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June 11, 2025 8 mins

In this episode, we dig into how navigating your career is like driving a car – you need a clear destination to avoid burning fuel but going nowhere. 

Inspired by the Brand Builder Lab newsletter, this discussion on why the secret to standing out isn't just talking about your past accomplishments but clearly articulating the future you want to build.

Listen to get tips on the following:

  • Understanding the broader landscape using the question: "What will people do more, do less, need more of, need less of over the next five years?"
  • Identifying your zone of credibility by asking: "What three topics do people ask you about most?"
  • Finding fulfillment at the intersection of emerging trends and your natural expertise
  • Activating your future vision by connecting your strengths to real-world needs
  • Becoming more compelling by clearly articulating your specific direction and contribution
  • Using Arthur Ashe's philosophy: "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can"

Whether you’re building a startup or refreshing your brand, this is your blueprint for turning an audience into a tribe.

Subscribe to the weekly Brand Builder Lab newsletter

Produced by Kai D. Wright. Follow Kai on LinkedIn

Buy the companion book, "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" on Amazon

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Brand Builder Lab.
Hello everyone.
This is your daily dose ofcreative inspiration, all
designed to help you build yourbrand.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
That's right.
We dig into ideas that canreally make a difference.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
And today we're diving into something I think is
really relevant right now,especially, maybe, if you're
navigating some kind of change.
It's inspired by the latestnewsletter from Kai D Wright.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Ah, Kai D Wright.
Great stuff there.
Brand Builder, he wrote.
Follow the Feeling lectures atColumbia, advises startups he
knows his stuff.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
He really does, and this newsletter piece hit on
something timely.
Think about graduation season,for example.
You've got millions facingtransitions.
I think the estimate for 2025is nearly 7 million graduating
just in the US.
That's a lot of changehappening all at once.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Absolutely, and not just grads.
People change careers, shiftroles, start new ventures all
the time.
Change is constant.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Exactly, and the core idea, the analogy Kai uses in
the newsletter, is thatnavigating your career, your
work, life journey, it's likedriving a car.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Okay, I like that Driving a car.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Right, but just having motion, just driving,
isn't enough.
You can drive all over theplace, burn a lot of gas.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
And still end up completely lost.
Yeah, still be nowhere nearwhere you actually wanted to go.
Yeah, you need a destination.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Precisely that's the core of it Driving everywhere
and still being nowhere becauseyou didn't set a destination.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
It's a powerful way to think about it.
You see people constantly busy,constantly doing things, but is
there intention behind it?
Is there a direction?

Speaker 1 (01:29):
And this brings us to the main insight from the
newsletter, especially for thosemoments of transition, the real
secret to standing out.
It suggests.
Well, it isn't just talkingabout your past.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, that's interesting, Because resumes,
LinkedIn, that's all backwardlooking right.
Here's what I did.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Totally.
It's documentation.
But the newsletter argues thepower lies in being able to
speak clearly, confidently,about the future you want to
build.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Ah, okay, shifting the focus forward.
What are you aiming for?
What are you trying to create?

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Exactly.
And Kitee Wright offers thisreally practical approach, kind
of inspired by Arthur Ashe's ACEmethod.
Apparently it starts withactivating a future-oriented
vision.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Activating a vision, not just passively waiting for
one, but actively building it.
I like that.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
And it starts with a couple of deceptively simple
questions, ready for the firstone.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Lay on me All right.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
The new letter asks Acceptably simple questions.
Ready for?
The first one Lay on me, allright.
The New Letter asks Over thenext five years, what do you
think people will do more, doless, need more of, need less of
.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Okay, More less, need more, need less.
That's broad.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
It is broad, but think about why.
The point is to anchor yourselfto trends, to zoom out from
your own world for a second.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Right To look at the bigger picture.
What's happening out there?
What does the world seem toneed or want?

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Exactly.
It forces you to observe whatshifts are happening in society,
in technology, in culture.
Where is the momentum?

Speaker 2 (02:53):
So it's about understanding the landscape
before you decide where to driveyour car in that landscape.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
You got it Because aligning your work, your
contribution, with those realneeds, that's where relevance
comes from.
That's how you build somethingresilient.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
That makes sense.
If you're solving a problempeople actually have or meeting
a need that's growing, you'reautomatically more valuable,
more secure, in a way.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
It makes your journey less about just what you want
and more about how you fit intothe larger picture.
It grounds your ambition.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Okay, I see the power in that first question.
That sets the context.
What's the second one?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
The second one brings it back home, more personal.
It asks what three topics dopeople ask you about the most?

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Ah, okay.
So what do people naturallycome to me for?

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, think about it.
Friends, colleagues, familywhat subjects do you find
yourself explaining, discussingor giving advice on, like all
the time?

Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's interesting because it might not be directly
related to your job titlenecessarily.
Exactly that's the key insighthere.
These topics point to your zoneof credibility, and the
newsletter emphasizes this.
Credibility isn't just aboutdegrees or past roles.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Right.
It's deeper than that.
It's about authenticity, howpeople feel talking to you, yes,
and the unique perspective youbring, the value you add just by
being part of the conversationin that area is where people
already kind of trust your input.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
So it's recognizing where you already have influence
, even if it's informal, wherepeople see you as a go to person
.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Precisely.
You might even you know askpeople close to you what they
think those topics are.
Their answers could be reallyilluminating.
You might find you havecredibility in areas you hadn't
even considered.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
I like that.
It's like uncovering yourhidden superpowers, the things
you're known for, without eventrying sometimes.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, and then here's where it gets really good.
The newsletter suggests themagic happens when you connect
these two things.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Okay, connecting the external trends from question
one.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
With your internal zone of credibility from
question two, connecting yourpassion, your natural strengths
with your vision for the future,anchored in those real world
needs.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Ah, I see.
So you figure out where theworld is going and you figure
out what unique contributionyou're already equipped to make.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Bingo and that intersection.
That's where you find realfulfillment, that's where the
excitement, the motivation, thesense of purpose kicks in.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
It's like finding the perfect road for your specific
car, leading to a destinationyou actually care about.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
Beautifully put.
Now your driving has meaning.
It has intention.
You've plugged the destinationinto your GPS.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
And this framework, this way of thinking, it's not
just for the 22-year-oldgraduate, is it?

Speaker 1 (05:31):
Not at all.
The newsletter is really clearon this.
Whether you're 22, 52, oranywhere in between, if you're
navigating growth changereinvention, this applies.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, because we all face those moments where we need
to readjust our course.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Right.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
Maybe you're feeling stuck or the landscape shifts
under you.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
Absolutely Having that clarity about the future
you want to help build and theunique value you bring.
That acts like a compass.
It keeps your work meaningful,it keeps you relevant.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
And thinking about this from a brand building
perspective, which is what thisshow is all about.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Right.
This activated future vision ishuge for your personal or
professional brand.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
How so.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Well, think about it.
When you can clearly articulatewhere you're going, why it
matters and how your uniquecredibility fits in, people pay
attention.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
Ah, okay, you become more compelling.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Exactly, you're not just someone looking for any
opportunity.
You're someone with direction,someone adding specific value,
someone shaping somethinginteresting.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
People want to talk to that person, they want to
collaborate with that person.
They see you as someone who'slike actively building the
future, not just reacting to it.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
You're signaling purpose, you're showing, you're
in the driver's seat, charting acourse, and that's incredibly
attractive, whether you'rebuilding a personal brand, a
startup or leading a team.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
That intentionality is magnetic.
It really does cut through thenoise.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
So the main takeaway here is pretty clear, I think.
Change is always happening.
Things are always shifting.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
But you don't have to just drift aimlessly.
You can actually choose yourdirection.
You can be intentional about it.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
Activate that future vision, define your path.
Don't let yourself driveeverywhere and end up nowhere.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
And it brings us back to that Arthur Ashe quote
mentioned in the newslettermaterial Start where you are,
use what you have, do what youcan.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Such a great quote.
It takes the pressure off,doesn't it?
You don't need all the answersright now.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Exactly yeah.
Start with these questions.
Use the credibility you alreadyhave.
Do what you can to take thatnext step with intention.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
So the invitation to you listening right now is to
actually do this.
Take some time, maybe grab anotebook.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, really sit with those two questions.
Question one next five years,what will people do more, Do
less, Need more of.
Need less of.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
And question two what three topics do people ask you
about the most?
What's your zone of credibility?

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Write down whatever comes up.
Don't censor it, just explore.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
See what patterns emerge and maybe talk it through
with someone you trust.
Get their perspective.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
It can really help clarify things.
Definitely that externalviewpoint can be invaluable.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
And if you want more insights like this, more ways to
think about building your brandwith purpose.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Well, you should definitely subscribe to the
Brand Builder Lab newsletter onLinkedIn.
Get these kinds of ideasregularly.

Speaker 1 (08:11):
Good point and also check out Kai D Wright's book
Follow the Feeling BrandBuilding in a Noisy World.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
Oh, absolutely.
It really dives deep into howthe best brands connect on an
emotional level.
It's fantastic, whether you'rean entrepreneur, an executive,
anyone trying to build somethingmeaningful.
It helps you focus on feelings,which is often what truly
drives connection.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
It really does.
So bottom line change is here,but your direction is your
choice.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
Activate that vision.
Use your unique credibility.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
And make sure you're not just driving, but driving
towards a future you actuallywant to build.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
All right, that's our time for today.
See you next time in the BrandBuilder Lab.
Let's get to work.
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