Brand = Story
I've lived in my house for 23 years, and for longer than that, I've walked while talking on the phone. Wireless headphones now make this even easier. When working from home, I swing a golf club or twirl it. At the office, I swing a baseball bat or toss a football. I also pace around the pool at home while on calls, often walking on the balance-beam-like ledge between the pool and hot tub.
I've always thought it incredible that I'd never fallen in.
That was until last week.
I was doing my typical twirl, walk and talk, when, mid-conversation with a client, I lost my balance and went straight into the pool. The CEO I was on the phone with had no idea—the headphones stayed above water—but my phone in my pocket - while surviving long enough to finish the call - ultimately, didn't survive its brief swim.
I raced to the Apple Store to buy a replacement, where I was helped by a woman who coincidentally had cousins in my hometown. Given the size of the community there, of course, I knew them.
I was still in the store loading my new phone, when I heard her explaining the concept of “Jewish Geography" to her coworker.
By the time I arrived home, I'd received a text from a mutual friend of the cousins: "I heard your phone went in the pool. 🌊"
You never know who you're going to meet - which means you're always "on brand," whether you realize it or not.
This reminded me of advice actor Michael Caine once received from John Wayne in a hotel lobby more than 50 years ago. Wayne told the young actor he was going to be a star, then spotted his suede shoes and said bluntly: "Never wear suede shoes." When Caine asked why, Wayne explained that “when you're in a public restroom and someone recognizes you, they're going to get excited, turn and say ‘hey you're Michael Caine!’ and pee all over your shoes."
Wayne understood something fundamental: there's no such thing as a private moment when you're building a reputation. Pay attention to what you look like, because someone else always is.
Your brand is working 24/7 telling your story whether you're actively managing it or not. The question isn't whether you have a brand—it's whether the story your brand tells matches the one you intend.
Recently, a client told me, "If we want to be a multi-billion-dollar fund, we should at least appear as though we are the billion-dollar fund that we are." It reminded me of my early days at a Hollywood talent agency where the mantra was "dress for the job you want, not the job you have." I've counseled my daughters to "look just a little better" than others in their office—not to be showy, but to demonstrate that what they're doing is important to them and they take it seriously.
Several years ago, I was COO of a company acquired by an iconic fashion retailer. We had meager sales and less-than-desirable fundamentals, but our brand was impeccable and aligned perfectly with theirs. Without our devout adherence to our brand—knowing exactly who we were—we never would have been approached for the acquisition.
Brand isn't just what people see when you're presenting. It's the story you tell consistently, especially when no one's watching.
Here's a concept I've found useful: emotional state drives everything. First your state, then your story (beliefs and assumptions), finally your strategy. Tony Robbins calls this his “State > Story > Strategy” framework, and when you are feeling confident and clear on your story, more effective strategies naturally follow.
Your brand is your story made visible. It's the bridge between your internal clarity and external impact. When your intent aligns with your presentation, the likelihood that people receive your intended message increases dramatically.
Building a strong personal brand, as Scott Galloway points out, isn't about being the loudest or creating a false persona. It's about authenticity, clarity, and offering a unique perspective. Like all the fundamentals I write about, this isn't about grand gestures or clever marketing. It's about consistent, often mundane choices that compound over time. It's about showing up the same way whether you're in the boardroom or standing in a pool with a dead phone, knowing that your reputation travels faster than you do through connections you didn't even know existed.
Wayne's advice to Caine was really about this: long before success arrives, you're already practicing who you'll be when it does. Your brand is your fundamentals made visible, built one consistent choice at a time.
Even if that choice is which shoes to wear.
What story is your brand telling? I'd love to hear how you think about the alignment between your intent and the impact you make in your own work. Reach out and let me know.
Stay Dry…BG
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