Loneliness is holding onto that which has let you go. Sorrow is clinging to connection that has passed through a veil into the unknown. Anguish is forgetting that for everything there is a season and every season has its time and that the trick of joyful living is growing gardens in pain’s rhymes.
“Meditate on what you take for granted; question your assumptions.”
Turns out, this mindset is pretty much a bottomless well for self-assessment.
Because — I don’t know about you — but I’ve developed a lot of assumptions over the years … many of which are long past their expiration date for needing revisiting.
For example, at the beginning of my career, I accepted the argument that:
It is an author’s job to write to a branded experience; if an author wants to switch audiences or ratings, a pen name is appropriate.
Since that day, I have never challenged the assumption that this was a requirement of me.
But what if I was wrong? 😲
What if I can write anything I want under my own name? 🤯
It seems like such a silly question to type on the screen in front of me because, of course, I can write whatever I want under my own name.
Duh.
In fact, I should!
So I’m going to do something different this year: I’m going to challenge my assumption that I’m supposed to create branded experiences and simply create.
Stop trying to be a brand, and simply be.
This may sound simple to some of you from the younger generations, but I’m Gen X — we were raised to find purpose in performing well in a role and got in trouble if we made things uncomfortable for anyone with seniority.
So it’s no wonder that the idea of splitting myself up into branded experiences made sense across the years. I was simply being considerate to the comfort of an audience’s experience … while coming across as completely schizophrenic in the process.
Seriously.
If you’ve been watching me these past two weeks, you’ve seen how I’ve struggled to turn myself into a predictable, branded experience.
I’ve given you 5 headers in 2 weeks as I tested different visions on people around me.
On January 1, 2022, I was the Coach of Champions:
But then I decided I needed to CREATE a character for my coaching and billed myself as the $5 Storyteller.
Then there was the $5 Bard — similar concept, but with an even-more targeted experience.
Then there was Z Bard for a few beats.
No lies, ALL of these tested horribly.
Response the concepts were universally flat. And that was because I was not understanding my own assignment.
All because I had an assumption.
This was the assumption:
I am not a model, but I have the skillsets to build models.
I have believed this for actual decades.
But what if I was wrong this whole time?
So that’s what I will be exploring in 2022 as part of the Main Character Energy journey I am sharing with you.
I’m just going to be me … even if I end up doing things that surprise you.
Because surprising you just might be my brand. And who would ever want to trade that in for a predictable experience?
A good coach knows what moves you need to perform to put yourself on the podium each year.
A coach with online business sensewill trade your email address for an industry secret, then engage with you to dive deeper and pay for specific strategies.
Good coaching + a solid sales funnel = the path to success for many
I’m more one to take the guerilla approach to coaching — starting out wherever I am and practicing what I preach so you can track my success real-time.
My goal in 2022 is to get you to tip me $5 to light up my Yellow Brick Wall.
But we’ll come back to that in a minute.
Right now, I want to talk about how you have an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade your life in 2022.
With just a few adjustments to how you approach social media, you’ll be at your next New Year’s party thinking:
You on the last day of 2022
And I’ll be your coach in getting there.
As your online mindset coach, I’m going to do what ANY good coach would do and share a winning move that will get you on the podium in 2022—no matter your field.
Ready?
Finding success in 2022 is all about showing up with strong main character energy (MCE).
You’re going to start seeing this term everywhere — hashtags, comment sections, and demonstrated in nearly every person you follow.
Authentically sharing your life experience from a position of power is your winning formula for shining bright this year.
If you want to upgrade your life in 2022, you need to embrace your authentic story.
The BIG Question: What does your MCE look like?
A key reason main character energy is going to be so big in 2022 is: When properly expressed, MCE looks different on everyone.
PRO TIP: If 2 people’s MCE is identical, then 1 of them is mimicking.
And after two years of intermittent quarantines filled with unpredictable highs and lows,
fitting in is OUT & standing out is IN
Knowing this, different coaches are going to guide you to stand out in different ways.
As your coach, I’m going to invite you to explore ideas via art, comics, and stories, then ask you to show up in unambiguous ways like lighting up my Yellow Brick Wall.
Why?
Because, in life, we either show up or we don’t.
When we don’t show up, it’s often because something along the line has taught us to be afraid and we’ve convinced ourselves that our fear is greater than we are.
Releasing our side-character/NPC qualities can be a journey — especially if we believe lifting others to be part of our core value.
Yet main characters don’t walk around lifting other people up; they raise others up by modeling how things can be better. Then they meet you as equals when you develop the flex to meet them on the main stage.
So …
PLOT TWIST
… as your coach in 2022, this year is no different for me than for you. I also need to embrace my main character energy, otherwise, what credibility do I have with you?
So …
… this is how it’s is going to work …
… in the year 2022, I’m embracing my energy by rebranding myself as:
The $5 Storyteller
I’m choosing this in response to a dare I got on my birthday to stop being such a digital recluse and start genuinely participating online.
My Friend’s Challenge: “Just start showing up and I bet you could get 100,000 people to tip you $5 bucks before your next birthday IF you just do what you do in-person online.”
Is my friend right?
There’s only one way to find out and I’ve never turned down a birthday dare (although I may have to now that the secret is out), so
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
So that’s what I’ll be doing on the front end of things.
I will be the $5 Storyteller ALL of 2022
But there will be a BTS side of things.
Join the Adventure
Ask anyone who’s ever been coached by me and they’ll tell you I’m not one to gatekeep information.
My approach is to:
give you a full picture of what you need to succeed
make sure you understand the assignment, and
provide information and opportunities that put you in a position to perform, learn, and grow
If this kind of coaching is for you, supporting me on Patreon also might be right for you.
I will process large amounts of information down into bite-sized “high-level” action items anyone can do — often simmering things down to a one-page worksheet, where possible.
I’ll share with you what I’m doing and how I’m doing it while providing you with shortcuts and worksheets to help you expedite the process yourself.
If this sounds like BTS info you can put to use, support me on Patreon.