These days companies and corporations are all about their “brand” – features and imagery that come to the minds of consumers and clients upon hearing their name. For example, Coca-Cola, Apple, Disney and Southwest Airlines – we hear those names and instantly thoughts about them come to mind. Even some celebrated individuals are known for their brand – think about icons like Taylor Swift or Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise or Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk or Bill Gates. The mere mention of their names conjures up a variety of images and impressions.
Have you ever considered that you, too, have a “brand” that other people associate with you?
Some time ago I came across an intriguing quote from Jay Danzie, a “brand strategist and mindset coach.” He said, “Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark, and whether others aspire to be like you is your brand.”
These terms would seem to apply best to public figures, as well as those who populate the business and professional world, but it’s not much of a stretch to realize they can apply to each of us as well. We all have a smile (or should have); a personality; leave others with impressions (good or bad) after they meet us; and ideally, we’re the types of people that some might aspire to be like.
Granted, there are those who seem to have an edge, possessing inherent qualities that are just part of who they are. For instance, those whose smiles seem to brighten a room the moment they enter. Or individuals who exude energy and personality, becoming the ‘life of the party’ wherever they go.
Even though most of us don’t fit those descriptions, that doesn’t excuse or exempt us from having a logo, trademark, or brand-like impact on the people we encounter every day, whether at work, school, church, our neighborhoods, or even at the grocery store. In fact, the Scriptures strongly affirm this in principle. Let’s take a quick look:
Smile. Have you ever had one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong, received some bad news, or just found yourself feeling glum, only to have your negative emotions dispelled by someone looking straight at you with a cheery smile? We can have this same impact on others if we’re not too preoccupied with ourselves. Proverbs 15:30 says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.” Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try making a friendly smile our ‘logo.’
Personality. Not everyone has an effervescent personality (I know I don’t), but we can strive to be or become the types of individuals that folks enjoy being around. Do we tend to gossip, disparage others, or create friction whenever we’re around others? That’s not the way to win friends and influence people, as Dale Carnegie used to say. Living in the midst of a sea of negativity, people are drawn to those known for their positive attitudes, both through words and actions.
Proverbs 16:24 observes, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” This doesn’t mean we’re called to become Pollyannas, oblivious to the realities of the world. But we don’t need to remind others about them either. Ephesians 4:29 admonishes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Impression. Much of the impact we make as individuals is determined by our inner selves The first part of Proverbs 23:7 declares, “As he thinks within himself, so he is.” Another translation says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Like it or not, what’s in our hearts has a way of oozing outwardly.
How can we address this to create the best ‘trademark’? As the apostle Paul exhorted fellow believers, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Keep our minds in the right places.
Example. Do you think your ‘brand’ is one that others seek to emulate? Maybe – or maybe not. But according to the Scriptures, this is a worthwhile goal. Imperfect as he was by his own admission, Paul understood this. To brothers and sisters in Christ he offered this challenge: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
And writing to believers in Corinth, he boldly stated, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you to imitate me…. [my protégé Timothy] will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:15-17).
In the same letter, Paul instructed them to, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). He wasn’t writing this boastfully. The apostle was simply confident that “in Christ” his life was consistent, worth aspiring to be like.
For those of us desiring to have personal brands, trademarks and logos that honor our Lord, Jesus told succinctly how to go about it. In answer to the question, “Teacher, which command is the greatest in the Law?,” He responded, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’…. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39).
If we endeavor, through the power of God’s Spirit, to heed those two commandments, we should have no worries about our ‘brand.’
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