What Defines You?

What defines you is your own unique DNA. The markers of your personality that never change, no matter how often you may re-invent yourself. The digital analogy would be your core tech that could be “skinned” in an infinite number of ways as often as you’d like. You may look different, but…?

I asked that question to several partners at one of the world's largest consulting firms, who had contracted us to understand their internal brand alignment. One of the partners told me that what defined them was a laptop. Without the laptop, they were nothing. I probed about the Brand, the person, and their belief system. Nope. It was the laptop…and this person was not alone. The Brand had an issue (as did those folks—in my opinion).?

I recently participated in a powerful positioning exercise with a major healthcare provider. The amazing facilitator asked every participant to write down three things that defined them. CAVEAT: They could NOT be the obvious usuals—my family, my significant other, etc. The point was to get people thinking of their core DNA to better get to the core of the Brand. During lunch, the facilitator read the descriptions out loud, and we had to guess who each belonged to.?

Here’s mine:

• Wanna be hippy
• My Jewish ethics center my moral code
• "Do it big or stay in bed" is my personal mantra

What’s yours?

Then, there is my LinkedIn core: Global Brand Builder, Crisis Whisperer, Global Influencer, Author, Big Ideas, Start-Up Ethos, and People First Always. But I'd posit this is more of a business skin than my DNA…except for the People First which is a trait…I'd like to believe.??

On X, I added Author, Entrepreneur, Curator, Social Activist…more skin (if you will) this time for X-type posts.? On META, the new one is Storyteller….apropos for that platform.??

I hope you can see my view of core vs. skin. DNA vs. the trappings…What defines you vs. what you are going to make yourself into for others to see…on the surface??

And, of course, I have a quote that inspired me to think and write:?

“The chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love... the faith that you have—that's what's going to define your life.”?—Denzel Washington

And I'm hoping (betting) that for you, it's not some piece of hardware or software….?

What defines you?