ideas without borders: Memory Footprints
So I quit my job last month.
I had been waiting to sign up elsewhere first but then realized three things:
Firstly, that I hadn’t done any work that I was proud of, for almost a year. Secondly, that I was going home at night and immediately spending the equivalent in hours of another full work day on personal projects, which I had been looking forward to in my grey padded cube. And thirdly, that the demotivating effect of doing a job without pride was decreasing my chances of finding a better job that incorporates the kind of stuff I like doing in my spare time.
That last point was the ultimate wake-up call, so I left and was immediately offered three freelance projects from good friends, which was fantastic. However, the last of those ended almost a month ago and freelance gigs typically pay weeks after the work has been completed. So it became apparent that replicating my former bi-weekly income while sealing a new deal was going to be tougher than I thought. Once my panic attacks had subsided and I could hear my ego again, I reminded myself: This is New York. I thought, You’re a bloody brand strategist, so get to work on selling yourself and make that rent money, girl! And so began my two-fold quest – to find a job that will cut my active thinking hours in half and to harness my natural talents to make ends meet in the meantime. Here follows details about the latter, which doesn’t include any tips on prostitution (sorry to be a killjoy).
People often ask me why I love living in New York and the absolute number one reason which always springs immediately to mind is opportunity. The cliché exists for a reason and when I moved here in 2002 I was overjoyed to find that it applied to me too. A genuine openness to new things is apparent in everyone I know here. Complemented with constant communication, speedy mobility and a dizzying array of events to experience en masse at any one time – forging new connections, personal and professional, is easy – all you have to do is be memorable.
Making a distinct first impression is something I’ve never struggled with. Making a positive first impression… well that’s different. In a city where inhabitants are bombarded with a gazillion new messages each day, cutting through the clutter to be introduced and then recognized at a later date, isn’t an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, the combination of my appearance (tall, slim, dark, dreads, not un-cute in the face), style (bright stripes, big earrings, knee socks, clown shoes), accent (British) and attitude (confidently outspoken), is rarely forgotten. And this is key to winning hearts and minds for the purpose of networking, if we think for a minute, about how brands work.
Think of your absolute favorite drink –bam! - it popped into your mind straight away, didn’t it. Why? Because every time you have that beverage a small ‘happy memory’ footprint is left in the mush of your brain. This footprint gets deeper each time you have your favorite drink (which is how it has become your favorite) and it tickles whenever you encounter anything that reminds you of it, like something the same color or the song in its ad or the sound it makes when you open the bottle. This footprint is the brand. Unfortunately, the same process holds true for products and brands that make you sad, but that’s another story.
The point is that good brands make deep footprints – and in this past month I’ve discovered that the brand of Onika has pretty heavy feet. For the past few Summers I’ve held stoop sales outside my house, where I’ve sold unwanted clothes, shoes and knick-knacks to passers by (which is perfectly legal and actively encouraged here by the way). My bartering style and the British origin of most of my stuff made my sales memorable, to the point where I was recently approached in my local supermarket by a lady wanting to know if I had anything to sell this year and I made 300 bucks when I took a cartful of unwanted stuff to my local thrift store across the street. Similarly, every year I make crepes for all my friends on Shrove Tuesday for free. The number of guests has grown from 3 in 2003 to 33 this year – and last week a friend asked me if I could cater a birthday party of no more than 40 people, for 500 bucks. Even better, I attended an audition to be in a television ad last year (randomly, cos I’ve never acted or modeled in my life) after being recommended by a friend who is a casting agent. I didn’t get it, but earlier this week I was selected without having to audition, to be in a magazine ad and made more money in an afternoon than I would have in a week at my old job. And all this from simply sticking in people’s minds.
Having heard about my situation, a few friends have volunteered a bunch of other ideas for making easy money – from donating my eggs (too painful) to testing new drugs (too unpredictable) and even selling my used underwear to a disturbing plethora of bidders online (too weird). Ironically these options would be easier for me to do if I wasn’t so memorable...
So when it comes to opportunity, the old adage that “it’s who you know” is the wrong way round, in my book. Rather, it’s all about “who knows you” and why. Work on developing as many answers as possible to this question with each passing day, and in your time of need you won’t have to search blindly for opportunities – a network of footprints will guide you straight to them.
comments
Whether it has to do with my occasional forays into marijuana or just the sheer number of people I meet as a musician, I rarely remember a person I've only met once. Although I'd forgotten your name between the first and second times we met, it's true that your "brand" had already stuck.
H Nikki This is really great and a great read!! It has reallly given me 'food for thought' Love you, Mumxx