yourself. As long as no one was bleeding or bruised up too badly teachers, staff, or any adult normally wouldn't get involved. Unlike how public schools do today. And I really do applaud schools that proactively monitor bullies - not those who just physically threaten others, but the ones that really got to me with verbal harassment. This is important for schools today as our world has become a much more dangerous place. When we see the accumulating, long-term mental effects of people getting bullied and how these wounded young people lash out at the world. That's something I'll have to talk about in a later episode.

But back in the 1980s, I really didn't like elementary school. It was the place where everyone seemed to remind me every day that I was the shortest person in the class. There wasn't one school day where I did not experience insults where kids would say what they think out loud. "Wow, Mike, I didn't realize how small you are." And this kind of treatment from others, even if it wasn't meant to be malicious was draining any joy or motivation for me to come to school. But what I vividly remember are the bullies and their laughing faces. Some would be so red in the face because they were laughing hard. At me. Ridiculing me for being so short and weak, especially during recess. I remember how much I despise the game tetherball as the taller kids would always wants to play against me so they could win. Then there were those times when they would just look for someone to hurt or feel superior to. And whenever I try to counter or laugh it off, these kids always seemed to have the last laugh. It made me angry. The worst part is that I started believing in what they said: I'm a loser and I didn't belong.

But one day - your grandpa - my dad took notice. I don't recall telling him what's going on at school, but he somehow knew I wasn't doing well. And he asked me that one question. "Mike, what do you want to be known for?" Little did I know that this question is the foundation to personal branding - that's just a fancy business term for how you want people to talk about you when you're not around. That applies to people, but it also applies to companies. If a company has a good reputation and people love to talk about the organization, most likely that business will thrive. Meanwhile, if a scandal breaks out where a company's name is tarnished and people begin questioning and speaking badly about the employees and their products, the business will suffer. Reputation and brand is what will ultimately differentiate one company from another, for better or for worse.

As a kid though. I didn't know these things. And I remember how I answered my dad's question. I said, "I don't know what I want to be known for." And that was a totally honest answer. All I knew was that people told me what I am. I'm the shortest kid in the class. I'm ugly with two buck teeth. And if many kids told me I was a loser, I must be one, right?

But my dad challenged me to think from a different angle. He prompted me to focus on what I want to be known for. He even planted the seed for how he and my mom see me. A short kid -can't dispute that - but I'm more than that. I'm, funny, passionate, smart - and in desperate need of braces. And yes, braces changed my life.

While I couldn't change my height, I could change virtually everything else about me. I can act on it and prove people wrong. I can invest in knowing more than my peers on any subject I want to focus on. I could be more humorous if I could start to proactively think of ways to make people laugh. And I have something that many people do not. I have that drive - that passion to improve. I think I've had this at a young age because people would literally tell me I suck at something or I'm not good enough. And I didn't want people to keep telling me that.

I really had to improve and show them I could be better. I also had to draw the line and know where not to focus my efforts on. For example, I'll never be a champion at tetherball, so why even try. I could focus on other things I have more potential in - like kickball, where height doesn't really make a big difference in that recess game. And for a good five to six years, maybe even more, I wore braces. Seriously. They didn't come off until sometime in high school. But it was worth the pain, the money and the wait. Because from that point on, I could smile with confidence and a smile makes a big difference in how you present yourself and the effect it has on those around you.

Let's get back to you. What do you want to be known for? It's an answer that requires time introspection and vision casting. Your answer may change depending on your particular season of life. There may also be life changing circumstances and new, bigger priorities. And it will definitely change depending on who matters in your life and how you want them to think about you.

Personal branding has one goal. If you're known for something, what's that impact or desired outcome you hope to gain or see? For most companies, the typical bottom line is making their customers happy and making a profit. But for human individuals, over the years, I've concluded that people want different things at different times.

Also when my dad asked me what I wanted to be known for, it was truly a light bulb moment. I won't say anything changed overnight. I still got teased. I got pushed around. I got discouraged. But because of that question, seared into my brain, I knew this was all temporary - because I knew what I wanted to be known for. And from that point on, I continued to focus on what needs to be done. So I could be known for something other than being a short kid.

And that brings me to present day and what I want to be known for, which is something billions of other adults around the world are thinking about. And they may not even know they are. What they are concerned about is how they are recognized, where they work and where they live. When it comes to careers specifically, what managers and teammates think about us, especially with our value and contributions - their input determines if we get promoted and we are given more exciting responsibilities and meaningful projects. So improving your personal brand is easier, said than done.

To get started, I break down what I want to be known for into three components. Who you are. What you do, and lastly, what makes you different? Fortunately, you've already had a little practice with the first two if you listened to podcasts, episode five - titled "Who is your daddy and what does he do?" After listening to that, you should have a good sense of who you are based on values and principles. And what you do is your primary focus in terms of career or professional development. What we'll be focusing on for the next few minutes is the third and final component - "what makes you different?"

There are many aspects on what makes a person different, but I'll focus on three. Physical appearance. Personality. And competencies. The most visible aspect is your physical appearance. People even from a distance can observe and for better, for worse, make a judgment based on your clothing attire, your posture and overall body image.

For example, sales folks tend to dress up to impress their customers. Engineers, not so much because they may not interact with customers often or have the need to impress their teammates with the latest fashion trends. When I was at VMware, the entire corporate comms team would brainstorm a theme to wear once a month, such as wearing plaid.

What kind of message did this send to our marketing colleagues? Well, we have fun together. And when I look back on those days, this is what I remember feeling when I got to work with these great folks and it makes me smile. So the question I have for you is, if you had to make a change in your clothes, would this help your personal brand? Would it be worth the effort? Are you satisfied with your appearance? Does the change in appearance have the potential to advance your goals?

Back to me in elementary school, my appearance of being vertically challenged and having really bad teeth definitely differentiated me from my peers. And not on the positive level. Thankfully, my personal brand is not all about physical appearance.

There are the other two differentiators, which are arguably more important and meaningful. For personality, people pay attention to your behavior, communication skills and attitudes towards others. The question to ask yourself is how do you make people feel when you are around them? Do you make people laugh?

Or do you offend them? Maybe annoy them. Do people perceive you as approachable or hostile? Do they feel respected when they are with you? Or do they feel used, inferior or unimportant? Personalities make all this possible. And that's a direct reflection of your personal brand. And with the final differentiator, your competencies, these are your special skills and the experience or knowledge you provide that make an impact.

We get hired by our employers because of at least one specialized skill we own. Our previous experience, whether it's academic or a work project also adds unique value and makes each of us marketable. Because of our accomplishments we are, or at least we're on that path of becoming subject matter experts.

So, let me repeat your personal branding, aKA, how people talk about you when you're not around. Is based on who you are. What you do and what makes you different? What makes you different can be defined by your physical appearance, your personality and your competencies.

So, if you can understand your values, passions, strengths skills, and be honest with yourself in how you make others feel when they're around you, you can use this information to truly stand out.

So Jeremy and Maya, what do you want to be known for? If you're still having difficulty with this question, I wrote down a list of seven more questions that helped me spark an idea or plant the seed to better know myself. First, what am I passionate about? Not necessarily your strengths or what you're already good at. Just what do you love to do?

Second, what are my personal values? Third. Where do I see myself in five years time? Fourth, what's important to me? Fifth what motivates me? Six. How would I like to see the world? And seventh, what contribution would I like to make? There's something to note about the first question, what am I passionate about? It's very different from the last one, which is what contribution would I like to make?

What I am passionate about, meaning what I love to focus my energy and time on is one way that can lead to success. The last question, however, what contribution would I like to make shifts the focus of what I love to do to love what you do. And I really think that love what you do is a valid, practical way to experience success.

The main reason is because the economy and the supply and demand of what you do really determines your financial wellbeing and lifestyle.

For example, let's say you have two career options, one as an artist, and one as a lawyer. In this hypothetical, you live in a world that is totally saturated with artists. So the supply is large and the demand for your services is low. Which basically means that artists are paid less and the competition is tough.

But for lawyers, in this hypothetical, you may not enjoy it as much as being an artist, but you're making lots of money and you are always in demand. If your personal brand is all about money and prestige and power, it makes more sense to pursue the lawyer career path. But if your personal brand doesn't care about those things, because the art, the process of creating art and the people you impact are far more important than job security, then the artist's career may be a better fit for you. This is where love, what you do is a better approach than do what you love. But again, that's all hypothetical and the real answer for what you know what you want to be known for - that's up to you.

As for the older folks who listen to this podcast, personal branding is different. It's not so much about the present, but the future. It's what many folks refer to as legacy - what you want to be known for comes down to what impact did you leave behind. And as I get older, I reflect more on what impact I have made so far and is that enough before my life meets its end. It's one of the primary reasons why I created this podcast in the first place - my legacy, the impact I left behind and what I want to be known for is for my children, my friends, and those I'm able to connect with, to have the resources and ability to thrive - to encourage and inspire others to live life to their fullest and I contribute to their success, even when I'm long gone.

Well, JereMaya, that was a lot of advice to absorb today. But if there is one key takeaway, it's this. Be proactive about what you want to be known for, because whether or not you intentionally develop or invest in your personal brand, people, you know, are already formulating their own thoughts, conclusions, and opinions about you.

There is already a story about you that you may or may not know exist. This comes naturally with first impressions, gossip and conversations through our social and professional networks.

And one day there may be a perception - or some rumor - or some comment about you that is incorrect or flat out insulting. That's when you want to prove them wrong and show them that awesome aspect of you that they haven't seen yet. Give them the experience and the joy that comes with sharing life with you.

Be that light.

And I don't know what age you'll be when you finally listen to this podcast episode. So if you're struggling as to who you are in this moment and what you wants to be known as, I want to share what I have observed of you at this moment in time, February, 2022. We just celebrated your 10th birthday and I feel I have great insights of what's to come.

I'll start with you, Maya. The past year, your creativity and thoughtfulness has developed to a level that simply amazes me. You have this uncanny ability to listen to a song and then within minutes, you're able to play that song's melody by ear, on the piano. You never had to be told to practice the piano because you always want to play - often experimenting and composing music like the one I'm playing now.

I love this moment I captured because I hear your joy in discovering something new and beautiful. It's not perfect, but it's you. And it's something that I just can listen to over and over again. You're also able to look at a drawing or a picture and be able to draw that on my iPad.

I love how mommy takes your art and we print and glue them onto handcrafted birthday cards for friends and family. Having that personalized touch in music and in illustrations makes people feel something new and wonderful. And the outcome is always a warm smile. Your art and generosity are reflective of your personal brand. You give friends and family life and you give them happiness. I'm so proud of you. Sweet Love.

And Jeremy. You are quite the young man who already has a reputation at school for doing the right thing at the right time. Last month, mommy received this email from your school's librarian and I'm going to read it out loud.

"Hello, Jeremy and Mrs. Louie, I am just reading the entire chat that occurred during the zoom battle of the books meeting. I did not realize that the chatting was continuing throughout the meeting because I was sharing my screen and couldn't see the chat. Jeremy, I want you to know how impressed I am by your positive leadership.

You were so respectful. I love the way you stood up to the kids who were being inappropriate and told them to stop. But you did it in a kind way. I am so happy that you are at our school and that you have participated in Battle of the Books these past two years, you are an awesome fourth grader. Keep it up and you'll be president someday and I will vote for you. Double exclamation points.

Just want you to know that I saw the chat and appreciate your actions. I'm sorry I didn't realize a problem until after the meeting. I will be dealing with the students who were involved. Good job, raising some awesome humans, Louie parents!"

And then the librarian signed her name, but I also notice under her name is her email signature, which has a very cool, memorable quote. It says "It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are far more than our abilities." by Albus, Dumbledore. I know that quote well because we read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, not too long ago together.

Jeremy, you hear me say this often, and I won't stop saying this. I'm so proud of you for the boy you are and the young man you are becoming. You are the boy I wished I had been at your age.

Okay, JereMaya. I feel incredibly blessed to know you both the past 10 years. I've grown so much because of you two. So thank you. Keep shining. Love you.