Michael Ashley

Do you have a personal brand? What does it communicate about you? Does your brand communicate integrity, honesty, service? Or does your brand communicate cheap, easy, unstable? Just like a business, you should go through the process of identifying your core values, your vision and strategy on a personal level, and jot down a few key points for your brand. Then make an effort to align your brand with your core values. Today your picture is going to show up on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, your blog, your web site... you may even be in some YouTube videos. When people see you and read your story, watch your video, read what's written on your wall—what are you telling them about your brand?

I estimate 9 out of 10 people I talk to want to write a book. Most have started one at least once. Many have started several times. Even Barack Obama's mother started a book about her life story. After she died her daughter found the book, she had written only 3 pages. I believe she hit the same wall we all do when we start writing a book. And she did what most of us do when we hit that wall, she put the papers into a drawer and forgot about them. But her son, Barack Obama , managed to become a best-selling author. Millions of people write books every year, so it's not impossible. But what does it take to pull it off? It's not as mysterious as you might think. Writing a book takes four key ingredients: 1. Discipline 2. Organization 3. Cause 4. Workflow Discipline is necessary because you will face times when you just don't want to write. You don't feel like writing, you don't have the energy, you don't know what to write. But discipline is the art of doing w