That’s probably what you’re thinking. Who do you think you are talking to us about marketing and this personal branding stuff? Why should I listen to you over the jillion other marketing and branding “experts” out there? Who do you think you are?

This is who I am:

I am the Director of Information Technology and equity partner for a small (but growing) national business brokerage firm. I have been for 3 plus years now. I am also an equity partner and Marketing and Communications coordinator for an independent e-commerce website. I have been in that role for the better part of three years too. I am the brand manager for myself, our companies and company president.

I am an avid reader of non-fiction business books and marketing blogs. I consider myself a student of Seth Godin, Mitch Joel, Chris Brogan, Christopher S. Penn, David Meerman Scott and the like.

As of this writing (Nov. 5, 2009) I consider myself a textbook expert on using the new and emerging tools of the web for small business gain and personal differentiation. I use the term textbook expert in this case because even though I can recite web 2.0 and social media theory to anyone who will listen, I haven’t yet received an achievement degree in those disciplines.

And this is what brings us together here. This is what I aim to correct.

This blog will be a chronicle of the events, thought processes and lessons learned along the path towards the achievement degree. I’ll share stories, observations and failures. I’ll share tools, tips, and tricks. And I’ll share the credit with anyone who helps along the way.

In an earlier post I said we can take this journey together. What do you say? Are you in?

Let’s talk about you for a minute. Where are you in this mix? How did you get here? Is your company or personal brand in need of differentiation? Are you willing to go with me?

Who do you think you are?