[00:00:00] Kristy: Do you see others in your industry showing up online with a powerful message that stands out and cuts through the noise? Are you ready to step into the next version of your personal brand and uplevel your business? Perhaps you want to know how to build more authority and show up as an expert. Then now is the time to develop your thought leadership strategies. This is a two part episode series on how to become an industry expert and thought leader. In this conversation, I lay the foundations, the groundwork for you to discover your key talking points, the impact that this will then have on your business and help you to bust those myths that are keeping you stuck, believing that how could you possibly be a thought leader? Then in next week, I'm going to share with you how to get visible. So we're going to take what you learned this week and put it into application so that you can then up level your personal brand to transform your business. It's this simple and it starts right here, right now. Are you ready? Let's go.

[00:01:14] Hello boss. And welcome back to the run your business like a boss podcast. I am so excited to be bringing you this two part episode series. I did actually think about putting it into one episode, but I think there's a clear delineation between the groundwork you need to lay before you go away and start showing up in all the places to increase your visibility.

[00:02:12] And I really wanted to slow things down, make things as easy and simple as possible for you, which is why this episode is really rooted in the basics of building your thought leadership out. It'll give you time to get super clear on what it is that you're going to be talking about and the exact pocket that you're going to start showing up in.

[00:02:37] So this series is all about keeping things simple so that you can take action and start building and cultivating that personal brand I know you want to build. Often in the messy middle stage of business, we have this rinse and repeat approach when it comes to our marketing initiatives. And honestly, this is so normal. You have so much going on right now. It might feel a little bit much to step into new things. However, I do think it's important from time to time to shake things up in order to reach new audiences and elevate your brand and positioning for your ideal client and audience.

[00:03:22] Now, when we think about thought leadership, this is often reserved in our minds for the big players, the Simon Sineks, the Marie Forleo's, the Brené Browns, James Clear, Gabby Bernstein, all of those bigger known personal brands. First and foremost,  I want to remind you that every single thought leader that you know and love started from somewhere. They started from zero.

[00:03:53]  They didn't come out of the gate with an enormous audience with so much influence and the impact that you know, today. They started small and they started somewhere. Just like you.

[00:04:06] And in some ways it kind of reminds me a little bit of the Matildas. For years, the Matildas were playing to near empty stadiums. A far cry from what we just saw at the recent world cup. So next time you think that thought leadership is reserved for anyone else but you, I want you to come back to that, that everybody starts somewhere.

[00:04:32] It's all about showing up and doing the work over and over and over again, even when you think no one's listening. The second point I want to touch on is something Sheree Clonan said in her podcast interview, episode 114, how to build and foster a strong brand online. Sheree said that it's simply talking about 3 to 4 topics you're passionate and knowledgeable about over and over again, just in different ways. We all have thoughts and it's time to take those thoughts, synthesize them, and package them up in a way that serves your ideal clients.

[00:05:14] I'm here to tell you, you can begin building your thought leadership right now. And in fact, you're already on your way by hitting play on this episode today. The problem is most people don't do it. Most people keep themselves safe and small. They fail to see that they have a message, that they have a perspective, they have skills and experience that other people don't have, and that those things mean something to other people. They fail to see that they can create a true and real impact with those thoughts and that knowledge.

[00:05:56] But here's the thing. I know that you are not most people. I know that you're invested in your future, into the success of your business, and genuinely in creating a meaningful impact on this world.

[00:06:10] So what do I mean when I say thought leadership? I think that often we overcomplicate the concept of thought leadership. We think that, as I said before, that it's reserved for big authors or people with massive audiences. And I want you to just strip it all back and remember that thought leadership is simply about articulating your thoughts, your belief and experiences for others to consume and learn from. Your thoughts have power. The power to create widespread impact for your audience and clients.

[00:06:54] So this is where you begin. Before I get into next week's episode, where I talk about how to show up and where to show up to communicate your message, you need to get really clear on what that message actually is. So grab a pen and paper or grab your work notebook and start getting really clear on the things that you want to talk about.

[00:07:22] This is your experience, your beliefs, your skills, your professional and lived experiences, your gifts, your purpose relating to these topics. Then once you've got all your ideas down, you're going to see clear patterns emerge. From there you can create a list of three to four topics that you're going to be speaking on. Now,

[00:07:50] those three to four topics should be interrelational. And what I mean by that is they should connect together. They shouldn't be three or four random topics that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. And they should also have to do with what you do inside of your business. Because you want to be a thought leader in your business sphere or in your business industry, so that it not only creates impact, but it also becomes a door or a gateway into your marketing ecosystem.

[00:08:23] So you've created a list of your experience, your beliefs, your skills, Your professional and lived experiences, your gifts and your purpose. And then now I want you to take those topics, and I want you to create angles that relate to those three to four topics. So think about it like this. It's just a few different ways that you can begin to speak on these topics.

[00:08:49] Go deep into your experiences, your lens, your thoughts, the more you can make this about your specific lens, the more you will stand out and be less surface level and like everybody else in your industry. Because here's the thing, there is no one like you, there is no one with your experience. There's no one with your capabilities, with your unique gifts, with your perspective. So keep it about you, forget about what anyone else in your industry is doing and stay deeply in your lane.

[00:09:25] Because there is not one person on the planet who has your exact set of credentials, experiences, and perspectives. Now, I want to flag with you something. As you begin to go through this process, your brain is going to tell you little lies. It's going to tell you that this stuff, that these topics, that these conversations are too basic and that it's not good enough and that it's not going to stand out. But I assure you, that is simply untrue. You are absolutely gifted in this area, and especially so if this is something that comes so easy to you, that is a representation of your passion and your deep level of understanding of these topics.

[00:10:16] And here's the thing, this is what you can remind yourself of if this is the sort of work that you do inside of your business, which of course it should be, you have paying clients that come to you to solve this problem. And therefore that is clear evidence that there are people who have problems in this space and that they need to learn from you. So keep going, even if the doubt starts to creep in and you begin to think about the plethora of other people out there who are talking about the same things as what you do.

[00:10:53] And knowing that your brain is going to tell you that there is already 1000 or 10, 000 people talking about these topics, you will be prepared to come up against that false argument. So keep going. So, by the end of this process, you should have a clear outline of three to four topics that you're going to talk on and A series of angles or perspectives or things that you can speak on relating to those topics. And again, I'll remind you that this all relates back to your business and how your business serves and supports your clients.

[00:11:35] Now you might be wondering, or maybe you won't, why is it so important to even do this work? Why is it so important to be considered an industry expert or a thought leader? Well, quite simply, It gives you an opportunity to grow your business, grow your brand, grow your influence, and grow your impact. Your thoughts, perspectives, and ideas create sticky connections with your audience.

[00:12:06] This is a fabulous way for them to get to know you. To trust you and in turn, like you, which we all know these are the key ingredients that make up a strong marketing message. By putting your thoughts out there, it demonstrates that you are credible, that you have the skills to help your audience or ideal client to get their desired results and outcomes.

[00:12:35] The more you create content and share your ideas, the richer and deeper your experience will personally become. This is also good for your own knowledge. It helps you to test your perspectives. It helps you to test your ideas and your thoughts, which will in turn, refine your own skill set over time.

[00:12:59] You will attract your ideal client into your ecosystem. I spoke about this before. The more specific you get, the more nuanced you get with your talking topics, the more it will reach and connect with your perfect ideal client.

[00:13:17] This will also help your ideal client to go further along in their journey, which will then mean that they're in a really strong position to start working with you. Ultimately, helping them to get an even better outcome behind your paywall. You will have an opportunity to inspire, to teach and create an incredible impact when you share your core messages in this big way.

[00:13:46] Stepping into your thought leadership, stepping into your power will only have positive things for your business. It will open doors to opportunities you can't even imagine right now.

[00:13:59] And it all starts with small steps. This doesn't need to be overwhelming. The core action to take away from this episode is simply to know that this is a good move for your business first and foremost. And secondly, that this is achievable for you. This is something that you can start to put in place now and to build slowly over time. Those who don't start will never get there.

[00:14:28] And then the third action to take is to get crystal clear on those three to four topics that you're going to be talking about and clarify the angles in which you're going to communicate this in a way that only you can. This is so exciting for you, boss. I know that when you step into this place, that you have the most incredible opportunity to reach people you've never reached before, to elevate your brand and grow your business.

[00:15:01] I want you to take action. That's why this is so simple and I've decided to separate these two episodes into two parts. Next week, I'm going to be stepping you through the clear and easy visibility strategies for you to apply those content topics to.

[00:15:20] So in order for you to be ready for next week, make sure you take action this week and clarify those talking topics. That way, when next week rolls around, you are going to be ready to jump in and start taking action.

[00:15:36] This episode was recorded on the land of Killin Darbin. I pay respect and tribute to the traditional owners of the land, the Turrbal people. Boss, thank you so much for listening to today's episode. And I can't wait to step you through part two in next week's episode.