Drop the Niche, Grab a Mirror

Most people are building brands that aren’t real. They’re too perfect, too strategic. They spend more time trying to be liked instead of being true.

They copy someone else’s voice, and chase niche hacks.

They post tips and tricks, but never let us in on their story.

Then they wonder why no one sticks around and their brand isn’t growing.

Hard truth:

99% of creators fail because they don’t know who they are.

With that being said, here is a framework I used to fix this and make sure it didn’t kill my growth.

1. Know Yourself First

Before you build a brand, define YOU.

• What do you believe that others are afraid to say?

• What hard-earned lessons keep repeating itself?

• What you do you value more than money?

• What advice are you giving for free?

To help with this, sit alone for 5-10 minutes a day. It’s important to go inward, you won’t find these answers on the outside.

You can also walk alone for 10 minutes.

Practice giving your subconscious a prompt before you do (one of those questions), then focus on the rhythm of your footsteps or breathing and let go.

2. Define Who You Serve

Your brand isn’t for everyone. It’s for someone specific.

Someone who sees themselves in you. That’s why generic content fades away, trying to be for “everyone” is recipe for failure.

To connect, ask yourself the following:

• What do they secretly want that they’re afraid to admit?

• How is their story just a few steps behind yours?

• What is your audience silently struggling with?

For the last question, the answer is typically something you’ve struggled with and overcame in the past 1-2 years.

The more personal your story, the more universal it becomes.

Which leads me into the next point…

3. Share Your Story (Not Just Skills)

Hate to break it to you, but no one will follow you because you sound smart. They follow you because you are real.

Most people don’t care about credentials, they care about character.

Your audience wants know:

• What have you overcome?

• Who are you becoming?

• What are you building?

That journey becomes your brand, and this will evolve over time.

When people look at you, they should feel like they are staring at a part of themselves in a mirror.

4. Publish Before You’re Ready

Perfection is a mask, and an obvious one at that. Waiting until you “have it figured out” is a lie fear tells you. No one has it figured out, not even top creators.

Post before you’re ready:

• Share your mistakes

• Share your opinions

• Share your shifts

Remember - perfect content gets ignored, real content connects.

5. Engage Like a Human

No AI replies. No fake hype. It has become very noticeable that tons of comments and replies are from bots.

Treat interactions like you’re talking to a friend, be human about it.

• Encourage people from your point of view

• Share your unique perspective

• Add your story into the mix

People remember how you made them feel, use your words to draw out their emotion.

So how do you take this and turn it into growth?

Here are 5 steps I’ve personally used to see results:

Step 1: Offer What Helped You

Build a digital product (mini course, template) that is a reflection of your breakthroughs.

Ask:

• What solved your biggest pain?

• What would’ve saved you 6 months of confusion?

Build that and share it. Even if you’re 1 step ahead, it’s enough.

My first digital product was an identity shift guide, I personally used all of the lessons in it to become someone new. Now it helps others do the same.

This guide is still building my brand, even after a few months of the release.

Feel free to download it here, if you haven’t already.

Step 2: Repurpose With Intention

When you post content to platforms like X or Substack make sure you keep track of which ones drive the most profile visits. This is the metric you want to optimize for.

Save your best performers, then repurpose your winners:

• Comments become hooks

• Short posts become threads

• Threads become newsletters

You will start to notice what topics or themes really resonate, you can then begin building an offer or product around this.

It’s exactly what I’m doing here.

Step 3: Claim Your Edge

You don’t need permission to lead, there’s no reason to wait around for anyone’s approval. Just post the transformation you went through, and help others create:

• I help people go from “X” to “Y”

• This is what I believe, and here’s the proof

Yes, it can truly be as simple as this. Most people are overcomplicating this whole online business thing, don’t be most people.

Step 4: Evolve in Public

The most magnetic brands aren’t static. They evolve in real time, in front of their audience.

Let people watch your thinking shift, let them grow with you.

That’s how a follower becomes a fan, and a fan becomes a client.

Step 5: Stay True to You

Trends fade, but truth always compounds. The more you write, the more you will get to know yourself.

The more you know yourself, the better you can help others on their path.

Your life will become the brand, your insights become the asset, and your name becomes the leverage.

Final thought:

Your personal brand doesn’t start with strategy.

It starts with some self-evaluation and honesty.

Know yourself, and share it with your audience.

Remember, content isn’t king…identity is.

Thanks for reading!

Dom

P.S.

I am helping a few creators with the following:

• Brand clarity

• Aligned audience growth

• Building their brand offer

DM me “BRAND” on X or message me on Substack, have 3 spots left.