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CNN Live Today
Interview With Corporate Trainer Steadman Graham
Aired May 13, 2002 - 10:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you feel like you're at the mercy of some corporate head who decided whether or not you have a job, well, a new book that is out called "Build Your Own Life Brand," the author, Steadman Graham, a corporate trainer and the writer of seven books, including two "New York Times" bestsellers. You may also know him for another reason. We'll get to that in a moment.
Steadman Graham, joining us today.
Steadman, good morning. Good to have you with us.
STEADMAN GRAHAM, AUTHOR, "BUILD YOUR OWN LIFE BRAND": Nice to be here.
KAGAN: First, tell me, what is a life brand?
GRAHAM: Well, a life brand is about your whole life. It's about, you know, you being more than just your job, more than just your relationship, more than just working in community; it's about being able to look at yourself and say, I want to build a life, not just go to work every single day, doing the same thing over and over, every single day, doing the same thing you did on Monday as you did on Tuesday as you did on Wednesday,
If you did same thing yesterday as did you today, as you will do tomorrow, what have you done? Mostly nothing. Because you did the same thing. So it's about being able to look at yourself, take your unique passion that you have about your life, take your talents, take your skills and apply that to the American free enterprise system that you live, so you can build your own life brand and stand out.
KAGAN: What happens when you don't completely control the way that life brand is you, and I think you are a perfect example. You're a very successful businessman and author, and yet most people know you as, your brand, as Oprah's boy friend.
GRAHAM: That is why I think that I can write about being able to control your own life and not being defined by somebody else, and be able to kind of buy yourself back, and to own yourself, and be able to decide for yourself within yourself who you want to become, and what your image is based on what you have available to you.
So the idea being able to make education my brand, and to take -- look at me as a total person and not look at me as just a having a relationship with one person. That is just part of my life.
So everyone has all of these unique talents that they can take and build a brand out of those talents, and that's what we're talking about when we talk about a life, build your own life brand.
KAGAN: OK, in your life, you do have access to a lot of celebrities and the rich and famous, you have a number of tips here for building your own life brand. One of those you take from those lifestyles, and you say, take lessons from the brand styles of the rich and famous. Oprah is a great example of someone who has branded herself. People really know what she is about.
What's another example?
GRAHAM: Well, we could give you, Michael Jordan is a great brand. He's taken basketball, his passion, and developed that into who he is, doctors, and lawyers and nurses every day who brand themselves based on what they love to do.
So the idea of being able to not be programmed by the external, not to turn your power over to be defined by somebody else, but to take control of your life, and define your own life based on who you are, and based on what your talents are, is a very unique process, because most people don't think. The educational system teaches us how to memorize and take tests, and it really does not apply to -- educational system and our knowledge does not really apply to our personal lives.
So to be able to take education and make it relevant to the world we live in every day, and apply your potential as a human based on world you live in is what living is all about.
KAGAN: So quick question here, do you have to be a bigtime star and a rich and famous person to have a brand?
GRAHAM: No. You find out what makes you unique. What are you passionate about? What do you love do? And apply that to love world you live in. I wrote the book, "You Can Make It Happen: A 9 Step Process for Success" that talks about understanding who you are. And the question I ask people as I lecture and speak around the country is, do you know who you are? You are not defined by your house. You are not defined by your car. You are not defined by money. You are not defined by who you are with. You're defined by your passion. Your defined by your love.
Do you know what that passion is? And can you apply that passion to the world you live in every single day, so you can achieve your own personal greatness. That's what building your own life brand is all about.
KAGAN: You know what I would love to do, I would love to talk all day. I would love to talk with you all day. But on this one, even my brand is constrained by the time that is running short. I wish you well with the book, Steadman Graham, "Build Your Own Life Brand."
Thanks for stopping by.
GRAHAM: Thank you so much for having me.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
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