My goal in talking to James Victore for the Profit. Power. Pursuit. podcast was to figure out his special brand of, well, personal branding. His persona—and what I’ve come to believe is his real life character—is a magnetic rockstar-cum-artist.
What makes James personal brand unique, though, is that it’s not just a representation of who he is, but seems to be the driving factor behind what he’s been able to accomplish. From his work with top brands, to his own art, to his Dinner series, or his Take This Job & Love It events, his brand is his business.
As a business strategist for idea-driven businesses, I think this is exciting. It’s a message I deliver to my clients all the time: who you are and how you work isn’t just your brand, it’s your whole business strategy. When you make bold choices based on your unique makeup, you’re making strategic (and interesting) choices for your business.
James’s firm understanding of who he is and how he works also allows him to navigate one of the toughest journeys for creative entrepreneurs: the balance between listening to your audience and catering to them. James is a listener and observer but he doesn’t cater, he responds.
From my own observation of people and businesses who do this well, that’s the key. You want to pay lots of attention to what is on the mind of your customers but you don’t want to just cater to that. You want to create unique and surprising responses to what they are concerned about. That’s how you both stand out and maintain your voice.
If you’d like to hear more about how to stand out and maintain your voice, listen to my conversation with James Victore. He’s a master.
