How To: Thought Leadership

Julie Michelle Morris
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How To: Thought Leadership

Develop your voice, find your audience, and build your business. It's my journey, too - let's do this. juliemichellemorris.substack.com

  1. JAN 20

    Thought Leadership for Revenue: Start Here to Go Fast

    I know you want a crystal clear plan and strategy for thought leadership, for your next move, for the rest of your working life. I decided 15 years ago that I was not going to stay in corporate, and I wanted to build my own thing. I was very pregnant, it was a hot August in Texas, and I said to myself, I will never clock in again. Now, of course we do this in client work technically, but you get my point :-) I knew I was going to make building my consultancy work. I was determined to make it work. I focused my effort and energy to make it work. And I did. And I will continue to do so, even as I pivot to what the market needs today. And I believe you can, too. I want to shortcut your journey for you today with key things to stop and start, after being a thought leadership partner to founders and seeing who wins and who flounders. STOP: STOP doing the things that divide your time and dilute your efforts. My friend, you who are building, working, serving with your very sweat and blood, hear me, because this is where most of you will fail: This is the number one reason people fail at both endeavors? Two mild efforts when a single focused YOU is required. Especially when cash is scarce, in a difficult job market, or where it’s easier to hire the younger and cheaper, and hours are only so many. If you’re pulled in two directions, significant time, brain space, emotional energy is devoted to seeking a role while also trying to build a consultancy. I almost never see this work. It’s not until you put all your effort in one direction that you see results. For example, you need what - five clients after you’ve ended work in corporate? Get those first - then you can spend time finding a role. I share more on this in this episode. START: START believing. What matters most is your focus and your (mostly) unwavering determination that you will make this work. You will. Not you might or you hope. You will. If it’s time you put your CRO or CMO hat on, start here. Write the thought leadership that you can use in business development. Send it with a note to your potential clients today. Will it take 100 notes to nail a single client? That doesn’t mean your idea doesn’t have merit. Keep your hands loose around your idea’s execution. Your future, your freedom are worth it. START owning your time (numbers below), and focusing on the things that will put proverbial (or literal) food on the table. START your thought leadership. Thought leadership - influencing, leading, serving is going to solve your revenue and business challenges - give it the attention it requires. Listen now to the #1 message to write about in your thought leadership for revenue on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the listen widget. (note, this podcast goes live 10 mins after this newsletter sends - listen via the widget at the top for instant gratification!) BY THE NUMBERS: 10% of your time right now is teaching, writing, speaking, informing, influencing, both inside and outside your organization. Let’s go!! Julie Michelle Morris Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe to How To: Thought Leadership. How to work with me: * Influence Accelerator (Quarterly intensive that starts Wednesday, Jan 22nd, with one seat remaining for this group). Learn more. * Your Personal CMO: A six-month program to build out your personal marketing. I step in as your personal CMO, and guide you on your positioning, customer journey, thought leadership, email list, video, podcast, and more, so you stand out and have a solid marketing process. Great for consultants, authors, and founders. Book a call with me to see if this would serve you. * Thought Leadership for BusinessI collaborate with your CMO or CRO to tackle demand generation, pipeline, and revenue goals using compelling, trust-building thought leadership. Projects include executive thought leadership, fractional content strategy, brand ambassador programs, and more. Highly technical fields are a specialty. Book a call with me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    11 min
  2. Only listen if you're curious about DIY Influence, a network & community for thought leadership.

    12/31/2024

    Only listen if you're curious about DIY Influence, a network & community for thought leadership.

    I believe thought leadership isn’t about showing off—it’s about showing up. It’s about sharing what you’ve learned, owning your expertise, and building something meaningful that serves others. But here’s the problem: For so many people, the idea of “thought leadership” feels vague - at best. Where do you start? What do you say? How do you find the time? And how do you cut through the noise without burning out, or feeling like you’re just showing off? The challenge is that most of us are trying to figure it out alone. We read articles, watch videos, and attend webinars, but the steps still feel unclear. And with everything else on your plate, it’s easy to push this work to “someday.” That’s why we started DIY Influence, a space where thought leadership feels achievable. It’s built for people who are ready to grow, but need structure, guidance, and a community to lean on. I know how hard it can be to take that first step. I’m a thought leadership trainer, and have seen so many brilliant, talented people hold back their ideas because they felt they had to do it perfectly. DIY Influence is a space where you can learn, grow, and take action with experts who have your back. With the right tools, the right people, and the right plan, you’ll find your voice and see how much it resonates. Our Focused Learning in 2025 * January: 2025 Thought Leadership Framework * February: Personal Brand * March: Thought Leadership; AI * April: Monetization: Thought Leadership-driven Business * May: Speaking as Personal PR * June: Strategic Networking & Referrals * July: Video Content Creation * August: Monetization: Sales and Conversion * September: Podcasting * October: Thought Leadership; AI * November: Personal Branding * December: Monetization: Thought Leadership Business Models A preview of the resources in our library: Using AI in Thought Leadership - A Checklist. Key Dates: Onboarding begins this Friday, January 3rd at 2pm ET, and membership closes for the quarter on January 5. If you’re ready to stop waiting for “someday” and start building your influence now, we’d love to welcome you in DIY Influence - a network, an academy, a community. Explore Membership Options Let’s make 2025 the year your thought leadership takes off. Questions? DM me via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemichellemorris or reply if you’re reading on Substack. Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts: And stay tuned for tomorrow’s podcast - the biggest reasons our thought leadership goes nowhere and what to do about it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    19 min
  3. Part 2: 2025 Thought Leadership Strategy for Revenue and Impact

    12/19/2024

    Part 2: 2025 Thought Leadership Strategy for Revenue and Impact

    We've been tiptoeing around thought leadership for years - churning out safe, generic content while hoping to reach revenue and impact goals. (And now AI is doing the same thing, but significantly faster.) Whether you're building your own visibility, or curious about thought leadership for your organization, here are three factors that will make your insights land effectively in 2025! This is Part 2 of this mini-series on your thought leadership strategy for revenue and impact. (And if your thought leadership didn’t drive the return you hoped it would in 2024, this is for you!) Factor 1: It’s Anticipatory This is the least sexy one, but here's why thought leadership often falls flat: We're playing it safe. We stick to what's right in front of us, what's comfortable, what everyone else is talking about. Want to stand out? Thought leadership leads. It points a way forward. It says, "This is where our industry needs to go, and here's why." Yes, it feels edgy. Yes, it's brave. And AI can't do it - this has to come from YOUR expertise and unique perspective. Factor 2: It’s Intentional Everything you put out there needs to have a purpose. Your audience should instantly know if something's for them or not. If you serve everyone, you are high level, generic, and serve no one. Help them self-select in or out for faster sales cycles, greater impact, and bonus - more fun for you! Because if it’s not fun (if you’re doing this on your own), it’s not going to get done. The service you offer is a commodity without YOU. The only real differentiator is your brain. Your insights. Your unique take on things. That's what sets you apart, whether you're writing for yourself or your company. Waste no time in 2025: * Spread thin and trying to do all the platforms * Being inconsistent in your writing and speaking, * Feeling nervous about getting started. This is where you need to be. Factor 3 will be tackled in our next episode. Making these insights fit within 20 min podcasts is our goal! Listen on Apple Podcasts Work with me: 1: Thought Leadership for Founders and Consultants Join my Influence Accelerator: A 4 week ‘all you need, nothing you don’t’ thought leadership course designed for revenue and impact, kicking off January 22, 2025. Our learnings building thought leadership brands with hundreds of people to shave years off your journey. If you want to:- Learn from people living it out,- Be a speaker, write a book, and visibility is crucial, - Grow from being a quiet, head-down leader and know it’s time to be seen, This is for you. 7 spots remain - secure yours now at this link. 2: Thought Leadership for Business Leading brands in your space are leveraging ambassador programs employees and ghostwriting thought leadership for their executives. Why? It’s a headwind that takes marketing and sales messaging and uses them as levers, because without people to carry the torch for your brand, the marketing goes slower and the sales cycles take longer. Book a call with me to discuss our 6 month program to build and execute this program for your organization. We specialize in cybersecurity and technical brands. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    16 min
  4. Part 1: 2025 Thought Leadership Strategy for Revenue and Impact

    11/15/2024

    Part 1: 2025 Thought Leadership Strategy for Revenue and Impact

    Episode Description Thought leadership isn’t what it used to be. The market is crowded, AI is everywhere, and people are overwhelmed by messages. If you’re trying to grow your audience, make an impact, or build a business leveraging thought leadership, your ability to focus and stand out are key! If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to start or to make a bigger move, it’s now. Whether you’re in stealth and building quietly, or just unsure how to begin, this episode will show you how to cut through the noise and shine in 2025. I’ll share how I’m adapting my approach and how you can, too. You’ll learn: • Why standing out in 2025 requires a different strategy. • How to make your messaging sharper and more impactful. • A practical 3x3 framework to connect with your ideal audience. The market may be tougher, but if you’re ready to get dirt under your nails, you’re going to make it happen. Lets DO THIS! How I made this episode. All on my phone in one day: * Recorded in the car after kiddo drop off. * Recorded using Apple wired headphones into voice recorder on iPhone. * Took that voice recording and uploaded it to free converter WAV to MP4. * Downloaded as a MP4 file (video file so I could edit more easily). * CapCut for video editing to trim repetition and blank space (paid subscription) * Exported video from CapCut, then uploaded it to Adobe Enhance v2. (Paid subscription) * Uploaded file to converter program to change from MP4 to MP3 (audio) * Uploaded to Otter.ai app to get transcription (Paid subscription) * Then copied transcript to ChatGPT (Paid subscription) * Fussed for 20 mins at Chat for episode description. * Opened Substack on mobile browser (can’t upload a podcast on their mobile app). Created new podcast episode with audio file, ChatGPT description, and hit publish. How would you adjust this process? It’s a bit much! But I’m already super grateful to hear great feedback on this episode - at the end of the day, completely worth it and would do it again, but the process is a little messy. Sponsor This episode is brought to you by DIY Influence, a community designed to help you master thought leadership and market yourself effectively. Join weekly sessions, connect with others, and get the support you need for just $79/month, only through year end. Lock in your rate now, and enjoy a complimentary week pass: DIYInfluence.com Let’s get started! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    12 min
  5. My super simple podcast process (6 mins)

    10/15/2024

    My super simple podcast process (6 mins)

    If you’re reading this, it’s probably your responsibility to get your thought leadership done and out the door. It’s not an easy burden. It’s time-consuming and a whole extra part-time job. But the value of being top of mind is everything if you’re working to build something new or be known in your field. Here’s what I do to get my podcast out the door in this season, and why it’s so important to do it! The tools: Substack (podcast host and email newsletter - on the same platform! 👏) CapCut (I use the mobile app. Also an app on desktop. download the desktop app, their browser app doesn’t work quite as well) ChatGPT (it’s my favorite helpdesk tool - if you’re stuck in an app and can’t find something. Or ask for help creating the podcast process you’ll use. Example, “ChatGPT, I have my iPhone and an hour in my kids parking lot. How can I get a podcast out the door if I’m hosting my podcast on Substack?” Or, “ChatGPT, I don’t know what a podcast host is. What is it and do I need it if I’m starting a podcast?”) Are you podcasting? Deliberating about starting yours? I’d love to hear about it. DM me on LinkedIn or reply to this email if reading via Substack and share! LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juliemichellemorris This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    6 min
  6. Monetizing Your Expertise in Consulting? 'Creative' Drains Cash. You Need YESes and Champions (7 mins)

    10/12/2024

    Monetizing Your Expertise in Consulting? 'Creative' Drains Cash. You Need YESes and Champions (7 mins)

    This podcast is sponsored by DIY Influence, where leaders learn to become thought leaders in a supportive learning community. Check it out with a free week pass. Thought leadership opens doors, but overly creative services close them. This podcast guides ex-corporate consultants on how to use thought leadership to attract clients while offering familiar, easy-to-understand services they can immediately say yes to. Learn to balance innovative ideas with practical, marketable offerings to monetize your expertise and build a sustainable consulting business quickly. The reason people come to thought leadership is not just to make an impact. Often, they're kind of dying inside, having lived a life in corporate. You walk out with a little runway, some severance. Hooray! That runway won’t last, though. But now, monetizing your subject matter expertise and thought leadership is on you. You've got big ideas, but when you're first starting out, we need to think differently. Take that innovative thought and bucket it into something familiar. Clients need to say, "Oh, that's exactly what we need." Thought leadership is your bridge, anchoring an exchange of value. But right now, you need wins. For the initial term, until we have our feet under us, we need to back off being creative in the name of putting food on the table. Be pragmatic about what people can say yes to. They have to go to bat for you, after all. It's time to package that expertise so people can't overlook you. Balance your big ideas with practical, marketable services. That's how you'll build a sustainable consultancy and truly make an impact. Keep that thought leadership going strong, too. If you do, you’ll know what to say, how to say it, why you're here. About me: Julie Michelle Morris helps leaders become thought leaders, and drags the genius out of organizations and their leaders across cybersecurity, philanthropy, social good, policy, for-profit including Center for Internet Security, World Economic Forum, Asset Funders Network, UC San Diego, along with founders, authors, speakers, and consultants from across the globe. Julie speaks on developing your visibility toward service at scale, monetizing your expertise, and the how-to of thought leadership. Her podcast, 'How To: Thought Leadership' shares tactics of personal PR and growing your audience for experts who need to market themselves. Julie is mom to two amazing daughters and wife to a financial analyst turned YouTube woodworker. LinkedIn | Reply to this note and I’ll send a link to my calendar for an intro call. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    7 min
  7. Newsletters: Too many out there to start yours? (12 mins)

    10/06/2024

    Newsletters: Too many out there to start yours? (12 mins)

    Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on Substack! Quick episode to get you moving for the week ahead: Are there too many people in the market already with a newsletter? Is there any space for yours? We're going to wrestle with that idea for a few. There are reasons to be nervous right now. The biggest ones are because of us and our guts. The biggest ones are because of us and the fact that we're not moving. Don't worry about the market. Worry about the actions you're taking today. Do you need a newsletter? Do you want a newsletter? What does it do for you? I'm going to talk about this kickoff for Inbox Influence, but as always, I am all about DIY. So if you need to conserve cash, You need to do it on your own. Don't let that stop you. More than anything else you're going to hear me say, like always, you're not going to figure it out till you've started. You're not going to see the benefits till you're down the road, but don't delay don't put this off. Learn how to navigate a saturated marketing environment by identifying your unique value proposition and effectively communicating with your target audience. Gain insights on creating impactful content, selecting the right email marketing platform, and setting up your first newsletter. Join our Inbox Influence masterclass if you need this figured out, stat. Thanks so much for tuning in to How To: Thought Leadership! (first episode published after moving to Substack from Buzzsprout! Let’s roll!) Read more about why to start a newsletter. 00:00 Identifying Marketing Saturation 00:46 Unique Value Proposition 02:03 Building a Body of Work 04:42 Defining Your Target Audience 06:14 Addressing Client Problems 07:28 Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform About me: Grab time on my calendar for an intro call or with questions. Happy to help. Julie Michelle Morris helps leaders become thought leaders, and drags the genius out of organizations and their leaders across cybersecurity, philanthropy, social good, policy, for-profit including Center for Internet Security, World Economic Forum, Asset Funders Network, UC San Diego, along with founders, authors, speakers, and consultants from across the globe. Julie speaks on developing your visibility toward service at scale, monetizing your expertise, and the how-to of thought leadership. She hosts high-profile conversations on her podcast, 'How To: Thought Leadership'. Based in Dallas, Texas, Julie graduated from California State University of Long Beach with a Bachelors in Economics and studied Accounting at the University of California, San Diego, and is mom to two amazing daughters and wife to a financial analyst turned YouTube woodworker. LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    13 min
  8. If what's stopping you is YOU - The Confidence Edit with Yann Dang

    10/27/2023

    If what's stopping you is YOU - The Confidence Edit with Yann Dang

    If you're looking for a podcast on thought leadership, often, you're facing a pivot.  A layoff. A big change ahead.  And you know that thought leadership is a powerful tool to wield in that endeavor. But there's still some challenges that make you feel stuck: Fear.  You don't know if you should bet on YOU. Meet Yann Dang, a finance leader turned executive and life coach. She helps women in male dominated spaces build lasting confidence. With over 20 years of experience as a finance leader in corporate America, Yann has been the only woman in the room, the youngest, the one breaking barriers and defying the odds. Julie's big takeaway: I'm a brain nerd. I loved Yann's approach to fear, that while it is a challenge, it's important to give it a listen - it may just need some calming down. Then you can move on, rather than ignoring what you're hearing! Doing so with a trained guide will expedite the process. GIFT TO HOW TO: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP LISTENERS! Yann is generously gifting a 90-min session with our podcast listeners!  While space is available, book your spot! https://calendly.com/yanndang/coaching-consultation LIVE SESSION: For members of the network Chief, join Yann on Friday Oct 28th from 1-2pm EST for Navigating Workplace Conflict Confidently: Transforming Tensions into Triumph: https://members.chief.com/meetups/S0Xl0hv9s3 1vkikp5wSy0dDGhuC0JX Follow Yann Dang: Website: aspire-coaching.co Email: connect@aspire-coaching.co LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yanndang/ Instagram: instagram.com/aspirecoaching_yann/ Stop waiting for recognition - It's time to recognize yourself. Learn how to build your audience at DIYInfluence.com Follow Julie Michelle Morris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juliemichellemorris/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliemichellemorris.substack.com

    31 min
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About

Develop your voice, find your audience, and build your business. It's my journey, too - let's do this. juliemichellemorris.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Julie Michelle Morris
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Julie Michelle Morris
  • Show Website
    How To: Thought Leadership

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