How to Tell Everyone How Awesome You Are

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1:33There's no safe like SimpliSafe. From Entrepreneur Media, this is Problem Solvers, a show in which entrepreneurs do what entrepreneurs do best, solve unexpected problems in their business. We were completely wrong. And I'm just like, it's not selling. It was like, we have to start from scratch. I'm Jason Pfeiffer, the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine.

1:59Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Or flip side, have you ever put yourself out there and been criticized for being too self-centered? I have experienced both. I used to hate self-promotion and I was overlooked for opportunities as a result. I'm convinced of it. Then I gained more confidence and was accused of being self-obsessed. Like, for example, this one time where I applied for a big job, during my interview, the company's CEO said to me, so I talked to some of your former colleagues. And I said, oh, what did they say? And the CEO said, everyone says you're smart and talented, but they also said it's always the Jason Pfeiffer show with him.

2:43What do you make of that? I felt a jolt of adrenaline when he said that, like I needed to run out of the room. But then I thought to myself, no, I will not be shamed like this. Today, I will share how I answered that guy and what happened as a result. And I'll give you permission to speak up and to make sure that everyone knows how brilliant you are. Because if you don't tell them, nobody else will. That's what's coming up today on Problem Solvers right after this break. If you own a business, then you need so many things. Kitchen essentials like water and milk, office supplies, office furniture, paper products, moving supplies, snacks.

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4:01So go take care of that customer. Walmart business has your back and your snacks and everything else. It's the Walmart you love, now for your business. All right, we're back today talking about self-promotion. How to tell everyone just how awesome you are. And boy, I have a whole lot to say about this. Here's what I'm gonna do. First, I'm gonna tell you my four rules of self-promotion. Then I'm gonna give you some rules for people who are really uncomfortable with self-promotion. And then finally, I'm gonna tell you what happened when I did some self-promotion and got a bunch of haters and how you can defy and overcome and just keep blowing past your haters, just like I did.

4:47Although, look, it's not easy. It's uncomfortable. But you shouldn't let them hold you back because you are awesome and you have a lot of awesomeness to share and people need to know about it. So let's get to it. The four rules of self-promotion, that's what we're talking about first. First, actually, before we even do that, let's define what we're talking about. The way I see it, self-promotion can take any form. It is sending emails to your network. It is sharing on social media. It's telling your boss about your wins. It's talking yourself up on podcasts. Basically, it's you broadcasting you in whatever mediums you can.

5:23Like I said, I once hated all of that. It felt needy and pathetic, like an adult child craving attention. But then I looked at the successful people that I admired and I noticed something. They promote themselves all the time, but it never feels like promotion. And that's when I started to create my four rules of self-promotion, as promised. And here they are. Rule number one, the best self-promotion isn't promotional. Here's what I mean. Have you ever done sales? There are two ways to think about it. Way number one is that you're out hawking something, just shoving it in people's faces. Way number two, though, is that you're out solving people's problems.

6:05You have something that can make their lives better, so it is your duty to ensure that they know about it. When you think the second way, you become better at sales. Your job isn't to sell, it's to help people by connecting them with solutions. Self-promotion is the same, really, except that you, you are the thing that they need. So when you speak about yourself, focus on your value to someone else. It's like you're saying, here's what I've learned and here's how it can help you. Doesn't that feel so much better? All right, now rule number two, self-promotion has a purpose. One of the most undervalued ideas is this.

6:50When you are better known for the things you do, your value goes up. Now, I didn't say that is me quoting Bosoma St. John. She worked big marketing jobs at Netflix, Uber, Apple Music, and more. And she was all over the media promoting them. She was on my friend Nicole Lappin's podcast called Money Rehab. And Bozema said this, she said, I became an expert at negotiating how public-facing I can be on behalf of the company. Because the moment you are hidden underneath somebody else, or you don't get the credit for the work that you're doing, the less you are known for your expertise. And you want to be well known for the things that you do.

7:33So people come and seek you for your next job, end quote. I can attest, this is true. When people know about you, they come to you. That is why rule number two is self-promotion has a purpose. Now let's move on to rule number three. Self-promotion is going to piss someone off. It just will. And it doesn't matter. And I I will tell you why. It's because those people have nothing to offer you anyway. For example, let's go back to my disastrous job interview. Remember, I told you that at the beginning of the show. The CEO told me, everyone says you're smart and talented, but they also said, it's always the Jason Pfeiffer show with him.

8:11What do you make of that? He said to me. Here's what happened. I asked what he meant. He explained that to some of my past colleagues. I was too out there. I was a big personality. I did things to promote myself instead of only promoting the brand. And when I heard that, I was surprised, but I didn't hesitate. I said, yes, I get attention and I benefit from that, but so do my employers. People connect with people, not with brands, and that makes me an asset. The Jason Pfeiffer Show, frankly, is good for business. And if you disagree, I told him, then I totally respect that, but I am not the person for you.

8:45The CEO told me that he understood and did not offer me the job. So did self-promotion lose me that job? Maybe, but if the CEO didn't value me for me, then I'm better off without that job. That job would have made me feel small and it would have led to fewer opportunities. I would rather find a place where I can shine and you should too. Because here's the final rule. Rule number four, there's no good alternative. I love this line from Bozema St. John, just to go back to her. She said, quote, people still say I'm self-centered. If I'm not self-centered, Who am I supposed to be centered on? Who?

9:24At least tell me it's not you. That was another thing that she said on that podcast with my friend Nicole called Money Rehab. She also said, let's just keep going, Bozeman also said, if you are not actively involved in building your reputation, then somebody else is creating it for you. Would you rather leave your reputation up to somebody else's imagination or would you rather do it yourself, end quote? That's the thing. Nobody else will do this work for you. Nobody else will promote you. Only you can do that. Only you will do that. If you're quiet, you may be appreciated, but you will be appreciated right where you are.

10:02Bosses will be happy to keep you in place like a sturdy gear that's taken for granted. Please don't be taken for granted. What do these four rules really mean? Did you notice a pattern? Let me read them back to you and emphasize a point. Rule number one, The best self-promotion isn't promotional because the best self-promotion delivers value to other people. Rule number two, self-promotion has a purpose because it increases your value. Rule number three, self-promotion will piss someone off because they didn't have value for you anyway. And rule number four, there's no good alternative to self-promotion because you know what?

10:43If you don't value yourself, nobody else will value. you. Can self-promotion come off as gross, dumb, and self-centered? Absolutely. Those people are doing it wrong. They won't get anywhere. But when you follow the rules of self-promotion, then everything is about value. You deliver value to others and you get value in turn and you value yourself and you become more valuable. Self-promotion doesn't have to be greedy or self-centered or obnoxious. I'm over here running the Jason Pfeiffer Show because nobody will run this show for me. And I like this show. I'm proud of this show. Some people might tune it out, but more people will tune in.

11:18And the same will be true for you. Run your show. Be the showrunner and producer and star and make sure your audience is happy. This is your show to build. It is the best show you will ever have. Never, ever apologize for that. Now, okay. I published that in my newsletter, I don't know, a couple months ago, and got a lot of feedback. A lot of feedback, especially from people who were really uncomfortable with self-promotion. For example, here's someone who wrote me. I'm just going to read you their email. They wrote, this is exactly where I've been stuck for years, working my butt off, quietly hoping that people will notice how hard I work and how much I accomplish.

12:01And when that doesn't happen, I think the people around me don't value me enough. It's been wearing down my confidence, especially as I get older. But it's me who needs to change, this person continues. I have a few ideas on where to begin after reading this newsletter, but can you point to guidelines or tips for people for whom self-promotion doesn't come naturally? That's what they wrote. You know what? Yes, absolutely. I can. Like I said a moment ago, I used to be exactly like that. I thought my hard work would simply be recognized and rewarded and that self-promotion was garish and uncomfortable.

12:35But now I'm going to share the first steps that I took towards changing that and creating massive new opportunities. So let's get self-promotional. Starting with this idea. Imagine trying to sell something that nobody wants. It's embarrassing, right? Now imagine selling something that everyone wants. That's fun. If you're worried about self-promotion, then you might be worried that you are the product that nobody wants, which is why you keep your greatness to yourself. To change that, we first need to validate you in the marketplace. We need to prove to you that promoting you is valuable. People often think that self-promotion, quote unquote, means going big in public.

13:18And that's not true. Let me just reinforce, I said it earlier, like we defined self-promotion just means being more visible to the people who can help you advance your goals, whether that's emailing your network or sharing on social media or telling your boss about your wins or anything else. So let's get into it. What can you do to become more self-promotional if you're really uncomfortable with self-promotion? Here, I have four things for you. Number one, start small and see results. You do not need to become a self-promotion machine overnight. You will not become a self-promotion machine overnight.

13:50To start, you just need a tiny amount of validation, which means that you need to run a tiny experiment. My self-promotion journey, for example, began in 2016 when I became editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur. Until then, I had no audience and a relatively low profile. I wanted to build a personal brand, but I worried, will my friends scoff at this? Will strangers think I'm stupid? So I decided to run a low stakes experiment. I created a new Instagram account that was focused on helping entrepreneurs and told only a few people about it. Then friends started following and thanked me for the great advice.

14:28Truly, I cannot overstate how important that small validation was. It emboldened me to share with more people. Now, this approach can work in infinite ways, even without social media. At work, for example, you could pick one person, a boss, a manager, whoever, and start sharing some wins with them. You could start an internal newsletter, sending insights to colleagues. You could write an article or publish it on LinkedIn and tag a few people who would find it useful. Just reach out, absorb people's reactions, embolden yourself. Now, here's the second thing that you should do. Share with a purpose.

15:04You know what feels weird? Emailing your boss to say, hey, I'm totally killing it, just wanted you to know. Who does that? But now here's what won't feel weird. Emailing your boss to say, hey, I just had this great experience and I learned something interesting and I thought you would find it helpful. Maybe, I don't know, you just tried a new tactic, you had an insightful conversation. Whatever it is, you now know something that others can benefit from. So you are being helpful by sharing it. Oh, and once you do share it, you're now making sure that everyone knows about your success. When you share with a purpose, you self-promote without explicitly promoting yourself.

15:43This can take so many forms. If you own a business, for example, don't just hawk your wares on social media, share your knowledge. Restaurants can start newsletters full of recipes. Plumbers can make instructional videos on YouTube. And if you're an employee at a company, you can become a resource for your team. At Entrepreneur, for example, my colleague Brittany Robbins does something genius. She oversees digital editorial and every week she sends an internal email called Headline of the Week. It showcases a story that did particularly well, along with a breakdown of why the headline worked and how its success reflects current user trends.

16:19I read it every week. And every week I'm reminded of how well Brittany knows her stuff. that is promotion with a purpose. All right, now here's the third thing you can do if you are uncomfortable with self-promotion. You can use humor as a crutch. When I first began promoting myself, for example, my language was casual and self-deprecating. In fact, when I launched this podcast, Problem Solvers, in 2017, I just went back to this, I sent an email to my professional network about the new show. And here was the subject line of that email. Again, the email to announce a show that I was launching in 2017 that I've been doing ever since 2017 that you are listening to right now.

17:00The email said, not sick of my voice yet? Great. That was literally my subject line. And then the email went on to explain the show. It contained a funny GIF, some jokes about why you might or might not want to listen. And at the end, I wrote, you made it this far in reading a self-promotional mass email. For that, you are my hero. Why did I write like that? Back then, I probably just thought I was being funny, but today I see it for what it was. I was afraid. I didn't want to appear self-important and humor was my way of distancing. This is not masterful self-promotion, but it's good entry-level self-promotion.

17:38If you need a crutch, use it. Humor, sarcasm, self-deprecation, whatever. Just get comfortable. The training wheels could come off later. And now, finally, the fourth way for someone who is uncomfortable doing self-promotion. To do self-promotion, it is this, promote others and then promote yourself. Many years ago, I was telling my boss about something great that my team had done. And then my boss interrupted me and he said, you keep using the word I when talking about your team. This stopped me cold because it was true. I was saying things like, I decided to, or then I I changed it, but I wasn't the only person involved in those decisions.

18:23I was grateful because, you know, when my boss pointed that out, he taught me an incredible lesson in self-promotion. When you hog all the credit, you sound greedy. But when you promote everyone around you, you build trust. I try to always remember that now. If someone compliments me on a project, I thank them and mention the other people involved. When I'm talking about a win at Entrepreneur, I compliment the people I work with. Carry this into everything you do. For example, my colleague Brittany's headline of the week email is always hyping work from someone else on her team. This makes them feel happy and seen and still reinforces Brittany's role as an insightful leader.

19:02And if you're a business owner who can't solve a customer's problem, refer them to someone who can. Customers appreciate it, says Lena Fleminger of Lena's Wigs, who tells me that she does this regularly. They now understand, she just literally DMed me this on Instagram, after seeing me talk about self-promotion. She said, they now understand that you're not just trying to make a sale, but genuinely trying to help them solve a problem, even if the answer isn't you. That can be self-promotion. So are you ready to self-promote? Remember, you're not out there hawking. You're out there helping. You know something.

19:36You see something. You are experienced and insightful in sharing your awesomeness can and should help other people be more awesome too. So don't sit around waiting to be noticed. Nobody will notice, but they will listen as soon as you start speaking. All right, so now the third part of this. I said that we would do the four rules of self-promotion and then promotion tips for people who are uncomfortable with self-promotion. And then we would get to the haters. And now we have gotten to the haters. What do the haters sound like? here's a comment that was just left on my Instagram. It was from at golf underscore fights.

20:20Hello, golf fights. It says, at hey, Pfeiffer, that's me. Are you aware you're getting roasted on Reddit for your conceited and arrogant LinkedIn posts? Question mark, golf fights. I am aware. People on Reddit are calling me a narcissist. Jessen BI89 on Reddit wrote, Jason, you're an egomaniac and nobody likes you. Meanwhile, someone calling themselves softer gentler wrote that I have, quote, an incredibly punchable face. I will admit, this stuff, when I first saw it, made my heart race, as if I'm in some kind of danger. It is alarming to think about all of these strangers all across the world disliking me.

21:04But also, and I say this with total sincerity, whatever. Over many years and many haters, I have developed and internal strategy for blocking this stuff out while also making room for the possibility that some haters have a point. So that is the final part of this whole big episode on self-promotion. Let's talk about the haters. Let's talk about what you definitely shouldn't be worried about and actually what's worth worrying about because you might not have haters on Reddit, but maybe you have them in your social circle. Maybe you have them in your professional network or anywhere else. And it sucks.

21:42So I want to help you block out the noise, take more risks, and still learn and grow so you can do the best work of your life unapologetically. But first, let's rewind a little bit so I can explain how this whole Reddit thing started. What you have heard so far in this podcast episode is actually two out of three, the third being what you're hearing right now, two out of three newsletters that I wrote. I have this newsletter. It's called One Thing Better. each week one way to be more successful and satisfied and build a career or company that you love. You can get it for whatever it's worth at one thing better dot email.

22:21Should you be interested? One thing better dot email. Anyway, so I wrote these newsletters about self-promotion. And as you remember from 20 minutes or so ago, whatever it was, I told this story about the hiring manager who had told me, I heard that it's always the Jason Pfeiffer show with him and asked me what I make of that. And I defended myself saying that my personal brand was good for business. I shared that in the newsletter and readers responded very strongly and positively. And many told me their own stories of being shamed for being a strong personality, or they thanked me for nudging them along to promote themselves.

22:55And that inspired me to share that story on LinkedIn. And holy cow, when I did that, the post blew up. It went past 13 million impressions. And that, that LinkedIn post is what caught the attention on Reddit. Because it turns out there's a subreddit called LinkedIn Lunatics, where people make fun of LinkedIn posts that they don't like. And I earned two posts on LinkedIn Lunatics. How exciting. Here's just a little taste. I told you earlier, actually, about Jess and BI89 telling me that I'm an egomaniac and Softer Gentler talking about my punchable face. We also have I Love Coffee and Brunch, who said, I haven't even met the guy and I already don't like him.

23:38Thanks, I love coffee and brunch. And then there's accomplished mix745 who said, I'll bet he'll do great at the mid-level of an MLM someday, which I have to admit, that's a pretty good insult. So I first learned about this collection of joy on a Sunday morning, just as my kids were having breakfast. And when I first saw the reddipus, I froze. And then I quickly cycled through all these emotions, fear, embarrassment, defiance. I fantasize about all the comebacks that could shame these people, that could just put them in their places. I love coffee and brunch, put you in your place. And then I stopped and I remembered how I have dealt with this in the past.

24:19People often say to quote unquote, ignore the haters, but I found that is not actually all that useful because ignoring something doesn't make it disappear. Instead, I like to confront these things without confronting the haters themselves. That way, I can transform the experience into something less scary and more positive. It is a three-step process, and it goes like this. Step one, who are they? When you have haters, it is easy to worry that everyone hates you, and that is scary. But your haters aren't big and abstract. They're actually small and specific. And the closer you look, the smaller they'll seem.

24:58So who are mine, for example? I decided to pick one and find out. Most people are anonymous on Reddit, but if you click on any user's profile, you can see everything that they've posted. So I looked at JessenBI89, the person who told me that I'm an egomaniac and nobody likes me. And here's what I learned. JessenBI89, whoever this person is, spends a lot of time making fun of people's LinkedIn posts. A lot. About one post, they wrote, quote, this is why nobody invites you to things anymore, Andy. And in a reference to another, they wrote that, I prefer being around people who live outside their own buttholes.

25:35In other words, Jess and BI89 wasn't focused on me at all. I was just caught up in this person's daily insult routine, which for some reason brings them joy or comfort. I saw the same pattern in other users' profiles too, which leads me to my next question. Number two, do I want to reach these people? Whenever you speak or act, you are going to reach three potential audiences. First, there's your people, your colleagues, friends, customers, whoever is already on your team, whoever already likes you. Next, there's your next people. These are folks who will be interested or inspired by you and can become your next colleagues, friends, or customers.