You Are The Brand

Mike Kim

  • 18 minutes 24 seconds
    [#13] My 14-Year Old Niece Interviewed Me About Influence and Personal Branding

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    During her visit to New York City, my (sweetheart!!!) niece Nylah asked if I could help with a school project on social media and influence.

    (She thinks I'm an actual influencer, haha.)

    We braved the winter weather and did an interview while walking towards the Museum of Natural History.

    I always tell people that if you want to explain what you do, try explaining it like you're talking to a kid. Well, this is my attempt!

    I could have explained it to her in way more complex terms and she would have understood me – she's a smart cookie. She asked me some pretty deep questions! But you get what I mean.

    Reflecting on our interview, I realized it's really important to have these kinds of conversations with kids. I share some life skills I think will be really important for Nylah, as well as recommended books, the reality behind what people see online, and the pitfalls and opportunities social media affords.

    If you're interested in the books that shaped me as a communicator and marketer, here are the originals I studied:

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    16 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 10 minutes 2 seconds
    [#12] The Messenger Is More Important Than the Message - The New Rules of Personal Branding and Why Content Marketing is Dead

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    Content marketing is dead. "How-to" isn't a differentiator anymore—AI can do that better than any of us. What actually cuts through now is the messenger, not the message.

    In this video, I break down why the shift from "How-to" to "How I…" content matters, how connection beats conversion, and why wisdom earned through lived experience is the real currency in a post-AI world.

    People don't buy from experts—they buy from humans they believe.

    If you're tired of chasing trends and fighting for attention, this is the path forward: share your wisdom, not just your knowledge.

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    9 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 11 minutes 7 seconds
    [#11] Video Games Let You Start Over Without Losing Progress. Your Business Can, Too.

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    I played (too many) videogames in college and often sank a lot of time into "character creation" – where you get to pick what kind of character you'll build for the game. Game developers knew players would obsess over getting it "right," so they built in something called a respec — a way to wipe your build, reassign your points, and start fresh without losing your progress.

    Turns out, businessa and life can work the same way. Today, I share how I've been re-specing my own habits, business, and direction. You might be overdue for a reset yourself.

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    2 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 9 minutes 9 seconds
    [#10] How Gratitude Became the Backbone of My Inner Life

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    I used to think gratitude was an obligation—something church kids did while passing an offering plate or something people talked about every Thanksgiving. But four years with The Five Minute Journal did something I never expected: it made me a grateful person instead of someone trying to feel grateful.

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    25 November 2025, 8:00 am
  • 6 minutes 25 seconds
    [#09] The Secret Season I'm Using to Reset and Rebuild My Business and Life

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    In this episode I break down the hidden season high achievers avoid: the quiet "wintering" phase where you subtract, repair, and redirect your energy to what actually matters.

    I share how cutting $25k/month in retainers, drinking 70% less, and reclaiming 80+ hours a month reshaped my life, creativity, and identity. If you're feeling the pull to shed old leaves and grow deeper roots, this one's for you.

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    18 November 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    [#08] From Expert to Author - The Strategic Blueprint for Writing a Book That Builds Your Business

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    Last week, I hosted a live presentation called "From Expert to Author: The Strategic Blueprint for Writing a Book That Builds Your Business." While writing a book has always been a good idea for experts, I believe it's a non-negotiable in today's world. This is a long presentation, but I believe there's a lot you can learn from it. Check out the timestamps below for the different sections.

    If you're interested in working with me in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026, go to mikekim.com/writeyourbook

    • 02:44 The Role of a Book in Your Business
    • 08:15 AI Has Shifted How Experts are Perceived
    • 18:54 Crafting a Strong Book Proposal
    • 24:26 Platform Audit and Marketing Strategy
    • 30:05 Comparable Titles and Differentiation
    • 35:35 Leveraging AI for Writing and Proofreading
    • 39:36 Building Demand While Writing Your Book
    • 49:21 Ways to Work Together and Final Q&A

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    11 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 6 minutes 14 seconds
    [#07] Foundational vs. Frantic: Depth of Execution, Not Volume of Activity

    Read this episode: mikekim.com/foundational-frantic

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    This week's episode is a bit shorter because I'm preparing for a live training later this week on How to Write and Market a Bestselling Book (register below).

    My thoughts for this week: Just because the work is quiet doesn't mean it's not important. This really just boils down to a fight we all face: foundational vs. frantic.

    Just like the autumn season here in the Northeast U.S. has a purpose, it's vital to define the purpose of the season you're in. You define it. Take agency over it.

    My definition for Q4: depth of execution, not volume of activity. You might be in a different season. Good. All I'm saying is: define it.

    Join the free training on Zoom »

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    4 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 16 minutes 43 seconds
    [#06] An Inside Look at My Book Numbers - Sales, Strategy, and the Real ROI of Writing a Book
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    Read this episode: mikekim.com/book-roi

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    In this behind-the-scenes breakdown, I share the real numbers and lessons from You Are the Brand: how large my email list grew, how the book hit the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists, and how I turned one book into $250K+ in coaching and certification offers.

    You'll hear what it actually takes to hit those lists, what "writing a good book" really requires, and how the process itself rewires your identity and business from the inside out.

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    28 October 2025, 8:00 am
  • 12 minutes 39 seconds
    [#05] The Economy of Meaning - What's Coming Next for Coaches, Guides, and Personal Branding in the Age of AI

    Read this episode: mikekim.com/economy-of-meaning

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    What if the next great economy isn't about money, content, or attention, but meaning? In this conversation, I unpack every major shift we've lived through—the Industrial, Knowledge, Digital, Creator, and Attention Economies—and why the next frontier for personal brands is the Economy of Meaning.

    It's a wake-up call for entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators to stop chasing optimization and start embodying integration: to share stories that cost them something, lead with honesty, and build brands that matter because they mean something. I believe this is where personal branding is going in the age of AI.

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    21 October 2025, 8:00 am
  • 9 minutes 39 seconds
    [#04] The Delete-and-Replace Method: How I Rewrote the Stories Running My Life (and Business)

    Read this episode: mikekim.com/delete-and-replace

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    Most of us carry stories we didn't consciously choose. Growth usually requires letting go of those stories, but trying to them can feel impossible. In this episode, I share something that has helped me: instead of fighting to delete the file, save over it by creating new experiences in the same spaces.

    Some stories can only be released when you transmute them into something with material consequence—a book, a body of work, something that makes it all matter. If you've spent years hiding behind other people's frameworks and voices, there comes a moment when what's clawing its way out of you demands to be heard.

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    14 October 2025, 8:00 am
  • 13 minutes 43 seconds
    [#03]  The IP Empire - My "Antifragile" Strategy for Multiplying Markets (Without Starting Over)

    Read this post: mikekim.com/ip-empire

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    If your business depends on one market, one trending topic, or one lucky break, you're more vulnerable than you think.

    I'm breaking down the exact strategy I've used to take the same intellectual property and multiply it across multiple markets—creating an antifragile business that actually gets stronger during downturns.

    This is the framework that kept my business growing during COVID while others scrambled, and it's built on strategic principles I learned from an ancient Chinese novel and it's videogame counterpart.

    • 0:01 - An overview of what shaped my view of strategy
    • 3:15 - I'm no Sleeping Dragon, but...
    • 4:23 - The IP Empire framework
    • 6:44 - Stop chasing gigs, start building properties
    • 9:05 - Taleb's "Antifragility"

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    7 October 2025, 8:00 am
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