Stop Competing. Start Defining the Game.

There’s quiet power in being the first to start a new conversation, instead of shouting louder in an old one. A clear "Category Point of View" turns you from “another option” into the obvious choice.

If you’re the face of your business, visibility alone isn’t the goal. The real win is defining the game, quietly writing your own rules and inviting others to join.

You don’t build a name just to be noticed - you build it to reset the conversation and lead it. That’s when you stop chasing attention and start creating momentum, and when people naturally gather around your work.

 The flip side is that people will emulate (occasionally copy!) but that’s ultimately the litmus test and true definition of a thought leader....that people follow your thoughts, as they’re constantly “ahead” of the mainstream.

Practically, that looks like:

- Naming the shift you stand for.
What changes because of you?

- Stating it simply.
If you can’t say it in one or two lines, it’s not sharp enough.

- Planting your flag.
Use the same language across your content, talks, offers and bio so people can’t miss it.

Make It Stick In Their Mind

I hold a core positioning statement (fluid enough to evolve, just as I do) that guides everything I share. If content or opportunities don’t align with it, I let them go. That single discipline keeps my category clear in people’s minds.

People are scanning at speed. To earn mental real estate you need three things working together:

- Be different.
Say what others aren’t saying, or say it in a way only you can. Your stories and your unique point of view are your edge.

- Be consistent.
Repetition isn’t boring, it’s branding. Same message, many angles, often.

- Be memorable.
Use hooks, visuals and patterns people can recall. Think simple phrases, signature frameworks, colours, relatable metaphors.

The same week this post was created, a new service station opened a few blocks away from where I live. It was a rebrand of a service station chain “Solo” that was big in the 70’s and 80’s.

Also big in the 80’s was a soft drink “Solo” of the same name. Memorable for two main reasons.

1. It was the first soft drink to directly appeal to men (until that time soft drinks had focused primarily on families and young people and fun). This one was positioned as a “pub-style” non-alcoholic alternative.

2. The “Solo Man” marketing was genius, and anyone who grew up in Australia in that time will remember the Solo man, kayaking down rapids, wrestling brumbies.. …. always ending with the unforgettable line: “light on the fizz so you can slam it down fast.”

40 years later, with nary a thought about it in between, I found myself singing the tune, word for word, without skipping a bit…”you’ve got a work it hard to be a solo man, you’ve got to take the lead and make the others follow…..”

Now it ties in quite nicely that here we’re talking about an ad advocating for “take the lead and make the others follow” but the lessons and parallels here are plentiful.

Here’s what we can learn from this very memorable old-school marketing campaign, against the criteria we looked at earlier.

Solo was different: 
Solo appealed to men, showcased, high-intensity sport (decades before Red Bull was even thought of) and associating the drink with a blokey-macho vibe.

Solo was consistent:
The visual imagery and positioning was consistent. Much like the very memorable beer ads of the same era (VB, Fosters, Swan, anyone?). Smart, careful repetition is the cornerstone of a brand that’s clear to understand what it stands for.

Solo was memorable:
Anyone who grew up in Australia in the 70,s and 80’s will remember the apex moment of these ads “you’ve got to crack a solo” and “light on the fizz so you can slam it down fast”

As personal brands, we can learn a lot from this.

How to make your personal brand stand out.

Consistent brand positioning for a personal brand is unlikely to look like running high-production TV ads for a decade, but there are principles we can adopt.

Be different:
How are you visibly, energetically, and practically distinct, not just in your marketing, but in what you deliver and what you stand for? How does your audience feel that difference?

Be consistent:
It’s now an art form to be able to reinforce what you are about, communicating the same core message, with subtle orientations that don’t detract from the main message but support it. (this is one of the main reasons I co-founded Virtually Myself, because it’s a smart and strategic way to do this, keeping your content interesting and on point, without it being boring....and if you're wondering)

Be memorable: 
What is it about you that intrigues or resonates with people? Today, being “good at what you do” isn’t enough. You also need to be good at sharing it, in a way people recall you not as a commoditised service, but as a category of one.

Visionary Positioning requires a consistent, visible presence.

That doesn’t mean you need to grind. It means you need a few visible, repeatable levers that keep signaling even when you’re resting.

If you’re not sure where to start, my Power Combo® breaks this down and makes it easy, helping you understand how to turn your “category of one” into a memorable and magnetic brand presence, that attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones.

Now I’m no “Solo Man” (clearly) but I do embrace the principles of being different, consistent and memorable and apply them to my brand of being a future-focused thought leader in the area of personal branding.

Here’s  quick check I use:
- Could a client describe my core idea to a friend easily, during coffee-chat-chat?
- Does my last month of content look like it came from one person with one strong idea?
- Is there a clear differentiator they could name that sets me apart in my space?

Create Pull With Your Point Of View

When your flag is clear and your message is consistent, your brand starts to act like a magnet over time. People who resonate feel it, relief, clarity, energy. They don’t need chasing. They self-select, lean in and stay close because your take helps them move.

Build that pull by:

- Leading with lived insight. Share what you’ve tested, wins, missteps and what you’d do differently next time.

- Showing the path. Tell people what to do next, not just what to think. Make the next step small and doable.

- Holding the nerve. Category leadership compounds. Give your message time to take root.

This isn’t about noise. It’s about legacy. When you own your category and keep showing up with purpose, you don’t just join the conversation, you set the agenda.

Make it easy for the right people to find you.
The time to lead is now.