How to be That Guy

September 26, 2005 5:15 PM

I am That Guy.

And I didn’t even mean for it to happen. It just did. Because after the first 6 months of wearing a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier, something changed. People didn’t just call me Scott anymore. They called me “Scott, that guy with the nametag.”

That’s when it all began. That’s when I became That Guy. And I never looked back. So now, as a result, being That Guy has become the single most advantageous factor of my business.

That Guy is an individual, not an actual “guy.” Just ignore the gender of the term, even though I refer to him in the masculine. That Guy is: someone whose unique personality, values and lifestyle consistently pervades everything he does, thinks and says.

In other words: somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else.

Some experts call it personal branding. Knowing thy self. Starting with your strengths. Differentiation. Keeping it real. Standing out. Being unique.

Whatever.

Same skeleton, different flesh. I like the term That Guy (or if you want, THE Guy) because it humanizes the concept of individuality. You can have lunch with That Guy. You can call That Guy for advice. You can tell your friends and customers to go to That Guy’s website. Because That Guy…is just cool. And as a result, he holds permanent shelf space in customers’ mind.

I’ll be addressing this topic a lot in the next few months. But for now, here are some resources to get your melon motivated: