Show Your Journey

I postponed writing on X for a long time. 

Not only was I afraid of people judging me, but I was also confused about what I was going to write about.

Now that I look back, I overthought this a lot. As long as you take that first step, everything becomes clear down the line.

But I know there are people out there, especially beginners, who do not know what to talk about.

They struggle to find what to share. 

Since they’re not famous and good at something, they believe whatever they want to share is not worth sharing.

I used to feel the same way. I’d be wondering if what I wanted to write was worth it or if anybody would ever actually read it.

That was until I realized something… 

Not everyone is an expert.

Crazy, right?

I don’t know why people choose to believe that if you’re not making complicated content for experts, you’re not gonna make it.

But that’s a blatant lie.  

Yes, there are a lot of people ahead of you, but there’s an even bigger amount of people behind you: beginners.

Beginners, like you were at some point, are looking for someone they can relate to. Someone who can teach them which steps to take while making them feel understood.

Most of your content should be made for those who are 1-2 steps behind you, and the easiest way to get them to relate with you and what you’re writing is by sharing your journey.

Why Beginners Face Writer's Blocks So Often

Almost all writers face the so-called “writer's block,” but I’m pretty sure that beginners are the ones that get affected the most by it.

Mainly because experts have their own methods to beat that monster.

But for beginners, the lack of experience plus the lack of things to write about is overwhelming.

You’re afraid to put your work out there and when you finally have the courage, your mind is blank. 

I’ve been there.

• You feel like what you want to share is not good enough to share.

• You feel that no one will read what you write since you don't have the “credibility” for it (this is partly right.)

• You don’t know what to write about since you don't have that much experience ending in the so-called “writer’s block.”

As a beginner (because I’m still a beginner in this online writing thing) it’s a pretty rough spot to be in.

With all that and the perfectionism that most of us bring to the online game, no wonder many people quit that quickly.

What most beginners don’t grasp is that writing super elaborate, good content is a tedious task that consumes a lot of time.

And when you’re a beginner, it is not the most time-effective solution.

You can spend hours researching and writing a long-form about X topic, only for it to flop when you publish it.

When you’re a beginner, this not only makes all your efforts seem wasted, but it can also make you dread writing.

I know all this firsthand because this has happened to me plenty of times.

That’s when writing stories and sharing your journey comes in clutch.

You don’t have to worry about the topics you are writing about since you’re writing about YOU.

Think about it quickly. 

No one knows more about you than yourself, you’re an expert on that “topic”. Because of that, you don’t have to research.

And because you don’t have to research, it is quick and easy to write, at least easier than when you’re writing about a particular topic from scratch.

Last but not least, stories are the reason people connect on a deeper level with you. Stories are what allow you to find those raving fans. 

People crave authenticity, personality, and human connection.

Everyone is tired of seeing Dan Koe copycats (that kind of includes me lol) that make some random philosophical post and then log out without even interacting with anyone.

I’ve seen plenty of guys on X doing that and it is one of the worst ways to get a personal brand up and running. 

If you’re not making friends and connecting with those who follow you, it isn’t a personal brand, it is a quote page.

People want to know about YOU.

What do you bring? What’s your story? What makes you different?

Your experiences and specific knowledge, that’s your competitive advantage.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, has lived the same life you have.

Sure, sometimes stuff overlaps and people share some life experiences, but there’s always something different about you from other people.

There’s also another interesting component to this “sharing your journey” thing: 

People love the underdogs.

Why is it when we watch movies that we always root for the person who is losing?

Why do we always root for the person going through the tribes and tribulations?

That’s because we, humans, know how valuable the journey is, and we even place it above the destination.

People love seeing the journey.

Say you’re a rich guy who grinded his ass for 10 years and now you’re enjoying your money in your 20s. So you decide to start posting videos to YouTube showing your lifestyle.

Without context, people are either going to call you a grifter or a trust fund baby, because all they’re seeing is the destination.

Now imagine the opposite situation. Say you recorded all those 10 years you grinded and you kept people updated about what was going on with your life. 

When you upload those videos enjoying your lifestyle, people ain’t gonna bat an eye. In fact, they’re going to be saying how much you deserve it because they were able to see what you went through.

Brands of guys like Iman Ghadzi and Hamza are 100% built under this one premise of sharing your journey.

So many guys follow Iman because he has been recording everything since he was a broke teenager from a single-mom household.

From going on random reunions with clients as a 16-year-old to buying Maybach’s like it’s candy.

This is the single thing that made him 100x more successful than any guy in the agency space.

People saw him go from an underdog to a super successful guy retiring his mom, buying supercars, and living in Dubai, which allowed him to connect with his dream audience: teenagers wanting to make money online and do the same thing as he did.

Yet none of this would have been possible had he not shared his journey.

Based on that, my best word of advice: start sharing your journey.

Don’t wait much longer. The sooner you start, the more time people have to fall in love with your journey.

And never say again: “I don’t know what to write about bro!!”

Write about your life mf. Your life is the only thing that cannot be replicated.

Now, before you get excited about the whole “share your journey” thing, keep something in mind: 

A personal brand is about you, your personality, and your journey. But it is also about helping others.

If all you do is talk about yourself, it stops being a brand and becomes a diary, which is not bad if that’s what you want. But if you want to help others and make money, it is a no-go.

You need to talk about specific topics while using personal stories and your journey to convey that message.

Stories and personal content are good because they help you connect with people on a deeper level.

Niche topics are good because they help you establish authority and competence, which will get you clients.

So go out there and start talking more about yourself, but keep it balanced with competence content.

If you already do this, great. If you don’t, set the goal to start doing it more often. 

• Start writing more about yourself.

• Start telling your stories.

• And set the goal to always keep a record of what you’re doing on your social media. Use it as a place to show people what you’re cooking.

Do all this and I can assure you, you will build a badass personal brand.

That is all from me.

PS - If you liked this, you’ll probably like the rest of my stuff, go check it out here.

Hope you enjoyed this letter, see you next week.

PPS - I’m sorry for being gone from Twitter :( My job has been eating my time and I have not been managing my time right, but I should be back by the time you read this. Love you vro ❤️

Tu amigo,
- Manuel