Branding

Everyone has heard the phrase, "Build your brand," right? Oh, wait, back up.

Hallo, beautiful people! Smalltalk, pleasantries, and such!

Good, now that's out of the way. Back to branding. It shouldn't be a new concept. Even writers need to build their own brand. I hadn't even thought that far ahead when I stumbled across my brand. The closer I got to Rise and Run's release date, the more I noticed that my marketing images seemed to have a common theme: food. Oh, baby, that's right. I f*ing love to cook and, though I don't consider myself a foodie, I love trying new restaurants. Most of the images I have of me were taken while visiting with friends in LA. Sidenote: LA has some super good food.

Anyway, food is a big part of my life. Cooking is one of the most creative outlets ... especially when you have a habit of making up your own recipes. So, since I love cooking (and, you know, eating), I decided to consider that my brand.

I contacted a local photographer to help me out with some images for my book promotion and told her my caveat: food needed to be involved. She came back quickly with a location she thought would be perfect.

The shoot was yesterday and it was a wonderful experience. And, if you're wondering, I ate an Asian salmon salad from Aromas in Williamsburg. It was delicious. By the way, having a professional photographer snap pictures of you in public places makes you feel kind of fabulous. Or, that's how I felt.

So, what's your brand? Is it weird, traditional, or are you undecided. I'm curious to know!