What an annual visit to the Apollo Theater Taught me About Building a Powerful Personal Brand

Slainte (Happy St. Patricks Day)

Today, I'm focusing on an annual Thanksgiving eve adventure, however. Every year, my partner and I go to the Grand Finale of the talent competition at the Apollo Theater. It's called "Amateur Night at the Apollo" and is hosted the Wednesday before Turkey day. The hallowed halls of this Harlem theater come alive with the sounds of amateur talent, between the ages of 5 and 40 years old. Held since 1934, Amateur Night jump-started the careers of greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and the Jackson 5.

This year, my friend Karlene Joseph / Change Management / PMP her husband, and her son Junior joined us. When the vocalists, rappers, dancers, instrumentalists, comedians, spoken-word artists, and other performers were done and the $20,000 check prize was handed out, Junior turned to me and astutely observed, "It was the ones with a gimmick that won."

I was rooting for #3 who sang like an angel. But he didn't have an "act." A flaming coat or a piano that lit up in different colors each time he struck a key. He didn't have "a gimmick."

If I had a relative competing in Amateur Night, I would have come the year before to do some competitive research.

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When I'm working one on one with a client to build a personal brand, I ask them to check out the competition and answer these questions:

What’s your niche?

Who else is a thought leader in that space?

What they offer 

What does your customer value?

What makes them appealing to their audience?

Analyze comments or responses to their content to find out what other people think. 

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If you wish to build a powerful #personalbrand with me, my next Mastermind event is April 1st 1:30-4:15.

Join the waitlist here

https://lnkd.in/eZ2smwya