most of us have that one simple idea that we prioritize over everything else. that one deep thing we truly believe in and would not trade for anything else in the world. that thing that is so deep into you that it is core to who you are and what you stand for. that is your center. your essence.
since I tend to overthink and overanalyze everything I come across, this scene in Rise of the Guardians by DreamWorks triggered a crazy brainstorm on my personal center. what is my center? and this scene started to make sense in a whole new way. not only for Jack Frost, but for me, as a person, and from a marketing and brand strategy perspective, which could be useful to a lot of business professionals out there.
if you’re working on your personal brand, the easiest way to identify your center in my experience is to look at the main reason why your friends and relatives come specifically to you, or the main characteristics that they associate to you more than anyone else around.
if you are working on the story of your organization, one of the best references on this that I’ve read about was in the book “Eating the Big Fish” by Adam Morgan, where he proposes the concept of “lighthouse identity”. the idea is that one needs to develop a very clear sense of who or what you are, and to then project that identity intensely, consistently, and saliently to the point where, like a lighthouse, customers notice you (and know where you stand) even if they are not looking for you.
so, who are you? and what do you want to stand for?