The outlier. Who are they? Seth Godin described an outlier as “someone who has established themselves from outside of the main stream as an expert. They define themselves in their unique way as a trusted expert on the fringe of the main stream.”
A good example of an outlier is Richard Branson, the suave English multi-billionaire head of the Virgin Group. Richard Branson is in the corporate milieu but through his imagination, out-of-the-box ideas and fearless spirit, he’s created businesses that are both unique and outside of the safe standard norm. Richard Branson is the perfect example of an outlier. He’s someone that has established themselves on the fringe of the regular.
Quite often, when someone is an outlier, you’ll find that they have created a singularly original personal brand that goes along with that. Part of having that unique brand is having visual recognition that you are different from the classic blue suit accountant-look.
You rarely see Richard Branson in a tie. Instead, he always projects a very breezy style with his wild mane of hair. You can imagine him stepping onto a beach or into a boardroom with complete ease. Richard Branson is the anti-hero. He is anti-establishment. He runs his life with a “This is my island and these are my rules kind of mentality”, and that’s what defines him as unique. Richard Brand has a distinctive personal brand that is all his own and matches his values and his outlook. He is the definition of a branded outlier.
