The Marketing Bestie Podcast with zoeunlimited - doechii’s 0 to $1Million playbook

Episode Date: May 19, 2025

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Okay, when I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids, and I want to give back to the community. Ooh, then it's the vacation of a lifetime. I wonder if my out of office has a forever setting. An IG Private Wealth advisor creates the clarity you need with plans that harmonize your business, your family, and your dreams. Get financial advice that puts you at the center. Find your advisor at IG Private Wealth.com.
Starting point is 00:00:30 This episode is brought to you by Tellus Online Security. Oh, tax season is the worst. You mean hack season? Sorry, what? Yeah, cybercriminals love tax forms. But I've got Tellus Online Security. It helps protect against identity theft and financial fraud so I can stress less during tax season or any season.
Starting point is 00:00:50 Plan started just $12 a month. Learn more at tellus.com slash online security. No one can prevent all cybercrime or identity theft. Conditions apply. I graduated top 1% UCLE business economics with a background in marketing and analyze over thousands of physical and personal brands over my career. And yet, this one question still fascinates me. How did a small mistake in branding delay Dochi's success for 10 years?
Starting point is 00:01:17 And worse, are you or your business making the same mistake right now? I tried my best. Whether you're a business or individual, how much you can win in life depends on how much crap you're willing to endure without seeing any results. And for Ms. Dochi, the quote unquote industry plan has been in the business for 10 years. From being homeless, basically like homeless, to holding a Grammy. And that's the $100 million lesson here. Dolcey played the Infinite game.
Starting point is 00:01:54 It was really tough. Because I guarantee you, if you're actually willing to put in the work to build something for 10 years, it will take exceptional talent to suck at that thing. But mindset alone isn't what turned her brand around. Consistency is key in that hard work. really pays off. Let's break down the three branding mistakes that delayed her success, the three strategies that helped her go from no name to Grammy Worthy, and the lessons you can steal for your personal or business brand to out-compete an
Starting point is 00:02:22 over-saturated market. Watch carefully throughout the video because I'm going to share with you three key lessons you can steal for your personal and business brand. I don't care about hit! And I made the mixtape. If there was one person born with unlucky girl syndrome, it must be dochi. her insane talents like writing a Grammy winning album in 30 days. Beautiful features, a dazzling personality. There was something that hid all her talent and shine for over 10 years. An artist won best rapper that I've never even heard.
Starting point is 00:03:00 Who are you? The lack of a brand. Miss Oji released anxiety six years ago, only to go viral now. Got called to audition for the voice, never heard back. and make the audition. Open for Siza, still not under the radar. Even when Rolling Stone called her, quote, someone to watch three years ago,
Starting point is 00:03:24 that halo effects somehow vanished into the ether. And I feel like my life sucks. And guess what? It's all marketing. Or should I say a lack thereof? This is not just a story about Dolce. It's about how to make your brand unforgettable. Even in a world where attention lasts three seconds.
Starting point is 00:03:42 Sure, some may say, oh, the industry is rigged. She was independent so she got ignored. But so did every other indie artist or self-made entrepreneur. Steve Jobs didn't cry about how his parents placed him for adoption. You don't get extra bonus points by having the most amount of disadvantages. Just look at Chaparro and Doja Cat. They both had labels and their labels didn't do shit until they themselves took it to their own hands and blew up on their own. If you blame anything as your constraint, that becomes your constraint.
Starting point is 00:04:12 The sources in me. It's not in a bottle. It's not in a label. It's not in a man in a suit. It's not in a dollar bill. It's not in a radio. It comes from me. Now that we got that out of the way,
Starting point is 00:04:23 let's talk about the fun part of how you can build a business or personal brand. By avoiding the three mistakes and leveraging the three winning strategies that Dochi used. Because the Dochi 2.0, as we know today, took home a Grammy. I put my heart and my soul into this mixtape. Is Billboard's Women of the Year. People are saying this girl will be done. bigger than Nikki Minaj and Cardi B combined. Co-signed with Kendrick
Starting point is 00:04:51 has been on every third TikTok on your for-you page. Yay! Woo! Got Mew-Mew, Leviton, Tom Brant knocking on her door. Remember, this was a woman who was homeless not that long ago. I was sleeping in a McDonald's one night and I didn't have shit else to do, but write music.
Starting point is 00:05:09 And I wrote this song. Now being the girl that not just luxury brands, but also personal brands, like Ziza, Jenny, and Will Smith are vetting. She's empowering. She's so pure and hard, and I admire that about her. So whatever limiting belief you have right now about yourself or your business, I want you to think bigger than that.
Starting point is 00:05:34 There's a method that don't you follow that I also use, and I'll walk you through it in this episode. Okay, let's make a change. Bada-Bing-Badda-boom. I'm in the data suit, you know what that? As your marketing bestie, who graduated, top 1% UCLA business economics with a background in marketing. I'm here to help you build a brand so strong that it's impossible to not win.
Starting point is 00:05:55 But because no brand is impeccable, stick around to the end for the two branding warnings to avoid 10 years of work. What would just happen if I just didn't give a fuck? Plus bonus, three actionable steps you can take today to level up your business or personal brand. Now why is this even relevant to you? Other than the fact that you absolutely love this channel and will share this episode with the people you love and give them the knowledge to win. Well, you may see yourself one way, but how does your dream client, dream job, dream boyfriend see you?
Starting point is 00:06:28 And that's the importance of brand and yes, you have one. I'm creating this series to analyze pop culture brands from a marketing perspective because I want all of us to unlock the potential to build businesses and personal brands that can change our future. which includes unlocking financial freedom. I didn't have any money. I couldn't afford to even come back after the voice. I slipped out of McDonald's. Basically like almost. I was just lost.
Starting point is 00:06:53 And right now you can shape the future of the show. Join our free email list. Link in description and vote on what you want to see more. Business, finance, marketing. And if you leave a five-star rating on Apple or Spotify and share this episode with someone you love, you'll be helping them to grow to. And it's completely free to you.
Starting point is 00:07:11 More importantly, you'll help you help you help you'll help you'll help you'll help you'll help you'll help rather show so one day we can bring on guests like Dochi herself. Now let's talk about how you and your business can win under pressure using the Dochi playbook. First, what were the three big mistakes that Dochi made that delayed her success for 10 years? Let's roll it back to Dolcey 1.0. The talent nobody saw. What would just happen if I just didn't give a fuck about anything? Jaila Jimmy Hickman was born to be a creative. Growing up with a list of talents, performing ballet, tap dancing, acting, cheerleading, doing gymnastics, and playing soccer,
Starting point is 00:07:48 she planned to become a professional choir singer until a friend encouraged her to produce and release her music online as an independent artist, which is such a gift. But if you don't have a friend like that, I'm here to be that person for you. And we'll share as much value as possible on the show soon to be joined with exceptional guests. You guys will be so excited. The goal is very simple to help you see that you are capable, and back it up with strategy. And for Dochi, her official music career started in 2014,
Starting point is 00:08:18 when she started writing poetry and rap lyrics in high school and released her debut song, Girls, on SoundCloud in 2016. And the crazy part is, she actually documented her entire journey, entire journey on her YouTube channel. It's seriously a brain dump that is super raw and real, which is really, really rare and precious to see from any artists. This, if anything, again, just confirms the mantra I love sharing that no effort ever goes to waste.
Starting point is 00:08:50 Which you will see reinforce through her story. And like many artists or solo entrepreneurs watching right now, you might be in the same place. Dolce had no label, no manager, and no money, she did everything herself. Oh, I got fired today. Who cares? Who fucking cares? I'm just going to do it. Reminding me of how just five years ago, I had no money, just a second-hand camera. and Wi-Fi and began to learn YouTube on YouTube, which is why I have a lot of respect for the art created by Dochi
Starting point is 00:09:19 and a lot of respect for her resourcefulness. And listen, balancing finances is not easy, which is why you should never pay extra. So I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I use Rakuten to find huge deals and get money back, especially on essentials like the Slaptop or 10% back on travels with verbal. Dochi did fly to New York as the start of a career takeoff.
Starting point is 00:09:41 If you're not getting cashback with Rakuten, you are losing money. Rakuten is the largest cashback site that partners with over 3,500 biggest brands like Best Buy, Apple, Target, Nike Expedia. It's completely free to use. You just click through the links found on Rakuten and shop on the stores' websites like you normally would or use the browser extension. And this week, they're having the festival of savings where you get 15% cashback at hundreds of your favorite stores. So that thing in your shopping car you've been waiting for a price drop, now is the time. To thank you for being the best supporters of the marketing best in community, you're also getting a $40 sign-up bonus when you make a qualifying purchase. Just click the link in my description or go to rackettin.com slash r slash z oe unl.
Starting point is 00:10:27 Let's all be more resourceful like Dochey. Her 2020 EP, Oh the Places Your Goal was self-funded and self-directed. What is my name? She even edited her own music videos. Her style? Unpredictable. She mixed rap, spoken words, and singing often in the same track. It was weird, bold, and ahead of its time. Record label companies, like, I'm just gonna go in and ask, who gives a fuck?
Starting point is 00:10:51 I have nothing to lose. But the industry didn't know what to do with her, and that showed in marketing mistake number one, momentum gaps. It almost hurts to think about the number of times that Doji could have gone viral, but didn't. She released yucky, blucky fruitcake in 2020, Hi, my name's don't she with two eyes But it didn't go viral until a year later on TikTok
Starting point is 00:11:14 She auditioned for the voice and didn't even get past callbacks Even when Rolling Stone called her quote someone to watch She had no support to cap lies on the press Honestly, I can't even fucking cap no more I'm going through a lot When people say oh so and so artists so and so company are just lucky No, you make your own luck Don't she had all these opportunities
Starting point is 00:11:35 But she was not ready for them because A, she had no structural support. She played against her weaknesses, not strengths, which we will talk about in a moment. All she had was good art that no one knew existed. B, she did not have a cohesive brand, which leads to the deadly marketing mistake number two. Aesthetic whiplash.
Starting point is 00:11:57 In an era of saturation where everything looks and sounds more and more the same, finding a competitive edge is everything. However, for Dochi, in one era, she's sipping this. neon cocktails and Y2K fits, and the next she is rocking cornrows in androgynous minimalism, complete with a sudden sober pivot. Don't she tried everything, but did not commit to one visual identity. That always made her look like she was still figuring it out. Audiences got a whiplash and critics called it inauthentic.
Starting point is 00:12:26 As a marketer, I'm all about testing, but not for the sake of testing. At one point, you need to gather all the data points to come to a conclusion. Instead of jumping from one thing to another, which will make you and your brand look like every other trend chaser rather than a trendsetter. Great artists evolve, but successful brands have a signature. And at this point, Dochi didn't. And more importantly, marketing mistake number three. No infrastructure, no spotlight led to a death spiral. Doji had all the raw ingredients.
Starting point is 00:13:01 Bars, charisma visuals, but that's all there was, just wrong. talent and vibes. No PR push, no strategic rollout, no one advocating for her behind closed doors. As a creator working on the product, which is the music, Dochi is exceptional. But from a business perspective, Doji did not operationalize the marketing of her product. So people who would enjoy would never even know that her music, aka her product, existed. And it's not just Dochi. Every new business owner will start their business with a very skewed concept in their head, including myself on becoming a content creator. I never knew that making a video is just 30% of being a content creator.
Starting point is 00:13:41 Dolce was powering through sheer will that her talent alone will break the industry before realizing that half the music industry, or should I say 80%, is marketing and packaging. How many amazing, amazing smart artists exist out there that will never, ever make it on your Spotify Discovery feed. It hurts to think. And from a business angle, it's like, yeah, you might make the, best burger in the world. But maybe six people know it while the rest of the world is eating mediocre McDonald burgers. This is fundamentally why I think every creative person out there needs
Starting point is 00:14:15 to learn marketing. Just because you make cool shit does not mean other people out there know you make cool shit. And it is such a waste as so many cool products and art exist out there. But because of bad or no marketing, the world is not able to appreciate it. Hence, market inefficiency. The hardest step is to realize what your constraint is. Then the second step is to decide if it's something worth spending a lot of time learning. If not, hire or team up with someone to cover your shortages. Because we all have our strengths and weaknesses. This is why no billion dollar company can exist as a solopreneur LLC.
Starting point is 00:14:54 It just does not work that way. But if you don't even know what your strengths and weaknesses are, like Ms. Dochi 1.0, It's like using a porcelain vase to swing against the fences. No matter how many times she gets these lucky shots, it's all just wasted opportunity. Preparation meets opportunity becomes luck. So how did Dochi finally turn her luck around? She went from working at Chip Falkley to becoming the third woman to win rap album of the year. And how can you make your own luck?
Starting point is 00:15:26 Before we talk about the three marketing strategies that helped Doche finally win, I do want to emphasize that her biggest blockage was not understanding her constraints, which were the operations and marketing of her art. Just a lot of things that I need to get organized, so I'm going to go ahead and get my life together. Which is fine, but the danger was not knowing or ignoring her constraints and just blindly brute forcing through things. It's like there's a path along the river, but you'd rather jump into the freezing cold water and swim to your destination and risk potentially having hypothermia.
Starting point is 00:16:00 or just drowning and dying, instead of just walking to take the path there. Both are doable. It's ultimately your choice. So how did Dochi become so in tune with herself? And finally landed on her distinguishable brand. Self-awareness. Let me tell you something. Stay focused, keep doing you, tell your story authentically, exactly how it is, and don't ever
Starting point is 00:16:23 stop. And she actually stumbled across a book I also read and practiced, which is called The Artist's Way. and I'll help link it below. This book is not just a self-help thing, but actually operationalizes self-awareness by making you do the morning pages, which is a specific way of journaling,
Starting point is 00:16:41 and going on artist states to really nurture the inner artist within you. And this applies to you even if you're not in entertainment or art. If you're building a business, coding, solving problems, these are all creative functions. Journaling both on paper and through videos has helped me so, so much to go through hard times, and as it did with Dochi. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life,
Starting point is 00:17:03 but I knew I didn't want to work for anybody. And I just blogged that journey, and it ended up growing into this actual fan base that I have now. It personally helped me have a much, much better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. And whether you're a founder, content creator, or artist, that self-awareness is your leverage. If you don't know your constraint, you won't know how to scale.
Starting point is 00:17:24 Which is why when brands and artists come to me for advisory, if you can't tell me what the biggest constraint in your business is, you're not ready to grow. Because your growth would be so scattered and you'll just be moving sideways, but never up. So as Dochi put in the inner work to better understand her constraints, her strengths, and what she stands for,
Starting point is 00:17:41 she was ready to be Dochy! Dochi 2.0. The Swamp Princess Rebirth. In 2021, yucky-bucky yucky-frucake finally went viral. But instead of riding the hide,
Starting point is 00:18:00 she got pulled into a trend trap. Her sound became polished but lost its rawness. She even admitted this herself. Quote, They want the TikToks, so now I'm making TikTok music. That led to fast over-exposure and just as fast a fade out. Not my style. I mean, I'm grateful for the hit, but God, we played that song so much.
Starting point is 00:18:23 However, that virus spark led her to sign with Top Doc Entertainment, the same label behind Kendrick Lamar and Siza. I'm dead. Gotta be consistent. Which is why I say no effort goes to waste. And so, Doche is ready to flip the script with success factor one, story ownership. Even though Dogey bombed the voice, she found her voice. In 2023, she delivered her most authentic moment yet.
Starting point is 00:18:51 A stripped-down and PR Tiny Desk performance, that performance, plus her new album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, marked her rebirth. Dochi opened up about her struggles, being broke, getting fired, from every job because I couldn't keep up. Couch serving in New York and even bombing her voice edition. Once fans saw what she survived, they finally understood what she stood for. Just like her YouTube video diaries, her songs felt like diary entries that spilled on a stage. For example, stressed but I'm Clean, Alligator Dreams, she uses metaphor and surreal imagery
Starting point is 00:19:24 to talk about trauma without being cliche. Her performances aren't just performances, there are many short films. Every move, every outfit, Every set design connects to her lyrics. All those struggles were woven into a messy but beautiful story that painted a human all of us could relate to. She makes complex emotions feel simple. She makes sadness feel powerful.
Starting point is 00:19:47 She makes pain look like art. It is important for us to uphold the heart of hip-hop, which is lyrical composition, but it is also talking about our feelings, being honest about what we're going through and connecting us as people. There you go. The essence of anxiety, which captures basically anyone age from 0.3 to 80.
Starting point is 00:20:08 I really have not met a single human who does not ever experience the slightest form of anxiety. Unless if you're an enlightened and just peaceful, calm monk, then congratulations you want. But that is only a small, small immaterial fraction of the population that does not relate to Dochi's music. Because you don't even need to love rap or hip-hop or any of the genres that she touches on. You just have to relate to her as the artist as a person. So marketing takeaway for creators and brands, Don't just sell the what, sell the why. Her songs are the what.
Starting point is 00:20:41 But her story, the struggle, the reinvention, and honesty is the why fans stay. Your product or content is just what they click, but your story is what they remember. Just like how Visi's still invest in companies, they invest in founders. Consumers don't buy products, they buy the story. That's why someone will pay $100,000 on a burghins. a Bergen and not even a single cent on a Shia knockoff.
Starting point is 00:21:04 The resilience of Dochi created a story arc that fans now want to root for and identify with. Quote, Dochi wouldn't take Nochi for an answer. Hence the beginning of an aspirational brand. And this is where success factor 2, visual voice comes to play. Instead of switching styles weekly, she leaned into a poetic, raw, and powerful visual theme. Her outfits, shoots, and stage looks all reinforced her brand. she balanced avant-garde with consistency. Fans now know a Dochi look when they see one, a chaotic style icon to an inspirational style leader. And as a hair, girlie, how can we not
Starting point is 00:21:41 talk about her hair? The genius of Doji is that she started using her hair as a storytelling toolkit. Each look matched a new chapter. Dramatic efforts during moments of emotional intensity, sleek styles during high fashion eras, and raw natural texture for vulnerable life performances. her hair became a visual language. Fans could tell what era she was in based on the hair alone. More than just fashion, it became a signal, identity, mood message. Just like her music. Extremely smart branding and completely unique to her.
Starting point is 00:22:14 And that is the power of awareness. Doji played into her two biggest strengths, Storytelling and performance. The number of times I rewatch that Tiny Des performance, it's so good, so seamless, just chef kiss, perfect. And for those of you who are like, well yeah, she's so talented, that could never be me. You're right, you're not that. So would you rather just give up now? Instead of also considering that she had 10 years of compounded focus on working on this one thing that makes her now exceptional.
Starting point is 00:22:43 Don't she's talent, storytelling really move me? But the thing I love the most about her brand is that she never took a day off working on making this better, just working on building this up, that she has done so many times that now it looks effortless. I want to be the best. If I have two days, if I have 24 hours, I'm going to work my hardest to make the best performance because I want to be the best, period. So a really good mind exercise for you and your brand is, what is that one thing I am willing to work on for 10 years that will bring me outsize returns?
Starting point is 00:23:16 Rather than niche shopping to do 100 things all very mid, which parallels to Dolce's confusing visual brand in the prior 10 years. That stalled her in building up this exceptional brand. But mind you, she never stopped working. on her craft in the music. And the last marketing strategy I want to talk about before moving on to branding warning is third.
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Starting point is 00:23:54 or someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1-866-5. 3-1-2600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. BetMGEM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with EyeGaming Ontario. Without saying, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. More than just the lock of infrastructure, Dolce was soloing way too long, which is also fine, but the multiplier fact came to place when associations were unlocked. This comes down to partnering up with people, platforms, and aesthetics.
Starting point is 00:24:33 Everything from the borrower credibility from being seen. signed to the same label as Kendrick, to opening for Doja Cat and Siza and tapping into their audience to getting the press support from NPR Rolling Stone sent a message to the world. She wasn't just an emerging artist, she was next in line, that she is in the same world, she speaks the same cultural language, and she belongs here. Association is acceleration, which is why for the entrepreneur and creator out there, I encourage you to audit your closest proximities of association. And more importantly, what associations might you want to cut out?
Starting point is 00:25:11 For instance, for Doji to be seen less in the positioning of a TikTok rapper, but an avant-garde pop art visionary. She has to be in the same cultural links as artists like FGA Twigs, Janelle Monet. Fashion became a channel, not just a costume, and every look supported the message of the music. From Scaparelli, Tom Brown, and Jean-Paul Cartier, Doche's team is being very intentional in curating her image away from a TikTok artist who will be erased by the next wave of algorithm. Which brings us to the final branding warning for this exceptional brand that took 10 years to build. But, as you know it, no brand is impeccable.
Starting point is 00:25:50 I'm not talking unless you're giving me land and 2,000 or more. Branding warning number one. Don't over-re rely on high art aesthetics. Couture fashion and surreal visuals are powerful, but they can create distance. If the art becomes more interesting than the artist, the emotional connection fades. And the random speculations and hate such as industry plan catch fire. Don't you gotta be the biggest industry plan? An artist, one best rapper that I've never even heard.
Starting point is 00:26:24 However, branding warning too might seem contradictory. Don't chase the TikTok formula. Now I'm making TikTok music what beef. Don't make content for the algorithm. Make it for your people. Face tapes are there on purpose because it's kind. Algorithms come and go. Connection last.
Starting point is 00:26:46 I'm gonna keep it so real with you. You should already be out the door because I've already had cosmetic enhancement since like 2021. Over association with TikTok to chase relatability or vulnerability will ride the algorithm to its death, which, between every micro trend is about a few days. So if you can't be too distant or too open, what should you do? Emotional calibration.
Starting point is 00:27:05 The lack of nuance thinking in pop culture drives me crazy. Everything is a spectrum and it's a constant readjustment. To cold add warm, throwing a bit of trend here and there. To warm add some mystique. Create intentional curation. It's just like cooking. You never bake the same pie twice. Now, the three biggest lessons I took away from Dolcey's branding arc
Starting point is 00:27:24 that any business entrepreneur or creator can apply today. First, product first, market second. Don't worry about scaling when you don't have anything worth scaling yet. Sometimes the lack of attention is a blessing because it gives you more time to improve your product, your brand, your skills, before being exposed to the Bruto, Bruto World. And instead of making a hundred songs that maybe a few thousand people listen to, wouldn't you rather just make one really good song that hundreds of millions of people will enjoy? Dolce's music from six years ago can still go viral.
Starting point is 00:27:56 Why? Because it is good. Make good shit first, then worry about marketing. Second, play the infinite game. This is kind of an extension of the first point. A lot of us, myself included, are so anxious over what we can accomplish in one year. But if you zoom out a bit, if you just take 10 years to improve on that one thing, it will actually be really hard to suck. Yeah, Dochi blew up, but did she really blow up, or was it really hard to mess something up that you did? for 10 years. Unless if you only plan on winning once and be done with life, I kid you not, I was really sad when I hit 1 million on YouTube because only then did I realize,
Starting point is 00:28:36 oh, it really was just a number, even though every other successful person said so. And then I realized what matters more is who I became through the process of getting to 1 million, because now I have the skills and confidence to win again, regardless if I have 1 million or not. Why not play the Infinite Game, where the win, is in the constant growth, which makes it impossible to lose as long as you're still striving for the next level of excellence. Third, constraint is the mother to creativity. Dolcey's best work did not come from endless resources, but from limitations, no budget, no cosines, no formula. Girl wrote her Grammy-winning album in 30 days.
Starting point is 00:29:18 Her ability to innovate came from having to make something out of nothing. Use your limitations as design prompts, not roadblocks. The skill level of a chef depends not on the quality of an ingredient they were working with, but on what they do with it. Just like how a potato in my hand is just a potato, but will be a $300 dish from a Michelin chef. You don't need the biggest canvas to make the best art. The key is to just create it. And the constraint will become a beautiful mark that becomes part of your brand. I hope you enjoy this dive into the branding arc of Dochi and learned a thing or two you and your business can use today.
Starting point is 00:29:53 If this helped you, send it to someone you love and give it to you. a five-star rating. Join the free email list to shape future episodes. All links are below. And who knows, maybe one day we'll have Dochi herself on the podcast. This is your marketing bestie, Zoe Unlimited. Episodes are available on all podcast networks, Apple, Spotify, YouTube. And if you like
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