Are You Trapped on a Path, or Leading the Pack?
June 15th, 2008 · Filed Under: Personal Branding · Social Marketing · Tribal Seduction Principles · Videos
I was shocked by a quote I read today. It was given as advice to business people, and it went like this; “emulate, do not innovate, be unique, but not original.”
Now as soon as I read it, the hair stood up on the back of my neck and I started to shake with frustration. I got control of myself and commented to the person; “that’s good advice — if you want to be a follower!” (And I don’t mean a Twitter follower either. 
)
I mean, really! Do u think Apple, Virgin, Chris Angel, Martha Stewart, Oprah or any other standout company or personal brand adheres to advice like that?
No, of course not. The “nots” in that piece of advice will limit your success by making you a follower, not a leader.
Look… watch the 2:30 minute video and you’ll understand better the life-sapping trap of being trapped on the path. Then let’s chat.
It’s the worse thing that can happen to you…
You’re trudging along day after day, thinking you’re on the right path because someone else beat it down for you. Finally one day you get to the end, and you realize your destination is not what you were looking for. And you have to start all over again.
Not good. Not good at all. Modeling is great, but only when you innovate using your own strengths as the basis.
Being unique is terrific, sure. But my dogs leave unique piles of poo every day. If they were original and used the toilet - that would get my attention!
Beware of using cute little quotes as the basis for your business strategies. Dissect them and make sure they’ll work for your style.
Use common sense to map out each piece of advice to its’ conclusion. That way you’ll see if the end point aligns with your goals. If it doesn’t, either learn how to modify them to work with your unique strengths, communication and motivation style, and personal brand… or trash it.
What’s your story?
Have you ever gotten trapped following someone else’s trail? If so, how did you break free and cut your own path?
Are you already leading the pack? If so, how are you proving yourself and your products as innovative? What are you doing to create a personal brand that makes you stand out as both unique AND original?
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John Paul Micek is a co-founder of the international business coaching company RPM Success Group ® Inc. He and his partner Deborah Micek are authors of the hit book Secrets Of Online Persuasion, and creators of the BLOG i360™ New Media Marketing Site Creater. |
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11 Responses to “Are You Trapped on a Path, or Leading the Pack?”
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June 15th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I used to think the guru’s had it. So I followed every path that each marketer had set before me. It got me nowhere all the time and without fail. The only thing certain about following an Internet Marketing Guru, to the offense of some, is that you are destined to walk a BEATEN path.
Very famous folklore and mythology often see the hero arriving at a destination during a quest and when the hero gets to the place and achieves … the hero is often depicted as arriving at a place of opulent magnificence.
Or if you think of the great oil men of years gone by, people who’ve made the mistake I made would have asked “Good Golly, Mr. Oil Man, you sure done struck it rich, I do say. Tell me, where did you get that black gold”. And the oil man would surely tell you, “Why son, I stuck oil in that spot right there with this very drill.” And what would be the foolish mistake we made next?
The same goes for gold men back in the day in the United States
Such BEATEN paths relinquish no opulence. If you followed the oil man, you would have struck no more oil than he had already claimed for himself, and the gold man knows one all powerful fact … that the next vein of gold just may be underneath the path YOU took to get here. And while we, the once hopeless and gullible, go and try to dig gold from where it was dug … the gold man seeks his riches in the ground you just came from.
The other thing is that all great teachers prepare their students for initiation. All great teachers never ever lay down a path for students to follow but does a good job of initiating them to create path of habit that leads to true learning of new knowledge.
Today I feel I lead the pack because I can faithfully lead a movement that says “The Guru Must Die”. I lead the pack because I took my own way into learning the business of business.
I develop my that theme from solution think and not problem think, which is prevalent. Many people would have complain about the Guru phenomenon, while I sought a solution to break us from it. And so when I introduce the idea, it’s never quite like the other guy said it, though we may allude to the same idea. It’s won’t come t you the same way and it’s results in a special permutation.
What I do different is truly being original. You can’t fake or emulate my path to the knowledge I discover, although similar steps can be taken. Copying and pasting my words will give the illusion of originality (is that a word? it is now!) but the idea of that being true breaks down all the time at some point.
But you can begin from where I begin and still turn out something I can’ duplicate. That is what makes whatever we apply ourselves to be truly original, unique and innovative.
If it’s a business, I will come through from my unique background and because it comes THROUGH that background … logic says that it can’t come through anyone else’s. And vice versa.
Therein lies the secret of all innovation.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
EXCELLENT examples Christopher! “following the oil man” is exactly what so many marketers do today. I would like to say “entrepreneurs” instead of marketers. But sadly far too many people fail to meet the criteria of the definition.
“Entrepreneurs” are successful because their passion for an outcome leads them to organize available resources in NEW and MORE VALUABLE ways.
Following the advice of an Internet Marketing Guru, (or any other type of guru) is much like going to school. It’s anti-entrepreneurial.
The education system is still based on industrial era principles, where students are stripped of independent thought and indoctrinated in beliefs that will make them compliant to the wishes of both the state and corporations.
There’s little in the way of independent thought taught in the vast majority of schools. And it’s the same with the “education systems” peddled by product pushers on every internet street corner. It takes originality, flexibility and a willingness to leave your ego at the door if you want to truly lead people on a journey of discovery. And that takes effort.
As you said so well “All great teachers never ever lay down a path for students to follow but does a good job of initiating them to create path of habit that leads to true learning of new knowledge.”
There are principles and general strategies that must be learned. But HOW they are adapted an applied is much more important than knowledge of them. That is called wisdom. And wisdom is what creates wealth, not knowledge.
Bruce Lee said it best:
Too deep? For some, maybe.
But for those that are ready - they will get it.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
You hit the nail on the head with this post, JP. What I’ve personally experienced from my business endeavors over the past 20 plus years is, if you look like a duck and waddle like a duck, then you are a duck and follow the other ducks. Traditional home-based business models, like network marketing, tie your hands behind your back. You have to conform or you are ostracized and broke. If you do conform, you have lots of friends to commiserate with while you’re broke.
Then I met you and Coach Deb. You made me think about things like: What is my personal brand, what is my Primal Key, and lots of other things I never even thought about. I had been a marketing drone, flailing and failing. Playing Follow-The-Leader only led me down the path of abysmal failure. Anyone can learn to market over the phone, hijack people to meetings, and brow beat consumers into buying over the Internet provided you don’t go bankrupt with Pay-per-click ad costs.
I finally found the answer to my problem of, how do I build an income-producing asset like a business. Between the Personal Assessment Profiles, building my own Persuasive Selling Platform, defining my personal brand, learning how to build my Tribe based on my codes, and a host of other things you all have taught me, I am now able to successfully build a business spending very little money and doing it my way long. Too bad this comes after pissing away years of my life and a small fortune in the process.
The content in your Tribal Seduction course is invaluable beyond compare. Now that I’ve been granted access to your Master of Business Ownership Coaching Club, I listen in awe as fellow business owners (who I’m allowed to rub elbows with) are getting results beyond their wildest expectations due to your teaching and coaching. Kudos for over delivering with no bull attached.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I don’t think it is a coincidence that I came to this page only minutes after reading the quote, “To get what you want, stop doing what isn’t working”.
That includes being trapped on the path of following internet marketing “gurus”.
Thank you JP.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Nancy,
You just warmed my heart with your comment. I am soooo happy for you that you’ve been released from the bondage of follow-the-leader & have crafted your own Persuasive Selling Platform where people connect intimately with YOU.
YOU, my friend - are a leader.
Thanks 4 being YOU!
+++++++++
Chris,
WOW - looks like your RSS reader got you here 1st! Bravo Trail Blazer! (before it went out on Twitter or via email.)
I love what you said in re: to what you did,
“learning the business of business”
THAT is what will accelerate all your efforts - no matter how many businesses you go into - this is where you’ll continually add knowledge to your ever-increasing wisdom bank that only YOU can assimilate and utilize like Bruce Lee talked about “being water” in JP’s video in his comment reply to you.
Be water my friend.
:+)
June 15th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Excellent post!
During the first two years of university I simply took all information in and took it for facts….after all, the teacher is always right. Right?
Wrong! One of the teachers I respected most fell through the ice quite badly a few months ago when we were discussing online marketing. I’m currently on placement at an online marketing company so I’d like to think I know my onions here.
Anyway, he started going on a rant how it isn’t for the masses and that it’s still spotty, four eyed geeks who order stuff online. He seemed completely obvlivious to the ubiquity of the internet and its impact on the world.
While I still have a lot of respect for this man, as he really knows his stuff offline and how to get his message across, it also taught me not to take everything an ‘expert’ says at face value.
No matter how credible the source, always question it. Everybody makes mistakes and everyone gets it wrong occasionally.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:16 am
PERFECT! This is just the eye-opening post I needed to start my week off on the right foot. So many times we allow ourselves to grasp onto the coattails of our tribal leaders and not only let them set that trail for us, but EXPECT it. Then when it comes time to explore other avenues, the fear of blazing our own path holds us back to what we know. Oh sure, we may wander a little, but how many of us still continue to keep that set path in sight as a guiding point?
It’s the fear of the unknown that keeps us tethered. What’s beyond this path? Will my followers find me if I leave this known trail? Or will I be lost in the woods all alone?
Deb and JP, you are unique in your abilities to not only blaze your own paths but to encourage us, your tribe, to blaze our own as well. With the tools you provide your students in discovering those unique abilities and traits we possess, we can venture forth, armed with that knowledge.
Through your coaching, I have found my courage and while I my path may not be as straight or direct as I’d like it yet, I’m finding my way
Thank you for all you do and all the great motivation (like today’s post)!
June 16th, 2008 at 7:31 am
whatup JP,
nice message and very tangible too. of course i have walked the beaten path like other, until i died of boardom and unprofitability. not no more though…..
thanks.
pm
June 16th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Daan - By your actions you have proved yourself ready my son! :)) Knowledge is 4 vanity. Wisdom is 4 profit!
Susie - great point on fear: “Will my followers follow me?” The idea is to get them to equip them to be raving fans… while blazing their own paths.
Paul - LOL “until i died of boardom and unprofitability.” Amen my brother from another mother!
June 16th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
And remember too, a lot of you are claimed to be part of a tribe. As a man with native blood and student of anthropology, let me remind of you of a true tribe.
A true tribe is not an easily defined group of people. Never was, never will be. If you say … for example … that you belong to the tribe of someone else … you are right to a very limited extent.
As a member of a tribe, you belong to no one. The tribe is brought together as an agreement to bond and be bonded, but with a very delicate glue holding them together.
A tribe is brought together as a response. It is truly like water. It is extremely dynamic. Each member is capable of coming and going as they please. Members often leave a tribe multiple times.
And so if JP and Deb do in fact have a tribe, it’s members must recognize the reasons for being it’s response. Let one reason be, then, that it is for you to remain sovereign businessmen and women. Keep to task, and the tribe meets each other’s needs.
And of course, if you like me and my shaman-like wisdom … feel free to shower me with gifts and beautiful women like tribes do too!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
What perfect timing as usual! Always such awesome words of wisdom. I am sooo grateful to have signed up with you guys BEFORE getting stated on an internet business it’s saved me heaps i’m sure. Only downside - I don’t know WHO the dodgy marketers are and everyone’s sales copy is always so good I’m always left wondering if a particular product is any good! SOLUTION? only buy from peeps ya trust! and they gotta gain that! and being themselves really helps one connect.
Thanks
Deb & JP