What it Means to be a Brand Evangelist

On yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Nik Parks talked about reaching out to people who are further along in their career. He also explained what it means to be a brand evangelist.

He explained we’re often afraid of reaching out for help when we shouldn’t be. Nik said that he is constantly surprised by the generosity of people.

Below, are some of his biggest influences:

1) Chris Brogan was a big influence because his book, “The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth” was a game changer. Nik says he has always felt like an oddball. Chris’s book says it’s good for business to be different.

2) Jerry Seinfeld has influenced Nik because is arguably the most commercially successful comic of our time. His comedy is brilliant because he pays attention to the details—the nuances that go unnoticed yet make all the difference in the world. Nik believes this is perfectly applicable to business. Think of the difference between Apple and Microsoft. Apple cared about the details, that’s why both Seinfeld and Apple have cult followings.

3) Michael Gerber was also an influence for Nik because His “work on your business, not in your business” was a revolutionary idea for him. Nik says he spent a lot of time freelancing—mostly because the economy was bad when he graduated from college—and he always hated it. After reading The E-Myth Revisited, Nik learned about the differences between being a freelancer and being an entrepreneur. A freelancer exchanges hours for dollars whereas an entrepreneur builds income generating assets.