I still remember when I stole that book –
A few years ago, while living in Atlanta, I rented an Airbnb called the Treehouse for one night to finish preparing for a workshop I was teaching. The owner, Chris, lived next door to the Airbnb, and the Treehouse was often used as an additional office/work space for his team; thus it had a whiteboard, big tables, great views and many, many inspiring books (I was in heaven!)
That first day, I was sitting on the back deck reading the owner’s copy of Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. (I highly recommend.) But the next morning, as I was packing, I guess Twyla got swooped up along with my files and notebooks and ended up in my suitcase.
I discovered it when I unpacked. And was mortified.
So I sent Chris a text apologizing and said if he needed the book that day, I would drive it back over immediately. Otherwise, I could have it back in the next day or two.
Here was his response to my text:
That was not the response I expected. Now, I didn’t think he would be mad, or even ask me to bring it back within a day, but I just thought I would get a “no big deal – just drop it off the next time you’re in this part of town.”
Chris’ response was kind and gracious, but it taught me something about him, and as he owns his business, I also learned something about his brand.
Without saying it, he reminded me how we can share parts of ourselves and infuence others through our words and actions.
Through a TEXT, he made an emotional connection with me.
Your brand is how you make people feel.
And that can be either your professional or personal brand.
The next time you are leading a meeting, planning a party, choosing a gift, designing an offsite, writing a blog post, creating a presentation – make an emotional connection with your guest, your client, your audience.
It helps other people understand who you are – what makes you different – and what they can expect.
—By Kimberly Sundt, an experience curator. She plans and produces creative and strategic client experiences that engage customers and build business opportunities.
