Yo Reader,

"Fake it til you make it"

The excuse used by many fake-designer-clothes-wearing wannabes, as they lie about how successful they are on LinkedIn.

In debt to their eyeballs (and beyond), just so they can drive a car that's classed as "budget luxury" and take selfies at fancy looking destinations.

They're the people that fool us when we're early into our careers, but we spot from miles away once we know what we're doing.

But... we see them seemingly winning over and over, while we're struggling to get every client and are barely scraping out our business existence.

Do you ever look at these idiots and wonder "how the fuck are they winning?"

When dumb people get it right

We can look down on the vapid clout chasers all we want, but they're still doing something better than we are.

Can you guess what?

If you said "raising ferrets for the underground ferret fighting championships," you'd be wrong. Probably.

But if you said "promoting the shit out of themselves," good job cause that's exactly what they're doing.

While we're snobbily sniffing and looking down our noses at them, they're sharing meagre crumbs of knowledge and acting like it's the main course at a Michelin star restaurant.

While we're patting ourselves on the back for being a step above in skills and expertise, they're canva'ing their way to a nice looking client experience.

While we're being nasty and roasting them in a group chat, they're showing up and, more importantly, they're looking the part.

And their clients lap that shit up.

My decade long struggle

I've always kinda been "good" at stuff. At school, I knew the answers without ever doing any homework. At work, I'd figure shit out fast and get promoted regularly. I've always been the friend that "knew" everything - tech, legals, business, whatever. You know the type (you're probably it for your group).

And then.... I started my own business.

Even early on, I was "punching above my experience," delivering work as if I'd been doing it for years longer than I had.

But I always found it to be a struggle to get leads. And when they did eventually get to me, they'd always think I was low level to start with. It was only after dealing with me for a bit they'd realise I was actually pretty good at what I did.

It's only recently I realised what had been holding me back.

The reverse cut

Lately, I've had people flat out tell me that I'm smart. Or skilled. Or "top of the game." Or "better than any other designer I've worked with, and I've worked with HEAPS."

And I've landed two big projects because it was "obvious" that I was very good at what I did.

The biggest thing I've changed is showing up more publicly and I'm putting more effort into presenting myself well.

• I'm making sure my own work is amazing, not just... there.
• I'm going above and beyond with making sure client work is next level.
• I'm creating content that shows my views, my beliefs, and my personality.
• I'm jumping onto podcasts.
• I'm running workshops to groups.
• I'm refining and improving all of my processes, and putting more effort into making things "look the part."
• I'm living all the shit that I tell other people they should be doing.

And I realised that the whole "fake it til you make it" line also has a reverse side. Cause even once you "make it" (in terms of skills), you still need to prove it.

The market doesn't know what's in your head, unless you show them. They don't know how good you are, unless you show them.

For years I'd scoffed at the entry level "idiots" that were posting content and being visible, while I was doing nothing to prove I was better than they were.

So now that I'm actually showing this stuff more publicly... the market notices.

Talk is cheap.... so why not talk?

It doesn't cost much to write your views down.

Or maybe you spend a few hours mapping out your processes and looking for gaps. Maybe you sign up for Canva or whatever and give your documents and presentations a bit of extra shine. Maybe you start your own newsletter (10/10 would recommend).

All this stuff is free (or cheap) to do. It just costs effort.

But if you wanna walk the talk you need to do some talking first, so spend that effort.

Strong systems = strong business

People have been blabbing to me for years about how important systems are.

And yeah.. I never listened. I'd just kinda manage?

But along with the whole "showing up" thing, I've been putting in the work with improving my systems. And I've seen the difference it makes.

The system is what keeps you from dropping the ball. It's what makes you consistently good. It's what shows you know what you're doing and aren't just "winging it." Strong systems are something you expect from a strong business.

My processes are getting to the point that clients are commenting on the EXPERIENCE of working with me. Not just the result. And that's just wild.

So yeah, you can make your systems another thing that sets you apart from the bozos that I mentioned at the start of this email. After all, showing up is good, but showing up with strong systems is even better.

ps. I have to give a shoutout to my friend Joe Daniels here, who runs Systemic Solo. I've had two consults with him now and each one has led to dramatic improvements in my business. I can't recommend him enough.

Conclusion

Next time you see an idiot that's talking about YOUR expertise area, and you think "I know more than them," ask if you're doing anything to prove it.

If not, maybe it's time to start.

🤘

Cowabunga,
Nick Gulic