The Business Growth Blog by Rob Cuesta

The passing of a legend - farewell Jim Rohn

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing a few days ago of one of the great figures of the Personal Development industry, Jim Rohn. I have been a subscriber to his newsletter for many years, and have learned much from his seminars and recordings. Indeed, it was one of his recordings that kick-started the recovery of my business back in 2005.

He was also an inspiration to other "greats" in the industry such as Tony Robbins, Les Brown and Brian Tracy. His death leaves a gap that will be hard to fill, as befits one of the great personal brands in his field.

A tribute site for this unique and inspirational character has been set up for his friends and students at http://tribute.jimrohn.com/

Farewell, then, to one of the masters. We will not leave you behind; we will take you with us in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Even the homeless are getting in on Personal Branding

I was fascinated by an almost throwaway comment on the Workshifting blog that describes how the homeless in Orlando are making the best of the resources and opportunities available to improve their lot. It's easy for all sorts of prejudices and preconceptions to cloud our ideas about the homeless, and lead us to make all sorts of generalisations, so I found this story truly heartwarming.

"

Jeff told me that any homeless person in Orlando that had ID and no outstanding balance could have a library card, which entitled them to time on the public computers. [...] Some were even attempting to start their own business, find contract work or rebuild their lives via research, personal branding and financial education."

If people like Jeff can make so much of the little that they have available to them, just imagine what you can do with all the resources at your disposal...

TV scandal rocks the nation

For weeks now, the British public has been gripped by a scandal unfolding on our screens almost nightly. We've watched in shock and horror the very public cavortings of a senior political correspondent, married and well into his sixties, with a young, slim, attractive blonde. Judges have openly called for him to resign or to be removed, but a wave of public sympathy and support has, until now, kept him in place.

Putting back into the community - the Financial Services Career Bailout

We are living in "interesting times". Even with the many government-funded interventions around the world, with the collapse of so many old and respected financial institutions, I know many people on Wall Street and in The City who are still worried about their future. For those who have already been caught up in the turmoil, I - in common with many of the Reach Personal Brand Strategists - am taking part in a worldwide initiative called the "Career Bailout" programme.

If you are an employee of one of the failed banks or financial institutions and recently lost your job, you qualify for a free career services package that includes a CV review, 360°Reach personal brand assessment and an Online ID evaluation. This package will help you differentiate and position yourself in a crowded and competitive job market.

Whether you are in the UK, the US or any other country, if you are a former employee of Northern Rock, Alliance & Leicester, Bradford & Bingley, or other affected UK firms, or of one of the American banks (Bear Sterns, Wachovia, WaMu or Lehman Bros), and have lost your job as a result of the recent failure, you qualify for brandedLeader’s  career bailout package free of charge. This package is comprised of:

• a resume review;
• a 360°Reach personal brand assessment;
• an online ID evaluation.

In addition, affected financial service professionals will receive preferential rates on related products and coaching services. These services are limited, and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

To get started, contact me by email. Please provide your former institution, position, date of separation, and the type of position you will be seeking. You can also expedite your access to your free consultation by making sure to include your CV in Word ro PDF format.

Want to know more?

Personal Branding Magazine

While I was preparing for my recent trip to Toronto I completely missed the fact that the second edition of the new Personal Branding Magazine has gone live over at personalbrandingmag.com.

Business social networks mature

LinkedIn, the business equivalent of social network sites like Facebook and Myspace, is preparing for an IPO that could potentially value it at anything up to $1bn.