B UR OWN LABEL = POYO ?

It was about middle of last year when my colleagues and I were involved as trainers to a group of college student facilitators at Kem Rebutia (somewhere in Gombak area). Participants and trainers were clowning around during a group photo shoot at the closing ceremony when suddenly one of my female colleagues exclaimed, "Tn Hj, you ni POYO lah !"

I was taken aback and curious as this was the first time I ever heard the word "poyo". So I asked her what does she means by POYO ?

She gave me quite a lengthy explanation, but at the end I still couldn't figure out what exactly "poyo" means. Then finally she said to me, "POYO is YOU. YOU are POYO !" Lagi lah I tak paham ...

And today, after "looking at the mirror" many-many times, I thiiink I now know what "poyo" means. But I still cannot define it with one word. The followings are what I think what POYO is ...

Firstly, it is about having an extra edge by just being your own self. It is about being your own LABEL. It’s about being happy and accepting you as you are. As-is-where-is-basis or stock and barrel kind of thing.

Accepting both plus and minus, good or bad about yourself, and of course always projecting the good and positive ones. Always looking at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.

It’s about being honest and confident with yourself. Having guts (keberanian), grits (ketabahan) and gumption (kecerdikan) to do things you feel strongly about. Never having to hold any punches. Shoot from the hip - just like the cowboys do. Dare to criticize, even your own leaders, especially when they do wrong.

It’s about not afraid of taking the path less traveled. Dare to be different. Dare to be criticized. Dare to fail. It’s about being adventurous, enthusiastic and always on the lookout to try new things, new approach.

Poyos don’t just play the game, but compete to win. Accepting that win or lose is part of the game, so it doesn’t matter if they lose, but at least they strive to win and be the best.

And of course, to be your own label, you never rely on others to motivate you. You're a self-motivator. You motivates yourself. You don't need others to motivate you. If you are not given the opportunity, you creates them ! You always look at the positive side of things.

“I will not say I failed 1000 times, instead I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure.” (Thomas Edison)

It is also about “shameless marketing” - that is by turning yourselves into brand names. You become the benchmark. Poyos are people who are very comfortable talking about themselves – but of course, in a way that doesn’t put people off. They have the ability to communicate “who they are and what they bring to the table, unashamedly.”

Frankly, how comfortable are you about talking about yourself? Can you talk about yourself, sharing your skills and abilities? Can you say with confidence: “I am the best candidate for the job?” Of course, people may say that you're "POYO" if you say that, but who cares?

Imagine that you have a reputation so strong that the people / marketplace comes to you. It recognizes your personal value and will seeks you out for your unique talents and accomplishments that you have.

Poyos don't just add years to their life, but they add life to the years ! - thus making their years lively and colorful.

Imagine standing apart from your peers, confidently expressing your distinctiveness as a leader and human being. You're always the leader of the pack, no matter how small the pack is. People look at you as a catalyst. People gets excited and motivated when you're around.

Be your own label is a personal branding strategy that allows you to shape (or reshape) how others perceive you, create visibility and drive demand for your services. It is about letting the people around you know exactly what you stand for.

Your brand synthesizes your image themes and accomplishments as well as your personal attributes that conveys who you really are. It is based on your authenticity – and held in the hearts and minds of those around you.

Every one of us needs a personal brand. What more when you are working in the corporate "dog-eat-dog" world. You need to stand out from the crowd. To thrive, you need to manage your career with the same mentality that you bring to your business initiatives. A personal brand is an integral part of career management.

And even if you are already happy with where you are, and have no plans to “move up and out”, your brand is the insurance that you won’t fade away.

Personally I think all of us have a bit of "poyo-ness" inside us. It's just a matter of how much. Some of us may be at beginner level (POYO 101), intermediate level (POYO 201) or an advanced level (POYO 301). So which level of poyo do you think you belong to ?

In fact, think of it this way, after all of those years of hard work and accomplishment, you owe yourself a compelling personal brand. You deserve to be a poyo. So ladies and gentlemen, the ball is now in your court... ;)