Support When You Need It Most
Some might think that success is something that is based on good fortune, but my experience has me believing that it has more to do with a good support system, either intrinsic or external, and the earlier the better. Why? Because support can lead to success. In fact an early childhood support system has been proven to give children a healthy start in school while affording them the confidence to compete later in life. Suffice it to say, if one does not have a necessary support system, then it is up to us (collectively) to be resourceful in creating it. Those resources come when government and society pull together, acknowledge their inter relatedness and build support through educational infrastructure. Infrastructure gives individuals a chance to discover the gifts that they have within.
I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability, or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.
-Dean Koontz
Author Dean Koontz is an example of transcending environment. He found support in the least likely places after revealing that he was regularly beaten and abused by his alcoholic father. By the same token, he credits the courage of his mother, although small in stature, who stood up to her husband, and whose actions influenced his later writing.
It’s important to consider how our infrastructure is made up of so many pieces, teachers, schools, libraries, parents, community, and public servants, all of which provide a level of support. There is nothing new about this concept. Hillary Rodham Clinton has mentioned this in her book that infers the same. “It takes a village to raise a child,” is the famous African proverb that inspired her book title.
Support Factors into Brand
Support, no matter where it comes from, can help a child or young person develop responsibility and confidence. When an individual’s basic needs are met he/she is able to exceed in ways that are exponential based on available provisions. We have seen communities where parental support of schools and extracurricular activities have demonstrably affected student outcome. Maslow’s hierarchical theory argues that needs at the most basic levels, having been fulfilled, allow individuals to flourish and even go on to become self-actualized—this, by another definition equates to becoming successful. An individual can act in the interest of community, that is, one can move outside one’s self when comfort and financial means are present. It is at this point that one can pursue interests and follow their passions. So, a safe community is credited by its teachers and elders that also serve as mentors. These people work with parents to guide children in their formative years, bolster the confidence of youth, and lead students to try even harder. Credit must also be given to young people that are self-motivated. Their personal drive supported by healthy sponsorship can create a combination that leads to success. That is why we, as a society, bear responsibility for insuring this type of nurture exists in all communities and not just our own. Evidence of this plays out in communities that are branded safe, producing schools that are branded safe, and turning out students that are branded as “high performing,” and a product of a model system. I believe this is how the infrastructure of support factors into personal brand at the most fundamental level. I also believe that this justifies parents and educators discussing the integration of personal branding in early curricula.
Success Isn’t Achieved Overnight
The discussion and introduction of personal branding ideology in age appropriate modules is as natural as anti-bullying curriculum we currently teach. In fact, some of the principles in our anti-bullying lessons coincide with the steps one would take toward positive personal branding and parallel situations that often present themselves throughout life. The following are examples of NEA suggested lessons that double as precursors to personal branding:
• Conflict is inevitable: bullying is not
• Conflict resolution: activity ideas
Early introduction establishes a framework by which a good brand can take hold and later be utilized. How do we (collectively) support and educate our youth with the notion that they might one day desire to create their own brand? As I’ve tried to show here, it begins within our homes, educational system, and communities. It begins in preparatory school too. We also see it to some extent when community colleges and universities hire career counselors to prepare students for the job market. Colleges now offer workshops on self-promotion strategies, image, and how to navigate both online and in-person encounters. Social media courses cover marketing and strategic networking
for the individual too. What is all of this, if not personal branding by a different name?
Millennials that choose to brand are far more adept than their predecessors at wrangling multiple online accounts that link both their communications and activities. In fact, this generation built the platforms we currently enjoy—Snapchat, Instagram, and more. There are certainly social networking
mess-ups that make the news. We see this all too often in the media when impulsive actions or statements celebrities have made must be retracted. We’ve also seen cases when teens recklessly take to social media. The fall out can often exceed the intent, but it serves to remind us that brand management usually extends further than our online activities; and that can be a good lesson.Good career planning with professional resume can bring in lot of high profile career opportunities.
I have been preaching that early lessons provide students with valuable knowledge about personal branding, and therefore it is important that teachers teach about it too. In an age of online living, image awareness must be required in our schools. Holistic participation in social networking
both online and in-person should also be part of what is currently taught along with anti-bullying. Best practices for this would include things I mentioned early in this post, and that is: establishing a nurturing environment with parental support; having mentors and teachers; providing resources for students to explore and then follow their positive interests; encouraging student success; and teaching students that their actions have implications, both online and in-person.
If this sounds like a mini revolution surrounding the notion of personal brand building, then it is! Individuals that have worked on personal branding for many years often begin to enjoy some of the benefits that accompany it. Success is more than monetary, but financial reward can result from actions one has taken over the years. I think Apple founder, Steve Jobs, said it best,
If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.
-Steve Jobs
There is no such thing as an overnight brand success, but you can begin your climb using the social media platform RockON has created. Rockon is a powerful robust platform linking your career needs with social and networking mileage for a complete personality.
Rockon.me