5 weird things I hate that most other people love:
- Bananas (brown and squishy. Don’t even start on the ‘great source of energy’ line)
- Motivational quotes (they make me want to hurl my Macbook into my neighbour’s fishpond)
- 4×4 cars (why so fat?)
- Coffee (I know! The only vice I don’t like! Go me!)
- Quentin Tarantino films (Sorry. But they just don’t speak to me.)
5 weird things I love that a whole lotta people hate:
- Early mornings (and with no coffee. I’m a freak of nature.)
- Offal (my mum’s steak and kidney pie, mmmm)
- Being an hour early (I have chronic F.O.B.L. – Fear Of Being Late)
- Hotels with crap wifi (no email? Bliss.)
- Having 7 friends on Facebook (I didn’t like you at school, so why would I now?)
After years trying to fit in during my teens and twenties, I finally figured out that a bit of weirdness is totally fine. And since launching my own business, I discovered that it’s better than fine. It’s great to be different. It’s what makes me stand out from all the other consultants.
But it takes some balls in business, to stand out. We all say we want to ‘differentiate ourselves’, but when it comes down to it we pee our pants and run to our mummies to hide.
We retreat into the world of business blandness. To the realm of safe beigeness. To where everyone else is hanging out.
Why Weird Is Wonderful For You and Your Business
So how do you know if you’re blending in to the background? Well, here’s a quick test.
Cover up your logo on your website or your photo on your LinkedIn profile and ask yourself:
Could anyone else say the same things?
Because if they can, you need to go back to the drawing board and think about:
- What REALLY makes you stand out from the crowd?
- What’s unconventional about you?
- What’s contrarian?
- What’s the conventional wisdom that you disagree with?
- Why?
Because these are the bits that make you and your business you, and that’s what people want to buy.
So give your weird a big old warm embrace. It’ll feel soooooo good, I promise.
