A number of people have been asking me this year how and why I came up with the names of my personal image development programs. The term breakout has particularly generated the most interest, and maybe not so coincidentally, it’s my most popular program. Breakout is a word that describes the resultant place we arrive at when we forcefully escape or emerge from being confined, restrained, or trapped.
Clients would definitely agree that I’m like a cheerleader, rooting them on to their triumphs and successes through our work together. The Breakout Program took its name from a Swing Out Sister song called “Breakout.” The lyrics read – and the song sounds – just like the kind of supportive cheer you’d like to hear from a trusted friend. They also use the word breakout like a verb, imploring us to take action. I love that!
Maybe, at nearly 43 [gasp!] years old, I’m dating myself as a guy who came of age in the late 1980’s, but I still love every Swing Out Sister compilation, and listen to them in my car, during my workouts, and in my studio when no one else is there so I can belt out the tunes, pretty much on key.
Their seminal tune, Breakout, is one that always got to me. And if you read those words or play the song, the supportive cheerleading effect of the song becomes crystal clear, especially when it comes to making changes for the better.
I wonder if the Swing out Sister duo of Andy and Corrine will ever come across this post and find out how influential their music – and this particular song – has been in cheering me on in my positive changes for the better. The tune couldn’t better encapsulate the spirit of improving your personal image, so I adopted the word – with their peppy and supportive cheerleading, noun-as-verb style in mind – to create what’s become my most popular level of service.
I want everyone who needs to develop, transform, and maintain their personal image to be inspired by how my mind interprets the meaning of this song.
Breakout
Lyrics by Andy Connell, Corinne Drewery, Martin Jackson [released 3 October 1986]
When explanations make no sense
When every answer’s wrong
You’re fighting with lost confidence
All expectations come
[For what may seem like no specific or good reason, your identity doesn’t match who you are. People may misunderstand you, leaving you confined by false perceptions, being trapped in the past, and stuck because you don’t know what to do to feel great about yourself.]
The time has come to make or break
Move on don’t hesitate
Breakout
[Don’t stay stuck in that kind of situation. Take a meaningful action. Come out of that stuck place and make a commitment to change in a big way.]
Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
[Don’t doubt or second-guess your commitment to change. Don’t think that you’re not worth it. Exude your authentic self-image so that people get the accurate and right impression about you. Go ahead and make that positive change in a big way.]
When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don’t leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make your break
Breakout
[If you treat your self-image too casually, you will continue to stay trapped in a place that doesn’t make you happy. Letting go of the place where you are now might make you feel nervous to press ahead and face a brighter future. You’re wasting time by not taking action now. So just commit to being a better you and get going!]
Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
Some people stop at nothing
If you’re searching for something
Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Breakout and shout day in day out
Breakout
[Do you see yourself as a go-getter? Set new rules for yourself. Create a better standard to live by. Demand more of and for yourself. Emerge with a transformed constant and consistent self-image that boldly takes you to a new place in your life.]
Breakout
Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Breakout and shout day in day out
p.s. Don’t you just love that the music video has a fashion/style angle? I never knew that until finding this video to post to the blog! Maybe I really was on to something… 
Joseph Rosenfeld helps successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs transform their self-confidence by improving their personal style. Get Joseph’s free report that helps you know which “7 Ways Your Image Is Leading to Low Performance” at josephrosenfeld.com.
