You Are The Media (YATM) is the home for marketing misfits. It started in 2013 at the seaside, in England 🌊 The community is built around creativity, interdependence, visibility, experimentation and co-learning.
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Hi YATMers! I'm Matt Desmier. I'm a mentor, a raconteur and a troubadour.
I also possess the loudest laugh known to man and an incredible pair of legs too, which I like to show off in short shorts as often as I can.
My entire career has been spent in or around the innovation space. Helping organisations bring new ideas to life. I now do that at Bournemouth University.
We're an untapped resource for business. The team and I are committed to putting our brilliant research into the hands of growing businesses.
Next year will be the fortieth anniversary of the greatest movie ever made, Top Gun, and I'm already working myself up into a frenzy. If it doesn't get a theatrical re-release, I will be apoplectic.
If you've not seen it, where have you been???
If that's not enough, in a couple of weeks, some pals and me are putting on a creative networking event with a difference.
It will feature a free bar, a free BBQ and the South Coast's best party band. And all of this will take place in a location that had it's own BBC TV show, book here.
It'll be easy to find too, because you'll hear my laugh from half a mile away.
People don’t just want to learn, they want to become someone.
Your job is to show them what that ‘someone’ could be. This helps them connect to your idea.
People aren’t just buying into your membership, your newsletter, your events, or your services, they are buying a version of themselves they want to become.
When people join in, the journey creates space for everyone to find their own wins too.
Today's newsletter looks at a shift I hadn’t made before, but now feels crucial, helping people make an association.
Always Tinkering
YATM has always been an experiment. Not just so I can learn, but so I can show you the proof of how things change over time. This is to remain relevant.
I used to frame YATM with a broad marketing stance, but when someone joins, they’re not thinking: “I want to get better at marketing.”
They’re thinking:
• “I want to be more independent.”
• “I want to be braver with my voice.”
• “I’m tired of playing by the rules of algorithms.”
• “I want to feel part of something where people are on my side.”
This is identity-driven decision making and it’s emotional.
Your Big Idea Should Be A Mirror
Your big idea isn’t just about education, it’s about reflection. People don’t just see you, they see themselves.
My big idea is for people to promote themselves better, with people on their side, whilst not being over reliant on a middleman.
That’s why a belief such as:
“You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be somewhere consistently, where the right people want to gather.”
…has more weight than:
“Here’s how you can get more engagement on LinkedIn.”
One is advice. The other is about momentum.
What I Didn’t Articulate & Missed
For a long time, I leaned on enthusiasm. It gave people energy, but not always clarity.
I used to lead a lot on raw adrenaline, but not necessarily clarity for people. That was fine as it gave people a release and a way to join in, especially with events, but today people need to know that their time and money needs to be well spent.
My mistake? I left the door open for people to figure it out themselves.
What was missing was a path. Not my path, theirs.
If your idea is only about you, your goals, your wins, your vision, people might nod politely and give you a ‘like’, but they won’t join you.
The shift happens when you frame your idea as an invitation. A path people can see themselves walking, with a promise of what they’ll become along the way.
It’s saying, ‘this is how it looks, come on in.’
A path that people can see provides status, connection and affiliation.
People Want A Language For Their Gut Feelings
When people can’t quite explain what they’re looking for, but you say it for them, the response is instant affinity. It's for them to say, "That’s it, that’s where I am. That’s where I want to be."
Give people clarity and you become a trusted voice.
You’re articulating what they already believe but couldn’t yet explain.
PROOF | The YATM Journey To Share With You
When you share what you strive for and how people can join in, they can see:
• Where they are now
• Where they could go
• What the steps are in between
Let me show you my hand and how the path of YATM looks like. You might see yourself in one of these stages right now.
The nine step path, looks like this...
1) YOU’RE CURIOUS
The idea feels good to have your own audience to address and reach out to people where you are not over reliant on an algorithm or middleman.
2) FIND OUT MORE
You subscribe to the YATM newsletter. Each week you get practical ideas and real stories that help you learn, connect, and see what’s possible.
3) CURIOUS WITH OTHERS
You get to meet more curious people at Lunch Clubs and Creator Day. You meet people who feel like you do and you make friends.
4) JOIN IN
You join YATM Club a dedicated, supportive, safe space with like-minded people.
5) TEST IDEAS OUT
You get braver and feel safe testing out new ideas (you know people are on your side). Maybe a newsletter, creating an event, being more vocal, or learning a new skill. You’ve got people on your side to offer encouragement, input and support.
6) GAIN CONFIDENCE
You notice what resonates. Your voice gets stronger. Your self-belief builds. The people you want to reach start paying attention.
7) MOMENTUM
You grow with the people around you. The connections and friendships you build become supporters, allies and collaborators for your own work. Progress feels faster and more fun, when you’re moving together.
8) BECOME RECOGNISED
More of the right people, know who you are and what you stand for. They believe in your values, and want to spend more time and commit to you.
9) YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
You recognise the home-grown audience you have built. People trust you, know you, respect you and they choose to work with you.
Four Things I Know Now
Here’s what I wish I’d realised earlier when building YATM:
1. Start with them, not you
Frame your idea around the problem they want to solve or the transformation they want to experience. People should be able to finish the sentence:
• “This is for me because…”
• “If I join, I’ll gain…”
2. Map the stages, not the destination
The map isn’t just about the finish line, it’s about the stops along the way. Show people their next step, not just the final outcome.
3. Make participation visible
Ideas grow stronger when people can point and say: that’s me.
That means creating ways for people to show up and feel a part of it all. For instance, for YATM it could mean hosting and leading events or starting the newsletter.
That means giving them ways to take part, not just watch.
4. Celebrate progress, not perfection
If you only highlight the perfect case studies, people will think they’re not ready. If you highlight the imperfect, the experiments, the small wins, you show that progress is possible for everyone.
Let’s Round-Up
A mistake I have made is skipping straight to the end result. I thought if people saw the outcomes, they’d be impressed enough to join.
Most people don’t relate to the finish line. They relate to what a path can look like for them. Life doesn’t come with a manual, we figure it out in stages.
It’s not how loudly you promote an idea that matters, but how deeply people believe it’s already theirs.
Once people can see themselves, you don’t have to push them, you just have to walk with them.
You Are The Media (YATM) is the home for marketing misfits. It started in 2013 at the seaside, in England 🌊 The community is built around creativity, interdependence, visibility, experimentation and co-learning.
