Though the term “personal branding” has recently gained mainstream popularity, the idea has been around for a long time. Résumés, clothes, and personalities are all a part of our brand. Today, people showcase themselves on multiple platforms, including YouTube; Justin Bieber used the video-sharing site to help launch his career.

The charismatic Jared Matthew Weiss is tall, outgoing, and chiseled, with painted toenails. Though his appearance is eye-catching, he really distinguishes himself with his ability to see the greatness in each person and to bring it out in spectacular fashion. His company, Overture, helps you craft an inspirational story about yourself, and then captures it on video so you can share it with the world.

Weiss has spent a lifetime helping others recognize their inner strengths. Since age ten, he’s been motivating companies, small groups, family, and friends. He spoke for groups all over the country before finally settling in New York City in 2005. He started a business called madProper, which helped individuals and organizations optimize their potential. Weiss eventually earned himself a regular spot on the Today Show, a column in Shape Magazine and more than 800 clients around the world.

The seeds for Overture were planted back in 2008, when Weiss first realized everyone in the world needed a profile video. The technology, however, didn’t catch up until December, 2012, when Weiss called a friend, grabbed a video camera and—eureka!—turned his five-year vision into a reality: Overture, a chic, 30- to 60-second, black-and-white video starring YOU. The Overture team helps you introduce yourself to the world.

Our social media profiles are all designed to showcase our tastes and what makes us tick. But within the confines of those standardized templates, it’s tough to get the real “you” to shine through. The genius of Overture is that it literally brings people to life.

Check out my video here:

Brandon Smith // Gentle Giant from Overture on Vimeo.

Now You See Me

Video has become a creative platform for personal branding. Pitch videos, video résumés, and even Vine, a mobile app that allows you to create and share short looping videos that Twitter acquired in October 2012, are all means to deliver your message to the masses with moving images. But it’s tough to make a video about yourself that’s compelling and fun to watch. This is where Overture sets itself apart.

Whether the goal is to help land a job, expand a business, or simply showcase your personality, an Overture, Weiss says, will help people stand out in this very competitive marketplace.  “What’s amazing is watching people discover what’s truly exciting and interesting about themselves,” says Weiss. “We capture that in a way that’s very personal and very powerful.”

After a client completes a short online interview, Overture’s Storytellers edit the content down to a few short sentences that encapsulate the individual’s greatness. Next, the client goes to Overture’s office where he or she spends about five minutes on camera with a professional video crew. The final video is 30 to 60 seconds long, and it is stored on the Overture servers. Clients receive a link to their Overture page, and the embed code so they can put the video anywhere online.

An Overture costs $295, a small price to pay for being at the forefront of personal branding. (It’s $1,000 for the opportunity to work one-on-one with Weiss.) Most clients put the link to the video in their email signatures; one client recently had more than 700 views in two days.

For anyone still apprehensive about branching into self-branding, reflect on these words of motivation from Weiss: “Be yourself and see what happens.  Here. We. Go.”

Image via Shutterstock