Playgirl Magazine Star Gives Personal Branding Advice
An interview by Dan Schawbel
Today, I spoke with Madison Hildebrand, who is a playboy, millionaire real estate mogul, author and much more. Madison explores various topics from a very unique angle, including passion, perception and of course, brand. We can learn a lot from someone who has been in the public eye in ways that Madison has, yet still remain true to ourselves and our own special personal brand.
What are some triggers that might help someone activate their own passion? What might help deactivate it?
Your passion should spark excitement. It begins with accepting what makes you feel good. Fear, on the other hand, can deactivate it. Or complacency with routine.
How were you able to build your brand, from real-estate to reality TV and now a book? What lessons have you learned along the way and what’s next for you?
Building my brand started with a certain high-end image. Everything with my name on it had to carry a certain brand image, including the car I drove and the clothes I wore. Next, my integrity is the foundation to my brand. My book and my appearance on reality TV are honest and real. That image was important to me.
If someone Google’s your name, the second result is your MySpace page. Your page contains pictures of you in “Playgirl Magazine” amongst others. Between everything else you do, has this had a positive or negative impact on your personal brand?
(Smile). Well, even my appearance in “Playgirl Magazine” was as tasteful as possible, given the publication. Having my sexuality exploited on “Million Dollar Listing” allowed me to have a little fun with this photo shoot as well. I think there may have been a few people who were offended by my photos, but they should not look if they don’t want to make a judgment. We all live once, I have no regrets, life is too short not to have a little “frisky business” here and there.
What are your five essential principles to finding your passion?
The five essential principles to finding your passion begin with yourself.
1) Make a list of the things you love to do. Then write next to each of those why you love to do those things. Look for similarities and try to draw some conclusions.
2) Next, ignore negative people and attitudes. Focus only on what is coming from within your body and mind.
3) Third, don’t define failure. If you don’t have a definition of failure, then there is nothing to fear.
4) Fourth, seek out positive situations and opportunities that may be connected with your passion(s).
5) Lastly, persevere and DO your passion. Make it happen and be ready for change.
How do you go about forming your own mission statement? Why is it important?
Think of your mission statement as your identity. It is critical to write it down so you know what makes your brand different from others. It should encompass all aspects of your life, beliefs, and characteristics. It should portray who you are and who you would like to become.
Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a “personal branding force of nature” by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.
