I’m blogging from Cleveland airport, where I’m headed to Columbus, Ohio, to speak about “Seven Secrets of World-Class Practice.”

I flew in on Continental, and can eat at Subway. You’re familiar with those brands. They endure; they don’t change depending on the weather or what time of day it is.

How about you?

If you were a product — and you are — would your brand be strong and recognizable? Would it be consistent? How would the recession affect you?

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova says, “The mark of great sportsmen is not how good they are at their best, but how good they are their worst.”

What is your brand on the rough days? Does it stand clear, like the red and white of Coca-Cola?

Advertisers work hard to make sure their brand stands for something, whether strength, fun, tradition, quality, value, etc.

What would people associate with you? What word would they use? You must fill in the blank. You create the thought in their mind.

“What’s a brand? A singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect,” said legendary marketing strategist Al Ries.

Adds Michael Eisner, Disney CEO: “A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”

In other words, whether you know it or not, you are developing your brand right now. What will it be?

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I spoke earlier today to parents at the Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, NJ. The topic was “How to Motivate Your Children Without Driving Them Crazy.”
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Mike Tully speaks to sports, business and educational groups. He also works with coaches, athletes and teams to make their practice time more productive and efficient. He and Gary Pritchard are co-authors of “Ten Things Great Coaches Know.”