Okay. This post is going to be more therapeutic than anything, however; I am hoping that through this post – IF you are reading carefully you can learn something significant. Something that might change your life.
Liberated. Me.
I am calling this “Liberated. Me.” because after about 2 years of soul searching and mis-calculated career moves – I have come to a very disturbing conclusion, and a revelation all at the same time. NOW – how I got here is probably how many of you have gotten to where you are in life. You have tried your hand at many things, and discovered that you are not only good at a diversified set of things but you are indeed. Great. You have come to realize that you are really “dynamic walking”. BUT this is where it gets sticky… Life has trained you, me, us all – that we should discover what we do, and do that thing “until the wheels fall off”. We embrace a “title” and live in what I now call “The Title Box” and miss out on a great deal of your lives purpose – and perhaps, unique DNA. The problem comes in when you start to feel burned out in the Title Box – and because you have not let your Colleagues, and Networking circle know that you are actually great at more than just one thing, but you are indeed a “Swiss Army Knife” with the ability to do many things – your Title Box actually becomes an “Expectation Trap” that does not allow you to explore the opportunities around you. Wow right?
Here is a “flip” way of looking at this… A Friend of mine Hajj Flemings told me one day – he said… “Vince – Why do you lock yourself in a “title” that only scratches the surface of what you do? AND who you truly are?” NOW THAT was relevant and transforming. Then one day when I was sharing this with my wife she said… “Makes sense…” WHY WOULD you do that? So this started my mind racing in 100 directions. The conclusion – I had to find a way to let the world know what it is that I do, in a way that allowed them to find what they needed from me in a very simple way. So as I started thinking about this – Hajj comes back to me and says… “Vincent, been thinking… How come you do not use a Personal Brand Cloud? It’s LIKE a tag cloud except it deals with your Personal Brand…” So there it was… My Ah Ha! Moment…. In that instant I was now the Brand: Vincent Hunt™ governed only by a Personal Brand Cloud that grows based on a path of self-discovery.
I immediately started designing my new Business Cards, aborted a business plan that I was assembling (which would have boxed me in all the more) and decided in that instant – that I was, or AM the Brand and that what I do and how I do it is unique to me. My Unique Value Proposition. I developed my tag line: Nothing Deep. Just Relevant. – and I execute business based on my Unique Value Proposition.
From time to time I am challenged in this new way of thinking… In fact, today, a design client of mine says… “Hey Vince… I wanna tell some folks about you and what you do…” Instantly I started asking myself… What is it that I do? That ONE thing? And in that moment I was arrested. The Design Client knew me as a Designer, and that was cool. Very cool. She also knew me as a Creative Thinker, an Influencer, Project Manager, and Collaborator – BECAUSE during our experience together she had the opportunity to get a good taste of my authentic DNA – My Unique Value Proposition. End result? Design Satisfaction and an remarkable DNA imprint made in her mind.
So why am I talking about this, and telling this? Because there are others who are probably struggling with what I did until I “liberated” myself – removed my “Title Boxes”, and decided to live my professional life, according to my DNA and UVP. SO today – Make a conscious decision to dig deep inside, and find out all of the things that you do. Not the ONE thing but the many things that you have been programmed to do – and start to become relevant in the areas where you have relevance. NEVER EVER LET ANYONE PUT YOU IN A TITLE BOX – this will bring on things like: Burn Out, Frustration, Anxiety, Missed Opportunities, Feeling of “Incompleteness”, Unhappiness, Limited Resources and a One Dimensional Personality.
Vincent Hunt™
Nothing Deep. Just Relevant.
Congratulations…I see you are moving from breakdown to breakthrough
When people ask what you do they never mean literally. They are asking what is the value proposition, that feeling, that thing you bring. While yes it encompasses many things, you have to be able to effectively communicate it in a short blurb. People think that what I do is coach teen entrepreneurs. But if you asked me what I did I would say: “I manifest raw talent”, entrepreneurship is just one of many vehicles I used to accomplish it. It’s all in how you see it
http://www.teenentrepreneurblog.com
Shonika – You are always pushing me!! LOVE YOU!!
What’s crazy is all week last week I was thinking on what you are saying here, so your comment is right on time! Whooo!! Thank you sooo much!! You are so on point (as usual). SO NOW the challenge is developing that “blurb” that sums it all up –
On to the drawing board…
This post is one that should be taped to the mirror of everyone’s home so they see it at the start of the day. It is liberating. I have been going through a similar transformation and believe that we are in an era where we can no longer define our value with a title. We all have different gifts, skills, and experiences that contribute to our unique value proposition. Titles cannot begin to tell that story. I love the idea of a brand cloud and plan on shamelessly stealing it.
This is another brilliant post. Liberated, yeah…digging that.