Branding, reputation, image.

I somehow feel the need to write this post once a season, usually after a lawyer messages me regarding a bikini picture on this site.

My full post about branding and this blog is here, but I can be concise, I hope…

Most blog readers are familiar with mommy bloggers like Heather Armstrong, Ree Drummond, and Maggie Mason, but for some reason the legal and advertising industries are uncomfortable with real personal blogs written by law students and marketers.

Professionals expect law student blogs to either be poorly disguised resumes or anonymous blogspot accounts that strictly focus on the law school experience.

Blogs by advertisers are supposed to regurgitate Mashable’s biggest stories with the occasional foodie or knitting post. These bloggers need to appear hip, techy, and yuppie… in an urban outfitters outlet sort of way…

And those blogs have a purpose, I think.

Well, okay, I think the real purpose is for the bloggers to appear personable while still writing for LinkedIn.

These guarded pseudo-personal blogs are like the handwritten thank-you card sent after a meeting – some readers find it charming, whereas a sophisticated reader will know that it is just as contrived as the smiley face a waitress writes on your check. Smart, but still fake.

So, for my new readers, and those just confused: My name is Dennis Jansen. This is my personal blog.

Although this blog has a little over 10,000 unique visitors a month, the main purpose of this site is to keep my friends, family, and acquaintances updated on my life and to create a record of my twenties.

I work, study tax law at cafés, walk my oversized dogs, date, get terrible customer service at sprint, go out with friends, and produce music. This blog is about all of that. Welcome!

And although I occasionally give advice to future law students, this is not a place where I dwell on school, or bitch about coworkers, ex-boyfriends, or otherwise dish about non-bad customer service related topics. For the entertaining drama you can go here.

Side rant: But this blog is also not some bleeding heart diary, nor is it messy. Several of my classmates regularly accuse me of being intoxicated while writing my posts or shooting my videos. I assume these people are stupid.

And yes, I realize that comment is harsh and maybe unfair. What is really going is that these self-conscious people cannot imagine someone being comfortable posting a video where they are sweaty and tired.

They can’t do this, so they assume that anyone who is not as inhibited as they are must be intoxicated. Well, that’s silly isn’t it? It’s called personality. No additives needed.¹

The reason why I am comfortable posting what I do post is because I have been doing this for a long time, I know what I’m doing, and I am fortunate that my employers recognize that.

When I’ll get AC is another matter…

¹ And for you straights, that’s when we add a snap and a “Mhm, gurl.”