Not to suggest that Buckingham Palace has abandoned its roots and steep tradition, but in what can be viewed as a new era, the brand sparkled brilliantly in youthful packaging ushered in wrapped up in a grounded presence.

I would suggest that the new brand is anchored in authenticity, and charged with an enthusiastic energy. The brand has been revitalized with Prince William and Princess Catherine as the new faces of the brand.

It is a brand that is very much in touch with its fans today, and very responsive to them. It appears the brand recipe has included the interests of the “Commoner” in the mix as well.

While the Royal Family label will never be a “no frills” brand, Kate and William have made it clear that they do not want all the “fuss” that has accompanied royal couples in the past.

After 15 years or so of difficulties and challenges at Buckingham Palace, it appears the entire Royal Family is about to embark on a new Honeymoon period. As the Royal Couple celebrates their new union, long live the Queen and long live the new Royal Brand!

I have posed this question to numerous entrepreneurs and women in business as a strategic personal branding consultant. Does your personal brand define who you are or what you do?

What do you do and how you do it

Like a fingerprint, our personal brands identify us and the unique way we carry out our roles. They are solely and uniquely ours. Don’t try to be someone else…that brand is already taken.

Throughout the news media landscape numerous “experts” (a commonly identified albeit overused Brand label) are speculating that Katie Couric may put herself out there to be the “Next Oprah?” Do you want some “Pam Carroll Insider” information? I can tell you for certain that she is not!

How do I know?  Because that brand is not hers. She wears the Katie Couric brand 24/7.  Whether she is in the studio or at home; standing in as news anchor or Mom; enjoying the company of friends or world leaders, she is uniquely Katie Couric.

Our brands are our “virtual signature” and can differentiate us in today’s challenging job market. However many business professionals have an identity crisis when it comes to their personal brand. 

In the fast-paced, task-oriented workplace, employees and entrepreneurs alike are carrying out their roles by default without paying attention to the personal brand they are bringing to the job.

We all show up in the workplace with a brand identity whether we carve one out for ourselves or not. A brand will be placed upon you so you might as well define one for yourself.

Take some time today and think about who you are and what might be represented behind your personal brand. What is it that you stand for?  What does your brand label say? Are you a Risk Taker? Energetic, Self Starter?   The “Go to Gal?” The “Ideas Guy?”

In one of Jimmy Buffet’s songs, there is a line that says, “Everywhere you go you take the weather with you.” Well, so it goes with Personal Branding, it shows up in everything we do.

So as Katie Couric carves out her next stop along her dynamic career path, her signature Brand characteristics – humor- enthusiasm – perspective – energy – empathy – just to name a few – will travel along with her.

What would it take to earn a gold medal in your industry?  Have you sized up your competition lately? How do you compete?

At first glance, the Vancouver Olympic Games were all about Winter Sports. But if you go below the frozen surface, there lies a business lesson for all seasons; regardless of what role you play.

One needs only to look towards the Olympic athletes to garner valuable success secrets for business. As a Philadelphia business communicator and brand strategist, here are my Eleven Business Strategies from the Olympics.

Eleven Business Success Strategies of Olympic Proportion

• Be extraordinary
• Raise the bar
• Take risks
• Dare to dream
• Stay true to your vision
• Commit to your goals
• Exhibit determination
• Be courageous
• Possess spirit and passion
• Learn from your mistakes
• Celebrate your success

The athletes met with success because they dared to dream and believed in the power of their personal brand. As business leaders and entrepreneurs, we need to hold fast to our dreams and fuel them with branding strategies that propel us towards success…with or without the gold medal.