Why do you need a personal brand?
The fact is, you are constantly being Googled. Colleagues Google you at work, business partners Google you before a conference call, potential employers Google you before a job interview. What they are finding is the digital reality of ME Inc. It's your online CV but is it the online CV you want them to see?
As Tim Ferriss, an author whose books have been No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, said recently: "Personal branding is about managing your name – even if you don't own a business – in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records."
Via The Learning Factor
If the phrase "Perception is reality" was true in the '80s, then the equivalent today would be "Google is reality