|
When you are building a business, it’s tempting to look at what successful people are doing and emulate them.
This is a great place to start. Copying what others do is a great way to learn. We all emulate, and this is good. Everyone knows that when I started Sober Nation, I would completely copy the styling, formatting, and tone of Brian Clark’s writing. I stole all his ideas and used them to build Sober Nation.
But you should understand that your customers can tell if you are being authentic or not. Your business is a reflection of you, and this is an opportunity to create something special.
You do not want to be another cookie cutter version of the same thing over and over again. You want to be unique. As Seth Godin says, you want to be a Purple Cow.
The key to success is to stand out - be a purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins.
Seth Godin
Let’s talk about it.
There Are No Rules In Business
We all know that comparison is the thief of joy. Yet we compare ourselves to others at almost every opportunity.
In business, this often reveals itself in the way we build our companies. You see what someone else is doing and assume they are doing it the “right way.”
As someone who has been completely making this up as I go along, I can tell you there is no right way. Let me give you some examples.
When I was the CEO of Stodzy, I decided I was not going to give monthly marketing reports. We thought these reports were 99% useless, and the only metric that mattered was the number of leads we generated for our customers. So we switched to a simple monthly email that reported only on qualified leads.
This was unheard of at the time, and it was received with mixed responses. But quickly, we became known as the lead generation agency that got straight to business and reported on what actually mattered.
Here’s another example. For The Machine Method, I am building the entire thing in public. It is ridiculous. I have made $100k since March on a product that is not even completed. In fact, I would argue that the way I am building the product is a feature, not a flaw. By doing it this way, I get feedback inside the membership and make adjustments on the fly to ensure the product is as good as possible.
I even changed the name yesterday. Is a mid-build rebrand a rule? Does anyone say “you can’t do that”? Who cares? There are no rules.
Your Business Is A Reflection Of You
Last night, I read “Anything You Want” by Derek Sivers. On the last page, he reminded me that your business is a reflection of you. Your priorities become the priorities of the business.
If you are someone who loves to make people happy, your business will prioritize customer happiness. If you are someone who values organization and efficiency, your business will prioritize efficiency.
I believe that people are the new brands. Even big corporations are not branded by their company culture but by the people who lead them.
Elon Musk is the most obvious example, but there are examples at every level of business. For example, when you think of Quantum Leads, do you think of a highly profitable, high-ticket lead generation agency, or do you think of me?
When you think of Smart Passive Income, you probably think of Pat Flynn. When I think of Diary Of A CEO, I think of Steven Bartlett.
Your personality is the representation of your business. You are what people think about when they think about your business. This means there is no hiding. You must show your imperfections, your unique traits, and your strengths.
Putting This Into Action
We are at a crossroads. On one hand, emulating your heroes is a great way to get started. On the other hand, eventually your business must become an honest reflection of you. So how do you go from one to the other?
One of the most helpful books I have read is “Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon.
The idea is that we all steal from each other. Even the greats are inspired by someone. The theft is a form of flattery, and in order to truly understand who you are as an entrepreneur, you need to go through the process of publishing work that may not yet feel uniquely yours.
In time, you will find your voice, discover your lane, and figure out the unique way you can contribute to the world.
The hard part is that most people quit before this happens. They stop because they feel like a fraud or a failure, without realizing that feeling is part of the process.
Do not stop. Discover who you are and the rest will fall into place.
Love you guys. Talk to you tomorrow.
Tim
Managing Your CRM Is The Best Way To Close More Deals
Most people think that being a good sales person means that you need to be a smooth talker, or you need to have a list of rebuttals.
The truth is much less exciting.
Successful sales reps manage their contacts with high efficiency. Do this, and your revenues will skyrocket.
The Secret To Making Millions? Pick The Right Industry [Machine Method Members Only]
 |
The industry you choose to work in could be the most important decision you make.
It will determine how hard you have to work, what the average LTV of your customers are, and how much profits you can generate.
In this lesson, I go through many different examples to help you understand what’s best for you.
Click here to watch the lesson.
If you’re not a launchpad member, sign up below.
👇👇👇 💰💰💰
Learn How To Build a Profitable Online Empire By Using The Machine Method
Join the Launchpad. The fastest way to $20,000 a month.
In the launchpad, I will teach you how to …
build local Google Business Profiles so that they generate phone calls and new business
build your local SEO / Google Business agency in a way that scales, so you work less and make more
run your business from anywhere, so you can travel and live life freely while still operating your successful company
get new leads, and close deals from local business owners who NEED your services
scale to $30,000 a month while maintaining a high profit margin