Writing One Book Doesn’t Make You an Instant Expert

Be mindful of who you grant authority to, especially in the online space.

The number of gurus, experts, and thought leaders is growing exponentially.

This exponential increase is partly thanks to ChatGPT and the book as a business card explosion.

Tons of people are banging out books (often with the help of ChatGPT) to establish their thought leadership, to the detriment of the actual content in the book.

There’s a tremendous focus on marketing over material; it’s all sizzle and no steak.

Before you grant authority to anyone, dive into their resume and understand what makes them a so-called expert.

Here are some of the things I look for:

✔️ Do they have a history/proven track record of what they purport to practice?

Less than 5 years of experience doesn’t cut it for me.

And one hit wonders are the emptiness suits of all.

✔️ Do they have some failures under their belt?

I don’t trust anyone who hasn’t fallen on their face at least a couple of times — it means they haven’t been at it long enough and haven’t challenged themselves enough.