News Archive October 2010

Lessons Of Career Branding From Gene Simmons
From: Examiner.com
Posted: October 19, 2010

It may seem like a little out-of-the box thinking, but if you watch or read interviews with Gene Simmons, co-founder of the 70's mega band KISS, certain aspects of his business philosophies can be applied to branding yourself as a professional in your field. Although he can be perceived as sometimes arrogant, selfish, extreme, but yet a vulnerable family man, Simmons hasn't reached his platform of success by abandoning his beliefs. If you are a job seekers or strategizing for your future, here are some fundamentals to apply to building your brand as demonstrated from one of entertainment's most highly successful entrepreneurs.

First and foremost he assumes responsibility and ownership for building and safeguarding his brand

During the past month at the MIPCOM convention in Cannes, France, Simmons discusses 'Gene Simmons' as a brand and the responsibility he assumes to sustaining that brand for the future. He states, "We have something to sell and we want to make people understand what it is. I'm in a band but there's no reason I can't be in a brand. This is a business. It's up to you. You have an inferred fiduciary duty to your own butt to make sure you maximize every potential and minimize any exposure and what that sorta means is we all have to be smarter today than we were yesterday."

Our information circles the globe in a matter of seconds by as simple click of a mouse. Whether we like it or not, the virtual world exposes us to the general public. It presents us with opportunity through sites like LinkedIn if we grab hold, but it can also expose us to bad publicity on other sites like Twitter and Facebook. When building yourself as a brand in the field of your choice, or a career in your image, virtual bad publicity is still bad publicity.

Do you know how your brand is affected on the net? Have you Googled yourself? If you haven't you should try it. It's almost like running a credit report on the content stored in the World Wide Web. If you are very active on social network sites or in the public eye, you may even want to set up a Google Alert and have notices sent to your e-mail address when your name is detected by the Google bots. Understanding how your name is circulating can help maximize opportunity and minimize risk to your reputation.

He knows the business of music

Simmons certainly hasn't achieved fame and success on a magic carpet ride. This is a man who has vested a lifetime in learning and building the industry. He knows the ins and outs. He knows how to push buttons, who the experts are, what resources are available, costs, the art of negotiation, the power of reputation, and how to make it all happen. Without this in-depth business knowledge, Simmons would have been making less than $.01 per album, he probably wouldn't own his own masters, and would have been more likely to fall victim to quick deals and shady representation.

Simmons certainly understands all aspects of the music industry, and it's hard to tell him otherwise. By becoming masters of our chosen industry, we are able to easily navigate through the channels and achieve whatever our objectives are. If you assume you know the business without investing the time to truly learn the various facets of it, you risk your reputation as a professional.

He knows what he wants

That is the understatement of the century! Simmons knows what he wants and expects to get it. He expects success, not because he's Gene Simmons, but because he stops at nothing to get what he sets his mind on.

If you don't know what you want in your career, then how can you pursue it? How can you pursue it passionately? If you find that you are comfortable with the level you are at, then congratulations. However, if you are unhappy with your present circumstances or you may wish to move forward one more step, you need to expect nothing less than what you desire. You need to prepare to go after it and then stop at nothing until you get it.

He understands that nothing happens buy itself, it's all about hard work

Simmons was born in Haifa, Israel, the son of a Nazi holocaust survivor. He moved to New York as a young child and was influenced by comic book heroes, monster movies, and rock and roll. Simmons set out to create the ultimate music group. The band's music was revolutionary and he realized that his success was going to only come with hard work. He kept himself away from the influences of drugs and he focused on what was important; moving the band to the next level with every opportunity. That's not to say that success didn't come to Simmons without his share of challenges. After several failed attempts to create a dream band, he and his partner Paul Stanley recruited fellow New Yorkers Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. Once they secured their talent, the four musicians practiced relentlessly in an old loft in New York City. They refined their music and image before launching themselves on the New York music scene.

Simmons and the others understood that their image, sound, and energy was the key to success, but it needed to be spot on in order to be successful. Their level of their musical success could never have come without discipline, persistence, and commitment. As career musicians, they mastered every aspect of their talents, their quality of work, and their product.

He understands self efficacy

It's hard to imagine Gene Simmons as a man who doesn't believe in himself, because it just isn't true. The mindset he adopted a long time ago is what many can perceive as arrogance, but it has been a winning formula for him and he many others who are highly successful in business. Without self efficacy, without the commitment to yourself, you are just another unlabeled product on an assembly line waiting to have someone else's brand glued to you.

Simmons states,"When I'm gone, on my tombstone I'd like 'Thank you and goodnight', because I have no regrets. The sad thing is most people have to check with someone before they do the things that make them happy. We're all passing through; the least we can do is be happy, and the only way to do that is by being selfish."

"My hero is me. Why? Because I was a poor little kid who was told, 'Hey stupid, can't you speak English?' Now all those people work for me. Despite whatever circumstances I came across, I was always able to rise to the top and there's only one way to do that - by being selfish, but also by believing in yourself. Belief is self-knowing"