Fast Company has marked the 10th anniversary of Tom Peters’ The Brand Called You
with a puffy, but motivating piece on the re-branding of Al Gore.
Ellen McGirt’s cover story in the July/August 2007 issue of FC (Al Gore’s $100 Million Makeover) is required reading for anyone involved in career transition.
Gore has integrated his geeky penchant for research, his access to
well-heeled connections, and his willingness to speak passionately
about issues: the result is a transformation from failed politician to
successful entrepreneur. No longer the butt of late-night TV jokes, he
is now an aspiring media mogul as the co-owner of Current TV. He has become an adviser to two of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, Google and Apple;
co-founder of an investment firm that promotes a new definition of
sustainability; and, he is also involved in other enterprises that have
raised his net worth from $1-2 million to more than $100 million in
less than seven years. Politics aside, this transition from "almost
got the job" is a story that can inspire the success of others, even
those with more moderate goals than Gore’s.
A few learning points:
- Be purposeful in defining your brand: find your passion.
- Dare to be different: innovation is not as intimidating as invention – You CAN do it…
- Connect with friends, family, colleagues: "to network" can be
conjugated as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb – it works at all levels - Use technology: aside from promoting your ideas, technology allows you to listen and learn from your customers/audience
There is a lot of buzz in the careers community about this topic of branding (the book by Kirsten Dixon and William Arruda is
a must-read). While Gore may not have participated in an official
branding program, the transformation of his image and financial outlook
speak volumes for the value of thoughtful and guided transition.
Posted by Karen P. Katz
