The Business of Authority

Our tendency (especially in proposal situations) to acquiesce to client requests—and how to re-direct that for the good of all. The power and status dynamics surrounding consultants serving clients and what happens if we start treating clients as higher status. How overdelivering can seep into your firm’s practices and where to nip it in the bud. Developing a healthy mindset around service deliver...

Why using perfect grammar in a sales pitch or conversation still won’t guarantee you the deal. How to use grammar and language to communicate and persuade vs. to impress (and the role of status games). Why simplicity makes it easier to get the result you want. The role of grammar in expressing your brand and setting client/audience expectations. Quotables “You could do a sales pitch or a sales int...

Getting yourself the endorphin rush from physically getting up and going outside or meeting a friend. How to keep pushing the envelope even as you’re doing the routine things that make your business run. Why that feeling of putting your “baby” out there can feel crazy-scary—and how to do it anyway. How to tell the difference between when you’re laying groundwork for your next thing or just burning...

Why book as business card is not the book that will still be relevant and valuable in 20-30 years. How to introduce your book content to ideal readers so they can help you use the right language, examples and stories. Using your book idea to build a tribe of support for your eventual launch. Positioning your book so it has a built-in base of readers—and is attractive to potential publishers. The b...

How books have been a pivotal source of his authority (and a substantial slice of his overall revenue). The role of his communities in concepting and testing book ideas—and why members who aren’t super fans are especially valuable. Why incremental and real-life experiments are so critical to testing new ideas. The value of going for small wins—even when complexity is the “better” solution. Why bei...

When moving from freelancing to consulting, how should I approach building my website portfolio? What kinds of best practices do you suggest? How do I make sure I don’t lose my technical edge as I transition to more strategic consulting? I’m not comfortable traveling or mingling with people whose vaccination and cautiousness status I don’t know—and yet it feels like everyone in my industry is anxi...

Why relying on referrals is a passive strategy with few controls—and a dangerous hidden cost. The difference between referrals and word of mouth from your authority-building efforts. The one exception where a referral system can be exactly the right approach (and it applies to a VERY small slice of experts). Why investing in broader market moves (e.g. publishing and speaking) will bring you busine...

Aligning your appearance—how you dress and style yourself—with your brand of authority. Why what matters most is what makes you feel confident and strong. The dangers in making assumptions about your audience’s judgement (or listening too closely to critics). How to match your exteriors with who you are, how you feel confident and the audience that you want to attract. When—and how—to call in the...

Getting over any residual guilt from not charging based on your effort (“I can’t charge them that much—it wouldn’t be fair/right/honorable”). Why the best clients don’t really care about how much time you spend serving them—and what they do care about instead. How to begin shifting your sales conversations toward high value outcomes and away from time. The relationship between the altitude you’re...

Why, if you’re not feeling like an imposter, you’re not “working hard enough” (a Seth Godin quote from episode 100). Facing the fear—and the resistance—and moving beyond a self-limiting label. How working to become an expert can raise imposter feelings (and what to do). Shifting your mindset to treat your work as an experiment. The benefits of focusing on the people you’re serving vs. your own fea...

Why a big chunk of trusting your voice is being brave enough to let your “weirdness” out so you can find your tribe. The value in being authentically consistent and how to course correct as you go. Learning to keep playing your game, in your style, no matter where you are and what you’re doing. Why trusting your voice is an iterative process—and how to ensure you’re consistently reinforcing who yo...

Why breaking the rules in a surprising way is so important. Reaping the benefits of surprise—and how to figure out which rules are made for breaking. Balancing your strengths and available time with the highest impact moves. How to think about your rule breaking so you’re not copying someone else, but building your unique brand. Quotables “Some of my favorite strategies really do have a surprising...

Why you need to answer this question: how much profit is enough for you? How to work your way up the difficulty scale to find clients with bigger, more expensive problems so that you can work less. The myth behind doing hard work—and how to work less without guilt. Making an impact with your ideal audience that leaves a memorable footprint (and builds a sustainable business). LINKS Rochelle |  Ema...

Why raising your price(s) doesn’t always bring you better clients—and how to keep pushing the envelope to find the right balance. How to raise—or lower—your prices without feeling manipulative or doing a bait and switch with your audience. The value of being vulnerable and asking for input (with the side benefit of getting you deeply wired into your audience). Joining high-end masterminds (or buil...

Why the more you invest—time, money and processes—in any system the more it starts to limit your thinking. The value of choosing your apps/vendors wisely and then going all in for the future vs. frequent platform switching. Protecting yourself (and your business) if one of your systems goes bad. How to think about changing and communicating systems when you have clients and buyers using them regul...

The difference between objectives, strategy and tactics—and why the possibility of failure is essential when designing a workable strategy. How to give your tactics the optimal amount of time to assess whether they are working—or not. Making the decision on how you want to impact your ideal audience—and baking it into your plans. How to think about growth so that you’re building a business that pl...

What insights your current behaviors, systems and habits can give you into creating more time. The value of time boxing—limiting the period (and the amount of head space) you’ll devote to a particular thing. Using habit stacking to create efficient ways to complete “must do” tasks. How to use consistent habit tracking—aka streaks—to motivate you to stay on course. When to buy back time—and overcom...

How live events will change (think thoughtful curation vs. large scale impersonal gatherings). The wider presence and impact of women and people of color in the authority space. The trend of personality—how far can authorities go to express their views? How experts and authorities will differentiate their products and services—and more. Quotables “We would have these big live events…with a lot of...

Why a focus on outcomes naturally changes your sales conversations and how you think about delivery. How becoming the client yourself helps crystallize the importance of outcomes vs. inputs. Changing your mental model away from valuing time spent to the outcomes your clients are seeking. Becoming the Mercedes option where your clients happily pay big premiums for your reliably transformative outco...

Using this as a path out of hourly billing and/or simplifying your sales and marketing while juicing your revenue. Why offering productized services forces you to get really tight on your delivery, messaging and outcomes. How you can use a productized service offering to test drive a more laser-focused positioning for your entire business. We share a host of real life examples you can check out to...

The role of your mindset in breaking through set points and powering past income plateaus. Deciding when it’s time to change your revenue model to provide your business with greater leverage—and larger earnings potential. How to think about and reframe limiting beliefs that keep you from making big leaps in your business. When your past experiences are powering decisions today that don’t serve you...

The two main reasons to write a book for your expertise or authority business. The pros and cons of self-publishing vs. seeking out a traditional publisher. Positioning and pricing your self-published book—and whether to sell it on your website and/or amazon. How to find and vet the right editor(s) for your situation. The role of e-books vs. physical books and why you probably want both. Quotables...

How “selling” your work completely changes once you’ve positioned yourself and monetized your expertise. Building your business in “white space” and a new way to think about your big idea (hint: we’re talking revolution). Why your genius zone is a pivotal element of your authority positioning. Rethinking your business and revenue model to more closely match your positioning (and your genius zone)....

Why profit is the most important measure of how your business is doing—even when profits are not your purpose. The difference between relying on vanity metrics and your bottom line to show you how you’re doing. Measuring impact vs. measuring revenue and what you need to build so they grow in tandem. How to avoid short-term thinking while still keeping your eye on your profit line. The value of rel...

A new way to think about big projects based on how you work best—and the value of absolute clarity with your plan. What happens when you fall into flow on a big project that needs room to breathe. The unintended consequences of changing your environment. How to find the system(s) that will work for you—and why you don’t need to worry if they look entirely different than what works for someone else...