It was 10 minutes after 8:00am when I heard my family crying after receiving a phone call from the hospital. It was May 7, 2007, I remember that day in every detail. Before one day, I was in the hospital and for a moment I didn’t feel that my father was good, I felt something inside me, he had quadriplegia, he can’t move or talk. I kissed his hand and left.

In My Father, My Brand Inspiration – Part 1, I wrote about my father’s core values: passion, consensus, honesty, energetic, patience and faith.

In part 2, I will share what I learned in life after what my father raised in me. Here are another set of attributes that my father’s brand shine with:

Unselfishness:

“Salah Saleh was behind my new national record”, that statement is the title written on the newspaper. Mr. Abbas Jabbar is the new national hammer throw champion, my father’s record stand for 16 years and here is the story of the new record as translated from Mr. Jabbar’s interview.

“Salah Saleh was in the same military unit as mine, he was the national champion. I was watching him closely and watch how he throw the hammer. I even sometimes bring the hammer for him. With his support and encouragement and even the game is difficult, requires good technique and a lot of physical exams, I started to understand the game with all its tricks. Under his supervision and coaching, I broke the record”.

That’s one of my father brand attributes that created his unique personal brand, a brand that friends and family keep talking about it today even after five years, this is What Would You Like Someone to Say About You at Your Funeral?

As Mohammed today, I learned after all these years that selfishness in management is a cancer and paralyze the entire management system or project.  As in my current role as Chief Experience Officer, one thing I remind my team and upper leadership about is that I am building a management system that can run without my continuous presence, If I created that, I will consider myself successful, If I don’t and everything must run with my presence then I am kind of selfish. Just distinguish between being aggressive and selfish. When I hear that I left a value and good standing system in my previous roles, I knew that I am branding myself to unselfishness.

Humble:

My father can start and engage in a conversation with anyone, he can make fun with kids and seniors. He is a master when it comes to social life. He is not arrogant and everybody loves him, he don’t let others feel he is more important than them.

I learned that being humble is what makes friends, team or anyone you meet feel comfortable to connect with you in the future. Your charisma is what makes your personal brand unique and being humble can surround you with a network that you could need their help one day. I meet a lot of arrogant friends and till today, I don’t understand what the point of being arrogant in this short life. Being humble become like a Trust Agent for the team, people like humble person, they feel she/he close to them than a boss who just say hi and bye! until we have robots who the run the company, remember we are dealing with humans like us.

Thoughtful:

My father care about people he know and don’t know, he care about people walking on the street or even driving., he give preference to others, he give preference to others when driving even if he stop for 15min.! he is ready to cancel an important meeting if he want to help someone. He always want to make others happy, he used to buzz me to help people when they need it, he is doing it for no return, it’s just make him happy.

I am still learning that people don’t have good times everyday and that neglecting people emotions or feelings could result in weakening the team’s morals or demotivating employees to work, being thoughtful is attribute we should have, we all have to understand what the “Unknown” said:

When companies started to have a role like Chief Emotions Officer, it means that businesses started to care about employees and customers emotions, employees are not human resources, they are partners in your overall success or failure, we have to provide a culture and environment that makes everyone comfortable else you will end with more turn-over, resources wasted, and null referrals. Employees can create better customer experience, better business and better system. The sales minute, the decision change in choosing products, the click for putting an item in the cart are all reside in people’s emotions at that minute, your unsubconscious mind, that’s where it started, somebody who is thoughtful about others.

At the end, no one is perfect but I am sure that I and my sisters raised in a good hands, Allah bless his soul.

Amman Tech Tuesday (AmmanTT) is a non-profit organization that hosts a monthly event that brings tech industry experts, local technologists, engineers, entrepreneurs, idea-generators, and just about any enthusiast together in a casual setting to meet and learn from each other. AmmanTT’s platform allows people to share their experiences, projects, and ideas with the rest of the tech community.

Although I offer speaking at events as one of my services, supporting non-profit organizations and volunteering my expertise  to some educational institutes is one of my favorite interests.

Why did they choose me to speak?

It’s because of my online reputation, period. Today, you don’t need to pay $$$ to get more business or job deals. Social media is for everyone and it’s free. If you build your personal brand and work to maintain it, then someone will speak on your behalf. AmmanTT team chose the premier speakers in Jordan not only based on what they hear, but also what they see.

I selected Reputation 2.0: Manage Your Online Reputation as my topic for many reasons. Today, you have to manage your reputation before someone else does. The target wasn’t just GenY; GenX, baby boomers and even kids were part of my presentation.

Event Format:

The format was interesting.

1.      Eight speakers to discuss social media challenges (5 minutes each)  2.      Interaction with the audience for speakers (15 minutes)  3.      Networking break (20 minutes)  4.      Speakers will discuss conclusions (3 minutes each)  5.      Q&A panel (20 minutes)

My 1st Toastmasters speech: Who is Mohammed Al-Taee?

Toastmasters:

I joined Amman International Toastmasters Club, and a few weeks after I joined I was elected as the vice-president of public relations . I branded the club image on the web so I created Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and FriendFeed social accounts.

In my interview with Jörgen Sundberg, he advised job seekers to do public speaking whether at work or at the pub. I agree with Jörgen; Toastmasters helped improve my communication and leadership skills a lot.

In my first bi-monthly newsletter, I mentioned what Seth Godin said in his latest book, Linchpin: “Public speaking is one of the worst things the lizard brain can imagine.”

My response to that is this: We should work on mastering our lizard brains and give them no chance to control us out of fear. I’m not saying you don’t have be a little afraid of public speaking, but be more prepared and confident. Fear, or the lack of courage, is more responsible for failure in management, and in life, than any other factor. It is always fear that causes people to hold back, to sell themselves short, to settle for far less than they are capable of.

I firmly believe that you can do, you can have, and you can be far more than you now know if only you could eliminate the fear, doubts, and misgivings that consciously and unconsciously interfere with you realizing your full potential.

The event day:

The surprise for the event was the attendance of His Excellency, Jordan’s Prime Minister, Mr. Samir Al-Rifai who joined Twitter that very day and started interacting with Jordanian people.

Demonstrating how Twitter co-founder @ev was afraid of damaging his online reputation

Presentation:

I jumped directly into my topic and started my presentation with: “Do you know how many people get rejected from employment opportunities due to a bad online reputation?”

There was a silence… I proceeded to give few statistics before moving to my challenge for the audience.

I was reading It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden at the time I was preparing for the event. Page 68 is entitled: “Don’t Give a Speech. Put ON a Show.”Arden said:

“When we attend a lecture, we generally go to see the speaker, not to hear what they have to say. We know what they have to say. That’s why we go to see them. How many speeches have you heard? How many of them can you remember?

“Words, words, words.

“Instead of giving people the benefit of your wisdom (words), try painting them a picture. The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you.”

So I thought: instead of creating a boring text presentation, why don’t I create visual slides that get people attention while they are listening to the stories behind that images? For anyone who is preparing for speaking events, it works

Open air discussion:

That session described my challenge and explained on a flip chart how to manage an online reputation. I got a lot of questions and many people took action after the event, like buying firstnamelastname.com, joining Linkedin, Twitter, etc. or even warning their friends or kids about the important of content sharing on the Internet.

Challenges:

Flexibility:  Each speaker got just five minutes to demonstrate his topic to the audience, I find it very difficult to give examples and explain the consequences just in five minutes, but AmmanTT team was not flexible with me in that issue! I don’t think things can move smoothly in the future if flexibility is not an option in the management process.

Other: It’s a $0 budget event, and they do a lot with the limited resources. I have to say “Bravo!” to everyone who made the event successful.

After event:

Speaking events are always a great opportunity for networking with different people.  I received invitations to speak at other events, I got business consulting offers, and one of the most important things I gained wass credibility.  Influence is power and when you have the power to be the leader in your niche, you get credibility. Credibility is a shortcut to branding yourself and differentiating your personal brand.

There is nothing to hide with my experience. I took a chance, prepared well, and did it. What about you? Do you have a successful speaking experience to share?

This is the 5th article of 1212 project. In case you miss them, read them from here: 6 Ways To Destroy Your Personal Brand, How Dubai Builds Brands, ALTAEE Wikipedia: Brand, Branding, Personal Brand and Personal Branding & 31 Tasks a Job Seekers Can Do Every Month.

I’m a big fan of quotes. I tweet a lot of amazing quotes on Twitter and sharing part of the best on Facebook. I even allocated a sub-page on my blog for my favorite quotes in Arabic and English.

After publishing my first set of quotes, I saw a lot of tweeting, and interactions  specially on Personal Branding Guy Facebook page. I’m so happy and proud that my quotes add value or spark motivation even if its to one person.

Today, I will share another 100 quotes wising that my quotes will make you think behind the text for a moment and motivate you to achieve your dream.

Don’t forget to comment below to tell me which one you will  like the most?

Disclaimer: Feel free to use any of these quotes for personal or business purposes, as long as you cite my full name OR my Twitter handle @maltaee

“Give yourself permission to be the best, highest version of yourself.”

“Great performance never comes if you are waiting for someone else to act your actions. ”

“The personal brand is not something one finds suddenly. It is something one creates by time.”

“To show the magic within you,  find who believes in you.”

“To keep silent and look ignorant is better than to talk and prove it.”

“It is a beautiful thing to accidentally hear somebody say something good about you.”

“You can always become someone else but it won’t guarantee you success all the time.”

“Failing from learning is the real failure. Learning from failing is the real success.”

“I wouldn’t have achieved it if I hadn’t believed it.”

“Even when you become jobless, don’t stop making a difference within your sphere of influence.”

“Many people spend most of their life trying to become someone else instead of proving themselves.”

“Always follow the people that navigates you to the right path.”

“Persistence is the true measure of your belief in yourself.”

“Failure to change your surroundings will only make things worse.”

“You can’t become successful if you’re not willing to give something without expecting something in return.”

“You can find everything you need If you empower your enthusiasm with believe.”

“Don’t hesitate or let your fears control you, give yourself a favor and take action when it is needed.”

“Never underestimate yourself even if you are lacking a skill.”

“Every day that you spend on tasks that don’t teach you something is a day you can never recover.”

“Enriching your knowledge is worth everything you pay.”

“The fastest way to become CEO is by being the CEO of your own company: Me Inc.”

“The most powerful element in your resume is the truth.”

“Personal Branding is brainstorming yourself to find what you are great at.”

“Contentment is looking in the mirror and be happy with who you are.”

“Social media is ice block without human conversations.”

“You are on your way to having a powerful brand if you articulate your unique value in a way that resonates with your core audience.”

“Personal branding outcome is influencing people to makes you a story telling.”

“Nobody in this world can destroy your attitude without your permission. Never give it.”

“Be a leader of YOU. Lead yourself as you have led others.”

“If your personal brand is something you put on and take off like a hat then make an appointment with psychoanalyst NOW.”

“The highest level of personal branding is when you put yourself to serve others needs and to help them perform at their best.”

“Start with a positive feedback if you want to create change in others.”

“Nobody is perfect, it is an excuse to brand you.”

“Train skill, build character and protect reputation.”

“The good leaders interact with others, the best leaders inspire leadership in others, the real leaders build confidence in other.”

“Your positive mind affects everything around you, so  it is fundamental factor to change your current and future standing.”

“Your external brand can never be stronger than your internal brand.”

“Be happy you are you.”

“Build it and they will come” mentality… you have to exercise your branding muscles daily.”

“You cannot control what people think of you, but you can influence what people think of you.”

“If you live in your own personal reality, you will be ground by your own personal set of rules and limited by your vision.”

“The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose, tie or even win.”

“Dreaming like a child, is  the best way to re-generate your big dreams. ”

“No matter what your official title is, you are a salesperson of yourself.”

“You jeopardize your future when you lie about your past.”

“Double check everything, be prepared for unexpected setbacks, the  more prepared you are, the more confidence you will have. ”

“Mastering one’s future must start with managing one’s self.”

“The more information you take into your mind consistent with success, the more likely it is that you will develop the willpower to push you through the obstacles and difficulties you would experience.”

“Upgrade yourself to a new version of YOU but don’t upgrade to another person.”

“Don’t hide what makes you different.”

“It is only when you understand and accept your own self, then you can begin moving forward in the success path.”

“Authenticity is sexy, and it goes hand in hand with confidence.”

“Never be afraid to be yourself. Be yourself all the time, If others don’t like you, let them go… there are more who loves you.”

“Accept people for who they are. Accept yourself, without judgment, as you are.”

“Authenticity shine your brand faster than anything else.”

“Be willing to admit that you are not perfect, this is a mark of intelligence and courage.”

“Accept yourself, DON’T let fear or pain run your life.”

“Always remember the compliments that you received. Forget about the rude remarks. REMEMBER: You are special and unique.”

“Before everyone… become a fan of YOU!”

“To be truly successful, you need a clear sense of direction, to feel that your life stands for something, and to believe that you are making a valuable contribution to the world.”

“FOCUS less on WHAT you do and more on HOW you do it.”

“You can always tell what your beliefs really are by looking at your actions. There is no other way.”

“If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”

“Think and behave like a CEO.”

“You will never be successful at a job that you don’t like.”

Disclaimer: Feel free to use any of these quotes for personal or business purposes, as long as you cite my full name OR my Twitter handle @maltaee

When you have passed from this life, how will you be remembered? What words will keep you in the minds of future generations?

Just in case you still don’t know how important is your personal brand and the legacy you will leave behind.

To have customers, employers or readers trust you, you need to have a unique brand, but what is a brand?

“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stores and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” ~ Seth Godin

The same goes to human.

“A personal brand is the impression you want to leave on people, the way you want to be remembered.” ~ @JacobShare

So you are a brand; However, did you find what makes you brand? did you maintain your brand? or did you listen to how people describe you?

“If you’ve never heard of it, if you wouldn’t choose it, if you don’t recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you.” ~ Seth Godin

So what people talk about you is a a kind of a personal branding to you. Their recommendations or testimonials are a smart way to brand-yourself. If you are on LinkedIn then you have the option of earning recommendation by your former/current managers/employees. But may be you do not have the experience or just graduating and you need to have a testimonial in your resume so what is the solution?

The solution is Twitter, If you tweet quality not quantity and if you communicate effectively with your following/followers then you will get for sure a great testimonials and you can use one of them in your resume, blog or post as I did now.

@heatherecoleman: One of my favorite Tweeps is @maltaee Kind, informative, insightful and motivating, which is why #ifollow him!

@debbiejbrown: Thank you for the #FF!! Same to you for great blog and tweets!

@WalterAkana: Thanks for your #FollowFriday recommendation, Mohammed. Of course, you’re a clear leader people should follow!

@CareerSavvy: Outstanding site for personal branding and career success. http://brandmycareer.com #follownow @brandmycareer

@RonaldWilsher: @MAltaee <=–Waykewl! gentleman! #FollowNOW <=–Great idea, Me! :^)

@ValueIntoWords: Mohammed, thank you for publishing our ‘brand conversation’ on your great blog.

@JulieWalraven: #FollowFriday I would easily recommend you too and I already follow many in your life & recommend them too!

@heatherecoleman: For authentic, genuine and on-target personal branding advice, #ifollow @maltaee #career #personalbranding

@giantagel: have a nice Thursday #ff my professional personal branding

@BethAndersonEsq: #FF @maltaee – Savvy advice on how on personal and business branding.  Brand awareness has never bee more vital!

Don’t forget to follow me @MAltaee