Legendary status, in and of itself, is legend; as though this title is bestowed upon people, places, events, and things willy-nilly with no rhyme or reason.

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‍At least that’s what I thought before I got to mulling this kernel of an idea around.

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‍Now, I’ve come to the conclusion that legendary is more than just a thing that happens to others. Like the saying ‘there are no overnight successes’, legends are made.

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‍But what are they made of? Strategic authenticity.

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Strategic authenticity

Yes, I realize ‘authenticity’ has become one of those horrid buzzwords (much like ‘brand’) that makes me want to scream for ice cream, but there is truth in what it does for the originator. In settling into the true authenticity of who you are or who your brand is, it seems to unlock the Law of Attraction (dive even deeper on the Laws of the Universe with this article by Happy Life Logic). *shameless plug* Read more about my run-in with my authentic self here.

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But, here’s the clincher that most miss: application.

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We can be authentic all we want, but how it is strategized and applied in order to work to our advantage (especially in the case of a brand) is another venture altogether.

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‍So I’m going to tell you what I think, surprised?

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Signature and guts

Making authenticity work for you is about the marrying of two things: signature and guts. They also happen to be the key ingredients in the secret sauce of legends.

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Let’s break-it, break-it, break-it-down:

A signature is what? A singular recognizable thing–something that is inherently you and gives you visibility. And guts? At the risk of sounding too graphic, frankly: Balls. Cojones. Laughing in the face of fear! Not taking no for an answer! Wearing socks with sandals!

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Let’s look at some examples of how this works in application with some of the most well-known legendary-status-achievers:

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Please tell me you’re seeing the pattern...

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Design > Chance

While I am a big believer in the universe (a la the Law of Attraction), and it certainly counts to consider universal influence or destiny as a part of legend-making, the majority of this achievement is in the recognition of authenticity and the ingenuity to make it work.

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Legends are not decided by chance. Lucille Ball dyed her hair. MJ chose that glove. Writers wrote in that cheesecake. Legends are formulated, designed from decisions based on burning desire (‘I have to do this’) and purposeful designation (‘People will see this and respond this way’) to propel them towards legend-dom.

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Legends take their verve and blow it out of proportion.

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Get to the point already

This is what you’d call good news. It means that you CAN achieve what you want to achieve. You can be as big, or small, as your heart desires. You just have to know HOW to get there.

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‍My advice? Look inward *cough* or talk to a creative such as myself *cough* to find what makes you, you.

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‍Ask yourself the deep questions: What am I known for? How can I amplify it? Am I pushing the barriers, tearing down walls and moving forward based on what I believe?

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And, lastly, where can I find an agency to help? (sorry, I couldn’t help myself).