Building a Reputation.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about building a reputation.

Whether it be admired, ignored, envied, or pitied, most of us already have a reputation, which began building in elementary school. Our reputation is based on our habits, character, motivations, accomplishments, and our failures. The total sum of these elements creates a perception of who we are, and our performance casts it in stone. Once cemented in place, a positive reputation can serve as a foundation for building a storied legacy, or if abused and neglected, it will serve as a headstone, marking the grave of a once promising career.

Whether you are well-known by your community or you are the "new kid on the block," you still cast a shadow when the light shines on you. What others see in the wake of your daily interactions is a direct reflection of your character. What you consistently say and do, or don't say and don't do, forms your reputation. If left to grow untended, it will become how you are known.

So then, how are you known?

Are you an overachiever or an underperformer? Are you known for rolling up your sleeves, or calling it quits? Are you up for anything, or still hitting the snooze button? Are you giving something, or looking for something to get? Are you a listener or talker? Are you known for how much you know, or known for how eager you are to learn?

Think today about who you are, how you are perceived, and who you want to become. While mistakes cannot be easily erased, and history cannot be quickly rewritten, it is never too late to make a change and to make an impact. If you focus on making a difference today, the light will eventually cast a new reflection from a renewed reputation in the future. This is how a once bankrupt businessman can one day become a respected billionaire. This is how a once convicted criminal can emerge from behind bars to help others succeed.

You just have to choose what type of reputation you wish to build and how you want to be known. Today's fortune quotes Henry Ford, who said, "You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." In principle, I agree. However, I am also of the belief that we are building a reputation, even if we never build anything. That is to say, all of us, everyone, whether positive or negative, are actively building a reputation. So, what are you building?