But what if that's exactly why your marketing feels so hard? What if that's why you freeze up when it's time to post, or why your sales copy makes you feel icky?

Here's the truth: Not all purchasing decisions are driven by problem-solving.

When was the last time you bought something expensive purely because it sparked joy? That weekend getaway you didn't "need." That dress that made you feel like your best self. The art piece that moved you.

That decision came from a completely different place than booking an emergency plumber.

In this episode, I'm challenging the biggest lie in marketing:

That fear and pain points are the only way to sell. They're not.

And for creative entrepreneurs, coaches, artists, and anyone selling transformation over transactions? Joy First marketing is often more profitable.

What we're diving into:

• Why the pain-point formula works brilliantly for plumbers but might be killing your premium brand
• The neuroscience behind joy-based purchasing (hint: happy people spend more generously)
• Real brands winning with positivity—from John Lewis's tear-jerking holiday ads to how Ryan Reynolds built a $14 billion empire through genuine enthusiasm and storytelling
• When joy-first marketing is your secret weapon (and the signs you're forcing the wrong approach)
• Why you get this intellectually but still can't implement it (and what actually helps)

The truth nobody wants to say out loud:

You're allowed to build a business that feels good. That leads with desire instead of desperation. That makes people feel better about themselves, not worse.

And it can be more profitable than the fear-based alternative.

Your work matters. Your joy matters. And showing up with genuine enthusiasm in a world drowning in manufactured urgency?

That's how you stand out.

Resources Mentioned:

• John Lewis 2024 Holiday Ad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1bRlnyQeDk
• White Stuff "Walkies" Campaign | https://www.whitestuff.com/life-stuff-style/episode-25
• Citrus 48-Hour Brand Refresh https://go.joyfirstworld.com/citrus (early bird pricing ends Friday)
• Joy First Founders' Circle https://go.joyfirstworld.com/jffc

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What makes Cheetos, Krispy Kreme and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup so dang addicting? These treats aren't perefction on accident, food scientists engineer them to hit what they call the "bliss point": the perfect balance of sugar, salt, and fat that makes your brain scream "more please" without you even consciously deciding.

Your brand can hit this bliss point too.

That sweet spot where what lights YOU up and what the market needs (and is willing to pay for) overlap so perfectly that people binge your content, buy whatever they can afford, and want to stay in your world long-term.

Most founders I work with? They're operating with only one of the 'circles', which means they're either burning out doing work that pays but depletes them, or pouring their soul into something nobody will buy.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the two foundational circles every brand needs, why most of us only nail one, and revealing the third circle that determines whether people stick around long enough to understand your brilliance.

I'm also sharing my own painful story from 2024, how being out of alignment cost me big time, forced me to let go of team members, and nearly broke me. And what finally clicking back into my bliss point created (spoiler: it's Citrus).

You'll discover:

• The ven diagram for sustainable business growth
• Where "finding your why" fits into all this
• Warning signs you're out of alignment (before it costs you big time)
• The third circle that makes everything click
• How AI is changing the game for founders who can articulate their bliss point

This episode is for you if:

• You're making money but losing your soul in the process
• You love what you're doing but nobody's buying
• You keep pivoting, second-guessing, feeling resentful about incoming work
• You suspect there's a "next level" but can't quite see how to get there
• You're ready to stop bouncing between passion and profit

The founders who nail this now: all three circles aligned, are going to blow up in the next few years. Because AI is rocket fuel for amplifying what makes you unique. But if you can't articulate what that is? You can't use that fuel.

Links & Resources:

• Citrus: 48 hr. brand refresh: https://go.joyfirstworld.com/citrus
• Free Masterclass Waitlist: Get the full framework + check-list for psychological consistency: https://go.joyfirstworld.com/future?utm_source=podcast
• Brand in a Week | Whyfinding® | Super Bloom® : VIP Brand Experiences using the Colour Brand® Method": https://go.joyfirstworld.com/branding

Next Week: The Profitability of Positivity: Why joy is the #1 strategy for small business success right now.

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You've been trying to fit in. Learning the industry standards. Following best practices. Being professional. Being credible. Being like everyone successful.

But what if you're optimizing for the wrong thing?

What if instead of apologizing, you should be celebrating?

Research shows industry outsiders drive breakthrough innovation at significantly higher rates than insiders. Not despite being different. Because of it.

Sara Blakely (fax machine salesperson → Spanx). Yvon Chouinard (climber → Patagonia). Rihanna (cultural outsider → Fenty Beauty). None of them succeeded by fitting in. They succeeded by leveraging what made them different.

Today: The four types of valuable outlier perspectives. And the exact framework for turning your "weirdness" into strategic advantage when building a brand.

You'll discover:

• Why industry insiders are actually constrained (and you're not)
• The outlier type you probably are (and didn't know was an asset)
• Why neurodivergent thinking creates natural business advantages
• The four-step framework from hiding difference to leading with it
• Why "what if I alienate customers" is the wrong thing to be worrying about
• How to price for uniqueness instead of competing on sameness

Listen if:

• You've been hiding parts of yourself to seem "professional"
• You don't have traditional industry credentials (and feel like an imposter)
• Your brain works differently than "normal"
• You've been told you're "too different" or "don't fit the mold"
• You're tired of trying to be like everyone else
• 
  

• Whyfinding® Sessions: Get Nic's help finding, defining your 'weird' : https://go.joyfirstworld.com/branding
• The 'troll' post on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQmC_0gDLR-/

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