Curiosity #44 Build Gravity - Don't Chase Attention

🎤 Quotable Quote

“Lead yourself first.”
— Jason Croft

Sounds simple. But pause for a second.
Are you following your own advice?
Are you aiming your life with intention—or just hoping momentum works it out?

Because real leadership starts with deciding:
Who do I need to become to get where I want to go?

🧠 This week on Leadership Rules, we sat down with Jason Croft—storytelling strategist, podcast host, and the guy who literally transformed himself from wallflower to world-class connector.

Jason is the creator of Strategy + Action, founder of the "market gravity" approach, and a former networking avoider who now helps leaders go from invisible to inevitable.

(Also, he once saw Liza Minnelli, Prince, and Elton John live. So yeah, his range is real.)

🔍 This Week’s Deep Dive: From Overlooked Expert to Inevitable Choice

💡 Market gravity > visibility.
Jason’s philosophy? Visibility’s great. But you don’t want people to just see you—you want to pull them in. Create so much value, clarity, and consistency, you become impossible to ignore.

💡 You can’t lead others until you lead yourself.
Forget job titles. True leadership begins when you recognize you're in charge of your own growth—and then act like it.

💡 Want to grow your network? Create the room.
If networking events drain you, host your own. Start a podcast. Give people a reason to connect with you—on your terms.

💡 Confidence is a byproduct of evidence.
Jason didn’t feel like a connector. But after reading The Tipping Point, he decided to become one—and then built the track record to back it up.

One of our favorite reminders?

You don’t have to be loud to be a leader.
You just have to be intentional—and willing to grow.

And forward this to someone who needs to hear:

“Don’t wait to be discovered. Build your own gravity.”

More Musings

🍪 Biscuits with the Boss:

“What’s one trait you wished showed up on a résumé—but never does?”

Jason helps leaders tell their story with clarity—and build a presence that feels as real online as it does in person. The secret?

• Knowing your differentiator

• Leading with character

• And sometimes… just learning to say something more specific than “I help people.”

Turns out, the best brand strategy is just knowing who you are... and letting people see it.

🏅 Whistle. Whistle.

You’re waiting to “feel ready.”
To feel confident.
To feel like you belong in the room.

Roy Kent would like a word.

“Feelings are for rom-coms. You want to lead? Show up.”

Jason Croft didn’t wait to be a connector.
He decided to become one.
He didn’t wait to be known.
He built gravity.

Confidence doesn’t come before the decision.

It follows the work.

So quit waiting to be picked.
Start showing people why you’re the inevitable choice.

📚Beard’s collection: 

📖 MacKenzie, Gordon. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace. Viking Press, 1998.
This cult classic is part manifesto, part meditation, and all about resisting the gravitational pull of conformity... without flying off into chaos. We dropped this reference in our chat - must've been all the talk of gravity! If you’ve ever tried to stay creative inside a system that rewards sameness, this one’s for you.
Warning: may cause sudden urges to doodle in meetings or start a podcast.

🌎 This week in Here - There - Every F’ing where 

We love when all of our worlds come together. This Friday be sure to check out our rewatch podcast episode on Season 3 Episode 3. We have a chat about mentoring. This is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts as we are really working to help leaders, emerging leaders and students become the best version of themselves. This week, we were on a webinar to help teens lead themselves and win in the real world. If you missed it, you can check out our Student to Standout conversation here.

If this is a conversation that you or someone you know geeks out about, you are invited (and can invite them) to our Facebook Community - Blue The Business of You. Invite link is here - we would love to have you!

Onward. Forward.

Marnie & Nick

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Who in your life might smile with some curiosities in their inbox? Who might be a good guest for one of our podcasts? (Would you? Let us know!)