For the past 400 years, one man has cultivated and maintained one of the most successful personal brands in the history of the world. But he never had a publicist. He never had formal training in marketing or communications. In fact, he didn’t even graduate from college. So how did a man who died in 1616, when a ‘brand’ was something you put on your cow, achieve four centuries of positive name recognition and a John Hancock worth millions of dollars?
We’ll never know for sure – he may have just gotten lucky – but what we do know is that William Shakespeare was one smart cookie. He had a unique ability to craft and manipulate language and discuss ordinary events in an extraordinarily captivating way. His works have withstood the test of time and provide a lens with which to view the topic of branding.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” – Juliet
According to Juliet, a name is nothing more than letters strung together – carrying no weight, meaning, or real importance. And while she is correct in her assertion that what something is called is less important than what it is, names do serve a very important function in our society.
You could be the sweetest smelling rose in the entire Continental United States, but if you can’t get someone to come sniff you, you’d might as well smell like the nastiest skunk on the planet. So in a world with a whole lot of roses, how do you get someone to smell you? (And not be creepy.)
It all starts with a name. A name to go with a face that accompanies personality, skills, talents, and other unique qualities that all combine to create you. The key to establishing yourself and your brand all boils down to how you package all of those qualities.
So today I challenge you to take a minute, sit down and think. Think about your brand – personal or commercial – and what it communicates about you or your business. Is it saying what you want it to? If not, you may need to make some changes. And instead of regarding the idea of creating a brand as a tactic used only by communication professionals, try to embrace branding as a strategy you can use to tailor your own image.
Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs 
These figures could be received from HUD. The listing of this current scholarship is accessible either
at area colleges and financial aid offices. How to
Find Grants. Government help is available in variations to the mothers which include tax assistance,
educational grants and scholarships, and assistance with insurance.
First, use your local city or state government to discover home grants for parents.