Are you weird enough to succeed?

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The Magic of Cadillac Ranch

It’s ok to be weird. It’s ok to stand out rather than blend in.

This photo is from Cadillac Ranch, an outside the box “sculpture” commissioned back in 1974 to pay homage to American automobile culture.

Yep. Those are old Cadillacs buried faced down in the Texas sand. They didn’t always look like this. They were nice and shiny and complete when the artwork was first erected.

But over time, visitors left their own mark, and the artist encouraged it. Pieces were removed. All kinds of things were spray painted. It became super weird.

Related Article: How I Found Renewed Inspiration Along 2400 Miles of Highway and a Handful of Roadside Attractions

But because of all that, it popped up on my phone when I was searching for the best places to stop off Route 66 when traveling across the US.

It really made me think. If these cars had just been parked here, never messed with, and were just a row of classic Cadillacs, would anyone care?.

But because it got really weird here in this random dirt field in Amarillo, Texas, this artwork became an American classic that took on a new life.

When you’re building your brand, think outside the box. Don’t think only about what you ARE. Think about what you COULD BE.

Maybe spray paint and missing parts isn’t your thing, but you get what I mean, right?

Dare to be different. Dare to stand out. Surprise people.

Create something amazing for your audience that they can’t get anywhere else. That’s where true success happens. Be weird, and do amazing things!

Speaking of creating something amazing, this edition brings our first Creator Spotlight. Each week, we’ll highlight a new amazing creator, entrepreneur, or freelancer who’s doing amazing things. Enjoy this first installment of this new section of the Elevate & Inspire Newsletter!

Creator Spotlight: Ryan Biddulph

Ryan Biddulph is the Founder of Blogging From Paradise. On the popular blog, Ryan shares practical tips to guide bloggers to achieve independence through professional blogging success. The most impressive part - he does it while traveling the world, blogging from and about exotic places, always sprinkling in a powerful lesson about blogging with each post. I caught up with Ryan recently to learn about his story and grab some killer advice to help subscribers to Elevate & Inspire learn and grow. Let’s dive in!

Secret to Success: Mindset

Ryan credits a shift in mindset with his success. Through the years, he has sold thousands of eBooks courses, making a nice living blogging while traveling the world. To reach the level of success he enjoys today, however, Ryan credits a shift in mindset.

“I carried great unconscious fear in the mind which appeared to make me lazy, or on the other side of the fence, a frenzied robot working wildly for short stretches before throwing in the towel in frustration,” said Biddulph.

“I began to see my fears and how each led me to do super self destructive stuff with my blogging strategy. Patiently, I faced, felt and look past these fears to think, feel and act like a pro blogger. This is a long process. I am still on the journey as we all are even though I have experienced some nice success as a full-timer.”

Be Helpful to Grow More Quickly as a Creator

Ryan is one of the most transparent, truly helpful bloggers I’ve encountered on my own journey as a creator. I met Ryan around five years ago now, and I can attest to his genuine desire to help other bloggers grow. That helpfulness and genuine interest in guiding others toward growth similar to what he has seen is what makes people gravitate to Ryan and Blogging From Paradise.

“Be truly helpful as you create content at a steady clip,” says Biddulph. “Create content frequently to become better at it but keep watching your mind from time to time to see those hidden mental blocks which become huge blind spots.”

“Facing, feeling and forgiving those is how to slowly enter the top 0.01% in your niche,” he continues.”

Start with Having Fun, and the Rest Takes Care of Itself

If you’ve been following Ryan’s blog for any amount of time, you know the guys loves what he does. Blogging has afforded him a nice life, and he’s traveled to some of the most exotic places on Earth. That passion for creating and blogging is a driving force behind Ryan’s success.

“Set personal goals but create and/or blog mainly to have fun helping people,” says Biddulph. “See personal ambitions as a cherry on top, icing on the cake, a bonus.”

“Develop that attitude to become super confident, highly relaxed, consistent and deeply trusting. Maintaining this state of mind takes a bunch of practice; it will feel uncomfortable sometimes because it entails fear. But becoming highly creative, truly helpful and peaceful while you work is the ultimate goal.”

Want to Learn From This Week’s Creator?

Ryan is an amazing blogger to learn from. If you aspire to become a pro blogger, or even if you already are and you’re looking to take your blogging game to the next level, Ryan is someone you want to follow. Connect with Ryan at the links below, buy his ebooks and courses, and start growing.

• Ryan’s ebooks

• Ryan’s courses

• Follow Ryan on LinkedIn

• Follow Ryan on X

Let’s connect!

If you have any questions, or you are ready to start working on your personal brand, email me at [email protected] or visit gaenzlemarketing.com.

Oh…and don’t forget to grab your copy of The Business of Branding You: Invest in Your Personal Brand, Grow Your Career, and Gain Influence.

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