You’re Kind of a Big Deal:

“You've never heard of Tom Kopke? He's like the LeBron James of Cheese Rolling! He reached the wheel of cheese at the bottom of the hill in only 14.2 seconds!”

"OMG I met Inga Kosak! You must know who she is –she totally dominates at Extreme Ironing!"

“I got Lindsay Dicken's autograph! You know, the Simone Biles of competitive dog-grooming. Can you believe it?*

I love the idea that people can be “niche-famous.”

That person in line at the coffee shop taking forever to order their grande-double-whip-soy-no-foam-extra-hot-latte? They might just be a downright celebrity in their small corner of the world. 

I met an unassuming woman who looked like she could be someone's favorite great aunt… turns out she was a rock star in the art-quilting scene. I'd never even heard of art quilts at that point (she was pulling in multiple six figures per year with hers).

You don't have to reach everyone to be successful.

You just need enough people in a specific corner of the market who truly appreciate you and your work.

Marketing-sage Seth Godin once said, “Don't get big fast, get important soon.”

That is: Focus on the “smallest viable audience", the people who get you, and you getthem. 

Be important to them. Deliver quality work. Help them feel understood and valued. 

Be remarkable to that small group, and “they'll tell the others,” according to Godin. “If you change 10 lives, you can get the next 50.”

You don't have to have a Kardashian-like following or a huge email list. You just need to have enough people who think you're the cat's pajamas.

What's your version of being a cheese-rolling champion? 

What's the smallest population that you could be a Big Deal to?

Don't try to be everything to everyone. 

Just be the “[insert Your Name]” of your particular area of work.

See you on the red carpet,

-Jane