What 3 words would OTHERS use to describe you?

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This flashback post is sparked by the interaction above.  As we move toward book release this post is more applicable than ever.

A couple of months ago I stumbled upon this post at Mommalogues.

I rarely visit the site yet when I saw a tweet containing the link/teaser below it snagged my attention.

What three words would your kid(s) use to describe you?

For two reasons.

First, it reminded me how long it had been since I asked someone to define my brand for me.

I’m a believer in the importance of defining one’s brand and in remaining consistent in all facets of brand messaging.

The best way to learn if you’re conveying the “brand-message” you think you are is ask someone to explain your blog-brand to you.

The three word concept works perfectly here.

Are the words you receive the antithesis of what you’d expected? Consider this information as you post, guest-post, tweet, facebook, etc.

Are the words you receive close but not precisely the messaging you want to share? Same thing.

Is distilling your blog-brand to three words too hard for people?  Challenge yourself to see if your brand is addressing too many (broad) topics.  This is something only you can decide.

Second, I was intrigued by the opportunity to find out if others saw me as I viewed myself.

I was curious if I posed the question to the Tornado & Husband what words they’d choose.

As with our No Excuses! exercise, I knew this would force me to become vulnerable. 

What do I care (really.) if someone informs me my BLOGbranding is out of whack?  It’s information.  It’s helpful.  It’s all, in a sense, at arms length.  Not super personal.

What do I care if the Tornado or Husband lets me know (after working to live my priorities) I’m not the person I think I am? A lot. 

Because the thought of asking them terrified me, I knew I had to do it.

Now, some might think asking a 6 year old for her 3 words would result in a shower of compliments.

I adore my child–but that’s not who she is. 

She’s told me my teeth are yellow (and asked if that will happen to her when she’s “old”).

Shes informed me when she thinks my outfits are mismatched.

Ive always let her know home is a safe place to fall & she can say what she thinks/feels.

I handed her three pieces of paper and asked her to write 3 words she thought of when she thought about me.

And I waited.

She presented me with the below (and thankfully read them to me, too).

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I know this post is far too long (& it’s the edited version!), yet I wanted to share & ask you consider taking part.  

  • Ponder your personal brand. Consider taking the emotional-risk of discovering if you send out the messages you intend.
  • Ponder the life you strive to create.  Make yourself vulnerable & ask loved ones what 3 words they’d use to describe you.

It’s scary. 

It’s eyeopening. 

It’s amazing.

I’m asking the now EIGHT YEAR OLD Tornado the same question today.

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Comments

  2. I’ve been thinking about this as I approach my blogaversary. And, I’ve heard “brand” being used more widely in surprising places — a sign of our deep consumerism?

  3. I would love for someone to call me SILE 🙂
    I think my “brand” is too serious these days.

  4. Oh and really cool about a brand “getting” your brand.
    (Wait, does that make sense? LOL)

  5. I don’t have a brand, but like how you brought it back to the live we want to create.
    I want people to use the world calm for me.
    They don’t yet :/

  6. Brand aside, I think the words six-yr old Tornado picked are spectacular. I’d love to hear her current picks. And am a bit afraid to ask my kiddos but think I will (because I care far more about that than about my brand, even though that’s important, too!)

    • GOOD POINT I didnt clarify 🙂 the HEART which I think only shows on the homepage is something she spontaneously made for me last week.
      COOL
      LOVING
      HELPFUL.
      That h-word made me GRIN.
      And I love the…completely random way she did the assignment without realizing.
      I need to ask if they did something like this with words (?) at camp and if that’s why?

  10. Lovely flashback post. I asked my husband via g-chat what he would say, and his response was immediate, heartfelt, and amazing. Thanks for helping to deliver that gift!

  11. Girl, I KNOW that my website doesn’t reflect the direction I’ve been moving in. Thinking about this big time as I consider a re-design for the new year!

  13. I am so weird i that I do not want to be defined into one thing or genre… maybe that is a bad thing but I like to write & do different things from fitness, workouts to food & brand love to healthy mind & learning – I will ask hubby but I know I am hard to define in 3 words…

  14. Oh Carla. I thought it was scary when I went for my coaching license this weekend. Asking others to describe your brand in 3 words is also scary. I struggle with this too so I might need to take the challenge. Great post!

  17. Oh I am going to start asking my friends right now this…I’m curious, but I want to know the good and the bad. I think this is good for me too, because I am in the process of rebranding and want to make sure my brand is ME. 🙂

  18. Educators do this a lot in meetings for icebreakers….we either find words for ourselves or say them to others. I get “dedicated” (It’s my 39th yr. in public schools), “relentless” (I finish anything and everything I start…eventually, and “humble”. Which is why I am struggling still to start a blog about myself….

    • Please do start a blog!!! I’m an educator myself (Sped), and 2 years in. Please let me know of any other good blogs related to teaching & start yours! I would love to read it, regardless the content (you are here). 🙂 If you do, you have to post a link!

  19. This could be a very scary thing with 2 teenage boys – maybe I will try this tomorrow at dinner!!!

  20. Thank you for your post.. Now I’m thinking about what three words someone might use to define my brand.. and how I can work to change that perception if need be..

  21. i love the words she picked for you, and it definitely has me thinking of what my brand represents. Sometimes i think it changes daily. But maybe that’s a good thing. I shall ask others! thank you for the inspiration!

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