5 Ways to Establish Authority and Become a Visible Leader
Feb 15, 2021
When I first heard this concept of “establishing authority” I was like, um, I am just a working mom, what does this mean?
But after a few sessions with my coach and a little research, I found the difference is this.
I am a mom.
With twins (I think that makes you a twin expert).
Who works full time (also a 9-5, balancing all the things expert)
And who has a 20 year strategy consulting career paired with being wildly passionate about planning all the things.
Who also runs a business. One that actually makes money.
I say that not to brag, but for another mom of twins, who is working full time and running a business, I am an expert. Not because I have a fancy degree, but because I am simply 1-2 steps ahead of where there are.
So when you think of “establishing authority” as a business or a brand, it is simply positioning yourself as someone that your ideal client can relate to. To Lookup to. Can trust. And who has experience.
Make sense?
I saw some of the biggest growth in my brand and business when I started thinking about HOW (and actually implementing) to establish authority. So I thought I would share the top five ways for how I did it.
- Don’t be the Jack of all trades. I talk about Niche A LOT. But just my intro shows you how I niched down. Instead of #busyworkingmom, I am a busy working mom with twins who works for a non-profit and runs a full time coaching business. It is VERY different. Take the time to figure out who you are talking to. And it doesn’t have to be everyone.
- Create more than you consume. My content drastically changed in 2020. Sure, it's great to share a family photo or just a personal update every so often, but WHY is your audience coming back to your page or profile? What are you teaching them? How are you influencing them? Is it because you share amazing reels that make them laugh? (I wish I could do this). Maybe it is because you do videos every week and teach them something. Or share tips to do XYZ.
When I pivoted my business I made a goal to do one teaching post of value every single week paired with a video AND a mini-training in IG stories. I have done it for 13 months straight now. That builds authority. - This leads to step #3, Consistency. I always say consistency and accountability is the secret sauce, but if you showed up every single Wednesday for a year teaching how to grow a podcast for example. People would think of you as an authority expert. Heck, they probably would after about a month. Stick to it. Be SO consistent they can’t help but notice.
- Build a community and relationships with experts and influencers. I talked about this on a podcast a few weeks ago as a guest speaker. We were talking about mindset. I explained how I completely changed my mindset on social media and looked at it as a tool to grow relationships and network. Not sell.
It changed everything.
But it also changed who I was working with. I have a LIST of go-to Insta friends that I ask questions to, share wins, and celebrate their success. They do the same. It has changed everything. AND it helps to have someone to lean on when you need support. (p.s. looking for an amazing community?? Check out my FB group!) - Don’t underestimate your experiences. This pulls it all back together and goes back to #1. People want to work with you and get to know you because are you are YOU. Don’t underestimate your life experience, what you have done, and how you did it. Even if it looks different than everyone else. I didn’t start my coaching business until I was 40, or my podcast until I was 41. Who cares. I did a heck of a lot during those 40 years that I can lean on for experience and expertise that many people can relate to. Be you!
I hope these tips were helpful! Don’t be afraid to show up! And show us what you got! Jump over to the Crush the Rush FB page and let us know what YOU bring to the table! Because at this table, there's room for everyone.
