I've been sitting on this story for a few weeks (shoutout to my wildly type-A content planning brain), but I knew it needed its moment, so let's hit it...

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Last month, I flew to Vegas for the When We Were Young Festival. If you're not familiar, it’s basically where every "I'm different!!" alt kid from high school (you know the ones - with gauges, Vans, and crazy colored pants) gather to scream-sob our fave early 2000s emo bangers.

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And scream I did.

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The headliners that night? Blink-182 and Panic! at the Disco.

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Literal legacy bands on the big stage with cult followings (the amount of people dressed up like the A Fever You Can't Sweat Out album was mindboggling).

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But alas, your girl had zero interest in seeing either headliner. 💁🏻‍♀️

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Lil ole me was pushing through a side-stage crowd to get as close to the rail as possible for I Prevail and Beartooth (aka two of my favorite bands, playing back-to-back 30-minute sets).

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I was so close I could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics. I screamed every word, lost my voice, and was cheesing so hard my cheeks hurt. Like to the point that when my parents watched the clips I shared on stories the next day and they literally said, “That’s the happiest we’ve seen you in years.”

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You weren't wrong mom and dad. 'Twas the best damn night of my life. BUT regardless, I know a lot of people (including some of the friends I went with) were hella confused as to why I'd skip the HEADLINERS for two lil sets.

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Like, even Eric (lead vocalist of I Prevail) stopped mid-set and looked at the crowd to say: “We can’t believe you’re all here. Blink’s on. We thought this stage would be empty.”

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But it wasn’t. Thousands of us were right there with them, while the actual fireworks were going off just a few feet away at the main stage.

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Why? Because when something feels like yours, it doesn’t matter how big the other "stage" is.

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And that feeling like "this is yours" or "this is where you're meant to be" is exactly what your brand can do.

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There will always be a “Blink-182” in your niche.

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Think: The legacy expert. The industry darling. The name everyone knows. The one with the shiny funnel and aesthetic and 100k followers. They’re loud. They’re popular. And sometimes… they’re not even that good (but that’s another email).

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Just because someone’s more popular doesn’t mean they’re preferred.

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Your best-fit clients? They’re skipping the “headliner” to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

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Not because you were the only one available.

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Not because they couldn’t afford someone else.

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But because you made them feel seen.

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They'll choose you with conviction.

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Because your brand made them feel like: “This is my person. No questions asked.”

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This is what real resonance does. It creates tunnel vision.

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You don’t need fireworks. You don’t need mass appeal. You don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room.

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You just need your people to feel like they belong with you when they find you.

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Because when they hire you, they’re saying: “Forget what everyone else is doing. I want this.”

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So your job? It’s to give your people the best "set" of their lives.

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Things like...→ Thoughtful onboarding that makes them feel like they made the right call.→ A client experience that doesn’t need the main stage with a whole damn light show because exactly what you're already doing is unforgettable.→ And before you even get to all that - a consistent voice and online presence that SCREAMS "you belong here" to the people who need you most.

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When your people choose you...you’re not the backup plan.

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You’re the main act they picked on purpose.

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So when they show up for you? Make it f*cking count. 🤘

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Catch ya next week,

Marissa

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PS: This feels like the perfect time to pull up some of my most cringe-worthy high school pics to really set the "emo/scene kid" mood, because L O L we all deserve this laugh. YOU'RE WELCOME. 😂🤣