“After all, what are reporters these days if not personal brands? I wanted a makeover. Think: Hitch, but in pixels, and probably with less Lil Jon and Usher. For the sake of the process, I agreed to approach the experiment seriously, partly to glean what the process was like, but also because I just left my 20s and it’s time to give off an impression more “savant” than “idiot.” I am an open book, a space cadet willing to try anything that was recommend to me, no matter how potentially embarrassing it would have been to Chris Gayomali, 1.0.”

Your name will never change, but your business will: Why personal branding needs to start now x Zalmi Duchman

“Over this past year I have been getting more and more social media related questions from entrepreneurs. What should my Twitter handle be? Should I have a personal Facebook page and a Facebook business page? The discussions run the gamut, but always seem to come back to one key question: When it comes to social media, do I focus on my business or my personal brand?”

“People reinvent themselves all the time—to take on a new challenge, shift into more-meaningful work, or rebut perceptions that have hindered their career progress. Sometimes the changes are major (a financial services manager moves into retail, a venture capitalist becomes a life coach). Sometimes the rebranding is subtle, as for an executive who wants to advance but needs to overcome the knock that he’s “not good with numbers.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.