Best Way to Brand Yourself? Deliver Like Matt Barkley
Imagine being 18 years old, a new face on campus and walking into your first major test. This is no walk in the park test either. Not your grab a scantron from the girl (or guy) behind you and bubble in some answers type test. The test was leading a team in front of 100,000 screaming screaming and cut-throat fans. Then do it again only do it across the country in enemy territory. Being the first freshman to start at quarterback for one of the most storied schools in college football history that has turned out the likes of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinhart and Mark Sanchez are no easy shoes to step into.
Add this to the pressure of being the High School Player of the Year - Your Junior Year in high school - and you have a lot to live up to.
So why am I building up and talking about Matt Barkley, the new QB at USC? Because his brand looks a lot like the brands of many young professionals I see, with one exception.
Matt Barkley delivered on the expectations and the brand that he has been building in his 18 short years. 15-of-19, 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int. And one hell of a win (although it was San Jose State).
Next week, take your team down the field with just minutes left, tune out the loudest stadium in college football and grow up very quickly in front of millions watching at home to take the game in the final seconds.
We are all striving to build our personal brands, our businesses and live out our passions. We are all looking for better paying opportunities, a chance to be the boss and run the show. Gen-Y is constantly looking to take over the world now, with our tech savvy, Facebook contacts and networking know-all. The problem? Most of us are not ready to deliver on Day 1 like Mr. Barkley.
How To Deliver
Practice. Matt graduated high school a semester early and came to USC for spring practice. Then he spent the entire summer learning a new offense, meeting players and getting into shape. For us looking to establish our brand we can do many things from writing blog drafts, shooting videos, practicing our editing skills and learning from others as we grow. Keep putting in the effort in practice so you are ready when you get the call on game day.
Look for a winning team. Matt went to USC for many reasons, but one was the fact that they have a winning program and “A” grade coaches. It is much easier to follow a winning formula and add your abilities and uniqueness than attempt to build from the ground up. Young professionals who start at large firms, find mentors who are successful entrepreneurs and follow the process of other top notch professionals will excel on a higher lever quicker than those that do not. This is not to say you can’t (you 100% can), but leveraging a winning system generally gives you a faster track.
Leverage. I have talked about using leverage before but it is so vital to your success. Matt leveraged his All-American offensive line that gave him time to throw and the ability to shine. Personally I used the leverage I have in the Gen-Y community to promote the Under 30 Rock Star series to smashing success. Be sure that you give value back - like winning the game in the 2-minute drill - so that your partners will keep pumping you up.
Stay calm under pressure. We can all get the job done where we are relaxed and laser focused. The real superstars can still get the job done when the clock is ticking and pressure increases. When your job, your business or project is on the line, finding that focus point, taking some deep breaths and getting into that zone will help you deliver something special for you and your team.
Be humble. After the game Matt recognized his teammates and said the game was everything he expected. No showing off or taunting. His head is poised and focused on next week. Just because you hit the Digg homepage or had a great project, don’t forget how you got there and never forget about the bigger vision. No wants wants to see another Kanye, no matter how talented you are.
Conclusion
We all have opportunities to deliver in the big game. We all have the same potential to win the game, land the client, sell some stuff or whatever you need to do. The next step is action (check out the rock star potential video), which will either give us those results we either long for or end up feeling disappointed. Your reputation and your brand are dependent upon how you deliver.
Claiming that you are the best, or the guru or the expert only counts if you deliver results - what kind of results are you delivering?
How well prepared are you for success and what other ways can we prepare and deliver? Let’s talk in the comments.
-Greg Rollett
I believe that practice makes better, but I also believe that a lot of what we can do has been predestined in our DNA. Not that I believe our future is written, but I mean our strength, height, speed, intelligence, endurance, and personality.
Some people are social; some people are anti-social. Some people get the girls, and others are too shy to talk to them.
GaryVee says this a lo, “Embrace your DNA.” A lot of times, people try to break their mold and succeed. I can’t think of a person off the top of my head, but if you do, please let me know.
Actually, that is a really good question. Who has gone against their DNA and succeeded? That would be an interesting person to learn from.
- Jun Loayza
Hey Jun - I am going to agree with Paul below. Your brain can be programmed and conditioned - your physical components, not so much - although my high school football coach would argue that point to the death.
With that said, I do believe that we are born with certain features and character traits, yet success is a mind state that comes from practice, repetition, finding great role players (think about your team post) and then executing on a plan. Whether you are an athlete, an employee or an entrepreneur, you have the mental ability to succeed by putting all the pieces together, regardless of your DNA.
As much as I hate USC (Hook ‘Em Horns), Barkley DID deliver and your post is right on. “Perfect practice makes perfect” (muscle memory) and surrounding yourself with the right people are often spoken about but rarely followed through with.
As to Jun who commented that he “believe[s] that a lot of what we can do has been predestined in our DNA,” there may be SOME truth to that in athletics but it does not tell the full story…and I definitely do not see that truth evident in business.
Sure, most athletes are products of physical talents and attributes. But the greatest athletes (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, etc) have that mental toughness and superior drive to be the best (not to mention exceptional work ethic) which catapults them to the status as the best of the best.
In business, how many times have you heard the underdog story of those who’ve hit it big? Most of the time, their successes (as they would tell you) don’t come from luck or because they were “born” with it, it come from extreme hard work, dedication, and the “win at all odds” mindset…these “attributes” equate to the mental talents of the 3 athletes I mentioned above.
I think if you believe that some people are born to be successful and others are not, than you are severely limiting your own capabilities and potential and will probably be perpetually stuck in the former category…
Paul
Hey Paul - thanks for chiming in. I think you bring up some great points here, especially at the end. Like I said above, I do believe that we are born with certain traits, but the mental toughness, the I am going to succeed at all costs mentality can be programmed and conditioned. Not everyone is going to go through the mental toughness to get on a level like Jordan or Tiger, that’s what makes them so great.
Everyone has the ability to turn their life around, but that starts within first. Once you believe it is much easier to convince others to believe. I think this is a great new topic for next week! Thanks guys for the feedback.
As a science hippie who’s been obsessed with DNA his entire life, I would like to assure Jun Loayza that his concerns are based on out-dated assumptions.
Human DNA is constantly mutating and evolving within the lifespan of the individual organism. Everything we do sculpts our genetic code in an ongoing process of real-time feedback. The mechanisms are not fully understood, but the evidence is becoming increasingly clear that we’re all ongoing projects.
I could go on for 150 paragraphs, but I’ll cut myself short with an important distinction: I’m not arguing for nature OR nurture. Both are part of this ongoing loop, and there’s dozens of other factors at work, too. Our genetic makeup and physical selves undergoing constant changes because that’s the exact policy that’s made Life on Earth such a resounding success: THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE.
Success is a mental game.