Read time: 4 minutes.
“Michael, I’ve just lost my job.”
I’ve felt partly responsible. I had helped him get this job. He has been working there for only 6 months. He walked into his probationary review expecting glowing feedback and got blindsided.
He was greeted by his hiring manager and the Director of HR.
You know what happened next.
Here’s what I learned from his experience.
Never rely 100% on a 9–5 job
I’ve never relied on a single source of income.
It’s too risky. From a young age, I’ve leveraged the internet to build a personal brand to create diverse and disconnected sources of income. So if one ever went away, it wouldn’t impact the others.
My friend never did this.
He is fully reliant on always having a full-time job. He can’t go more than a few weeks without working. He suffers from a lack of confidence so even at his age he has never made more than $80,000 (AUD).
His experience has made me double down on my approach.
While I’ve got a large equity position and a healthy salary in my 9–5 job, I’m building an online business on the side. I don’t hide this from my employer either. It was part of the acquisition deal.
Keep your 9–5 job, but always build diverse sources of income.
Build a skill stack, not a skill set
Every industry relies on:
- Sales.
- Funnels.
- Marketing.
- Communication.
- Content creation.
- Business development.
These are the evergreen skills that will never go away.
If you can combine your technical industry knowledge with the skills above, you’ll be highly valued.
That’s the shift I’m making myself.
I’ve got deep technical knowledge of government policy. But I’ve also got skills in all of the above. I’m not world-class in any of them and I don’t try to be. I aim to get into the top 25%, which can be done in 20 hours of learning.
It’s the combination of skills rather than the depth that makes me valuable.
Breadth > depth.
Build a personal brand.
This is a hill I will die on.
A personal brand is the most important investment you can make. Especially as we shift more and more into the digital world.
Your personal brand is your:
- Values.
- Beliefs.
- Interests.
- Curiosities.
- Knowledge.
- Experience.
All packaged up into a digestible format.
Your personal brand is a monopoly that makes you unique. If you’re competing with someone else, you haven’t built your personal brand properly.
You can start a personal brand by:
- Posting 2–3x per week.
- Starting an email list.
- Publishing a weekly newsletter.
- Hosting a community group.
You don’t need anyone’s permission to start. Just start.
There is a hidden network of opportunities
Most opportunities are never advertised.
Since starting my personal brand, I’ve had opportunities open for me that I never thought possible. I’ve spoken on international stages in Amsterdam and Nepal, met some incredible people, and closed high-value clients.
Your network is no longer your net worth.
It’s about who knows about you rather than who you are that counts for more. I’ve walked into meetings where strangers say they follow me on LinkedIn or Medium and can tell me stories they remember that I’ve told.
When someone already knows you, 80% of the battle is won.
I’ll get random DMs and emails from people presenting me with opportunities they think I would benefit from. You never know who is paying attention to your content.
I can only network 1:1 with so many people.
But my personal brand is infinitely more scalable.
It acts as my own personal magnet to attract opportunities and people that already align with my values and mission.
Your personal brand is your ticket to the underground club.
My friend’s experience should be a warning to everyone
I don’t want to be stuck like this in middle age.
I know you don’t want to either.
So:
- Generate diverse and disconnected sources of online income.
- Focus on building a broad skill stack rather than a narrow skill set.
- Invest time and effort into a personal brand.
- Use that personal brand as a magnet.
It won’t be easy, but neither is losing your job at 50 with no options.
What can I help you with?
Viral Headline Notion Swipe File
Unlock the Power of Viral Headlines: The 42 Article Headlines That Made Me Over $16,048 (USD) and 459,000+ Views on Medium.
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Mini-Course To Build Your Personal Brand
My mini-course is designed for individuals like you who understand the importance of a personal brand but are unsure where to start.
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I'll see you next week!
Michael ✌️