“If you can’t advertise yourself, what hope do you have of advertising anything else?”

This semester in Gary Kayye’s Branding of Me class, I have been given the task of publishing blogs every week on topics that I feel resonate with my personal brand. My initial instinct was to choose a theme — maybe my love for dogs, the art of charcuterie through the eyes of @lillysphoneeatsfirst or @lil.boards (personal plug – give my side hustles some love on Instagram), or my experiences exploring and learning about other cultures. And although I could easily expound deeply upon each of such topics, I figured limiting myself to one theme would take away from the essence of my personal brand: my eclectic set of passions. 

I won’t bore you with the seemingly never-ending list of diverse hobbies I have partaken in throughout the years (sewing, golf, and playing the cello are all on there if that speaks to the variety). Having always bounced from one activity to another, I can never choose just one. And that’s why I won’t limit myself here. 

However, to give myself some structure and basis of discussion, I have decided that each blog will focus on a quote. The quotes may be motivational, comical or frivolous and could be taken from a famous source or even myself. That being said, I will give credit when credit is due, so if there is not a source associated with a statement then it is my own opinion and based on my own experiences. 

So let’s get started! 

“If you can’t advertise yourself, what hope do you have of advertising anything else?” — David Ogilvy 

I chose the quote above by David Ogilvy for my first blog for a couple of reasons. 

First, as an Advertising & PR major, what better way to introduce my blog than with a quote from the Father of Advertising? The moment I stepped into the New York Ogilvy office is when I knew I wanted to work in the advertising industry. Ogilvy was the first company I visited on the UNC Advertising Club’s networking trip in 2019 and, as cliche as it sounds, I will never forget it. Those who I met at the office seemed to hold true to this statement: They were bold and undeniably themselves, and it shows in their work.

Second, I wanted my introductory quote to be a tribute to what this blog and the Branding of Me class is all about. Gary presented this quote on the first day of class and I wrote it BIG and bold at the top of my notes. I felt as though it was speaking directly to me. 

With the changes brought by COVID-19 and the realization that my college graduation is inching closer every second, this past year has ushered in more uncertainty and stress than ever before. Job searching has made me question what my true talents are. I mean, I must have one specific skill that will lead me to my dream career, right? I spent countless hours of personal introspection without coming to any conclusion. 

It wasn’t until I saw this quote and sat through the first day of class that I realized I was trying too hard to dissect my life into categories in hopes of finding that one perfect trait. It occurred to me that I don’t need to have just one passion. And rather, having many diverse interests may be even better. 

Branding is storytelling and I don’t know any narrative better than my own. My story doesn’t have to be limited to one focus, but can, and should, be multidimensional. So, here I am, working on articulating my own identity so that one day I can do the same for a brand.