The Business of Authority

What’s an Authority Circle and why you need one. The role of your rat pack, apostles and tribal leaders and how to enlist them in your cause. Earning apostles for your work and connecting with influential tribal leaders. How selling your authority becomes more focused and simple once you clearly identify your circle.  How to think about your Authority Circle and enlist them in spreading your visio...

How to set expectations and boundaries in the initial sales meeting (and why that’s critical to the progression of your project). Why the client isn’t always right or always wrong—and how to adopt a mindset that allows you to keep the outcomes front and center. Finding socially acceptable ways to push back when the client(s) starts leading down a path that doesn’t serve the outcome. Getting to the...

The definition of authority and the challenges in building it. How to think about and price different products and services based on how they contribute to your overall business model. The challenges of bringing new ideas to market and developing sustainable habits to keep growing your business. The role of trust in building authority (and your business). Why clients value outcomes above all else....

When outsourcing is freeing vs. when it simply adds more friction to your life. How to tell the difference between good friction and bad friction (hint: it’s not the same for everyone). Why it makes perfect sense to outsource critical functions that are not core to your business—think taxes, legal, payroll. The surprising benefits from documenting what you do and how you do it. The human side of h...

The questions to ask yourself if you want to start or stop providing a particular service to a particular client. Breaking up with your client: when to do it, how to do it and what to watch out for. Why you always want to build a time constraint when transitioning clients—and how to think about the transition process. When retainer scope creep is your fault—think guilt around doing less for a bigg...

How to move beyond magical thinking and get very specific about your dream clients and buyers. Why crystal clear positioning makes everything—including attracting your ideal clients—flow more easily. Improving your odds of successful matchmaking—allowing influential others to hook you up with “your people”.  The relationship between taking calculated risks and achieving oversized outcomes (think d...

How the newsletter started and why it was a well-kept secret for years. Tying the newsletter to the core business without making it salesy or deadly dull—and positioning it differently than anyone else in the space. How he sets the flow of the newsletter—and his fear that eventually he’ll run out of stories (sound familiar?). His #1 rule before releasing any “What We’re Seeing” emails. Why typical...

What it takes to put your first product out for the world to see (even if you’re not painting zombies on skateboards). The fears you may experience the first time you go public and how to push through them. Why publishing your price(s) attracts the right buyers and repels the bad-fits. Worried about leaving money on the table by quoting a flat price? How to think about that whole transaction diffe...

How most freelancers and independent consultants monetize their expertise in their first year or two—and the signs when your revenue model might need an overhaul. The link between your positioning and monetizing your business—and why you want to be open to new ways of packaging your expertise. A “typical” consulting/speaking/book revenue model and how it can become a trap (and some ideas to avoid...

You’re spending considerable time thinking, writing, speaking, publishing and socializing your point of view. You discover the forms of publishing that fit with your talents and audience and produce regularly, no matter what. You’re building a niche that not only allows you to charge more for your specialty, but gives you the ideal audience to continually feed your curiosity and work from your gen...

Situations where designing an actual exit plan makes sense and how to think about it. The mindset required to move from trading time for money to creating assets with value independent of your presence. Client exit strategies and why they worked for their situations. Creating a business where the value isn’t 100% tied to your name—and when/how to start the shift. LINKS Rochelle | Email List | Link...

Channeling that sense of dissatisfaction to make big, small and/or pivotal change in your business. Deciding which aspects of your work/life are ready for change and how to keep moving forward. Dealing with status and identity challenges as you evaluate what next steps will work best for you. Leaning into small changes that can have an outsized impact on your happiness. How to let those clients an...

Evergreen expertise and content vs. those with an expiration date. How to distinguish yourself with evergreen content—and why your voice and point of view are clear difference makers. Avoiding the purist view that we absolutely have to invent something that's never been thought of before—and what to do instead. Side-stepping the eventual conversion of your hot market knowledge into a commodity—or...

Tackling the mindset that says you must be constantly busy or you’re not worthy of success. Busyness as a form of procrastination—and what to do instead. Why defining a clear goal and strategy (with pre-planned tactics) can help you side step unfocused busyness. The joys of creating leverage—and what to do with the time you’ve freed up. How intentional, goal-based action will naturally identify th...

How confidence plays out in growing your business—and the role of daring and initiative in your success. Why you need a handful of marketing processes built around your expertise and your market position—and a few examples of those that work.  How to think about and design your selling systems with both fixed and fluid components.  Ensuring your delivery processes support your selling and marketin...

Understanding how bad things could go—what’s the worst that could happen and how are you protected? Pricing your work based on the amount of risk you decide to shoulder. Saying no to high risk, low return client requests. The role and value of defining work processes to manage your risk exposure. Using peers and sounding boards when you’re doing strategic, high-impact consulting. Quotables “What's...

How to structure—and think about—advisory retainers, including the role/importance of a guarantee. Operating as a fractional CXO without committing to hours. Designing extra pair of hands retainers that focus on outcomes—including productized services sold monthly. The landmines to avoid when structuring your retainers. The mindset shifts you’ll need to make as you move along the retainer continuu...

The role of trust—in you, in the process and their ability to carry out your recommendations—in choosing their course of action. How differing perceptions of risk and the fear of change can drive organizational decisions. Getting behind surface reactions and digging more deeply into the “why” behind client decisions. The relationship between time, value and urgency as the client perceives them.  H...

Writing a proposal that offers up non-price options that make for easy negotiation wins. Positioning yourself and your work to minimize—if not downright eliminate—discount requests. Anchoring your fees in value instead of time so you can focus potential discounting discussions on outcomes vs. inputs. Offering guarantees or warranties—and why these are a lot less risky than you think. Working aroun...

Why even as an authority, you don’t need to know everything . The “rules” of improv and how to develop your own framework. Handling Q+A after a talk (hint: positioning your talk strategically almost guarantees you won’t get stumped by a technical question). Running sales calls with a three-step process that allows you to let go of the formalities and focus on your client’s desired outcomes.  How t...

How to get feedback on a new offering you’re considering.  The art of asking for—and securing—permission to ask almost anything you’d like (this may be the step you’ve been missing if you’ve been striking out). Getting yourself booked as a podcast guest, even if you’re just starting. The role of trust in how you approach the answerer and position your question. The optimal way to solicit feedback...

What we mean by finding your voice and why it’s worth doing. Why you need a point of view to dig into your (authority) voice—and how to build yours. How constantly refining and testing your voice helps you grow your audience and your business. The role of authenticity—and finding the right balance of being the real you with performing at your best. How to know when your voice is clicking with your...

Building confidence in yourself and others about something you’ve never done before. Hedging your bets so you don’t spend tons of hours creating a course that launches to crickets. Getting your first customers–and glowing testimonials–for a new productized service. Price points to start with on a 10X Product Ladder. A “3 coupon” approach to accelerating an eBook launch. Validating new positioning...

What to do when the three “why” questions aren’t working—and what to do instead. How to get strategic insights into the niche of people you want to serve (we had a lot of fun using the craft beer industry as a jumping off point). The best way to build high value, low time commitment product and service options when your time is limited. How to think about commissions for referring work to decide w...

Transitioning from execution to strategy, including setting up the right boundaries (hint: it’s a process). Recognizing the warning signs that you’re sliding down the slope in the value chain—from strategy back into execution. Adopting the mindset required to fully make the shift from execution to strategy. Setting client expectations and managing boundaries. Positioning yourself in your client’s...