Your Vibe Is the Funnel: How to sell on social media

Walking into school felt like a dare. I was 14, fresh off another skit I filmed for my mom’s media. This time I wore a pink headband, dyed my hair blonde, and danced like no one was watching. The kids in my middle school were definitely watching.

The embarrassment stuck with me through high school. But so did something else. Attention. Parents would come up and ask, “Aren’t you the boy from those videos?” I started getting paid clients. The account passed 1 million followers.

Looking back, the moments I chose to embarrass myself were the ones that opened every door. That’s where Seek Embarrassment comes from. It isn’t just a phrase. It’s a belief. That no matter your age, gender, or how you look, there’s light on the other side of that fear.

I wanted to promote that message. I designed T-shirts and crewnecks people could wear in real life to gain visibility. The plan to sell was simple. 

Post the designs on my page to generate hype and set up a stand after my Moms shows. 

The first thing I do when the merch arrives is take a photo. I post it all over my feed with no context. Afterward, I brought them to my mom’s comedy show to and set it up right next to her stand. 

People came by, looked at everything, and only bought hers.

I sold a grand total of 1 shirt.

Is Seek Embarrassment just a nice idea? Does it make no sense? Am I crazy?

My mom announced to our team that her closer couldn’t make it to the final show. She needs someone to fill in and thank the audience. I love speaking, so I volunteer. She smiles and heads onstage. 

I start rehearsing in my head. Thank you so much for coming. I hope you have a great day!

Wow. That’s awful. I’m screwed.

Nevertheless, when her set ends, I walk up to the mic. The lights hit my face. I can't see a single person.

I say, “Hi, my name is Brij Garg. I’ve supported my mom since seventh grade. Through skits and dances, she made sure I got plenty of embarrassment. But that led to her headlining tonight. It led to me standing here right now. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Thank you so much for coming. Have a great night.”

The merch sold out so fast that my sister had to take off the shirt she was wearing to sell it to someone who begged for it.

So I sat down and wrote. I explained what the words meant to me. I made a few simple videos. I spoke from belief. I posted that on my Instagram instead of some photos with no meaning. The merch sold like wildfire. I had to restock and come up with new variations just to keep up.

I’m selling my belief, not my product. For example, when you started reading this, you might have thought, “Brij must really believe in this message.”

Of course I do. 

But more importantly, I invited you to believe it too.

Let me ask you: What do you believe in?

Picture yourself onstage, lights beaming into your eyes. Hundreds of people watching. What are you going to say?

There will be a part 2 on this topic discussing specifics to gaining leads