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Hey Reader,

Last week, my friend Devin Reed released season 2 of his amazing show, Reed Between the Lines.

It got me reminiscing about my episode and the topic we spent the most time on: Marketing Villains.

Check the episode if you haven't seen it yet:

9 months later, I'm convinced having a villain is still the most important yet overlooked (or intentionally shied away from) part of creating resonant content.

If you're new here, I coach people on creating content that drives people to your offer.

Every day, I urge people to get bolder, stop hedging, and learn to get comfortable sharing spiky points of view.

But the typical (and fair) response is often:

"I don't want to ruffle any feathers..."

"What if potential clients think I'm an a**hole?"

"I don't want to seem like my way is the only way. I hate those people."

I get it. Nobody wants to come across as mean or antagonistic.

However, I'm willing to bet the reason you started (or are thinking of starting) a solo business is that you see problems in the market that need fixing.

And you're very aware (and likely annoyed) that the status quo doesn't work.

Am I right?

(I'm right.)

OK so riddle me this:

How do you plan to make this problem highly visible to your potential clients?

By politely asking them to reconsider their current initiatives?

"I hope you'll consider not wasting money on the thing that no longer works. DM me for help!"

Does this kind of writing make you want to reach out?

Be honest.

(NO. It does not.)

What about this?

"The root of almost every [specific problem your ideal client faces] comes down to one thing:"

Are you curious what it is?

Do you want to know more?

YES.

[Aside: Notice how in the fake example we used the word "almost." You're not saying the root of every single problem. You're saying almost every problem. This leaves room for nuance. It makes it less cringey.]

Back to villains.

Productive dissent builds trust faster than polite agreement ever will.

Think about the last time someone challenged you (in a nice way).

Did it make you think harder about what you were saying? Probably.

Did it make you want to click on the person's profile and dig into who they are? Likely.

Now think about all those polite comments you get on your posts. The ones that blindly agree and do not forward the conversation.

Do you ever click on those profiles? Nope.

Do you remember who those people are? Nah.

Now imagine both the dissenter and the nice person DM you to chat more about the topic.

Who are you gonna reply to?

YOU WITH ME?

[Aside: Dissenting in comments is a "safer" way to test your POV and dip your toe in the water. 10/10 recommend starting here if you're scared of getting bold in your posts.]

But here's the thing about dissent — there's an art to it.

Most people think having a "villain" in your content means choosing someone to bash.

NOPE.

Write this on a sticky note right now:

Attack ideas, not people.

Your best villains emerge naturally from the problems you're passionate about solving.

For me, it started with a simple stance: Anyone who says writing is easy or editing isn't necessary.

That's it. No personal attacks. No naming names. Just a clear position against an idea that I knew was hurting people.

But as I kept writing and working with clients, I noticed this villain evolving. It wasn't just about bad writing advice anymore — it was about the entire ecosystem of manipulative marketing tactics that make people feel inadequate.

The magic happens when your villain connects directly to your values.

Quick exercise: Write down your top 3 values. Now, what's actively working against those values in your industry?

Boom. There's your villain.

(You're welcome.)

The more clearly you stand against something, the easier it is for the right people to stand with you.

Think about it.

When I say, "I'm against manipulative marketing," I'm actually saying a lot more than that. I'm saying:

• I believe in ethical marketing
• I respect my audience's intelligence
• I won't sacrifice long-term trust for short-term gains
• I'd rather make less money than make people feel like crap

And you know what? The people who share these values? They become ride-or-die supporters.

But there's a catch...

You can't just wake up one day and decide to be "controversial."

Trust me, I've seen people try this. It's like watching someone wear their shoes on the wrong feet — uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Instead, try this framework I use with my Content Sparring 🥊 clients:

1. Start with the pain: What actually bothers you? Not what should bother you. Not what others say is wrong. What genuinely gets under YOUR skin?
2. Connect it to impact: How is this pain point hurting your audience? What's the real cost of letting this problem continue?
3. Show the alternative: What's the better way? How can people do this differently?
4. Back it up: Got proof this works? Share it. Stories, examples, results, whatever you've got.

For example:

Instead of: "Clickbait hooks are so stupid! Anyone who uses them is immediately discrediting themselves."

Try: "If you're new to LinkedIn, it's tempting to use hooks that "work" (i.e. a "viral" template). I've seen this play out badly time and again. You're gambling with your credibility in the name of reach."

See the difference?

The former sounds complainy, judgy, and mean.

The latter sounds empathetic, helpful, and coming from a place of genuine expertise.

I get it. Taking a stand is scary.

When I first started calling out manipulative marketing tactics, I felt a bit weak in the knees.

But thank f*ck I did because getting bold has basically driven my entire business.

My audience grew. My courses sold like whoa. My Content Sparring spots filled up. My new Full Stack Solo membership is absolutely killing it.

But more importantly? I started attracting people who valued what I valued.

My clients want to learn how to market themselves without feeling icky about it.

It's a dream match because I want to do the exact same thing.

I'll leave you with this:

Having a villain isn't really about being against something. It's about being FOR something better.

When you get this right, you're not just building an audience or reputation — you're building a movement.

And movements? They're a hell of a lot more powerful than checkbox marketing.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Erica

PS. Speaking of movements...my Content Sparring spots for February just opened up. If you're ready to build content that actually drives business results, reply with 🥊 and let's chat.

PPS. We just switched Full Stack Solo to monthly pricing and have had 2 people join at the new $349/month price so far. That puts us at 60 happy members, getting results every week like this:

​Book a sales call with us to discuss whether it's right for you.​

"Ring ring, hello, yes, I'd love to make way more money this year in my solo business and dial my offer and content in. Can you help?"

"Why yes, you've come to the right place 😉"

New here? I'm Erica. Your seltzer-loving solopreneur who helps you earn more money with content that moves people to action (but doesn’t feel salesy). ​​

🥊 WORK WITH ME 1:1 💡 TAKE A COURSE 🏴‍☠️ JOIN GROUP COACHING