The Brand Bouquet

My mom likes orchids. Okay that might be a bit of an understatement… my mom loves orchids. It’s a thing. She’s got dozens of dendrobium, phalanxes of phalaenopsis, a plurality of pleurothallis and enough grow-lights in the porch to rate her as “interesting” to the local office of the DEA. But she shows her orchids so its okay.

I don’t think she ever set out with the intention of developing a brand as the “orchid lady”, but in certain circles she is exactly that – known for her passionate evangelism of the flower. She’s racked up a wall full of ribbons and plaques for some of her prized members of the family Orchidaceae, she has taught orchid classes at the adult school, been tapped for show & tell duty by more than one grandchild, and even has a custom license plate declaring her passion for the plant. It’s a personal brand built on authenticity – when it comes to personal branding you can’t sustain what you don’t genuinely love.

I believe there is more to learn here though than just to pursue your passion. I think there is a lesson in the garden. As business people and entrepreneurs we want to steer people towards our best. We want to deliver every day a bouquet of our finest blooms. Beautiful colors, full blossoms, delicate fragrances and pastels brought forth with consistency and care. Our customers deserve no less, do they? But not every flower is ready for the cutting, not every plant is suitable for the orchid show. For every ribbon-winner in my mom’s porch there’s plenty that will never make the grade. She knows she has to tend her orchids with diligence, skill, knowledge and love to have them bring forth a show-worthy shoot.

When we show our best it can only ever be just a part of who we are – we hope that our best reaches and grows tall so that it pulls up our worst, but mastery is something approached, strived for, but never fully reached. Our bouquet may be the best of our garden, but it is never better than our garden. And if we hope to cull our finest from that garden reliably and consistently then we must tend our garden. Pull out your fanciest buds too often without taking time to weed, nourish, study, till, plant and love your garden, and soon you won’t have any best blossoms left to draw upon for your brand bouquet.

- David Cohen, brand therapist, wants to remind you that you are a beacon and that your job is to shine. Find out more about David and his left-brained + right-brained approach to branding at http://www.EquationArts.com