Nike, the global juggernaut known for “Just Do It,” is no stranger to breaking molds and pushing boundaries.
This might be the most important thing you read in 2024.
It’s how to transform your brand from ordinary to iconic.
And a lesson in simplicity. And focus.
The Nike Mindset: Their Unfair Advantage
Here’s the thing: while most see Nike as a brand of athletes, shoes, and swooshes, what many miss is the real story beneath the surface.
It’s not just their products that built an empire—it’s their mindset.
This internal letter, designed for Nike’s team, reads more like a manifesto for world domination than a corporate memo.
“Our business is change,” it declares, “We’re on offense. All the time.”
It’s filled with the kind of unapologetic attitude every brand, entrepreneur, and leader should tattoo on their brains.
Reading it for the first time, I was hooked. It didn’t stop there.
This memo inspired my new book on branding because, let’s be honest, if you’re not attacking the market, you’re losing to those who are.
That’s why my new book coming out in time for the holidays is called:
RICH BRAND POOR BRAND
How to Unleash Your David in a World of Goliaths.
The greats know this strategy.
Nike owns this mindset.
So much so that Phil Knight of Nike said,
“It’s alright to be Goliath but always act like David.”
Which became one of the key quotes used in the book as shown here:
This is just one of the stunning and beautifully designed quotes included in the book alongside quotes and business insights from:
- Kevin Hart
- Warren Buffett
- Gary Vaynerchuk
- Daymond John
- Brené Brown
- Frank Sinatra
- Sara Blakely
- Coco Chanel
- Jason Feifer
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Muhammad Ali
- Marie Forleo
- Billy Joel
- Frank Zappa
- Ronald Reagan, and
- Steve Jobs.
20 Traits. One Book.
In this powerful follow-up to Brand Intervention, I isolate and reveal the 20 traits that separate the Rich Brand from the Poor Brand.
It has nothing to do with the size of your company, the amount of revenue, or how young or old your organization is.
By simply implementing each one of these traits with your team, within the culture of your organization, and with those you serve from colleagues to customers, you will:
- Eradicate any Poor Brand traits holding down your brand’s growth
- Revitalize how your company operates and
- Rapidly restore infectious enthusiasm and pride inside and outside of your organization and brand.
And after 40 years of dissecting what makes brands legendary and building brands, I can tell you this: The only way to win is by creating your own rules.
And why Claude Silver from VaynerX wrote the foreword to the new book.
While fancy brand strategy reports with multi-colored pie charts make us feel productive….
What actually gets things done? Simplicity.
The best brands don’t need complex systems or shiny gimmicks.
They need clarity. Not only with its design and narrative but with its culture.
The simpler your story, the more emotional your angle and the more aligned your team is, the quicker others will respond and be impacted by what you’re exporting to the world.
Fancy might win, but action always does.
Here is a sneak preview of the quote from Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur magazine.
How to Brand Like Nike
When it comes to your brand’s message, remember this:
- Forget the jargon.
- Keep it clear, keep it bold.
- And watch how people start paying attention.
Here’s your brand battle plan:
- Keep moving forward.
- Be scrappy.
- Stay simple, stay bold.
If you do it right, the results will come fast—and they won’t just be pretty.
They’ll be unforgettable.
And make sure to pre-order your copy of the Rich Brand Poor Brand in time for the holidays.
