It’s that time again (Spring comes early here). Our thoughts turn to lightening up and cleaning out.

Apparently, professionals are no exception. Last week, I received more than a few requests to react to on-line personal marketing. From those just dipping a toe into social media to sophisticated pros looking for a fresh perspective.

Some of what came across my virtual desk:

A self-proclaimed social media consultant. Unfortunately, she had a Twitter following of five and a sum total of three posts, all political rants. Her Facebook page gave the same impression.

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.

Have you noticed anything different this year in the hype week leading up to the Super Bowl? The commercials are being aired before the game!

Tradition dictates shock and awe. We don’t break during commercials, but wait eagerly instead—what will the chimps and talking babies do this year? Or, we’re captured by grandeur or deep emotion, like the “Imported by Chrysler” campaign.

Shock and awe (done well) sells. Chrysler 200 shopping on Edmunds.com spiked 1619% right after the 2011 game. And led to a record annual sales increase for a U.S. carmaker.

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.