DON'T HIDE! MARKETING 101

I know some people are a little self conscious, and it's only natural to be a little shy or intimidated at first when entering a room for the first TIME, and it's intimidating to enter online marketing for the first TIME; but let me assure you that one of the worst things you could do to yourself is put NO PHOTO! At least make an effort to go out and put on your best outfit and and clean yourself up and even invest some Money in getting some decent photos done. You remember when your parents used to invest in photos for the school photos or the highschool yearbook? This is just as important. I'll always struggle to perform music to any bar room for the first TIME. As much as i've done it before, or as many rooms as i've played, I always feel like it's going to be a different crowd who likes different music than what I play or likes a different style singer. That first song is always the hardest, but as I get up on stage, and get the band into play or sometimes just my guitar and the PA, Somehow i'm off to the races, and I just let it RAWK! There are a handful of Rock tunes that the majority of people like by a handful of bands that are undeniably some of the best music out there, and to just play them earns people's respect right out of the gate. Playing the Rolling Stones will usually prove to people that you have the capacity to carry a tune. Getting a photo of you in a formal dress or suit will typically suggest that you're capable of dressing yourself and getting your sorry ass to work.

Here's why: If no one knows about you and you're in the back row of the car lot with a cover over you, you definitely won't get seen or noticed and that means you have lowered your chances to ZERO, with your decisions and lack of action in your marketing. If you've never studied business, that's ok, because I simplify the basics for you in most of my content. The more intricate details and data driven stuff may be challenging, but the basic principles of business are fairly straight forward, simple and easy to execute. One of the most important principles is getting started, or "show up" as Grant Cardone says. But if you can't even post a photo, you might as well not even exist.

I want you to think about it this way. Of all the BRANDS out there, and variety of styles and approaches to life and communication, and styles of living; there's a lot you can say without giving away the fact that you're on HEROINE, or are a closet alcoholic, but the first step in resolving this challenge is creating opportunities so that your opportunities overpower your THREATS, and your strengths overpower your WEAKNESSES. Until you at least brush your teeth in the morning, take a shower and get dressed, you're going to look like shit. Anyone does, unless you're Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, or Julia Roberts. The worst thing you can do is post nothing for a photo.

let's talk about online dating for a second; one in 20 or one in 30 profiles have no photo, and the other profiles are good enough and intriguing enough that people will occupy their TIME with those profiles who HAVE made an effort and taken the first step. Other people who can't even post a photo, clearly aren't ready for online dating, and they have a lot of BRAND work to do. NO photo; NO response! Why would anyone INVEST their TIME when you aren't even willing to take the RISK, and put yourself out there. You'll never go anywhere if you're always hiding! Just take the first step and bring some personality to the table and post a photo with some kind of photo of your self demonstrating some part of your BRANDING profile. There are plenty of people who are 300lbs on welfare and don't want to work and only know how to stick needles in their arm and pass out on the couch to oprah depressed because they're so fat. You must take the first step in a solid action plan. I remember when I was 22, I said to my mother look at where I am now with no degree. She said, "where will you be if you DON'T finish your degree?" No better off, right? so in most cases it's better to finish, and then move on if for no other reason than a confidence builder and a resume credential to say that you can handle adversity and walk away with an achievement and that is a major part of success that very few people understand. That's a major part of why most companies these days require the bullshit degree. They want you to have a piece of paper that says you can accomplish something, even if they don't really need the skills or knowledge you learned. They want to have evidence of your commitment, and capacity to follow through and finish things.

When it comes to photos, even your photo on your worst day is better than the no photo AX-MURDERER lady hiding in the woods outside your window.

We all know you have a personality and a whole entire life behind the profile and you need to demonstrate some kind of BRAND behind your profile so people have some idea of who your are and what you represent. Whether you like country music, or rock music, you like sailing or power boating, surfing, alpine skiing, fishing, waterskiing, golfing or racing cars, or watching movies or sitcoms or sewing a sweater for your nephew. You need to demonstrate some kind of personality. There's a trick in Branding called polarizing your market, and its where you may drive certain people away, but as you do that, like howard STERN, people start talking and this drives certain people RIGHT TO your front door with focus. It's called niche target marketing. Whether you believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there just like you.

Again, the car on the back of the lot with a cover over it definitely won't get sold! But it might just be the car that some professional is looking to buy and flip. There might just be an investor out there willing to take a chance, or better yet, perhaps you're just being self-conscious and your photo isn't as bad as you think. Bottom line; if people don't know you exist, they can't buy ANYTHING from you, even someone else's product from you as a reference, never mind your own product or service.