The Brand Called You: The Ultimate Brand-Building and Business Development Handbook to Transform Anyone into an Indispensable Personal Brand (Hardcover)

~ Peter Montoya (Author), Tim Vandehey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you have a special message to share with the world the ideas behind Personal Branding are absolutely essential." -- Wyland, environmental artist, Wyland Worldwide

"Nothing cuts through the noise and clutter of today’s advertising like Personal Branding. It’s the supreme way to get noticed." -- Wally Amos, author of The Cookie Never Crumbles, Uncle Wallys Muffins, and Aunt Dellas Cookies

"Peter Montoya is becoming one of the great experts on Personal Branding. The Brand Called You is testimony to that!" -- Stedman Graham, businessman, author, educator

"Peter Montoya’s Personal Branding ideas are going to change how business owners and professionals promote themselves." -- Robert G. Allen and Mark Victor Hansen, co-authors, The One Minute Millionaire

Product Description

Establishing a Personal Brand and riding it to personal wealth and professional success is more than a matter of polished business cards or wearing the right suit, as some branding mavens would have us believe. Personal Branding is who we are, authentically and without anything held back, crafted and communicated in a way that maximizes our influence with the people who can make us successful. This is the focus of The Brand Called You, the most authoritative resource to date on what makes Personal Branding effective, the principles behind the success of any brand, and the strategies any business owner can use to become the inevitable choice for anyone seeking a product or service.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Personal Branding Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967450659
• ISBN-13: 978-0967450650
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #424,931 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Outdated and way too basic, April 11, 2005

By	Kim Skildum-Reid "Author, speaker, consultant" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

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As a professional consultant, I thought I was the target market for this book. I mean, it does call itself "the ultimate", doesn't it?

Well... I was beyond disappointed. If you have ever marketed yourself or your business, if you have ever read a business book in your life, if you have even just managed to stay in business for more than a year, this book is far too basic for you.

According to the authors, the crux of personal marketing seems to be creating "personal postcards" and sending them to people anytime you can figure out an excuse to do it. There are a few other ideas that they beat to death, as well. While these ideas may be a good idea for some, there is just so much more that.

The book looks good, but the reality is that there are too few ideas, the ideas covered are outdated, and I thought the whole tone was pitched really low and patronising. It was a waste of money, but more than that, a total waste of time.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended guide to personal branding, April 13, 2003

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

"The Brand Called You" has one of the longest subtitles that I have ever seen on a book, but it is an accurate synopsis - "The Ultimate Brand-Building and Business Development Handbook to Transform Anyone into an Indispensable Personal Brand". If you ever wanted to know about personal branding this book will give you a thorough understanding of what it is and what it is not. "Branding" is pretty much a buzz word in the marketing arena but rarely have I encountered anyone who truly understands it as well as Peter Montoya. In this book he examines a specific type of branding - personal branding. The coverage is absolutely the most exhaustive that I have seen anywhere. He starts with the basics of defining personal branding and continues through building an appropriate brand, strategies for personalized branding, power tools for developing a personal brand, and a plan for establishing your personal brand in twelve months. If you want your business to be the next Eddie Bauer, Charles Schwab, or Ben and Jerry's this book is an indispensable guide to get you there. It is a highly recommended purchase for anyone seeking to establish name recognition as a personal brand and the best guide I've seen on the market today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Consistency Is Key, August 19, 2005

By	Ed Barks "Author of The Truth About Public Sp... (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

The biggest takeaway from Montoya's book is the need for consistency.

The fact is some experts lose track of the need for a steady hand on the wheel, thereby blurring their "brand" (ugh, that word is far too overused and meaningless; but that's a debate for another day). Whether they are authors, trainers, lecturers, or entrepreneurs (or a combination of each), all signs must point to a consistent image that the expert consciously tries to cultivate.

Some of Montoya's techniques are a bit simplistic and oversold. It is important to remember that readers have the ability to take what works for them and discard the rest. If I get one or two "wow" ideas from a book these days, I consider it a worthwhile read. Montoya's emphasis on consistency was a pertinent "wow" reminder.