Leveraging Thought Leadership

We are assaulted by digital pollution on a daily basis: spam calls, fake e-mails, harassing chats, phishing scams, and worse. With all the noise, how can thought leaders create a message that our audience wants to hear? How do we make them understand that our outreach is important? To help answer these questions, we've turned to Ethan Beute, the Chief Evangelist at BombBomb; a company that uses video messaging to build better business relationships. Ethan is also the co-author of Human-Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution. This book is a great read for anyone who needs to generate attention, build trust, and create engagement online! Discover the pitfalls of "digital pollution," and how it negatively impacts our ability to reach potential customers. Listen in, as Ethan shares insights about Human-Centered Design, and how it breaks through the noise to reach customers, and make sure the message they hear is deeply relevant to their needs. He discusses his job as Chief Evangelist, telling us how he is a staunch advocate for Human Centered Design. Learn why boasting about your product instead of addressing people's needs, emotions, and challenges, can cause your audience to stop listening. Some content modalities come easily, while others require greater amounts of study and even coaching. Ethan explains how he began by using his strong command of short-form writing, and over time, has mastered the ability to host his successful podcast, The Customer Experience; communicate with his audience through a video format; and even take the stage for live events. This is a great episode for anyone struggling to ensure that their brand doesn't get lost in the noise. Three Key Takeaways: · Thought Leadership built on Human-Centered Design should focus on desirability, feasibility, and viability. · Spreading your Thought Leadership through short personal video messages can have greater results than mass e-mail blasts. · While evangelizing your Thought Leadership, focus on your client's problems, not the product you are trying to sell.

Every day, we are berated with advertising for products and services trying to convince us to switch to their brand. What makes us take pause and pay attention is no longer the fear of missing out. Audiences want to find meaning in the products they buy and activities they take part in. So, how can you convey to your customer that your brand has meaning? Our guest today is Emmanuel Probst, Global Lead of Brand Thought Leadership at Ipsos, where they are passionately curious about society, markets, and providing a game changing understanding of the world to help clients make faster, smarter and bolder decisions. He is also the author of Brand Hacks: How to Build Brands by Fulfilling the Consumer Quest for Meaning. In this book, Emmanuel shows us how to use simple hacks to create and grow brands that deliver meaning — even with a limited budget. We ask Emmanuel, "What is the quest for meaning in branding? Why do people care about some brands and almost instantly forget others?" and his answers deliver! Emmanuel helps us understand why customers are seeking meaning and why companies need to focus on creating long term strategies that incorporate feelings of nostalgia, joy, and empathy. That's what makes people want to come back year after year. Next, we move to discuss how thought leadership connects to branding and how the thought leader needs to inject a level of self into their work regardless of where it can be found. We study how academics and practitioners often have a large gap between each other, when in fact they can learn a lot from each other. Emmanuel teaches us to bridge that gap and bring complex ideas to customers in simple, intuitive, and relevant ways. We round out the conversation with Emmanuel's thoughts on why thought leadership works at Ipsos, and how true leadership involves listening to what the market wants to learn, hear, and monetize. From there, they help the customer answer the questions of "So What?" and "What Now?" by giving them ideas that are relevant and actionable to the market. This is a great episode for everyone interested in brand-building. Listen in! Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders need to help clients create a brand that has meaning, in order to create customer loyalty. The fear of missing out brings short term results, but creating a positive emotional connection with a brand will make consumers invest for the long term. Great thought leadership ideas shouldn't be complex! Find ways to make your concepts quick and easy to understand.

Working 40 hours has been accepted as the "standard work week" since Henry Ford implemented it almost 100 years ago. What would happen if we focused more on the outcomes that we wanted from our labor, instead of focusing on the time it takes to accomplish them? Could we learn to work less and do more? Our guest today is Joe Sanok, host of the popular The Practice of the Practice, the #1 Podcast for counselors in private practice and one of the top 50 podcasts worldwide! Joe has gone from working as a full time physiologist to teaching others how to structure their practice in a way that will increase ROI and reduce time spent working. Joe's also is the author of Thursday Is the New Friday: How to Work Fewer Hours, Make More Money, and Spend Time Doing What You Want. Today, Joe shares his story; from working at a Community College, to building a strong and profitable side practice that made more than his full time job. Learning how to leverage his gifts helped Joe make the journey to becoming a thought leader, starting a podcast, and helping others think differently about mental health in the workplace. In addition, Joe is helping counselors in private practice build their business and their brands. We discuss how to effectively use your time, why you should find clients that are the right fit for you, and ways to outsource the things you are not good at. It's possible to build healthy teams by asking the right questions! Finally, we wrap up by discussing Joe's book Thursday Is the New Friday, which offers exercise, tools, and training to help people create the work schedule they want — and the results they need: less work and greater income! Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders can accomplish more by outsourcing less important tasks, or things they are not good at, in order to focus on important matters. By specializing your thought leadership, you can be a more effective help to your clients and outpace your competition. It's easier to convince clients to buy into your Thought Leadership when you can clearly explain the way your fee will save the client time and increase their ROI.

The word Redneck tends to conjure up a certain image in most people's minds. When you hear the word do you think Director of Radiology and author? Our guest James Harold Webb is a self-proclaimed redneck who despite the obstacles that stood in his way went to college became a radiology technologist, then Director of Radiology at a hospital in Dallas, and now is the author of Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy's Journey To Prosperity. James shares how his simple upbringing in Mississippi was actually the bedrock of his work ethic and resiliency, watching his parents overcome various challenges in their personal and professional lives implanted the idea that he too could always find a way to overcome and rise up. We discuss the origin of his book Redneck Resilience and what exactly is the meaning of resilience. After many telling him he should write a book he started jotting down notes and stories realizing that he wanted the lessons he learned to be able to be passed onto his children and others that would benefit from them. James has faced a large amount of personal strife, from a brain tumor to a cancer diagnosis for both him and his wife. These personal experiences have changed how James views problems and stress as well as how he works, closing the door to business at the end of the day to focus on what really matters in life: family. James shares personal stories of resilience and shows how regardless of your origin you too can get back up after being knocked down and find a new path forward. Three Key Takeaways: Writing a book for your Thought Leadership does not have to be part of a business plan. It can be to leave a legacy. If you are being told to put your Thought Leadership into a book, start by writing your thoughts and stories for 30 - 60 minutes a day and see if it meshes together. Resiliency in Thought Leadership means finding an alternative path when the road gets blocked.

Ten years ago, the term "thought leadership" did not exist. Yet, the principles of thought leadership were being practiced, shaped, and refined by pioneers in the field; people whose great ideas literally shaped the road for all others. Our guest today is Amelia Folkes, Senior Manager of External Relations at Workiva. Previous to that, she worked at Emerson Automation Solutions and State Farm, where she worked to implement changes that made the world a safer place - through practices and insights that we now recognize as true thought leadership. Changing an organization's culture can take years of effort. Amelia explains how she did it: by positioning brands as more than just vendors. She taught her companies to become solutions providers and partners to their customers, and level up the organization's voice. In this way, she created earnest relationships, and helped her brands gain the trust and loyalty of their audience. Relationships are important, but the hardest work of thought leadership is finding a way to take those values to scale. Amelia discusses the use of both broad and narrowcasting, and the ways she works to position Workiva at the front of the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) frontier. Through her work, their clients themselves become integral thought leaders on the topics of sustainability and diversity. We finish our conversation by discussing the importance of establishing your voice, and creating key messages. Amelia explains that it's important to maintain consistent messages across multiple platforms, from social media to personal relationships. This helps create an echo chamber that, over time, will move into broader and broader audiences. This episode is an exploration of the way thought leadership has changed over a decade. Listen in, to learn some of the fascinating history, and to discover ways to define your voice, stay on message, and grow your reach for the next decade of thought leadership! Three Key Takeaways: Thought leadership needs to create trust in the things you are doing or selling. In order for thought leadership to take your client's voice to the next level, you must focus on storytelling and influence. It takes time for thought leadership to become part of the mind of your audience. Repetition and consistency are crucial.

Being a working mother means juggling a lot of balls. Stress, overload, and exhaustion can make work a nightmare and in turn create an unhealthy home environment. Is it possible to simply let go and focus on the important things one at a time? Today, we sit down with Dr. Whitney Casares, a private practice pediatrician and mother. It was the combination of these two life paths that led her to write The New Baby Blueprint: Caring for You and Your Little One and her newest book The Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting Without Losing Yourself. Whitney discusses the significant changes to the pediatric approach that have occurred in the last decade, and how doctors are becoming more involved in the physical health of parents as well as the mental health of both parent and child. Whitney shares her experiences as a working mother trying to manage a time consuming career while figuring out how to care for a colicky newborn. She touches on her challenges with postpartum, and later, anxiety for both mommy and daughter. She created revolutionary ways to overcome these experiences, so much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics approached her about writing books to give advice to the large population that struggles with similar issues. We wrap up by exploring the way Whitney uses her books as credentials; allowing her access to organizations and corporations. There, she talks health, strategy, and awareness about the working mothers' needs, and how businesses can make simple changes that will save them time and money - and improve their working mothers' lives. If you are concerned about your company's approach to mental and physical health, this podcast is an eye-opener. Listen in, and learn about simple changes you can make to retain working mothers and help them flourish. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leadership that comes from personal experience can be incredibly powerful. Thought Leadership needs to help organizations be proactive about creating a happy and healthy workplace. Using thought leadership to make small changes that accommodate working mothers can shape both careers and organizations.

When you can no longer meet face to face, how do you update vital information with medical professionals and the at-risk patients they serve? Our guest today is Traci Conley, the Thought Leadership Manager for Standard Imaging, Inc., a company that has become the leading supplier of calibration and quality assurance instruments for healthcare, including a broad range of solutions and support for radiation therapy. Traci is also the host of Out of the Gray, a podcast that looks at the world of Radiation Oncology. Traci started her role as Manager of Thought Leadership around the same time as the COVID-19 outbreak, which made the traditional means of communications with healthcare professionals and patients nearly impossible. In today's conversation, we discuss new methods being used by thought leaders in the healthcare field to maintain the spread of crucial information while keeping everyone safe. Before moving into the role of thought leadership practitioner, Traci worked as a radiation therapist. She shares how her work in the field gives her a unique view of medical processes and communication; a viewpoint that now allows her to help develop practical and effective solutions. This includes building communities to provide open communication, allowing the flow of questions and answers to better the whole. If you are struggling to find new ways to maintain communication, or want to build communities for your industry, this conversation will give you insight about practical steps toward success. Three Key Takeaways: When unable to meet in person, being able to deliver Thought Leadership through webinars and e-training is essential. Podcasts can provide a much-needed space for experts to share experiences. This is a great way to expand your Thought Leadership presence. When building communities of thought leadership, be careful to share the spotlight, and make sure everyone has a voice.

Thought Leadership means peering around corners to predict changes, innovations, and challenges in your field. How far into the future is far enough? 5, 10, 20 years? Is it possible plan for 50 years down the road? We answer these questions with the help of today's guest, Peter Griffiths. Peter is the City Strategist at ING Media, and an Urban Content Consultant specializing in building cities that will thrive and grow. We discuss how he is using thought leadership to get ahead of the curve, and develop the cities that will embrace and support humanity's future. Looking into the future means asking the right questions about the impact of today's choices, and how we can affect tomorrow's dreams and solve challenges before they arise. Peter finds the right questions thanks to a background in journalism; he looks for right answers by understanding that a unique view of the world is valuable, but so is the strength of collaboration. By being willing to merge his vision with the expertise of others, Peter makes the world better for us all. This conversation is an intriguing look into how thought leadership can help cities evolve, and also the ways that thought leadership can be used to predict - and plan for - humanity's future. Three Key Takeaways: Your thought leadership should allow others to get ahead of the curve and plan for tomorrow. Allow your thought leadership to take into account the experience and expertise of others, to benefit everyone. Thought leadership should be transactional, focusing on two-way conversations and an open exchange of ideas.

Today's guest is Leslie Ehm, Swagger Coach, Amazon #1 best-selling author of Swagger: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want, speaker, and Chief Fire Starter at Combustion Training: a creativity-fueled training company that transforms people so that they can transform organizations. In today's conversation, Leslie tells us her story; from working as a TV host, script editor, and advertising creative director, she found her true voice and started her own training company, building creative companies through a foundation of support for creative and inspirational people. We discuss the slow growth of Combustion Training due to the need for trainers to be subject-matter experts in order to avoid the sub-par training experiences that she has seen in the past. From this realization came the origin and process of Leslie's book, Swagger. Leslie shares the hard choices she made to keep her authentic voice, the methods she used to keep the words of others out of her mind, and how she connected her unique story to thought leadership. Plus, she shares the favors she called in to generate word-of-mouth for the book, and why paying back those favors is an important part of her publishing process. Three Key Takeaways: When bringing others onboard to spread your thought leadership, be picky. Only work with those who are the right fit for you. It is crucial to write your thought leadership book in your authentic, individual voice. If you ask others to promote your thought leadership, pay it back (and pay it forward).

We all have personal stories of triumph and growth. Our history, our experiences, shape us and drive the most insightful parts of our thought leadership. So why is it so hard for us to share those stories? Aliza Hughes is the Director of Thought Leadership at Zoecial Media, a company that provides social media management with the aim of growing the client's audience and credibility through brand storytelling. We start our conversation by discussing how uncomfortable it can be to share personal stories in our thought leadership - the very stories that best illuminate our insights, strengths, and growth! Aliza shares her thoughts on telling personal stories, and how even tales of failure can connect you to your audience, and connect you as humans in search of growth. Aliza also explains that LinkedIn is important - get that first post out! While a certain level of professional polish needs to be present, perfection isn't required, and seeking it is just another method of procrastination. We discuss getting comfortable with yourself, and growing your audience by taking part in comments - on your own posts, and on posts made by others - as well as how to turn those comments into full fledged posts of their own. This is a wonderful conversation for anyone looking to add a personal touch to their Linkedin and make audiences take notice! Three Key Takeaways: Don't be afraid to have a more personal voice in your Thought Leadership content. Passion plus expertise = Successful Thought Leadership. Don't compare likes and comments to other thought leadership posts; everyone is at a different place in their journey. Instead, focus on beating your own personal best.