It’s always fun to see what new books are out there and which ones to recommend for my fellow colleagues and students. I had a chance over the holidays to do just that – review a new book. This book focused on how athletes can become their own media company and own their personal brand outright. In a day where everyone has a personal brand and is vying for attention from sponsors, companies, and the media – this can be both challenging and rewarding at the same time.
The book I had a chance to review is by a good colleague and friend of mine from Twitter, Jeremy Darlow. I have been a fan of Jeremy’s for years – we first connected via Twitter and one day I hope we are able to meet in person over a cup of coffee (definitely on my #SMSports bucket list for sure!). I read Jeremy’s first book- Brands Win Championships – and loved it. However, when I found out what his second book called “Athletes Are Brands Too” was all about – I was BEYOND excited!
I got my copy and literally bookmarked, highlighted, and noted very other page. I felt this is going to be not just a must have book for sports programs and athletes, but for other related disciplines as well like marketing, public relations, etc. There were many great points I was able to take away from Jeremy’s book, and I wanted to highlight a few of these.
- The depth of insight related to personal branding. I was very impressed with how Jeremy discussed this in detail. Great examples, insights, cases, and takeaways here. I also feel Jeremy does a great job in not just talking about personal branding, but living it each and every day on every platform. Just looking at how Jeremy connects with the industry is both impressive and inspiring. He truly walks the walk.
- So many case studies and real world examples for personal branding. As a social media professor, I have struggled to find a book that not only discusses personal branding from a practitioner standpoint, but provide evidence and actionable steps that could be applied for everyone. I can’t tell you all how excited I was when I was reading the pages of #AthletesAreBrandsToo when I came across the chapter focusing on branding. This is EXACTLY the type of advice, insights, and cases athletes (and students!) need to see here. All of the examples are applicable not only for sports, but for businesses, teams, universities, and any other established entity. Jeremy also was able to discuss these core concepts in a way that is clear, concise, and extremely relevant for all audiences.
- Visual summaries as infographics. How great is this – especially for a visual learner?! I think this is very good to have to summarize the key takeaways in a way students, professionals, and even educators are able to comprehend and relate to. They were filled with great points and also branded with Jeremy’s brand colors.
My recommendation is simple. BUY THE BOOK. Read it from start to finish. Share what you have learned with others. Integrate and apply the practices and best practices Jeremy has shared with you from the book. I think this needs to be a must have reading for every student entering a sports program as an athlete. Every coach needs to encourage their athletes to read this. As far as college classes, I see this in many different disciplines and programs. I know I want to have my students read this book for my social media classes at the University of Louisville in the spring. This was well written, and it was awesome to be able to hear Jeremy’s brand voice articulate and present itself throughout the content.
Congrats on a great book, Jeremy! Very happy for you and thank you for all you do for the sports community!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
