THIS IS WEIRD
Unknown Speaker (0:03)
I… this is weird, so I don’t know what I’m gonna say here. I guess I’m just gonna try to talk through the about page—fucking about pages. I mean this, talking and recording first thing has been a gamechanger for me recently. Maybe I’ll be able to take this transcript and make an about page that doesn’t make me sound like an absolute tool.
Unknown Speaker (0:17)
I’m catching myself trying to think of some clever way to do it, you know? Like making an about page about about pages or something. But then part of me is like, Dude, just calm down.
Unknown Speaker (0:27)
That might be pretty cool, but, yeah, I mean, I don’t want to sound all hesitant. But, yeah, you know, maybe the best way for people to figure out if what I’m doing here is for them is to just look around. Read some stuff.
CLEVERLY AVOIDING “DEFINING MYSELF”
Unknown Speaker (0:45)
But then again, is that a cop-out? I mean, if I’m like, “Yeah, I can’t be defined in an about page,” that’s kind of lame too. But I guess what I’ll say is—this is Substack, right? I’m writing here. So, I write things, and I share them because working on ideas in public helps me make them better.
Unknown Speaker (1:07)
I can’t be sure, though. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent a long time not working on things in public.
I’m not totally sure what else needs saying… oh, the name. Let’s talk about that.
WHAT IS UNUSUALLY FOCUSED
The name Unusually Focused came from a 1999-ish episode of The Simpsons. A Halloween episode. Moe turned to Homer and said, “My, you’re looking unusually focused this morning.” At the time, I wasn’t into being more “focused,” but for some reason, I wrote it down. I never forgot it.
So Unusually Focused became the name of my consulting business—and now, my Substack.
I like that it started with a Simpsons quote, because, ya know, most of the best things show up in the most random ways.
So Unusually Focused started as a business and the name points at the kind of work I do with people.
WHAT I DO WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Unknown Speaker (1:57)
I work with clients on projects—some marketing-specific, like product launches or email sequences or Facebook ad campaigns. Others revolve around larger creative frameworks—like building courses, coaching groups, or books.
Which basically means I’m helping people figure out how to bring their ideas to life. Whether that’s through “marketing” or something bigger, it all loops back to making cool stuff that people want to buy.
Yeah, all that work has led me to look deeper at how trust even happens in the first place.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF TRUST & INFLUENCE
Unknown Speaker (2:05)
And so lately, I’ve been diving into all these intangible parts—like how people pay attention, how they process stories, how they actually form opinions about their own ideas, and what makes something “credible.” It fascinates me because a lot of people think, “Who am I to try this?”—as if you need some huge reputation or track record from the start. But what if the work itself can create that credibility?
Can simply doing the thing—whether it’s writing a book, building a course, or launching a project—create the trust you need, even if you’re not already known? It raises bigger questions: what even is “credibility,” and where does “persuasion” fit in?
I mean, what about now, is this about page credible?
I’m experimenting with all that—trying to codify the subtle cues and contexts that make people say, “Yes, I believe in this,” versus “Nah, I’m not convinced.”
WHY I’M HERE ON SUBSTACK
Unknown Speaker (3:52)
I guess I realized I used to talk about all that without fully knowing how it works. Like, I knew it worked, but not always why. So I’ve been interested in that, and writing about it helps me figure it out.
Unknown Speaker (4:08)
That’s basically what I do here on Substack.
If you’re into these kinds of questions—how we share ideas, create trust, and make cool stuff—you’ll probably like it here.
