thought leadership Archives - Catriona Pollard

Let me tell you a story about the word YES

A friend of mine is finishing off her Yoga Teacher Training Diploma, and the other day she had the decision whether to say YES or NO to a spotlight moment.

While she has done yoga for years, she has never professionally taught it. Needless to say it’s pretty daunting to teach people something where they may get injured – and she has never had to stand in front of people to teach anything before.

Oh, and did I mention, she is over 60 years old, and learning with a bunch of young things. Amazing!

So the other day she went to a yoga class and the teacher didn’t turn up. Someone who knew she was finishing off her Diploma said: “Kathryn, you should teach the class.”

These are the spotlight moments I talk about all of the time. You can say yes or you can say no.

So imagine her situation. She has very little experience in teaching yoga, and only practiced teaching with a small group of friends. Here were 18 people staring at her, waiting for her answer.

She had done no prep, so if she said yes, she would have to think on her feet. If she screwed up it would impact her confidence and how the people in the class thought about her.

What do you think her answer was, yes or no?

When she recounted the story to me, she said my TEDx talk about “Being open to Yes” flashed in front of her eyes. Even though I wasn’t there, I was willing her on. She thought – I’m going to say YES!

Filled with trepidation, a bit of anxiety, and huge amount of bravery, she walked to the front of the class and taught her first yoga class. And when it finished, she received a round of applause with people asking her to run more classes.

If she hadn’t said yes, she would still not know her capability as a yoga teacher or have the opportunity to share her beautiful energy with the class.

In my experience saying that first yes is like letting the genie out of the bottle. It can lead to many yeses that are full of magic and wonder.

Yes can open up opportunities you never even dreamed of. So I’ll leave you with a question. What are you going to say yes to today?

Tweetable: How the word YES can change your world @CatrionaPollard – http://bit.ly/1mTTIRP

Change your scenery for more creativity

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I’m a huge believer in changing your scenery as often as you can. It helps give you perspective on issues you’re facing and forces you to see your world in a different way.

It might be as simple as getting up from the computer and going for a walk, and sometimes it’s about completely changing your scenery.

For the last week of my summer holiday, I jumped on a plane to experience the amazing landscape of New Zealand. The great outdoors, the sky and massive mountains of Kiwi land truly bolstered my free spirit.

As I walked the mountains, rowed the rivers and ate icebergs I learnt a few things.

Rowing on the same side turns you in circles

We were rowing down the Dart River and kept hitting the bank, then would bounce off, do a 360 spin…hit the bank, bounce and spin. In frustration I yelled to the guide, ‘What are we doing wrong?’ He yelled back, ‘You’re both rowing on the same side.’ Pretty obvious, right? I was so frustrated I just didn’t see it. I needed someone outside the situation to give me advice.

A brand new iceberg is blue…and delicious

The largest iceberg in three years broke off from the Tasman Glacier just hours before I arrived. My timing was beautiful. I had the opportunity to see the pure blue iceberg before the sun turned it white and eat some of the ice crystals from the small icebergs. Sometimes it all comes down to timing.

Not everything ends as it seems

Waterfalls are all about water falling into a lake or pool right? Not always. As I was hiking in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, I noticed the water falling from the towering mountains, over rocks, under branches and when it reached the bottom, it completely disappeared into the rocks. I was told it does eventually reach the lake, but just in underground streams. You know, we can still reach our destination, but some of our path might be hidden from view.

To the Maori, the Aoraki is a sacred mountain. It is linked to creation and the nature of reality and meaningful life. For me, I believe we all should strive to live a meaningful life. If you bow your head, then let it be to a lofty mountain. Let it be also to your goals and dreams.

Tweetable: This is what eating an iceberg taught @CatrionaPollard in her trip to NZ http://bit.ly/1PC6LVa

Overcoming self-limiting beliefs and the expert’s dilemma

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We’ve all done it. Questioned our expertise and believed we weren’t worthy of putting our opinion forward, or standing up to be counted.

It’s what I refer to as the Expert’s Dilemma; it goes something like:

Your head is buzzing with a lot of great information yet no obvious way to package it into a clear and compelling message that attracts the clients, networks and media attention you’d like.
You’re often confounded when you see your competitors in the media, even though they probably know less than you about the topic, and yet, there they are.
It sometimes feels like getting access to journalists and coveted speaking opportunities is some kind of “secret club” you don’t know the password to.

The problem is, these are self-limiting beliefs, and in reality they simply aren’t true.

The most important thing to remember is that self-limiting beliefs can only hold you back. By changing your perception of how you see yourself and embracing your expertise, you can make a difference in people’s lives and their businesses.

Personally, I have struggled for some time with calling myself an expert. It took the realisation that I have something to say which could help people and a decision to own my success before I could step into the spotlight.

So how do you overcome the Expert’s Dilemma?

Figuring out the Why

First thing’s first; you need to ask yourself why you are looking to build your profile as an expert. If it’s purely promotional, you will struggle to develop emotional connections with people.

The key is to be transparent and genuine, and really believe in yourself. People will only consider you as an expert if you believe in yourself.

Setting the Stage

After determining what you want to achieve from PR, the next stage is to define your personal brand. Personal branding is central to how people perceive you, so it’s important to pick your niche and stick to it to avoid confusing your audience.

Developing an elevator statement or pitch is an important part of personal branding that clearly explains your role as a thought leader. Not only are they an effective way of making great first impressions, but they can also lead to new business and customers.

Turn on the Spotlight

At stage three, you’re starting to shine. You’ve done your planning and it’s now time to illuminate your role as an expert and thought leader.

The first step is to create a personal website where you can promote yourself. A great website will not only increase your exposure online, but you will also gain more control over your online identity.

Blogging is another great tool to increase your profile and allow you to connect with your audience in an engaging way. Blogging takes time and effort, so be sure to do your research and consider your audience before taking to the keyboard. The key is to write often, and write well.

Another step to becoming a recognised expert is to network and build relationships with your audiences. Attend functions, connect with local businesses and make yourself known to anyone who’s interested.

Use the Media to Shine the Light

By stage 4, your role as an expert will start to take shape; you will start to use the media to share your expertise and reach the people that will influence your success.

Approaching journalists can be a daunting task, but the best way to get your story out there is to shape it in a way that’s attractive to the media. Journalists only pick up stories which they consider to be newsworthy, so it’s worth taking the time to create a great angle. Creating strong relationships with journalists, knowing the publications you’re pitching to, and sending it to the right inbox is also worthwhile.

Own The Light

The final stage of the transformation from unknown to expert is to step into the social media spotlight. Social media is a critical step in developing your profile as a thought leader, and it’s an essential tool that allows you to communicate directly with your audience.

Before jumping into the deep end, take a moment to think about your goals and what you want to achieve from social media. Having a goal will help you to determine which platforms will be the most effective for boosting your profile, and to manage your time online.

To read more about overcoming the expert’s dilemma and tools to over come it, grab a copy of my book From Unknown To Expert.

Here’s to seeing you in the spotlight.

It’s time to blossom and share your beauty with the world

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My sister gave me a card around 14 years ago when I started my business. I have it framed in my study. I notice it most mornings when I’m getting ready for my day. It reads:

“And the day came when the risk to remain a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin

She gave it to me as she knew that for me stepping out from a safe bankable career to start a business was what I desperately needed to do at the time, and at that moment the risk to remain a tight bud was more painful than the unknown of starting a business.

I think we have all experienced moments in our lives where the pain of remaining closed becomes too much.

Whether it’s finding our voice and stepping on stage, leaving that job that no longer serves you, picking up the phone to call a long lost friend, creating an online dating profile, starting the online business you’ve been dreaming of…

Whatever it is, as each petal loosens its grip on the bud, and you give the petals permission to open one by one, it releases new inspiration, insight and beauty.

The release of blossoming also leads to significant growth.

Do you need to allow the bud of potential to open – to bloom? Is it time to share your beauty with the world?

While it’s often fear that holds us back. Sometimes it’s complacency. Sometimes it’s simply exhaustion.

Staying as a bud we think we are protecting ourselves. Tightly wrapped, cocooned from the unknown. But staying safe is an illusion. It’s like saying chaos doesn’t exist. It’s everywhere. Staying safe is what hurts the most.

So opening to your potential is about moving from unknown to expert, it’s about letting the world know you have something to say. If you don’t bloom you miss out on sharing your beauty with the world. You miss your purpose.

So today is your day to unfold. Release the bud of hope and desire and make your dreams come true. And remember, you are truly beautiful.

I don’t believe self-promotion is a dirty word…and here’s why

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Throughout my career one thing that has always struck me is how the idea of putting yourself forward can be incredibly uncomfortable and confronting.

Calling yourself an expert can make people squirm in their seat and they don’t want to be seen as having ‘tickets on themselves’.

Whether it’s a fear of putting yourself forward or not wanting to be seen as bragging, the idea that promoting yourself is a bad thing is at odds with the reality that people are looking for thought leaders and role models.

I genuinely believe the world would be a better place if more people shared their ideas, opinions and expertise. But this requires more people to step forward and share their stories with the purpose of helping others.

I have certainly struggled to own the ‘word’ expert. I’ve asked myself at various times, “Do I really know more about the next person when it comes to PR and social media? Do I know enough to really be an expert?”

Here’s my advice for anyone who is ready to share their expertise:

‘Be’ the expert

Shake off those self-limiting beliefs like: Do I know enough? Do I know more than the next person? Am I really an expert? We all have stories, experiences and knowledge that will help others in some way. We have all experienced situations through our lives that should be shared because others will benefit from it.

Find your stories

When you start telling your stories and sharing your expertise to help people you will be amazed with the emotional connection that you start building with people.

Your stories can be personal stories, professional stories or stories that let people know who you are, what you do and what you stand for.

Tell the world

PR and social media are great vehicles for telling your story and reaching out to people, like your customers. They can be used to build your profile, reputation and credibility.

When you are well recognised as an expert in your field, your target audience, key organisations and the media take notice of you.

Naturally this can lead to more sales, more paid speaking opportunities, more referrals and opportunities you never even dreamed of start falling into your lap.

Get my BRAND new book and fast track your journey from unknown to a recognised expert and thought leader! From Unknown To Expert: How to use clever PR and social media to become a recognised expert is available at www.unknowntoexpert.com

How the word ‘YES’ can open up opportunities you never even dreamed of

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On a ranch outside of Austin Texas, I kicked up my heels and laughed my way through boot scootin’ dancing, rubbing shoulders with one of the most influential men in IT and presented to 150 influential female entrepreneurs from around the globe. How did I end up there? I said yes to every single speaking opportunity that came my way in the past few years.

I was asked to present in Texas at the exclusive DELL Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) annual conference where 150 hand-picked women from 12 countries forged new connections and inspired each other.

I have spoken for scones in regional Australia (how could I say no to the Country Women’s Association!), I have crawled out of bed at the crack of dawn to speak at breakfast events, I have run a workshop all day and then jumped in a taxi to go and key note at an evening event.

You name it, I’ve done it. There is a long way between speaking at the local chamber of commerce to being invited to speak at DELL’s Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) in Texas, but how I got there all comes back to thought leadership.

Two years ago I made the conscious decision to step into the spotlight and put myself forward as a PR and social media expert and speaker. Instead of only pitching my clients for publicity and speaking opportunities, I swallowed my natural introversion and added myself to that list.

How I got to Texas

I started by joining online and offline networking groups, where I was willing to share my expertise and original ideas. At the same time I put myself forward as a speaker and expert interviewee for the media.

These free speaking opportunities (including speaking at the CWA annual conference for free scones!) were the perfect way for me to gain confidence in my speaking skills and cut my teeth for the wider business speaking circuit.

While I have been blogging about public relations and social media at Public Relations Sydney since 2006, and I was an early adopter of the two social media networks that helped build thought leadership, Twitter and LinkedIn, I made a concerted effort to throw my media net much wider.

Backing my speaking opportunities up with media coverage on my expert topics meant my face and name became more familiar not only to prospective clients, but also event organisers looking for speakers.

Engage with your audience

Along the way I’ve picked some vital tips to help aspiring speakers. I originally found speaking in public nerve-wracking, but I’ve found I could calm my nerves if I knew the audience (demographics, level of knowledge on the topic and numbers) so I could tailor my presentation and have practiced as much as possible beforehand.

As my reputation and speaking testimonials grew, so did the opportunities that came my way.

Eventually I was invited to speak at bigger events, at times being paid for this expertise. And the invitation to speak at DWEN shows all my hard work has paid off. Not only did I get to speak to an international audience of switched-on women, but I also get to practice what I preach by sharing my knowledge on personal branding.

Here are a few of my tips help you get started with public speaking.

You don’t have to be a professional speaker

You don’t have to be a professional speaker to be able to present at events. Anyone with expert knowledge, the ability to speak clearly and with an engaging presence on stage can be a speaker.

If you feel you don’t have these qualities then you can get public speaking training from a number of organisations. When applying to speak at an event you will need to provide them with previous speaking experience. Start by attending small events to build up your experience and also your confidence.

Pick your area of expertise

Think about the area of expertise you want to build your profile in. This area is usually related to your profession to enable you to promote your business.

For example, if you work in a bank and look after small business banking then you could be an expert in small business banking. Keep in mind you need to have a high level of knowledge about your particular topic.

Where to speak

Think about the events you want to speak at and which events your target audience will attend. Choose events related to your area of expertise and events attended by potential customers.

Start by attending events as a guest to determine if they are appropriate to speak at. Also think about joining business or networking groups that have regular guest speakers. These organisations are usually happy to use their members before asking non-members.

When you start applying to present at an event you may not be accepted straight away but don’t give up. Keep trying and build up your speaking experience at small networking events.

Watch the video below to see me featured in the highlights of the 2014 DWEN conference in Austin, Texas.

Get my BRAND new book and fast track your journey from unknown to a recognised expert and thought leader! From Unknown To Expert: How to use clever PR and social media to become a recognised expert is available at www.unknowntoexpert.com