Issue # 94 | June 11th, 2024

Presented by The Headturner​

Hi, it's Pat!

I recently published a video about personal branding that appears to have helped a lot of people:

And yes, you’re reading that right — it’s called Brand in a Hand, and it’ll change the way you think about personal branding.

Why is this important?

Building your personal brand is more crucial than ever. In today's highly competitive, AI-driven world, it not only differentiates you from a growing number of professionals but also highlights your unique human qualities and expertise. These qualities are becoming increasingly valuable as AI continues to automate routine tasks and transform industries.

So let me show you how this “Brand in a Hand” thing works — all you need is… well… your hand!

Quote of the Week

“Keep it simple, when you get too complex you forget the obvious.”

—Al McGuire

Story of the Week

As someone who's been building personal brands for over a decade now, I've learned a lot about what it takes to stand out in today's noisy online world.

And guess what? It's not about having a fancy logo or the perfect Instagram aesthetic. Nope, the secret to building an effective personal brand comes down to one simple thing:

Your hand. 🤚

Okay, okay, I know that sounds a little weird, but hear me out. When you see personal branding through the lens of what I call the "Brand in a Hand" framework, it’ll change the way you approach your business. And the best part? It's so easy to remember, you'll never forget it.

So, what exactly is this magical "Brand in a Hand" framework? Take a look at your hand, and let’s start with your pinky…

1. 👥 People (pinky): Who exactly are you serving? Understanding your target audience is the foundation of any successful personal brand. You must know who they are — and where they hang out — both online and offline.
2. 💍 Pursuits (ring finger): What are your audience's dreams, goals, and aspirations? Knowing what they're striving for is key to creating content that resonates. What keeps them excited? How do they talk about these pursuits? Keep track of all of that.
3. 🖕 Problems (middle finger): These are the challenges, the obstacles — the exact things holding your audience back from their pursuits. (That’s why this is the middle finger.) Identifying their pain points allows you to position yourself as the solution. As Jay Abraham once said, “If you can define the problem better than your target customer, they will automatically assume you have the solution.” Go deep with exactly what’s getting in their way.
4. 👉 Platform (pointer finger): This is where you will build your brand and connect with your audience — the first place you will point people toward and the clear position you have in the space. It’s as if you’re waving that pointer finger in the air with a proclamation, making statements that you believe in — this will become your platform. It includes the proprietary frameworks that you create as well. It’s less about the digital platform where you create content and more about the beliefs and values that you choose to demonstrate and advocate for. A person who has a platform in this way has a message and a belief worth following. Without it, you’ll blend in with the noise and be lost.
5. 👍 Product (thumbs up): When you put the four fingers above together, what do you get? A thumbs up! And that’s what your audience will do when they see you’ve built a solution that works for them. The product(s) you create is the natural conclusion to all of the above, and it’s how you can serve your audience and sell at the same time. What will you offer to help your audience achieve their goals and overcome their challenges? Develop a product or service that delivers real value.

By focusing on these five elements, you'll be well on your way to building a personal brand that stands out, makes an impact, and attracts a loyal following. But here's the thing: building a powerful personal brand isn't just about following a formula. It's about infusing your unique experiences, strong opinions, and branded frameworks into everything you do.
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For example, when I started sharing my journey of getting laid off and building an online business back in 2008, it was a unique story that helped me connect with my audience on a deeper level. When I developed frameworks like the "Pyramid of Fandom" in my book Superfans, it became a memorable part of my brand that people could latch onto. These are all part of the branding language that I’ve created here at SPI, and I’ve done the same thing on my Pokémon YouTube channel, Deep Pocket Monster.
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So here’s my challenge to you: start thinking about your own unique experiences, opinions, and frameworks that you can integrate into your personal brand. Doing so will help you stand out in a crowded market and build a deeper connection with your audience. You got this!

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SPI News and Notes

Get your business questions answered by our Experts in Residence! Save the date for June 12th at 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET for a special Q&A exclusively for All-Access Pass members. Join Nausheen I. Chen, Terry Rice, and Caleb Wojcik for a dynamic group coaching session tailored to address your business challenges and accelerate your growth. Not a member yet? Sign up today!​

Boost your revenue, expand your subscriber base, and captivate your audience! Tune in to the latest podcast episode with Pat Flynn and John Ainsworth as they unveil effective strategies for boosting earnings without resorting to pushy tactics. Discover insights on upselling, leveraging AI for persuasive copy, shifting your selling mindset, overcoming common objections, and more. Don't forget to hit "Follow" on your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and get the latest episodes!

Ready to kickstart your YouTube journey? Join Experts in Residence Pat Flynn and Caleb Wojcik on Thursday, June 20th at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET for a free live webinar about launching and growing a successful YouTube channel. Learn the fundamental requirements for growth, how to optimize your videos for algorithmic visibility, revenue generation techniques, and much more! Don’t miss out — automatically RSVP here!​

Dad Joke of the Week

Did you know that when you clean out your vacuum, you become the vacuum cleaner?

Pat's Pick

In recent videos on the Pat Flynn YouTube channel, I’ve been using a technique to draw on the screen while talking, and it seems to be a great way to teach and engage with an audience through educational-type content.

I wanted to share the tools I use for that since many commenters have asked how it’s done. It’s not push-button easy, but the general idea is this:
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I have an iPad attached to my computer, and I’m using the Apple Pencil to draw on slides I upload onto the iPad.
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I use ScreenFlow to record the iPad screen — you can also use tools like Ecamm Live to do this, or even just screen record natively on the iPad and sync that with your edit later.
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The program I’m using on the iPad to allow me to draw on these images/slides is called Procreate, and it’s the secret sauce to all of this. It’s an inexpensive drawing tool similar to Photoshop, but it allows you to create different layers and show/hide them as needed, which is how I make all of this work.
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Then in post-edit, I crop the screen with my face onto the right side and crop the Procreate recording on the left. Put the two together, and boom! It’s just like working on a 90s classroom projector screen, except now it’s in a video!

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Cheers,

Pat Flynn

Founder, SPI