Personal Branding

I was talking to one of my successful Badger friends over the weekend and he started talking about personal brands. "Personal brand, what's that?" I said.

He said in part it's what people say about you and what you say about yourself on the internet - take a look at the one below for the friend in question.

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1475282/na

That's odd, I thought. How do I control what people say about me when I'm a mere Badger?

So I thought. Then I thought a bit more. And more again. And then I got it.

I have to be clear and consistent with what I do. And my brand isn't just me, it's Mrs Badger too and our badger children. Hmmm, more on branding tomorrow when I think about what my personal brand actually is.

Snow Badger

Well, I crept out this morning and what did I see? Miles and miles and miles of snow. Wonderful. I saw some cubs playing, throwing snowballs, making SnowBadgers, it's lovely when it snows.

The annoying thing is - how am I supposed to find worms? Worms, as you know, are a badgers staple. Still, I suppose it means that a few worms will live to tell their tale another day. A lot of people think worms are stupid but they're not. Worms are one of the brightest, virus-carrying creatures I know. If you find yourself down a rabbit burrow and you're confronted by 1000 worms you'd be a better badger than me if you managed to escape. My old sergeant - Sarge Broc - said to me "There is nothing as intimidating as a can of angry worms". Those words of stayed with me.

Still, the snow is soft on my limp paw and the cold brings down the swelling. Mrs Badger thinks I'm crazy when I'm pottering around outside but it's for the best. Who knows when the snow will go? I've got to get all the Nuts I can and any stray hedgehogs. The mashed potato won't live forever. Plus there's the stranded baby badgers to think about, somebody has to save them.

I wonder how Russ the Dragon is doing? I hope he's managed to jump above the snow and is enjoying himself as much as I am.

Enjoy the snow my friends but, remember, if you see a little stripe beneath the snow and it's not yellow be careful where you put your finger. It won't be my fault if I mistake them for worms.

The Art of Mashed Potato

Today has been very special. I managed to pilfer some potatoes from a market stall and make my favourite food - mashed potato. Everybody knows Badgers love Mashed Potato.

Once I had finished making the potato it got me thinking...the art of making Mashed Potato is very similar to the art of life. Let me explain. This, of course, will be the truncated version for the real philosophising will remain in my mind forever.

Mashed Potato

Take a potato, peel it, boil it, drain the water, squash it, add some butter, add some milk, squash it more. Optional: add salt, pepper, Tabasco - to suit your taste.

Life

Take a problem / challenge: peel back the issues (remove the crap), muse for a period of time (20 minutes will be enough), stop musing, kick it around for a bit, add some context, add some advice, ask "What would Wilf Badger do?". Optional: add whatever context you like - to suit yours and others taste.

So, I still have a potato, but now it's a much more appealing, palatable potato. Same with my problem.

If you disagree with this way of thinking it's probably because you're not a badger and you see things through a more simple lens.

Back to the potato - I shared some with Mrs Badger and she got very excited. She said it is the first time in ages I've made her some special Mashed Potato and tomorrow she has a special treat for me. Ooh, I'm excited now.

One of my friends, sadly no longer with us, Forrest Badger once said to me: Life is like a box of potatoes. He was then run over by a bus so I didn't really understand what he meant. If you know, please tell me.

That'll do for now, I can hear the security guard coming. Remember, lock up your vegetables and beware the badger.