[00:00:00] Speaker A: You can find me live right now on Facebook in my coaching cocktails and conversations group LinkedIn clubhouse, of course, where we have all of the live conversations, YouTube, and of course, to my coaching cocktails and conversations podcast community. Just want to say, hey, welcome to.
[00:00:17] Speaker B: Coaching cocktails and conversations with Lolita E. Walker, the podcast that coaches you up while meeting you exactly where you are. Grab your water, tea or something stronger and allow this podcast to help you feel the power in your paws. Come on in and join the conversation.
[00:00:38] Speaker C: Let's go.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: Hey, everybody. Hey. I am Lolita E. Walker. I'm a certified life leadership and executive coach. I'm a power speaker, author, podcaster, mommy, you name it. We all have all of the titles. I come to you and I bring you what I love to call a half an hour of pure power. So we have a half an hour, and I just want to lean in to this notion of thought leadership. Now, last week, if you remember, we talked about how navigating thoughts can increase your leadership. And I gave you this amazing acronym, and I've heard from some of you all. Let me tell you about the coolest thing that happened to me this week is that somebody who listens in all of the time sent me their list of all of the acronyms, the tips, the strategies that they've used over time. And I thought it was the coolest thing. So to go back and to look at those, not only just to look at those, but to recognize that there are some strategies that folks take away right here, is to remember that there's power in our voice. So today I want to talk to you about how to elevate yourself as a thought leader. And I'm going back to an acronym of thoughts. Okay. And here's the thing, is that last week we talked about this acronym of thoughts, but it's not the same thoughts that I want to leave you with. It's not the same acronym. We're going to shift a little bit because there's so many different strategies. And as a certified professional coach, I want to leave you with a couple of things that I work with my clients on, but I also want to shake you up just a little bit so that we can make sure that as we close out this year and enter into the next, that we are reminded that we are thought leaders. I want you to think about that. Like, am I a thought leader? Well, you know, I'm all about definitions to make sure that we ground ourselves in an absolute right way. And so I chatted with my best friend Google this morning. And thought leadership, as explained in a definition, is this right here. So on my screen if you're watching in, but I want you to listen intently. If you're not, I hope you have your coaching cocktails and conversations notebook, your journal right beside of you. But thought leadership is this expression of your unique ideas and perspectives. Why? Because it showcases your expertise. And I want to underline that word, expertise. You are an expert somewhere in a field, in an industry, because you possess a skill set of knowledge. And so this thought leadership, the thought leadership, is the expression of these unique ideas and perspectives that showcases that expertise. Okay. So then when we think about the person, the individual, who is the thought leader within this thought leadership, stay with me now is it's this individual. Imagine it's you who possesses this specialized information. You're recognized by others in your industry. I'm going to underline, as an authority, what do people come to you for on a consistent basis? Where does your expertise lie? This thought leader, this individual who is likely you, is also sought after for guidance. What are people coming to you for? To help guide them. And then they're also known for sharing insights and knowledge. They're known for that. So when you think about insert your name, what do people come to you for and what are you known as? What are you the expert in? What are you driving new innovation and thoughts in? What are you speaking about? And so today I want to challenge you to really lean in on who you are and what you bring to the table. Whether it is that you are an entrepreneur or working inside of corporate America or a student, whatever it is that you're doing or working from home, I want you to think about what is it that I am the expert in? And good morning. Marianne Upsen. Good morning. Good morning. Who is on LinkedIn today? We're talking about navigating your thought leadership and showing up in this thought leadership. Today's topic is how to elevate yourself as a thought leader. And we started off with this definition of thought leadership, these unique ideas and perspectives that showcases this expertise within a certain area or industry. And then we talked about you as a thought leader. Individually, we're at the individual level who specializes in that field. You're recognized by others as an authority. You're sought after for guidance, and you're known for sharing insights and knowledge. What are you known for? So I want to take a pause right here and for anybody who is live and wants to give your name and just say, what is it that I am? Who am I as a thought leader? What space am I in? And one, are people coming to you as an authority? Are you sought after for guidance and known for sharing insight and knowledge?
[00:05:36] Speaker C: I hear somebody off my this is Sandra.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: Hey, Sandra.
[00:05:40] Speaker C: This week, you stopped me in my tracks, honestly. So I love what you're making us do and how you're guiding us from 2023 into 2024, because honestly, I'm tired of people asking me for things. And then I realize I'm still always trying to get things together. But I must be the expert in something because my phone never stops ringing. So I'm actually going to take my pause at the end of 2023 so that I can really elevate my business and move forward as a business consultant, because I share all the information that I have, all the resources. But I'm realizing that it can be draining sometimes and that we really need to just take a pause as we take inventory and make sure that we're doing the right thing that fits for us as well as for our community. So thank you for bringing this to Light.
[00:06:29] Speaker A: Oh, absolutely. And I love that it has sparked you in a certain kind of way, because, Sandra, I know what people come to you for, but what I'd love for you to do, and I know it feels scary and on the spot, is, what are people coming to you for?
[00:06:42] Speaker C: Well, people always ask me if I can help them with their business. They want to ask if I have some administrative skills or if I know people that can help them as far as with project management, as well as they think I have a great voice. So they're like, I just need you to do my voicemail system because I have a little bit of technical skills as well. But I realized that that is what people are paid for. They paid to be a Voice. Thank the clubhouse because you shared that Information with me. And also, it's a great opportunity to make some money to grow my income, and that's what I really need to do.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: I love that Sandra, that is amazing, because when I think of Sandra and I think it's so important that as you all work with people or think about your own thought leadership, it's also what I always say is, what are the strengths that you have? And if you don't know, then ask someone. So I'm going to take the opportunity to gift back to Sandra what I see in her, in the expertise. What Sandra is very good at is organization. Sandra can organize your Life in a way that is like no other. Then she actually follows up. So she talked about administrative things, but Sandra sees the small details that sometimes you're not able to get through. And her follow through on that is impeccable. And so I see what Sandra sees, and that's why people go to her for those things. So what I want to challenge you all with is really thinking about the thought leader that is Inside of you, remembering that this is an IndiVidual who is you, who we're talking about right now, who specializes in a specific areA, because you're recognized by others in the industry, either as an authority, you're sought after of guidance, and you're known for sharing your insight and knowledge inside of that field. And so I want to leave you with some strategies today to really lean into this thought leader that is within you because we're going to be kicking off 2024 with a different type of way. Okay. I love this. Hey, jy. She says such a critical topic, and thank you for covering. I absolutely love that. So let's get into this so you all can make sure that you're pulling some things away. All right. The first thing we want to do, you want to find the thought leader in you because you're already doing the work. The first thing you want to do is target your expertise. You want to identify where that niche is and become an expert in that area. You got to build your credibility and your influence inside of that space because thought leadership, remember, the definition is you've got to be the authority. You've got to be the one that people are coming to for this critical information, and people got to know that. So first you need to tailor it on in, hone it on in, target your expertise, identify what your niche is, and then become an expert. How are you going to do that? We're going to tap into all of the places. You're going to get the training necessary, because now you know what people are coming to you for. Now you're going to train in that thing. You're going to get certified in that thing, and you're going to build your credibility and your influence.
Next, what we want to do is we want to hone in on what our unique voice is. Remember, we are honing in on the leader, the thought leader that's within us, the expertise that already is within us. And now we're targeting our expertise. We're actually saying it out loud. We are practicing that piece right there, and now we're honing in on our unique voice. We are developing this distinctive voice that's setting us apart from all others. When I think about certified professional coaches, there's a million of them out there. But what makes me unique? Well, I'm giving you soul work. Each and every time you show up, I'm holding you accountable. I'm walking you down this road because likely I've been through it or I've coached people into the success that's on the other side of that.
What's powerful about me speaking? Well, I'm also adding some soul work and some coaching. There's this unique mix that I'm able to do when I come to a table to speak. How am I? You got to know what it is that you bring to the table and be able to articulate what sets you apart. So you want to make your ideas and your perspective memorable.
I can call out people's names now and say, what makes you memorable to me. What makes you memorable? What makes Lolita memorable? When I walk into a room, why do people call on me? Why am I a thought leader inside of the space? I'm challenging you to think differently about what you bring to the table because today what we're thinking about is thought leadership. Today what we're thinking about is how to hone in on who it is you are as your thought leader. So you can walk, talk and behave differently as you usher into the new year and close out this one right here.
Next, I want you to think about how to optimize your personal branding. And that's what Sandra was talking a little bit about right there. You want to leverage your personal branding to enhance your thought leadership. You want to use the platforms that's available to you to increase your brand awareness. When I look you up, what am I seeing? Maybe you're just starting to build, but now that I know your niche, then when I go there, I want to see your niche pop alive. I want to be able to look at your feed and be able to deduce what it is you do without having to read a number of different comments. I want to be able to feel that power because now I'm going to you for that guidance. When you come to Lolita, you're coming to Lolita for motivation, inspiration. You're coming to Lolita to help you to navigate from where you are to where you're going. You're coming to Lolita because there's power in my voice and you're able to take away some actionable things that's going to relate to your business and help soar you beyond because I'm going to push you to action. You're coming to Lolita because you want me to speak and give power to your audience to help shake them up a little bit and then get them toward the vision of where it is that you will have them to go.
If you know those things and you know for me that I'm giving you power by way of soul work, by way of helping you to remember the power of who it is that you are. And jar that a little bit, then you should see that in all of the platforms that you go to. For me, you should know that coaching, cocktails, and conversations, I say the same thing all of the time. Why? Because you're optimizing your branding. Coaching is what it's leaving you with a couple nuggets to challenge your thinking. Cocktails is what. It's not about what you're sipping on. It's more about celebrating the greatness of who it is that you are and what you show up in. We're celebrating, Sandra, for articulating that. Guess what? Something you are saying is gracing me with the remembrance that I am a thought leader. And so, as I usher into 2024, I'm really looking at my strengths, and I'm saying, guess what? Business consulting is where it is. And I want to really be inside of that organization and administrative space because I thrive in that space. That's my expertise. That's what people are coming to me for. That's what they're seeking guidance for. That's what they're asking me to give to them. And I recognize that there's power in it. I'm good in it, and I'm optimizing my branding to ensure that when people look for me, they're going to see that you see how it all links together.
I hope so.
Next. What you want to do is that you want to understand your audience. All right? You have already identified what your niche is. You already are starting to build some credibility and influence because you're doing the work. You're already honing in on what your unique voice is that sets you apart for everyone else, and now you're optimizing your personal branding. Okay? Now you want to understand who your audience is, which is important, so that now you can tell your audience to resonate with them. You want to acknowledge what their needs are. You want to acknowledge what their aspirations are and talk about how you can fill the gap, the deficit that they have, how you can help to bridge where they are to where they're going. Why? Because you're clear on what your unique perspective is.
Because now you have credibility inside of that space. Now you have certifications. Now you've taken the time to arm yourself with what is needed so that you don't shake their life in the wrong direction. I can talk about coaching and why I believe that you should absolutely have a certification in coaching before you start working with people. I know there's some people out there that feel differently, but what I want to tell you is when you coach people, you have the power to shift their lives. And if you don't take the time to understand how your words have power and what some unique techniques are and get certified in that practice, then you honestly can shape someone in a way that might not be building them for where they're going, building them with tools, with strategies. You got to think about for your business, for where it is you're going, for your expertise. As you lay and sit inside of these meetings that you're going to, what is it that you're bringing to the table, and how can you become an expert in that? By gearing up the tools that you need in order to strengthen that thing.
Next, what we want to do, because we're given steps and strategies today, is that we want to go beyond platforms. We want to go beyond platforms by expanding our reach. So sometimes we come in and talk with a live audience, and that's amazing because when you talk, you could feel the power of it. But where else are you going? There's diverse social platforms, right? There's Facebook that I'm on right now. There's LinkedIn that I'm on right now. There's YouTube that I'm on right now. But there's so many other platforms. There's so many friends and connections and linkages that, guess what? You can grab this person and be speaking at this event. You can go to this community event and show up inside of your expertise.
You can put on community events. You can have a webinar like stars. Tina is talking about going to Honduras and doing a retreat. Inside of her expertise, you can start building those things so that you are always sitting inside the power of what you are a thought leader in. I want to help you to ensure that when I say your name, when you say your name, you're clear on what people are coming to you for and you're building that thing. So we're going beyond our platforms next. We're going to harness our networking opportunities. Okay. Because now that we're going beyond our platforms, we actually got to tell people about the things that we're doing. Remember, if you're just now getting here, we're talking about thought leadership and how to elevate your thought leadership, how to elevate you as a thought leader within this space of thought leadership. And so another thing that you want to do is harness your networking opportunities. Yes. You want to actively network with other thought leaders inside of the space.
It's not about necessarily competing against them. You want to network with other thought leaders because it could bring you some thoughts in how you're going to elevate and stand apart. What if you're doing the exact same thing as everybody else? You got to shake it up a little bit and find that niche. That's where we first started talking, collaborating, cross pollinating your ideas, staying relevant, and inside of your expertise, you want to do those things. It's so important that people not only see you on these individual platforms, but that inside of your space, inside of the speakers bureau, if you're a speaker inside of that space, people can say your name and say, oh, you know, I've heard. I've heard her speak before, and I think she was pretty powerful. And as a matter of fact, when I'm sitting at the table, somebody might say, I'd love for Lolita to be here because I actually know she's inside of this network, and I happened to meet her in Bali when she was speaking somewhere else.
You want to be able to do that. And so networking is so super important, especially within your field. In other thought leaders, within your space, you're always actively growing. And so you want to remember that you are always a forever student. You're a forever student as you continue to coach, inspire, educate others along the way. Thought leadership is about you offering unique perspectives inside of your industry. But in order to do that, you also have to be tapping in, researching, learning more, getting certifications, making sure that you are always leaning in on a core and the foundation of what you are. A thought leader in that space right there.
I hope this is challenging somebody today and being like, okay, as I look into next year, I can already see some of the things of what I want to do because I want to hone in on what I am leading the space that I am leading within.
And then finally, my last tidbit for you guys today, for some thoughts, is to track your impact. So now that you're doing all of these things, now it's important to track your input and your impact. So you want to monitor and measure your influence.
How can you do that? Well, depending on your industry, there's a number of different ways you can do that. How many clients have you helped this month?
Are you increasing?
Are people seeing impact from you? Are they shifting their lives? Are they making a change? Are they getting to their desired state? I'm talking in the realm of coaching, but are you adjusting your strategies based on your monitoring and your measuring?
If you're an author, how many books did you sell this month? What are your goals?
Are you leveraging your books with your clients? Are your books on par with the expertise in your thought leadership? How can you fuse all of the things that you're doing so that it can really strengthen your leadership in the thought area of where you are? So I love that inside of the comments on clubhouse, Travin said, track your impact, which is so important. It's something that she's taken away and I absolutely love. Hey, Regina, so good to see you as well. And so if you're just now getting here or if you're thinking about this, sometimes people tell me, Lolita, sometimes the stuff you talk about is so good and there's all of these nuggets. And sometimes I'm just pulling it all in. I'm just letting it sink into who it is that I am. And trying to grab the pieces is that I want to go over one more time. I only have about eight more minutes inside of our power, half an hour. But I want to remind you of the things that I'm challenging you with for this week as you continue to wrap up this year and move even into the first quarter. Because guess what? Our journey is continuous. Our journey is continuous. We check the box and we keep on going. We choose to go left, to go right, to go forward, to stay complacent or to go behind us. I say that all the time. We always find ourselves at an intersection of us in change. Not only is that the name of my first book, but I feel that surely we always find ourselves at an intersection of us and a change that is happening in our life. So what will you choose and where will you go? This question that I'm asking you today is what will you choose regarding your thought leadership? Regarding you and where will you go? How will you hone on this to elevate yourself as a thought leader? That's what we're talking about today. And when you pair what we talked about last week, it was about how navigating thoughts can increase your leadership. So just think about how this series is really shaping up. And so today, I reminded you up front that thought leadership, what is it? It's really the expression of these unique ideas and perspectives that you bring to your respective industry. Then you, as a thought leader is this individual that's really going to, that's specializing inside of this area that's recognized as an authority. We talked about ways that you could go about doing that. It's sought after for guidance. People are already asking you guys, it's sought after for guidance and then known for sharing their input. Are you known for sharing your impact and your input inside of that space? If not, you can get started today. That's what we're doing. Oh, hey, who was that? Did you want to say?
[00:22:28] Speaker D: I want to hop in. This is Trey.
[00:22:30] Speaker A: How are you doing?
[00:22:31] Speaker C: Lolita? Oh, my gosh.
[00:22:32] Speaker D: I'm over here. I'm like walking and trying to get out my earbuds and all the things. So. Oh, my gosh. You have touched on so many things that.
So you're validating for me that I need to pay more attention because just this morning, I'm going, you need to track how many people you give your services to that are effective, sis, I love all of this stuff, and I'm applying it. And you know, what I really love doing is affirmations that I create. I create one new one every day. I'm just on fire with you. Giving you a big hug, sis.
[00:23:05] Speaker A: Thank you. I love all of the energy and something you just said reminded me, and I posted it in clubhouse, and I'll do it inside of my other platforms. But I just posted my review, my review site for my podcast, because even if you haven't listened on any streaming platform, you're listening to me right now. This is going on the streaming platform. And so coaching, cocktails and conversations really is a movement. It's about arming you with the information that you need to challenge your thinking, celebrate who it is that you are, and have juicy conversations, whether it's with me or other people, because you're sharing all of the information. So what I posted at the top, at least in Clubhouse, is, and I'll post it other places it is. Httpsbits capital l lolita then capital r reviews. Lolita reviews. And so what I'm inviting you to do is if you've pulled out anything based on what I've said today, if it's shaking you in any type of way, based on anything that I've said over the course of you listening to me for these power half an hours, I invite you to click on that and leave a review because you are part of my coaching cocktails and conversations audience. You are beneficiaries of the amazing expertise that I bring to you each and every week. And so you click that link. I love that you just mentioned reviews, so click the link. I offer you the opportunity to do that and the direct link in order to do that. So I thank you guys for that. You could do that at Apple podcast if you're listening in right now. And again, I'm going to type it right here. It's HTTPs bit. Lee lolitareviews the L and the RR capitalized and thanks for anybody who's writing it in the chat. Well, I want to thank you guys so much. Thanks everybody who wrote in. I'll get back to you on the respective platforms, but I want to say thank you so much for always jumping in and the beauty of it is that you also give me feedback about impact. Thank you all for who writes to me and say, hey, can you talk about this topic this week? I'm really struggling with x, Y and Z. I want some help and how to move a little differently on this here. And don't forget, you can always call me for speaking engagements if you need a coach to help guide you. We are here for it all. So I want to say thanks so much and happy holidays everybody. I'm just so excited to just be inside of this season. It's very busy, to be honest, with wrapping up the year, but give yourself some grace to sit inside of the place so that we could shift differently as we move into 2024.
[00:25:35] Speaker B: All right guys, we have concluded yet another episode of coaching, cocktails and conversations, the podcast with Lolita E. Walker. Connect with
[email protected] for speaking, coaching and my books. The intersection of you and change. And can we talk letters and poems to reclaim a bolder you listen? Have you already grabbed your CCNC garb?
Yes, we are coming with tumblers, stimulus glasses, a journal, a hoodie, and don't forget the t shirt. We are leaning all the way in. We also know that coaching, cocktails and conversations is a movement. Not only is it paraphernalia, not only is it this powerful podcast that you have right here in this right now, but it is a Zoom cast. It is a coaching community. It is a Facebook group. It is a clubhouse group. Go ahead and lean into lolitawalker.com to see all things coaching, cocktails and conversations. And next time bring a friend. Invite them to like to share and to give that five star review. Cheers. I cannot wait to see you back around my kitchen table for coaching, cocktails and conversations, the podcast with Lolita E. Walker.
