We all know someone who’s absolutely brilliant at what they do, right? They have deep knowledge, years of experience, and could solve problems that leave others scratching their heads.
But what drives me crazy is that most of these incredibly smart people barely earn six-figures and don’t receive the respect they deserve at work or in their industry.
It’s not because they’re not good enough. It’s because knowing your stuff and being recognized for it are two completely different games. Is that you? It used to be me.
In fact, during my short residence in a corporate structure, I had a supervisor say to me that she was promoting my colleague over me while she was on maternity leave because my colleague was going through a terrible divorce.
Unbelievable.
It didn’t matter that I worked on more difficult projects and produced amazing results! Thankfully, I went home to think and pray before I responded to that nonsense.
So You Are Smart. But It Isn’t Enough
ZipRecruiter reports that the average subject matter expert earns about $102,075 a year. The average solo business owner earns less than $50,000. And solopreneurs make up 80% of all companies in the US.
Are these statistics shocking? Despite all of the noise on social media, most subject matter experts and knowledge-preneurs are not millionaires living in mansions and taking fancy vacations.
We live in a knowledge economy where everyone claims to be an expert. Your LinkedIn feed is probably full of them. But being smart doesn’t automatically make you the person companies want to hire, events want to book, or brands want to partner with.
So, here’s what I want you to think about:
Are you actually booked? Is your calendar filled with high-paying clients and profitable speaking engagements? When’s the last time someone asked you to speak at their event? Are you showing up on podcasts that actually have a following?
Are you bankable? This one’s tough to face, but necessary. Do you have a high value offer for a high price? Do you pay for speaking engagements and awards or do people organically seek you out? Or are you still competing on price and hoping someone, anyone will buy?
Are you getting noticed? I don’t mean getting likes and vanity metrics on social media. I mean are the people who matter in your field reading your work? Are other experts citing you? Are decision-makers connecting with your ideas?
What the Thought Leaders Do Differently
The people who actually get recognized as experts, and get paid like it, have figured out three secrets. They’re not just brilliant. They’re also consistently expanding their reach, receiving recognition in their niche and they are building real authority around their expertise.
Think about it like this:
- Brilliant: They show up in their niche as a person who solves problems
- Booked: They have a steady stream of speaking gigs and media appearances
- Bankable: They have high-value offers and recurring revenue streams
When you nail all three, everything changes. Opportunities start coming to you. You vet potential partnerships instead of saying yes to every offer. Your expertise finally converts to more of what you want.
Remember, no one pays for brilliance sitting in isolation. However, when you’re booked and bankable, your ideas reach people and your offers connect with the right audience. Let me repeat, your business assets must connect with the right audience. Many knowledge-preneurs are merely guessing.
If you want to explore how to multiply your reach, recognition, and revenue without burning out or compromising your integrity, take a look at this webinar where I’ll show you:
- How to become a go-to name in your niche
- The real way to secure stages, podcasts, and media attention
- How to build profitable offers that feel natural to sell
Access the webinar here: https://zoom.us/rec/share/Fi59iPJi85J7yjEbTvoeGiyh4q37a5yiJp8npwymY0XEMlZV-6w81q30YOmDFs6c.8NL7TeEU9J0ayNUC
