<p>Prompt:</p>
<p>In business, the term "personal brand" describes how companies define themselves and differentiate their products from those of other companies. People, too, are often advised to develope a kind of personal brand or style-- to make themselves stand out from other people by developing unique characteristics. Nowadays, people who want to be successful in school, at work, or in their personal relationships must emphasize their differences from their peers in the same way that companies emphasize their differences from their competitors. </p>
<p>Assignment: Do people succeed by emphasizing their differences from other people? </p>
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<p>In a society where individuality has been praised and lionized more than ever, there is a growing concern about how to stand out from the crowd. In fact, rarely can people step on the ladder to success by conforming to the old rules and common behaviors. One would have to strive for uniqueness and emphasize his difference so as to pave the road to success.</p>
<p>In the music industry, imitation of other’s work can only incur criticism and indifference, while original creation is what truly shines with enduring brilliance. Born in Singapore and grew up in London, Vanessa-Mae took up the violin at the age of five. She was a rising star in the world of classical music, but also had some ideas of her own about music. As a teenager, she began experimenting with her talent, and released The Violin Player, which she called a "techno-acoustic fusion" album. It featured both traditional and electric violin, hitting the U.K. pop charts and going multi-platinum. However, some critics objected to the video of Vanessa-Mae playing a techno-pop version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in a wet T-shirt, and scratched their heads when they heard that she would be playing a violin solo on Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope album. Vanessa, on the other hand, confronted the criticism with huge confidence, claiming that "When you're brave enough to do something new, people are always threatened by it." Nonetheless, few audiences that see Vanessa-Mae give a live performance have any objections. More often they are left awestruck, roaring for an encore. Thus, it is conspicuous that the drive for originality and the yearning for emphasizing her difference helped Vanessa conquer the challenge of classical music, and established her as a violin pop queen.</p>
<p>The importance of emphasizing the difference can also apply to the business industry. Richard Branson, an international entrepreneur, established his business empire, the Virgin Group, which contains 360 companies, by his magic spark of creativity. To launch the Virgin Brides, a wedding company, he made his stunning appearance in a $10,000 wedding dress and high heels, thus attracting the media’s spotlight. What’s more, he even drove a World War II tank up to, and fired at, the Coca Cola sign in Time Square, New York City, to launch the challenge of the Virgin Cola. By all creative means, Branson not only established his unique business style, but also firmly grabbed the media’s attention, helping to promote his business to a larger extent. Consequently, Branson’s role as a “Maverick in Paradise” proved his uniqueness and brought him immense success around the world.</p>
<p>From the examples above, it is safe to come to the conclusion that one can succeed only by accentuating his individuality, which would help him stand out from the crowd and increase the possibility of success. </p>
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Ps. I know that I still need to work on my introduction and conclusion. My test is on this Saturday, and I am striving for a 10+ in my essay. Is it possible to achieve such a score within 2 days, based on my current level?</p>