Lady Gaga got it right: “You’re on the right track baby, you were born this way.”

She has raised integrity branding to an art form—by being exquisitely attuned to who she is, the music and costumes she wants to create, how her big idea serves the world and the “little monsters” who are drawn to her.

Ready to channel yourself some Gaga?

Start with this: what lights you up? Not necessarily what clients demand of you or what has made you gobs of dough, but what gets you so jazzed you can’t wait to get to work.

Last week at a pre-Oscar party, I had a delightful treat: a chat with Jack Carter, comedian extraordinaire.

After listening to what he’s been up to lately (and, I admit it, being completely charmed), it struck me that he embodies the definition of an enduring brand.

Jack remains relevant. He turns 89 this year and kept up a lively conversation on his current projects—The Ren and Stimpy Show and The Family Guy. When travel to do live shows became a bit much, he found himself a new TV audience—from Parks and Recreation to Desperate Housewives to Nickelodeon’s iCarly. He has a nose (and probably a very good agent) for what’s current and fits his brand.

Plenty. Your identity, your working DNA, your message to the world.

Maybe you want to become a 1-name icon in your specialty—Gaga, Adele, Mariah, Whitney (RIP). Or you want to have your big idea take flight and spread. Fast.

How you say it matters.

With proper credit to the brilliant Larry Smith—who continues to inspire with his Six-Word Memoir project—I offer you a challenge.

Boil down your personal brand to six words. Or less.

To spur your thinking, begin with your life philosophy, how you view the world. Your brand lies within.

Here are some personal favorites from a few more well-known contributors:

The dust-up between Southern cooking maven Paula Deen and bad boy chef Anthony Bourdain boils down to this: what is your core brand promise?

In announcing her Type 2 diabetes, Paula had two ways to go: she could say “Honey, I’m your cook not your doctor” or she could admit that copious amounts of butter and sugar and fat had done her wrong.

In fact, she’s done both. Her recipes remain, untouched, and Paula will continue to create and serve them. Yet she is also behind “Not my Mama’s Meals” on the Cooking Channel and her sons’ healthy reinvention of her artery-hardening southern favorites on her website.