Step Nine: MAINTAIN Your Credibility
Success Is Found in Singularity
It’s so easy to string together a bunch of platitudes. . . . But what happens if you actually have a specific mission, a culture in mind, a manifesto for your actions?
Seth Godin
Success is interesting. The more you chase it, the faster it flees from you. Success isn’t something you achieve. It’s someone you become.
But cutting to the chase, how do we become successful?
Here’s what I know—true success begins and ends with credibility. I’ll demonstrate with a quick illustration. Think of a certain radio station in your area. What do they play?
Pop?
Oldies?
Rock?
Suppose one day you tune into that station and hear something completely unexpected. For example, let’s imagine you like country music. (You might really have to use your imagination.) But let’s also imagine you turn to that country music station and you hear rap instead.
Perplexed, you wait a couple of days.
Next time you turn to the same “country” station you hear classical music instead. After a short time, you’d lose both interest and respect.
Here’s why. Conflicting “frequencies” create confusion. Worse than that, they also erode credibility.
Often unintentionally, we see this played out daily, especially through social media.
Give it a try. Subscribe to someone’s Facebook status updates and listen for their frequency:
7 a.m.—Ranting about government and global warming.
10 a.m.—Posting his high score from the latest Facebook game.
12 p.m.—Linking to an article about new homeschool initiatives.
5 p.m.—Uploading a monster truck picture from the auto show downtown.
7 p.m.—Cursing the “bad” service experienced at a local restaurant.
10 p.m.—Announcing a new product line within his alarm system business.
If this guy’s updates were a radio station or television program, he’d be out on the street before noon on his first day.
Remember, you are your business. People don’t buy from you. They buy you. When you use social media to communicate mixed frequencies you confuse people. And when you confuse them you lose them.
People only follow brands they trust. Nobody pops open a Coca-Cola expecting to pour out 7-Up. Do that a few times, and you can kiss success—and stock value—good-bye.
Singularity attracts. Confusion repels.
What Song Are You Singing?
When I first began my business I was like that confusing country radio station. I didn’t know what frequency I broadcasted. To say it kindly, I was still finding myself. But to say it bluntly, I was repelling potential customers.
By the term frequency I mean intentional and unintentional attitudes, behaviors, and messages you broadcast to the world around you. And I’m not exaggerating in the least. Scientific studies prove that every living being broadcasts a vibrational frequency.
Women know this well. Oftentimes they’ll comment to their friends about a creepy guy giving them bad vibes. But vibes come in multiple forms, good and bad. In 1966 the American band the Beach Boys acknowledged the existence of positive vibes in their song “Good Vibrations.”
Vibrations attract or repel on a conscious and subconscious level. The more credibility, the more attraction. The less credibility, the less attraction.
When I began, despite my best intentions and a strong emphasis on integrity, I still lacked credibility. You could say I lacked brand integrity. Credibility flows from singularity, and I didn’t have much of either when I first started.
Flip to the back cover of my first four books and you’ll see what I mean. Each short bio contains a completely different frequency. It’s almost like four different music genres. No wonder success eluded me.
Frustrated, I made a firm commitment to figure it out. I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave my day job until I did.
To avoid confusing my tribe, I started studying certain people I respected. I looked at their frequencies. Each successful person had credibility in one specific area.
| Person | Frequency | ||
| Steve Jobs | Innovative pioneer | ||
| Dave Ramsey | Financial peacemaker | ||
| Harriet Tubman | Influential abolitionist | ||
| Marcus Buckingham | Strength-based leader | ||
| Bono | Humanitarian activist | ||
| Martin Luther King Jr. | Freedom fighter | ||
| John Eldredge | Unleashed heart | ||
A deeper look at DJs and you see a common trait. Their success is found in their singularity. These men and women earned credibility because they broadcasted one frequency.
You can too.
Write Your Manifesto
The easiest way to broadcast your frequency is by writing a manifesto—a short declaration of your intent. Manifestos are sometimes political, artistic, or poetic in nature. Throughout history manifestos have changed the world for the better or for the worse. Several popular ones include Benjamin Franklin’s “Thirteen Virtues,” the Humanist Manifesto, the Communist Manifesto, and in recent days, the Holstee Manifesto.
Manifestos force readers to pick a side by communicating values and invoking action. Three quick examples prove this point.
| Manifesto | Author | Action |
| The Sermon on the Mount | Jesus | Called followers to live out a new ethic here on earth based on principles of the heavenly kingdom. |
| The 95 Theses | Martin Luther | Protested common injustices within the Catholic Church and became the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. |
| The Declaration of Independence | Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress of 1776 | The thirteen American colonies declared themselves as independent states and no longer part of the British Empire. |
Manifestos are definitely on the rise:
The Washington Post recently published an article titled “How the Holstee Manifesto became the new ‘Just Do It.’”[1] (In less than two years over fifty million people read the manifesto.)
Life Hack added to the conversation with their own article titled “10 Insanely Awesome Inspirational Manifestos.”[2] (Ten great examples, ten different styles.)
The Writer’s Manifesto inspired thousands to write their own manifestos. Written by Jeff Goins, this manifesto inspired me to join the club. (Thanks, Jeff.)
I encourage you to write your own manifesto. Doing so will strengthen your community, clarity, and credibility. Here’s why:
Community—Manifestos invoke a response and invite people into your tribe.
Clarity—Manifestos implant a powerful idea because they’re bold and concise.
Credibility—Manifestos inject a singular frequency into your broadcast.
Manifestos are longer than a blog post, but shorter than a book. Think five hundred to five thousand words. Picking your topic is easier than you think. Just reference the first three steps in The Dream Jobber Plan. Review how you designed your story, your space, and your service. Here’s why:
Story—Manifestos tell others your perspective through the backdrop of your GPS.
Space—Manifestos reflect the values you want others to experience.
Service—Manifestos not only point out a problem, they also offer a solution.
After you complete your manifesto, increase your influence, impact, and income by uploading it to Kindle Direct Publishing. When you do, you’ll receive an “Author Central” website where you can share the most up-to-date information about yourself and your work with millions of readers. You’ll also get the opportunity to add your biography, photos, blog, video, and tour events to your page. All these services are free.[3]
Don’t skip out. Taking these steps will help you create your platform, your product, and your promotion. Here’s why:
Platform—Manifestos enable you to be seen and heard.
Product—Manifestos increase your influence, impact, and income.
Promotion—Manifestos fast-track you on The Promotion Path.
Write your manifesto in any word processor and simply convert it to a PDF. Or if you prefer, create it using Keynote slides (Mac’s version of PowerPoint). Then export it as a PDF. Or finally, utilize a program like Calibre, a free e-book conversion tool (www.calibre-ebook.com).
When you upload your manifesto, list it for a small price ($.99–$2.99). Consider following Brandon Clements’s lead by enrolling in KDP Select. Give it away for a few days at no charge. Before you do, announce it on www.authormarketingclub.com. Add more firepower by weaving your manifesto release into a few guest posts on strategic blogs. Here’s how:
Pitch the Guest Post—Check out “How to Pitch a Guest Post (Email Template Included)” by David Masters (http://bit.ly/pitchguestpost).
Write the Guest Post—See “Seven Steps to Writing a Successful Guest Post” by Jeff Goins (http://bit.ly/guestblogposts).
Create some hype before you release your manifesto to the world. Then after your KDP select campaign, give it as a free gift to those who enter their email addresses and subscribe to your blog. Your email service provider will deliver this automatically with an autoresponder. Just enter the url and away you go.
Increase your email subscriber rate by over 500 percent with Light-Box software. (Find this tool as well as dozens of others at DayJobToDreamJob.com/tools.)
Read a Manifesto
Rather then just tell you about manifestos, I’ll show you mine.
Visually speaking, I prefer the online version. I created it using Keynote slides, which enable links and images. I also embedded social media features to help spread the manifesto more easily. Feel free to “borrow” my format.[4]
The Igniting Souls Manifesto
Stop Sabotaging Your Own Success
by: Kary Oberbrunner
THE END
I Sabotage My Own Success
Someone planted three questions deep inside you . . .
Who am I?
Why am I here?
Where am I going?
Like a splinter in your mind,
you’ve been searching for these answers
your entire life.
And so have I.
Homesick for a place you’ve never been.
You want to know:
Your identity.
Your purpose.
Your context.
And so do I.
On the playground of life.
Without request, permission, or regard.
Kids gave their opinions on the matter.
And it hurt.
Truth be told.
These names still hurt.
Even today.
Time to stop the hurt and start the healing.
Time to stop sabotaging your success.
This manifesto is a key for those who feel caged from their own potential.
Time to get unlocked and unstuck.
Time for the world to feel your fire as you find your voice.
If this echoes in your awareness, read on.
PART 1
My Identity
I Know Who I Am
You’ll never outperform your own self-image.
If you view yourself a 2.
The world won’t raise your value to a 10.
The true misfits who made their mark knew two truths.
They knew who they were.
And they knew whose they were.
You seem to forget.
And so do I.
Time to stop taking inventory on all your shortcomings
and self-limiting beliefs.
Time to start listening to the melody line whispered
in modern movies and ancient literature.
“You’re more than what you’ve become.”
Stop playing not to lose.
Start playing to win.
“Remember who you are.”
Stop running from your past.
Start running toward your present.
“You once were lost, but now you’re found.”
Time to make your way back home.
PART 2
My Purpose
I Know Why I Am Here
Don’t accept “their” plans for your life.
Create your own life plan.
If you’ve lost your way, it’s because you’ve lost your why.
Stop numbing the pain.
And start embracing it.
You’re in a war.
Run to the fight
Stop running from it.
Courage will find you in your moment
and never a second before.
Pursue the passion that haunts you in your quiet moments.
Because you’ve been called and chosen.
Your purpose haunts you for a reason.
For one much BIGGER than yourself.
Failure and doubt aren’t your enemies.
Apathy and regret are.
They visit plenty of people,
Sitting on back porches,
Sipping glasses of lemonade,
Mixed with remorse.
Left to wonder . . .
What could be?
Should be?
and might have been?
Opportunity still calls their name,
But they’re too calloused to hear.
They stopped living long before they’re DEAD.
Pick a fight.
Fear reminds you you’re ALIVE.
PART 3
My Context
I Know Where I Should Invest My Life
Many people leave . . . to go find themselves.
Unfortunately . . . they have to take themselves along on the trip.
Running away is deceptive.
It overpromises
and underdelivers.
True travel is discovery—not escape.
Circumstances only change—when you do.
Freedom isn’t found in a place you go.
But in the person you become.
Exchange: Captivity for Creativity.
Trade: Routine for Risk.
Take inventory of what you’ll gain.
Stop fixating on what you’ll lose.
Safe and Sound . . . make horrible epitaphs.
Redeem the Day
Don’t simply seize it.
Invest your life in something that will outlive you.
Author your OPUS and make today your masterpiece.
THE BEGINNING
I Am a Soul on Fire
This manifesto isn’t the final word.
It may just be the first.
All great conversations happen with dialogue.
We’re waiting to hear your voice.
We’re waiting to feel your fire.
Stop sabotaging your success.
Become a Soul on Fire.
The most powerful weapon on earth is the human Soul on Fire.
End with a Clear Call to Action
Conclude your manifesto with a clear action step. Why challenge people without providing a context to further the conversation? Your manifesto isn’t the end, it’s simply the beginning.
I conclude my manifesto by asking readers to join my tribe. If my frequency resonates with them, I want to stay connected. I want to continue serving and adding value. I’m hoping for a long-term relationship, not just a short-term read.
To see how I utilized links within my manifesto, visit my free online version. To see the text version, simply keep reading.
JOIN THIS TRIBE
To find out more about Igniting Souls and how you can get involved in our community, copy and paste this address in your browser: DayJobToDreamJob.com.
SHARE THIS MANIFESTO
You are welcome to share this manifesto with anyone and everyone.
I only ask that you do not sell or change it in any way. Here are some ways to share:
Twitter | Facebook | Comments
For more ideas on how to share this manifesto and to offer feedback, visit The Igniting Souls Manifesto page.
EXPLORE THIS CONTENT
| Who am I? | Why am I here? | Where am I going? | ||
| Identity | Purpose | Context | ||
| Your Secret Name | The Deeper Path | Day Job to Dream Job | ||
Consider Adding Even More Value
Before signing off, consider providing additional content relevant to your topic. The goal is to give away your best stuff.
Recently, I created an exclusive training piece with some of my most helpful content. It’s called Discover Your Purpose. This free training shows you how to:
Hundreds of readers chose to engage with the training. The comments we received assured us our efforts were worth it. Feel free to learn from our example (http://bit.ly/DPpurpose).
At the very end of the free training, I explain more about The Deeper Path Coaching Cohort. Whether readers join a cohort or not is irrelevant. I can rest knowing I didn’t just talk about Igniting Souls. Instead, I also provided tools for the tribe to become Souls on Fire.
And at the end of the day, this is how I measure success—Igniting Souls.
Ready for the Payoff?
Now that you’ve experienced The Dream Jobber Plan, it’s time to taste the payoff. Andy didn’t just imagine an amazing plan to escape Shawshank. He also implemented the plan.
Pulling the trigger is the moment of truth.
So relax and take a deep breath.
You’ve prepared. And because you’ve prepared for the moment, the moment is prepared for you—including your escape.
Key Points
(If you RT, use #DJtoDJ to join the conversation with other DJs)