Mike Michalowicz uses Taylor Swift as an example of how personal brands work: one public figure surrounded by a high-performing team handling distinct functions, like band members. He argues personal brands beat competition because they're one-of-one; no competitor can replicate that exact combination of person and team.
Taylor Swift and the team that surrounds her, which I don't know who her team is, they're extraordinary business people. I think it's undeniable that she's talented, but some people are like, oh, she's not the best singer in the world. No. She's not the best guitarist. No. But she is this collective of extraordinary talent matched with business prowess that you don't see too often. Right. And I think that is the power of the Swift brand in that she's looking at all of the opportunities to be of better service to the consumer, to approach them in a new way? Where are they moving and how can she— and when I say she, it's not— there's got to be a team around her.
Yeah. I was thinking, how much of this is her? How much of this is a team or the right people hired for the right jobs within her brand?
Yeah. It's a great question. I think this is bold for me to guess because I know nothing about her organization. I think it's like ours. So we— just to give context to our listeners, we're a small business. I think there's 8 of us. I am the spokesperson. So to the outside world, they almost exclusively know, if they do know of us, which most don't, but if they do, they'll know Mike or they'll know a book title and that's it. And the perception is, oh, Mike is doing it all. It does feel a little bit like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtains. But the reality is I'm the spokesperson, but the drummer of the band is Kelsey.
Right.
And the guitarist, lead guitar solos are done by Jenna. And Andrea is our bass, I guess, keeps the rhythm going, whatever, however you wanna do the analogy. But there's this collective team. But when you have a personal brand, it emulates around an individual. There's something else also very interesting about a personal brand. When you are a personal brand, you inherently protect yourself from the competition because there can't be another Mike Michalowicz. There can't be another Ann Kardell. You're a one of one. So the power personal brands have are very hard to clone. No one else can say, well, I'm really the better Taylor Swift.
No, there's only one. You can't be—
you can be different, but you can't be better.
