the MARTINI SHAKER

I was doing some work this afternoon when I received an instant message from a contact I hadn’t heard from in years. He was a member of mograph.net when I was really active in that community and he was hitting me up with a question about After Effects expressions that had been driving him insane all day.

Unfortunately it’s been about 4 years since I’ve been so deep into After Effects that I’ve even needed to write any sort of expression and my lack of practice left me being not much help.

Before we signed off he said something that really made my day and made me think about my personal branding goal that I discussed a couple of posts ago. He said:

You know, I’ve really looked up to you for inspiration and knowledge throughout the years and some of the ass kickings you gave me on mograph really helped me learn and grow. So, thanks for that.

It would have never dawned on me that my involvement on that motion graphics bulletin board would have that much impact on someone’s career — let alone the possibility of multiple people’s careers. But there it was. I made a difference in someone’s life in a way that I never thought was noticed by others.

I almost said “in a way that I never thought mattered” but stopped and chose my words again. I never thought that. Everything matters. This is a perfect illustration as to why.

I’m going to use this compliment to help shape my personal branding efforts. As I strive to be seen as an expert in my field and an expert collaborator, I need to remember the effect that collaboration has. You never know when it’s going to come back around years later and become part of your brand perception.