If It Ain't Authentic, It Ain't You

I'm a fan of NPR's Terri Gross.

I love to laugh just as much as the next person, but have never been much of a fan of comedian Joan Rivers.

However, after hearing Terri's interview with Ms. Rivers today on Fresh Air, I have a newfound respect for Ms. Rivers as a great example of an authentic personal brand. Not that Joan cares if I like her comedy or not. But as a brand, one cannot deny she personifies branding rule #1: you must be authentic.

The interview starts with a clip Gross plays from the new documentary on Rivers, A Piece of Work (so aptly named - I mean that in a nice way). In the clip, Rivers is responding to a heckler in the audience who, let's just say, would have killed the comedic momentum of a lesser talent. Yet Rivers in her true in-your-face-tell-it-like-I-see-it-style (venom, cursing and all) not only handles him with aplomb, but finds a way to use the situation to reinforce her unique point of view (POV) with the audience, the Rivers brand proposition that says, "I'm Joan Rivers. I make people laugh and find the humor in everyday life, including the tragic, tough stuff."

You're not Joan Rivers. And it's probably safe to say you're not likely to have the kind of global reach with your personal brand that she does. But you do have a sphere of influence and the opportunity to leverage personal branding to more fully realize your goals, whatever they may be. So what lessons can you take from Joan Rivers for brand development? At least 3 things:

• Lesson #1: Define your unique POV. If you can't already clearly articulate what makes you unique, this may take some time, soul searching and work. But you've got to start here.
• Lesson #2: Define your value proposition (VP). What benefit will someone get from engaging with you? Joan has many roles - comedian, entrepreneur, TV host, etc. As funny lady, Joan's value prop is "Invest $100 (or whatever the ticket price) for one of my live shows and I guarantee you'll forget your cares and laugh for a few hours."
• Lesson #3: When you've finished #1 and #2, take the authenticity test. Do your POV and VP pass the smell test? Are they really a true reflection of You, Inc., or are you describing a figment of your imagination?

The great news is there's only one YOU in the universe. Your job is to reflect it back in the universe authentically.