Rare Sneakers and the Art of Finding Your People
The magic isn't in changing who you are—it's in finding where you belong.
Perfect! Let's go with the conversational version. Here it is again:
Let's talk about rare sneakers and finding your people.
I was walking through Venice Beach last week when I spotted this guy in what I'm pretty sure were $2,000 Nike Dunks. Beautiful shoes—the kind that make sneakerheads weak in the knees. But here's the thing: nobody cared. People walked right past him like he was wearing any old pair of Nikes from Foot Locker.
Fast forward to Saturday. Same guy, same shoes, but this time he's at Sneaker Con in downtown LA. Suddenly, he's the main character. People are stopping him for photos, asking about the colorway, treating him like he just walked off a runway.
What changed? The shoes were identical. The guy was the same. But the context? Completely different.
The Sneaker Con Effect
This is what I call the Sneaker Con Effect, and it's the secret to pretty much everything in business. You don't need to be the loudest, the flashiest, or the most expensive. You just need to be in the right room with the right people who actually get what you're doing.
Think about it: those rare Dunks weren't suddenly better shoes at Sneaker Con. They were always rare, always well-crafted, always worth the hype. But on Venice Beach? Wrong audience. At Sneaker Con? Perfect audience.
Your business works the same way.
Finding Your Sneaker Con
Maybe you're an accountant who specializes in helping creative freelancers navigate quarterly taxes. In a room full of corporate CFOs, you might feel invisible. But put you in front of a bunch of stressed-out designers who just got their first big client? You're the hero they've been looking for.
Or maybe you're a bakery that makes incredibly elaborate wedding cakes. At the local farmer's market selling next to sourdough loaves? You're overpriced. At a bridal expo? You're exactly what someone's been dreaming about.
The magic isn't in changing who you are—it's in finding where you belong.
Stop trying to impress Venice Beach
Here's what most businesses get wrong: they think they need to appeal to everyone walking down the metaphorical Venice Beach of their industry. So they water down what makes them special, trying to be more "accessible" or "mainstream."
Bad move.
The people who don't get your rare Dunks? They were never going to buy them anyway. And by trying to appeal to them, you risk becoming invisible to the people who would absolutely lose their minds over what you're offering.
Your Sneaker Con strategy
So how do you find your Sneaker Con? Start by asking yourself:
Who are the people who immediately understand what you do without explanation?
Where do those people hang out, shop, or look for solutions?
What makes you the rare Nike Dunks in your industry?
Then show up there. Consistently. Authentically. With confidence.
Because here's the beautiful truth: somewhere out there is a room full of people who have been waiting for exactly what you offer. Your job isn't to convince the Venice Beach crowd to care about your rare sneakers.
Your job is to find your Sneaker Con.
