Have you noticed the butt-load of people out there trying to build their personal brand without actually living what they’re saying?
I don’t think it’s possible to be great influencer without doing what you are preaching. (I’m telling myself this more than anyone else)
Are you trying to be your own version of GaryVee? How about Seth Godin, Sophia Amoruso, or Tim Ferriss?
Well, then you better d🙉mn well be creating your own business and doing the work.
Love or hate his in-your-face personality, GaryVee’s created a $100+ million dollar agency. And that speaks volume. In fact, he’s said so himself — his highly successful personal brand is his side-business.
Without the practice behind the preaching, it’s all icing and no cake. (The first bite is amazing but immediately downhill from there)
I can self-help you all day, but if my strategies don’t work for my own life, how could I possibly think they would work for yours?
Arrogance is not confidence.
How can we teach business without having a successful business of our own? (Or even a failed business of lessons learned?)
How can we teach anything without the experience to back it up?
If you want to be a thought leader like I do, you can’t just say it — you’ve got to live it.
Q: How are you living it?
Thought leadership requires practicing what you preach.
(And I think you have to have a balance of both practicing and preaching)
I can see three approaches to becoming a thought leader (two good, one bad):
- Preach what your learning
- Preach what you’ve learned
- Preach what you’ve heard.
The first two require incredible amounts of energy and thought, but are well worth it by the amount of influence, connections, and success you will create.
The last might get you a following, but it won’t be real. Your following will only consist of other shhmoe’s trying to do the same thing. (#followforfollow)
I don’t label myself as a Renaissance Man, instead, I see my mission as becoming a Renaissance Man — there’s a big difference.
One says I’m there. I’ve made it. I’ve got nothing left to learn. (closed-minded and destined for mediocrity.)
The other says this is a lifelong journey. It’s not about becoming the dream, it’s living towards the dream.
Remember: If you want to be a thought leader, go out there and live.
Keep Pursuing,
— Josh Waggoner
Influence
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching”
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We’re so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about.”