Welcome to The Adapter’s Advantage: Breakthrough Moments that Lead to Success.

In episode 44, Michael F. Schein reveals the definition of “hype,” how hype can be used for good, the secrets of today’s hype artists, personal branding, and the importance of owning your weaknesses.

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Hype without a good product is con artistry. But I study the con artists because if you can use their strategies to promote trash, imagine what you can do to promote something good.

Michael F. Schein is the founder and president of MicroFame Media, a marketing agency that specializes in making idea-based companies famous in their fields. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post, and he is a speaker for international audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China.

His book The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers was released by McGraw Hill in 2021.

Listen as Michael discusses how hype helped propel Tony Robbins, Simon Sinek, The Clash, and The Beatles to huge success, plus how companies, sellers, and thought leaders can use it to their benefit.

Episode 44: Creating Hype | Michael F. Schein

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From This Episode

Host Mark Magnacca: “For people in sales, what’s the most important thing for them to understand about personal branding and hype in the virtual world?”

Michael F. Schein: “The concept of personal branding is the idea that in the internet era, especially if you’re selling ideas, people want to know who the idea creator is. They want that person to be front and center and know what the legitimacy is.

“That’s an aspect of hype, but I also think it’s hyper specific to the internet era and hyper specific to the thought leadership industry. So, what I always try to do is get under the hood and figure out the universal principles. If someone is a successful personal brander, is that because he or she is good at using Instagram? Or is it because they understand the same universal principles? And that concept will apply after the technology changes.”

About The Adapter’s Advantage

Our podcast features leaders from sales, training, and industry who share their personal journeys of transformation and how they are adapting to an ever-changing environment. As your host, I’ll introduce you to some of the most interesting and inspiring people I’ve met over the last twenty years.

The conversations dive into the ups and downs of their journey. Our guests focus on inflection points—the aha moments that, in retrospect, had a critical impact on their success. These interviews will leave you with practical, real-world advice that you can apply to your life.

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