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Business, Knowing yourself, Personal branding

Originality & Influence in Personal Branding, Architecture and Walmart

posted by Rebecca Thorman  ////  July 13

Note: This post was originally published on my first blog, Modite, and is now archived here.

We are told to show streaks of our soul, to be original. To show irreverence. And especially, place your mark on the world. Eschew tradition.  And while you should be yourself, you should also, somewhere along the line – if you’re lucky, between high school and turning thirty – find that originality is only the beginning.

Renowned architect Frank  Lloyd Wright is known for pioneering one of the most important movements in architecture. His mastery of the compression and exaltation of space has little to do with inspiring awe (although that it does), and much more to do with a space that is living. That shows you how to act, impresses upon you what to feel and has a conversation with you. The building has a conversation with you, not Wright.

Which was probably a great mystery to those who knew Wright while he was living since he was quite the arrogant bastard. But his architecture lacks ego. Wright matched a structure to its environment. The infamous Guggenheim intentionally looks nothing like the home of Taliesin.

In contrast, Santiago Calatrava or Frank Gehry, two of the celebrity architects of present-day, are very recognizable. No matter where you are. No matter what city you’re in. A Calatrava or Gehry building has a distinct stamp, an identifiable arrangement with their hand apparent. An impression, of themselves.

And however distinct those buildings are from each other, they are also, ultimately, more of the same.   The type of sameness that dominates strip mall suburbia where big-box retailers have stamped their own identifiable arrangement with the ease of reflecting the last box onto the next, so it is the same from town to town to town.

It isn’t quite fair to compare a Walmart to a Calatrava, of course. A Calatrava is beautiful and a Walmart is most certainly not. But it is fair to compare this obsession we have to create and stamp our brand – in all of our novel and impertinent glory – across our careers, and projects and relationships.

Maybe if we all tried a little less to leave our imprint on the world, something might rise that’s a bit more meaningful than ourselves alone. We need to concentrate less on being special, and more on matching ourselves to our environment. Success isn’t about you.

Wright did this through architectural structures. You’ll do it through a lesson plan. Or diving. Or an iPhone app. Or parenthood. Whatever.

But if you say, “That’s not part of my brand,” you are missing the point. Match your skills and talents to the environment around you – those jobs, projects, affairs, and challenges that form our lives. That is change; listening to the milieu and giving it a voice.

Dilute your brand. It’s less than you think anyway. Pay attention to what’s bigger than you. Match your rhythm to what needs to be done. Respond.

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  • http://samdavidson.net Sam Davidson

    Exactly what I needed today. Go you.

  • http://www.keyleadership.com Paulette Gabriel

    This post is amazing. First of all, Frank Lloyd Wright’s building’s do have a conversation with you – different than speak to you. And any conversatin that is interesting is a form of dance between people where you and others engage in a back and forth dialogue that is framed in both clairity about your own distinctiveness and deep respect for the distinctiveness of others. This does requre sublimation of the often narcisstic self. Gentile branding, perhaps???
    What moves me in this post is that , for too long, so many of us have thought the way to be different, to be special to be of value is to prove it not live it. This post suggests we live it within the context of what is really important – that is being a citizen in a vibrant community of work, of practice, of life.

  • http://modite.com/blog Rebecca Thorman

    @ Sam – Glad you liked. I was thinking about you when I wrote it!

    @ Paulette – I really like when my commenters sum up what I was trying to say so eloquently. I think you’re right that we try so hard to prove ourselves rather than sinking into the the vibrancy of life. Narcissism can be useful, but only to the extent that you’re using it to move life forward, not just yourself. Gentile branding is an interesting way to put it… thanks for the comment!

  • Linda

    Wow. Thoughtful. Interesting. Mindexpanding. Loved it.

  • http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa

    This is probably my biggest problem with the “personal branding” craze. The fact that it rarely seems to be about distinguishing yourself amongst your peers and is instead a huge fluffing and proclaiming of generally over-inflated ego. To me that isn’t important because it doesn’t value what is important.

    For most we are not god’s gift to blogging/entrepreneurship/business/writing/basket-weaving and we need to accept first the community and medium we are part of, see our place in it (PS – it probably isn’t at the top…) and then be “genuine” in our interactions from that place and no other.

    Great post, as always. ;)

  • http://www.eatyourcareer.com Chrissy @ Eat Your Career

    Like the other commenters, I’m really impressed with the thoughtfulness of this post. It shows the lack of arrogance that you’re speaking of. And I think it shows a down-to-earth mentality. You can’t fight the wrongs of the world from the outside. You have to be a part of it, jump into the environment and shape your talents to make a difference. I think your post should be required reading for every young professional.

  • http://modite.com/blog Rebecca Thorman

    @ Linda – Thanks, appreciate the kind words.

    @ Elisa – I don’t think personal branding should be about distinguishing yourself from your peers either and am not sure I see a problem with personal branding inflating your confidence. You can be arrogant as long as your actions back it up. My problem is that people’s actions rarely back it up… : )

  • http://modite.com/blog Rebecca Thorman

    @ Chrissy – Thanks for the high praise. I love how you’ve reminded us that we have to be part of the fray to change it. I’m not sure many people even want to change things anymore though?

  • http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa

    Hrmm…I’m not sure that arrogance is a good personal brand. I’d say that confidence is fine but I view arrogance as an almost insincere confidence…based more on claims and assumptions rather than the experience/actions/knowledge to back it up.

    BUT that is probably more a matter of vernacular than us actually disagreeing. :)

  • http://theconfidenceguyonline.com Steve Errey

    Really making me think with this one Rebecca! I always summarise arrogance as “noisy” and confidence as “quiet”, and while perhaps a little simplistic I think it’s a useful separation and something that’s relevant to branding.

    There’s a grace to confidence that isn’t there with arrogance, just like there’s a grace to F L-W’s architecture. It’s that attention, awareness and application of the inherent value of a person or a thing that matters, not the perception or extrapolation of its value.

  • http://www.kristinefetalco.com Kristine Fetalco

    Match your rhythm to what needs to be done. This is great, but dilute your brand? Not so much.

    I think you raise an important point about using your skills and resisting to do things your way all the time, but to adapt to your environment. For a young professional, it can mean observing office protocols and even demonstrate your adaptability through the clothes you wear. But in contrast to your idea of “originality is only the beginning,” I dare say that conforming is only the beginning, and originality is the end. Once you are comfortable in your environment and you learn the ins and outs of your office/industry, I think it’s important to imprint your self in your work and dealings with people. First, it makes you real. Second, it gives you respect for having your own mind/personality/workstyle.

    I agree with being open to the things around you and not just do things that matches what you think you like or what people told you you should like.

    But to say, “success isn’t about you,” I think is incomplete. Perhaps rephrasing it to “success isn’t JUST about you” gives it more truth.

    Interesting post!

  • http://www.jobspeaker.com Jarlath @ Jobspeaker

    Inspiring people to think more of others usually reminds me of volunteering or the peace corp but in this case it reminds me of the “pay it forward” movement. Volunteering is fantastic but for those that can’t (or won’t) this blog post makes you think – is there something else? I agree that we need to listen more – how about contributing without expecting?

    As others have said, in online branding especially it seems it’s all about getting your brand out there and pushing your message. But some of the best understand that there is more to it (e.g. Chris Brogan).

    Ultimately, I believe we will all receive more in return even if we just simply listen more …

  • http://generositymarketing.com bryan bliss

    I think theres too much muddyness and jingo mixed into this whole “personal brand” chatter.
    There is a difference between style and brand.
    between fashion and experience.
    difference between a Look and a core value.
    The brnd is that part of the experience that endures and is within the perception of the beholder.
    What gets remembered, remarked upon and rewarded by long term enaggement and brand loyalty, thats all part of that any “brand” truly is.
    The power and the definition of a brand is the interaction between the 2 entities and isnt dictated solely by jost one side, neither the brand “creator” or the brand consumer.
    Just my 2 cents, make of it what you will.

    thanks and take care
    bryan Bliss

  • Linda

    Most of today’s commercial architecture reminds me of Bill Bryson’s description: FU architecture.

    Loved this piece, Rebecca! Well said.

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