Okay, tell me: How many times have you thought, “Uh I’m not going to say this out loud, what if people misunderstand me? What if they won’t buy from me?”
Me? Way. Too. Many. Times.
I’m in the business of thinking about people’s perceptions (that’s the core of brand strategy – how might we bridge the gap between what people see and your identity, so that your people can connect with you on an emotional level?).
Yet, daily overthinking just cuts down any efforts of communicating yourself online and kills the fun in selling – how else would they see the value you have to offer?
People won’t be confident in you, so you have to lead the way and show them why they should trust you. Connor Roy, the oldest of the Roy dynasty portrayed in the TV show “Succession”, did just that.
His results? You’ll be the judge of that. (But there’s something about confidence he might teach us – that even inspired me to share something with you at the end of this email.)
And the story goes:
In the grand halls of an English castle, Connor Roy has an announcement to make.
"I'm considering a tilt at the big job," he declares, "The Presidency of the United States."
It’s a joke, right? That’s the family’s consensus wrapped in laughter – it must be one of those Connor things. His siblings, let alone his father – as the world’s most influential media family – value power and influence but even they couldn’t entertain that idea.
"I've been talking with some folks, reading up, and I have some pretty foundational thoughts."
Instead of support, all they could offer Connor is a ridicule.
But does it stop him? Not at all.
Character narrative at glance
🎞️ Story arc: From a neglected eldest son to a man free of burden as to whether his family loves him or not.
💭 Thinking behind: Connor is a complementary character to the Roy family story depicted in “Succession,” as he’s out of the “family business” race. The series revolves around his three half-siblings and their father, in one question – who will inherit the reign of Waystar Royco, one of the world’s most influential media conglomerates? (And it’s not Connor.) While there are no direct notes on his character from the show's author, Jesse Armstrong, through Alan Ruck’s portrayal we see Connor as a comic relief character and a satirical image of wealth and privilege, ambitions and overconfidence.
🗺️ Narrative: Reflection of the ultra-wealthy’s “out-of-touch” mindset, layered with internal struggles of standing out and making a dent.
🍋 Character deep dive: There’s more to Connor than confidence and his ability to sell – particularly his role in family dynamics (some call him the most tragic character of the show). I added some resources and my thoughts in this moodboard.
🗺️ Mapping Out The Narrative
Would anyone really consider Connor as the US President? Nope.
The guy has 0 qualifications and experience, but money to throw behind his want. (I see the irony that it’s been the reality in our world already and even a choice for some people.)
And that’s why Connor is like a punchline to his family – and we as viewers take their perception of Connor: A disconnected rich guy with wild (and dangerous) ideas.
But let’s take it a bit further: Even without support and acknowledgement, with the odds stacked against his favour of succeeding, he pursues his ventures – be it funding for his girlfriend’s half-baked theatre play, or running for a president, simply because he didn’t want to pay taxes.
The thing with branding is that you need to be out there and sell yourself with confidence – because you have so so so much value to offer. Colours and strategies are nice but…
How would you figure out what works for you if you don’t experiment?
How would you find your voice, connect with people, and communicate your value if you don’t know what you need to double down on?
For all the delusion and confidence Connor has, it’s been mainly shaped by how he was raised – lack of humility, over-privilege, countless resources – something we might not have as the rest of 99%. Yet, the sum of all these “negative” traits resulted in his unfathomable ability to pitch himself. It’s like his imposter syndrome didn’t get the invitation to the party.
Yet, he still cares about how he’s perceived – off the bat, the show already makes him different: He is not in the bid for his father’s company, lives in the desert, and doesn’t “visibly” compete with siblings. Connor’s moves are aligned with what he wants – think back to financing the bad play (to come across as a “patron of arts” in a way) or being obsessed with his fans “Con-Heads”, the merch, and 1% he got in elections.
I’m not saying you should be after all that – but take Connor’s confidence AND delusion and apply into how you communicate & pitch yourself.
🍋 Navigating To Your Brand
Unlike Connor, there’s a substance and value that you deliver to your audiences and ideal clients.
So, to you and me both: A little bit of confidence and delusion channelled into our offers won’t hurt.
(It takes a bit of pre-work first though!)
1) List all your wins (both hard numbers and outcomes as well as soft wins like moments you’re proud of). That’s your helper in reminding how brilliant you are and what value you bring to the people who need it.
2) List your fears and how you’d take action to battle them. Treat it as your mini action plan for when the fears show up – and it’s okay when they do.
(I heard a beautiful quote, “The real imposters don’t have imposter syndrome.” So, yeah, it’s always with us – like a never-disappearing gap between how you see yourself and what you want others to see in order to achieve something. I shared my view on this on Instagram when I had a Q&A with my audience, if you’re curious).
3) Now, confidence grows with evidence – have an offer? Go and pitch yourself! A few tips on how you can build a story in your content to do so:
- Give your audience context: Your goals, where you are.
- Connect with them: Spotlight your strengths and challenges you want to solve & improve.
- Pitch: Elaborate what you generally do for work, what problems you solve, and how people can work with you.
To the world of confident entrepreneurs – I believe in you 👏
I thought, I’d use this bit of my own advice 😉🫡
I am re-launching my brand strategy offer – it is specifically tailored to help service-providers resonate with their people and communicate their “brand” world through their identity. Basically: all the things we are discussing in this newsletter every week – but on an individual 1:1 basis.
Sounds like something you think you can benefit from? Then, let’s have a consultation!
It’s simple: we set up a video call, and I can help you with a specific problem you see in your brand. We then figure out together what next steps you can take towards solving this, bringing you one step closer to an aligned brand that people want to hear about.
⏰ These consultations usually take 1-1.5 hours, and I'll send you a recap with actions (if any) afterwards.
👀 I will facilitate a process for you – but you hold all the answers.
🥳 My past clients were swept off their feet by the insights they gained.
💵 The consultations are 100$ – but if you choose to book a bigger brand strategy package in the future, we’ll deduct this.
Sounds like something that could be interesting to you? Hit reply and we’ll figure out the details!