I was listening to a particularly vivifying speech by Simon Sinek.

You know the one... he's one of the big rebels, who says we should start with WHY, not with WHAT. He's the one who says the words purpose and fulfillment a lot. He doesn't apologize for it and he doesn't teach leaders to be perfect. He teaches us all to be human, vulnerable, and humble.

Which is WHY I like him...

He doesn't BS, he always stands firmly by his truth, no matter the consequence. (Which is what true creative rebels do, by the way.)

So I was listening to one of his motivational speeches in a compilation called "The 10 Rules of Success According to Simon Sinek" or something. And although I never click these clickbaity things, this time I did, and I was happy for it.

In this specific video, Rule #8 knocked it out of the park.

Simon says (hehe) that--

“people who do market research and ask their clients what they should say, sell, etc. is like asking your friends what you should wear or talk about so that they’d like you better. ”

Here, watch the rule I'm talking about:

It sounds spineless and like something nobody in their right mind would do, except the experts tell us to do it - look at the market, do your research, and then build something THEY WANT, something THEY WILL RESONATE WITH. Forget about what you want or what you believe in because you don't matter in this equation. The only thing that matters is THEM. (Gag me!)

You see the problem?

Instead of being who you are and trusting that the right people will resonate because you share a similar message, values, etc., you are starting out with this cowardly mindset. If you like this, I'll go ahead and change myself for you.

Kind of like the worst relationship ever, do you think?

There is time for market research and for surveys, but that time comes after you've done the soul-searching and built something true to you, something that is just as unique and creative, something that will stand out and last longer than a year or however long it takes for you to jump from one idea to the next.

It's like writing a book. The time for feedback is toward the end, NOT THE START. You wouldn't ask your readers what they want you to write about, that's ridiculous. Can you imagine J.K.Rowling asking, Hey guys, do you want me to write about a boy wizard who doesn't know he's one? And when everyone says NO, then what does she do? Remain a teacher forever, unpublished, the perfect story trapped inside of her, and all of that potential wasted? Hell to the no!

It's equally ridiculous to base your entire online presence on your research. Are you not a person without it? Do you not have your own ideas? Do you not see what your future can be without compromising what you stand for?

What we, your audience, really want to know is:

Who are you?
What's your story?
What do you believe in?
What do you want to change about the world, about the industry you're in, about the way things are done?
What are you so passionate about, you can't live without?
Etc.

Once we learn this, we'll be able to make up our mind whether we care about you or not. And once we decide to like you, WATCH OUT. We'll be buying your products and requesting your services without being prompted.

(Well, prompting is still required cos there are a lot of cool rebels out there.)

Think about this--

“You’re selling yourself short if you don’t fully show up as yourself. You’re also shortchanging other people because they don’t get to experience all that you can offer.”

You're wasting your talents and you're not being true to your purpose. When you give us what we expect, you're boring us (instead of surprising, delighting, or exciting us). You're missing opportunities to shine and stand out.

Too few people choose to be interesting and unexpected, to go down the unbeaten path, and as a result, too few people stand out in the sea of sameness online. You can't even distinguish one voice or face from another. Everyone is saying the same things and selling the same dreams.

What a waste of creative potential!!!

Now it's your move.

Will you start something original and unique to you, or will you echo every other expert parrot on the Internet? Will you give people what they said they wanted or will you give them your truth? Will you give yourself permission to build your dream brand or compromise yet again on your dreams and visions?

And my final question--

Do you need help finding your very own unique, authentic, and lasting brand?

I'm not interested in helping rebels build temporary brands, I want you to be able to find your True Brand and build that. To start a business that will make you happy and that you can grow and change and evolve in time.

That's my dream for you, and if that's your dream, too, we should work together. Just go to my COACHING page and pick the program that fits you best.

p.s. My free miniguides will help you start, too. :)

Until we meet,