Reputation Revolution | the professional personal branding show

I've invited content strategist and podcast producer Brendan Keogh back on to the show to help me recap a previous interview I recorded with LinkedIn expert, Richard van der Blom. My interview with Richard was all around 'unlocking the LinkedIn algorithm', as we delved into his recently-released, well-researched LINKEDIN ALGORITHM REPORT. Richard shared so many insights and tips (in episode 254), so it was terrific to sit down with Brendan to dig deeper into topics raised in that interview. We also riff on another previous episode (#255) all around building your brand on LinkedIn with Michelle B Griffin & Michelle J Raymond. Lots and lots of LinkedIn gold folks - I hope you enjoy it!

In this episode, I chat with Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond (AKA #MichelleSquared) about their new book - The LinkedIn Branding Book: The Power of Two: How to Double Your Personal and Business Brand for Exponential Growth. Michelle and Michelle met on LinkedIn through the power of commenting in December 2020. Together they have supported each other with complimentary yet different strengths to rise up and stand out on LinkedIn with their personal branding and business branding businesses. Both quickly realized that the “Power of Two” as #MichelleSquared was a force for good that would propel success more than what was possible on their own. This is a fun and informative chat! We get the nitty-gritty on why and how Michelle and Michelle wrote the book - plus they dig into topics such as: the importance of mindset when building your presence on LinkedInhow to start strong by getting your branding foundations rightwhat both Michelles learned while writing the bookthe multiplier effect that comes with collaborating with others, and how to find 'power partners' for mutual benefit ... plus we hear Michelle and Michelle's respective stories, and the lessons learned along the way while building their profiles on LinkedIn, and growing their business generally. If you're interested in expanding your presence on LinkedIn in a way that's going to contribute to your business in a positive way, this episode is definitely worth a listen! Read more about #MichelleSquared and their new book here

If you're wanting to elevate your professional profile and grow your reputation as a leading, credible voice in your industry, there's every chance LinkedIn should be a key part of your communications armoury. No doubt you are already on the platform ... but are you using it well? Are you putting in the requisite effort to gain the benefits in terms of building your brand, positioning yourself as a thought leader, developing relationships ... and even generating new business leads? Whether the answer is "yes" or "no", I think you'll get heaps out of this podcast interview. LinkedIn has undergone - and continues to undergo - significant change. It may have been a latecomer to the social media ball in terms of user experience, uptake and usage - the ugly duckling, as it were - but LinkedIn has certainly transformed into something of a social swan! My guest today comes to us from Valencia in Spain: his name is Richard van der Blom, and he's a world-renowned expert on LinkedIn, and in particular, its algorithm. Richard runs a LinkedIn and social selling agency called JUST CONNECTING, and he's an absolute gun when it comes to LinkedIn; his content is top notch, and I recommend you follow him to learn more about how to use the platform more effectively. I got Richard on the show specifically to chat about his recently-released LINKEDIN ALGORITHM REPORT, which has gone viral on the platform, and rightly so. The report is comprehensive and took over 1200 hours of work, with some 10,000 posts analysed in the process. Plus we cover heaps more! Let's get into it!

In this episode, I'm joined by a semi-regular guest of the show - Mark Masters, fromYou Are The Media - to recap last weeks episode in which I spoke to leading marketing blogger, Mark Schaefer, about his new book, 'Belonging to the Brand'. [ Check out episode 252: The power of community with best-selling author, Mark Schaefer ] Mark (Masters) happens to feature in Mark Schaefer's book with his "supportive marketing learning community" You Are The Media (YATM), based on the south coast of England (but operating virtually, globally). Under the YATM banner, Mark produces a long-running email newsletter, and runs social events, conferences and training days; he recently extended the community on to the Circle platform, giving it an interactive online hub of its own. Mark also operates a consulting business - called We Are The Media - in tandem with YATM. This is a fun and informative chat. While Mark and I refer often to Mark Schaefer's book (and the interview I did with him), we also take the topic of 'community' and run wild with it! I hope you enjoy the convo!

Let's face it ... It's pretty damn tough running a business today, getting your name out there and connecting with clients and customers, and the people who influence them - especially if you lack a sizeable budget to do so. Traditional advertising is rarely effective these days and is out of reach for most small business owners anyway, while many default digital marketing tactics no longer seem to work as well as they used to. But there is a way through for those entrepreneurs who are willing to explore some new ideas while at the same time be respectful as to how they show up in the marketplace. At the Reputation Revolution, we're all about building a sustainable base of communications for our professional personal brand which, for many of us, also adds considerable weight to the overall marketing of our businesses. In many cases, we ARE the business. We look at strategic PR and communications and all that entails, including content creation for our owned media channels, we cover social media of course, as well as earned media such as publicity, media relations, influencer relations and public speaking. Growing an audience of followers and subscribers is all part of the program: an audience of fans and allies, champions of our personal brand, of what it is we do and stand for - an audience made up of potential advocates, influencers, clients and customers. But can we go deeper, and build a genuine community around our ideas, or a specific topic or issue? Community as a concept has been kicking around for a while now, but it's taken on new significance in recent times, for many of the aforementioned reasons. At best, it's grossly misunderstood, at worst, it's been consigned to the bin of marketing buzzwords!. But we're about to change that in this episode! Today's expert guest gives us the rundown on communities from a strategic marketing standpoint. Indeed, he's just released a book on the topic! His name is Mark Schaefer, and the book is called BELONGING TO THE BRAND: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy. Mark is one of the world's leading marketing futurists and keynote speakers; he's also a best-selling author, a veteran blogger and podcaster, a business consultant and educator of note. He's a true thought leader, in a world where there are plenty of wannabe's - and he embodies all the things we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution. Let's meet him, shall we?

Web3 - the Metaverse - virtual reality, NFTs, AI, Blockchain - and let's not forget crypto and digital wallets. You've heard the terms, but what do they all mean? How do they relate to one another? And, importantly, when it comes to building a professional personal brand - growing your profile and enhancing your reputation in the marketplace: what role can Web3 and the Metaverse play in all of this? You'll want to tune into this episode because we have a genuine expert in the space to guide us through the Web3 jungle: his name is Mitch Jackson, he's an award-winning litigation lawyer from California who is renowned for being ahead of the pack when it comes to social media and digital marketing ... and now, Web3 and the metaverse. Mitch also runs a consultancy called ManeuVR, which shows creators, entrepreneurs, and business owners how to leverage web3 and the metaverse to create unique brands, new opportunities, and drive additional lanes of revenue. He has recently published a book with his son Garrett: The Web3, Metaverse and AI Handbook - check it out on Amazon. There's a lot happening in this space, and as business owners, professionals, thought leaders and content creators, we need to stay in touch with what's going on, so we can adapt quickly and see opportunities as they arise. This is a bumper episode folks. Let's get the lowdown from Mitch right now!

In this opening episode for Season 7 - our 250th no less! - we have something special in store for you 👏 To mark the occasion, I invited some past guests of the show to give us a brief answer to an open-ended question: "From a personal branding or professional marketing perspective, what's the one thing that's really working well for you currently?" Lots of interesting answers, including some timely reminders for us all! #Gold It is indeed a bumper episode and a bit longer than usual as we feature 17 contributors all up (in no particular order): Mitch JacksonNic HayesSusanna ReayAdam FranklinTristan WhiteJane TabachnickHeath EvansJulian MatherSarah MitchellMark MastersMichelle B. GriffinAlan & Emily BraithwaiteMark SchaeferDr Jen FrahmJohn EspirianMyles HarrisMichelle J. Raymond Thank you folks for giving up your time to contribute to this episode, and thank you dear listener for lending us your ears and taking time out of your busy schedule to check out the podcast! SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPUTATION REVOLUTION NEWSLETTER HERE

Welcome to the finale to season 6 of the Reputation Revolution podcast. In this special bumper episode, we recap our wonderful guests and play sound-bites of their interviews. Expect stories, lessons, tips and advice from people who are in the trenches and are out there building, or helping others build, their professional personal brand. If this is the first episode you're listening to, lucky you, you'll get a really good flavour for what we cover here on the show. If you're a regular listener, get ready to be reminded of some of the highlights of the season; maybe you missed some guests and this might prompt you to go back and listen to those episodes for the first time, or perhaps you caught them initially and will be motivated to check back and listen to a particular episode again. Either/or, this is an all-encompassing episode featuring a lot of insights and ideas in one self-contained package: I hope you enjoy it.  Topics touched on include: Personal brand vs business brandHow to grow your personal brand-based business using paid media & digital ads Grounding yourself in your story and your messageHow to use press releases to increase personal brand visibility & credibilityHow Oscar Trimboli built a global business around his professional personal brandExpert vs thought leader: what’s the difference?Unlocking & shaping your ideas through deep contentHow to build your personal brand using LinkedIn Company PagesProductise your knowledge + scale your impactHow Joyce Ong uses transparency & fun to cut through the noiseExploring the possibilities that come with today’s Reputation EconomyDeveloping a digital media mindset & experimenting with short-form videoGoing small to make it BIG with earned mediaHow lawyer Alex Martin uses LinkedIn, podcasts and the media to build strategic visibility and trust in the marketplaceHow brand strategist Mark Drager built a YouTube show generating 4M views If you only listen to one episode of the podcast this year, this is surely it!

One of the trends I've been highlighting for a while now is producing a 'destination' show instead of simply doing a podcast, or just a YouTube video. Add a bit of meat to it. Theme it. Make it multimedia so people can listen if they prefer that, or watch it on YouTube, or read about it if necessary. Cut it into snippets to share across social media. Give it a name, create a sub-branded media property, as I've been calling it for years now: turn it into a platform with editorial integrity! It's a destination show for a couple of reasons: (a) people go looking for it, they subscribe to it, they opt-in - it's a regular thing in terms of their content consumption. And (b) with all the bite-sized snippets you're putting out there - micro videos, quote cards, photos and images, pithy lessons learned ... these act as digital breadcrumbs to draw people back to your show, it's the destination, as it were. It's a doorway into your personal brand orbit. For some people, it's how they find and interact with you. So if you're an entrepreneur, a professional expert, an emerging thought leaders and you want to take things up a notch or two, creating a show is potentially something you might like to think about. This is the key theme of today's episode. My guest is brand strategist and agency owner, Mark Drager. Mark produces a combination YouTube show and podcast (We Do Hard Things), through which he delivers terrific interviews with big names in their respective fields e.g. Lisa Bilyeu (BILLyou), cofounder of billion dollar company Quest Nutrition;motivational speaker Les Brown; TV presenter, Charley Boorman, who did the Long Way Around series with Ewan McGregor; author and podcaster James Altucher; Anthony Trucks, a former NFL Athlete, American Ninja Warrior. Mark's YouTube channel has generated close to 4 million views, and his podcast continues to grow in leaps and bounds. How does Mark approach the production of such a show, and what motivates him to put himself out there, to play big and be bold? Our conversation covers a lot of territory, and it zips along at a decent clip. Mark discusses: why being "safe and soft" was the impetus to create his show WE DO HARD THINGS 2 years ago: "It's for dreamers and entrepreneurs who need to hear the stories of people who have the courage to put themselves first and pursue their passions at all costs"how he secures high calibre interview guests: entrepreneurs, athletes, professors, authors ... "bad ass people", as he lovingly describes themhow getting your pitch right can help you stand outthe differences between the video and audio-only experience (and how that affects how the show is produced)the reason why he is going all-in on YouTube: "We are producing a level of assets ... I want this to look and feel like a television show"The 'e' storytelling technique, which he's found useful in developing his interview style We also address the vexed question: Should a lawyer produce a podcast about coffee? (Mark's answer might surprise you). MARK'S QUOTABLE QUOTES: "Eventually, people don't come to you because of the thing you make, they come to you because of how you think." "There's an audience for everything. It's your job to create content that's worth listening to ... to stand out and be different." It's an inspiring high-energy conversation: I think you'll like it! CONNECT WITH MARK: WebsiteYouTube channel *************************** LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY! LEARN MORE:  https://bit.ly/CAAPlus2023 (or feel free to drop me a DM here) ... or book in a no-obligation free Zoom call  https://bit.ly/TY_AMAzoom

In the previous episode (#246), I spoke with lawyer Alex Martin about his personal branding journey, and how he's spent this year strategically building his professional profile and reputation in the marketplace. In this episode, content coach Brendan Keogh and I dissect my conversation with Alex, unpacking key insights and takeaways that we found interesting, informative and relevant. From pretty much a standing start (publishing the odd post on LinkedIn, but not with any purpose or direction), in 2022 Alex has: adhered to a strategic content plan regularly produced videos for LinkedIn and YouTubeco-hosted 23 podcast episodes ('A Lawyer and Financial Advisor Walk into a Bar', alongside Dave Murdoch)appeared on national TV (Sky News)written articles for business publicationsbeen interviewed some 20 times on commercial radio about topical issues that showcased his legal expertise In short, Alex has had a big year in terms of creating content, being in the media and building personal brand visibility. Brendan and I dig in deep into Alex's case study. Our discussion (and the previous episode with Alex) will be of particular interest to anyone keen to grow their professional personal brand and in doing so, position themselves as a credible, influential voice in their field. *************************** LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY! If this episode resonates, I invite you to check out 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙇𝙐𝙎, an intensive online course plus 12-month membership-based learning and accountability program I've developed to help keep you motivated and on-track. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳! Save $440 by taking action and becoming one of the 'early birds' to sign up :) LEARN MORE:  https://bit.ly/CAAPlus2023 (or feel free to drop me a DM here) ... or book in a no-obligation free Zoom call https://bit.ly/TY_AMAzoom Cheers, Trevor

This show is dedicated to people like today's guest: business owner and litigation expert, Alex Martin, from Taurus Legal Management. Twelve months ago, Alex's personal branding endeavours largely revolved around in-person networking, but as he says, you can only shake so many hands! He also published the occasional post on LinkedIn, but not with any purpose or direction. But Alex is an action-taker. He knew he needed to raise his profile and position himself as an expert in his space if he was to build his professional reputation and that of his legal firm. So Alex went back to basics, and started following a strategic plan. Having a plan, he says, "makes a lot more sense and has a lot more impact". Today, Alex takes an integrated approach to content across owned, earned and media channels. On LinkedIn, he regularly publishes videos that address the common challenges and pain-points faced by his audience, owners of growing medium-sized businesses. Plus he uses the platform to share commentary on relevant commercial legal issues that are covered by the media. But that's just one leg of the three-legged 'media stool'. While steadily building his presence on LinkedIn was an important first step that has resulted in him more than doubling his following on the platform, Alex has also branched out into the other two legs of the media stool - owned media, and earned media. He hosts a regular podcast with a financial advisor - A Lawyer and Financial Advisor Walk into a Bar - he also publishes videos to YouTube, writes articles for business magazines, and is a regular expert interview guest on commercial radio and national television.  Critically, Alex is only 12 months into his personal branding journey, but he's doing it in a way that's both strategic and sustainable. The 'runs on the board' are piling up, and he's starting to really get noticed in legal circles for his commentary and content efforts. Even one of his clients texted him after he emerged from a broadcast studio after giving an interview to say how he saw him on TV! In short, Alex has had a big year in terms of creating content, being in the media and building personal brand visibility. This is an all-encompassing conversation: It's not about doing the one thing and knocking it out of the park, it's about blending many of the key elements that come into play when strategically building one's professional profile and reputation. Alex has done that, and more: this is his story.

In the previous episode of the podcast, I chatted with world-renowned marketing blogger and best-selling author, Mark Schaefer. Mark discussed how he has managed to continue to evolve as an author, a speaker, a blogger, and as as a personal brand. In this episode, content coach Brendan Keogh and I dissect my conversation with Mark, riffing on key insights and takeaways that we found interesting, informative and relevant. Our discussion will be of interest to anyone keen to grow their professional personal brand and position themselves as a thought leader in their chosen field of endeavour.

One theme we dip in and out of here on the podcast is how do we continue to evolve as entrepreneurs and professionals, while concurrently build a sustainable and consistent personal brand over time. No doubt you've seen the marketing advice around picking a niche and staying in it. And there are elements of that school of thought that stand the test of time. The niche argument is certainly applicable to bona fide experts - those who genuinely have deep domain expertise and who want to establish themselves as go-to authorities in their field of endeavour. But, many of the people I work with (and follow on social media, and interview here on the podcast) are curious, multifaceted individuals - they're thought leaders who often cross boundaries and cover different territories. Yes, they're experts as well in certain areas, but they're also big picture thinkers who spark conversation and connect dots. They don't always have the answers, but they're not afraid to ask questions, explore ideas in public, and bring people along for the ride. This is why we find their content so interesting, and often challenging at the same time. They force us to rethink the status quo; sometimes they can change the way we think about a particular topic or issue with their concepts and ideas. In turn, they often build large engaged audiences as a result of their content, their speaking and their media appearances. Which brings us to today's episode: it's a replay of a previously-published interview with world-renowned blogger, best-selling author and keynote speaker Mark Schaefer. It's actually part two of my interview with Mark. In part one (episode #192 - 'How to build momentum for your ideas'), we discussed Mark's book, Cumulative Advantage, so you might want to check that one out as well as this one if you haven't already done so! In part two (episode #193 - this particular interview), the conversation heads down the path of thought leadership, and how Mark has managed to continue to evolve as an author, a speaker, a blogger, and as as a personal brand. This discussion will interest anyone keen to grow their professional personal brand and position themselves as a thought leader in their chosen field of endeavour. Enjoy! Quotable Quote: "It doesn't matter how hard you work and how well you execute, if the strategy is wrong in the first place." CONNECT WITH MARK: WebsiteTwitterLinkedInInstagramYouTube ********************************* Reputation Revolution is the professional personal branding show for experts, entrepreneurs and emerging thought leaders. Hosted by the PR Warrior, Trevor Young, the show focuses on helping credible individuals to build visibility, influence and trust in the marketplace, and in doing so, position themselves to take advantage of today's 'reputation economy'. Reputation Revolution covers the four core pillars of building a successful and respected professional personal brand: ESTABLISH your voiceENHANCE the credibility of that voiceEXTEND the reach of your voiceEXTRACT value from the profile and reputation you build in the marketplace Follow Trevor on Twitter and/or subscribe to the Reputation Revolution newsletter

In the last episode of the podcast, I spoke with Shelby Janner of Zilker Media about getting your name out there by being on other people's podcasts. In PR industry speak, this is called 'earned media'. Essentially, it refers to coverage received on independent third-party media outlets - it's not paid for, but it is earned. A massive opportunity for thought leaders and expert influencers today is to pitch themselves as a potential interview subject to niche podcasts. It's far less intimidating that trying to get up an interview on a major talkback radio station, that's for sure! Podcasts are part of the growing micro-media trend, that is, those niche online channels that are often run by passionate individuals and/or people running small businesses. We're talking here about YouTube shows, live-streams, blogs and email newsletters, as well as podcasts. In this episode, content strategist Brendan Keogh and I pull out and discuss the key takeaways from my previous interview with Shelby, as well as riff more generally on the opportunity for personal brands to extend the reach of their voice by being on other people's podcasts. Plenty of ideas and tips in this show folks! If you're keen to grow your influence beyond your own personal network of friends and connections, then this episode will be of interest! DID you know REPUTATION REVOLUTION is also a newsletter? I'd love it if you could check it out and/or subscribe if you get a moment!

How to leverage podcast guest appearances to build your professional personal brand  In this week's show we zero in on earned media, with particular emphasis on podcasts, or more specifically, being a guest on other people's podcasts. Earned media is a term often used by PR folks. In essence, it refers to coverage received on independent third-party media outlets - it's not paid for, but it is earned. Whether you've built your personal brand so well that media outlets are coming to you, or you're putting in the time and effort to pitch your story to the media outlets: it's still earned.  You've earned the right for that media channel to quote you, to cover your story, to publish an interview with you. And by media, we're talking about the whole gamut here baby: at the top end, you're looking at Tier 1 media outlets such as national and metro newspapers and magazines, commercial radio and TV. Then there are what you'd call Tier 2 media - vertical magazine titles, mainstream blogs, industry publications. And we keep moving down the 'media ladder' until we get to micro-media, that is, those niche online channels that are often run by passionate individuals and/or people running small businesses. We're talking here about podcasts, YouTube shows, live-streams, blogs and email newsletters.  It's this lower tier of niche media that we dig into in this episode, with a strong focus on podcasts. We'll allude to the other types of channels, but podcasting is where it's at in this episode: how to extend your reach by becoming a guest on other people's podcasts.  To help me unpack what it all means, and how you too can build your personal brand by appearing as a guest on other people's podcasts, I'm joined by SHELBY JANNER - Chief Publicity Director at Zilker Media. Shelby is an expert in pitching podcasts, she has led Zilker Media’s PR team to reach 2.5 million listeners in the past 2 years alone, booking over 100 different podcasts for Zilker Media’s clients. If you're keen to extend the reach of your voice and grow your influence beyond your own personal network of friends and connections, then this episode will be of interest! The micro-media channels may be small, but they can be powerful - and there are no shortage of opportunities available for savvy experts and thought leaders! Let's get into it! P.S. Visit PodcastGuestInsider.com to get your first month of Zilker Media’s new podcast guesting service free. Podcast Guest Insider isn’t just another podcast database. As a subscriber, you’ll get everything you need to pitch yourself to the right podcasts, delivered straight to your inbox. In your first free month alone you’ll get information on 10 vetted podcasts with contact information for you to start pitching yourself to guest on podcasts immediately.  *************** Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY. If you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy > go to credible authority.com > ALSO: did you know REPUTATION REVOLUTION is also a newsletter? I'd love it if you could check it out and/or subscribe at reputationrevolution.substack.com.

In the last episode (#240), TikTok enthusiast and business owner, BEN CUSACK, and I discussed the power of experimenting on social media, especially around short-form video. The theme for that episode was around 'experimentation', and taking risks on social media. By ‘taking risks’, we're not talking about doing anything stupid on the socials (we're all trying to build professional reputations after all) but really, just letting loose a bit:: Showing more of our authentic selves. Trying new platforms. Experimenting with new technologies. Developing new skills. There are a lot of good things that come with that too: in the case of Ben Cusack, it was all about gaining confidence in front of the camera. I call it adopting a digital media mindset, and it's important for anyone wanting to build a thought leader brand to embrace this philosophy. In this episode, Brendan and I cut loose on all the key elements of my discussion with Ben, including: Tackling TikTokExperimenting with short-form videoMoving to YouTube (and experimenting with 'Shorts')Ben's LinkedIn content curation strategy (and how he manages to be 'everywhere' on the platform while not spending much time on itProductivity and outsourcing Ben is a 45-year old government grant specialist and business owner whose TikTok account has generated over 10.5 million ‘likes’, with an audience of over 190,000. He must be doing something right! Brendan and I unpack all in this episode, but if you're keen to hear straight from Ben, check out Episode #240 as well.

What does it take for a 45-year-old professional to build a following on TikTok of over 190,000, with 10M 'likes' of his videos? HINT: Letting go of perfection and adopting a 'digital media mindset'. Let's face it, it takes time, effort and planning to build a professional personal brand that people know, trust and respect. But sometimes, we over-think things. We get stuck inside our own heads when it comes to creating content and using social media to build our profile and our reputation. If you’re a business owner or a professional expert with years in the trenches and runs on the board, there’s a good chance you might want to get things 100% perfect before publishing anything to social media. It’s this pursuit of perfection: this over-thinking things around content creation, that might be holding you back and therefore, stunting your PR and personal branding efforts. Today’s episode theme is around 'experimentation', and taking risks on social media. BEWARE: It's a wide-ranging conversation! By ‘taking risks’, I’m not talking about doing anything silly. Just letting loose a bit. Showing more of your authentic self. Trying new platforms. Experimenting with new technologies. Developing new skills. There are a lot of good things that come with this: in the case of today’s guest, gaining confidence in front of the camera. I call it adopting a digital media mindset. Because, to be really successful with your content on social media, it’s as much about mindset as it is about the words you use. In this episode, we hear from BEN CUSACK, a 45-year old government grant specialist and business owner whose TikTok account has generated over 10 million ‘likes’, with an audience of over 190,000. In short, Ben takes chances on social media, and it's terrific to hear his story and how he's gained confidence in front of the (mobile phone) camera simply by doing, by putting himself out there and not taking things too seriously. Ben and I cover TikTok, YouTube Shorts, turning blog posts into videos using AI, content curation on LinkedIn and increasing personal productivity through outsourcing. If you tend to over-cook things on social media and have not yet broken out of the mindset that something needs to be perfect in order to be professional, then this episode is for you! CONNECT WITH BEN: TikTokWebsiteLinkedInYouTube #LearnByDoing #DigitalMediaMindset #ProgressNotPerfection ________________________ Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY: **GROW YOUR INFLUENCE, CREATE MORE IMPACT! LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY > go to credible authority.com > if you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy.

In the last episode (#237), personal branding coach BEC SANDS and I explored the possibilities that come with being a thought leader, or recognised expert, in today's dynamic 'Reputation Economy'. Of course, positioning oneself for personal branding success requires a bit of planning, including an initial focus on clarity and mindset - topics we discussed in that original interview. In this episode, content strategist and podcast producer, Brendan Keogh, and I recap the Bec Sands interview, pulling out and discussing actionable insights that you can use! Some of the topics covered include: getting out of your comfort zonedealing with limiting beliefsprioritising - and doing - the work requiredestablishing a lifestyle business that enables people to work effectively from anywhere We also recap Bec's story of how she live-streamed every week on Instagram in order to help her overcome her reticence about appearing on camera. ------------------------- Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY: **GROW YOUR INFLUENCE, CREATE MORE IMPACT! LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY > go to credible authority.com > if you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy.

According to the Macmillan dictionary, the Reputation Economy is one in which the reputation of an individual, product or business - as decided by the judgements of others - is their most important asset. We’re all about the individual, here on the Reputation Revolution. We’re talking about the power of the personal brand, folks, and how it’s now the biggest asset we have. The way I look at it: why wouldn’t you want to put your best foot forward? Why wouldn’t you want to influence the perceptions that people have of you? Not in a slimy and fake way, but with authenticity, by adding value and serving others. The possibilities for those individuals who understand the power of reputation, and are able to grow their brand in a genuine way: they’re endless.  But there are roadblocks many of us have. Some people have issues with clarity in how they want to show up in the world. Others have limiting beliefs that hold them back. We can create a pathway for ourselves: we can take control of our professional lives, and influence in a positive and genuine way how people perceive us. That’s the theme for today’s episode. My guest today is BEC SANDS, who helps exceptional people build personal brands and stand out as the go-to thought leaders in their fields of expertise. Bec and I explore the possibilities that come with being a thought leader or recognised expert. There are roughly two parts to our conversation: (1) mindset and clarity, and (2) the opportunities that come with being an active participant in today’s reputation economy. In terms of mindset, we unpack the various roadblocks and how people can overcome them. These limiting beliefs include an unwillingness to change, imposter syndrome and the pursuit of perfectionism. We also chat about making the jump from career to running a personal brand-based business with the ability to work from anywhere. Along the way Bec shares her story how live-streaming every week on Instagram helped her overcome her reticence about appearing on camera. If you're wanting to take your thought leadership journey more seriously, this episode is for you! CONNECT WITH BEC: WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY: **GROW YOUR INFLUENCE, CREATE MORE IMPACT! LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY > go to credible authority.com > if you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy.

In the last episode (#236) I chatted with Joyce Ong, founder of Tax Nuggets Academy, about using transparency & fun to cut through the noise on social media. That episode focused on Joyce's story who, from pretty much scratch, has gone from zero-to-hero in terms of her LinkedIn presence. It’s a great story, and she reveals how she went about it in the chat. In this episode, content strategist and podcast producer, Brendan Keogh, and I recap the Joyce Ong interview, pulling out and discussing actionable insights that you can use! Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY: **GROW YOUR INFLUENCE, CREATE MORE IMPACT! LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY > go to credible authority.com > if you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy.