One Insight - What you teach is who you are
The pulse of the market is that people want realness. We’re fed up with overt and covert ways of being sold to. There is enough instagramification. Social media has become a billboard giving space to the loudest and most controversial.
That's hard if you're a solopreneur trying to carve your niche and make a living by being authentic. There is a rise in creatives on YouTube quitting content because the pressure to beat algorithms is simply draining. Being creative has become a chore.
And if you’re a coach, artist, and solopreneur that chore is likely at the bottom of your fun-to-do-list.
So it's easy to fall into the trap of trusting frameworks and fill-in-the-blanks content sheets that promise you 'magnetization and get you a 6-figure business with this one foolproof method'. Oooof run Forest, run.
But - I promise - you don’t need to play this game if it’s not your jam.
The good thing is, the line between profession and personality is fading. We are not dualistic beings like in a 60s sitcom where you’re a robot at work and the moment you come home throw your worker’s hat on the coat rack and switch to being a family man or woman.
If you're a solopreneur, a coach, a consultant, a creative - what you teach is an extension of who you are. Every day you evolve, you learn, you grow. That is what makes your business stand out - your humanness. And if the people you’re trying to reach aren't clear on who you are, how are they supposed to believe and trust and put their money into what you can offer them?
Considering the fact I only have exceptional people reading this substack - that means you - this desire for realness plays right into your cards. Because what makes you, you is worthy of being shared.
But Roel, where do I begin?
How about you start with:
“Once upon a time…”
What makes your business unique, begins with being clear on your story. That is your entry point. And I will make you see value about yourself you didn’t think was valuable to share.
One Action - Draw Your Lifeline
To get started on your story all you need my dear reader is a piece of paper and a pen.
Simple. From top to bottom, write: highs-lows. From left to right: beginning-end.
Then start anywhere meaningful to you. Whether it is your greatest insight that led you to teach, consult, coach, or make art, or start with a defining moment that shows your values.
Loosely begin drawing a line, go up when life was high, go down when it was low. It could be big swings or zigzagging flashes - the trick is to let your pen follow your feelings. At the end, circle the moments of peaks and troughs.
These are your moments to expand and build your story around. Journal. Write down the details; what, who, where, how, why. These are the points that harbour wisdom that will undoubtedly resonate with your prospective clients.*
There is nothing secret or Disney about this method. And yet - you are human. Your life is a marvellous uniquely interwoven story with messy moments and serendipitous details that could teach others so much about making their earthly experience bearable and awe-strikingly wonderful all at once. That is the magic. The real juice. So the process might not claim the award for wow-factor, the result certainly will.
*This should be enough to get you started. Obviously, there’s a lot more to it. Feel free to reach out with questions in the comments or send me a DM - happy to share additional insights.
I hope this method and especially what you create from it, provides a counter sound to what’s out there. More of the real you, please.
Sip slurp yum and done!
Much love,
Roel
I'm Roel Cruys. Writer, poet, community builder, and a lover of all things human nature.
I sit with people - and we educe - we draw out. We get to the core of you and your unique skillset. From there, we build your products, your narrative, your way of reaching your kinda people. I do this with full heart and devotion to do right by who you are. And we get your exceptionality out into the world.
When you're ready, here’s how we can dive deeper:
Ethos - Launch or reposition your services
Ditch the cookie-cutter marketing and do justice to you, your business, and your clients.
Origo - Write your Founder Story
Allow people to connect to you, through your story.
Tailor-made communication strategy
roel@roelcruys.com
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