After 30 years of teaching marketing at the McCombs School of Business and 25 years of corporate experience, Senior Lecturer Herb Miller shares his 10 principles of personal branding.

1. CRASH COURSE
IN PERSONAL BRANDING
10 TIPS FROM THE McCOMBS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

2. “SELLING YOUR PERSONAL
BRAND IS THE KEY TO YOUR
SUCCESS IN THE MARKET-PLACE.”
OUR SOURCE: HERB MILLER
l 30 years as a senior lecturer
of marketing at the McCombs
School of Business at The
University of Texas at Austin.
l 25+ years of corporate
experience
l Texas Exes Teaching Award
in 2011
l Named to The Alcalde’s
‘Texas 10’ in 2014

3. KNOW YOUR
SIGNIFICANT VALUE

4. “PEOPLE AREN’T GOING TO TAKE
YOUR BRAND SERIOUSLY UNLESS
IT HAS VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.”
LOOK WITHIN YOURSELF
TO IDENTIFY THE UNIQUE
TRAITS THAT SET YOU
APART FROM YOUR PEERS.

5. DEFINE YOUR
PATH

6. “WITH THE HELP OF MY MENTORS AND PROFESSORS,
I RECOGNIZED EARLY ON THAT ESTABLISHING SHORT-AND
MID-TERM GOALS WOULD KEEP ME FOCUSED ON
ACHIEVING TANGIBLE MILESTONES WHICH, IN TURN,
WOULD HELP ME CONTINUOUSLY REFINE MY PATH
OVER TIME.”
– ANDREW VO, BBA ’95, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ACCENTURE
“PLAN YOUR WORK, WORK
YOUR PLAN. FAIL TO PLAN,
PLAN TO FAIL.”
THINK AHEAD, PLOT YOUR
COURSE, AND NAVIGATE
WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

7. STAY
FOCUSED

8. “SOMETIMES THINGS COME UP AND
IT’S HARD TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS,
BUT IF YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT
TO GO AND YOU’RE COMMITTED TO
THAT PATH THEN YOU’LL GET RIGHT
BACK ON TRACK.”
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING,
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO
ACCOMPLISH, AND DON’T LET
ANYONE DETER YOU
FROM YOUR GOALS.

9. EXCEED
EXPECTATIONS

10. “A RESUME IS NOTHING BUT
BLACK INK ON WHITE PAPER —
IT’S A REQUIREMENT. WHAT ISN’T
A REQUIREMENT IS A GLOSSY,
COLOR PRINTED BROCHURE.”
PART OF MILLER’S PERSONAL
SELLING AND SALES MANAGEMENT
CLASS REQUIRES STUDENTS TO
CREATE A PERSONAL BRANDING
BROCHURE, WHICH TEACHES THEM
TO MARKET THEIR VALUE
PROPOSITION IN A UNIQUE WAY.

11. EVERY INTERACTION CREATES AN
IMPRESSION

12. “YOUR FIRST INTERACTION CAN MAKE
OR BREAK A POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP,
A SALE, OR A JOB OPPORTUNITY.
REMEMBER: ATTITUDE DETERMINES
ALTITUDE.”
EVERY TIME YOU INTERACT —
WHETHER YOU’RE IN A MEETING,
AN INTERVIEW, OR IN CLASS ­—
PEOPLE ARE EVALUATING YOU. BE
SURE TO LEAVE A GOOD FIRST ­—
AND LASTING IMPRESSION —
EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

13. HERE ARE THREE THINGS STUDENTS SHOULD
DO TO CREATE A STRONGER BRAND:

14. MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA:
THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR
RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL
EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU
AGAINST YOUR PEERS.

15. MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA:
THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR
RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL
EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU
AGAINST YOUR PEERS.”
GET AN INTERNSHIP:
THIS ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD YOUR BRAND
FOR THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY IN THE
AREA THAT YOU’RE CHOOSING TO PURSUE
YOUR LIFE’S WORK OR YOUR WORK AFTER
COLLEGE.

16. MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA:
THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR
RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL
EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU
AGAINST YOUR PEERS.
GET AN INTERNSHIP:
THIS ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD YOUR BRAND FOR
THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA
THAT YOU’RE CHOOSING TO PURSUE YOUR
LIFE WORK OR YOUR WORK AFTER COLLEGE.
HOLD A LEADERSHIP POSITION ON CAMPUS:
WHETHER IT’S BUSINESS OR SOCIAL, FUTURE
EMPLOYERS WILL SEE YOU AS A CONTRIBUTOR
AND A VIABLE ENTITY.

17. SEE THE WORLD
AS YOUR AUDIENCE

18. “WHEN YOU’RE ON A FLIGHT, TALK
TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU.
YOU’D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY
JOB OFFERS — PARTICULARLY
INTERNSHIPS ­—
YOU GET.”
“ALSO, BE BODACIOUS
IN YOUR APPROACH TO
MEETING PEOPLE.”
LOOK FOR WAYS TO BUILD YOUR
BRAND. ENGAGE PEOPLE THAT YOU
DON’T YET KNOW.

19. GET
PERSONAL
FUN FACT: PROFESSOR MILLER PLAYED ON
HIS HIGH SCHOOL’S HOCKEY TEAM.

20. “TELL PEOPLE YOUR HOBBIES OR
WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO. YOU’LL BE
SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR
INTERESTS.”
MILLER’S HOBBIES INCLUDE:
• FLY FISHING
• SNOW SKIING
• FORMULA 1 SPECTATING
• ROAD CYCLING
• TRAVELING
DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHARE A LITTLE
PERSONAL INFORMATION. DOING SO
HELPS YOUR AUDIENCE FIND A
COMMON GROUND AND IT HELPS
PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH YOU.

21. PRACTICE SERVICE
ABOVE SELF

22. “EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE TEAM PLAYERS AND WHO CARE ABOUT
THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY
RATHER THAN WHAT THE ‘COMPANY CAN DO
FOR THEM.’”
– SEAN WAGGONER, BBA ’96, VP
ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR OTHER
PEOPLE? THAT’S WHAT THE
CUSTOMER IS LOOKING FOR IN
ANY PRODUCT OR BRAND.

23. BUILD YOUR
NETWORK

24. “MAKE AS MANY CONTACTS AS YOU CAN. THERE
ARE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AROUND YOU
THAT CAN BE REALLY IMPORTANT ASSETS IN
THE FUTURE.”
POWERFUL BRANDS BUILD
– JASON ATKINSON, BBA ‘93, MANAGING
DIRECTOR AT RUSSAM GMS (U.K.)
IF YOU NEED HELP, GET LEADS
FROM PEOPLE WHO YOU KNOW
VALUE YOUR BRAND AND CAN
MARKET YOUR VALUE.
RELATIONSHIPS. IN ORDER TO BUILD
YOUR BRAND, YOU NEED TO BUILD
YOUR NETWORK. DON’T BE AFRAID
TO ASK YOUR CONTACTS FOR HELP.

25. NEVER
QUIT

26. “BE CONFIDENT AND REMEMBER
THAT YOU WIN IF YOU DON’T QUIT.”
HOLD FAST TO YOUR
CONFIDENCE FOR IT HAS
GREAT POTENTIAL
FOR REWARD.

27. Thanks for reading!
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