You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from the perfect pig. Let’s start with a simple exercise. Which one is more appealing? Pig A or Pig B?
So what does the “perfect pig” have to do with branding?
…it’s that perfection is in the flaws. A perfectly unsoiled, unwrinkled pig, wouldn’t seem real.
Your “Flaws” and Your Brand
These aren’t really “flaws, ” but are the hidden assets that make your brand unique and authentic. The more of you that can show up in your brand, the more you’ll appeal to the right audience for you. It’s like dating, when you can let the real you shine, you naturally attract the right match.
But it’s scary to be so naked in life. And it’s easy to lose sight of who we really are or what we want when there is so much noise and pressure from the outside world.
How to dig deep to uncover your hidden assets
Here are some questions to get you started:
1) What is your story? Not the pretty one, but the real one that people can connect with. There is a real power in being vulnerable but on the other side of connecting with our openness, is the fear of disconnection and shame. We fear that if other people know this about us, they may want to connect to us. To overcome this fear, we need the courage to be imperfect. Brene Brown in her enlightening and humerous TEDx talk describes how people that fully embrace their vulnerability, are the very ones that live a whole-hearted life – one of love and belonging. They believe that what makes them vulnerable, makes them beautiful.
Think about how you feel when you hear a story that resonates with you. It touches you because it validates part of who you are but weren’t able to express.
In Brene Brown’s research she also found that most people do not like expressing their vulnerability BUT when asked if how they felt when someone showed vulnerability, most everyone said that they loved it when people shared their vulnerability. It’s because we crave a soul to soul connection and revealing your vulnerability is one of most intimate forms of authentic expression. How can you reveal more of your vulnerability – your “humanness” in your marketing?
Crafting your signature story is a great way to weave vulnerability in your marketing message to attract your most ideal audience – the one that shares your struggles and values. Connect with people based on sharing your struggle, then show them how you overcame it, how you can help them.
A great example of someone who puts it all out there is Gary Vaynerchuk. With humble beginnings working in his parent’s liquor store, he took his passion for wine, entrepreneurism, and the NY Jets and started the Wine Library TV which revolutionized the wine world. His wine reviews soon attracted over 100,000 viewer and grew his family’s business from 3 to 45 million in 2005.
Be seen, like that proud pig. It may very well be your path to wealth and connection.
