This is How You Build a Brand Keynote Pt.2 Ep 403

In a comprehensive discussion on content creation and personal branding, Alex shares his revolutionary approach to building a substantial social media following and business success. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity, advising content creators to shift from prescriptive "how-to" guides to sharing personal "how I" experiences, thereby establishing credibility and relatability. Alex advocates for providing immense value upfront, suggesting that giving away secrets and focusing on implementation can attract a loyal audience. He stresses the significance of patience and long-term strategy, where delaying monetization can lead to greater trust and larger opportunities. By concentrating on niche-specific expertise and consistently delivering quality over quantity, Alex believes that anyone can achieve authority in their field and ultimately, substantial financial and influential growth.

• Speaker A delivered a custom keynote presentation at Grow with Video Live.
• The presentation focused on brand and content marketing strategies.
• Speaker A and Leila gained over a million followers in under six months using a previously unrevealed content strategy.
• The second half of the presentation was highlighted as containing the best material, transitioning from tactics to strategy, and from doingness to beingness of building a brand.
• Speaker A believes that many people approach brand building incorrectly, which can be costly and backfire.
• Emphasized the importance of keeping promises to build the best businesses.

"I gave a custom keynote presentation that I made specifically for grow with video live. And it was all around brand and content marketing, which if you've seen lately, Leila and I have accumulated over a million additional followers in under six months using the content strategy that I've never revealed before." Speaker A talks about the success of their unique content strategy that significantly grew their following.

"And the second half of this presentation is, in my opinion, I think the best stuff from the presentation because we transition from the tactics to the strat, from the doingness to the beingness of building a brand." Speaker A expresses that the latter part of the presentation covers the core principles and mindset shifts necessary for effective brand building.

• Speaker B introduces the podcast, focusing on acquiring customers, increasing customer value, and retention.
• The podcast also covers business failures and lessons learned along the way.
• Speaker B encourages listeners to subscribe for enjoyment and learning.

"Welcome to the game where we talk about how to get more customers, how to make more per customer, and how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons we have learned along the way." Speaker B outlines the podcast's theme, which is to educate on customer relations and business growth.

• Alex introduces two frame shifts necessary for content creation: "Do, then talk" and "How I versus How to."
• Emphasizes the importance of authenticity and sharing personal experiences rather than preaching.
• Suggests that content creators should focus on providing value to the audience rather than seeking fame.
• Encourages speaking one's truth instead of claiming to know the ultimate truth.
• Alex introduces the "Alex's crazy content creation model" which involves doing things, talking about them, and then doing bigger things.

"So how do I make content if I'm just starting out? Excellent question. So there's two frame shifts that I think have to occur." Alex is about to explain the necessary mindset changes for effective content creation.

"Step one, do shit. Step two, talk about what you just did. I know. And then do bigger shit." Alex simplifies his content creation model into three actionable steps.

• Alex contrasts sharing personal experiences with prescribing actions to others.
• He points out that people dislike being told what to do and prefer learning from others' experiences.
• Alex emphasizes the power of authenticity and sharing one's journey.
• The approach of "How I" instead of "How to" is more relatable and less preachy.
• Highlights the difference between creating content for self-satisfaction versus genuinely helping the audience.
• Alex explains that anyone can become an expert on their life and that personal truths are unassailable.

"This is what I did. If it works for you, awesome. If it doesn't work for you, knows what? Here's 20 of my clients. This is the stuff that I'm doing with them right now." Alex illustrates the effectiveness of sharing one's own experiences and client stories rather than instructing others.

"Everyone is unquestionably an expert on your own life. No one can question that." Alex underscores the idea that personal experiences are the most credible form of expertise.

• Alex encourages becoming an authority within a specific niche rather than trying to cover broad, universal topics.
• He suggests that one can dominate a smaller pond and then scale up from there.
• Alex shares his own experience starting with content relevant to his gym members, based on his expertise and rapport rather than formal qualifications.
• Discusses the importance of adding value and building relationships based on shared values.

"You can become a niche specific authority. So rather than going like, here's how to live an amazing life, right? That's like, you've got to be Jesus. Jesus can do that. You can't do that." Alex points out the impracticality of trying to be an authority on overly broad topics and suggests focusing on a specific niche where one can excel.

"But that was my way of adding value and already had a rapport with them. So they're like, if I'm going to learn about this identical topic from 100 different people, I'd just rather learn about it from you because I like you and I had values based rapport, not expertise." Alex discusses the importance of adding value and building rapport with an audience, which can be more influential than formal expertise.

• Alex shares his journey from creating entertaining articles to growing his gym business.
• He emphasizes the importance of speaking from experience, especially when creating content to teach others.
• Alex discusses the transition from gym growth content to broader business advice, based on his own successes.
• He highlights the pitfalls of teaching or talking about things without personal experience.

"This made me enough money to grow the company that I had at the time. And so from there, I leveraged that to grow my first gym and then the gyms after that, right?"

This quote explains the initial success that allowed Alex to expand his business ventures, particularly in the fitness industry.

"Why? Because I fucking knew how to grow gyms."

Alex stresses the credibility of his advice on gym growth, rooted in his direct experience rather than theoretical knowledge.

"So many people are talking about shit and teaching stuff that a, they have never done, and b, they are repurposing someone else's content and making a shittier version of it."

Here, Alex criticizes those who teach without firsthand experience, suggesting that it leads to inferior content and less trustworthy advice.

• Alex advises sharing practical experiences ("how I") rather than theoretical instructions ("how to").
• He believes in the value of documenting real-life business practices to provide useful insights to others.
• The focus is on sharing what is currently working in one's own context, rather than attempting to give broad, generalized advice.

"If you do the thing, then you just talk about what you just did."

Alex promotes the idea of sharing actionable advice based on one's own actions and experiences.

"People are like, thanks. You didn't have to do that. Thanks for sharing that stuff that's working for you rather than how to."

This quote emphasizes the appreciation Alex has received for providing practical advice that reflects his personal business experiences.

• Alex discusses the significance of sequence in releasing content and building a following.
• He reflects on the success of his books "Gym Launch Secrets" and "100 Million Dollar Offers," attributing their impact to the relevance and timing of their release.
• The idea of achieving success in one's own ventures before teaching others is highlighted.

"People try and go out of sequence. They try and say, like, why am I not Tom Billy? Why can't. I'm doing everything Tom Billy is doing except for building quest. Oops."

This quote illustrates the mistake of trying to replicate someone else's success without following the necessary steps, such as building a foundational business.

• Alex discusses the human tendency to seek truth and the shortcuts our brains take to find it.
• He argues against the "confidence mantra" and promotes the idea of gaining confidence through evidence and experience.
• The importance of being truthful about one's capabilities and results is emphasized.

"Most people seek truth. Would you say if you were like, raise your hand if you seek truth?"

This quote introduces the concept that people naturally seek truth and look for reliable sources of information.

"You have to do things so that you have evidence that you can support why you are good."

Alex underscores the need for evidence to back up claims of expertise or success, rather than relying solely on confidence.

• Alex talks about the wisdom in separating information from the source and the potential value in advice from any individual, regardless of their background.
• He encourages listeners to share the podcast through word of mouth, emphasizing the organic growth of valuable content.

"Wisdom is built from separating information from source."

This quote conveys the message that true wisdom comes from evaluating information independently of who provides it.

"A fool can give you a very wise piece of wisdom or information or a lesson, but it's much harder to do that."

Here, Alex acknowledges that valuable insights can come from unexpected sources and should not be dismissed based on the source's perceived authority.

• Alex advises acknowledging areas where one lacks authority, which can lead to greater respect and trust from an audience.
• He believes that admitting weaknesses makes one's strengths more credible.
• The concept of "damaging admissions" is introduced as a powerful tool for building trust.

"Damaging admissions are the single greatest thing that build trust."

This quote highlights the idea that admitting one's shortcomings can enhance the credibility of one's expertise in other areas.

"If I say I suck at marriage advice, I suck at giving happiness advice, I suck at whatever, but I'm really good at making high returns in the stock market. How much more believable is that..."

Alex uses this example to demonstrate how being honest about one's limitations can make one's expertise in a particular area more believable and persuasive.

• Personal branding is built on past experiences and expertise.
• Authenticity in sharing what works personally attracts a specific audience.
• Success in a niche area can lead to broader business opportunities.
• Transitioning from fitness to gym growth expertise exemplifies personal evolution.

And so my evolution for me was fitness first. And I just talked about, this is what's worked for me.

This quote explains how the speaker, Alex, began with fitness as his area of expertise and shared his personal experiences which resonated with his audience.

And then I moved up because I started doing well there and people started asking me, hey, how are you growing your gym?

Alex's success in fitness led people to inquire about his methods for growing his gym, indicating a shift in his personal branding towards business growth expertise.

• Specializing in a niche can be highly profitable.
• Knowing one's limits and focusing on a specific area of expertise is key.
• The concept of "riches in niches" highlights the value of specialization.

But I know how to grow a gym, so it only talks about that. And the amount of people that was relevant for this many, but for that audience, fucking everything right.

Alex acknowledges his specific knowledge in growing gyms, which, although relevant to a smaller audience, is highly valuable to that niche.

That company made a lot of money. Just saying it made a lot of money, and it didn't make me famous at all.

The speaker emphasizes that focusing on a niche can be financially rewarding without necessarily leading to fame.

• Success in one business can be a springboard to diversify into other areas.
• Sharing universal business frameworks can benefit a wider audience.
• Building a portfolio of businesses showcases the application of successful strategies.

And so now, because we have businesses that span a lot of different areas, I can say these are the frameworks that we used to build all of them.

Alex explains how his success in the gym business allowed him to expand into other industries and share the frameworks that contributed to his success.

• Skill development requires consistent practice over time.
• The journey to success is gradual and involves continuous improvement.
• The notion of becoming an "overnight success" is a myth; it stems from long-term dedication.

Volume times time equals skill. You got to do it a lot of times for a long period of time, and you will get better.

Alex provides a formula for skill development, emphasizing the importance of consistent practice and patience in the process.

• Sharing valuable information for free can attract potential customers.
• Selling the implementation of ideas is a viable business model.
• Fear of giving away too much can hinder content creation and value delivery.

Give away the secret. Sell the implementation.

This quote encapsulates Alex's business philosophy of providing valuable information for free while selling the services to implement those ideas.

If you're not afraid of what you're giving away, that you're giving away too much. You're not giving away enough.

Alex suggests that the fear of giving away too much information is an indicator that one is not sharing enough value, which is counterproductive for building trust.

• Quality content should be prioritized over quantity.
• Free materials should be of higher quality than competitors' paid materials.
• Providing significant value upfront can facilitate a smoother sales process.

I would rather have quality over quantity.

Alex expresses his preference for creating fewer, high-quality content pieces that provide substantial value, rather than a large quantity of mediocre content.

Make your free materials better than everyone else's paid materials.

The speaker shares advice from Tony Robbins, emphasizing the importance of creating exceptional free content to stand out and attract customers.

• Emphasize speaking from your own unique experiences.
• Your individual experiences are unchallengeable and add value to the knowledge pool.
• Authenticity comes from sharing what you know and have personally encountered.

"And so talk about, you really know, which is your specialty, which is your individual thing that you have experienced, that no one can challenge your truth."

This quote stresses the importance of focusing on personal experiences when sharing information, as these are authentic and cannot be disputed by others.

• Goodwill compounds faster than money.
• Delaying the 'ask' can lead to greater benefits in the long run.
• Building a brand organically is special and requires patience.

"Because goodwill compounds faster than money. Because the longer you can delay the ask, the bigger the ask can be."

The speaker highlights the advantage of building goodwill over time rather than seeking immediate financial gains, implying that patience can lead to larger opportunities.

• Avoiding hard pitches can prevent disrupting the compounding of goodwill.
• Playing the infinite game involves focusing on long-term growth rather than immediate gains.
• Audience growth can exponentially increase over time if not rushed.

"Because as soon as you shoot your shot, you dramatically decrease the goodwill."

This quote suggests that making a hard sell or direct pitch can significantly reduce the accumulated goodwill with your audience, which is counterproductive in the long term.

• Offering value without expecting immediate returns can lead to organic opportunities.
• Depositing enough goodwill can result in people offering you opportunities and value in return.
• The principle of "give, give, get" means that by giving value consistently, you will eventually receive without having to ask.

"Just a personal observation that I've had is that you can go give, give, get. You don't even have to ask. People just start handing things to you."

The speaker shares a personal observation that consistently providing value leads to receiving offers and opportunities organically, without the need for solicitation.

• Research identifies three common traits among ultra-successful people: a superiority complex, crippling insecurity, and impulse control.
• These traits contribute to a focused drive toward success and the ability to delay gratification.

"They did this research study that said that ultra successful people have three common traits. Number one is they have a superiority complex. They think they're better than everybody. They think they can do bigger things. Second is that they have crippling insecurity of not being enough. And then the third one is impulse control."

The speaker summarizes a study that outlines the psychological traits common among highly successful individuals, which include a mix of confidence, insecurity, and self-discipline.

• Most people fail to achieve success due to a lack of impulse control.
• The ability to delay short-term gains for long-term benefits is crucial.
• Committing to a long-term plan can lead to greater success than seeking immediate profits.

"The reason most people aren't successful is they just can't fucking control themselves."

This blunt statement underscores the idea that a lack of self-control is a major barrier to success, as it prevents people from committing to long-term goals.

• Sacrificing immediate, local benefits for global, long-term gains is a challenge for many.
• Operations in a business should aim to create global benefits that exceed local costs.
• Focusing on the bigger picture is essential for achieving significant success.

"Most people cannot sacrifice local benefit for global. The sales guys don't want to put the notes in the CRM, even though that benefits the entire organization, because it's a local cost, right?"

The speaker uses the example of salespeople not wanting to input data into a CRM to illustrate the difficulty people have in prioritizing long-term, collective benefits over immediate, personal costs.

• The barrier to content creation is very low, leading to an abundance of low-quality content.
• Historically, content creation was reserved for significant contributions after extensive research.
• It's important to focus on creating content that adds value and isn't a waste of time.

"Back in the day, the only way you produce content was like, after 30 years of being a researcher, you're like, this is my entire life's work in one book so I can add to the body of knowledge."

The speaker contrasts the current ease of content creation with the past when only significant research and work were published, urging content creators to aim for quality and value.

• Teaching principles is more credible when backed by substantial achievements.
• One should focus on sharing experiences rather than teaching unless they have significant success in the field.
• Everyone is an expert on their own life and can share that authentically.

"It's very difficult to teach business unless you're very successful in business because there's just another person who someone will listen to more, right? But no one can question what you have done."

The quote emphasizes the challenge of teaching or advising on topics where others have deeper expertise and success, suggesting that sharing personal experiences is a more authentic approach.