Our guest is Tyler Gillespie, founder of Madhatter Coalition, a start-up incubator and think tank. In this episode, we learn about the power of sincere, succinct connections with your customer. Tyler walks us through insightful examples of how to define your “X for Y” and answer that all important question “who am I”. We wrap up the show discussing how your past doesn't need to define your future. Thanks for joining us!

Tyler Gillespie brings his energy and varied background (film school, designer, creative director, entrepreneur) to this discussion.  Tyler founded the Madhatter Coalition, a boutique think tank and incubator for early-stage startups, which makes sure your business has everything needed for capital raise and/or launch. To learn more about Tyler, visit www.madhattercoalition.com."Who in the world am I?... Ah, that's the great puzzle." Alice's Adventures in WonderlandFind The Common Quest on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.Show notes:00:22    About the Madhatter Coalition, a think tank and incubator for the innovative03:13     A little about Tyler’s background: film school, designer, creative director, entrepreneur, now founder of the Madhatter Coalition, an incubator and think tank03:52     Before you do anything, answer one simple question: I am X for Y; the power of clarity in understanding brand over product, the power of your story; do you know who you are and why you are solving a problem; can your audience, customer connect with you in a sincere way04:51     Exploring “I am X for Y”; An example of I am X for Y: AirBnB “I am Expedia for homes / hotels”; “Y” is the customer, at least a reasonably narrow customer group06:15     Clarifying idea vs. opportunity in your brand narrative; opportunity defined by traction, opportunity, thought process, investable06:40     I am X: the “X” is not product, it is the utility of what you provide (describe the benefit, not the feature)07:52     Is there a different “X for Y” for your customer vs. for your investor?08:40     What is a “brand narrative”?11:00     The power of focus through “I am X for Y”11:30     What is a “brand” and how is it different from your logo and name?14:00     How do you define your “X for Y”, using the example of a corner flower shop vs. 1-800-FLOWERS; talk about the problem you have; perhaps “I am comfort for those celebrating those in need” vs. 1-800-FLOWERS “We are a fast and convenient way to tell someone you love them”18:30     Your past doesn’t need to define your future or what lies ahead; how do you get others and yourself) to see you as more than what you have on your resume or in experience?22:12 “Who in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle.” From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The Journey of discovery is very powerful. Alice is trying to figure out who she is in spite of everything that was happening in Wonderland.“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”