As the world continues to flatten, not only are businesses getting more competitive, but so are people. The effect of globalization goes beyond competitors in commerce and seeps into opportunities for the individual.  Sharing ideas and beliefs are no longer for those who have lots of money and can pay for air time on the radio or television, nor only for editors who have their own columns in magazines or newspapers.  You now can be heard around the world with a few strokes of a keyboard and a few clicks of a mouse.

The Rise of the Individual, Enhanced by Social Media.

People aren’t just people anymore, we are brands. In this day and age, you have to brand yourself, promote yourself and sustain top-notch performance to be competitive. And now, thanks to the internet and social media at its best, it is possible.

Reputations are nothing new, but with geographical, historical, and monetary barriers dissolving by the day, they are more important, prevalent and discoverable now more than ever. Dip your toe in, if you haven’t already, and join LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. If you get ambitious enough, buy a domain name and start your own website. If there’s something you want to say, there is a way to get the word out. With the tools available for the individual to be heard, there comes a responsibility: the responsibility to say something and be someone. The tools to be heard are available and now is the time to take advantage.

The flattening world also brings us more information by way of powerful search engines. Embracing the amount of information available to us on the web as knowledge can give us power. How to sift and sort through the vast amount of information is another topic, but does not negate the fact that having information at our finger tips makes us more competitive and levels our intellectual playing field. If anything, the overwhelming amount of information out there forces us to be better a deciphering what is accurate and important. I urge you as professionals and as people to use seize the opportunities to make a name for yourself. Create your brand and promote it, as businesses do in this time of increased competition and leveled playing fields. Globalization is a beautiful thing and is very beneficial, but if you aren’t one with it, your cohorts will leave you in the dust.

Thanks to David Armano for the term “Brand U.0″