As anyone who has built an influential brand will tell you, ruts happen.

Seasons in the life of a brand come and go, and sometimes it feels like nothing works. Or that the return on investment into the brand gets lower and lower. They get diminishing returns and begin to feel discouraged.

I recently sat down with Glenn Vo, author of Industry Influencer, to tack this important issue. He shared three strategies that seem counterintuitive at first, until you think about the logic beneath them.

First, he told me, “You can get out of a rut just as easily as you got into it. It takes the right strategy. In my time working with people who want to become an influencer in their industry, I’ve seen this same set of tactics work time and time again to revitalize their brand and regain their lost momentum.”

They seem counterintuitive because they don’t involve working harder, pumping out more content, and burning the candle at both ends. But they lead to much better results, and fast.

Then, he addressed a common misconception he hears in this area:

“You don’t have to pay a consultant to ‘rebrand’ you.”

“This isn’t a knock against branding experts,” he explained. If you want someone to audit your brand and suggest ways to transform it into something new, go right ahead. But a total rebrand isn’t necessary for getting out of a rut.

It’s more about going back to the fundamentals of what gave you influence in the first place… then working smarter, not harder to move forward.

1. Discover (or Rediscover) your Triangle of Genius.

“Oftentimes influencers lose sight of their zone of genius because they follow trends, sticking to that which is mainstream and popular. Then their voice gets lost in all the noise online.”

You have to go back to what makes you, you. Get back to your core values. Or get focused on your core values for the first time if you never considered them when starting your brand.

To discover or rediscover to your core values, you need to answer three important questions:

1. What passion gets you out of bed in the morning?
2. What are your natural skills and talents?
3. What are the biggest needs of your industry?

Dr. Vo recommends taking a journal and write out the answers to these questions. These three points will form your Triangle of Genius at their intersection. Go back to the basics, redevelop your foundation, then build on it. It might seem like you’re starting over from scratch, but like any high-performing athlete, you have to build around the fundamentals.

2. Niche down.

In his time helping create new Industry Influencers, Glenn Vo noticed common problem.

“A person begins building their brand and they see instant traction. Things go well for a time. Then, competition comes. Whenever someone succeeds at building influence in an industry, others come along to try to get a piece of the pie. They want to copy the success of the forerunner.”

He doesn’t think that’s a bad thing, though. “For one, imitation means that whatever you’re doing works. Two, I genuinely believe there’s enough ‘pieces of the pie’ for everyone.”

We don’t have to fight over scraps. Everyone just needs to find their specific nook in the market, and they’ll find their audience multiplying.

If you feel like your brand is in a rut, that there’s too much content and you can’t differentiate, niche down. What does it mean to niche down? It means designing content more specific to your Triangle of Genius. Yes, that means appealing to even fewer people with your content. Counterintuitive, right?

“It works because more specific content is easier for your ideal audience to find as you will come up in their specific searches, and social media algorithms will know to direct your content to their feeds. Plus, a niche audience tends to be more passionate, meaning your work will be liked and shared more easily when it appeals to them.”

3. Refocus your efforts on networking.

“Oftentimes when a person’s influence stalls, they begin to feel alone and like pushing a rock up a hill. Instead of spending more effort pushing the rock, invite some friends to push with you.”

You’re not alone in your industry. Part of revitalizing your influence means making the right connections and helping one another out.

“Don’t think of other influencers as your competition. Think of them as friends you just haven’t met yet.”

Find a few people with similar (but different) niches and reach out to them. Host them on your podcast or YouTube channel. Let them write a guest blog for your website.

“To build your network quickly, you have to give before you take. Add value to another person’s brand without immediately asking for a quid pro quo.”

Again, it might seem counterintuitive. How does helping someone else with their brand get your own brand out of a rut? Well, over time (and faster than you think) the favor does get returned. But it’s a much better return if you invest more on the front end. You’ll gain a positive reputation quickly, and soon enough, people will be lining up to add value to your brand.

“Remember,” Glenn finished, “the rut is temporary. Take a look at your Triangle of Genius, double check your niche, and start helping others out. Soon enough your influence will go back to how it was – and beyond.”

Visit Industry Influencer for the blueprint to becoming an authoritative leader in your market.

Some people are born to stay within the system and live a 9 to 5 work life. Others, however, take control of their destiny and choose the life of an entrepreneur, making their own way in the business world. One such person is Richard Fox, who began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 14.

As a young teenager, Richard Fox created a business selling comic books, rapidly finding success and growing to three separate locations. He always knew an entrepreneurial spirit lived inside him, and this early venture taught him that he had a calling in life. Innovation and learning have always been a significant part of Richard’s life and even today as a successful entrepreneur, he continues to grow his knowledge and understanding of the world. Through this constant quest for knowledge and innovation, Richard found success across a range of industries and businesses, excelling in IT, health care, and retail among others.

Richard attributes much of his success to his experimentation and use of proprietary methodologies for growth he developed over decades of first-hand experience scaling businesses. His success stories include Investio, which he co-founded with his wife Evelyn, and Baghunter, another major success that has been featured across the global media and disrupted the secondary luxury handbag market. He also works as a managing member of Tech Square, a highly successful technology company in California.

Richard has also enjoyed a number of high-level, highly profitable exits including the IPO for Doordash. He also co-founded multiple high-trafficked websites and apps with millions of daily users and almost 30 million registered members.

Away from his professional life, Richard also strongly believes in investing in his body. Biohacking, or finding the best ways to optimize one’s body for health, is a major part of his life, and he strongly believes health is linked to success and happiness. This commitment to his body goes hand in hand with his drive towards innovation and opportunity. His personal discipline is part of what has made him so successful.

Overall, Richard Fox is an innovator and knowledgeable businessman with multiple high profile and successful projects both past and present. His continuous search for knowledge provides him with a totally unique and creative approach to all projects that he pursues. He is a shining example of entrepreneurial success and there is little doubt that he will be involved in many more highly-success businesses in the future.

Have you ever felt the urge to change your career path completely, but felt afraid that you might not succeed? You aren’t alone. A recent survey found that within the past year, 52% of employed Americans have considered changing careers. However, making the jump can often be intimidating, especially if you plan on shifting to an industry that is new territory. Even if you are wanting change to a new career that you feel deeply passionate about, it can feel daunting when trying to muster up the courage to take the leap.

Aleksandr Pritsker was a talented professional tennis player when he decided he wanted to leave his career as an athlete to become a real estate agent. Within four years, Pritsker was able to build a real estate empire from the ground up, founding an award-winning full-service real estate agency called Team Blackstar. Pritsker has achieved over $400 million in sales since he shifted to his new career path and has been recognized for his remarkable entrepreneurial abilities.

Pritsker’s fast track to success was made possible by his positive mindset and willingness to network. “When I first decided to change careers, I knew I had to start making connections within the real estate agency if I wanted to succeed. I began to make a name for myself once I built a good reputation amongst my clients,” shared Pritsker. “The word spread throughout the community and social media, and within a few years, I was named one of the most effective real estate agents in my region.”

Finding success when changing careers is possible with the right approach. Without a positive attitude, clear goals, and a networking strategy, it can be difficult to gain traction within a new industry. Using these tools, it is possible to thrive on a new career path once you decide to take charge and go for it. It can be intimidating to take that first step, but if you are choosing a career that you are passionate about, then finding the drive is much easier.

Pritsker’s story goes to show that with determination and a solid game plan, any career shift is possible. “Although I will always have a love for tennis and was praised for my athletic abilities, deep down, I was always fascinated with the real estate industry. Deciding to pursue my dreams of becoming a real estate agent had changed my life,” said Pritsker. If Pritsker had never decided to take that leap and leave his life as a professional athlete to try something new, he would have never reached the immense success he has today.

Pritsker continues to excel as the CEO for Team Blackstar. Currently, the real estate agency provides services to Florida and New Jersey. By adopting Pritsker’s attitude about being fully committed to clients, Team Blackstar has made a name for themselves as one of the most highly rated real estate agencies in their region.

For more information about Team Blackstar, visit www.blackstarrep.com.

To keep up with the latest updates from Aleksandr Pritsker, follow his Instagram: www.instagram.com/apritsker_exprealty.

Gil Rabbi is revolutionising the world through Storycards. Most people involved in the business world are familiar with Wix, the website development giant allowing for easy development of websites for a business site. Website builders have grown in popularity since the inception of Wix and opened up a whole new industry based on no coding website builders.

Businesses across the world have utilized these types of services due to the easy access they give to business owners who find it overwhelming to enter an area where large amounts of front end coding knowledge was necessary to develop a viable product. Amongst the sea of development services, Storycards, a startup based in Israel, aims to revolutionise the way we look at and use no coding website development services. However, what makes Storycards unique is its ability to create engagement services such as trivia, quizzes, forms and so much more, all with the ability to be embedded into your business website.

Storycards was started by Israeli Gil Rabbi, who started the company after his military service within the IDF. Initially coming from a background based in user engagement for other businesses, Gil Rabbi has a history of developing revolutionary products which have helped to engage over 5 million different consumers for businesses. His past conquests have also included an incredible communication technology, alongside two other fellow IDF soldiers, which has been utilized in a huge swathe of different applications. In the IDF, Gil Rabbi was able to develop a technological platform which allowed people to enlist in the IDF and communicate with the IDF in a much more efficient and effective way, helping to increase productivity significantly within the organisation and with those outside of it. Gil Rabbi is considered one of the leading experts in the country on digital engagement with users and business demographics. With his intelligence in this field as well as his experience with technology in his past achievements, he makes a formidable innovator and a helping hand for businesses across the globe.

And now in 2021 comes Storycards, which allows business owners to be able to produce digital products and services which can be embedded into marketing areas such as a website. In doing so, the business is able to truly engage their consumers in a much more exciting way rather than traditional marketing and advertising methods.

What makes Storycards so unique is that it is the world’s first no code editor which allows for the development of professional engagement products, making it easy for business owners worldwide to develop engagement products which are sure to speak to their demographic. Storycards also utilizes modern technology such as artificial intelligence in order to produce feedback about developed products and use this data to further increase the engagement with a business’s users.

Most business leaders would agree that communication is key when keeping clients happy, and crucial to building a good reputation. But it remains a challenge, seeing as old ways of keeping in contact don’t cut it anymore. Communication is still paramount, but it’s changing in the modern age. Clients want constant updates today, and companies are rightfully having to adjust.

A skilled entrepreneur who is making that happen is CEO and President of The Pavement Group, Brian Hess. It’s safe to say that Hess has built his entire legacy on staying connected and forming strong relationships. But his strategy of keeping contacts close goes beyond shaking hands. By using technology to his advantage, his company is keeping clients in-the-know 24-7.

The Pavement Group is a nationwide asphalt and concrete construction company that works with some of the biggest brands in the country. But its size is not used as an excuse for leaving clients hanging or letting updates fall through the cracks. In fact, Brian has implemented a unique online system to provide updates for clients throughout the entire company.

“No one else has the ability to drive transparency in the entire construction process the way that we do because of our unique technology,” Hess said.

Transparency is Setting Them Apart from the Competition

Transparency is something that is setting them apart from the competition. Although The Pavement Group continues to grow, with plans to be in 15 cities in the next 10 years, the personal attention given to each individual gives it a small-business feel. Clients are given a specific project team and everyone’s full contact information. But the best part is that they can track every detail of the project, step by step, in the online project management portal. Hess has created an efficient way for them to receive updates from start to finish. Every detail is communicated throughout the process using the portal.

They can check on anything online, including permit information, schedules, or how the company is phasing a project to be completed. This tool gives clients the opportunity to stay tuned-in around the clock and quickly answer any questions they may have. The advanced technology allows Brian’s company to give updates as quickly as possible, while giving clients full access to any information they may need.

“Our technology-based approach to helping our clients manage their pavement assets is solving one of the biggest challenges that exists in our industry. We have technology that allows our clients to have joint control of the process throughout the entire customer journey,” Hess said.

Setting New Client Standards

In a field that has been relatively slow to adapt to new technology in the digital age, Brian is setting a new standard in client services. Instead of making customers conform to outdated methods, Brian is giving them what they want- information at their fingertips round-the-clock. This personal attention keeps a client coming back.

Brian says the company will continue to experience exponential growth and innovate in the industry over the next 2-3 years