You Are The Brand

About the Author

Mike Kim believes that marketing isn’t about closing a sale; it’s about opening a relationship. This refreshing approach has made him a sought-after speaker, online educator, copywriter, and consultant to some of today’s top thought leaders and personal brands. He has been a published contributor for leading business platforms including Entrepreneur.com, Inc.com, and the Huffington Post. Kim is also known for his top-ranked podcast, the Brand You Podcast, where he shares insights on building personal brands. His book, You Are the Brand, encapsulates his philosophy and provides a comprehensive blueprint for showcasing unique expertise and building a highly profitable, personally fulfilling business.

Main Idea

You Are the Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business by Mike Kim is a guide to building a personal brand around your ideas, expertise, reputation, and personality through relationships. The book emphasizes authenticity, vulnerability, and intentionality in personal branding. By following Kim's frameworks, tools, and exercises, readers can cultivate a personal brand that opens up more opportunities, wins, and profits.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Who Do You Have to Become?
3. How-to-preneur vs. Ideapreneur: Which One Are You?
4. Point of View: The PB3
5. Personal Stories: Never Be Blender Gray
6. Platform: Build Your Business Like the Chinese Zodiac
7. Positioning: Always Know Who Your Competitors Are
8. Products: Validate, Create, Refine, Relaunch
9. Pricing: People Like to Buy, They Do Not Like to Be Sold
10. Pitch: The Most Effective Marketing Strategy Is to Simply Tell the Truth
11. Partners: Relationships Are Rocket Ships

Introduction

The book opens with the idea that everyone already has a personal brand, whether they like it or not. The choice is to ignore it and let the world decide who you are, or to be intentional and bring your best self forward. You Are the Brand is about discovering your own answers to basic questions and building your personal brand around them. By leveraging the frameworks and exercises provided, you can create a brand that is both highly profitable and personally fulfilling.

“You already are a brand. But how you choose to cultivate that brand is a choice.” - Mike Kim

Kim's introduction sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of personal branding, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and intentionality. He challenges readers to take control of their brand narrative and use it as a tool for personal and professional growth.

Who Do You Have to Become?

Narrowing your career focus can be unsettling, but it is necessary to establish a strong foundation. Kim advises against obsessing over creating a perfect brand. Instead, he suggests launching sooner and pivoting later, emphasizing the importance of putting down roots before making significant changes.

“Better to launch sooner and pivot later.” - Mike Kim

This section emphasizes the importance of starting with what you have and refining your brand over time. Kim encourages readers to take action and learn through experience, rather than waiting for the perfect moment.

• Focus on your current strengths and expertise to build your brand foundation.
• Be open to pivoting and evolving as your personal and professional identity grows.

How-to-preneur vs. Ideapreneur: Which One Are You?

Kim differentiates between how-to-preneurs and ideapreneurs. How-to-preneurs teach people how to fix problems or do it for them, competing in a crowded market. Ideapreneurs spread a particular message, perspective, or philosophy, often turning an idea into a movement with less direct competition but more initial difficulty in gaining understanding and acceptance.