The Best Differentiator

In business and life, people struggle with coming up with something that makes them stand out. They want to come up with a new business plan that revolutionizes and industry. They want to change a process that makes things move more efficiently. They want to stand out in a crowd of people and be seen as the best, to be seen as someone who is ahead. Instead of searching for an area of expertise, an area of particular interest, or a new path altogether, you should focus on leaning into your greatest differentiator, yourself.

You and who you are is your greatest feature. You are your own greatest niche. Being yourself is the single best way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. No one has your same background, characteristics, opinions, memories, network, skills, and desires. What makes up you is what makes you, you. Being you is a feature, not a defect. Who you are as a person has taken you from birth to exactly the moment you are currently in today. It is not by accident that you are where you are.

Accepting not only who you are but also realizing the power it carries is like a new awakening. Instead of struggling with an identity crisis or being locked into the idea that you must create, do, or change something to stand out, you can move freely and operate in a way where you can be you. You can live in a state of bliss knowing and understanding you are who you are meant to be. There is no need to stress about finding a different path. You are on the path of life living your own life.

Using yourself as your most powerful differentiator is a tactic with unlimited return on investment. The most well-known founders, content creators, athletes, and people have remarkable accomplishments but are all known for being themselves. The greatest basketball players in the world have a commonality of being good at basketball, but they all bring different things to the table from a human perspective. Jordan and LeBron are very different people but are still two of the greatest basketball players ever. The same idea can be said about Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Tony Hawk, David Goggins, and whoever else you want to name. They all became who they became because they leaned into and accepted who they were as people. They did not try and conform to any social norm, they chose to follow their individual paths of being themselves. Individuality is the most unique treasure in the world. Everyone’s treasure is different and everyone’s treasure is waiting to be discovered. You just need to follow your own path to find it. You alone are the best differentiator you can find.