Every endorsement is an extension of your good faith and your influence. Research before you attach your name to anyone or anything.
Endorsing a product, writing a review, or speaking for another person ties your reputation to theirs. The Manifesto calls the endorsement of a person edification, an exchange of influence that creates credibility by association, the opposite of guilt by association.
If an endorsement goes wrong, you can withdraw it, but you must explain why. A bare withdrawal looks like you have something to hide.
Your followers have expectations and endorsements are extensions of your good faith and your personal influence.
Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition, 5.11
The moves ISIA, the engine behind the Brand Audit, draws from this part of the doctrine. Each one is something you can do this month, and the reason it matters.
This page is a summary. The subchapter itself goes further, with the reasoning, the stories behind it, and the exercise that closes it.
The endorsement of an individual: someone speaking supportively about another person's accomplishments and character. It is how influence is exchanged.
Yes, but you may lose credibility, and you need to explain why. A withdrawal without reasons suggests you have something to hide.
Advice Isaac Mashman has given on his own shows and in interviews on this subject, from the same library MCG consultants work from. Each one keeps the words he said it in, and links to the transcript where there is one.
When a respected person offers to vouch for you, accept and keep it on record. Ask clients for video testimonials for the same reason.
Read the transcript ↗ (opens in a new tab)“right there is third party edification”
Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman, “Making Introductions”, February 18, 2022
Collect every video and written testimonial in one place and revisit them when doubt or imposter syndrome creeps in, especially before raising your rate.
Read the transcript ↗ (opens in a new tab)“i also use testimonials for myself”
Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman, “The Hard Truth About Raising Your Prices”, March 14, 2022
Turn down any endorsement or sponsorship for a product you would not use or recommend to a friend, whatever it pays.
Read the transcript ↗ (opens in a new tab)“sacrifice my brand and sacrifice your time for paycheck”
Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman, “COMPROMISES DESTROY DREAMS | FRIDAY FIRE #2”, June 5, 2020
Capital is plentiful; trust and access are not. An investor's personal brand decides which rooms they are invited into and which deals find them first.
A large audience is fame. Whether it buys, believes, or follows you to a new platform is influence, and that is the part a creator has to build on purpose.
Follower counts only get you so far. What matters more is how much the people who follow you trust you.
Introversion has no place in building a personal brand. Networking is gathering information, finding connection, and laying the foundation for a relationship.
To be a public figure is to be watched. As your efforts pay off, the people who hold leverage over you, and what they could do with it, matter more.
Engagements are accepted by application and seats are limited each quarter. Tell us who you are, what you are building, and the position you intend to hold.
Consultations are virtual or in person. See what each includes, and what is asked of you: Virtual or In Person.
