Ask Diane: How Can I Establish Myself?

Real Entrepreneurs. Real Questions. Real Answers.

Question:

There is so much talk about establishing myself as an expert in my chosen line of work. How is that possible?

Answer:

I’ve heard it said that anyone who is from out of town who presents a lecture, is considered an expert.   Think about it, even Jesus had to leave his home town to gain the following and impact of his expertise.  Begin by eliminating the fears—no one has all the answers. Continue to develop your skills but use the ones you already have.

An expert is merely somebody with a great deal of knowledge about, or skill, training, or experience in, a particular field or activity.

You are an expert in a certain niche.  We all have areas of expertise that we think nothing about—solutions to a specific problem.

Let me give you an example from Tereson Dupuy, the founder of Fuzzibunz.com.

“I started my business when I was only 28 years old after my son Eden who suffered with chronic diaper rash needed a better solution for a diaper.  Not being one to shy away from a challenge I sought to not only fix his rash with a “cloth diaper” option but to tackle all of the things I found unsatisfactory with both disposable AND cloth diapers.

“I knew I could do better than the square pieces of cloth that were out there.  I am smart woman!  After initially fixing the rash problem I quickly sought to make this a business – however I never imagined how big this business or this industry for that matter would grow.  It is rare to NOW find a cloth diaper that does NOT have polar fleece incorporated into it somehow – I made that happen.  I started sewing diapers in my home and now we manufacturer in an industrial facility and provide products globally to parents all over the world. “

Think for a minute, what are you an expert in? How can you use that?

What unique experiences have you had that make you stand out?

Readers, what do you think? Have you established yourself as an expert in your field? How?

Need help surviving in the business world? Submit your entrepreneurial questions to Diane at diane@dianecunningham.com. Please note that all questions selected for public display may be edited for clarity and privacy and become the property of NACWE.