Yesterday I was on the phone with one of our customers.
She had enrolled in 3 of our courses and she had signed up for our Take Flight Now “pro” package, which included visual branding and copywriting.
What she told me at the end of the call is that we had accelerated her progress and helped her get to the core of what she was doing in a way that she didn’t have the tools to do on her own. Then she shared that our process seemed so organic and authentic. Previously she had been searching and searching outside of herself for clarity around her business. Our programs helped her go inside to find answers that were true to her.
Elizabeth had what I call a “fractal experience” of our work.
She was able to experience our authenticity (one of the qualities we’re complimented on most often) and she was able to receive the specific result of aligning her business with who she really was (our brand promise is building a business that expresses who you are).
Each program she invested in deepened and reinforced that experience until she found the result she was looking for. And each step of the way she stayed in relationship to us. She knew she could trust us and that we could help.
This is the result of becoming so clear about who we are and what we do that we can clearly replicate our message, our values and our brand voice in everything we produce, whether that’s an email, a blog post like this one, or an online program.
During our Brand in a Weekend workshop, I lead participants through the process of “becoming fractal.”
One of the exercises we do to practice their ability to express their brand is “story dice.” They roll a dice with pictures on each of the 6 faces of the dice. Then they give a quick impromptu talk related to their business that begins with the picture they’ve been given.
We had one student who was previously unclear and unfocused when it came to talking about her business all of a sudden give the most poetic inspiring talk you can imagine based on a picture of a footprint in the sand. It all came together when she got out of her head and used something seemingly unrelated to her business as a lens to share her message.
For the first time, she had the experience of being fractal. It didn’t matter what word or image she rolled, it doesn’t matter how scared and confused she felt, she had done enough work throughout the weekend that she was able to speak spontaneously on message, aligned with her values and in the spirit of their brand…
The entire room could feel it. All of a sudden we got her. We felt her. Not just her message, but why it mattered and why she was the one to deliver it.
You become fractal when you’re so clear on who you are and what you stand for that you can communicate your message and the emotional essence of why you do what you do everywhere. Every thing you say, write and do reinforces the pattern of who you are and what you stand for…
A fractal is a never-ending repeating pattern. Like a chambered nautilus or a romanesco broccoli.
No matter how big or how small the fractal, whether you zoom into a tiny piece or zoom out to see the whole, you always see the same pattern.
You can explore a fractal endlessly and it’s always the same.
Zoom in close – to a single blog post – and it appears self-contained and complete.
Zoom out – to your entire web presence – and see the pattern repeat.
Infinite. Aligned. Symmetrical. A space of endless possibility. A creative entrepreneur’s dream.
Regardless of whether someone meets you first on Facebook, on your website or in person, they have the same experience.
You’re congruent and aligned.
You “check out.”
You pass the “sniff test”.
They have the sense that “this person is for real. This person is the real deal.”
Fractal marketing is all about tuning into your core essence – what I call “the DNA of your business”.
When you know who you are and what you stand for, you can be aligned and congruent in the way that you present yourself. It doesn’t matter how or where you present yourself, you can convey your message with crystal clarity.
When you become fractal, when your marketing becomes fractal, everything you do online deepens and reinforces an impression.
Your tribe starts to know, like and trust you.
They get where you’re coming from and why you do what you do. And they choose to follow you as a teacher, mentor and leader.
And that’s the basis of becoming internet famous, of getting your message out and making a difference with who you are, what you know and the life you’ve lived.
Have you become fractal? Have you developed a voice that’s uniquely yours? Can someone tell it’s you writing that blog, writing that email, even if they don’t see your name?
Your brand and the relationships you create with your tribe are reinforced through everything you say, do or write. People trust you when you be yourself everywhere, when you express yourself authentically, when you become fractal in your marketing.
People choose to do business with real people. Not marketing formulas. Not machines.
What does your fractal look like? Join us at Message to Money Live to find out what your fractal looks like and how you can build a business that expresses who you are so you can be that superhero to your tribe. This weekend is the last chance to get your $197 early bird ticket before the price goes up.
Love it? Hate it? Let me know...
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I appreciate your post for a number of reasons. You are spot on when it comes to the fractal nature of human interaction and the way it tends to be principle-driven. I have been working with fractals in business since 2009, wrote my dissertation on the subject, gave a TEDX talk about it earlier this month, and recently published a book with David Boje on Fractal Change management. When I got started, I too thought the idea was brand new, but learned that others have worked with various aspects of complexity theory and related concepts applied to business since the 1980’s, most notably Glenda Eoyang of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute. I also have a colleague, Suzanne Tulien, whose book on Brand DNA might interest you as well. Again, congratulations on your insights and being one of the people who “gets it”! Drop me a line if you would like to join the broader conversation on this topic.
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Hey Tonya! I’m just seeing your post right now… and yes it’s a fascinating topic. I would love to hear more about the broader conversation if you see this. 🙂
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Thank you Marisa! So beautifully put. As I get clarity I also gain confidence in my message and freedom to express who I am and what I care about.
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Thank you!
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Hi Marissa,
You captured the essence of what I want my business to be and what it is.
Always working on “fractal” for my business, and there is a lot to learn every single day.
Thanks for sharing Marisa
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You’re welcome Hannah! How’s it going?
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