How to Embrace Your DNA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Embrace Your DNA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In High School I was caught in the middle.  I was the kid in all of the AP courses who got straight As, but I also played basketball for the high school team.  I had friends in the smart group and in the baller group, but I never really hung out with them outside of school; instead, I had my group of close friends (about 5-7 guys), and pretty much never hung around with a girl. Changing my brand When UCLA came along, I had it in my mind to finally change my brand.  I made it a point to be more outgoing, go out of my way to help people, and participated in as many organizations as I possibly could.  I wanted to be the cool guy with a lot of friends that everyone wanted to hang out with.  However, after a few quarters at UCLA, I reluctantly found myself in the same position that I was in high school.  I had a group of 5-7 close friends who were guys, and was close to a bunch of groups, but never best friends with.  Furthermore, I finally broke out of my shell and talked to girls, but never really had best friends who were girls.  If I hung out with a girl, it was because I was dating her. I recently moved to Mountain View, CA with the intention of making it big with my startup, and also as a chance to finally become the person that Ive always wanted to be.  I made it a point to participate at a lot of events and call up everyone I knew in Northern California.  I kept it up for several weeks, but ultimately realized after a month or two that Ive fallen into the same position that Ive always been in: I have a few close friends who are guys that I always hang out with, and Im cool with everyone else (I still dont have any friends that are girls that I consistently hang out with). The point of it ALL Even though I try as hard as I can, I can never be someone that Im not.  The realization is that I must do what Gary says, Embrace your DNA! If I embrace who I am, love who I am, and am honest with myself, then I am able to reach my true potential and enjoy my life. Who are you and whats in your DNA? Who are you and what are you supposed to do with your life? Without the answer to these questions, you cant find your path in life.  And if you dont know where youre going, its impossible to enjoy the present.  The following two people have helped me greatly when it comes to finding who I am: Jonathan Mead Tina Su Use the advice on those blogs to figure out who you are and what makes you happy. Pay your bills and get out of debt You of course cant embrace your DNA if youre tied down to bills and loans.  The following two blogs are the only ones that I read when it comes to paying off my debt.  Because of these two blogs, I was able to pay off ALL of my student loans and save up over $20,000 in under 1 year: Man vs Debt Financial Samurai Destroy the debt and be free to be who you want to be. A healthy living Ive never really had a personal trainer, and Ive never had the patience to read exercise or nutrition magazines.  Luckily, I have two great friends who are my go-to fitness and wellness experts: Epic Self Healthy Lifestyle Design If my mind and body are healthy and fit, then I can focus on being happy and being true to my DNA. Let your personal brand be who you REALLY are I tried to be someone that I wasnt and failed. If youre shy, embrace your shyness.  You dont have to be super outgoing like Garyvee.  Instead, be great at what you can be great at and do it in a humble, non-self-promoting sort of way.  People will appreciate you when they see your quality. Embrace your DNA and find the right bus to get on.  If theres no right bus, then build your own bus.  My friend and business partner Yu-kai Chou built a tribe on Twitter in the past year using Twitter lists. When you know who you are, are out of debt, and are feeling strong in mind and spirit, then you are free to embrace yourself and do what you were meant to do. Guest Author: Jun Loayza is the Co-Founder of Viralogy Ecommerce personalization engine and ecommerce analysis.  Jun has lead a digital marketing agency, built a group blog with leaders in the blogging community, and has spoken at large conferences such as Social Media Strategies, Optimization Summit, and Web 2.0.  If youre a young entrepreneur, feel free to reach out to Jun at anytime or visit him in Mountain View, CA.