At her signature event Be The Change last week, Suzanne Evans put on a great show, as usual, complete with marching band, cheerleaders, and a circus act. No kidding. This woman does not play small!

 

One of the pieces of her very complete and always impressive teaching was about distinction and Point of View. She noted that standing out from the crowd in a standing-room-only field (coaching) is imperative, and I couldn’t agree more.

 

It’s also scary as hell.

 

(Breathe!)

 

Here’s the deal: yes, standing out on your edge, stating your Point of View (POV), living your soapbox message is daunting. Entrepreneurs are often like deer: it feels a lot safer to stay back at the tree line, so that we don’t get shot down.

 

And, if you want to become known—and help those people you’re meant to help—you need to stand out in the bright light to be seen.

 

What sets you apart from the crowd of other business owners in your category and attracts your ideal tribe members is your “why.” This is what makes you a “category of one.” All by yourself, receiving all that attention (and income).

 

Because you see, when you are distinct, aligned, and standing on your edge, there is no competition. No one else looks, feels, smells, or tastes like you. Period.

 

There’s no reason to be in fear, because when your POV is front + center, there’s no one else doing or saying exactly what you do.

 

Yes, you might make some people mad, but even if they unsubscribe from your list, that’s okay: they’re not the ones who would have bought from you, anyway.

 

The flipside of making a few outliers mad enough to leave is that you’ve made those who love you completely loyal, and given those who barely know you a reason to fall in love.

 

Big love. As in: a movement that is so powerful that nothing could stop it. Like a tidal wave.

 

And in the magical world of the interwebs, your “crazy” opinions will attract people who would never have seen your vanilla self.

 

 

 

A few months ago, following a FB post by a friend of Matthew Goldfarb of Corporate Renegade and the FUN song “What Do You Stand For?” I set out to write my own manifesto.

 

It needs a little tightening up, and some snazzy design features, but I’m pretty darned pleased with what I came up with. Did I jump at the chance to hear him speak about this at BTC? Yer darned tootin’ I did! It was great. Made me even more of a believer in power of Point of View.

 

Have you figured out YOUR edge? That thing that sets you apart from everyone else that will create raving fans that will buy from you over and over again?

 

Of course you could do this work in your Akashic Records, but you don’t have to. Think about those things that you believe in that go against the grain of conventional wisdom. Can you write in a sentence or 2 why you do what you do? I’ll bet you can.

 

And when you do get it all down on paper, here’s my advice: Be sexy. Be challenging. Be funny. Be outlandish. Be courageous.

 

Most of all, Be Yourself.

 

And then show up as that authentic, funny, challenging, outrageous, sexy, courageous you everywhere you go.

 

I can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with for yourself + your biz.

 

And here’s MY challenge to you: put your “why” (aka: what you stand for) in the comments section below. As Suzanne would say: Let’s start a movement!