Freak out. Stand out. Become a misfit!

Today’s post is one of the most important I have written in a long while. I hope you find it useful.

Think about it: Everyone who has achieved meaningful business success, is a misfit. The same is true of everyone who has led an extraordinary life. Every wonderful artist, teacher and leader. They’re all misfits.

Why am I telling you this?

The huge misfit advantage

Misfit business owners have extremely valuable advantages over everyone else. This makes it way easier for them to become successful.

They have impact.
They get noticed.
People find them interesting.
People remember them.
People follow them.
People talk about them.
Their message spreads.
They then attract even more attention.

People didn’t buy Andy Warhol’s art because they wanted art. They bought Warhol’s art because they wanted Warhol’s art. And people don’t buy JK Rowling’s latest book because they want a book. They by JK Rowling’s books because they want JK Rowling’s latest book.

If people just wanted “art” or “a book”, Warhol and Rowling would have to compete for attention, with millions of others. It’s only because people seek their uniqueness out, that there’s a huge audience for their work.

Here’s why this matters to you.

If you are a service provider and you rely on people finding you, who want to hire a service provider, you’ll always struggle. It’s only when people want to hire you, specifically YOU, that you win.

However…

Being a misfit feels risky

That’s to say, most people have been so conditioned to fit in, that they find it extremely hard to stand out. Schools teach kids to fit in. Teachers and fellow students make life hard for kids that are different. So, kids quickly learn to fit in.

By the time they’re adults, they do what they think is expected of them. They then find themselves lost in an ocean of competitors, who’re also doing what’s expected of them.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

You’re a misfit. If you want to be

There’s no question whether you can become a misfit or not. You’re already unique, with a unique set of life experiences and unique thoughts and feelings. However, the fraction of business owners who embrace their uniqueness is tiny. Far lower than 1%. Closer to 0.1%.