IAM2735 – Why Sharing the Process Is a Great CEO Hack

Documenting the Process

Building in public is a decision that often feels vulnerable and risky because it requires sharing more than just the polished highlights we are used to seeing on social media. Instead of merely talking about a product to market it, you invite people into the actual process to witness the struggles, the pivots, and the growth firsthand. This transition from a curated highlight reel to a raw and human narrative allows your journey to become relatable, moving beyond the perfect images that people have become accustomed to ignoring.

Cultivating a Rooting Interest

The true strategic value of documenting what you are learning in real time is the ability to build an audience that is genuinely rooting for your success. When you share the wins and the losses out loud, people become emotionally invested in your journey long before you ever ask them to become a customer or a client. By the time you finally launch your project, you aren't speaking to strangers; you are launching to a community that has seen the behind-the-scenes effort and is already waiting for the result.

The Credibility of the Journey

While it isn't necessary to live-stream every single mistake or bad day, sharing the authentic reality of how you are growing from your experiences is a phenomenal CEO hack for building trust. This transparency turns the process itself into a tool for credibility, as it shows the world exactly what it takes to build a venture from the ground up. Ultimately, embracing the unpolished nature of the journey transforms strangers into believers and creates a level of connection that traditional marketing simply cannot match.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2734-why-niching-down-boosts-your-business-success/

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Transcription:

Gresham Harkless 00:00

This past year, I made a decision that felt very vulnerable, and honestly, it felt a little risky. I was building and starting a new venture, and I decided that I wanted to start to document that process. I didn't do it because I thought it was great. I actually did it because the founder of the organization I was a part of said, hey, you should start to document your process. So I said, hey, why not do that? So I started sharing the wins, the losses, the pivots, the failures, all of it, out loud, where everyone can see. And honestly, I think it changed a lot.

If you're building something meaningful, you're in the right place. This is the I Am CEO podcast. I'm gresh. And for over a decade, I've had the honor and the privilege of learning directly from CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners just like you on how to build. After recording more than 1600 episodes, one thing has become clear. Success isn't about following someone else's blueprint. And as I like to say on the show, if you run your own race, you can't lose. Even when we feel the journey should be a straight and linear path, what I've come to find out is success is a lot more like a plate of spaghetti. So this special segment and episode I'm starting to curate and share some CEO hacks and CEO nuggets that I've been dying to share. Drawn from thousands of episodes with phenomenal guests that have provided awesome value on the show, but also my 10 years of business experience as well, too. These lessons are designed to strengthen the foundational principles that every business is built on and guided by a simple equation that we always go back to with our content. Visibility plus resources times connections equals success. This is practical wisdom you can apply almost immediately. So be sure to check out the show notes for more resources and next steps on how to level up. And of course, enjoy this special episode of the I Am CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 01:50

This past year, I made a decision that felt very vulnerable, and honestly, it felt a little risky. I was building and starting a new venture and I decided that I wanted to start to document that process. I didn't do it because I thought it was great. I actually did it because the founder of the organization I was a part of said, hey, you should start to document your process. So I said, hey, why not do that? So I started sharing the wins, the losses, the pivots, the failures, all of it out loud, where everyone can see. And honestly, I think it changed a lot. It became less about building the product and talking about it just to Market the product. I actually invited people into the process to see what it ultimately was like. People got to see a little bit more of the struggles. They got to see a little bit of the growth. They became more invested in the success before I even asked them to make a purchase or become a client or a customer. It's the exact opposite of what we usually do on social media, which is to give you the polished highlights to let you know about all the things that I've done to be successful. Everyone gets used to popping in on social media and seeing the highlights, seeing all the phenomenal things. People honestly connect more with that because it's real, it's raw, it's human, it's not perfect, it's relatable. It's something that while we have the tools to do that, we often don't do it well enough. And I've been guilty of doing that as well. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not out here 247 live streaming my life and everything that's happening. I'm definitely not saying that I share every single small detail, every single setback, every single bad day, every single mistake, but I try to share a little bit more of that journey, and I want to publish more of that. So I just want to challenge you with this opportunity to document what you're learning, what's working, what's not. Let people watch you build that thing in real time. Why do I say that? It's because it's the opportunity to build that audience that's potentially rooting for you. When you launch something, they're already waiting for that thing that you launched, but they get to see the behind the scenes on what it looks like. And I think at the end of the day, we all want to hear about and see that journey. That's part of the reasons I even started the podcast, part of the reason I want to have guests come back on the show, because we want to see, like, how. How's it going? What's the process look like? What things did you learn? What things did you not learn? How are you growing from the experiences that you're having? Building in public is a phenomenal CEO hack for turning strangers into believers and starting to build that trust and credibility.