It’s a celebrity world and Ms. Friedman’s advice is to create a personal brand in order to stand out in an increasing crowded marketplace. This is a three step guide to use her formula. Her three steps are: Write, Speak and …. Well I want you to find out the third for yourself. Much of the book is devoted to convincing the shy and reticent to step forward and use their ideas, books, speeches and articles to brand themselves.
This book has eleven chapters packed into 179 pages. The chapters are:
- Isn’t it Time You Walked Into the Limelight?
- The Joy of Becoming the Celebrity in Your Field
- Why Do You Want to Become a Celebrity?
- First, Know Thy Self
- It All Starts with a book
- From Community Celebrity to National Celebrity
- How to be a Great Radio or TV Guest and Quoted in the News!
- The Celebritize Yourself Quiz
- Find Your Media Niche?
- Now, Let’s Get started!
- The Big Payoff
The parts I find interesting are some of the interactive quiz pages that help you decide why and how to proceed in celebritizing yourself. Page 29 has the “5 Reasons Why I want to be a Celebrity in my Field.” You have to answer this truthfully. The “Know Thyself” Chapter 4 is only 17 pages, but it gives you a self-assessment that is needed to do more than write and speak. Chapter 9, “Find Your Media Niche, is solid advice.” Throughout the book there are 74 “Celebritize Yourself Facts” which keeps the reader on track and which is worth the price of the book. A few I like are:
Page 18: “Re-focus away from Hollywood or the Big Apple and turn it inward toward yourself, your product, service, or expertise, and your industry.”
Page 23: “In our media-saturated world of high hopes and high tech, celebrity is nothing less than a prerequisite for success.”
Page 51: “Weaknesses are not the same as faults. Often we confuse the two, but in fact, recognizing our weaknesses-and correcting them-can turn them into strengths over time.”
Page 109: “Above all you must be a cheerleader for your message.”
Page 127: “Your message is what will define you.”
Final assessment? It is a must read for someone who can build their career around their abilities, messages, and create a following.