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What The Great Gatsby can show us about personal branding

At J21 Coaching we came across an interesting article on Management Today discussing personal branding in the movie-of-the-moment, The Great Gatsby.

The F Scott Fitgerald novel was quoted as ‘a cautionary tale of of the decadent downside of the American dream’, and the current Hollywood blockbuster movie version clearly highlights the dangers of being all about personal branding but with no person behind the brand.

The theme, however, of having aspirations to start over again is something that ties in closely with some of our core services in life coaching and mentoring services in the Midlands.

The Great Gatsby was set in a period of changing economic and social circumstances – then, as now, we are facing challenges from an economic downturn just as the Roaring Twenties’ represented a period of great change.

Adapting to an evolving financial and social climate holds true now, as then.

Gatsby as an individual is a classic example of great unrealised potential, and we can say this about many individuals today, too, of course. We all have great potential, but it’s taking action which helps us to reach our goals and keep us on the road to success.

Plus, having a vision and focus are instrumental in achieving a positive personal brand.

Life coaching and mentoring can assist in facilitating a personal brand or shift in identity, with effective coaching playing a significant role in helping to develop a personal brand which is full of passion and unique vision.

Having a vision and delivering that vision are two different things.

We see individuals who believe in their personal brand – and this is a critical starting point in getting a target audience to believe it in, and in you, too.

Consider this simple question: does your personal brand reflect your values? Your brand should be all about you, your products and your services. As we saw so clearly in the Hollywood version of The Great Gatsby, his target audience were high-end, wealthy New York bankers and entrepreneurs, and he went to great efforts in ensuring that his personal brand spoke to them.

Is your personal brand aligned to your target audience? Life coaching can clarify and strengthen this.

For more information on our coaching and mentoring services in Birmingham, please feel free to contact us here.