Hi friends, 

How do you kill time when you’re in a commute?

For me it's either LinkedIn, X or reading something or other, which makes me smart.

(You’re smart because you read Write&Attract.)

Haha, but this story is about the past week.

I was travelling to Pune and during my commute in the metro, I read about Hampton’s about us page. 

A masterclass in itself. 

Most About Us pages, if you’ve read them, are the business equivalent of awkward first dates. Everyone's trying too hard to impress.

"We're innovative." "We're passionate." "We're committed to excellence."

Cool story. So is everyone else.

Sam Parr looked at that playbook and threw it in the trash.

This is how he started Hampton’s About Us.

He opens with Joe (his co-founder) losing $100 million. Not making it. Losing it.

Then he talks about himself at 28, running The Hustle, doing $8 million in revenue sharing his weak side: "30% of the time I felt unstoppable. But the other 70%... I was full fear."

No polish. No corporate speak. Just raw honesty.

He admits he lied to Joe about why he was in New York. He confesses to feeling like an imposter most of the time. He says the quiet part out loud: "I'm making this up as I go."

And you reading this? You're hooked.

Because for the first time, someone running a multi-million dollar business is admitting what you've been thinking all along.

But here's where Sam gets brilliant.

After sharing all this vulnerability, he pivots: "That's when Joe and I created our own little 'you help me, I'll help you' group."

The struggles weren't just stories. They were the origin of Hampton.

Two successful founders, both terrified and both feeling alone, created something to solve their exact problem.

Then comes the knockout punch:

"Failing, as in going out of business, that's not my fear... But mediocrity? That drags on. Years of drifting. Waking up 10 years later, realizing you played small, unintentionally, and blew the best years of your life without getting close to reaching your potential."

Holy shit.

That line. That's the one that makes you reach for your credit card.

Because Sam isn't selling you a membership. He's selling you insurance against your worst nightmare: becoming the person you swore you'd never be.

The result? Hampton has 1,000+ members averaging $20M in revenue. They're bootstrapped, profitable, and so exclusive that existing members can veto new applicants.

Takeaway? The best copy doesn't hide your scars. It weaponizes them. Because people don't trust perfect. They trust real.

Why do millionaires buy a Rolex?

Is it to tell time? Please.

Your iPhone does that better and costs 90% less.

They buy a Rolex because of where it sits on the pyramid.

Let me explain.

In the 1940s, Abraham Maslow drew a pyramid that basically hacked human motivation.

At the bottom? Survival stuff. Food, water, shelter, and sleep. If you're dying of thirst, you don't care about Instagram likes.

Once you've got that covered, you want safety. A job. Health insurance. Not getting murdered in your sleep.

Then comes love and belonging. Friends. Family. Community. That feeling of being part of something.

Above that? Esteem. Status. Respect. Recognition. The need to matter.

And at the very top? Self-actualization. Becoming who you're meant to be. Reaching your potential.

Here's the thing marketers figured out: Every purchase is someone climbing this pyramid.

Bottled water? That's level one. Pure survival.

Home security systems? Level two. Safety and peace of mind.

Peloton? That's level three. You're not buying a bike. You're buying membership in a tribe of people who work out at 6 AM.

Tesla? Level four. Status. You're the kind of person who drives the future.

MasterClass? Level five. Self-actualization. Becoming the creative genius you always knew you could be.

The brands that dominate? They understand exactly which level they're selling to.

Apple doesn't sell phones at level one. They sell identity at levels four and five.

Airbnb doesn't sell rooms at level two. They sell belonging and self-discovery at levels three and five.

Hampton? They're selling at the top of the pyramid. Self-actualization for entrepreneurs who've already conquered the lower levels.

But here's where most marketers screw up:

They try to sell self-actualization to someone stuck at level two. You can't pitch luxury watches to someone worried about rent. You can't sell $50,000 masterminds to someone who hasn't built a stable business yet.

The magic happens when you match your message to where your customer actually is on the pyramid.

During a recession? Talk safety and security.

When times are good? Hit them with status and transformation.

Because people don't buy products. They buy the next step up the pyramid.

Talk soon,

Alen