When Gary Vaynerchuk from Wine Library became an Internet star, hundreds or maybe thousands of people tried to imitate him. Almost overnight, I saw wine expert websites and blogs popping up everywhere.
I started getting followed on Twitter and FriendFeed by wine experts. This sudden rush of wine experts everywhere was incredible – However:
- Can I name one of those other wine sites for you? No!
- Can I name even one of the experts behind any of these wine sites for you? No!
That’s because Gary was the first – or rather, he was the first wine expert to maximise social media. By the way, I don’t drink alcohol and even I became aware of Gary’s work really quickly – such is his reach and influence. I’m a diet Coke person, which is a pity as Gary emailed me recently and offered to take me out for a beer. (Yes a beer, not wine!)
The power of being an original
I was at a football game earlier this year, when I noticed that there was one person wearing a bright yellow shirt, in an area of the stadium, where they were surrounded by about 5,000 people wearing red shirts. That one person was more noticeable by themselves, than the other 5,000 people combined.
Just like the person in the bright yellow shirt, true originality stands out. It commands our attention.
There’s no point in someone trying to be the next Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary himself only succeeded, because he allowed his own unique style and personality to come through.
So, does this mean that we can’t learn from pioneers? Of course not! Google was not the first search engine; they actually came to the party relatively late. However, they did have a uniquely valuable approach to search. It was their unique value that started them on the road to success. If they had simply copied what AltaVista or Yahoo were doing back then, they would have failed.
If we want to stand out or we want our business to stand out – we need to break away from what the crowd are doing. Yes, this requires a lot of confidence and courage, but the rewards can be amazing!
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Very good Jim. And the thing is, people end up just doing exactly what Gary does, thinking it’s original!
You are right when it takes confidence and courage. I’ve got a critic at the moment who pokes at every unique thing I do. The pressure to sell out / mimic is intense.
That, for me, is the blessing and curse of social media – there’s so many people who you can connect with and support you – but there is such a temptation to mimic.
Thanks for the encouragement
Smiling for I have always been one to do things differently than everyone else. Perfect example-got so much advice about self-publishing a book, finally threw all the “ideas” out and did it my way. I ended up winning the “Best Book Finalist USA Book News” with my very first book.
Yes, I’m the one in the room wearing something different as I walk into a networking event–life is too short to be part of the crown.
http://www.kathycondons.blogspot.com
Hello Kathy,
Thanks for the comment and for sharing your book story. I have a question for you, which you do not have to answer.
Why do you put your website URL in your comments? People know they can get to your site, by clicking your name and it always means your comments get stuck in my spam filter.
Hi Jim
This is the first time I have stumbled upon your blog, and I must say what a great post.
Many Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Regards
Mark
Hello Mark,
Thanks for getting in touch – much appreciated sir.
I agree that blazing your own trail is the best policy. I know from my own experience that the biggest rewards come from taking the biggest risks, and that the biggest risk of all is not taking any. You will never be REALLY successful by following the crowd.
You def. don’t have to be the 1st to market to succeed. But you do have to bring something original and simply hustle it. Not only was Gary the 1st but he worked his ass off. I’m sure if someone else brought a similar amount of enthusiasm and persistence to their wine show they would have made some kind of mark.
Hi Jim
Just saw this…well my Mom, who’s not a business woman, but nearing 84 and seen alot, always said to me ,whatever you do, be the first to do it!
Great to here it again from you
Thanks Yael