Here’s the thing about building your brand that’s MEGA important to reckon with.
Despite the awesome outer stuff:
Your voice…
Your vibe…
Your offer…
Your message…
Your marketing…
What’s guaranteed to make or break your success is how you show up to the personal inner growth journey it offers up to you.
There’s nothing like building a business to bring you face-to-face with ALL your stuff.
And I do mean all.
I’ve watched promising solopreneurs buckle under the weight of it and disappear. I’ve also witnessed amazing leaps of growth, confidence, and success from those who chose to show up big—despite the fear, anxiety, and what ifs.
When you do entrepreneurship with a creative, resilient, growth-oriented, and problem-solving mindset, I promise you this: nothing can stop you. Everything else is fixable and adjustable.
I can’t stress this enough.
So today, I’ve got 5 paradoxes for you to get intentional about resolving in your own life and brand-building journey.
If you can reckon with these, your dream is in your reach. You’ll be able to figure the other stuff out.
Let’s dive in.
Becoming The One
I’m keeping these short ‘n sweet because they don’t need explanations.
What’ll serve you, though, is to really think about how any (or all) of these are present for you right now.
And if you’re a true legend, you’ll explore these on paper—noting what’s currently holding you back, and what your next step into your personal greatness could look like.
I’ve done this myself, and whoa nelly. Y’know I’m on this journey, too.
Here they are:
Paradox #1: Confidence doesn’t come first. It only comes from doing the scary stuff shaky, uncertain, and scared.
Paradox #2: Bold on the outside feels like “wtf am I doing” on the inside. Coming forth boldly will feel awkward and anxiety-inducing as hell until you get the reps in.
Paradox #3: The authenticity that makes you relatable and trustworthy to your people requires vulnerability, which is often wrapped up in shame. Shame thrives in the darkness—it can’t bear the light. Which means the only way to discharge shame is to reveal the parts of yourself that want to stay hidden.
Paradox #4: Showing up in service and care for your people requires being willing to be dismissed, misunderstood, criticized, disliked, and even hated by not-your-people.
Paradox #5: Finding your voice and honing your message only happens through practicing communication in its initial raw, awkward state. This means embracing the cringe, exploring your half-baked thoughts out loud so they can fully bake, sharing exciting ideas and watching them fall completely flat, and being willing to get it wrong sometimes.
I could prolly come up with more, but this is enough for now. How’re you doing with these? Any insights into what’s holding you back from personal greatness?
I feel you. I’m right here with you.
Everything we want in life comes with risk—that’s how nature has set it up.
The good news is: it’s OK to start small. Showing up to the door can be just as courageous an act as walking through it.
And speaking of which…
My new 1:1 brand-building program is here.
It’s called Known. You can check it out here »
Stay gold. I love you.
See ya next Wednesday.
–Daniel
