Step 1 of Building a Personal Brand + How to Prevent Phone Addiction

Good morning from a very wet and stormy Paris.

I guess the European summer has ended. That didn’t last too long. I am literally soaking it all in before Claire and I head to the 50-degree heat of Dubai next week. 🐪

What I’m reading:

This is Marketing by Seth Godin. His style of writing makes this marketing tell-all feel like a story. So many business books are quite boring and overly analytical. Seth does a great job every time by making the story interesting.

What I’m listening to:

This week it is all about music. Stavroz has been playing on repeat for the last few weeks - thank me later.

3X Actionable Insights on Biz, Health & Life:

1) Biz: Step 1 of Building a Personal Brand

One-person businesses, also known as solopreneurs or solo entrepreneurs, have been on the rise in recent years. And drastically escalated during the pandemic. With the growth of online platforms, freelancing opportunities, and remote work, many people have taken the initiative to start their own businesses and offer their products or services independently. BUT, many are missing the first piece of clarity.

Every time I work with an entrepreneur, I ask the same question: “Tell me about your brand in 1 paragraph AND 1 sentence.” Most can fumble through a very long-form explanation with less confidence than a greyhound on a busy street. Very few can articulate what they do that makes sense to others.

Action: Block out a few hours in your calendar to sit down and write everything down. I have a much longer process for this but here is the condensed version. Sit down and write down the following:

• What are the values that drive your work and interactions with others?

• Who’s your ideal customer, or, what is the main challenge you solve?

• What makes you stand out from others in your industry or niche?

If you are amazing at copywriting then turn your above answers into a 3 - 4 sentence elevator pitch (the shorter and more to the point, the better) and a One-Sentence Slogan. 

If you are not a writer, that’s okay. Use the following prompt in ChatGPT or Jasper:

You are a branding and copywriting expert. I want you to write me an elevator pitch that includes a hook to grab peoples attention, introduces myself, highlights my unique selling proposition (USP) that sets me apart, mentions my target audience,  introduces myself and my personal brand to a potential client. Ensure the pitch reflects my core purpose, values, and how I address the needs of my ideal audience. Be concise, clear, and compelling. It must not be longer than 3 - 4 sentences.

(Add your bio, and answers from the above work you did. Add as much about your business as you can here. Feel free to even give examples. The more input you give ChatGPT, the more accurate it will be)

Additionally, create and write me a one-sentence slogan that capture the essence of my brand, communicates the value I provide to my target audience, and showcases my unique strengths that differentiate myself from competitors. Focus on clarity, simplicity, and impact. Ensure my slogan aligns with my purpose, values, and the problem I solve for my ideal customers. Be authentic and avoid sounding egotistical.

(Iterate and ask ChatGPT to change it based on what you like and don't like on the answers it gives you)

2) Health: Drink 750ml - 1l of Water as You Wake Up

Simple and VERY effective. Your body went for +-8 hours without hydration and we are made up of mostly water (+65% to be exact), so prioritize refueling your incredible biology.

Other reasons include: kickstarts your metabolism, flushes out toxins, aids digestion, increases alertness and supports your skin health.

3) Personal Growth: How to Stop Phone Addiction

Here are some tips and what I try to do:

• Put your phone on Airplane mode between 9 pm and 9 am unless there is some well-intentioned reason you need to be connected - scrolling is not one of them.

• After work around 5 pm, put your phone in a faraway room or even a locked safe until after dinner and family time.

• Rearrange your home screen and apps into folders on the second page. Leave only the non-addicting apps on the first page. This makes it slightly harder to binge on social media every time you unlock your phone. Out of sight, out of mind.

• Add the Screen Time Widget onto your home screen. Seeing how much time you use on addictive apps is really motivating and eye opening.

• A drastic measure: turn your phone into grayscale. This removes all visual gluttony.

Settings > Accessibility > Vision > Display & Text Size > Turn on Color Filters > Select Grayscale

Something interesting I learnt:

In the 18th century, due to the rampant disease emerging from the cemeteries in Paris, the government transferred all graves into a mass burial in an underground quarry 20m below the city of Paris. This was to manage the spread of disease. You can still visit the sight today - Paris Catacombs.

App or program I’m loving to boost productivity:

Magical is a productivity app that uses AI to speed up repetitive tasks as you work. No integrations, APIs, or magic wands required.

Here’s to your supercharged week 🚀

~ Gary te Roller