The Business of Authority

What happens when we get unconsciously caught up in lifestyle inflation (and how to escape that trap). How to think about your two primary buckets of “enough”. The handful of markers to know you’re taking the right risks and protecting your downside (even though your “enough” number will be unique). How spending fits into your personal equation and when to consider flexing (stepping on the gas or...

Why the stories we tell ourselves about our luck vs. skill aren’t always true. Why most of your business bets will be small-ish stakes (a series of pivots) vs. flinging yourself into the volcano. The early signs your bet is working—or not—and why we tend to ignore them. How to make your feedback loops shorter to increase your longer-term likelihood of success. Why it’s helpful to determine the rol...

“There are only two things that determine the way your life turns out. Luck and the quality of your decisions. That's it.” Annie Duke When we won’t quit a bad idea because we hear a unicorn success story—instead of making the smarter move to invest “our treasure” (talents, time and energy) elsewhere. Why we never have ALL the facts when making decisions (and how luck swings outcomes more than we t...

Rising above the “holy war of craft” into focusing on business impact. How to raise the level of a craft conversation (and what can happen when you do). Growing your business once you decide to take your expertise on an upward spiral. Why there is room for soloists to be a top craftsperson OR a top advisor (and how those business models differ). LINKS Rochelle |  Email List  |  Soloist Women  |  L...

Why the gurus’ advice to spend all of your genius zone time alone does not apply to our kinds of businesses. How the transformations you want to make with your people drive the way you structure your business. What can happen when you’re responsible for employees (and perhaps feel the need to escape 😎). Creating the ultimate non-escape plan by pivoting your business to a “go out with your boots o...

How we think about using your time—so you can not only be productive, but genuinely enjoy your work. Blocking and tackling your calendar to align with your priorities. How to create to-do lists that incent you to act vs. pushing items around “for later”. Alternative ways to handle your email so that it supports how you do your best work. Addressing your “maybe someday” list to decide which ideas w...

Why you want to weigh how you want to work and your overall vision before making delegation decisions. Considering whether you’re buying a “box” that someone else has assembled or are designing your own unique process. The sneaky ways delegating small tasks can eat up your time and/or change how you work (aka when delegating has a waterfall effect on your other processes). How to recognize delegat...

The magic email to send when you want to get a go/no go on a proposal that’s gone dark (and why triggering FOMO can be exactly the right move). Sending cold outreach that avoids the stench of desperation (and a sample template you can personalize). Why you want to lead with the pointiest point of your spear when you’re pitching. How to intrigue with your ask (hint: a compelling call to action), wh...

Why you want to start with a sales page when designing for clients and buyers. What to do with “sparks”—those tiny bits of an idea that light you up. How to think about putting together your idea (aka does your buyer want the pineapple?) Overcoming avoidance (fear), imposter syndrome (fear), and worrying your audience won’t like you/your idea (fear). How to choose the right people to share your fl...

How to get clear on what your “target” wants most—and why it matters. Why you want to answer your reader’s WIIFM (what’s in it for me) question right up front. How to “punch above your weight” to connect with household-name-type people. The value of being genuine and coming from a helpful place. Crafting your pitch so that the reader can make a quick Yes/No call. LINKS: The Introduction Game Roche...

Why perspectives are easier to change than our mindset (and how to get help when you need it). The one question to ask yourself if you think your mindset is getting in your way. Six specific mindsets (and how to recognize them) that can prevent soloists from breaking through to high-end revenue combined with the free time to enjoy it. Crossing the line from being tentative to charging premium pric...

Talking Points The four zones of work and how to continue morphing toward your personal genius zone. How to think about (and master) the upward spiral that is consistently spending more work time in your genius zone. The clues that tell you it’s time to exit the trap of doing work where you’re merely competent or excellent. Embracing the counterintuitive idea that you can do less—and do fewer thin...

How it feels when clients have several choices, but don’t trust any of them to bring them reliably to their finish line. The perceived experience and control clients feel from a DIY solution (that they don’t completely trust they’ll get from you). How to make it easier for certain clients to either hire you or drop out earlier in the process. What goes through clients’ heads as they consider spend...

Why it’s about more than just your revenue/profit lines (even though they are pretty darned important). Another way to look at your revenue growth or lack thereof (hint: it involves what you enjoy doing most). How to decide how well (or not) your strategic and tactical moves are working. A host of tactics to grow your top line revenue and have more fun doing it. Stepping back and looking not just...

The power and potential of AI for authority businesses, even in use cases where pundits insist it will decimate business models. Some of the new tools (that you can use right now) that innovators are developing for experts, authorities and soloists. Why using AI for first drafts may be the immediate best use of AI for experts and authorities. New uses of AI in the authority space: automated transc...

How to think about sunk costs—and the cultural and emotional messages around abandoning your “thing”. Evaluating opportunity costs—how to know when it’s time to quit to free up resources for other things. The value of asking for outside input before making large investments—and how to get it. Why setting kill criteria right at the start of your new investments (and not well into the project) may b...

Why navigating the dip (the desert you have to cross to get to Mecca) is so much easier when you have decided to be the best in the world. What does “best in the world” mean for you—and what are you willing to commit to to achieve it? How that decision translates to revenue and picking the right next moves—even (especially) when they’re hard. Choosing where to place your bets when faced with turni...

Why right now is the best time ever to make a significant contribution to the change you want to see in your world. The importance of focusing on the smallest viable audience to accomplish significant work. How to transform your work into your art (hint: it includes the story you tell yourself about where you’re going). Why “soft skills” need to be considered as “real skills”—and why they are ofte...

What exactly is a guarantee and why/when does it make sense to offer one? Why you are probably already offering a guarantee even if you haven’t explicitly stated it (and what to do instead). How to develop meaningful guarantees when the client is intimately involved in the outcome. What happens with your client conversations and relationships when you offer a guarantee. How clients are (already) t...

Why capturing the pain your ideal buyer is experiencing is the perfect opening for a successful sales page. How to move away from focusing on your “fix” to the emotionally charged decision your buyers are making. The four essential parts of every successful sales page (and how to up the ante once you’ve got those covered). What to do if you don’t have social proof for your new offering just yet. H...

Why small buckets of time can often be easier to exploit than large swaths of free time. How to think about protecting your creative time for your business while also enjoying the rest of your life. When rethinking large creative projects and parsing them into smaller chunks makes sense. The role of consuming other people’s content in “loading the cannon” of your own creativity. Quotables “Not tha...

Why authority-based businesses require being unproductive at times—and how to give yourself permission to go there. The hidden costs of failing to innovate, especially for soloists. The wide spectrum from productivity to creativity—and deciding where you want to be in any given moment. Pushing through any residual guilt from not being highly productive, all the time. The difference between explora...

The two ways you can decide to be a specialist or a generalist. A four quadrant approach to choosing where you want to take your business on the generalist to specialist continuum. How to make a generalist skill set work in a hyper-differentiated market place. Why experimenting between the quadrants will lead you to your ideal balance between specializing and generalizing. Quotables “In the etch-a...

Why it’s more important for your target market to be specific than small. What happens when you truly understand your group of target clients and buyers. How to think about the revenue model you might build to serve your targets (and one incredible real-life example). What changes in your business when you get specific about who you’re targeting. How a handful of experts niched successfully into s...

How to think about cold outreach so you can practice (and get comfortable with) doing it on a regular basis. Three situations where you can use a low-key form of cold outreach that is likely to be highly successful. Why knowing exactly who your ideal client is makes cold outreach more effective and faster to leverage. How to make cold situations warm(er) and more comfortable. The surprising result...