From a young age, Gregory Diehl understood the importance of universal ideals. Though he was raised in California, he soon embarked on a journey of global quest for learning, self-discovery, entrepreneurship, and inquiry. Since then, Gregory has lived and worked in 45 countries and continues to use his experiences to help others along the path of self-fulfillment through exploration.
Gregory’s first two books, Brand Identity Breakthrough and Travel As Transformation, are Amazon bestsellers. His podcast, Uncomfortable Conversations With Gregory, taps into the core of people’s conceptions of self. He helps entrepreneurs prepare complex value messages across many mediums, and offers unconventional lifestyle coaching and brand identity consultancy for impassioned individuals.
Why did you decide to write this book?
I’ve always been writing in one form or another, and this year I turn that proclivity into my first two self-published books – both of which are now Amazon bestsellers. I see myself as a communicator, and writing is a just a convenient form for that. I used to write a lot of articles, and an absurd amount of sales copy for clients who hired me. I didn’t get into writing books until a woman who ran a company called Convertport convinced me I had a message worth publishing and that she could help me produce and market it. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a scam and I lost a lot of money, but it put the seed in my mind to become a self-published author. That was when I started learning everything I would need to do, and my first book, Brand Identity Breakthrough, was the result.
How important is branding to small business owners and what are some of the best branding practice for new entrepreneurs?
A brand identity is what makes it possible to form a unique impression of your company and products in the minds of your customers. Without that, there is no relationship. You cannot exist for them as anything other than a momentary function – something that gets them from A to B, if they even known about you at all. Doing this correctly requires going much deeper than just looking at colors, taglines, buzzwords, and superficial guarantees of quality.
In your opinion, what are the top 3 mistakes entrepreneurs make when it comes to creating a brand?
The first mistake they make is trying to be like everyone else who is already successful. That is completely the opposite of what a brand identity is supposed to accomplish. The second mistake is the inverse of the first: being so different and wildly unconventional that no one understands who you are without lengthy investigation. The third is focusing entirely on functionality and forgetting to package it all in personality and values. Those are the things that elevate a brand beyond just a way to get something done.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what are your books all about?
My message is all about understanding yourself beyond any falsehoods of cultural conveniences. When you have accomplished that, it’s about expressing this profound and authentic idea in the most appropriate way within the larger world around you. Whether that’s through a business, ordinary social interactions, the projects that consume your time, or anything, doesn’t really matter. People need to remember how to be themselves.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I started traveling the world at 18. I’m 28 now, and travel has remained a huge part of my lifestyle. I have learned the practical tips and interesting destinations that everyone talks about, but I also have experienced a profound personal evolution as a result of my journey. It has opened me up to becoming a very different kind of person than when I started, or if I had just stayed in one place my whole life. I started by working in education, but that quickly turned into branding and sales for meaningful businesses, which itself morphed into a unique kind of personal development work.
What are some of the projects you are working on right now?
I’m heavily focused on building up my personal brand right now, which is a combination of my personality, abilities, and values. I’ve realized that securing my own image in the world as a unique and valuable individual is the key to all my success. It can be leveraged toward all current and future business activities I will engage in. It has the power to build instant trust and credibility. The primary ways I am doing this is through the production of books, online courses, and podcasts, at least for now. I know I need to start to go into video content of some kind to really get my face out there.
Quickly describe what an average working day is like for you?
My lifestyle is highly unconventional, and so is my workday. I guess you could call me a digital nomad because I travel the world and work from a laptop, but I don’t really fit the cultural narrative that carries. I generally prefer to work from home, though I will sometimes go out to cafes or co-working spaces for a few hours at a time. I work from my coach or bed in my underpants most of the time. I work in tandem to create my next publication and begin stoking the fires for a successful launch. It’s about 75% production and 25% premarketing by getting specific groups of people interested in what I am creating, or specific individuals prepped to start talking about it. It works out better for me this way, because I hate just doing one task over and over anyway.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
To be an entrepreneur, you must be adaptable, bold, and moral. Adaptability allows you to change yourself and your approach based on the observation of your environment, which is always somewhat unknown and forever changing. Boldness enables you to attempt things for which there is no precedent, regardless of the chance of failure. Morality is essential to creating mutually profitable relationships with others – whether they are partners, suppliers, investors, or consumers. This is the essence of business.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
My tone is very distinct. I’ve worked hard to hone it over the years. It’s an unusual blend of directness, education, intellect, condescension and hopefulness. Even when I am writing about ordinary things, people say I have a way of really getting down to the core of it all and showing them a new side of something they thought they already understood. I deconstruct my subject and put it back together in a new way.
I believe that for the right person, my writing can make them ask difficult questions and think more deeply about the answers than they ever have been willing or able to before. It’s a lot like having a live conversation with me, but in book form. Some people definitely find it off-putting, but others can’t get enough. It makes it very easy to find my target market. The goal is always to get them to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have the courage or clarity to do. I plan to continue what has worked for my first books with many more over the next few years.
How do you go about marketing your business and what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
My second book, Travel As Transformation, tells how traveling to 45 countries over the last 10 years has completely changed my sense of self and my place in the world. It gives practical advice and motivation for others who want to do the same. I wrote both of them because I knew I had something unique and powerful to offer people who wanted to listen, and publishing on Amazon was the best outlet for doing that. Both have performed very well, and I plan to repeat the results many times over with future books.
How can our community get in touch with you?
You can buy either of my books on Amazon: Brand Identity Breakthrough: Travel As Transformation: Or visit my author website at Gregory Diehl
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