Know Yourself: Professional Branding Edition Ft. Drake
- Lauren Carey
- Jul 19, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2021
Drake, a famous Canadian rapper, has a song called “Know Yourself” which is on his 2015 mixtape IF YOU'RE READING THIS ITS TOO LATE. This album brings me right back to 2015 when my best friend Bri & I were bumping it in the car with the bass all the way up. “Know Yourself” is an anthem that embodies the true concepts of professional branding and working on excellence (WOE).
Give it a listen:
Music like any art form can be under extreme scrutiny and also can be perceived differently. When I listen to "Know Yourself" two themes resonate with me:
Networking
In the song, Drake states "I was running through the six with my woes". According to the fader.com article What Drake Really means When He Talks about Woe by Zara Golden:
"Woe is my crew. It stands for 'working on excellence.' It's just my whole brand and my whole movement and my way of life for everyone. I want everyone to work on excellence. So, all my friends are my Woes and I feel anybody working on excellence in life is a Woe in life as well."
Ask yourself:
Who are your WOEs?
On a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis are you working on excellence?
As you navigate the world as a young professional your network is your net worth. While having a large network has its advantages, remember it is the quality of your network not the quantity. I encourage you to really think about who your WOEs are and what they bring to the table.
Ask yourself:
Do you hang around people that enhance or hinder your professional brand?
Do your WOEs inspire you?
What are they doing to improve themselves?
The reason WOEs are so important is because you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. As a young professional you should always strive to work on yourself. Whether that is going back to school, learning a new skill, launching a business, or investing time into self development. The minute you stop working on yourself, you lose yourself. Throughout life many people will always ask "Who are you"? This is why you must become in touch with yourself and spend time with WOEs who remind you of who are you and who you are becoming.
Your WOE,
Lauren
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