Forty Dollars and a Brand

In the summer of 1984, I was an independent college student living alone in Boston. One day, I woke up hot, scared, and starving. A search of my fridge and cabinets turned up only flour, onions, and cooking oil. I cut up an onion, dipped the slices in flour, and fried them. Onion rings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The next day, I began feeling ill. I hadn’t eaten a meal in two days and didn’t expect a paycheck for another week.

My apartment buzzer sounded. It was Sammy, a friend’s uncle. I hit the buzzer to let him in the building. Sammy entered my apartment and told me that he received a call from his niece about my situation. He gave me $40 to buy groceries. I began to cry and hugged Sammy like my life depended on it. In a sense, it did. Sammy was making an investment in my future, which strengthened my resolve to overcome challenges and reinforced my desire to defy the odds and fulfill my dreams.

Forty Dollars and a Brand includes stories, tips, brand-building activities, and a personal brand journal so you can document the evolution of your personal brand during your journey toward discovering and living your awesomeness.

A shy introvert who grew up with two sisters in a single-parent household in S.E., Washington, DC, Denise Moore (Kaigler) encountered numerous challenges. Defying the odds, she evolved her personal brand, became a corporate leader at Reebok, adidas Group, Nintendo, and Boston Scientific, and worked with numerous celebrities, including Jay Z, Scarlett Johansson, Venus Williams, and Pharrell Williams.