If you haven't heard, my apologies for being the one to break the news that Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor has died.  By all accounts, he was a man of few (no?) public words.  But his cultural impact was massive and the joy he brought was undeniable.  In a bit of indulgence, I'd like to share 5 lessons I think we can take from Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor.

1. Be Awesome First : Taylor was a musician and a massively talented keyboard player.  That's where it all starts.  Brand is fluff without skills as a core. Check out the "Beard Guy" solo in this YouTube Video:
   
2. Be Consistent : "Beard Guy" is "Beard Guy" because it describes him.  I don't know how much of this was on purpose, and how much came by accident, but "Beard Guy"'s clearly got a "look".  More than just a look the WOTE videos show him the same way each time.  That consistency establishes the brand 
3. Show Up : It's being there.  
4. Be Memorable : It's not enough to just show up and have talent and be consistent.  It's the crazy stuff that "Beard Guy" did in the WOTE videos.  Those made him.  It was a great hook to keep people watching the full video.  You just knew he was going to show up in some kooky place. 
5. Have Fun : I don't know that every brand needs to be fun (viz. Jaguar, James Bond cool not necessarily fun). But man, he adds so much fun to the band.  

Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor will be missed.  He's added to the cultural landscape.  I hope these points of skills, consistency, showing up, being memorable and fun will too.