1
00:00:39,464 --> 00:00:44,574
Welcome back to another episode with us today is the CEO of Decommoditize Jesse Roblowski.
2
00:00:44,574 --> 00:00:54,033
Decommoditize.com is the leading provider of brand differentiation consulting to help
privately held firms reclaim their leadership positions in crowded spaces.
3
00:00:54,033 --> 00:00:55,413
Jesse, so excited to have you on.
4
00:00:55,413 --> 00:00:56,260
How you doing today?
5
00:00:56,260 --> 00:00:56,752
Great, man.
6
00:00:56,752 --> 00:00:58,510
Thanks so much for having me.
7
00:00:58,535 --> 00:01:01,475
We always like to ask our entrepreneurs, tell us more about your journey.
8
00:01:01,475 --> 00:01:04,189
What were you doing before that kind of led you into where you are today?
9
00:01:04,189 --> 00:01:16,449
I had the realization that I call I became the dreaded C word and the C word is
commoditized and a lot of people kind of throw that throw that term around.
10
00:01:16,449 --> 00:01:20,893
So I'll just kind of give you my own personal definition of what I think it is.
11
00:01:20,893 --> 00:01:29,204
when I started in this business 27 years ago, I would get calls from my clients and it
would be like, you're the only guy that could solve this.
12
00:01:29,204 --> 00:01:32,738
have these problems and there was like a lot of pride in what I was
13
00:01:32,738 --> 00:01:44,982
And then over the years as the marketplace gets more crowded people couldn't tell the
difference between a great web designer or a marketer and a garbage one so that kind of
14
00:01:44,982 --> 00:01:54,702
took some of the shine that the bloom was off the rose a little bit and I wanted that that
that pride back when you people would call it wouldn't be like well You can do you're
15
00:01:54,702 --> 00:01:56,862
doing it for 500 this guy says 400.
16
00:01:56,862 --> 00:01:57,842
What's the difference?
17
00:01:57,842 --> 00:01:58,242
Right?
18
00:01:58,242 --> 00:02:01,727
So I decided that I wasn't going to just take it laying dead
19
00:02:01,727 --> 00:02:12,386
And I realized during my thought process there was a lot of alignments with how a
supervillain thinks right I wrote the book marketing for supervillains if you think of a
20
00:02:12,386 --> 00:02:22,636
traditional supervillain most of the time and this is a Pitfall that a lot of my clients
fall into when they're entering a market There's always like a super brand in the market
21
00:02:22,636 --> 00:02:28,370
and that that super brand is equivalent to like a superhero They have big muscles which in
marketing
22
00:02:28,370 --> 00:02:30,026
Equates to big budgets.
23
00:02:30,026 --> 00:02:31,557
They have huge public favor.
24
00:02:31,557 --> 00:02:32,648
Everybody knows who they are.
25
00:02:32,648 --> 00:02:33,519
They usually like them.
26
00:02:33,519 --> 00:02:40,810
They usually have a huge head start and then my client comes along or someone like me
comes along says well I want to look like those guys.
27
00:02:40,810 --> 00:02:42,015
I want to act like those guys.
28
00:02:42,015 --> 00:02:47,244
I want to be like those guys and If you think about super villains They usually don't have
big muscles.
29
00:02:47,244 --> 00:02:54,129
They have to outsmart or outwit the big brands So while some of my clients foolishly say
all right, we're gonna try and
30
00:02:54,129 --> 00:02:55,089
Do what they do.
31
00:02:55,089 --> 00:02:56,420
We're gonna spend what they spend.
32
00:02:56,420 --> 00:03:05,046
We're gonna try to out social media them do better an SEO It takes a supervillain mindset
to kind of find that that hole in the line where you can get a couple yards and start
33
00:03:05,046 --> 00:03:16,944
chipping away at market share So it's kind of a lot of parallels And yeah, I mean I'd love
to share what I'm doing You know what I can help your listeners do in order to fight off
34
00:03:16,944 --> 00:03:19,250
that dreaded c-word of being commoditized
35
00:03:19,250 --> 00:03:19,940
Absolutely.
36
00:03:19,940 --> 00:03:23,871
~ Super excited about that topic and just your journey in general.
37
00:03:23,871 --> 00:03:26,892
And it is so important to try to differentiate yourself.
38
00:03:26,892 --> 00:03:30,883
But like you said, people try to copy what the biggest player is doing right now.
39
00:03:30,883 --> 00:03:36,905
And typically when someone's asked what makes you different, what makes you special, they
freeze up their loss.
40
00:03:36,905 --> 00:03:39,246
They're not sure what that means.
41
00:03:39,246 --> 00:03:46,834
So I'm sure you can help us kind of find what that is through a series of steps and
frameworks on just trying to,
42
00:03:46,834 --> 00:03:50,196
I'm to find the words here.
43
00:03:50,196 --> 00:03:51,087
Just standing out from
44
00:03:51,087 --> 00:03:52,401
the crowd, right.
45
00:03:52,401 --> 00:03:55,692
I look back at my career when the pandemic hit, right?
46
00:03:55,692 --> 00:04:00,124
I think everybody did that soul searching and they tried to figure out what they wanted to
be when they grew up.
47
00:04:00,124 --> 00:04:09,929
And I realized not only the projects that I felt most fulfilling on, but I made the most
impact or bang for the buck for my clients were the ones where I took, you know, almost
48
00:04:09,929 --> 00:04:13,863
boring products or commoditized products and I injected them with life.
49
00:04:13,863 --> 00:04:17,685
I got brought them to life and they were able to do what they did on their own.
50
00:04:17,685 --> 00:04:18,367
I figured,
51
00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:18,938
doing that.
52
00:04:18,938 --> 00:04:20,469
seems to be very successful.
53
00:04:20,469 --> 00:04:24,385
Let's figure out how to differentiate.
54
00:04:24,385 --> 00:04:30,356
Every business book out there says, find your differentiator, find your USP, and they
leave it at that.
55
00:04:30,356 --> 00:04:32,878
It's incredibly, incredibly difficult.
56
00:04:32,878 --> 00:04:39,509
The second part of that is, okay, now that you have it, succinctly explain it to the world
in one sentence.
57
00:04:39,509 --> 00:04:41,321
What makes you differentiated?
58
00:04:41,321 --> 00:04:45,319
I kind of went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out,
59
00:04:45,319 --> 00:04:49,722
all this information out there, a lot of it's a little cloudy and murky.
60
00:04:49,722 --> 00:04:57,368
How can I codify this and make it easy step by step that someone could follow along and
actually uncover their meaningful differentiator?
61
00:04:57,368 --> 00:05:00,990
in volume one of Marketing for Supervillains, I kind of like laid the groundwork.
62
00:05:00,990 --> 00:05:02,495
Like this is why you should do it.
63
00:05:02,495 --> 00:05:11,461
There's a free download of what I call the universe of differentiation, which is basically
12 different categories of how big brands throughout history have successfully
64
00:05:11,461 --> 00:05:12,081
differentiated.
65
00:05:12,081 --> 00:05:12,712
themselves.
66
00:05:12,712 --> 00:05:16,100
can kind of like categorize yourself and maybe one of those brands.
67
00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:19,560
And then the demand came like, okay, we're in.
68
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,793
How do we get, even further?
69
00:05:20,793 --> 00:05:23,775
How do we fully embrace our super villain lifestyle?
70
00:05:23,775 --> 00:05:32,018
So I came up with Volume 2, ~ which is a six step framework on fully embracing your
marketing super villainism.
71
00:05:32,018 --> 00:05:33,492
it's all there.
72
00:05:33,492 --> 00:05:38,369
I hope I did a great job of, picking up where most business books lay.
73
00:05:38,369 --> 00:05:43,949
~ kind of let you out of the nest and you try to fly but you flop and fall on the ground.
74
00:05:43,949 --> 00:05:45,030
Right, absolutely.
75
00:05:45,030 --> 00:05:55,674
And I think just the way things are changing and evolving, it's gonna change the way that
we connect with clients, how we communicate with them, and what that journey looks like
76
00:05:55,674 --> 00:05:56,227
with them.
77
00:05:56,227 --> 00:06:00,967
Can you tell me more what you think the future of the client connectivity is gonna look
like?
78
00:06:01,226 --> 00:06:07,679
I think a majority of businesses out there, you think of the marketplace like a party,
right?
79
00:06:07,679 --> 00:06:09,160
They just want to be at the party.
80
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,371
They want to be on social media.
81
00:06:11,371 --> 00:06:13,202
They want to be part of the conversation.
82
00:06:13,202 --> 00:06:17,173
They're not really leading the conversation or creating any insights.
83
00:06:17,173 --> 00:06:20,635
just, like everyone else is on Facebook, I guess we got to be on Facebook.
84
00:06:20,635 --> 00:06:23,156
And I call that commoditized content, right?
85
00:06:23,156 --> 00:06:26,038
So you're posting content for content's sake.
86
00:06:26,038 --> 00:06:27,404
It's digital tofu.
87
00:06:27,404 --> 00:06:30,253
And it's a million times easier
88
00:06:30,253 --> 00:06:36,123
now because a few years ago you'd have to actually sit and write a blog and did require
some legwork.
89
00:06:36,123 --> 00:06:46,047
Now you can just write out you know a hundred blogs with chat GPT and now you got like a
wingman whispering in your ear just all this stuff to say and you multiply that by every
90
00:06:46,047 --> 00:06:55,081
business out there and it's going to be just complete overload and I think the quality
over quantity argument will be more
91
00:06:55,081 --> 00:07:08,216
Over the years as quantity is just going to explode right back in I think 2019 scientists
Discovered something that human beings had never done before it was an indicator of their
92
00:07:08,216 --> 00:07:21,003
future behavior and that was we're willing to pay more for less and where that comes into
play is again thinking back to 2019 is the the television industry right you can get 200
93
00:07:21,003 --> 00:07:21,810
channels for
94
00:07:21,810 --> 00:07:32,456
30 cents each but people are now saying what I want one channel I want BBC app for five
bucks I'll pay five bucks because I know I don't have to scroll through 200 channels to
95
00:07:32,456 --> 00:07:41,651
get through all the crap to find the one thing I want so I think that's a trend you know
if you want to call it human climate change we're starting to get to a point where there's
96
00:07:41,651 --> 00:07:49,419
just I can watch any movie at any time listen to any song anytime I need someone to help
curate me curate that and
97
00:07:49,419 --> 00:07:53,210
me discover things that I want and I'll be willing to pay for that.
98
00:07:53,210 --> 00:08:01,961
So if you think about social media and every brand pumping out a hundred boring blogs,
you're actually going to damage your brand just being at the party because people are
99
00:08:01,961 --> 00:08:03,054
going to be like, you know what?
100
00:08:03,054 --> 00:08:04,984
This guy's never says anything interesting.
101
00:08:04,984 --> 00:08:05,901
Get him out of here.
102
00:08:05,901 --> 00:08:07,768
I want, the curated stuff.
103
00:08:07,768 --> 00:08:08,590
So I think
104
00:08:08,590 --> 00:08:13,966
being differentiated is going to be a huge element for business success in the future.
105
00:08:13,966 --> 00:08:18,094
Yeah, it's like the guy who's talking just for the sake of talking, nothing important to
say.
106
00:08:18,094 --> 00:08:19,602
It's like, just get that out of here.
107
00:08:19,602 --> 00:08:23,510
you look at your social media and see now it's like...
108
00:08:23,510 --> 00:08:29,432
you know, whatever brand you use is competing with Netflix and it's an even playing field.
109
00:08:29,432 --> 00:08:33,553
So Netflix has the latest trailer for their latest limited, serial killer series.
110
00:08:33,553 --> 00:08:36,810
And then you're coming up with, five mistakes of SEO in 2026.
111
00:08:36,810 --> 00:08:38,202
It's like,
112
00:08:38,202 --> 00:08:39,856
it's just the different amount of weight.
113
00:08:39,856 --> 00:08:48,858
Then you look at like Liquid Death who's selling water and they constantly put out,
consistent, amazing content that is right up there that could steal my attention right
114
00:08:48,858 --> 00:08:49,863
away from Netflix.
115
00:08:49,863 --> 00:08:50,463
Mm-hmm.
116
00:08:50,463 --> 00:08:54,310
And do you think customers as a whole are becoming choosier?
117
00:08:54,310 --> 00:09:02,000
Because it feels like price just isn't the only factor anymore if they are willing to pay
more for less, quote unquote, but I feel like they perceive more value.
118
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:08,496
Yes, so mean one of the biggest definitions or contributors to commoditization is an
explosion of choice.
119
00:09:08,496 --> 00:09:20,047
So you take any industry, you add more options and people are just going to be overwhelmed
and they're going to look for whatever tent pole is their own personal tent pole.
120
00:09:20,047 --> 00:09:29,327
I want it fast, I want it cheap, I want it to look good so when I'm carrying a water
bottle around people think there's some cache to it.
121
00:09:29,729 --> 00:09:29,999
that
122
00:09:29,999 --> 00:09:33,663
is, I no longer have to ~ compare and contrast.
123
00:09:33,663 --> 00:09:37,730
There's a hundred different jars of peanut butter in the aisle.
124
00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:46,185
It's harder in some sense, but I'm not going to go online and figure out the truly the
best formula is, unless that really fits my personality.
125
00:09:46,185 --> 00:09:54,018
So I think you have to start appealing to clients in more than just what was previously
your differentiator, your best
126
00:09:54,098 --> 00:09:59,621
recipe, the best products, the best customer service and kind of give them a cocktail to
choose from.
127
00:09:59,639 --> 00:10:00,859
Yes, absolutely.
128
00:10:00,859 --> 00:10:11,079
And I feel like a lot of businesses are a little too worried or focused on having to
produce that the best quality content rather than just being normal or human.
129
00:10:11,079 --> 00:10:18,764
And I almost feel like there's been a shift over the years towards like highly produced
content versus kind of your average Joe, everyday person.
130
00:10:18,764 --> 00:10:21,084
I think people are connecting with that more.
131
00:10:21,084 --> 00:10:26,893
Do you think that plays a role into some of the commoditization that we have today?
132
00:10:26,893 --> 00:10:27,590
yes and no.
133
00:10:27,590 --> 00:10:33,072
Like I see probably half of the commercials on TV now are formatted to look like a TikTok.
134
00:10:33,072 --> 00:10:34,473
So they're like vertical.
135
00:10:34,473 --> 00:10:40,347
It's a person, So on one sense, they are leaning towards, they're trying to appeal.
136
00:10:40,347 --> 00:10:44,379
But on the other side, on the other hand, like you said, they're just copying what's
popular.
137
00:10:44,379 --> 00:10:46,618
Is there really any authenticity behind that?
138
00:10:46,618 --> 00:10:51,898
I think, like you said, it all comes down to that authentic angle, whatever the tool is to
get
139
00:10:51,898 --> 00:10:56,185
you there, whether it's low produced, high produced, vertical format, landscape.
140
00:10:56,185 --> 00:11:00,048
I think it's all about the content and the message and the authenticity.
141
00:11:00,048 --> 00:11:02,372
How you get there, really don't think it matters.
142
00:11:02,372 --> 00:11:03,102
Absolutely.
143
00:11:03,102 --> 00:11:12,305
And when businesses are, trying to, set themselves apart, there's this shift that happens
where I almost feel like they're trying to sell themselves too hard or they're doing a lot
144
00:11:12,305 --> 00:11:14,826
of outbound work for their leads and customers.
145
00:11:14,826 --> 00:11:25,234
And once you're standing out, you are suddenly creating this in inbound organic lead
generation system for yourself, where people are recognizing you, they're referring you,
146
00:11:25,234 --> 00:11:27,685
they're leaving reviews all the time.
147
00:11:27,685 --> 00:11:34,077
And that's a big shift in business to feel like you're putting so much effort out into
everybody wants me or it seems like it.
148
00:11:34,077 --> 00:11:36,484
Yeah, I mean, it's a power dynamic, right?
149
00:11:36,484 --> 00:11:42,977
when you excel in your industry or business, or you've been doing it long enough, it feels
weird.
150
00:11:42,977 --> 00:11:46,693
every sales call is basically me asking you, right?
151
00:11:46,693 --> 00:11:49,204
So, hey, Chris, can I help you differentiate?
152
00:11:49,204 --> 00:11:50,154
Can I sell you this?
153
00:11:50,154 --> 00:11:51,315
Can I offer you this service?
154
00:11:51,315 --> 00:11:53,006
And that puts you in the power seat, right?
155
00:11:53,006 --> 00:11:54,347
You're the client, you're the power.
156
00:11:54,347 --> 00:11:59,379
But me as an expert that's been doing this for 27 years, I should really have the power,
right?
157
00:11:59,379 --> 00:12:01,220
Like I should guide you as to what
158
00:12:01,220 --> 00:12:02,465
I think is best.
159
00:12:02,465 --> 00:12:06,325
So there's a book put out by Blair Ends and he just crystallizes it perfectly.
160
00:12:06,325 --> 00:12:07,818
He calls it the flip, right?
161
00:12:07,818 --> 00:12:11,550
I am going out there with my hand out and asking you for business.
162
00:12:11,550 --> 00:12:19,513
I need to do something and it's usually on my social media where I write something so
insightful that Chris reads it and goes, wow, I got to work with this guy.
163
00:12:19,513 --> 00:12:21,128
I never heard anybody say it like that.
164
00:12:21,128 --> 00:12:24,726
Now Chris calls me and says, hey, I read what you, you're a smart guy.
165
00:12:24,726 --> 00:12:25,586
can I work with you?
166
00:12:25,586 --> 00:12:26,001
Right?
167
00:12:26,001 --> 00:12:28,431
So now all of a sudden that power dynamic flipped.
168
00:12:28,431 --> 00:12:36,205
And I think that's, as business owners, as professionals, as people that constantly refine
their skills, that's kind of what we want to be known for.
169
00:12:36,205 --> 00:12:45,213
I think, in most cases, that's where the client, regardless, is going to get the most
value as opposed to them, and, I'll be there in five minutes, I'll miss the Zoom meeting,
170
00:12:45,213 --> 00:12:53,511
I'll show up late, Like we're here to do business and we're here to do our best and let me
lead and I think we'll come out with much better output.
171
00:12:53,511 --> 00:12:54,544
I love that.
172
00:12:54,544 --> 00:13:03,514
Now, Jesse, can you tell me more about some of your ideal clients, the people you work
best with, or just your favorite stories or results of people that you work with?
173
00:13:03,514 --> 00:13:14,968
Sure, when I was going through my soul searching and trying to figure out what I wanted to
do when I grew up, I came up with, I wanted to take the most boring products and services
174
00:13:14,968 --> 00:13:17,900
imaginable and make them full of personality.
175
00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:23,859
And a couple coaches and consultants said, yeah, that's great, but no one's gonna
self-identify as boring, right?
176
00:13:23,859 --> 00:13:26,393
And they're say, hey, I'm boring, let's work together.
177
00:13:26,393 --> 00:13:30,744
I had to kind of come up with a different way of saying it, right?
178
00:13:30,744 --> 00:13:41,400
I mean it's anyone and I have the list in volume one of about 40 ~ Signals you go through
the list and you kind of calculate What your score is as to?
179
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,543
Where you are on the scale of being commoditized because most people don't want to admit
it.
180
00:13:45,543 --> 00:13:47,494
They say like yeah, you know what?
181
00:13:47,494 --> 00:13:48,665
There's a lot of competitors.
182
00:13:48,665 --> 00:13:53,498
There's an app with a Super Bowl commercial There's all these things but you know what
doesn't affect me though.
183
00:13:53,498 --> 00:13:55,329
I don't work with lower-end clients though.
184
00:13:55,329 --> 00:13:57,634
That's all low-end market I work with higher-end
185
00:13:57,634 --> 00:13:59,670
and that kind of creeps up on you.
186
00:13:59,670 --> 00:14:10,193
So yeah, I mean if there's anyone on that scale or like you see it coming down the pike
you see you know you're the equivalent of a taxi and you see uber popping up and you're
187
00:14:10,193 --> 00:14:12,060
like future's not looking too bright.
188
00:14:12,060 --> 00:14:14,576
Those are the people I definitely want to work with.
189
00:14:14,576 --> 00:14:20,298
I think most business owners can identify in some aspect of their journey being absolutely
just like that.
190
00:14:20,298 --> 00:14:22,048
And probably still right now.
191
00:14:22,048 --> 00:14:25,799
mean, this is business ownership is a journey.
192
00:14:25,799 --> 00:14:26,390
It's a struggle.
193
00:14:26,390 --> 00:14:29,080
We're kind of learning different things at different times.
194
00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:34,395
And sometimes our preparation and opportunity kind of come together.
195
00:14:34,395 --> 00:14:37,418
Man, it's just tough kind of standing out sometimes.
196
00:14:37,418 --> 00:14:40,037
So I know business owners are really going to appreciate that.
197
00:14:40,037 --> 00:14:42,917
Yeah, hopefully, it's a scary thing.
198
00:14:42,917 --> 00:14:52,105
I think the biggest misconception with standing out is people say, I hear the word
different or differentiated that has a negative connotation.
199
00:14:52,105 --> 00:14:53,852
I'm not really boisterous.
200
00:14:53,852 --> 00:14:55,082
I'm not the funniest guy in the room.
201
00:14:55,082 --> 00:14:58,227
Do I have to be, wacky to be differentiated?
202
00:14:58,227 --> 00:15:04,209
And it's absolutely not, in that original universe of differentiation that I was
mentioned, there's brands like Rolex.
203
00:15:04,209 --> 00:15:11,202
Tiffany, Steinway, brands that you would never really consider differentiated, but clearly
different in their industry.
204
00:15:11,202 --> 00:15:15,337
They figured out a way to make themselves stand out, head and shoulders above the rest.
205
00:15:15,337 --> 00:15:17,784
Tiffany, there's a million jewelers out there.
206
00:15:17,784 --> 00:15:28,164
So if you're fearful of, I only wear black clothes, black tie, like I'm not that guy,
there's ways to find your meaningful differentiator without being that guy.
207
00:15:28,164 --> 00:15:28,787
I love that.
208
00:15:28,787 --> 00:15:29,250
love that.
209
00:15:29,250 --> 00:15:32,285
Now, Jesse, where can people find you and connect with you online?
210
00:15:32,285 --> 00:15:36,806
So my consulting arm of my business is very easy, Decommoditize.com.
211
00:15:36,806 --> 00:15:41,198
Easy to remember, hard to spell, but I bought all the misspellings of the domain, so
you'll probably get there.
212
00:15:41,198 --> 00:15:51,402
And on Amazon, Marketing for Supervillains, Volume 1, Volume 2, and we just launched like
48 hours ago on Google Play, have Marketing for Supervillains, Volume 2 as an audiobook
213
00:15:51,402 --> 00:15:51,892
for free.
214
00:15:51,892 --> 00:15:54,232
So if anyone's interested, start listening.
215
00:15:54,232 --> 00:15:59,269
I absolutely love that and we'll have those links available down in the show notes and the
description for everybody.
216
00:15:59,269 --> 00:16:05,046
Now, Jesse, speaking of, supervillains, which supervillain do you most identify with?
217
00:16:05,046 --> 00:16:06,371
That's a great question.
218
00:16:06,371 --> 00:16:11,333
It's so hard to pick just one.
219
00:16:11,333 --> 00:16:12,578
And you could have a top five
220
00:16:12,578 --> 00:16:16,277
or a top three because you can pull in elements like I have this from this one.
221
00:16:16,277 --> 00:16:26,116
the one I probably reference most and identify most and probably most people would agree
the greatest villain of all time is probably the Joker from Batman.
222
00:16:26,116 --> 00:16:28,618
I mentioned the book, know, see if you know the answer.
223
00:16:28,618 --> 00:16:29,658
It's a tough one.
224
00:16:29,658 --> 00:16:33,621
According to the Joker, what separates him from the rest of us?
225
00:16:34,232 --> 00:16:36,269
that is not my wheelhouse to know.
226
00:16:36,269 --> 00:16:38,780
according to him, it's one bad day, right?
227
00:16:38,780 --> 00:16:46,599
So everybody kind of looks down at the Joker and he was a regular guy and he had one bad
day that just pushed him over the edge.
228
00:16:46,599 --> 00:16:56,537
And now he's willing his tent pole is to show the world that even the most, the most, law
abiding, most, whatever is able to be corrupted.
229
00:16:56,537 --> 00:17:01,405
And he's so willing to, willing to prove his point that he's willing to let Batman kill
him.
230
00:17:01,405 --> 00:17:04,149
him to prove that, you broke your own rule.
231
00:17:04,149 --> 00:17:07,349
You're not any better than me because I kill people.
232
00:17:07,349 --> 00:17:08,242
You just killed me.
233
00:17:08,242 --> 00:17:13,268
And it just sets the stage for just a great conversation.
234
00:17:13,268 --> 00:17:20,118
I actually have a video of my one bad day as an agency owner that completely turned my
life around.
235
00:17:20,118 --> 00:17:21,314
And it was a client.
236
00:17:21,314 --> 00:17:22,775
They allowed us to film.
237
00:17:22,775 --> 00:17:24,804
We did discovery for them.
238
00:17:24,804 --> 00:17:27,325
And man, it was wacky.
239
00:17:27,325 --> 00:17:31,490
And I put the video on YouTube, you can all tune in.
240
00:17:31,490 --> 00:17:33,216
i never realized how
241
00:17:33,216 --> 00:17:35,483
relatable the joker was just now
242
00:17:35,483 --> 00:17:41,143
he's on the other side of the looking glass and he's like, I could show you if you just
stop looking down on me, just trust me.
243
00:17:41,143 --> 00:17:42,051
I love that.
244
00:17:42,051 --> 00:17:51,046
Now, Jesse, for you, was that one aha moment where your wheels were spinning, you were
doing a lot of work, when did it finally start taking off?
245
00:17:51,046 --> 00:17:52,732
What was that big turning point?
246
00:17:52,732 --> 00:17:54,873
Okay, so you're not a Batman fan.
247
00:17:54,873 --> 00:17:56,052
How about Star Trek?
248
00:17:56,052 --> 00:17:57,344
Not that I'm not a fan.
249
00:17:57,344 --> 00:17:57,727
just
250
00:17:57,727 --> 00:18:02,116
I don't go that deep into the lore, but I know the old like the frameworks.
251
00:18:02,617 --> 00:18:05,610
I'm gonna throw another difficult one at you, the Star Trek.
252
00:18:05,610 --> 00:18:07,936
~
253
00:18:07,936 --> 00:18:09,829
Have you ever heard of the Kobayashi Maru?
254
00:18:09,829 --> 00:18:10,248
No.
255
00:18:10,248 --> 00:18:18,368
Okay, the Kobayashi Maru, real quick, is a simulation that all cadets have to go through
in order to pass the exam.
256
00:18:18,368 --> 00:18:20,711
And basically, it's a no-win scenario.
257
00:18:20,711 --> 00:18:25,637
It's two ships, and you have to try and save, If you save this ship, this ship's gonna
die.
258
00:18:25,637 --> 00:18:32,800
And there's only one person in the history of Starfleet Academy that defeated the
Kobayashi Maru, and that was Captain Kirk.
259
00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,652
And the way he did it was he went in and reprogrammed the computer.
260
00:18:36,652 --> 00:18:38,810
to allow him to save both ships.
261
00:18:38,810 --> 00:18:44,374
my Kobayashi Maru as an agency owner was my clients come to me and they say, yeah, man, we
want to stand out.
262
00:18:44,374 --> 00:18:45,971
We want to be leaders in our industry.
263
00:18:45,971 --> 00:18:47,756
We're willing to take risks.
264
00:18:47,756 --> 00:18:51,842
And then I do all this work and they come out and say, that was a little too far out
there.
265
00:18:51,842 --> 00:18:54,854
We were talking about just changing the color of the font a little bit.
266
00:18:54,854 --> 00:18:55,102
Right.
267
00:18:55,102 --> 00:18:59,059
I'm trying to do meaningful work, but I also want to put food on the table.
268
00:18:59,059 --> 00:19:01,691
So that's kind of like my no-win scenario.
269
00:19:01,691 --> 00:19:03,319
One of these ships is going to die.
270
00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:08,063
So I figured out, I'm just tired of playing in a no-win scenario game.
271
00:19:08,063 --> 00:19:11,241
I need to go in and figure out how to rewrite the rules of the game.
272
00:19:11,241 --> 00:19:14,243
And poof, marketing for super villains was born.
273
00:19:14,670 --> 00:19:16,011
Wow, that is incredible.
274
00:19:16,011 --> 00:19:19,470
was such a pivotal moment for you to realize this.
275
00:19:19,470 --> 00:19:23,767
And sometimes you have to give the client what they want so you can give them what they
need.
276
00:19:23,767 --> 00:19:24,137
And like
277
00:19:24,137 --> 00:19:27,991
you said, the two ships, you can only save one, but you're rewriting the rules.
278
00:19:27,991 --> 00:19:32,316
I think that's a very creative way to look at this problem solving here.
279
00:19:32,316 --> 00:19:34,148
I think it fits perfect.
280
00:19:34,148 --> 00:19:38,052
It obviously fits into my nerddom wheelhouse.
281
00:19:38,052 --> 00:19:40,703
I know all the deep cuts.
282
00:19:40,703 --> 00:19:46,442
if I can bring someone like you into the fold and make you a little nerdier along the way,
great.
283
00:19:46,442 --> 00:19:47,044
I love it.
284
00:19:47,044 --> 00:19:47,725
~ And
285
00:19:47,725 --> 00:19:52,943
Jesse, my final question for you, I wanted to ask, what are you looking forward to most in
the next year?
286
00:19:52,943 --> 00:19:54,976
Are you ramping up anything?
287
00:19:54,976 --> 00:19:56,560
Are you doing any new product launches?
288
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,140
Are you kind of sticking with everything that's been working for you?
289
00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:04,257
this year, I mean it's always kind of been on the corner of my whiteboard I launched a
separate company.
290
00:20:04,257 --> 00:20:10,682
It's called ~ Super villain with some vowels moved out and it's basically me taking my own
medicine, right?
291
00:20:10,682 --> 00:20:16,297
pushing marketing as far as I possibly can really edgy ~ Limited edition products.
292
00:20:16,297 --> 00:20:23,098
Our first product was a cologne based off Jeffrey Epstein which sold out we are on coming
up on our fifth
293
00:20:23,098 --> 00:20:36,371
limited drop and they're just kind of cultural, sabotage type lampoon products that are
kind of put out there as an art product in limited edition and I get to do whatever I want
294
00:20:36,371 --> 00:20:38,473
as far as marketing goes, no holds barred.
295
00:20:38,473 --> 00:20:45,089
So I'm taking my own medicine and ~ kind of bringing this counterculture brand into
existence.
296
00:20:45,089 --> 00:20:45,811
is so cool.
297
00:20:45,811 --> 00:20:46,653
absolutely love that.
298
00:20:46,653 --> 00:20:53,209
Do you mind if I ask, was there a name or a tagline to the Jeffrey Epstein Cologne you
created?
299
00:20:53,209 --> 00:20:55,400
It is a client.
300
00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:00,873
It had happened right when the FBI claimed that his little black book didn't exist.
301
00:21:00,873 --> 00:21:02,914
were no files, no clients.
302
00:21:02,914 --> 00:21:07,185
we made it look like a little black leather book and we called it clientele by Jeffrey.
303
00:21:07,185 --> 00:21:10,091
And yeah, there was a couple of little Easter eggs in there.
304
00:21:10,091 --> 00:21:14,477
When you remove the bottle, there was a note from the DOJ that said this bottle never
existed.
305
00:21:14,477 --> 00:21:18,687
And according to my marketing, the scent, it smelled like shame.
306
00:21:18,687 --> 00:21:19,889
That is incredible.
307
00:21:19,889 --> 00:21:21,102
Jesse, congratulations.
308
00:21:21,102 --> 00:21:22,263
excited for your journey.
309
00:21:22,263 --> 00:21:27,777
The fact that you're, living this entrepreneurial dream and taking it to the next level
with these new drops.
310
00:21:27,777 --> 00:21:28,827
Very, exciting.
311
00:21:28,827 --> 00:21:31,412
Looking forward to all of that and we appreciate you coming on the show.
312
00:21:31,412 --> 00:21:38,185
Thanks so much and I'll keep you on my good list for when my supervillain dreams come to
reality.
313
00:21:38,185 --> 00:21:39,698
I'll spare some, you're on the good list.
314
00:21:39,698 --> 00:21:40,561
I appreciate that.
315
00:21:40,561 --> 00:21:41,585
Thank you so much.
316
00:21:41,585 --> 00:21:42,877
Thank you, Jesse.
00:00:39,464 --> 00:00:44,574
Welcome back to another episode with us today is the CEO of Decommoditize Jesse Roblowski.
2
00:00:44,574 --> 00:00:54,033
Decommoditize.com is the leading provider of brand differentiation consulting to help
privately held firms reclaim their leadership positions in crowded spaces.
3
00:00:54,033 --> 00:00:55,413
Jesse, so excited to have you on.
4
00:00:55,413 --> 00:00:56,260
How you doing today?
5
00:00:56,260 --> 00:00:56,752
Great, man.
6
00:00:56,752 --> 00:00:58,510
Thanks so much for having me.
7
00:00:58,535 --> 00:01:01,475
We always like to ask our entrepreneurs, tell us more about your journey.
8
00:01:01,475 --> 00:01:04,189
What were you doing before that kind of led you into where you are today?
9
00:01:04,189 --> 00:01:16,449
I had the realization that I call I became the dreaded C word and the C word is
commoditized and a lot of people kind of throw that throw that term around.
10
00:01:16,449 --> 00:01:20,893
So I'll just kind of give you my own personal definition of what I think it is.
11
00:01:20,893 --> 00:01:29,204
when I started in this business 27 years ago, I would get calls from my clients and it
would be like, you're the only guy that could solve this.
12
00:01:29,204 --> 00:01:32,738
have these problems and there was like a lot of pride in what I was
13
00:01:32,738 --> 00:01:44,982
And then over the years as the marketplace gets more crowded people couldn't tell the
difference between a great web designer or a marketer and a garbage one so that kind of
14
00:01:44,982 --> 00:01:54,702
took some of the shine that the bloom was off the rose a little bit and I wanted that that
that pride back when you people would call it wouldn't be like well You can do you're
15
00:01:54,702 --> 00:01:56,862
doing it for 500 this guy says 400.
16
00:01:56,862 --> 00:01:57,842
What's the difference?
17
00:01:57,842 --> 00:01:58,242
Right?
18
00:01:58,242 --> 00:02:01,727
So I decided that I wasn't going to just take it laying dead
19
00:02:01,727 --> 00:02:12,386
And I realized during my thought process there was a lot of alignments with how a
supervillain thinks right I wrote the book marketing for supervillains if you think of a
20
00:02:12,386 --> 00:02:22,636
traditional supervillain most of the time and this is a Pitfall that a lot of my clients
fall into when they're entering a market There's always like a super brand in the market
21
00:02:22,636 --> 00:02:28,370
and that that super brand is equivalent to like a superhero They have big muscles which in
marketing
22
00:02:28,370 --> 00:02:30,026
Equates to big budgets.
23
00:02:30,026 --> 00:02:31,557
They have huge public favor.
24
00:02:31,557 --> 00:02:32,648
Everybody knows who they are.
25
00:02:32,648 --> 00:02:33,519
They usually like them.
26
00:02:33,519 --> 00:02:40,810
They usually have a huge head start and then my client comes along or someone like me
comes along says well I want to look like those guys.
27
00:02:40,810 --> 00:02:42,015
I want to act like those guys.
28
00:02:42,015 --> 00:02:47,244
I want to be like those guys and If you think about super villains They usually don't have
big muscles.
29
00:02:47,244 --> 00:02:54,129
They have to outsmart or outwit the big brands So while some of my clients foolishly say
all right, we're gonna try and
30
00:02:54,129 --> 00:02:55,089
Do what they do.
31
00:02:55,089 --> 00:02:56,420
We're gonna spend what they spend.
32
00:02:56,420 --> 00:03:05,046
We're gonna try to out social media them do better an SEO It takes a supervillain mindset
to kind of find that that hole in the line where you can get a couple yards and start
33
00:03:05,046 --> 00:03:16,944
chipping away at market share So it's kind of a lot of parallels And yeah, I mean I'd love
to share what I'm doing You know what I can help your listeners do in order to fight off
34
00:03:16,944 --> 00:03:19,250
that dreaded c-word of being commoditized
35
00:03:19,250 --> 00:03:19,940
Absolutely.
36
00:03:19,940 --> 00:03:23,871
~ Super excited about that topic and just your journey in general.
37
00:03:23,871 --> 00:03:26,892
And it is so important to try to differentiate yourself.
38
00:03:26,892 --> 00:03:30,883
But like you said, people try to copy what the biggest player is doing right now.
39
00:03:30,883 --> 00:03:36,905
And typically when someone's asked what makes you different, what makes you special, they
freeze up their loss.
40
00:03:36,905 --> 00:03:39,246
They're not sure what that means.
41
00:03:39,246 --> 00:03:46,834
So I'm sure you can help us kind of find what that is through a series of steps and
frameworks on just trying to,
42
00:03:46,834 --> 00:03:50,196
I'm to find the words here.
43
00:03:50,196 --> 00:03:51,087
Just standing out from
44
00:03:51,087 --> 00:03:52,401
the crowd, right.
45
00:03:52,401 --> 00:03:55,692
I look back at my career when the pandemic hit, right?
46
00:03:55,692 --> 00:04:00,124
I think everybody did that soul searching and they tried to figure out what they wanted to
be when they grew up.
47
00:04:00,124 --> 00:04:09,929
And I realized not only the projects that I felt most fulfilling on, but I made the most
impact or bang for the buck for my clients were the ones where I took, you know, almost
48
00:04:09,929 --> 00:04:13,863
boring products or commoditized products and I injected them with life.
49
00:04:13,863 --> 00:04:17,685
I got brought them to life and they were able to do what they did on their own.
50
00:04:17,685 --> 00:04:18,367
I figured,
51
00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:18,938
doing that.
52
00:04:18,938 --> 00:04:20,469
seems to be very successful.
53
00:04:20,469 --> 00:04:24,385
Let's figure out how to differentiate.
54
00:04:24,385 --> 00:04:30,356
Every business book out there says, find your differentiator, find your USP, and they
leave it at that.
55
00:04:30,356 --> 00:04:32,878
It's incredibly, incredibly difficult.
56
00:04:32,878 --> 00:04:39,509
The second part of that is, okay, now that you have it, succinctly explain it to the world
in one sentence.
57
00:04:39,509 --> 00:04:41,321
What makes you differentiated?
58
00:04:41,321 --> 00:04:45,319
I kind of went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out,
59
00:04:45,319 --> 00:04:49,722
all this information out there, a lot of it's a little cloudy and murky.
60
00:04:49,722 --> 00:04:57,368
How can I codify this and make it easy step by step that someone could follow along and
actually uncover their meaningful differentiator?
61
00:04:57,368 --> 00:05:00,990
in volume one of Marketing for Supervillains, I kind of like laid the groundwork.
62
00:05:00,990 --> 00:05:02,495
Like this is why you should do it.
63
00:05:02,495 --> 00:05:11,461
There's a free download of what I call the universe of differentiation, which is basically
12 different categories of how big brands throughout history have successfully
64
00:05:11,461 --> 00:05:12,081
differentiated.
65
00:05:12,081 --> 00:05:12,712
themselves.
66
00:05:12,712 --> 00:05:16,100
can kind of like categorize yourself and maybe one of those brands.
67
00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:19,560
And then the demand came like, okay, we're in.
68
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,793
How do we get, even further?
69
00:05:20,793 --> 00:05:23,775
How do we fully embrace our super villain lifestyle?
70
00:05:23,775 --> 00:05:32,018
So I came up with Volume 2, ~ which is a six step framework on fully embracing your
marketing super villainism.
71
00:05:32,018 --> 00:05:33,492
it's all there.
72
00:05:33,492 --> 00:05:38,369
I hope I did a great job of, picking up where most business books lay.
73
00:05:38,369 --> 00:05:43,949
~ kind of let you out of the nest and you try to fly but you flop and fall on the ground.
74
00:05:43,949 --> 00:05:45,030
Right, absolutely.
75
00:05:45,030 --> 00:05:55,674
And I think just the way things are changing and evolving, it's gonna change the way that
we connect with clients, how we communicate with them, and what that journey looks like
76
00:05:55,674 --> 00:05:56,227
with them.
77
00:05:56,227 --> 00:06:00,967
Can you tell me more what you think the future of the client connectivity is gonna look
like?
78
00:06:01,226 --> 00:06:07,679
I think a majority of businesses out there, you think of the marketplace like a party,
right?
79
00:06:07,679 --> 00:06:09,160
They just want to be at the party.
80
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,371
They want to be on social media.
81
00:06:11,371 --> 00:06:13,202
They want to be part of the conversation.
82
00:06:13,202 --> 00:06:17,173
They're not really leading the conversation or creating any insights.
83
00:06:17,173 --> 00:06:20,635
just, like everyone else is on Facebook, I guess we got to be on Facebook.
84
00:06:20,635 --> 00:06:23,156
And I call that commoditized content, right?
85
00:06:23,156 --> 00:06:26,038
So you're posting content for content's sake.
86
00:06:26,038 --> 00:06:27,404
It's digital tofu.
87
00:06:27,404 --> 00:06:30,253
And it's a million times easier
88
00:06:30,253 --> 00:06:36,123
now because a few years ago you'd have to actually sit and write a blog and did require
some legwork.
89
00:06:36,123 --> 00:06:46,047
Now you can just write out you know a hundred blogs with chat GPT and now you got like a
wingman whispering in your ear just all this stuff to say and you multiply that by every
90
00:06:46,047 --> 00:06:55,081
business out there and it's going to be just complete overload and I think the quality
over quantity argument will be more
91
00:06:55,081 --> 00:07:08,216
Over the years as quantity is just going to explode right back in I think 2019 scientists
Discovered something that human beings had never done before it was an indicator of their
92
00:07:08,216 --> 00:07:21,003
future behavior and that was we're willing to pay more for less and where that comes into
play is again thinking back to 2019 is the the television industry right you can get 200
93
00:07:21,003 --> 00:07:21,810
channels for
94
00:07:21,810 --> 00:07:32,456
30 cents each but people are now saying what I want one channel I want BBC app for five
bucks I'll pay five bucks because I know I don't have to scroll through 200 channels to
95
00:07:32,456 --> 00:07:41,651
get through all the crap to find the one thing I want so I think that's a trend you know
if you want to call it human climate change we're starting to get to a point where there's
96
00:07:41,651 --> 00:07:49,419
just I can watch any movie at any time listen to any song anytime I need someone to help
curate me curate that and
97
00:07:49,419 --> 00:07:53,210
me discover things that I want and I'll be willing to pay for that.
98
00:07:53,210 --> 00:08:01,961
So if you think about social media and every brand pumping out a hundred boring blogs,
you're actually going to damage your brand just being at the party because people are
99
00:08:01,961 --> 00:08:03,054
going to be like, you know what?
100
00:08:03,054 --> 00:08:04,984
This guy's never says anything interesting.
101
00:08:04,984 --> 00:08:05,901
Get him out of here.
102
00:08:05,901 --> 00:08:07,768
I want, the curated stuff.
103
00:08:07,768 --> 00:08:08,590
So I think
104
00:08:08,590 --> 00:08:13,966
being differentiated is going to be a huge element for business success in the future.
105
00:08:13,966 --> 00:08:18,094
Yeah, it's like the guy who's talking just for the sake of talking, nothing important to
say.
106
00:08:18,094 --> 00:08:19,602
It's like, just get that out of here.
107
00:08:19,602 --> 00:08:23,510
you look at your social media and see now it's like...
108
00:08:23,510 --> 00:08:29,432
you know, whatever brand you use is competing with Netflix and it's an even playing field.
109
00:08:29,432 --> 00:08:33,553
So Netflix has the latest trailer for their latest limited, serial killer series.
110
00:08:33,553 --> 00:08:36,810
And then you're coming up with, five mistakes of SEO in 2026.
111
00:08:36,810 --> 00:08:38,202
It's like,
112
00:08:38,202 --> 00:08:39,856
it's just the different amount of weight.
113
00:08:39,856 --> 00:08:48,858
Then you look at like Liquid Death who's selling water and they constantly put out,
consistent, amazing content that is right up there that could steal my attention right
114
00:08:48,858 --> 00:08:49,863
away from Netflix.
115
00:08:49,863 --> 00:08:50,463
Mm-hmm.
116
00:08:50,463 --> 00:08:54,310
And do you think customers as a whole are becoming choosier?
117
00:08:54,310 --> 00:09:02,000
Because it feels like price just isn't the only factor anymore if they are willing to pay
more for less, quote unquote, but I feel like they perceive more value.
118
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:08,496
Yes, so mean one of the biggest definitions or contributors to commoditization is an
explosion of choice.
119
00:09:08,496 --> 00:09:20,047
So you take any industry, you add more options and people are just going to be overwhelmed
and they're going to look for whatever tent pole is their own personal tent pole.
120
00:09:20,047 --> 00:09:29,327
I want it fast, I want it cheap, I want it to look good so when I'm carrying a water
bottle around people think there's some cache to it.
121
00:09:29,729 --> 00:09:29,999
that
122
00:09:29,999 --> 00:09:33,663
is, I no longer have to ~ compare and contrast.
123
00:09:33,663 --> 00:09:37,730
There's a hundred different jars of peanut butter in the aisle.
124
00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:46,185
It's harder in some sense, but I'm not going to go online and figure out the truly the
best formula is, unless that really fits my personality.
125
00:09:46,185 --> 00:09:54,018
So I think you have to start appealing to clients in more than just what was previously
your differentiator, your best
126
00:09:54,098 --> 00:09:59,621
recipe, the best products, the best customer service and kind of give them a cocktail to
choose from.
127
00:09:59,639 --> 00:10:00,859
Yes, absolutely.
128
00:10:00,859 --> 00:10:11,079
And I feel like a lot of businesses are a little too worried or focused on having to
produce that the best quality content rather than just being normal or human.
129
00:10:11,079 --> 00:10:18,764
And I almost feel like there's been a shift over the years towards like highly produced
content versus kind of your average Joe, everyday person.
130
00:10:18,764 --> 00:10:21,084
I think people are connecting with that more.
131
00:10:21,084 --> 00:10:26,893
Do you think that plays a role into some of the commoditization that we have today?
132
00:10:26,893 --> 00:10:27,590
yes and no.
133
00:10:27,590 --> 00:10:33,072
Like I see probably half of the commercials on TV now are formatted to look like a TikTok.
134
00:10:33,072 --> 00:10:34,473
So they're like vertical.
135
00:10:34,473 --> 00:10:40,347
It's a person, So on one sense, they are leaning towards, they're trying to appeal.
136
00:10:40,347 --> 00:10:44,379
But on the other side, on the other hand, like you said, they're just copying what's
popular.
137
00:10:44,379 --> 00:10:46,618
Is there really any authenticity behind that?
138
00:10:46,618 --> 00:10:51,898
I think, like you said, it all comes down to that authentic angle, whatever the tool is to
get
139
00:10:51,898 --> 00:10:56,185
you there, whether it's low produced, high produced, vertical format, landscape.
140
00:10:56,185 --> 00:11:00,048
I think it's all about the content and the message and the authenticity.
141
00:11:00,048 --> 00:11:02,372
How you get there, really don't think it matters.
142
00:11:02,372 --> 00:11:03,102
Absolutely.
143
00:11:03,102 --> 00:11:12,305
And when businesses are, trying to, set themselves apart, there's this shift that happens
where I almost feel like they're trying to sell themselves too hard or they're doing a lot
144
00:11:12,305 --> 00:11:14,826
of outbound work for their leads and customers.
145
00:11:14,826 --> 00:11:25,234
And once you're standing out, you are suddenly creating this in inbound organic lead
generation system for yourself, where people are recognizing you, they're referring you,
146
00:11:25,234 --> 00:11:27,685
they're leaving reviews all the time.
147
00:11:27,685 --> 00:11:34,077
And that's a big shift in business to feel like you're putting so much effort out into
everybody wants me or it seems like it.
148
00:11:34,077 --> 00:11:36,484
Yeah, I mean, it's a power dynamic, right?
149
00:11:36,484 --> 00:11:42,977
when you excel in your industry or business, or you've been doing it long enough, it feels
weird.
150
00:11:42,977 --> 00:11:46,693
every sales call is basically me asking you, right?
151
00:11:46,693 --> 00:11:49,204
So, hey, Chris, can I help you differentiate?
152
00:11:49,204 --> 00:11:50,154
Can I sell you this?
153
00:11:50,154 --> 00:11:51,315
Can I offer you this service?
154
00:11:51,315 --> 00:11:53,006
And that puts you in the power seat, right?
155
00:11:53,006 --> 00:11:54,347
You're the client, you're the power.
156
00:11:54,347 --> 00:11:59,379
But me as an expert that's been doing this for 27 years, I should really have the power,
right?
157
00:11:59,379 --> 00:12:01,220
Like I should guide you as to what
158
00:12:01,220 --> 00:12:02,465
I think is best.
159
00:12:02,465 --> 00:12:06,325
So there's a book put out by Blair Ends and he just crystallizes it perfectly.
160
00:12:06,325 --> 00:12:07,818
He calls it the flip, right?
161
00:12:07,818 --> 00:12:11,550
I am going out there with my hand out and asking you for business.
162
00:12:11,550 --> 00:12:19,513
I need to do something and it's usually on my social media where I write something so
insightful that Chris reads it and goes, wow, I got to work with this guy.
163
00:12:19,513 --> 00:12:21,128
I never heard anybody say it like that.
164
00:12:21,128 --> 00:12:24,726
Now Chris calls me and says, hey, I read what you, you're a smart guy.
165
00:12:24,726 --> 00:12:25,586
can I work with you?
166
00:12:25,586 --> 00:12:26,001
Right?
167
00:12:26,001 --> 00:12:28,431
So now all of a sudden that power dynamic flipped.
168
00:12:28,431 --> 00:12:36,205
And I think that's, as business owners, as professionals, as people that constantly refine
their skills, that's kind of what we want to be known for.
169
00:12:36,205 --> 00:12:45,213
I think, in most cases, that's where the client, regardless, is going to get the most
value as opposed to them, and, I'll be there in five minutes, I'll miss the Zoom meeting,
170
00:12:45,213 --> 00:12:53,511
I'll show up late, Like we're here to do business and we're here to do our best and let me
lead and I think we'll come out with much better output.
171
00:12:53,511 --> 00:12:54,544
I love that.
172
00:12:54,544 --> 00:13:03,514
Now, Jesse, can you tell me more about some of your ideal clients, the people you work
best with, or just your favorite stories or results of people that you work with?
173
00:13:03,514 --> 00:13:14,968
Sure, when I was going through my soul searching and trying to figure out what I wanted to
do when I grew up, I came up with, I wanted to take the most boring products and services
174
00:13:14,968 --> 00:13:17,900
imaginable and make them full of personality.
175
00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:23,859
And a couple coaches and consultants said, yeah, that's great, but no one's gonna
self-identify as boring, right?
176
00:13:23,859 --> 00:13:26,393
And they're say, hey, I'm boring, let's work together.
177
00:13:26,393 --> 00:13:30,744
I had to kind of come up with a different way of saying it, right?
178
00:13:30,744 --> 00:13:41,400
I mean it's anyone and I have the list in volume one of about 40 ~ Signals you go through
the list and you kind of calculate What your score is as to?
179
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,543
Where you are on the scale of being commoditized because most people don't want to admit
it.
180
00:13:45,543 --> 00:13:47,494
They say like yeah, you know what?
181
00:13:47,494 --> 00:13:48,665
There's a lot of competitors.
182
00:13:48,665 --> 00:13:53,498
There's an app with a Super Bowl commercial There's all these things but you know what
doesn't affect me though.
183
00:13:53,498 --> 00:13:55,329
I don't work with lower-end clients though.
184
00:13:55,329 --> 00:13:57,634
That's all low-end market I work with higher-end
185
00:13:57,634 --> 00:13:59,670
and that kind of creeps up on you.
186
00:13:59,670 --> 00:14:10,193
So yeah, I mean if there's anyone on that scale or like you see it coming down the pike
you see you know you're the equivalent of a taxi and you see uber popping up and you're
187
00:14:10,193 --> 00:14:12,060
like future's not looking too bright.
188
00:14:12,060 --> 00:14:14,576
Those are the people I definitely want to work with.
189
00:14:14,576 --> 00:14:20,298
I think most business owners can identify in some aspect of their journey being absolutely
just like that.
190
00:14:20,298 --> 00:14:22,048
And probably still right now.
191
00:14:22,048 --> 00:14:25,799
mean, this is business ownership is a journey.
192
00:14:25,799 --> 00:14:26,390
It's a struggle.
193
00:14:26,390 --> 00:14:29,080
We're kind of learning different things at different times.
194
00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:34,395
And sometimes our preparation and opportunity kind of come together.
195
00:14:34,395 --> 00:14:37,418
Man, it's just tough kind of standing out sometimes.
196
00:14:37,418 --> 00:14:40,037
So I know business owners are really going to appreciate that.
197
00:14:40,037 --> 00:14:42,917
Yeah, hopefully, it's a scary thing.
198
00:14:42,917 --> 00:14:52,105
I think the biggest misconception with standing out is people say, I hear the word
different or differentiated that has a negative connotation.
199
00:14:52,105 --> 00:14:53,852
I'm not really boisterous.
200
00:14:53,852 --> 00:14:55,082
I'm not the funniest guy in the room.
201
00:14:55,082 --> 00:14:58,227
Do I have to be, wacky to be differentiated?
202
00:14:58,227 --> 00:15:04,209
And it's absolutely not, in that original universe of differentiation that I was
mentioned, there's brands like Rolex.
203
00:15:04,209 --> 00:15:11,202
Tiffany, Steinway, brands that you would never really consider differentiated, but clearly
different in their industry.
204
00:15:11,202 --> 00:15:15,337
They figured out a way to make themselves stand out, head and shoulders above the rest.
205
00:15:15,337 --> 00:15:17,784
Tiffany, there's a million jewelers out there.
206
00:15:17,784 --> 00:15:28,164
So if you're fearful of, I only wear black clothes, black tie, like I'm not that guy,
there's ways to find your meaningful differentiator without being that guy.
207
00:15:28,164 --> 00:15:28,787
I love that.
208
00:15:28,787 --> 00:15:29,250
love that.
209
00:15:29,250 --> 00:15:32,285
Now, Jesse, where can people find you and connect with you online?
210
00:15:32,285 --> 00:15:36,806
So my consulting arm of my business is very easy, Decommoditize.com.
211
00:15:36,806 --> 00:15:41,198
Easy to remember, hard to spell, but I bought all the misspellings of the domain, so
you'll probably get there.
212
00:15:41,198 --> 00:15:51,402
And on Amazon, Marketing for Supervillains, Volume 1, Volume 2, and we just launched like
48 hours ago on Google Play, have Marketing for Supervillains, Volume 2 as an audiobook
213
00:15:51,402 --> 00:15:51,892
for free.
214
00:15:51,892 --> 00:15:54,232
So if anyone's interested, start listening.
215
00:15:54,232 --> 00:15:59,269
I absolutely love that and we'll have those links available down in the show notes and the
description for everybody.
216
00:15:59,269 --> 00:16:05,046
Now, Jesse, speaking of, supervillains, which supervillain do you most identify with?
217
00:16:05,046 --> 00:16:06,371
That's a great question.
218
00:16:06,371 --> 00:16:11,333
It's so hard to pick just one.
219
00:16:11,333 --> 00:16:12,578
And you could have a top five
220
00:16:12,578 --> 00:16:16,277
or a top three because you can pull in elements like I have this from this one.
221
00:16:16,277 --> 00:16:26,116
the one I probably reference most and identify most and probably most people would agree
the greatest villain of all time is probably the Joker from Batman.
222
00:16:26,116 --> 00:16:28,618
I mentioned the book, know, see if you know the answer.
223
00:16:28,618 --> 00:16:29,658
It's a tough one.
224
00:16:29,658 --> 00:16:33,621
According to the Joker, what separates him from the rest of us?
225
00:16:34,232 --> 00:16:36,269
that is not my wheelhouse to know.
226
00:16:36,269 --> 00:16:38,780
according to him, it's one bad day, right?
227
00:16:38,780 --> 00:16:46,599
So everybody kind of looks down at the Joker and he was a regular guy and he had one bad
day that just pushed him over the edge.
228
00:16:46,599 --> 00:16:56,537
And now he's willing his tent pole is to show the world that even the most, the most, law
abiding, most, whatever is able to be corrupted.
229
00:16:56,537 --> 00:17:01,405
And he's so willing to, willing to prove his point that he's willing to let Batman kill
him.
230
00:17:01,405 --> 00:17:04,149
him to prove that, you broke your own rule.
231
00:17:04,149 --> 00:17:07,349
You're not any better than me because I kill people.
232
00:17:07,349 --> 00:17:08,242
You just killed me.
233
00:17:08,242 --> 00:17:13,268
And it just sets the stage for just a great conversation.
234
00:17:13,268 --> 00:17:20,118
I actually have a video of my one bad day as an agency owner that completely turned my
life around.
235
00:17:20,118 --> 00:17:21,314
And it was a client.
236
00:17:21,314 --> 00:17:22,775
They allowed us to film.
237
00:17:22,775 --> 00:17:24,804
We did discovery for them.
238
00:17:24,804 --> 00:17:27,325
And man, it was wacky.
239
00:17:27,325 --> 00:17:31,490
And I put the video on YouTube, you can all tune in.
240
00:17:31,490 --> 00:17:33,216
i never realized how
241
00:17:33,216 --> 00:17:35,483
relatable the joker was just now
242
00:17:35,483 --> 00:17:41,143
he's on the other side of the looking glass and he's like, I could show you if you just
stop looking down on me, just trust me.
243
00:17:41,143 --> 00:17:42,051
I love that.
244
00:17:42,051 --> 00:17:51,046
Now, Jesse, for you, was that one aha moment where your wheels were spinning, you were
doing a lot of work, when did it finally start taking off?
245
00:17:51,046 --> 00:17:52,732
What was that big turning point?
246
00:17:52,732 --> 00:17:54,873
Okay, so you're not a Batman fan.
247
00:17:54,873 --> 00:17:56,052
How about Star Trek?
248
00:17:56,052 --> 00:17:57,344
Not that I'm not a fan.
249
00:17:57,344 --> 00:17:57,727
just
250
00:17:57,727 --> 00:18:02,116
I don't go that deep into the lore, but I know the old like the frameworks.
251
00:18:02,617 --> 00:18:05,610
I'm gonna throw another difficult one at you, the Star Trek.
252
00:18:05,610 --> 00:18:07,936
~
253
00:18:07,936 --> 00:18:09,829
Have you ever heard of the Kobayashi Maru?
254
00:18:09,829 --> 00:18:10,248
No.
255
00:18:10,248 --> 00:18:18,368
Okay, the Kobayashi Maru, real quick, is a simulation that all cadets have to go through
in order to pass the exam.
256
00:18:18,368 --> 00:18:20,711
And basically, it's a no-win scenario.
257
00:18:20,711 --> 00:18:25,637
It's two ships, and you have to try and save, If you save this ship, this ship's gonna
die.
258
00:18:25,637 --> 00:18:32,800
And there's only one person in the history of Starfleet Academy that defeated the
Kobayashi Maru, and that was Captain Kirk.
259
00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,652
And the way he did it was he went in and reprogrammed the computer.
260
00:18:36,652 --> 00:18:38,810
to allow him to save both ships.
261
00:18:38,810 --> 00:18:44,374
my Kobayashi Maru as an agency owner was my clients come to me and they say, yeah, man, we
want to stand out.
262
00:18:44,374 --> 00:18:45,971
We want to be leaders in our industry.
263
00:18:45,971 --> 00:18:47,756
We're willing to take risks.
264
00:18:47,756 --> 00:18:51,842
And then I do all this work and they come out and say, that was a little too far out
there.
265
00:18:51,842 --> 00:18:54,854
We were talking about just changing the color of the font a little bit.
266
00:18:54,854 --> 00:18:55,102
Right.
267
00:18:55,102 --> 00:18:59,059
I'm trying to do meaningful work, but I also want to put food on the table.
268
00:18:59,059 --> 00:19:01,691
So that's kind of like my no-win scenario.
269
00:19:01,691 --> 00:19:03,319
One of these ships is going to die.
270
00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:08,063
So I figured out, I'm just tired of playing in a no-win scenario game.
271
00:19:08,063 --> 00:19:11,241
I need to go in and figure out how to rewrite the rules of the game.
272
00:19:11,241 --> 00:19:14,243
And poof, marketing for super villains was born.
273
00:19:14,670 --> 00:19:16,011
Wow, that is incredible.
274
00:19:16,011 --> 00:19:19,470
was such a pivotal moment for you to realize this.
275
00:19:19,470 --> 00:19:23,767
And sometimes you have to give the client what they want so you can give them what they
need.
276
00:19:23,767 --> 00:19:24,137
And like
277
00:19:24,137 --> 00:19:27,991
you said, the two ships, you can only save one, but you're rewriting the rules.
278
00:19:27,991 --> 00:19:32,316
I think that's a very creative way to look at this problem solving here.
279
00:19:32,316 --> 00:19:34,148
I think it fits perfect.
280
00:19:34,148 --> 00:19:38,052
It obviously fits into my nerddom wheelhouse.
281
00:19:38,052 --> 00:19:40,703
I know all the deep cuts.
282
00:19:40,703 --> 00:19:46,442
if I can bring someone like you into the fold and make you a little nerdier along the way,
great.
283
00:19:46,442 --> 00:19:47,044
I love it.
284
00:19:47,044 --> 00:19:47,725
~ And
285
00:19:47,725 --> 00:19:52,943
Jesse, my final question for you, I wanted to ask, what are you looking forward to most in
the next year?
286
00:19:52,943 --> 00:19:54,976
Are you ramping up anything?
287
00:19:54,976 --> 00:19:56,560
Are you doing any new product launches?
288
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,140
Are you kind of sticking with everything that's been working for you?
289
00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:04,257
this year, I mean it's always kind of been on the corner of my whiteboard I launched a
separate company.
290
00:20:04,257 --> 00:20:10,682
It's called ~ Super villain with some vowels moved out and it's basically me taking my own
medicine, right?
291
00:20:10,682 --> 00:20:16,297
pushing marketing as far as I possibly can really edgy ~ Limited edition products.
292
00:20:16,297 --> 00:20:23,098
Our first product was a cologne based off Jeffrey Epstein which sold out we are on coming
up on our fifth
293
00:20:23,098 --> 00:20:36,371
limited drop and they're just kind of cultural, sabotage type lampoon products that are
kind of put out there as an art product in limited edition and I get to do whatever I want
294
00:20:36,371 --> 00:20:38,473
as far as marketing goes, no holds barred.
295
00:20:38,473 --> 00:20:45,089
So I'm taking my own medicine and ~ kind of bringing this counterculture brand into
existence.
296
00:20:45,089 --> 00:20:45,811
is so cool.
297
00:20:45,811 --> 00:20:46,653
absolutely love that.
298
00:20:46,653 --> 00:20:53,209
Do you mind if I ask, was there a name or a tagline to the Jeffrey Epstein Cologne you
created?
299
00:20:53,209 --> 00:20:55,400
It is a client.
300
00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:00,873
It had happened right when the FBI claimed that his little black book didn't exist.
301
00:21:00,873 --> 00:21:02,914
were no files, no clients.
302
00:21:02,914 --> 00:21:07,185
we made it look like a little black leather book and we called it clientele by Jeffrey.
303
00:21:07,185 --> 00:21:10,091
And yeah, there was a couple of little Easter eggs in there.
304
00:21:10,091 --> 00:21:14,477
When you remove the bottle, there was a note from the DOJ that said this bottle never
existed.
305
00:21:14,477 --> 00:21:18,687
And according to my marketing, the scent, it smelled like shame.
306
00:21:18,687 --> 00:21:19,889
That is incredible.
307
00:21:19,889 --> 00:21:21,102
Jesse, congratulations.
308
00:21:21,102 --> 00:21:22,263
excited for your journey.
309
00:21:22,263 --> 00:21:27,777
The fact that you're, living this entrepreneurial dream and taking it to the next level
with these new drops.
310
00:21:27,777 --> 00:21:28,827
Very, exciting.
311
00:21:28,827 --> 00:21:31,412
Looking forward to all of that and we appreciate you coming on the show.
312
00:21:31,412 --> 00:21:38,185
Thanks so much and I'll keep you on my good list for when my supervillain dreams come to
reality.
313
00:21:38,185 --> 00:21:39,698
I'll spare some, you're on the good list.
314
00:21:39,698 --> 00:21:40,561
I appreciate that.
315
00:21:40,561 --> 00:21:41,585
Thank you so much.
316
00:21:41,585 --> 00:21:42,877
Thank you, Jesse.
