Since we’re all in the middle of various levels of holiday insanity at this point, I thought I’d share a little gift buying tip with you. And this one involves making a purchase for yourself instead of ‘person #17’ on that never ending list.  That’s right. As the final countdown begins to the busiest holiday dedicated to conspicuous consumption of the year I’m proposing you take a minute and remember who is most important in your life.  And, if you don’t answer ‘me/myself/I’ then perhaps you haven’t quite had enough of that spiked eggnog yet.

So, pour yourself a favorite adult beverage and settle into a big comfy chair as you read along with me about why you need to buy yourself a copy of the just released book, iBrand:  The Next Generation, by Pam & Olivia Sain, aka wife and daughter of Gary Sain, the [deceased] former President and CEO of Visit Orlando.

You see, Gary believed in you even before you did.  If you don’t already know about him suffice it to say that his entire professional career was spent marketing one thing or another in the hospitality industry which ultimately lead to his belief that you build your own brand along the journey.  In his own words, “Think of yourself as a brand and optimism is the key factor to making your personal brand a success.”

What better time of year to consider adopting optimism as your mantra than right now as we face a calendar full of big, scary unknowns in 2017? I mean, win or lose, most of us didn’t even like the candidates we actually voted for in that ugly presidential election, right?  But I digress with that sentiment. . .

Moving on, Gary was a respected and admired member of our hospitality community until his untimely passing in 2012.  Since then, his wife and daughters have pondered ways to keep his memory alive until one day they decided to write a book.  Not just any book, but one devoted to his core belief system which was, basically, believe in yourself and only good will follow.

“The richness of your personal brand is the destination you offer your targeted audience through personal insight.”

iBrand, the book, is full of insightful quotes and stories taken lovingly by Pam and Olivia after combing through volumes of Gary’s personal notes and speeches.  And as head of the marketing arm of the number one tourist destination in the world Gary had plenty of files and materials to work from.  So in their grief the idea was born for bringing it altogether  into a book now available i Brand: The Next Generation.   Further, mother and daughter will be on hand to sign copies on December 18 at the Locally Grown Words Bookfair, East End Market. This is being sponsored by Bookmarkit, one of our local treasures of an independent bookstore.

And while there are many reasons you should invest a little money in yourself right now you might want to also consider buying a few more copies to pass on to anyone you fancy yourself as being a mentor to because let’s face it, building a respectable personal brand is a skill worth developing.