A few years ago I had a client in personal development.
He wanted to target "burnt out entrepreneurs."
Something felt off to me, but I couldn't articulate why.
Logically it checked out.
Burnt out entrepreneurs exist.
They needed help, and he had solutions - digital detox, breathwork, meditation.
So I let him continue.
We spent about a year building campaigns around this positioning.
Nothing landed.
The content didn't resonate and the offers didn't convert.
We kept tweaking the messaging, trying different angles, and adjusting the copy.
Eventually we lost momentum. Then we lost touch completely.
It took me a while to understand what went wrong.
People who identify as "burnt out entrepreneurs" don't want to buy courses on recovery.
They want to book a vacation.
Take a break.
Sleep.
Maybe quit.
They're not in buying mode for personal development.
They're in escape mode.
The positioning made logical sense but missed how people actually behave.
That experience left a profound mark on me, and it changed how I approach marketing.
Here are the 3 big lessons I learned from that experience.
—
Lesson 1: You don't need to "target" anyone.
Old marketing taught me to define my ideal client avatar...
Down to their age, income, pain points, and what they eat for breakfast.
Then find those people and put ads in front of them.
It works if you have the budget and patience for the numbers game.
But there's another way: Share your actual thoughts and let the right people find you.
When you're clear on what you believe and you say it consistently, you become a signal.
The people who need to hear it will hear it. The ones who don't will scroll past.
You don't need to hunt. You need to broadcast clearly.
—
Lesson 2: Sell ideas, not solutions.
When I first learned marketing, everything was about the solution.
Features, benefits, transformation, results.
But solutions only matter to people who've already decided they have a problem worth solving.
Ideas however work differently.
An idea can reach someone even before they're "ready."
It plants a seed and shifts how they see things.
When you lead with your ideas, you attract those who resonate with how you think.
And those people become buyers naturally.
—
Lesson 3: Lead with opportunity, not pain.
I was taught to "agitate the pain."
Remind people how bad things are.
Make them feel the problem so they want the solution.
That worked when people trusted marketers.
But today, everyone's been agitated by a thousand ads.
They're numb to it.
Worse, they're suspicious of anyone who starts by telling them what's wrong with them.
But when you lead with opportunity, you paint the picture of what's possible.
You show the destination.
People who want to go there will lean in.
Pain-based marketing feels manipulative because it is.
Opportunity-based marketing feels like an invitation because it is.
—
These lessons sound simple but they're a complete shift from how most people learn to market.
AI has flooded the internet with content.
Market sophistication is at an all-time high.
Everyone's been burned by fake gurus at least once.
Trust is low.
And I don't expect it to improve.
The old playbook - target, agitate, convert - is breaking down.
What's replacing it is consent-based, non-manipulative, opportunity-oriented marketing.
You share what you believe.
You make offers without pressure.
You let people decide.
And all of that starts from being extremely clear on your foundations first.
Who you are. What you stand for. What you're actually offering.
That's what the Clarity Bundle helps you build.
I’m bundling 5 of my most important AI processes that you can get with the price of one.
Five AI processes: Origin Story, Core Message, Positioning, Offer Foundation, and Offer Doc QC.
$100.
Lifetime access.
Plus a 2-hour workshop where I walk you through building all five.
Details here:[Archived link retired.]
Registration closes November 30th.
FELIX