The Road To ”Instant” Authority

When “Sam” came to me, he had just published his second book on a subject that deeply captivated him. He was convinced he could build a speaking and consulting business around the book, but so far had a lukewarm reception: a $500 speaking gig which required a three hour flight each way.

Not ideal.

We began with his point of view. Which turned out to be waaaaay too general with no real call to action. So we reworked it into a manifesto: his core belief system, carefully crafted in his voice with his energy behind every word. And then we narrowed down his focus to a single, compelling big idea.

Once we clarified what made him truly different in his space, we could flesh out his road to creating authority. We could pinpoint his ideal clients and buyers and speak in THEIR language. One of his great joys was how easily his content could be repurposed on multiple media and in multiple social platforms.

We built a content plan, designed for how he most wanted to share his wisdom. He chose to pitch and write articles for the digital and print publications his sweet-spot audience devoured—and within nine months he consistently hit google’s page one (no small feat—his topic had over 9 million hits).

The pièce de résistance was how he amplified his message with media and a short list of potential influencers. Once his name and articles hit page one, journalists and bloggers beat a path to his door.

But make no mistake—Sam needed to make a living at this. His first break came after we narrowed down his big idea and revamped his website and social profiles. The meeting planner for a state association asked him to speak and he held firm to a $2,500 price tag. Turns out she was responsible for another handful of associations and she booked him into three of them after seeing him in action.

His first consulting client came from an article he’d written and the second from a media interview.

In 18 months, he went from zero to a healthy six-figure business, writing, speaking and consulting. He is happily in demand and having more fun than he ever imagined.

There is no “instant” authority—but with the right strategy and tactical moves, you can get there far faster than you might expect.