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Key Takeaways from a Talk on Branding by Anand Pillai

We all are born unique, we all have our own individual traits yet we want to follow everyone out there for the same reason we think the grass is greener on the other side. The important realization to be made is that we all our brands in ourselves- we are unique, we have our own set of strengths and weaknesses and the way we connect with others is how we become known to others.

This is the analogy, Mr. Anand Pillai (Managing Director of Leadership Matters), drew while comparing a brand to an individual’s life. It was indeed a matter of pride to see the famous Leadership Coach and Organization Transformation Guru who has been a guest lecturer at leading business schools like Harvard Business School, MIT-Sloan, London Business School, IIMs, etc share his wisdom on ‘BRANDING’ to a gathering of women at one of the sessions organized by FICCI-FLO Ludhiana. And I couldn’t be more satisfied seeing the change that is coming in my town where the ‘Kitty-goers’ are now considering the need of attending sessions like these to be able to successfully follow their entrepreneurial journeys.

Besides the abundant joy and satisfaction that I got out of attending this workshop, there was a lot to learn and take away from Mr. Pillai and his teachings.

Read Also: Exploring the Science of Happiness with Pooja Bedi

Takeaways from the talk session:

  • “God has made each of us as a first class original, do not die a second-grade copy!”

When a short, dark man with a larger than life personality, indomitable willpower and broader vision emphasized on this golden mantra of building a brand, I felt pushed to not only believe him but also question the part of ‘ME’ who has become someone else because of external influences. Besides making me question myself on living an influenced life, the man made me wonder what is the one thing that makes me “UNIQUE”? And if there is something that makes me unique, why should I stop living the way others live and do things I am born for.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ignu0whVOnw[/embedyt]

  • The essence of branding a business lies in learning to live your life. If you know what it is that makes you a leader, you know what it is that can transform your business into a brand.
  • If you want your brand to grow or if you wish to grow your network as a brand, you need to become approachable. For this to happen, think smart and creative while leveraging the power of social media.
  • The success of a business lies in learning to play smart, identifying your strengths, outsourcing the work you are not good at.

Some Final Words:

When I re-think about the session (which I have done several times in a past few days), one thing that hits my funny bone is that there is no one that can bother you the moment you accept everything good or bad about your own self. Become capable of mocking your own weaknesses and you will never give the world a chance again to mock at you.