There was a time when I was less aware of the difference between reputation and notoriety. Boy, there is a big difference! Early on in my career, I paid too much attention to getting attention. I was building a brand, all right; but as I look back, it just wasn’t the brand I wanted for myself. All your efforts at publicity, promotion, and branding need to feed into your mission; if they’re only feeding into your ego, you’ll find yourself with a reputation you hadn’t bargained for that could hold you back for the rest of your life. I was lucky. Looking back, I merely wasted a lot of time.
