512. Stuck Building Your Personal Brand? Here’s How to Break Through with Rory Vaden

Jun 30, 2025

What happens when everything you’ve built suddenly disappears? In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with Rory Vaden—someone who knows what it’s like to lose everything and rebuild from scratch. After Rory and his wife, AJ, were forced out of the business they’d spent 12 years building, they had to start over with nothing but a non-compete, their expertise, and a lot of hard-won lessons.

 

That painful reset led to the creation of Brand Builders Group, a business built around the exact process Rory and AJ used to reinvent themselves—one that now serves some of the world’s top personal brands. But at its core, their conversation with Jay isn’t just about strategy. It’s about identity, focus, and service.

 

Rory explains why most people get stuck on the wrong side of what he calls “Sheehan’s Wall”—trying to emulate big names by doing too much, too soon, with scattered focus. True breakthrough comes from relentless focus on one thing: the unique problem you solve, in one word, for a specific “who.” Together, Jay and Rory break down the six key questions that define your brand DNA, explore how your past pain and setbacks can prepare you for your greatest impact, and discuss why the person you’re best positioned to serve is who you once were.

 

Challenge of the Week:

Get out your notebook and journal your answers to these questions: What challenges have I conquered? What setbacks have I survived? Who is the person I once was—and how could I serve that version of myself? Use this reflection as your first step toward clarity and breakthrough.

 

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To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

 

We talk about:

  • How to find your “one word” problem and the audience you’re meant to serve
  • Why focus beats diversification—especially when building a personal brand
  • The six questions behind Brand Builders Group’s brand DNA process

 

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Produced by NOVA

Read Transcript

Jay Papasan

Jay Papasan [Pap-uh-zan] is a bestselling author who has served in multiple executive leadership positions during his 24 year career at Keller Williams Realty International, the world’s largest real estate company. During his time with KW, Jay has led the company’s education, publishing, research, and strategic content departments. He is also CEO of The ONE Thing training company Produktive, and co-owner, alongside his wife Wendy, of Papasan Properties Group with Keller Williams Realty in Austin, Texas. He is also the co-host of the Think Like a CEO podcast with Keller Williams co-founder, Gary Keller.

In 2003, Jay co-authored The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, a million-copy bestseller, alongside Gary Keller and Dave Jenks. His other bestselling real estate titles include The Millionaire Real Estate Investor and SHIFT.

Jay’s most recent work with Gary Keller on The ONE Thing has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide and garnered more than 500 appearances on national bestseller lists, including #1 on The Wall Street Journal’s hardcover business list. It has been translated into 40+ different languages. Every Friday, Jay shares concise, actionable insights for growing your business, optimizing your time, and expanding your mindset in his newsletter, TwentyPercenter.

The One Thing with Jay Papasan

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