The Three M's of Differentiation
Beat imposter syndrome by owning your message, messenger and medium
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 78%
The Three M's is a self-check for anyone convinced their idea is already covered. First, the message: even if a thousand people have said it, your framing is your own. Second, the messenger: identical words carry different weight depending on who speaks them, because audiences bond to the person, not just the point. Third, the medium: one person is strongest on stage or radio, another in writing, another in a short vertical video, so the same message reaches different people through different channels. Run in sequence, the three checks dismantle the 'it's been done' objection layer by layer, and leave the practitioner with a concrete differentiation angle instead of a vague pep talk. Jasmine Star pairs it with a self-interrogation habit, asking 'why not me?' every time imposter syndrome flares, so the framework converts a paralysing comparison into a publishing decision.
Origin
Jasmine Star says she learned the three M's from a copywriter whose name she could not recall at the time, and adopted it alongside her own habit of asking 'why not me?' whenever her internal saboteur told her the room was already full.
Core principles
- 01Saturation is not a reason to stay silent.
- 02The same idea lands differently depending on who says it.
- 03Format is a differentiator, not a detail.
- 04Someone is waiting to hear it specifically from you.
- 05Belief is built by showing up, not by waiting to feel qualified.
How to run it
- 1
Catch the saboteur and ask 'why not me?'
When the comparison thought arrives, name it as imposter syndrome rather than as evidence. Answer it with the direct question: why not me?
Pro tip Attach the question to a physical trigger, like a walk between two rooms, so it fires reliably.
- 2
Claim the message
Write the idea in your own language, even if it has been said a thousand times. The point is not novelty but authorship.
Pro tip Draft it as if explaining to one specific person you have actually helped.
Watch out Do not chase a novel angle purely to be different; that usually produces a worse message.
- 3
Own the messenger
List the parts of your history, credibility and voice that change how the message lands. The person delivering it is part of the product.
Pro tip Ask past clients what made them trust you specifically; that is your messenger asset.
- 4
Choose the medium you win in
Test where your delivery is strongest: writing, audio, video, live teaching. Then concentrate rather than spreading across every channel.
Pro tip If two mediums feel equal, pick the one you will still be doing in six months.
Watch out Copying a competitor's channel choice usually means competing on their strength, not yours.
- 5
Publish on a repeat cadence
Ship consistently instead of waiting for the feeling of readiness, which never arrives. Consistency compounds the other three M's.
Watch out Waiting for enough equipment, credentials or certainty is the failure mode this framework exists to break.
In the wild
A new wedding photographer sees hundreds of established shooters in her city and nearly quits before starting. Running the three M's, she keeps the message (documenting the day honestly), claims the messenger (she was the first in her family to work for herself, and clients from that background trust her), and picks the medium she actually enjoys: short behind-the-scenes reels rather than a polished blog. She books her first clients from the reels, not from the portfolio site she was afraid to finish.
→ Started publishing within a week instead of waiting for more gear and credentials.
In the episode, Jasmine tests the framework live on the conversation itself: if listeners feel she and Ken are saying the same thing in the same way, then the medium becomes the differentiator. Ken is strong on television and radio; she may be stronger in writing or in an Instagram reel. The identical idea reaches two different audiences through two different channels.
→ Reframes a crowded field as a distribution problem rather than a worthiness problem.
Common mistakes
Waiting to feel qualified first
The feeling of having enough never arrives, because each level of growth brings a new problem you have not faced. Treating readiness as a prerequisite guarantees you never start.
Using all three M's at once
Spreading across every medium to prove differentiation dilutes the message and burns the practitioner out. Pick the medium you win in and concentrate there.
Treating other people's opinions as data
People will form an opinion whether you act or not, so their reaction is not a signal about the quality of your message.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders, coaches and creators frozen by the belief that their market is saturated or that they are underqualified.
Not ideal for
People whose real gap is competence or a working offer rather than confidence.
From the transcript
“And there's three M's that I've come to identify.”
“So even if you think somebody has more, done more, been more, there are more qualified and more educated. They should be there. Guess what?…”
From the episode
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