Cari-bein'

Branding

When the alarm goes off at 5:55 on weekdays, we immediately flip on the radio. And this isn't some cutting-edge high-tech number from Sharper Image--it's a bright green tiny transistor from Radio Shack that's more than 10 years old. That baby has traveled a lot of miles with me, and it permanently resides among the many pillows on our (came with the condo) king-size bed. I'm decidedly old school in some ways, and that transistor is a reflection of that.

For years it traveled with me up and down the West Coast in my old Monte Carlo (itself an old-school statement, although that's not why or how I had it) because the radio in the car didn't work. Those were the pre-boyfriend years, when I didn't have a permanent home and flitted between various spots in the Bay Area and Portland and L.A. and Phoenix. It's been on every camping trip with us. Boyfriend always takes a radio to work with him (he works outdoors). He's not allowed to wear headphones at work, but he can tool around (in his maintenance golf cart) with a radio. He's been through several radios during his years working at the golf course, but he knows that when he borrows "mine" he'd better return it safe and sound because that little guy has a lot of memories wrapped up in it. And I only paid $5 for it.

The station we listen to in the morning is our local talk radio station. It's a CBS Radio affiliate, so we hear five minutes of a national program before the local news begins at 6:00. First thing this morning, as we were still waking, we heard a story on the state of Idaho, particularly how the state has created a new slogan for itself, "The Power of Idaho." The man being interviewed (I didn't catch his name or role), was talking about how many people used to confuse Idaho with other states, so it was decided that it needed a new slogan. Then he said, "It's all about branding. If you don't brand yourself, others will brand you." And I thought, how true.

I've always been someone who chafes at people trying to label me or put me into a neatly-defined box. And yet I've been guilty of doing the same to others. Since I'm spending a good deal of time these days thinking about what kind of life I want to have in California, it occurred to me this morning when I heard that radio report that maybe I need to switch up my vocabulary. Instead of thinking of a new label for myself (a frustrating process since a) I don't have one now and b) nor do I ever want one), maybe I need to start thinking in terms of branding myself. Branding is a marketing word, of course, but maybe that's why it would be useful to start thinking in those terms.

I've read a bunch of self-help/find your dream job/do what you love or are passionate about books over the decades. I know plenty of exercises and tricks and tools to get to a certain place to find work that's at least satisfying. But for some reason, that one sentence this morning ("If you don't brand yourself, others will brand you.") really resonated with me. Maybe it was my semi-sleepy state--maybe that made me particularly open to hearing it on a deeper level. But I heard it, loud and clear. Now I'm gonna put some thought and feelings behind it and see what I come up with.

posted by Marilyn @ 6:37 AM