I was terrible at football.

Football wasn’t about taking the ball to the other team’s net.

For me, football was about running behind the others who actually had the ball.

I didn’t have the skills or the attitude to tackle opponents, skillfully get the ball from them, and then carry it to the net. I lacked that killer instinct.

I hated competing.

Some people thrive in competition. They elbow their way to the front, are comfortable being the loudest in the room, and don’t shy away from aggression. But that wasn’t me.

I hated competing.

When my marketing career began, I knew I had to change. I figured I’d have no choice but to play the game, or I’d be toast.

I could win –

  • Only if my brand’s keywords ranked higher than my competitors’.
  • Only if I bid more than others on ads.
  • Only if I could show people why my brand’s features were better than the competition’s.
  • Only if I could game the algorithm better than everyone else.

But… I hated competing.

Then, I met some people who challenged this notion. Seth Godin, Rochelle Moulton, Andre Chaperon, Melanie Deziel, Sean D’Souza, Michelle Warner, Jonathan Stark and Jay Acunzo.

They helped me see that a different way was possible. Raw competition wasn’t the only way. I didn’t have to chase people aggressively.

I could attract the right audience by telling compelling stories.

With this approach, instead of running away from who I am, I felt at home. With these principles, I started offering services to Experts, Consultants, and Founders.

It wasn’t easy. But when I did my job well, I saw genuine trust developing. Deep relationships were formed.

What’s the point of this story?

Maybe there’s no point. Or maybe there is.

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