Welcome to One Thing Better. Each week, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine (that’s me) shares one way to achieve a breakthrough at work — and build a career or company you love.
Before we begin, some big news…
My LinkedIn personal branding course is now FREE! (Get it here!)
If you want to build your authority, be known for your expertise, and drive more business and opportunities — this is where to start.
You might wonder: Why is this course suddenly free?
Good question. I released it for sale last year, and it got an amazing response. Then I connected with the folks behind Stanley, an awesome AI tool for LinkedIn that I love, and they had a great idea: We’d partner up, and they’d make the course FREE for YOU!
To celebrate, I’m sharing one of my favorite tips from the course in today’s newsletter.
Here we go…
You want to put yourself “out there,” but something’s holding you back.
Maybe you’re uncomfortable on social media. Or you’re not sure what to share. Or you worry about looking egotistical.
So here’s a liberating truth: You don’t need to put your whole self out there. In fact, you shouldn’t.
Today, I’ll show you a powerful alternative: I call it the “5% Character.”
It’s a version of yourself that’s always interesting, always impressive, and always on — and once you identify it, you become exponentially more valuable and desirable. This idea unlocked my career and created a wave of opportunity.
Today, I’ll help you build your own 5% Character. But first, here’s how it all started — on a night out with Gary Vaynerchuk.
Who is Gary, really?
You probably know Gary Vaynerchuk — the entrepreneurial celebrity known for his brash, rapidfire advice. He has a camera crew constantly following him, turning his conversations into content.
Many years ago, Gary invited me out to a wine bar. When I arrived, his cameras were rolling — and Gary was the big, loud guy that I’d seen online.
Then the cameraman left, and Gary transformed. He became soft-spoken and thoughtful, and we talked about a wide range of stuff.
That’s when it hit me: On social media, Gary is playing a character.
If Gary was an actor, this would be obvious. But Gary shows up online as himself. And we are all told to “be authentic.” So this was confusing!
Then I realized the nuance:
- Gary is playing a character named Gary.
- The character speaks in a distinctive way.
- The character thinks in a consistent way.
- The character is part of Gary, but not all of Gary.
Soon, I gave this character a name. I called it…
The 5% Character
Here’s the thing: You are a 100% person. You wake up with many thoughts, feelings, desires, interests, and anxieties. You have good and bad days. You have opinions on everything.
But that does NOT all belong on LinkedIn (or in most professional settings). Instead, only 5% of you belongs there.
Before you put yourself on display, you must ask yourself two questions:
- Who do I want to reach? Maybe it’s future employers. Maybe it’s sales clients. Maybe it’s customers for your product.
- What 5% of me is most relevant to them? Of everything you know, what is the most useful to those people? Where are you super confident?
This is the start of your 5% Character. Look how fast this becomes useful:
- Maybe you’re a realtor, so your 5% Character is obsessed with the housing market — because that helps home buyers/sellers trust you.
- Maybe you’re a writer, so your 5% Character loves teaching storytelling — because that showcases your knowledge, making you a more trustworthy hire.
- Maybe you’re in SaaS sales, so your 5% character is obsessed with how to work efficiently — because that’s what your target customer wants to do.
Now let’s go a step deeper
Once you know your 5% Character’s focus, you can start to craft this character. How do they write? Act? Think? What tone do they use, and why?
To start, pick three words that define your character.
For example, a realtor might say something like: experienced, analytical, calm.
Next, think about how to turn those words into action.
We’ll keep going with that realtor example. How could they take action on those words? Well…
- Experienced: This means they regularly share lessons and examples from recent transactions — showcasing that they really know the market.
- Analytical: This means their posts are full of data and projections — because for buyers and sellers, it’s all about the numbers.
- Calm: This means they’re never hyperbolic about swings in the market — because buyers/sellers want a steady hand who’s seen it all.
This may sound inauthentic, but it should be liberating: If you’re uncomfortable selling yourself, now you’re just selling a character that looks like you.
Plus, if someone criticizes your content, they’re not criticizing you — they’re responding to your character. If a post doesn’t perform well, it’s not a personal rejection — it’s just data to help inform your character. The detachment allows you to be strategic and intentional without feeling vulnerable or exposed.
Now, an admission:
I do this too.
I am playing a 5% Character right now. This newsletter is consistent because I write in my character’s voice — which is a part of me, but not all of me.
I decided on my words: They are approachable, optimistic, and supportive. To embody them, I reply to everyone who DMs or emails me. (To be approachable!) I never complain or criticize. (Optimistic!) And I turn everything into a lesson. (Supportive!)
This scales beyond just LinkedIn or my newsletter. For example, I play this same character in my keynotes, on podcasts, in meetings, and in sales pitches.
Once I defined my character, I could instantly embody it. When I step onto a stage, I know exactly how to talk and act. When I sit down to write a LinkedIn post or this newsletter, I think: What would Jason say about this?
This isn’t inauthentic. This is intentional. When you are relevant, consistent, and valuable, you become someone that people recognize and trust.
You wouldn’t sell a watered-down product. So don’t sell a watered-down version of yourself!
That’s how to do one thing better.
Ready to build your authority on LinkedIn? Just follow the simple plan in my FREE course. Access it today; it won’t be free forever!
