The Weird Power of Not Fitting In (and How It Made Me a Better Marketer)
š³Iāve never fit in.
Not in school.
Not at work.
Not even in most online communities.
And for a while, I thought that was a problem. Turns out, itās the blueprint.
I walk with a cane. I have agoraphobia and sensory sensitivity. I donāt do small talk or play follow-the-leader. Iāve lived in six countries and still feel like a visitor in all of them. Iām neurodivergent, introverted, and allergic to anything that smells like sheep mind.
And thatās exactly why affiliate marketing works for me.
š« Fitting In is Overrated
Most people entering this business try to imitate.
The same landing pages.
The same ātop 10ā posts.
The same advice.
But when youāre someone whoās never fit a template, you donāt default to templates. You build from scratch. You invent your own rhythm. You listen to yourself.
And that is a superpower in a world of recycled funnels and cookie-cutter content.
š§ Neurodivergence Taught Me This One Thingā¦
That energy is finite.
So I build everything I do online to be as energy-efficient as possible. That means clear systems, automated flows, and work that doesnāt burn me out.
It also means I donāt jump on every new trend. I test slowly. I optimise smartly. Iād rather write one post that resonates than ten that rank.
š” The Real Lesson
You donāt need to fit in to succeed here. In factāIf you do fit in too well, you might be blending into the noise.
The best affiliate marketers I know arenāt the loudest. Theyāre the weird ones. The quiet ones. The thinkers. The ones who build, instead of performing.
So if youāre here and thinking āI donāt quite belongāā
Congratulations.
You just might be exactly what this place needs.
āļø Over to You
Ever felt like the odd one out here? Or in life?
How did that shape your path online? I'd love to hear.
Letās flip the script on what āfitting inā is supposed to mean.
Recent Comments
32
Good morning Andy,
That's a great blog post with a great title.
It's funny how we are allegedly meant to all fit in and go with the flow. However, it's something that I don't agree with, I believe that we were all created individuals and should be our self rather than trying to be someone we're not! I believe one of the things that makes life interesting, is the fact that we are all individuals and should not be the same! Despite governments try to make us boring and going with the mainstream narrative!
I have never been anyone who wants to be someone else, but like you say, people entering business try to imitate. It's so much better building from scratch rather than copying someone else. Is AI going to try and make us all the same, I hope not!
I guess that I also had a fairly strong Christian upbringing, but a good upbringing, so when I went to school, I was probably a bit different and didn't go with the flow. I now look back and can see that it's good to be an individual and not copying anyone!
Wishing you all the best.
Roy
I do agree that being an individual is what makes life interesting, but Iāve found that while we are born unique, most people get slowly nudged into following the herd without even realising it. Bells ring, trends trend, and suddenly weāre all wearing the same hat wondering why it doesnāt fit.
Youāve clearly kept a strong sense of self, and thatās a gift not everyone holds onto.
As for AI, like you, I hope it doesnāt flatten us all into one big copy-paste blob, (and so turning humans into robots), but I think it depends on how we use it. Feed it creativity, and it gives you tools. Feed it sameness, and it gives you beige.
Wishing you continued originality on your journey as well.
I think it's good for people to be themselves and not be influenced by others. However, you are right, however hard most people try, they appear to get that herd mentality. I saw it with Covid, my life more or less carried on the same, I didn't go with the mainstream narrative, I could see through it all! I've never been one of these people who wants to copy someone, but it appears that so many people want to be someone they're not, which I don't really understand!
I try to be myself, Andy! I don't want to just agree with everything that people say, I don't want to be awkward, but I think we have to kind of stand up for what's right, even if people don't like it.
I hear what you're saying about AI and I kind of feel the same, Andy. I guess it's like the Internet, it can be used for good things or not so good things. It's good when people use AI in a respectable way. However, I have seen blog posts on members personal websites that are blatant 100% AI, the comments are AI and the author's response to the comments, is AI!! To me that takes some doing or maybe no doing!!
Thank you, Andy, you too.š
Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing your story.
I learned a lot from this one post, such as, don't be afraid to trust your own instincts, try things your own way, and if it doesn't work, try another way. Basically, just because the pros are saying to do something one way doesn't mean it's the only way. Blaze your own trail.
Hey Magus, thanks for sharing a bit more personal stuff about yourself. You are absolutely right that your uniqueness and oddness may often be your superpower, and I have Orthopterophobia. The bigger they are, and the more colourful they are, the more I fear them. Mostly locusts and wheat crickets. We watched the latest Jurassic World: Dominion with the giant locusts and I cringed by the mere thought of seeing them, not even near me at all.
I think what makes me the most unique, special, strange, if you will... I am an Ambidextrous OmniAmbivert which means I am both an Omnivert and an Ambivert. It is mostly a blessing, but occasionally a bit of a curse.
I envy your Ambidextrous OmniAmbivert condition. I could certainly took advantage of that if I had it. Where do they sell that power? lol
It is not a condition; it is like you are an introvert. More like a personality trait of some sort. You should be able to get it on Amazon or eBay. š
I never fit in either, Abdy.
Not in school, camp, or even with my friends before high school, I was never just the right piece for the puzzle. Then in high school, the group I hung with was all misfits. We had a Brain, a Roper, a Rebel, two Yuppie girls, and me. I was already "the old man" because I was older than any of them.
Blessed be
JD
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Magus, cool post. I can kinda relate, I've usually taken the back seat in a lot of social situations. I was a very, very shy kid and not super vocal. I did come out of my shell when I began coaching kids' softball and women's volleyball. I had no problem talking when I knew what I was talking about, and I loved interacting with the kids. I also took 25+ years and five different colleges before I completed my degree. I finished up through an 18-month degree completion program where I was part of a group of adults already in the workforce. It certainly beats taking weekend college or online courses as an adult with a career. A classroom of 19-21 year olds is not suitable for a career 45 year old mom and wife. So I agree being a little weird is not necesarily a bad thing. - Shirley