Right now, do me a favor.  If you’re left-handed, pick up a pen with your right hand and write your name.  If you’re right-handed, use your left hand to write your name. (For the few ambidextrous, well, what can I say – you’re one of the lucky few – I’m afraid I won’t be able to prove my point with you).

Now, take a few minutes to think long and hard about what it took for you to do something outside of your comfort zone.  If you’re being honest, because using your ‘other hand’ to write doesn’t come naturally to you, you had to talk yourself into doing it.  Am I right?

Now lets move on to bigger and better things, beyond writing your name illegibly.

Lets look at excellence.  No, not perfection. Excellence – a commitment with being better every day and with stretching yourself a bit more each day.  On the other hand, lets look at mediocrity.  Mediocrity – feeling okay with getting by and that it’s enough to do as little as possible.  That said, pushing yourself a little bit over your edge every day is a choice. On the other hand, doing as little as posible is also a choice. And like choosing to write with your left hand if you’re a righty, and with your right hand if you’re a lefty, making any choice involves thoughtfulness and intention.

Aiming to create a world inhabited by excellent people, a world free of mediocre beings, when Dan Schawbel asked me to write a column for issue #3 of his e-mag Personal Branding, I decided to write about excellence.  Being that the issue is focused on helping readers build a personal brand that owns a specific niche, I thought it was a unique opportunity to write about what it takes to own excellence, to answer ‘what does it take to make excellence your personal brand?’

In finding someone to interview, my main goal became to showcase someone who, at first glance it’s obvious they lead an extraordinary life, one that’s worthy of imitation, yet at the same time is real and approachable.  The latter two traits is what makes excellence sticky. 

With that in mind I interviewed Samuel Azout. A Latin American business man who has thoughtfully created an extraordinary career. 

“After working for 25 years in the private business sector, he re-invented himself as a social entrepreneur. He`s now the founder and leader of two social ventures, Fundacion Carullaand Fundacion Futbol con Corazon, both based in his home country of Colombia. Both driven by his vision to create equality and opportunity for some of the poorest people in the world -those he affectionately refers to as ‘vulnerable’.

Yet, as much as he has achieved and as much as he has already contributed to the community at large, he’s very quick to point out that it’s a team of extraordinary people who deserve the credit.”

You’ll find the full interview in issue # 3 of Personal Branding.  For now, click here to access your free sample, which by the way, is hot off the press.  You will find loads of valuable information including interviews of other inspiring professionals – who were willing to share their wisdom about “owning your niche”. (yes that’s Evander Holyfield on the cover)

That said, if you know someone else who is clone-worthy, I’d love to know. (Thanks in advance for sharing your wealth).