Hello again my friend,
One of the worst pieces of advice ever given to entrepreneurs is…
“Don’t talk about sex, politics or religion.”
I don’t know who said it first but it stuck. Today you’ve got everyone from big ad agencies to self-proclaimed thought leaders telling you to tone it down.
Part of it has to do with an overcorrection in our culture. If you’re a regular listener to my podcast you heard my latest episode on the 4th Turning. You’re aware that we’re entering into a period that will see less division and more inclusion.
(From the book: The 4th Turning)
Speaking about Millennials today:
“New pop culture trends will be big, bland and friendly…In film, young stars will be linked with positive themes, more modesty…and renewed civic purpose. On the job millennials will seek order and harmony. They will delight employers with their skills and…institutional harmony.”
When I first read those words I thought, “That sounds nothing like millennials today.” But I was incorrect.
Cancel culture stems from a desire for a more civil world. It’s been led – as all culture revolutions are – by a group of young, hormone ravaged ideologues without the life experience or emotional dexterity to achieve their goals.
But as these millennials enter middle age their uncompromising ethics will give way to a more tempered view of the world.
You’re already starting to see this trend emerge.
So how do we, as self-proclaimed individualists, navigate this ever changing cultural landscape?
I think the path will reveal itself as we go. Like a car traveling on a dark road, we don’t need to see the entire journey. We just need the headlights to illuminate the next 100 feet or so.
With that said, let me give you some thoughts on being offensive in the age of civility.
How to Offend in the age of Civility
In a world where everyone’s an expert, no one is an expert. In a time where we carry the worlds information in our pocket, information becomes cheap. In the land of influencers, few have much influence at all.
As an entrepreneur I’ve always subscribed to an idea I first hear from marketing legends Ryan Diess and Frank Kern.
Ryan said, “If you want people to give you money, give them your best stuff for free.” Frank is fond of saying, “Prove you can help people by actually helping them.”
Both philosophies stem from the idea that if you help people solve a problem for free they will become loyal customers for life. But most people miss why this is such an effective marketing strategy.
Yes, helping people for free creates a sense of reciprocity, builds trust and goodwill, but that’s just surface level psychology.
The real value in a philosophy that says give first, ask later is in the philosophy itself.
Each of us has a personal philosophy about life, business, money, relationships, community, etc. This philosophy forms a kind of personal religion.
While people are drowning in information they are dying for a purpose. While surround by experts pumping people full of vapid life advice, those same people are desperate for a cause worth dying for.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Robert Greene in his book “The 48 Laws of Power.” In it he said,
“People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow.”
Those words are more true today than the day he wrote them. In a world of fake gurus and information overwhelm, your life philosophy is what creates distinction.
We need to stop leading with information. Stop trying to sell people on your solution first and instead, sell them on your philosophy.
Give them your religion. Sell them on
an ideal worth dedicating themselves too.
Doing this will put you at odds with other philosophies. But it doesn’t have to be nasty of divisive. You don’t have to offend others to rally a group of like minded people ready for you to lead them to the promised land.
I know many of my readers follow my every move looking for the influence tactics I’m using to grow my tribe.
If you’re one of those people then keep watching because we’ve begun to shift our marketing strategy to be more philosophy based.
And if you want to know exactly what I’m doing and how to model it in your business then I’d invite you to join our Nomad Network.
A community of digital entrepreneurs who all follow a philosophy of “Freedom through income mobility and cooperation.”
Click here to get a free month: https://www.stapletonagency.com/nomad-network-free-trial
I know this letter was long. I could write a book on this subject. Maybe I will.
If you’d like to hear more about where I see the world going and what you can do to secure your place in it, reply to this email and with “keep it coming!”
Until next time,
Jason
P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox for another email later today. I’ve got something exciting to share with you.
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