If you are rebranding, start with your story, not your shirt.

Lessons in authenticity and evolution

Great piece today from

Politico’s Nick Reisman on Andrew Cuomo's apparent rebrand. Cuomo's awkward effort offers a lot of lessons.

Suddenly swapping suits for short sleeves doesn't make you relatable. It makes you look uncomfortable. Drastically changing your style overnight, or almost anything for that matter, screams of inauthenticity. Particularly when you are plainly chasing relevance.

Pivoting is fine. Someone wiser than me said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. But you need to evolve, not just reinvent.

And if your look feels like a costume, the audience will spot that immediately. Cuomo's new look is giving off strong "how do you do, fellow kids?" energy.

Style isn't a substitute for substance.