Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Underdog Branding Profile picture
@TheUnderdogDO
Sep 4 • 15 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X
Scrolly
The Rock just broke down in tears at the Venice Film Festival.

15-minute standing ovation for "The Smashing Machine."

But NOBODY knows the insane story behind it.

It all started with $7... 🧵
1995. Dwayne Johnson gets cut from Calgary Stampeders, a Canadian pro football team.

Checks his wallet: $7 bucks.

But he wasn't broken.

He was plotting revenge... Image
Three years earlier, he saved his mom's life.

She walked into traffic on a highway.
18-wheelers swerving everywhere.

He grabbed her back to safety.

That trauma unlocked something dark... Image
"I was crying constantly," he later revealed.

"I didn't want to do anything."

Depression crushed him for years.

But he was secretly building a psychological weapon...
See - The Rock names his company "Seven Bucks Productions."

Why?

Most people think it's cute branding.

But they have no idea what he was really doing... Image
Because that $7 moment became his weapon.

1996: Debuts as "Rocky Maivia" in WWE.
Fans HATE him. "Rocky Sucks!" chants.

But this time he REALLY had a plan cooking..
He becomes The Rock and invents the ultimate brand:

Tells everyone about his pain.
Every promo became therapy.
Interviews with charisma not seen since Muhammad Ali.

His image was magnetic.
And then Hollywood noticed...
2001: Gets $5.5M for "The Scorpion King."

WORLD RECORD for debut leading role.

But he doesn't go "Hollywood."

He does something that changes
the game forever... Image
He stays The Rock everywhere.

Same energy. Same story. Same connection.

2020: Launches Teremana Tequila during COVID.
Everyone said "terrible timing."

Then something incredible happened...
300,000 cases sold in 9 months.
1 million cases in year 2.
Current valuation: $2 billion.

Fastest-growing tequila in history.

Because people don't buy tequila.
They buy The Rock's story.
Here's the genius part:

He could have hidden the $7 story.
He could have buried the depression.

Instead, he made vulnerability his weapon.

And it built an $800M empire.
Those Venice tears weren't weakness.

They were 30 years of turning
pain into profit.

$7 to $800M by weaponizing authenticity.

The blueprint works for anyone... Image
Your struggles aren't weaknesses.

They're your secret weapons.

Stop hiding your story.
Start monetizing it.

People don't buy products.
They buy stories.
Ready to weaponize your story like The Rock?

We help people build magnetic personal brands
using the same vulnerability-to-victory blueprint.

11 clients. 90+ million combined views.

Book your free call: calendly.com/lewispatrickwa…
El Credits:

Images:
Calgary Stampeders still - @calstampeders
Dwayne & his Mom - facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10…
#13 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa…

YT -
youtube.com/shorts/Pz_b5wN…
youtube.com/shorts/_4LHgGJ…
youtube.com/watch?v=A8yXjd…
youtube.com/watch?v=CwZxOe…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Underdog Branding

Underdog Branding Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @TheUnderdogDO

Underdog Branding Profile picture
Sep 7
A 32-year-old threw an apple at a woman, called her a "witch," and got kicked out of politics.

3 years later he became president and made $375,000,000 trading Bitcoin naked from his iPhone.

The insane story of Nayib Bukele (and a lesson in power): 🧵 Image
2017. San Salvador City Council meeting.

Nayib Bukele loses his temper.
Hurls an apple at a female colleague.
Calls her a "witch."

Gets expelled from his political party.

But this wasn't rage. This was a strategy...
See, Bukele had discovered something:

Attention creates followers.
Followers create power.

He'd been building his social media army
for years as mayor. 1.3 million followers.

& The apple was just his exit strategy... Image
Read 14 tweets
Underdog Branding Profile picture
Sep 6
Giorgio Armani just died at 91.

Tributes are pouring in from every A-lister and world leader.

But NOBODY knows the insane story behind his empire.

It all started when he sold his Volkswagen for $10,000... 🧵
1975: Giorgio Armani was a 41-year-old ex-window dresser.

He and his partner Sergio sold their Volkswagen for startup capital and started a fashion company.

First year sales: $14,000.

But Sergio saw something in Armani that would change how the rich wore clothes....
Sergio convinced Armani he had "significant potential" and pushed him to go bigger.

Then, in 1979, John Travolta's manager called about a new movie.

Armani had never heard of "American Gigolo" but said yes anyway.

Then devastation struck at the worst possible moment... Image
Read 16 tweets
Underdog Branding Profile picture
Sep 3
The world's biggest YouTuber is BROKE.

He built a $100,000,000 burger empire in 24 hours.

Now he desperately wants out but can't escape.

Here's the wild story (& how to win big without getting trapped): 🧵 Image
Meet Jimmy Donaldson - AKA MrBeast!

World's 8th youngest billionaire. Self-made at 27. YouTube sensation.

But here's the twist: He's basically broke.

More of that later, but first let's go back a notch;

See, In 2020, that zombie apocalypse hit and Jimmy had an idea...
The whole world was shut down.

Restaurants were losing money.

People were out of work.

Americans needed their burgers.

The solution was obvious...
Read 16 tweets
Underdog Branding Profile picture
Jul 17
A German cobbler made the riskiest business bet in history.

He drove to Hitler's Olympics to back an American athlete facing racism.

Everyone called him crazy. He built a $22 billion empire with ONE principle.

Here's the story: 🧵 Image
1936: Adi Dassler ran a small shoe company from his mother's laundry room.

Hitler's Olympics were supposed to prove Aryan supremacy.

Most businesses played it safe.

Dassler saw opportunity where others saw danger. Image
The risk was INSANE.

Publicly supporting a Black American athlete in Nazi Germany?

Business suicide.

But Dassler bet on performance over politics.

He approached Jesse Owens with handmade spikes. Image
Read 11 tweets
Underdog Branding Profile picture
Jun 20
Nobody gave Under Armour a chance in 1999.

So their founder bet his LAST $25,000 on something that would either save or destroy them.

The final gamble that DESTROYED Nike's 30-year dominance: 🧵 Image
It started with the sweatiest guy on Maryland's football team.

Kevin Plank was frustrated changing soaked cotton shirts during practice.

But his compression shorts stayed dry.

That observation would revolutionize athletic apparel... Image
1996: Plank used $40,000 in savings to create his first prototype.

Location? His grandmother's Georgetown basement.

He drove up and down the East Coast selling moisture-wicking shirts from his Ford Explorer trunk.

By year-end: $17,000 in sales.
Read 13 tweets
Underdog Branding Profile picture
Jun 11
Gatorade almost lost $13,500,000 betting on Michael Jordan.

Until an exec wrote ONE THING that kids still sing 30 years later.

The most accidental masterpiece in advertising history: 🧵 Image
February 1991: Panic at Gatorade headquarters.

They'd just stolen Michael Jordan from Coca-Cola.
$13.5 million. 10 years. Their biggest bet ever.

Jordan had just won his first championship.
He was untouchable. Squeaky clean. Perfect.

But there was just one problem... Image
Enter Bernie Pitzel - the ad exec brought in to save the day.

He watched the approved spot and delivered brutal feedback:
"This is absolutely terrible."

Generic Jordan highlights. Same old dunking footage.
Nike had been doing this for 6 years.

What he did next almost got him fired.Image
Read 14 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(