Dear you,
Yes you. Welcome đ. Itâs so good to have you here!
What is unbranded?
unbranded letters are personal written, video, and voice letters for creators who value authenticity over acceptance. They are based on curiosity, thoughts, experiences, and conversations around creating, branding, growth, communications, and life. #UnbrandedLetters
The letters will be broken into two segments:
unbranded letters: based on my thoughts and experiences: [every Tuesday at 7pm WAT]
unbranded conversations: based on a conversation with a friend, someone I am curious about or someone to unearth curiosities with [every Thursday at 7pm WAT]
Paid subscribers will enjoy the extra benefits to send questions and receive answers in the unbranded curiosity corner: based on a question from a community member [monthly within unbranded letters] and get deeper insights into parts of the unbranded conversations segment not available to the public.
How did unbranded start?
I spent the last days of 2021 thinking about the power of one (un in French). The power of less. The power of focusing only on what is essential. I realised that as you strip the hype, the need to be popular, it becomes less and less about acceptance and more and more about authenticity and meaning - being true to yourself and focusing on what matters.
Guess what the result of that is?
GROWTH!
It almost feels like an irony, that the less you do, the more you set yourself up for growth. Your identity and understanding of yourself is clearer. Your ability to focus is stronger. The ability to communicate with your target person is heightened and the results of all these working in tandem is growth - at work and in life.
So I launched unbranded as a LinkedIn newsletter to help creators grow. I replicated a Revue newsletter version for people on Twitter who are not on LinkedIn. Unfortunately [or fortunately] Elon announced that he was shutting down Revue in January 2023, and that inspired me to move it all to Substack. I have had a Substack account for over a year, but I have barely posted on it. So, this was the perfect push I needed.
Initially, I planned to re-share my LinkedIn letters here, but a thought from 2022 lingered. Sometime in March 2022, I listened to some interviews I hosted in 2020 with Seth Godin, Michael Janda, Dot Lung, and a few other amazing creators. I realized how powerful conversations are. Conversations are how we share our lives and build meaningful relationships. So, I decided that these Substack letters to chronicle these conversations and dig deeper into the minds of creators I am curious about with the hope that you learn from their journey, stories, and process.
I will share letters every Tuesday about my thoughts, learnings, and experiences. However, every Thursday of the month for 12 weeks, I will share a special letter based on a conversation with a guest, someone I am curious about or someone who shares my curiosity (unbranded conversations).
Why the name âunbrandedâ?
I wanted to talk to you more this year but I struggled finding a name. Talking to my friend Victoria Olaifa, she blurted "on brand" and I said what about "unbranded" and it made sense. I wanted to write something without labels, something meaningful beyond the applause. Something for you. When I checked the word out, here's what I found on urban dictionary:
Unbranded is an adjective that describes a person who values authenticity above acceptance. An unbranded person replaces the pursuit of normal and "fitting in" with being genuine and true to their real self.
I liked it and I chose it, for you.
So, in these unbranded letters, I will be talking to one person - you.
Why subscribe?
I will be sharing really personal conversations with people I know, like, or I am curious about. Sometimes, I will invite guests to answer your questions. You will get to know them a little better and possibly learn from their story. These letters are for you. You are my focus. So, please reply, comment, ask me questions, talk to me. As often as I can, I will be vulnerable with you and tell you life lessons I have learned, and mistakes I have made with the hope that it makes your life a little better.
Itâll be detailed, simple and personal.
Subscribe to get access to the newsletter. You wonât have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.
The simple purpose of this letter is to open your mind, and make your life a little better and I hope that purpose is achieved every time you open this letter.
If you read a letter you love, share it with someone and make their life better too.
How is this different from the unbranded, the LinkedIn Newsletter?
On LinkedIn I only share based on my learnings only, but here on Substack, we have guests on Thursday.
You might also love unbranded podcast: voice letters in one minute.
This will be fun! Let's do it! See you there every Tuesday between 9am and 10am WAT.
Subscribe and tell someone about it. You can share your favorite content on Twitter and tag me: @blessingabeng_ on Twitter .
Looking forward to a great conversation with you.
With Love,
Blessing Abeng.
