More Praise for Be Your Own Brand

“Be Your Own Brand explores the notion of a personal brand not as some kind of scripted performance but as the most genuine and natural affirmation of individual strengths and distinctiveness.”

—Matthew Damon, President, Nilan Johnson Lewis

“The explicit and implicit connection between one’s personal brand and the brand of the company or organization for whom one works is convincingly presented in this book. Its message—that our brands allow us to become more of who we are, reflecting what we stand for and how we convey that to others—is as true for individuals as it is for organizations.”

—Katrinka Smith Sloan, COO, Leading Age

“Be Your Own Brand demonstrates how the principles of marketing can also serve as the foundation of authentic leadership. The authors’ ability to draw upon the common understanding of branding to create a parable about self-awareness and effective leadership makes Be Your Own Brand essential reading for every manager looking to make a difference.”

—Durwin A. Long, PhD, Assistant Dean, Executive and Professional Development, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas

“Virtually everyone in business can become a more effective leader by putting into practice the ‘power of positive perceptions’ presented in this book. In addition, the authors’ take on authenticity and making a difference can add a new, powerful perspective to any coach’s leadership development activities.”

—Karen Gifford, President, Gifford Management and Leadership Coaching

“In the financial services business, the personal brand of each advisor has a big impact on client loyalty. When the personal brand of an advisor is aligned with the company’s brand, both become stronger together. The innovative personal brand concepts in Be Your Own Brand will help advisors build a stronger personal brand.”

—Wick Manley, Senior Vice President, AgStar Financial Services

“The one sales effectiveness book every sales and marketing executive should have on the bookshelf, Be Your Own Brand speaks to today’s most urgent business issue: your people are your brand. I found every page to be full of great ideas and powerful insights.”

—E. Patrick Gallagher, Director, Learning and Development, FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters Company

“In the financial services industry, a strong personal brand is essential for career success and personal fulfillment. McNally and Speak have written an invaluable guide for helping financial advisors craft such a brand for themselves and their enterprise.”

—Michael J. Haglin, Division Vice President, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

“I saw firsthand how the personal brand concepts in Be Your Own Brand were instrumental in helping employees find a strong connection between their work and the value we provided to our customers. The focus on making a difference in the revised version will undoubtedly make these proven concepts of personal brand an even more powerful customer-centric employee engagement tool.”

—John Super, President, Advance Path

“As this book says, the brand on the outside is only as good as the brand on the inside. Based on the personal brand concepts in this book, the brand training program we created with Karl helps our associates align their personal brands with our enterprise brand.”

—Mark Berryman Hier, Second Vice President, Communications and Research, Securian Financial Group, Inc.

“After reading Be Your Own Brand, I only wish that I would have read this book when I started my career as a brand professional sixteen years ago. It’s a must-read book for people who wish to achieve their highest level in life. I am currently lecturing in an international university, and this book is mandatory for all my students.”

—Dino Martin, Brand Consultant and Associate Faculty Member, Binus University, Jakarta, Indonesia

“Everyone has a brand. This book will teach you how to translate your purpose, vision, and values into a strong personal and professional brand. The book leads you on a journey that will help you understand the power of your personal brand and nurture its evolution throughout your career.”

—Agnes Ring, Vice President, Bonestroo

“The personal brand framework concept was introduced to our North America Customer Service Team more than three years ago. Our company’s customer satisfaction scores and overall team productivity have increased since we embraced the personal brand alignment framework.”

—Barb Kula, Vice President, Marketing, The Mosaic Company