The Most Powerful (& Profitable) Thing You Own

You know what sucks?

Being stuck in a conversation with someone who only knows how to talk about themselves.

You know the type.

The kind that never knows how to include the “What about you?” at the end of their turn to keep the conversation flowing.

The kind that sucks all the energy out of the room by constantly turning the attention back on themselves.

If I sound like a grumpy old introvert, it’s because I am, but I bring this up for good reason.

99% of businesses/creators/influencers sound exactly like Bob (that’s the name I’m giving him for the purpose of this exercise).

Everyone hates being around Bob, yet when it comes to business, everyone suddenly becomes Bob. Pretty ironic, right?

I see it all the time.

People posting nothing outside of their products, flooding the timeline with images, updates, and testimonials—and never displaying their humanity (the thing people actually follow).

Now, I am NOT saying you shouldn’t promote yourself; you absolutely should.

But just like how nobody follows soulless company accounts (outside of their own employees), and just like how nobody likes being held conversationally hostage by Bob, you need to play by the rules of human nature if you want people to reciprocate.

And a huge part of reciprocity is the perception or ‘brand’ you broadcast to the world.

Welcome to today’s deep dive.

The Space You Occupy In Someone’s Head

First, let’s get on the same page. What even is a brand?

A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization — Marty Neumeier

In other words: your personal brand is the distinct image you occupy in someone’s mind. The question becomes less of “What is my brand” and more “How do people perceive me?”

You don’t even have to see it through the lens of business. Think about how you’re perceived among your circle of friends. Are you:

• The funny one?
• The flaky one?
• The rational one?
• The weird one?
• The flirty one?

Are you the life of the party, or are you more on the sidelines?

Everything you put out into the world—grand or small—forms the reputation and perception of your ‘brand’ in somebody else’s mind.

Your brand is not what you say it is but what they say it is.

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to their personal brand is failing to consider how the human brain processes information.

Think of the hours of content you scroll past every day without giving a second thought.

YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram—whatever platform you usually lurk on—is a warzone for your attention. So why do most fail to win you over?

Two reasons:

1. They don’t articulate how they help you stay alive or prosper
2. They force you to waste energy sorting through useless information

This may come as a shock, but people are entirely motivated by self-interest (and so they should be).

Our brains are naturally tuned to seeking and securing the essentials for survival:

• Food
• Shelter
• Warmth

Once achieved, we look toward prosperity:

• Self-esteem
• Self-actualization
• Self-transcendence

The same thing applies when it comes to conserving our energy.

Sifting through useless information online is like spending precious energy hunting for food.

People don’t give a toss about products, their sexy features, or the messaging around that.

They care about the transformation and how it will help them survive or prosper (everything else is just a bonus).

Knowing these two fatal flaws and the formula for a magnetic brand is actually pretty simple.

Tell a Story: The Unforgettable Brand

There’s a reason we can embed lifelong lessons into young children by reading them “The Three Little Pigs” before bed.

There’s a reason we pay good money to line up and watch our favorite heroes duke it out with their arch-nemesis on the big screen.

And as a gamer myself, there’s a reason we can sit and spend hours progressing our characters through the story of a video game (and never get bored).

People follow people.

As rational as we think we are, facts and figures don’t stick—it’s the narratives, emotions, and connections that do.

Think of shows like ‘Friends’ where people are constantly debating which character they best represent.

“I’m a Rachel,” “I’m Ross,” “I’m Phoebe,” there are entire “literally me” memes online if you pay attention to internet culture.

People can’t help but relate to characters they resonate with, and will invest seasons upon seasons just to watch their character develop.

It’s this journey of progression that makes a story.

A story captures the essence of what’s truly important (survival and human prosperity) and presents it in a way that attracts, captivates, and transforms.

From a big picture, branding your story a) forces you to focus on what actually matters and b) removes unnecessary information that takes away from your message.

So how do we do it?

First, let’s dissect what constitutes a compelling story.

There are four stages:

1) Comfort

This is the protagonist’s ordinary world where they live a “comfortable” life. Things appear “normal” on the outside, but internally, there’s an underlying dissatisfaction lurking beneath the surface.

Think of Harry Potter living with the Dursleys. Although it’s the ordinary world among muggles, he’s constantly made to feel like an outsider—spurring the initial motivation for change.

2) Catalyst

This is a defining incident that disrupts the protagonist’s world of normalcy, turning it upside down and calling them to adventure. This event is what pushes them over the edge, kickstarting their journey toward the central conflict of the story.

Think of Hagrid’s famous line: “You’re a wizard, Harry.”

3) Confront

This is where the protagonist faces tests, trials, and tribulations—ultimately leading them to the story’s climax where they often receive a reward (physical, mental, spiritual) upon triumph.

Think of Harry confronting Professor Quirrell (possessed by Voldemort) at the climax of the first movie. He gains the truth about Voldemort and the history of his parent’s sacrifice.

4) Change

This is where the protagonist returns to a sense of normalcy, but with the newfound experience, knowledge, and insight they acquired from their journey.

Think of Harry returning to the Dursleys for summer but with newfound confidence, identity, and purpose. His transformation sets him up for future challenges, bringing us back to the first stage in a cyclical process.

I want you to think of yourself as the protagonist. The same protagonist viewers use as a vessel for behavior change.

Here’s a quick personal example to demonstrate the power of a story (if you’re not into Harry Potter):

1. I used to work a comfortable 9-5, but deep down I hated it.
2. The catalyst came when the world went into lockdown and I was forced to make a hard decision.
3. I had to confront the reality that perhaps the office wasn’t for me and took the plunge into entrepreneurship.
4. My identity changed, and now I help others unlock their inner entrepreneur and gain personal freedom.

Just like that—without any effort to juice up the story—I was able to portray a relatable character (me), an ultimate aim (freedom), and a common enemy (9-5) to rally against.

How To Turn Your Story Into A Business

Your brand is your story. Your story is your brand. It is vital to get crystal clear on what your story is so you can orient yourself (and others) towards a goal, an enemy, and a pathway.

• What is your origin story?
• What was the catalyst that forced you out of your comfort zone?
• What struggles did you have to confront and contend with?
• How did you change for the better (or for the worse)?

Writing through that lens alone is what separates you from 99% of people stuck in the shallow pools of platitudes and promotions.

Once you zoom out to see the big picture, you can craft the story of your brand and turn it into a viable business people can’t help but follow.

It is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1) Adopt a Worldview

This is what you will be leading people towards—your ultimate goal. Adopting a worldview isn’t as complicated as it sounds. It really just boils down to the question:

“How does one live the good life?”

It isn’t complicated, but it isn’t easy. Answering this question takes time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t build a solid foundation.

There are two steps to defining your worldview:

1. Visualizing your ideal future.
2. Visualizing your arch-enemy.

These two anchors alone are what frame your entire brand, content, and products.

Your job is to constantly remind people of the importance of what you believe and why you do what you do, whilst rallying against a common enemy—a future to avoid.

2) Become a Mentor

With those anchors in place—something to lead people to and from—you are in the prime position to teach people everything necessary to overcome the problems they will face.

Each person has a different starting point. Your job is to cover the entire domain from beginner to advanced—from fundamental principles to nuanced tactics.

Never assume people know what you know, or that they can just “Google it.” Everyone gets their “aha” moment from somewhere. Be that moment for someone else, and they’ll never forget you.

3) Prescribe a Path

Once people have hit a certain level of awareness in their education, it only makes sense they’ll want to apply and experience the transformation for themselves.

This is where you prescribe a path to help them get from A → B in the form of a product/service.

Don’t overcomplicate it. Create a step-by-step system that literally walks people through the skills, interests, or expertise required to reach the promised land.

Your story has done all the heavy lifting with regards to marketing. Sales is the easy part.

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This is the 4th entry of the Solopreneur Series, the foundational building blocks to help you start, sustain, and scale your one-person business in the digital age.

If you’d like to get up to speed with my previous letters, feel free to check them out here.

Thank you for reading and God bless.

— Mat