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My Identity Crisis

2024-07-12 · letter vlog · Hank · 4:19 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life (also: Projects) · mode: Personal essay · tags: self promotion

Hank says he cannot decide who he is (science guy, sock guy, cancer guy, business guy and more), which is bad for a personal brand and for people who rely on him; what really matters is lacking the energy and time to be them all, but he vows to stay America's sock guy and pitches the Awesome Socks Club, whose profits help build a hospital in Sierra Leone.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Hank's identity problem: science guy and too many other guys for a personal brand

  • ★★★ Hank says his problem is that he cannot decide who he is, while in the world of the personal brand it is good to pick who you are and stick to it. (playful) — 00:00:00

    “I cannot decide who I am”

  • ★★ Hank says being Science Guy is a dream job that feels as good as he hoped, because he helps people learn and feel excited about their world. — 00:00:29

  • ★★ Hank says he can't stick to it: he also wants to be sock guy, cancer guy, internet media theory guy, creator advocate guy, please-vote guy, and business guy, sometimes required even unwillingly. — 00:00:29
  • ★ Hank would also love to be a silly little guy making people laugh online, showing up on podcasts and sometimes playing Dungeons and Dragons. (playful) — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ Hank says everyone is multifaceted, but his number of guys is not ideal for marketing a personal brand, nor for the people who work with him and rely on him. (playful) — 00:00:58

00:01:27 — Personal brand doesn't matter, but energy and time do; he will stay a sock guy

  • ★★ Hank doesn't care whether his multi-guy problem hurts his personal brand: he didn't get where he is by following personal brand strategy advice. — 00:01:27
  • ★★★ What matters to Hank is lacking the energy or time to be all the guys he expects himself to be; there are no quick fixes, but he is working on slow ones. — 00:01:27
  • ★★ Hank says he will absolutely not stop being a sock guy and thinks he is on his way to being America's premier sock guy. (playful) — 00:01:27 · United States

00:02:15 — Awesome Socks Club pitch: America's sock guy, profits to charity, Rock Your Socks photos, $6 first pair; see you in August

  • ★★ Hank says the Awesome Socks Club has become much bigger and more important than they ever imagined. — 00:02:15 · Awesome Socks Club
  • ★ Hank says he will not be anyone's president but can be America's sock guy. (playful) — 00:02:15 · United States
  • ★★★ Hank wants to sell socks to people who care about the world: each sock is designed by a different independent artist and all profit goes to making the world more equitable and just. — 00:02:45 · Awesome Socks Club
  • ★★★ Hank announces that this month (July 2024) is sock month: with code FIRSTSOCK6 new Awesome Socks Club subscribers get their first pair for $6. — 00:03:14 · Awesome Socks Club
  • ★★ Hank thanks viewers who have shared their socks with the Rock Your Socks hashtag and shows their photos from around the world, one of them his own foot. — 00:03:14
  • ★★ Hank says people in Sierra Leone are going to have a hospital because of the socks members wear. — 00:03:43 · Sierra Leone, Awesome Socks Club
  • ★★ Hank says over 500 people have reviewed the Awesome Socks Club, with an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars. — 00:03:43 · Awesome Socks Club
  • ★★★ Hank urges viewers, including parents who want socks matching their children's, to subscribe today while the first pair costs $6. — 00:03:43 · Awesome Socks Club

In the description and comments

  • ★ In the description Hank notes that his list of all the guys he is left out some really substantial guys. — video description
  • ★★ In a comment Hank says his many roles are a problem when he can't do anything because he is too busy doing everything. — creator comment
  • ★★ In a comment Hank says he used to have more energy. — creator comment
  • ★★ In a comment Hank agrees the roles aren't who he truly is, but says he has no idea who he truly is. (unsure) — creator comment
  • ★★ In a comment, told he was always a 'check out this cool thing' guy, Hank says he feels like just a very excited dog. — creator comment
  • ★ In a comment Hank recommends Vim and Vigr to a viewer asking about medical (compression) socks. — creator comment

Humor (significant)

  • Hank says the problem is him, and he hates being the problem — 00:00:00

    “Which is a problem because I'm always the problem.”

  • Hank anticipates jokes about a man pushing socks so hard — 00:01:27

    “Hank Green out here soliciting feet pics”

  • A week after explaining why he won't run for president, Hank offers another office — 00:02:15

    “I will not be your president, but I can be America's sock guy.”

  • Asked whether he's the science guy or the sock guy, Hank imagines growling a mock-epic reply — 00:02:45

    “I do not ride the storm. I am the storm.”

  • Hank closes the sales pitch with his grand title — 00:03:43

    “This is how I become America's first sock man of America”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Awesome Socks Club · brand

Also: Dungeons & Dragons · Sierra Leone · United States

Only in the description or credits: Vim & Vigr

Also centred on brand: Hypocrisy: All They Want is Money

Replies to

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