In the late ’90s, I read “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” by the daughter-father duo, Laura Ries and Al Ries. It was the first and most formative book I read on branding. Soon after, my title changed to Brand Manager — a first in the nonprofit world.

A few years later, Laura started a blog, which I followed religiously, and I reached out to introduce myself via email. She was generous in her responses and answers to my questions as I sought to hone my skills in the branding discipline. In 2010, I recruited her to speak at the national conference for the organization I worked for, and of course she rocked it and provoked deeper thinking about how we could take our brand to the next level.

I lent more than a dozen copies of the updated version of the book, including one she signed for me, to friends and colleagues. I didn’t get a single one back. That’s ok, except for the one Laura signed for me. WHOEVER HAS IT, I WANT THAT BACK! I still have my original version, which I harken back to regularly.

I’ve read just about everything Al and Laura wrote. And now Laura has a new book coming out, The Strategic Enemy, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

There are a lot of people who deserve thanks for influencing my life and career. Laura and her dad definitely did that. Thank you, Laura.

What book most influenced your career?