When you think about companies or organizations that have succeeded in branding themselves well – with a logo or a symbol or maybe even a commercial that sticks in your head, what comes to mind? I’m sure we are familiar with the swoosh from Nike, the Apple logo, the Golden Arches for McDonald’s. But recently, another public eye giant has stepped onto the courts…

LeBron James. And yes, the last sentence was full of puns.

LeBron “The One” James. The 24 year old basketball wunderkind who has made leaps and bounds from a young age at doing things well. We know he dominates on the basketball court as part of the Cavaliers but did you know that he has been a force to be reckoned with in the personal branding world? LeBron has taken full control of how his image is seen by people around the world. He understands that he has alot of influence through corporate endorsements and decided to create his own path to secure his dream of becoming the first billion dollar sports brand.

Yes, billion dollar.

Check out this video interview from 60 Minutes which gives us some insight into the thinking of the branding smart guy.

I’m a sucker for inspirational/motivational speeches. Apart from feeling good at the end, they are a great way to shake you out from a slump of neutral emotions and plateaued energy. But even with those great benefits, how many speeches have caused you to only act in the now? How many of those speeches have guaranteed long term impact and innovation?

I’m glad you’re asking yourself that question because I think I might have something that will not only cause you to think about what you can do now but what you will be able to do (read: sustained impact). I’m a big fan of Seth Godin, notable marketer and blogger who talks about the effectiveness of how to reach individuals and keep their attention. In his TED talk, Seth discusses his latest book, Tribes, which looks at sustaining movements and making use of the new tools that are available to us to make them happen.

This is one of those times where a motivational talk has merit that lasts for a long, long time. Take a look and come back to it frequently.

So I came across this page featured on the West Virginia Surf Report via Twitter and couldn’t help but to laugh. As I took I quick skim over the site, it became pretty obvious what the images represented. The photos are basically fast food concoctions that many of us are familiar with – e.g. Wendy’s Chicken Club, Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwich, etc. The ones on the left side represent what we see when the commercials or the billboards try to lure us into the restaurant to quench our stomach churning hunger (induced by the said advertisements, of course). The photos right next to those represent…what we actually get when we open up the wrappers. Now, depending on how much you like any of these foods will determine how much you shake your head in disgust or sigh at the glaring difference in what you actually pay for. The bottomline here is that there is a big difference between what you’re shown/told you are going to get and from what you actually wind up with.

In life, there are plenty of opportunities for us to be duped into believing that everything we see on television or on the Web will be exactly what is shown. It’s tough sometimes but after awhile, you learn from your mistakes. On the flip side, there are even more opportunities for us to tell someone we are going to do something, add on some verbal fluff about what it will be and how much it will help them do something and then it turn out to be a soggy, 2.5 star version of what it should have been.

Whether you are applying this to business (working with clients), social life (helping a friend move) or in relationships (picking her/him up on time) – it is always important to follow through on what you advertise to someone. You’ve pegged yourself as someone who wants to make a difference, who wants to put their energy into making something great and moving forward. How are you going to do that when people expect greatness from you but get mediocre results at best? Each time that happens, you undermine people’s ability to trust that they will get what you tell them and eventually they will look to another establishment/individual for their needs (or hunger!).

You’re better than that. Give your best and you won’t ever have to worry about websites popping up making a mockery of you or your product.

“An interviewer with a wooden leg said to Frank Zappa, ‘with your long hair, from where I am sitting you could be a woman.’ Frank Zappa replied, ‘from where I’m sitting you could be a table’.â€?

Is it wrong to start a book review with a quote? I hope so. Because that’s the premise of the book from which that quote came. Whatever You Think Think The Opposite is the second title from Paul Arden, the “author of the world’s bestselling book”, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Both books are of the same pocket-sized, quick-read nature and pack potent punches (PPP) for motivational boosts when needed.

Paul is a former executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, and his advertising methodology is carried across throughout the book. That’s not a bad thing, as he’s able to instill his messages in his readers because of the salesman in his blood and him being a practitioner of delivering messages.

A few of the key messages emphasized throughout the book included:

“It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t”

“Do it, then fix it as you go”

“Rock the boat”

Those are just three of the headlines that introduce virtually every other page’s insight. The book is 137 pages long, of which there are about 68 two page mini-chapters. While those quotes may seem like generalized statements, their complementary content and images put the pieces of those ideas together to create a remarkable big picture.

The quick-witted style of Paul’s writing makes his books a renewable resource in the sense that you don’t feel intimidated to have to re-read the entire book, albeit a short read, because you can absorb one of his teachings in a few minutes each day.

So what’s the big idea behind this book? Wrong is right. Doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing in business and life will lead you down the unbeaten path of success that the most successful people have taken. Can you get in trouble for taking that path? Hopefully. Because you’ll experience something that others never will and create opportunities that would never have presented themselves to you.

An example of this attitude and mentality is beautifully illustrated in one of his mini-chapters which I’ll quote in its entirety:

“When a client asked how much it would cost to get permission to photograph the Eiffel Tower for use in an advertisement, the bureaucrats representing the City of Paris said £10,000.

The client didn’t think that was such a good idea any more.

So they didn’t use it.

I wanted it for this book, but I don’t think £10,000 is such a good idea either.

So I didn’t ask.”

To the right of this copy sits the image you see above.

Whatever You Think Think The Opposite should receive permanent residence on every aspiring entrepreneur’s bookshelf, at least those who are willing to question the norm and fail a few times to succeed. There were a couple mixed reviews around the net that were hesitant about Paul’s position on somewhat rebelling against common working and educational scenarios, but obviously, some of Mr. Arden’s opinions will not apply to everyone’s situation.

All in all, Paul Arden is Tony Robbins with his shirt untucked. His attitude in his writing and its visual support make this book a must buy.

Here’s its Amazonian link.