Your Stand is Your Brand

Patrick Gentempo is a co-founder and CEO of Action Potential Holdings, Inc., and a co-founder of Revealed Films. A qualified chiropractor, Dr. Gentempo co-developed and received patents for innovative diagnostic chiropractic techniques which he helped commercialize. Upon exiting his diagnostic technology business, Dr. Gentempo went on to build several startups which have grown into multi-million-dollar enterprises. He is a keynote speaker and TEDx presenter. Dr. Gentempo is on the post-graduate faculties of several chiropractic institutions, has been published in Forbes and numerous peer-reviewed journals, and is a proud graduate of Life University.

Instead of asking "What should I do?" or even "What should I sell?", entrepreneurs and business leaders today should be asking "Who should we be?"

The reality is it's not what you do, or even what you sell, that counts these days. Instead, it's what you stand for that people will notice and react to. Therefore, make sure you run your company based around values that resonate with you. Leverage your personal philosophies and the right customers will respond.

Stand up for what you believe in. Have a purpose beyond just making money. Aim to change the world and enliven humanity, and like-minded people will be attracted to your brand, and will give you their business.

1. The 5-P Expansion sequence. The 5-P Expansion Sequence is the step-by-step process for articulating what you truly stand for, and then linking that to what you do. It shows that your philosophy is the ultimate cause, and prosperity is the ultimate effect.

2. Unleashing the power of your stand. To make the most of your philosophy, you've got to stand on the purest expression of your philosophy. In other words, you've got to figuratively find your Miles Davis. He is legendary in the jazz industry for translating what was in his soul and pouring it into his music in the purest form possible. You have to do something comparable.

3. Be willing to practice creative destruction. In business, complacency is death. Therefore, practice periodic creative destruction. Be willing to let go of how things are in order to build something even better for the future. The ultimate act of creativity is to break down your current business so something more powerful can arise from the ashes in the future.

1. The real question every entrepreneur should consider is not: "What should we sell?" Instead, you should be asking "Who should we be?" Your stand will become your brand. It's what people will notice and react to, so think it through.
2. Stand up for what you believe in, and have a purpose beyond just making money. Aim to change the world and people will join your crusade.

I studied physics at university, and we were always told all science is either physics or it's stamp collecting. As to the arts, well, they were kinda looked on as too wishy-washy to be of any use. Therefore, I laughed out loud when I read in this week's book Your Stand Is Your Brand that the author Patrick Gentempo said: "It’s ironic that most people view philosophy as some sort of impractical, abstract indulgence. The reality is that it is the most practical thing you and your business can hope to embrace."

Despite my biases, I actually liked the book. Patrick Gentempo makes a good case that your personal philosophy is directly linked to the amount of prosperity you end up generating, He makes the point standing up for what you believe in is smart and necessary. What you stand for ends up being your brand.

In the end, a good book with some ideas worth thinking about a bit more deeply. I must go back and apologize to my friends who studied the arts. Maybe I'll do that in about 20 or 30 years time.