My very special guest for this episode is Erica Blair, brand messaging expert and world traveler. Earlier this year, Erica helped me refresh my personal brand.  Through our time together I came to see her process as one of many paths one must take on the way to the durable edge of capitalism.  That’s why I asked her for this interview.

There are two very important points to take away from what you are about to hear.

First, Erica calls for each of us to express why our products matter.   We usually say what we offer and how it works, but we need to paint a very clear picture of why the thing that we have created matters in the world.  Our clients and customers are bombarded by messages all day.  They simply don’t have the time to translate the technical details of what we offer into a solution to their problem. They need an anchor, which is our brand.

Second, we should be thinking big. What is our audacious vision?  Erica sees a vision of decentralization, of reconfiguring the way that we distribute value in community.  Though you might know this vision as blockchain or crypto, Erica reminds us that there is more to this movement than technology.  There is enormous opportunity to add value and create wealth here, but we need to express this opportunity in terms of why. <pause>

So, what makes positioning and vision a path to the durable edge of capitalism?  As economic value builds from value then we can imagine ourselves better off as a community when everyone in the community is engaged.  That means we all add value to meet unmet needs, and have our own needs met.

Erica is constantly, persistently working with clients to get them into a hyperniche, where they are special, and valued.  This is their positioning, where they add the most value, which can be seen where their solutions relieve the pain of the customers they target. Everyone wins.  Her clients make more money and work efficiently.  The client’s customers with unmet needs are now satisfied.  <pause>

Such win-win outcomes are the foundation of civil society, and are especially important when companies are introducing disruptive innovations.  The big audacious vision that changes the world needs to make sure that no one is left behind.

That is why Erica’s brand messaging practice matters, and why I am pleased to call her my friend.