Who am I? What will I become? What do I want to become? I don’t even know.
My personal brand isn’t something that I have given much thought to, though I suppose I probably should, seeing as I should probably learn how to adult before I’m thrust into the real world.
I have seen and heard of many people who have terrible personal brands – take Donald Trump or Kim Kardashian, for example.
Donald Trump is the epitome of the worst possible type of person we could have running our country – aside from maybe Hitler or something.
He’s ignorant, childish, hot-headed and disrespectful. I am amazed – or maybe not so amazed – that he has gotten this far in the presidential race.
He has called others disparaging names, made fun of disabled people and is constantly spewing hatred and intolerance out of every orifice.
I am all for joking, sarcasm and humor that most level-headed people would find revolting at best, but there is a time and a place for it, which Trump clearly doesn’t understand.
I understand why Trump is the way he is. He is running in a race that is the equivalent to America’s version of “The Hunger Games.”
It’s normal to slip up and have some not-so-nice moments in a campaign. What is not fine is when you base your entire campaign and personal brand around hatred and intolerance.
You will get nowhere in life without a little compassion and understanding.
Kardashian is no better. Sure, she might be on the opposite spectrum of Trump and probably doesn’t even know how politics work, but she doesn’t represent what I would consider a good personal brand either.
I can think of nobody better to showcase the worst possible traits in a human being – shallowness, vapidity, egotistical attitude, pompousness and immaturity.
She is pretty prominent in the Twittersphere and is well-known for her juvenile responses to people and situations, not to mention that she is famous for being famous — also known as no reason at all.
Unfortunately, in our society, celebrities have a lot of influence over people – they can change the way people think, act or even how a person feels about something or a certain situation.
Kardashian doesn’t use this influence to anybody’s benefit except her own. Instead of bringing awareness to important issues, such as, say, gender inequality, she focuses on how many Twitter and Instagram followers she has.
Emma Watson, the actress who blasted to fame from the “Harry Potter” film series, is not only a respectful woman and celebrity, but also an international advocate for gender equality and women’s rights.
In 2014, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and launched HeForShe, a campaign that calls for men to get involved and advocate for gender equality.
She’s traveled to many different countries in support of this campaign and has spoken on multiple topics of importance, such as political involvement, education and social issues.
In her first speech – the one that launched HeForShe – she spoke so eloquently and respectfully. Feminism and gender equality can be touchy subjects, but Watson always manages to talk about them in respectful tones, all while being inclusive of others.
The day she turned 25, she was placed at No. 26 on the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. I think it’s safe to say that I have a full-on girl crush on her.
So, I guess that just leaves me. I don’t know exactly what my personal brand is; though I have an idea.
I am a writer, an aspiring journalist and I am the managing editor for The Gannon Knight. I love sarcasm, humor, laughing and sleep – but not in that order.
I am a feminist – I believe in equal rights. I would love to embody everything Watson stands for and the way she voices her ideas.
Most importantly, I am a human being. I like to think that I give everybody the same treatment, choices and opportunities as I would give anybody.
Who am I? What will I become? How do I want people to see me? I’ll get back to you on that. Right now, I’m just me.
Editor’s note: This column was written for Griswold’s marketing internship before being published in The Gannon Knight.
SAMANTHA GRISWOLD
