What Kevin O’Leary Taught Me About Ditching Mediocrity for Profits

"Take it behind the barn and shoot it."

That’s a classic Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O’Leary line, and one of my all-time favorites. It’s his no-nonsense way of telling you to dump a business that isn’t pulling its weight. And every single time I had him speak at one of our events, I’d get him to say it. I mean, come on—if you’re gonna work with a Shark, you better work with the one who’s obsessed with ROI.

How did Kevin O’Leary become my client? Spoiler alert—it’s because I get results. I don’t just turn marketing dollars into fluff, into “brand awareness”, or into vague “likes” and “shares.” I turn marketing dollars into profit. Cold, hard cash. That’s the language we speak in my world—direct response.

When I got my hands on Kevin’s marketing, I saw a gaping hole. His content was all about the products he invested in, but I knew that wasn’t  what people wanted. They wanted Kevin “Mr Wonderful” O'leary. They wanted to know why he invested, what made the products he believed in so special, and—most importantly—they wanted the story behind it all.

So, we flipped the script. We started giving Kevin’s audience…more Kevin! The real Kevin. And guess what happened? His engagement skyrocketed. Likes shot up from 1,708 to 9,830 on just one post, and then 12,862 on another post. His sales multiplied. And, his followers couldn’t get enough of the behind-the-scenes look at his life, his personality, his unfiltered self.

Before:

After:

And here’s why this matters for you.

Your audience? They don’t want the cookie-cutter, generic, same-old-same-old stuff. They want you. The real, unfiltered, raw version of you. That’s what sets you apart. That’s what creates loyal fans who stick with you for life, and that’s what attracts clients who pay premium and never leave.

Yesterday, I was on a coaching call with a client who’s eager to get on more stages and command higher fees every time she steps into the spotlight. We identified a huge opportunity for her—one that could shift everything for her business. It’s what I call stepping into your own “Category of One”. I showed her how she could leverage her unique brand to stand out, rise above the noise, and be the go-to speaker in her niche.

She was excited, but also nervous—because let’s face it, “being different” scares the heck out of us. It’s natural. Our brains crave comfort and fitting in—it’s wired into our DNA. But fear should never hold you back from showing up in the unique way you were created to show up. Fear should never stop you from landing the stages, and attracting the clients you were meant to serve.

So, how do you carve out your Category of One?

If you want to land stages, book podcasts, and grow your business,, you start with what we call the "Attractive Attributes"—your Unique Competitive Advantage. It’s the blueprint that is you and the exact way you want people to describe you after you leave the room.

Here are some of mine:

Funny/playful

• Sharp as a tack

• Relentlessly driven

• No BS

• Obsessed with ROI

• Expensive and worth it

And guess what? I make sure every single one of these shows up in my storytelling, in my talks, my outreach marketing and in how I show up. No one can tell my story like I can—because no one is me.

Just like no one else is you.

Maybe you won’t do an interview on CNBC in swim trunks, but maybe you’ll be like one of our clients—an estate planner who takes the stage with a glass of bourbon. Or maybe you’ll tell your unique story about that time you got injured playing high school football or how your dad came to the U.S. with nothing but a dream and sheer determination.

You already have everything you need to create your unique competitive advantage. It’s you. Your audience is waiting.

It’s time to take the stage. The world is ready for your Category of One.

Cheers,

Kim “Uniquely Me” Walsh Phillips 

PS Want more ROI strategies? Check these out: 

• Speak and Grow Rich: Want to get paid to speak and grow your business? Reserve your spot for our upcoming live and interactive workshop here: https://www.speakandgrowrichworkshop.com/optin

• Public Speaking Profits: Join a community of speakers getting paid to take the stage and grow their business through speaking in our Public Speaking Profits Facebook Group and access tips and strategies to make money on and off the stage.. Join the group here.

• 3 Days to Becoming In-Demand: Want the fast path to filling your in-box with speaking requests? Join us for the In-Demand Speaker’s bootcamp, your fastest path to booking more stages and getting paid each time you speak. Get your ticket here.

• Private Client Services: Looking for a VIP experience? Our Elite Clients successfully launch a profitable talk and get on their dream stages. Interested in working directly with Justin and Kim? Request a strategy call here. [what link to put in]Million Dollar Speaker Strategy Session

• Bring Celebrity, Entertainment and Energy to your next event with Justin Guarini and Kim Walsh Phillips: Want an entertaining and engaging talk for your next workshop? Check out the Keynote talk offers and request to book here.