I recently discovered a common thread running through my existing and potential clients who are drawn to me. They have shiny object syndrome. They struggled because they're constantly told to niche down, pick a lane, find your ideal client. This is not bad information, it's just doesn't suit some folx way of thinking. It can be a disheartening and discouraging thing to someone who doesn't know their audience. An inability to find your "tribe" can lead to you believe that you're setting limits on your greatness.
This kinda thinking is why Sauron got his ass handed to him in the beginning and ending of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He was chasing shiny objects in hopes of gaining control of everything. So let's start this lesson with a breakdown. The one ring to rule them all is you believing you are your brand. The 19 rings represent all the 6-7 figure promises you're chasing. Your hustle and grind mentality is how you're fighting to gain control over your situation. And for y'all buying followers, well, those are obviously the trolls.
Lesson 1 - Not everyone wants what you're offering
In the movie Sauron was trying to rule them all, but folx wasn't have'n it. The dwarfs, the elves and everything in between were happy with their own get down and they refused to give in to being dominated by one thing. The same is true for your total available market (TAM), your reachable available market (RAM), and your available target market (ATM). They all fight back by tuning you out. Because you're trying to lump your ATM in with everyone else, they feel ignored. This feeling deepens when there is no segmentation within the ATM. Ignoring all of this is how you lose control.
Lesson 2 - Don't tie your self-worth to business
Sauron was a straight up narcissistic, greedy motha fucka. I'm not saying this is true for you, but if you believe you are your brand... I'mma leave that right there. The flip side of being your brand mentality is that it can also feed your insecurities. You take every no personally when someone doesn't pick up what you're put'n down. You respond with a race to the bottom that includes coupons, discounts and freebies. If they still say no, then they become your enemy. This goes back to lesson one of not everyone wanting what you're offering. I don't like beans. I got mad respect for bean farmers, but I don't like beans. The farmer that would try to convince me that I haven't had the right bean yet, is the farmer who took it personally.
Lesson 3 - All or nothing is a lose lose game
Sauron wasn't content with his place in the world. He wanted it all. We see this all the time in movies. Folx would rather burn shit to the ground than let someone else have it. I see this happening now with multi-hyphenated solopreneurs. None of your businesses are making "good money" so you start a new one to supplement. What you're saying is that none of your businesses are profitable so you need multiple. This make you a generalist and hinders your money. The question becomes, why be chained to several businesses, when you can be liberated by one? The price point between a generalist and specialist determines how many zeros you can tack on to your offer.
Lesson 4 - Chasing viral trends can kill you
The next lesson came when Isildur got hold of the ring. He was chasing the power he thought he was due. All he got was dead. That's what get'n sucked in by a shiny object will do. This is you when you're trying to keep up with trends. No it won't kill you physically, but it will do a number on you mentally. Social media dopamine is the new addiction and validation tool for solopreneurs and beyond. Social media trends last a few hours to less than a month. By the time you get on board the audience has already moved on. On top of that, without an audience it doesn't equate to money in your pocket unless the platform is paying you for all the content.
Lesson 5 - Don't let the masses drown out your voice
Then there's the lesson from Gollum who found the ring after Isildur's death. Even folx who haven't seen the movie recognize "my precious." Gollum was so enamored with the shiny object that it poisoned his mind. That's what happens when you fill up on all the tips, tricks and hacks that bombard your business growth experience. Yes, they can help to a certain extent. It becomes a problem when it leaves too many voices in your head and you begin to silence your own voice. More and more you rely on their credibility instead of trusting your instincts. Trust yourself enough to not gorge on the shiny object that will leaves you alone in the dark.
Lesson 6 - Don't stay in survival mode forever
Even after Gollum lost the ring he chose to stay in the dark. That's what happens when you lose your shine. You get discouraged and give up. And instead of getting some much needed light you accept your fate. So you won't raise your prices. You won't step into the light. You won't give yourself permission to forge your own shiny object. Instead the settle for surviving hoping that shiny object will return. You take what you can get so that you can even though you're miserable. No one can convince you that there is something better. These are business that die a slow death with broke owners because they did little to nothing to change their circumstance for survive to thrive.
Gollum reappears later, but this happens in the span of less than eight minutes at the beginning of the movie covers over 3000 years. That means, if it were possible, every minute you're wasting 375 years on shiny objects. That's how fleeting time can be for a business without a brand. A brand is the one ring to rule them all. And by all I mean your ATM where the money resides. That's because the ATM is where your ideal client is looking for the shiny object you hold. Being strategic about your brand is how you get them to see it. It makes thriving possible. It's time to stop chasing shiny objects and learn to build one.
I hope you learned a lesson, any lesson, because I'm ready for you to start thriving. In case I have another one and you don't wanna miss it, scroll down and join the extended fam. I'll let you into the house and you can get comfortable because in Brandma's House, it's all about you... until it's not.
P.S. Share this on your socials, link it in your content, and send it to someone else who needs a Brandma. This would make Brandma very happy. And remember, I love you and ain't a damn thing you can do about it.
