Imagine this. You’re at a nice restaurant with friends. Someone weird, rockstar-looking dude walks in and sits next to you. He’s eating a cloth napkin from the table. Uh, security? What is he doing? He finishes swallowing it. Now, that crazy part. He stands on his chair, reaches into the front of his throat, and slowly pulls the napkin out the front of his neck.
You just met Criss Angel.
An illusionist, and niche business master, Criss made his way to the top by going to the streets. He promoted himself by getting up close and personal, doing tricks that blow people’s minds. And why not? Some people think they could easily figure out an illusion if they could get past all the smoke and stage lights. Criss Angel proves them wrong.
Check out the YouTube video of him making President Obama’s cell phone disappear while they’re both surrounded by the Secret Service.
OK, OK, but wait, weren’t there lots of illusionists doing that a decade ago? No. And that’s the point. Criss Angel made an important, no critical, decision early in his career. He would not be influenced by other magicians. He wanted his own style. Where they went, he avoided. Where they avoided, he dove in.
While he had inspiration (Houdini), he did not want to look like any of his contemporaries. Promoting himself via pedestrian street magic was just the beginning. He went on to create shows using his “holy crap, that just happened right in front of us” type magic.
Then he partnered with an equally unique new business, Cirque du Soleil. Together they produced the best selling live magic show in the world.
Now, here is an important question to consider:
Is Criss Angel the most skilled illusionist? There’s not a clear answer to that question. But what is clear is this: his unique approach made him the best show around. And it gave him a niche business!
Being unique is within your control. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a pediatrician, a podcaster, or own a watermelon stand, you can still choose the path less taken. You can seek out a new way to connect with your audience.
Want to apply this idea to your business?
Ask yourself this simple question every time you make a major product or marketing decision: Is this idea unique? If not, make it disappear.
Be unique on purpose. That doesn’t mean gaudy or flashy or gross…those aren’t things you want said about you. But strive for uniqueness. It’s simply the opposite of familiar…and we’ve got plenty of that lying around.
Never underestimate the power of being unique. It works like magic.
Want to learn more about what a niche is? Visit https://growanichebusiness.com/what-is-a-niche/
