The old playbook for building a creative business doesn't work anymore.

In a raw, unfiltered conversation, we uncovered the counterintuitive principles that are actually driving success today. These aren't recycled tips from a business book – these are the real strategies behind million-dollar creative businesses.

Here's what nobody's telling you:

1. Master Formats, Not Trends

Stop chasing viral trends. While everyone else tries to recreate the latest TikTok moment, real success comes from mastering specific formats. "99% of people that follow trends don't break through with viral success." The money isn't in catching lightning in a bottle – it's in building a repeatable system you can execute flawlessly.

2. Premium Clients Are Less Work Than Cheap Ones

Here's a perspective flip: premium clients are actually easier to work with than budget clients. Why? They throw money at problems, not time. They're not interested in micromanaging your process – they just want results. When you work with clients who understand the value of their time, everything becomes simpler.

3. The Generalist Principle Changes Everything

Want your content to break through? Stop creating niche content for niche audiences. The "generalist principle" shows how to make specialized content interesting to the average person while keeping the depth your core audience craves. This is how you scale without selling out.

4. Personal Branding Isn't Marketing

Forget about social media tactics and marketing funnels. Real personal branding is about self-discovery and growth. When you show up as your authentic self – sharing both victories and vulnerabilities – you create connections that no marketing strategy can match.

5. Design Is What It Does

The future of design isn't about aesthetics – it's about outcomes. Smart design firms are moving away from deliverables and toward transformation. Your job isn't to make things pretty; it's to "fight for the future you believe in." This changes everything about how we approach creative work.

6. Become a Reality Bender

Want to command premium rates? Become what we call a "reality bender" – someone who fundamentally changes outcomes by showing up. When you can prove that "anyone else can get you a 30% uplift, but I can get you a 300% uplift," price becomes irrelevant.

7. Craft Beats Imagination

Here's something nobody tells you: imagination is overrated. "What's more important than imagination is craft." Anyone can have good ideas. The real value comes from your ability to execute consistently and excellently. This separates professionals from amateurs.

8. Algorithms Are Your Partners

Stop trying to "hack" social media algorithms. They're designed to help distribute great content. Understanding this partnership mindset changes how you create and share, leading to better organic reach and engagement.

9. Brand Isn't What You Think

The traditional branding playbook is dead. Brand isn't about your logo, typeface, or design system. It's about differentiation and transformation. This shift requires us to think bigger about our role in helping companies evolve.

10. Words Shape Reality

The power of precise language in business is unstoppable. Finding the right words in the right sequence can unlock emotional responses even from hardened CEOs. This isn't about marketing speak – it's about articulating futures that people want to fight for.

What Now?

These principles just scratch the surface of what we covered.

Watch the full conversation here to discover the specific strategies for implementing these ideas and many more principles that could revolutionize your creative practice.

Remember: The old rules are made to be broken. The question is, which ones will you break first?

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