You can't build a real business if you're not actually building something.
Doesn't matter how many courses you buy or systems you set up.
If you're not actively creating, you're just pretending.
Most people build gift shops before they build a world worth visiting.
Disney got it right - create something people want to live in first.
The sales happen naturally when people never want to leave.
If you put a redwood seed into a pot you bought from Target, you won’t get the mighty redwood you hoped for.
But there is nothing wrong with the seed.
The seed succumbs to its environment.
Nobody tells you that the hardest part of business isn't finding the right strategy.
It's unlearning all the marketing BS you've absorbed from watching other people try to look successful online.
You got this.
You don't need ADHD to have this quality. But those of us with it?
We're hunters by nature.
The thrill isn't in the catch. It's in the hunt.
Our minds won't rest because they know something greater is out there.
You feel it too, don't you? That pull toward Absurd Excellence.
Finally figured out what I've been chasing. What I've now given myself permission to pursue:
Absurd Excellence.
It's that level of excellence that looks crazy to most people. They're chasing Exceptional Mediocrity while we're after something that doesn't compute in their world.
These past months changed everything.
Deep discussions with amazing people unlocked something in my brain (hope to start having them here now).
Each conversation opening new doors.
Made more money than any job could pay me.
Multiple times over.
But that wasn't what I was chasing.
Something else was driving me.
That's where Exceptional Mediocrity comes in.
On the outside? Exceptional.
But inside? You know you're capable of more. Everything feels mediocre.
I was great at my jobs but unruly.
Always wanting to make things better.
But you know how it goes in the 9-5...
"That's not how we do things"
"Why don't you take your time and get established"
That shift hits different when you're intellectually curious.
You go online, see what others are achieving, and with ADHD, you've "mastered" enough to know you could do it too.
But that dream collided with capitalism. Making money became the priority.
"Do what you dream of" morphed into "get a good job to pay for things."
My Mom (pain in the ass but great nonetheless) always told me I could do anything I dreamed of.
She drilled that into my head constantly.
Not because I look down on working for others.
Makes perfect sense for most people. Just not for me.
And it all comes down to something I call Exceptional Mediocrity.
ADHD and 15+ years of being my own boss.
I can't imagine working for someone else again unless something catastrophic happened.
This also means that I'll be sharing some wonderful posts that will disappear into the abyss.
Not because they aren't good, but because they don't have the social reach to make noise yet.
And that's okay.
So in these early stages, I have to keep in mind to be patient.
Continue to seek out those thoughts that resonate with me and when I do find them, make sure to engage.
One of the things that is easily forgotten on social media is that we build our feed.
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Because any social platform is going to randomly show you the things that you might have a chance of being interested in but they can only judge that based on popularity.
Most of the people that I follow elsewhere aren't popular because they post deeper thoughts that aren't great for the algo.
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Starting on a new platform is always interesting because unless you bring over a good-size audience then you're starting from the basics.
Which means you have to be social to be seen.
In my case, it means having to find the content that resonates with me which can be a challenge.
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Your business doesn't need more authenticity™️
It needs more reality.
That's what Machiavelli was trying to tell us 500 years ago.
Your move, creator.
While everyone's out here trying to build "personal brands" that make everyone comfortable, you'll be building something real.
Something that attracts the right people BECAUSE it repels the wrong ones.
The mindset shift:
- Stop measuring success by likes
- Start measuring it by the quality of people you're attracting
- Begin filtering for respect instead of approval
The daily moves:
- Post one thing that makes you nervous
- Turn down one "opportunity" that doesn't excite you
- Say no to someone who's not your ideal client
The practical stuff:
- Delete every post in your drafts that starts with "5 tips to..."
- Rewrite your bio to exclude anyone you don't want to work with
- Raise your prices until they make you uncomfortable
Want to break free?
Here's your real power moves:
1. Take a stand that pisses off the wrong people
2. Stop giving away your best stuff to prove yourself
3. Make it clear who you're NOT for
Your helpful LinkedIn posts? They're making you look weak.
Your "authentic" marketing? It's just another prison.
Your fear of being polarizing? It's killing your business.
Here's what no one gets about The Prince. It wasn't a manual for tyrants.
It was a wake-up call for leaders trapped in their own beautiful prisons of "supposed to."
In 1513, he's sitting in exile watching leaders destroy themselves trying to make everyone happy.
Meanwhile in 2024, we're all out here trying to become "thought leaders" by being nice on social media.
Your "authentic" marketing is probably making Machiavelli roll in his grave.
Everyone knows him as the "better to be feared than loved" guy.
But they miss what he was really writing about - how to lead when you're surrounded by beautiful lies.