The new brand

If you haven’t watched the news lately things aren’t great. Large companies the world over are reporting losses and slashing jobs. This economic recession means a lot of very smart people are out of work.

Many of them are going to seek new jobs with corporations in the same field they were just fired from. We’ve been taught over the years that’s what you do. You move to the next big company that can provide a nice paycheck and benefits.

But a few are going to see this as a good thing. They are going to go it alone. Freelancing or starting your own small business is certainly nothing new. But I think people will do it in greater numbers. They’ll realize that in economic turmoil like this working for yourself gives you much more flexibility. Suddenly your future isn’t in the hands of a faceless corporation.

In ten years I think we’ll be talking about personal brands right along side big business. Bright, hard-working individuals will outlast some of the brands we’ve considered invincible. I think we’ve proven lately that being big doesn’t mean you last forever.

More than logos and more than corporations, people are the new brands. People that know how to leverage the internet. People that know how to lead tribes. People that have something to say. You.

What are you doing to build your brand?