Being outstanding, and standing out
Personal branding is a topic that I struggle to write (or think) coherently about, because it is simultaneous perhaps the most important component of running a successful solo business whilst also being a cringe-inducing and repulsive subject to explore 😂
I dunno about you, but there’s part of me that hates gimmicks, self promotion, and basically all deliberate acts designed for nothing but to get attention.
But also…
Sometimes I learn about someone like Sha’Carri Richardson, who won the US Grand Prix 200m sprint dressed in a full fishnet bodysuit, flowing blonde hair, fingernails resembling swords and eyelashes which, as one online commenter put it, “could be seen from the moon”. It’s worth watching.
Would I have ever heard of this woman if she didn’t express herself through her personal brand? I strongly doubt it. My guess is her sponsorship arrangements are twice as lucrative as they are for her similarly-talented contemporaries.
Or this dude, who is a professional dog-walker in New York City.
“I wanted people to look at me and think: ‘If this man is walking our dog, and there’s some sort of major disaster, he’s going to survive. He’s going to fish for those dogs. He’s going to build a bunker and shelter those dogs until it’s safe to bring them home.’ After I finished the design, I got four of my friends to wear the uniform, and we borrowed all the neighbours’ dogs, and we walked them down 5th avenue while handing out business cards. I got five customers that first day.”
You don’t have to wear crazy outfits. You don’t have to act strange. You just have to do something which is memorable and unmistakably you.
When you have the courage to be even a little memorable, marketing your business suddenly doesn’t have to be so hard.
P.S.
The Solo Program is generating wonderful results for our people and we’re excited to open some new spots up as we approach our next Summit in Sydney on May 31, June 1. If you’d love to surround yourself with an incredible tribe of humans, and get some help making money meaningfully and freedomfully through your solo business, you might want to book in a chat with Col.