"I don't scale. Life is not scalable. You choose where your time goes."
—Scott Stratten, keynote speaker and author of UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. (Co-authored with Alison Stratten)
How do you eliminate competition? According to Scott Stratten, who earns $1 million per year in speaking fees, the answer is simple: ignore it. Be yourself, and there is no competition.
This is often easier said than done in a world where there is relentless pressure to conform, whether in business, earning a living, or even how we dress. Still, Scott says, "I'd rather be me and next to broke than be somebody else and have money."
In this week's episode we talk about how Scott relentlessly follows his own path—despite people saying he was crazy to turn down lucrative consulting gigs—all the way to earning a robust and joyful living as a keynote speaker, and making a difference for others along the way. Scott is one of the most generous, kind-hearted people I have had the great fortune of getting to know better in the last year, and it's a pleasure to bring you this week's conversation!
More About Scott Stratten
Scott Stratten is the President of UnMarketing and author of four best-selling business books. He is an expert in Viral, Social, and Authentic Marketing—It’s all about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in front of your target market, so when they have the need, they choose you.
Formerly a music industry marketer, national sales training manager and a Professor, he ran his “UnAgency” for a nearly a decade before solely focusing on speaking at events for companies like Pepsi, Adobe, Red Cross, Hard Rock Cafe, Cirque du Soleil, and Saks Fifth Avenue. He has over 180,000 people follow his daily rantings on Twitter and was named one of the top 5 social media influencers in the world on Forbes.com.
Topics We Cover
Scott's story about surprising people who have hired him to speak by showing up decked out in beard, tattoos, man bun, jeans, and Doc Martins. "They will know who I am once I get off the stage."
Turning down gigs that require him to wear a suit
Principles are a matter of privilege. "I would have worn a duck costume if I didn't have other gigs booked."
"I never planned on being a brand." Goal to be the same person on stage, off stage and online
Why he doesn't bother improving on weaknesses
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make to bottleneck their business
Quality: Why he doesn't adhere to the "just ship it" mentality
Ditch "the rules" about content: find the optimal apex between frequency and quality
Why he made the bold decision in 2010 to focus solely on keynote speaking and writing, even though the demand for his consulting services was skyrocketing
Quashing the endless desire for more
Scott's response to the what's next question.
His biggest fear in life
Top 3 tips for public speaking (and bringing the house down every time)
His annual UnSecret Santa project for helping others in need
On slacktivism: "A like is not enough. If we are able to, we should do more."
How Scott thinks about online communities: "No one person is bigger than the group itself."
Resources Mentioned
UnPodcast with Scott Stratten and Alison Kramer
Scott's TEDxOakville talk: Keep Going Until We Stop
JB Blog Post: Mired in Minutiae? Bottleneck Buster Template
Scott's Books (co-authored with Alison Stratten):
Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on.
