What is this book about, anyway?

Resonate explains how to build a large loyal audience, that will spread your message and build your brand – for you.

The secret: To create real and authentic content that moves people, rather than perfected, unrealistic content that gets ignored.

What does this book wanna help you do?

The book tries to deciphers how people (and especially Millennial) – tick.

Think about it –

What causes a person to stop scrolling for a second, and to actually take a good look at a certain piece of content?

Then – what causes that same person to interact with that piece of content?

What causes them to save it, like it, share it? Why do they Google the person who created that piece of content? And eventually – decide to buy something from them?

Clue: It’s not the pretty colors, or the spacing of the letters.

It’s something much deeper than that…

[divider style=”0″]

And once you’ll know what it is –

You’ll have the power to create viral content, that’s so powerful…

…it will spread across the internet like wildfire, and will get people to share-share-share, and eventually – buy-buy-buy.

Why this book?

I first heard about the author, Alex Wolf, after coming across the brand she’s created – BossBabe.

What started as a simple Instagram account, where Alex would post inspirational quotes aimed toward female millennial entrepreneurs…

…turned into an online sensation – with over half a million followers. A LOT for a business niche account.

You would see BossBabe quotes all over: at random blogs, on Pinterest, on posters, tattoos and even billboards.

[divider style=”0″]

Overwhelmed by the impact she’s created, Alex sold the brand at 2016, but for me –

I was hooked on the person, not the brand.

I was fascinated:
How the hell did a 23 year old, with zero business experience, managed to do that?

So I picked this book up to learn just that, so I can figure out how to duplicate that same effect in my own business.

The #1 A-Ha moment I’ve had from this book

I remember what got me to give up and shut down the profitable, 6-figure brand I built when I was 23:

A brand not so different from BossBabe, only I was more focused on tactics and nuts-and-bolts kinda content, rather than branding and inspiration.

My webinars were packed. My inbox exploded with thank you letters from women from all over the country, and abroad.

[divider style=”0″]

But instead of feeling proud for achieving so much at such a young age…

…I was mortified.

“What if they knew…?” I kept thinking.

“What if they found out that I’m a fraud? That I’m not perfect, like, at all? What if they’ll eventually see that I’m not fit to lead them, because … I’m just like them – making mistakes, and trying to figure it all out, and to find my place in the world?”

The stress of being perfect was killing me.

I couldn’t sleep. And had zero motivation to push forward.
I just couldn’t handle it.

[divider style=”0″]

Little did I know… that that thing that I though was going to bring the end of me – it was actually my greatest gift and the reason I was so successful.

You see, what Alex taught me –

Was that people don’t respond to curated, “perfect” content.

This “pretty” stuff is so boring and overused – that people just ignore it, and keep scrolling.

…

Instead –

People react to to the raw, honest stuff.

The stuff that get’s them moved. That get them to think, like, “OMG – you’re in my head!”.

[divider style=”0″]

You see – The goal of your content it so function as a mirror.

To get your audience to feel like you’ve somehow managed to capture exactly how they feel, and like they couldn’t have expressed it better themselves, even if they tried.

When we see ourselves is a piece of content – that’s what makes us stop and stare. That’s what makes us react.

After all – we’re all selfish, self-centered pricks. That’s just our nature. And that’s ok.

[divider style=”0″]

So – Do yourself a favor, and stop filtering your content.

Stop trying to look smarter, prettier or more put-together than you really are, and instead – Be real.

Ditch the filtered, fake stuff – and start creating content that mirrors who you really are, and how you really feel – for better of for worst.

That’s what will get your audience to respond to you, and what will make you – perhaps – a real influencer.

How to start Implementing this book into your life?

“Ok, Nat – So how do I do that? How do I get real?”

Good Q.

Here are 3 actionable tricks I picked up from Alex’s book, and that you can start using right now:

[divider style=”4″]

Actionable trick #1:

Stop obsessing over your numbers, and start obsessing over your message

One of my favorite ideas of all time, and that Alex have used in this book, is an idea brought by the awesome Kevin Kelley…

…and that basically takes the pressure off you having to create a “massive audience” in order to be successful.

[divider style=”0″]

What Kelley is basically saying is that –

As long as you manage to accumulate 1000 true fans (YES. ONE. THOUSAND) that truly love you and will buy anything you create – then you’ll always have all the money you can ever need.

Think about it – get those 1000 people to spend $100 a year at your business – and you got a 6 figure business right there, without having to create millions of followers and hide from the paparazzi.

Isn’t that cool?

[divider style=”0″]

So the trick here is –

To stop obsessing over the results you’re getting – stuff like the size of your audience, or the number of likes your recent Instagram pics got…

… And start obsessing on creating the most authentic and awesome content you can.

Do that – and you’ll never have to worry about money, ever again.

[divider style=”4″]

Actionable trick  #2:

Focus on the small group of early adopters

That’s another one of my favorite ideas, that I originally learned from Seth Godin’s book – Purple cow.

The concept is simple:

Most of us, humans, act like a herd – We don’t like to try new things that are “out of the norm”, unless someone we trust recommends it to us, or unless we see enough other people using it.

Think about it –

When you search for a Youtube “how to” vid – Don’t you usually watch the videos with the most views, because to you – that means they are probably the best?

That normal, human behavior.

…

But a small portion of the population is different. They are the “Early Adopters”. 

And what they love most – it to try new things before they’re “hip”, and to spread the word about them.

So if you have a piece of content or a new product – don’t bother trying to reach the masses with it. They won’t listen.

Instead – focus on locating the Early Adopters in your niche – The innovating tech geek. The beauty blogger who try every new foundation.

Give them your product, or your content – and watch it spread like wildfire.

[divider style=”4″]

Actionable trick #3:

Stop trying to save everybody, and instead – become their selfish friend.

This is my favorite takeaway from this book, and I’m soooooo getting why Alex chose this specific idea to end the book with.

The way I see it – one of the largest epidemic of our world is loneliness.

Social media, staring at someone’s screen instead of their eyes, and Netflixing instead of talking –

All of those has made us so fucking lonely, that people are starting to forget what having a true friend feels like.

Be that for your audience.

Stop trying to “help them” as much, and instead – try to be there for them.

How?

By sharing your story. Your flaws. Your struggles and vulnerabilities.

Almost like that selfish friend that only talks about themselves, only here –

you do that because telling your audience about yourself – you make them feel like who they are is enough.

Alex wrote:

“We don’t want someone to give us a hand, as much as we want someone to give us a hug”

–  and I couldn’t agree more.

[divider style=”4″]

Should you take the time to read this book, and why?

Def. Reading it yourself and taking in the explanations, examples and stories – will inspire a ton of ideas on how to implement Alex’s philosophy into your own content.

I recommend you do it, but if not – At least take this post and save it, because it will make all the difference in your content.