By Christopher Kenton

EARNING OF THE GREEN.  That business failed. It turns out very few people want to work at a program that takes a commitment of time and effort. What they want is an evangelist promising to resolve their sense of crisis overnight -- like a constant supply of aspirin for fast, temporary relief.

I switched over to the corporate side to work on brand development and marketing, what I still do today. I help businesses discover and build compelling identities to communicate effectively with their markets. Just like people, companies struggle with the fundamental questions of who they are, what they have to offer, and how to communicate in a way that is both unique and immediately familiar. The difference is that businesses are more often willing to do the hard work that people typically avoid, and for good reason.

For businesses, having an effective identity is a necessary precursor to fulfilling their primary, universal purpose in life: making money. For people in a consumer economy, it's usually the opposite: Making money is a necessary precursor to spending it, which has become the way we construct our identity in a world where we are what we buy.

THE VALUE.  For businesses, having an effective identity is a necessary precursor to fulfilling their primary, universal purpose in life: to make money. For people in a consumer economy it's usually the opposite: making money is a necessary precursor to spending it, which has become the way we construct our identity in a world where we are what we buy.

For businesses, identity is the means to an end--what matters is communicating value to your audience. For people, identity is a constantly changing destination--what matters is finding a sense of purpose that connects us with the world. While a business can construct an identity by tailoring it to the intended audience, that approach usually leaves people feeling empty; and while people can happily spend a lifetime finding their purpose in life, that approach usually leaves businesses bankrupt.

So what about this epiphany I mentioned at the start? What about this revelation that will bring the threads of your life together and sweep away all obstacles? Well, I can't give away the store, but what I can tell you is this: the distinction between personal and corporate approaches to identity should really be more of a balance.

Each of us, whether we're a corporate executive or a school teacher, is running a small for-profit business when it comes to our finances, and we can't survive if we're not effective in the competitive exchange of value. And every business, whether a sole proprietorship or a large corporation, is comprised of people who need to find meaning in their work that connects them with their social environment. Both scenarios are the domain of identity --the determination of success in each depends on whether we see it as a tool or a destination.

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Christopher Kenton is president of the marketing agency Cymbic. He can be reached at ckenton@cymbic.com