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Branding

Radical Self-Expression Part 3: A case study in amassing loyal fans & followers on social media. How these 3 freaks do it, and how you can too.

I’ve worked with thousands of students and clients in personal branding and marketing for over 10 years now and here’s what I know for sure…

Your gifts and skills or what you actually DO makes up about 20% of why people choose to buy from you.

The other 80%? It’s about who you are and how you show up in the world.

The problem is so many entrepreneurs miss this point. 

They spend most of their time – if not ALL their time – getting unbelievably good at what they do but almost no time understanding their energy and expressing who they are…

And this is what radical self-expression is all about.

The good news is success leaves clues and just like if you want to be a successful novelist or artist or filmmaker you’d want to study, absorb and analyze the greatest books, artwork and movies of all time…

So if you want to be a rockstar entrepreneur, you need to study — or cyberstalk —  online personalities who’ve achieved the kind of success you’re looking for 🙂

So in this final segment of the 3-part series on radical self-expression (if you missed it, check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here), we’re going to take a look at 3 people who are killing it on social media…

I’m talking about Rachel Hollis, Gary V and JP Sears.

We’ll break down some of the key elements that fuel these powerhouse personalities — basically their message, their social media platforms, their overall energy and how they show up for millions of fans and followers.

The first (and most important) thing you need to understand is that their incredible popularity has almost nothing to do with what they do and everything to do with who they are  🙂

The Truth About Rachel Hollis, Gary V and JP Sears  

So, let’s start with Rachel Hollis.

Rachel’s overarching message is about being the best version of yourself and finding the courage to go for your dreams no matter who you are and where you come from

Both of her #1 bestselling books — Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing — are written around that message.

So Rachel has massive followings, that continue to grow, on 3 key social platforms. 

At the time of this writing she’s on YouTube with over 150k subscribers and she has over 1.7 million followers on Instagram and on Facebook.

So what’s her secret? Why do people absolutely love her and why are they ready to follow her to the ends of the earth?

Well, Rachel isn’t afraid to be REAL and she isn’t afraid to share exactly what’s in her mind and in her heart.  

She consistently radiates strong, authentic, inspiring energy every time she’s on camera or onstage or when she writes posts.

And she never fails to stay true to who she is even when what she has to say is harsh, unpopular or counterintuitive…

This video clip is a great example of that (you’ll hear her say “I hope you fail” over and over again) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NalzB6ZdH4

Next up we have one of my favorite online personalities at the moment — Gary Vaynerchuk.

Gary V has been blowing up on social media since the day social media became a thing.

He has an incredibly strong presence on YouTube (over 2.5 million subscribers), Instagram (7.7 million followers), and Facebook (over 4 million followers).

His latest social media conquest? Tik Tok. 

In case you’re going, “Huh? What the heck is Tik Tok?”…

It happens to be one of the newest and most powerful social media platforms to hit the scene and Gary’s already attracted 3.1 million followers (and counting!) on his account.

So here’s what’s behind his explosive popularity year after year after year…

Gary V is a master at being Gary V no matter what (this is radical self-expression at it’s best!)

His take-no-prisoners attitude plus his unparalleled skill at triggering real emotion in his viewers and readers make him a formidable — and unforgettable — force of nature on social media.

Gary’s overall message is about being bold in your life choices and doing what’s right for you and his energy is passionate, powerful and oh-so-direct… it’s almost confrontational!

Check out this clip and you’ll see what I mean:

And finally we have JP Sears. 

JP has a significant presence on YouTube (913k subscribers), Instagram (213k followers) and Facebook (2.2 million).

He isn’t a HUGE name like Gary V or Rachel Hollis and that’s the reason he’s on this list.

The truth is not everyone wants to go mainstream or build a social media and business empire or become a household name…And JP Sears is living proof that you can build a successful business and brand that makes a difference in the world just by being who you are…Even if who you are happens to be offbeat or strange or just plain weird!

I’d say JP’s overall message is about finding what’s funny in life and not taking yourself too seriously and his energy is fun, entertaining and charming.

Here’s a clip that captures that (get ready to laugh out loud :-))

Becoming Absolutely Irresistible By Being Fully YOU 

So what do Rachel Hollis, Gary V and JP Sears have in common? What makes them stand out and continue to be irresistible to millions of people?  

They’re crystal clear on who they are and they’re fearless in the way they show up for their audience. 

They’re authentic, unique and they don’t hold back. 

They’re much-loved multi-millionaires because they understand their message and their energy on a deep level and they practice radical self-expression without compromise, every single time they speak, write and share.

 Just to be clear…

Your message is basically the words you use to capture the heart of your business, your brand, your products and services.

And your energy is that deeper essence of who you are. It’s what people feel when you walk into a room… even when you don’t say a word! 

Radical self-expression is about understanding your message and your energy so you can be fully YOU at all times and it’s about being responsible for how you come across, the impression you make and the experience you create for others. 

And when you get to the place of uncompromising radical self-expression — like Rachel Hollis, Gary V and JP Sears — you’ll be unafraid to communicate as who you truly are whether you’re speaking onstage, on camera or sharing a blog post or email.

How to Get Them to Fall in Love With You

Something super important you need to know…

Your message and your unique energy fuel radical self-expression and these 2 elements are part of a much bigger picture in crafting a powerful personal brand.

I teach 8 more ways to differentiate yourself and craft a brand that cuts through the noise and attracts raving fans who turn into repeat buyers:

#1 Your Personal Story
The experiences you’ve had that led you to start (or want to start) your business.
#2 Your Values & Beliefs
Values are your standards of behavior — your judgment of what’s important in life — and beliefs are the acceptance that something is true.
#3 Your Voice
The underlying feeling tone that comes across in the words you speak and the words you write.
#4 Your Personality
How you naturally show up and make people feel..
#5 Your Sense of Style
The way you dress and your overall appearance (this  is key part of people’s first impression of you)
#6 The Specific Problem You Solve
All businesses solve problems and this is about making sure you’re offering a solution to a problem people really want to solve.
#7 Your Signature System, Framework or Methodology
This is the unique way you get people across the finish line from where they are to where they want to go or as we say at Live Your Message… from Mission to Mission Accomplished 🙂
#8 Your Ultimate Result
This is the outcome that becomes possible when your student, customer or client follows through on everything you teach and share.

So if you’re feeling ready to go deeper into radical self-expression with a powerful personal brand…

If you want to create an irresistible, authentic connection with your ideal audience so they’ll be inspired to follow you, fall in love with you and buy from you again and again…

Check out my FREE Ultimate Guide to a Powerful Personal Brand where I share how to step into the spotlight, rapidly increase your impact and income and become the GO-TO expert in your industry.

Check it out here

And before you go…

How would you describe your energy? What are 3 words you’d use to describe your essence and how you show up in the world?

I’ll go first… my 3 words are authentic, challenging and truthful 🙂 

Don’t be shy! Go ahead and share your words below. I personally read and reply to every, single, comment.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know...

  1. Loren Vanderschoot Avatar
    Loren Vanderschoot

    Great article (as always), but the Sears video was a second one from Gary V. I’ll look him up, but I thought you’d want to know. Be well!

    1. Marisa Murgatroyd Avatar
      Marisa Murgatroyd

      Thanks Loren! We fixed it… 🙂

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