The courage to be disliked.

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If you put one thing on your whiteboard today, write → Brand = Differentiation.

The need to be liked dulls edges, weakens ideas, and turns brave into something safe.

The brands people remember are led by people willing to hold their ground when it’s uncomfortable. Conviction always costs something: approval, ease, or popularity - but it’s the only thing that builds real trust.

Cotopaxi built loyalty by being unapologetically loud. Their gear looks nothing like traditional outdoor brands: bright color blocks, playful energy, a purpose that challenges how capitalism works. Some find it too idealistic, too colorful, too much. But that’s exactly why it works. The brand doesn’t bend to fit an industry aesthetic. It expands what that aesthetic can mean. That conviction gives it weight.

When you stop trying to please everyone, you start to build something honest. The right people find you. The rest move on.

Sit with:

Where are you choosing approval over honesty?

What truth about your brand still feels risky to say out loud?

What kind of discomfort might actually mean you’re on the right track?

Building conviction starts with perspective → Morning Brew delivers sharp, fast reads that challenge how you see business, leadership, and growth.

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Ian Adams, Founder the little red sofa

Before founding the little red sofa, I led strategy and creative for brands like Jeep, HSBC, and Unilever at top global agencies and in-house teams across 8 countries. Now I work with founders to turn brand clarity into sustainable growth.