October 9, 2018

Be yourself

Think for a second about Gary Vaynerchuck and Seth Godin.

They’re both marketers. Both famous. Both successful.

But wow... polar opposite styles.

Here’s an example:

https://youtu.be/D65-9sz7V0g

Gary is like a screaming maniac gesticulating wildly, and Seth is like an bookish introvert struggling to get a word in edgewise.

As one commenter so aptly put it:

“Energy mismatch, bro.”

Indeed.

But which style is right?

Both!

They are being themselves.

Totally authentic. Warts and all. That’s what we want. It’s what we need.

So... as you endeavor to stand out from the undifferentiated generalist masses in order to reverse the race to zero, it’s fine to copy folks who have gone before you.

But don’t copy the mannerisms. Don’t copy the glasses or the sneakers or the t-shirts or the suits.

Copy the courage.

The courage to be unique. The courage to stand out from the crowd. The courage to create something new and put it in the world even though it scares the pants off you.

That’s what we want. It’s what we need.

Yours,

—J

BackRandomNext