00:01

So why does thought leadership matter? Well, the reason that I actually wanted to talk about this particular topic is because I think you've got something to say, am I wrong? Or am I right? I think you've got a unique point of view and based on your experience, your expertise, the environment that you've grown up in, and that you work in

 

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how you have positioned yourself in the market. I think that what you have to say is important and can really help your audience because you've got experience in what you do. But maybe you're just working with your clients and you're not actually putting your thought leadership and your unique point of view out into the world. And so today I want to be talking about why I think this is something that is really worth doing, if you're not already so before we dive in, let's actually talk about what you thought

 

05:00

Leadership because I feel like it's something that's kind of banded around a lot at the moment. And a lot of people might just think well, is that just like my content strategy is it just kind of what I talk about. But I think that thought leadership is really your unique take on what you want to be known for your original thoughts and conclusions. It's us saying, This is what I believe based on all the things that we were just talking about experience, expertise, environment, etc. So I believe that thought leadership is really about you articulating your unique conclusions on whatever it is that you want to be known for. So obviously, for me, I have very specific thoughts and beliefs on playing big and branding bold, on how to build a really strong brand in the market, how to connect with your audience, when you're speaking, there are certain things that I think you should be doing. So I talk a lot about those different things. And I also talk a lot about my experiences, when it comes to building brands for either corporates or small businesses or for myself, as well as what I think is important that if you want to be a dynamic and engaging speaker, so I talk about those sorts of things. So if you're a photographer, you're a coach, a web designer, copywriter, whatever it is that you do, based on what you've learned your experience with your clients, and what you believe, then you have a particular way of looking at things. And thought leadership isn't just that you think these things, but it's that you really want to share them, because you believe them. And you think that if you do share them, then it'll really help your audience to achieve a goal to change the way that they think about something to develop a skill, whatever it might be. So it's not just that you think something, but it's that you've really formulated the way that you want to talk about it. And you believe that it can really help somebody else. Or maybe you just want to put your ideas out into the world. And Ted Talks is a perfect example of that. So even this podcast could be seen as thought leadership, because it's what I've learned, it's mixed with what I believe it's my personal experience, it's what I've read, you know, it's what I've seen, and what I've experienced in the market as well. And it's my unique take on that. Now, obviously, I have guests on the show too. And some of them share with you their unique thoughts and what they believe. And sometimes you can obviously build products and services on your thought leadership. And I've seen a lot of different people who, you know, talk about specific things, and they build their entire business around it. So we're going to be diving into some of the benefits of you really articulating and developing your own thought leadership and how that might be able to support you. Now, I think that a big thing when it comes to your unique thought leadership, it's running through your own filter, it's running the things that you have done, and that you believe, through your own filter. Now that that filter might be personal, it might be research that you've done like Brene, brown, it might be experienced bass, like David Attenborough, he's a very vocal on global warming, climate change. And it's because over the last however many years, he's been doing his documentaries, he has seen major changes to the environment. And so he is a thought leader based on his experience when it comes to those topics. And he talks about it a lot. So you have thought leaders all around you, people you look up to whose opinions you respect, and who you hold in high regard as well. Now, not everything is thought leadership, and not everybody is a thought leader or wants to be a thought leader, you can totally be a successful business owner without being a thought leader. So I just want to make sure that that's really clear as well, you know, what you have to ask yourself, I think is, do I want to share my knowledge, experience and beliefs with the world? And it might be your little world, or it might be the big wide world. But it's really about saying, Do I have something to say? And am I going to give myself a platform and an opportunity to share that. So as I've said, I'm not saying that this is for everybody, you have to decide if it's for you or not, if you have the courage of conviction to share what you believe and also think about why you're sharing it too. So we're going to dive into some of the benefits of becoming a thought leader in your industry.

 

10:01

So first and foremost, I personally think that if you decide to become a thought leader in your industry, it is a great brand positioning tool. If people see you talking about a certain topic all the time, and you have a really unique perspective, and you've got unique ideas, when it comes to that particular topic, and they're interested in that topic, then they're gonna listen to you, and they might engage with you. And they might want to find out more about you and what you do. So it can really help you to stand out in your market. And I'm sure even as I'm sharing this with you, you can think of specific people who you think oh my gosh, yes, that they're a thought leader in my industry, they come out with, you know, new and unique ways of looking and thinking about things. And you follow them, you might read their Insta captions, you might follow their stories, you might read their blogs, you might watch their videos, whatever it is, when we are interested in somebody who has a really unique perspective, I think that we are consumers. And I am a massive Brene Brown consumer, and Elizabeth Gilbert. If Brene comes out with a new video, I'm watching it, she came out with a Netflix special, I think I watched it three times, I have got all of her books on audible, because I find what she talks about really interesting. And her perspective changes the way that I think and it also influences how I do things. And that is what a thought leader is it's somebody who is able to influence the way that people think and what they do as well. So that's one of the benefits for becoming a thought leader. The other thing is, is that you're seen as a leader in your industry generally, yes. So you're somebody who is held in high regard, it might mean that you get more clients, because you're well respected in your industry, it could be that you get paid more as well, because people see you as somebody that people want to listen to. And so having you as a keynote speaker at their event means that they might sell more tickets too. So really looking at becoming a thought leader can have a huge benefit on your business as well.

 

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The second thing is really how do you develop your own thought leadership? So what I would be asking is, what do you want to be known for. So just like building your brand, you want to narrow in on something specific, so decide if you want to be known for shame and resilience, like Brene, brown or climate change and environment, like David Attenborough or marketing, like Seth Godin, or social media and the hustle like Gary Vaynerchuk. So take a stand, put your stake in the ground and say, This is what I'm about. Yeah. And don't be scared to do that. So what do you have a unique point of view or angle on? Now this may take some time to work through your ideas and thoughts and hone them. And if you remember from previous episodes, I've talked about this before, but I said that I once went to an event. And the speaker said, your message can only be honed when it's witnessed, which basically means that it may take you talking about it several times before you really nail it, and then evolving what you're talking about as well. Because at the end of the day, you evolve, your business evolves, the world evolves. So you need to be talking about it and really thinking about the different elements that come into the topic that you talk about. Now, one thing I want to say here, because I can almost hear your inner dialogue saying, well, there's other people that talk about what I talk about that just because someone else has similar views. Don't let that stop you. There are lots of different thought leaders in the world. And there will always be differences to what you think and believe. Because remember, you've put your own lens across the topic. So it's going to be unique to you. And obviously they're going to have a different point of view different lens that they put across what they're talking about, even if it's the same topic. So there are a lot of people who talk about brand. But my thoughts on branding, the angle that I've taken, which is focused on women in business, the strong belief that I share around playing big and branding bold, stepping up and doing bigger things. Plus just being me

 

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gives me a different look a different feel a different angle than anybody else. So I want you to own your uniqueness and make that your unfair advantage. So number three is how do you grow your thought leader influence? So okay, you've worked out what you want to be known for, and what your top themes

 

15:00

and topics are all your messages. But now how do you use that to influence and grow your audience? Well, you start using it everywhere. So you can't want to be a thought leader and keep your thoughts to yourself. So this is where it becomes a really big part of your content strategy. you position yourself as a speaker around the topic, you show social proof of the impact that it's having, or what others are saying, you weave it into your bios and articles, and do not be shy about it. Okay? You want to be, you know, speaking your own wares here as well, and sharing what you think. And I know that it definitely takes some confidence to share what you think. But I think that if you spend the time to really articulate it and get clear, then that's definitely going to help you. And I say this all the time, when I work with brands, or small businesses big or small, to be honest, when they are unsure of what to do, when they don't know how to build their brand. Nine times out of 10, the biggest issue is that they are not clear on their message. They don't know what they stand for, they don't know what they want to be known for. And so that is the problem. So I want you to really think about that craft it, be clear on it so that you can go out confidently with what you are talking about. Okay, so now, one thing I should have said at the beginning is that you don't really get to call yourself a thought leader, if I'm honest, it's when you start getting recognized through everything that you're doing. And people get to know you for your area of expertise, that you can then start calling yourself a thought leader. Or you can start to kind of weave it into your BIOS where you might say, you know, considered a thought leader in the branding space, or something like that. But another great way to build your thought leadership and personal brand authority is writing a book that nothing says thought leader more than a book, which is one of the reasons I've written my upcoming book play big brand bold, I wanted to share my story, I really wanted to write a book, I wanted to be known as somebody who has something to say, in the business and personal brand space. And it's great also just to have an author in my bio, which is something that I have wanted for a long time. So start looking at ways to nail your message and make them repeatable so that others can quote you. That's a really big one as well. When you think about quotes, you know, Brene Browns got quotes, Seth Godin, Scott quotes, Gary V's got quotes. So start to think about if you could take that message that you've got, what is the quote that could potentially be used, okay, and start to use that in your socials as well. So that that is something that is shareable, make sure you've got your name on it to attribute yourself to the quote, but start to think about things like that. And if you're up for it, obviously, you can write a book, you know, put yourself up for speaking gigs paid or free if you're in Build mode. And then once you're known for something, then you can ask your price. And you know, something, and I've said it before, and I've talked about it in a number of my episodes, I have spoken for free a lot to get myself to a place now, where basically I get paid for 95% of the speaking gigs that I do. And that's just something that I've really worked towards, but it's taking me a while to get there. So I think it's important for you to also see the bigger picture when it comes to things like that.

 

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Number four is how do you use your thought leadership to grow your business. So you've decided what you want to be known for, you've started to develop your key top line messages that you talk about, and you share widely, you've potentially written a book or you've just been really consistent with articles and content over a longer period of time. You're speaking either in a podcast or on stage, but what's it all for at the end of the day? So I think being a thought leader means that you're influencing teaching and attracting potential clients, okay? Now, even though you may not see them as potential clients, initially, they're just going to be community or, you know, your audience, etc. At the end of the day, whether they want to buy a book, attend an event you're speaking at, join a course or workshop, being seen as a leader means that you're in demand. And, you know, you're a cut above the rest. So good just to use Brene Brown because, you know, I love her and to use her as a kid system example, through this particular podcast. So she was a professor, and she's still a professor. But once she started speaking, once her TED Talk went viral, the next thing that came with the books and there's been a lot of them, then the Academy and the course

 

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And then the corporate engagements and everything else. So it's not something that's just going to happen overnight. But if you're in it for the long haul, then I would really encourage you to start thinking where you want things to take you, and start working towards that. So get really clear and start to listen to your audience, listen to what they want, look at how you can potentially productize that, if that's where you want to grow your business, or how you want to grow your business. Now, Gary Vaynerchuk is a really interesting one, because he always says, you know, he shares content, because that's important to him. And he's not asking for money, you know, he might just ask $20 for a book from small businesses, but you know, something is not silly. The following that he has as a thought leader in the social media space, and in the business world means that big brands are taking notice. Also, if he didn't have a million followers, he wouldn't be getting paid 100 grand to speak at an event for 45 minutes. So while some people say that their thought leadership isn't about asking for money, or productizing, or creating a mastermind, you know, it's definitely given him the influence and power to demand the pay rate for those who, you know, want him to be at their events so that they can attract his audience. So I kind of think, you know, don't always take what you hear at face value, I guess.

 

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Now, number five, and our last point, how to evolve your thought leadership. So like anything else, as I said, before we evolve, our businesses evolve, the world evolves. And so your thought leadership needs to evolve as well. Now, what I would really recommend, and something I love doing is keeping up with others in my space, collaborating, conversing to develop my own thinking, definitely keep learning and exploring different angles to what you talk about as well. So I personally love mixing my personal experience, my clients experiences, other thought leadership, all other thought leaders perspectives. And then also qualitative and quantitative data, like survey results, or studies on the power of brands, influence and human buying behavior, those are the things that I really love to look at. So if you can mix it up, it gives you your perspective, more depth. And it's just means that what you're talking about isn't just, I guess, single minded. And it's only focused on your own experience. So I really think that looking at what others are saying is definitely worthwhile. And one thing I saw recently that I really loved, and it made me think, and it's definitely changed my own point of view, is that Tyra McMullen, who used to be Tarjan, to leave, you know, she was talking about the fact that we shouldn't say to people charge your worth, because what that does is that it puts a personal price on yourself, and were priceless. So what she's saying is, look at the market, understand the demand for what you do, understand how to price it, well understand how to market it well, and then charge what the product is worth, or what the service is worth. So don't charge your worth, because we're not putting a price on you charge what is commercially viable for the product or service that you sell. And I really loved that because I feel like in the women in business space, we say it all the time, charge what you're worth, charge what you're worth, and that has completely changed my perspective. And I think that thought leaders in the business space like her, I love listening to because she brings a different perspective. You know, you can listen to the masses. But I think that it's important to have a really, I think connected view, which means or diverse view of different things that you're potentially consuming. You know, don't just be single minded once again in that.

 

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So that's it. That's my five tips around thought leadership. So those are some things to think about. If you are wanting to build your personal brand and develop your own unique thought leadership. I think it's worth it today's market to really help you stand out and to play a bigger game and to be able to brand builder as well. And hopefully reach your own goals so that if you are wanting to build your brand and write your book and be known for something, then I would really encourage you to think about how you can start developing your own thought leadership and your own message to