Ryan Deiss is an entrepreneur, author, and investor, and according to Shark Tank star Daymond John, “His companies practically own the internet.” He’s the founder of Scalable and Digital Marketer and one of Roland Frasier’s partners. 

In this two-part series, you get to be a fly on the wall as he talks to a room full of entrepreneurs. He shares a way of thinking about your business that is both critical and powerful. Ryan takes the Character Diamond concept that emerged out of the acting/story-telling space and simplifies it for business and branding purposes. You will find this super interesting and helpful if you want to scale your marketing WITHOUT going too corporate-y.

“Much Like A Hero, A Brand Is A Fictional Entity”. Roy Williams, Wizard Academy.

If you love this show and it helps you with your business(es), head over to our home page and sign-up for our weekly memos. It would also really help us get the word out if you would subscribe/follow us on ApplePodcasts.

This episode is for you if you want to make your brand more interesting and likable.

The (Simplified) Character Diamond (For Business Branding).

Listen to Episode 254 for Part 1. Ryan covered the North and South quadrants of the diamond. “The North and South are what creates interest. It’s what gets people’s attention. It’s what makes you worthy of more than just a glance”. Ryan Deiss.

• Ask yourself, what is your North Star? Your brands’ mutant power?  

• Then, what is your ‘Counter Star’? What is the external conflict that provides interest?

Today In Part 2, Listen For,

• Digital Marketer’s Character Diamond.

• The ‘East West’ Quadrants of The Character Diamond:

“These are things that are a little more internal. You may not put this at the top of your website, right? Your website may be speaking more about benefits, but when you get into the mission and what you’re all about, this has got to ring true”. Ryan Deiss. 

(East) What is your non-negotiable? What is that for your brand?

‘If you stand for nothing, nobody will trust you. So having a non-negotiable, having a Hill that you’re prepared to die on is what builds trust'. Ryan Deiss.

Ryan shares examples, including the non-negotiable for Digital Marketer, which is:

‘It must be step by step and proven. No theory.’

(West) What is your quirk, your mask, your flaw? You’re not-so-secret sin?

This is what creates a sense of humanity. It makes your brand LIKE-ABLE.

“We like brands when we know that they screw up just like us”. Ryan Deiss.

Get Started Building Your Brand’s Character Diamond:

Step 1- Identify a person or persons in your company that most exemplify the brand. It doesn't have to be the founder or CEO, but it does need to be someone within the organization that speaks on behalf of the company.

“This incidentally is another reason why founder-led companies tend to outperform companies that aren't founder-led. And it's also the reason why when founders are taken from companies and, you know, the corporate types are moved in, that they fail”. Ryan Deiss.

Step 2- Have this person make a list of favorite books, movies, TV shows, comic books, Bible stories, favorite characters.

Step 3: Take note of the characters. The...