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.
You know your stuff, but you’re not getting the recognition you deserve.
Maybe you want a promotion. Or you want to leave your job and strike out on your own. Or you’re struggling to compete in a crowded market.
Here’s what’s missing: Your expertise isn’t enough. You must also be known for your ideas.
Today, I’ll show you how to do it — by transforming your existing knowledge into perspectives that seem uniquely yours. And I’ll explain why it makes you exponentially more valuable.
But first, I’ll tell you about a big meeting I recently had — where all of this was put into practice.
When I wanted to stand out
I recently had lunch with a very famous person. They want to be on the cover of Entrepreneur, and their publicist was hoping I’d like them and say yes.
Truth be told, I dislike pitch meetings. When someone pitches me, they view me as just another magazine editor — a random guy with a certain job, who might give them what they want.
I said yes anyway, because the lunch sounded interesting. But I arrived with a mission: I wanted to create a genuine personal connection, so that they don’t see me as a random editor guy. I want them to see Jason Feifer. Because that’s the starting point of interesting relationships and potential business opportunities.
Lunch began like usual. The famous person pitched me their business, and I listened patiently. Then he mentioned navigating some mistakes he’s made, and I said: “Have you heard of the Pratfall Effect? Because you’d find it helpful.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
I explained: It’s a psychological phenomenon, in which mistakes make people more likeable — so long as those people are already viewed as competent. He was fascinated and started taking notes. Soon he was asking me for advice, and I was introducing him to many of my own concepts. I taught him my Messy Couch Principle, my framework for brand storytelling, and my method for making difficult decisions.
The conversation lasted hours. By the end, he floated working together on his business.
Now here’s why this worked:
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the difference between being interchangeable and being singular. When you’re interchangeable, you’re one of many people who can do similar work. When you become singular, you’re viewed as distinct and unique — and your value increases.
So how do you become singular? Here’s what most people get wrong: They think their skills alone make them stand out. But actually, the winning formula is skills plus perspective.
Here’s why: Many people share the same skills. But when you introduce a unique way of seeing a problem, your solution is the one that stands out.
For example, imagine that someone tells you a problem they have. You respond in one of two ways…
Response #1: You declare yourself an expert in the subject and rattle off a ton of knowledge.
Response #2: You say something like: “Ahh, yes, that’s what I call a [Unique Name] Problem. Here’s my five-step process for solving it…”
The first response proves your expertise. The second response demonstrates your unique approach to implementing that knowledge.
I call this “ownable ideas” — a way of framing your expertise that feels distinctly yours.
By introducing a unique perspective, you give people a new way to see the things in their lives. Now they’re thinking about their problem through your framing, using your language. Which means they trust your solution most, and they want access to your playbook.
You just became singular.
In fact, I’m doing this right now!
Let’s get meta.
Just a moment ago, I brought up my concept of “singular vs interchangeable.” This isn’t a unique idea; I’m basically just saying you need to stand out. But because I gave it memorable language, and then followed the idea up with distinct and tactical guidance, I’ve created the following perception:
- This is my idea.
- I’m the expert on this approach to career development.
- I uniquely understand the solution and have answers that others don’t.
And here’s evidence of the payoff:
After I wrote about this topic a few weeks ago, multiple people booked consulting sessions so I could help them become singular. Because they saw me as the person with the answers to a problem that I defined!
So, ready to do this yourself? It’s easier than it sounds.
How to make your ideas ownable
You’re already skilled and accomplished. You already know lots of things.
Now you just need to step back, consider what you know, and shape it in ways that sound unique.
Here are the key techniques I use:
Give your approaches names. I do this all the time in my newsletter. For example, I don’t say: “You should take more risks in life.” That’s boring and obvious! Instead, I say: “Here’s what I call the Messy Couch Principle.” Now it’s ownable and memorable.
Create multi-step frameworks. Think about a time you helped someone. Then break that process down into numbered steps. “Here’s my four-part system for…” sounds much more ownable than general advice.
Pair insights with memorable concepts. Connect your advice to interesting research, historical examples, or scientific principles that most people haven’t heard of. It instantly makes you sound smarter.
Use specific language consistently. Develop your own vocabulary for describing problems and solutions (like “singular”). When you consistently use the same terms, people start associating those concepts with you.
Tell the origin story. Explain how you developed your approach. “I discovered this when…” or “After working with hundreds of clients, I realized…” makes it feel like your unique discovery.
This is easier than it sounds
I know: This can sound foreign and exhausting. But I promise, it’s not that hard. You’re not reinventing how you talk. You’re just becoming a better storyteller.
Here’s a great way to start: Test ideas out in the real world. You can post your concepts on LinkedIn and see if people respond. Or slip some frameworks into conversations with clients and see how they react.
You already know your stuff. You just aren’t saying it in the most unique way possible.
Make your ideas ownable.
That’s how to do one thing better.
