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When I first moved to Los Angeles, I listened to radio a lot. One of the shows I liked was hosted by Marc Germain. He called himself Mr. KFI or later Mr. KABC.

It was a nice show without screeners or any topics. People just called in and talked about anything they had on their mind.

Over time, I forgot to tune in. I liked his show but that wasn’t enough to make the effort to listen to him. He never made it big, he’s now struggling with a weekly show.

The first time I heard Howard Stern, I was riveted. I’ve never heard anything like this before. The topics, the questions, the outrageousness.

I’ve been a loyal Stern fan ever since. I’ve sat in a parking lot for an hour to be able to listen to the Stuttering John and Crazy Cabbie fight. I scheduled meetings around his show.

I purchased 3 different Sirius radios that all sucked, just to purchase another one. I didn’t want to miss the show. Each month, I fork over $10 to listen to him.

Howard Stern’s magic is not about being funny, a great interviewer or an outrageous character.

You either love or hate Howard Stern.

There’s not much in between.

Once in a while, his minions go out and ask people “Who is worse? Howard Stern or Charlie Sheen?” The majority of people said Howard Stern was worse. He lost against Mel Gibson.

That’s astonishing.

Actually, not.

He was himself. That’s why he was so different.

Being different evokes deep emotions in people. And that’s why he’s one of the highest paid entertainers in the world.

Some people hate it. Many people love it. He didn’t care about being liked.

He wanted to be different.

It’s easy to be liked. It’s hard to be different.

Most people want to be liked. They ask for advice how to be liked more. Ultimately, they become a commodity. Nothing to see here.

It didn’t work that well for Marc Germain, it doesn’t work in our industry and it won’t work for you.

You need to be different.

What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Once you know that, live it. That’s what people desire. That’s what people pay for. That’s what will change your life.

Brands: Stop trying to be liked. Be different.

The Facebook world lures brands into thinking that a “Like” has any value.

It doesn’t.

To be liked is being timid, being small, being easily replaceable. You want to be loved and hated at the same time. You need to stand for something. Something that evokes deep emotions. You need to have that friction.

Or you’ll disappear.