Ever feel like you're doing all the right things with your personal brand but getting no real traction? In this solo episode, I break down why so many experts and leaders build brands that look good on the surface but lack real authority. The problem isn't your tactics; it's the order you're doing things in. Discover the three essential layers for building a brand from the inside out - one that builds deep trust and attracts the opportunities you deserve.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why focusing on tactics first is the biggest mistake you can make.
2. Layer 1: The Foundation - How to get clear on your leadership role, point of view, and identity.
3. Layer 2: The Bridge - How to translate your internal clarity into a powerful external message.
4. Layer 3: The Proof - The 7 signals the market looks for to confirm your authority.

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It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

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Ever felt like you're doing great work, but you're stuck in a sea of sameness? 😥 You're not alone. Many experts and founders struggle to stand out, feeling like they're constantly trying to convince new prospects of their value.

This week on ‘Building Your LeaderBrand’ I spoke with David Newman, author of "Market Eminence," about how to break free from this cycle. He shared a powerful approach to building a brand that's not just visible, but truly unmistakable.

It's not about being wacky or putting on a show. It's about amplifying who you already are to create a category of one.

✨ Here are a few things that really stood out for me:

✳️ Build an "Electromagnetic Fence". Your brand should act like a magnet. It should powerfully attract your ideal clients, partners, and talent while just as powerfully repelling the bad fits. Stop trying to appeal to everyone.

✳️ Find Your Contrarian Slant. What conventional wisdom in your field do you secretly think is wrong? What harsh truth are clients desperate for someone to finally say out loud? This is where your unique point of view lies, and it's the key to differentiation.

✳️ Stop Trying to Be Liked. As businesses grow, founders often start playing it safe. They try to "sound smart" and "be liked," which leads to blending in. David argues you need to let go of these instincts and embrace the scrappy, opinionated, and authentic voice you had when you started.

✨ Ready to take action? Here are three things David recommends you can do today:

👉 Define Your Point of View. Answer these questions:

❓What conventional wisdom in your field do you think is wrong?

❓ What harsh truth are clients desperate for someone to acknowledge?

❓ What strong opinion do you hold that would make insiders uncomfortable but resonates with ideal clients?

👉 Shift Your Content from "How-To" to "How-to-Think". In a world of AI, information is a commodity. Your value is in your perspective. Share frameworks, principles, and manifestos that change how your audience sees the world.

👉 Become a Trailblazer. Help your audience prepare for what's coming next. Share trends and future-cast to help them see around corners. This builds immense trust and positions you as a leader.

If you want a quick win, start with the contrarian exercise. It’s the simplest way to stop being generic and start being memorable.

More about David :

David's assessment : https://doitmarketing.com/quiz

Market Eminence Book : http://www.marketeminence.com/

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro — Why this episode matters

Why I invited David and what you’ll get from this conversation.

00:01:30 Guest intro — Meet David Newman & Market Eminence

Who David is, his Do It Marketing work, and the idea behind Market Eminence.

00:03:48 The problem — The “marketing monkey show”

Why doing more of the same marketing won’t get you unstuck.

00:08:42 Category of one — The Grateful Dead example

How being radically different creates a category of one, not a stunt.

00:11:42 The “electromagnetic fence” exercise

A practical workshop: list nightmare clients and hires to clarify who you repel and attract.

00:16:20 Authenticity vs attention stunts

Why being distinct is about revealing who you already are, not putting on a show.

00:22:25 Contrarian slant — 3 prompts to find your opinion

David’s three questions to surface the contrarian views that will make you memorable.

00:30:35 Founder identity — the bell curve and reclaiming your voice

How leaders lose their edge and how to bring back the scrappy identity that scales.

00:35:31 Short-term memory & relationships

Why reappearing in people’s short-term memory matters more than chasing new leads.

00:37:14 Three practical things to do today (David’s closing)

...

It's a situation many of us face-the moment success is no longer enough. You might be in a career crisis, feeling unfulfilled despite your achievements, or leading a business that has lost its direction. This is what my guest, Ingo Rauth, calls the "purpose turn."

For experts and entrepreneurs, whose identities are so closely tied to our work, this moment can be unsettling. We often scramble for the next project or opportunity without pausing to ask the most important question: What do I truly want?

In this conversation, Ingo and I explore how to navigate these critical transitions. We discuss why looking inward to understand your core values is the essential first step before looking outward for opportunities.

Here are three key areas we explored:

🧭 Needs vs. Values: We often chase external desires like money or a specific job title, which are driven by immediate needs. Ingo explains that our core values are the lenses through which we see the world. Understanding them acts as a compass, guiding us to opportunities that are truly aligned with who we are and providing a sustainable source of energy.

🎢 The Emotional Journey of Change: A career transition is an identity shift, and it often follows a path similar to the grieving process, including a "valley of despair." Recognising that this is a normal, scientifically-studied process helps you navigate the uncertainty with more grace and emerge faster.

🔥 Alignment, Energy, and Flow: When you align what you do with your core values and strengths, work stops feeling like work. This alignment creates a powerful, self-sustaining cycle of energy and motivation, allowing you to tackle even the difficult parts of business without burning out.

Here are three actions you can take after listening:

1. Map Your Values: Take 15 minutes to list the people, companies, or brands you are drawn to. Next to each one, write down what you value about them. You'll start to see a pattern that reveals your own core values.
2. Speak Your Truth: Start sharing your thoughts and feelings about your career path with someone you trust. Voicing your truth helps build the confidence and clarity needed to detach from an identity that no longer fits.
3. Find Your Sounding Board: Whether it's a coach, a therapist, or a mentor, find someone who can give you the space to explore your thoughts without judgment. As Ingo says, you need to hear yourself speak your truth to make it real.

If you're reading this and nodding along, that feeling of being stuck or at a crossroads is your signal. It’s the call to move from a career that simply looks right to one that truly feels right. This conversation is a roadmap for that journey. If you're ready to stop scrambling and start aligning, this episode is your first step.

More about Ingo : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingorauth/

Podcast Chapters:

[00:01:45] - What is the 'Purpose Turn'?

[00:04:11] - Starting with the Crisis Moment

[00:05:28] - Why 'Money' is the First Answer (and Why It's Wrong)

[00:07:06] - A Framework for Finding Yourself: Core Values

[00:11:36] - An Exercise: What Do You Value in the Companies You Admire?

[00:13:25] - The Tension Between Needs and Values

[00:17:01] - Your Emotional Response is a Clue

[00:19:50] - When You're Unhappy but Not in Crisis

[00:22:23] - The Next Step: Living Your Truth Out Loud

...

It's clear that the nature of change has changed. It’s no longer something we plan for; it's a constant state. For leaders and entrepreneurs, this can be a huge source of stress and fear.

If you've ever found yourself prioritising urgent but unimportant tasks over strategic projects, you'll know what I mean.

In this episode, I'm joined by Grace Marshall, a productivity expert who specialises in navigating fear and change. We explore why we often avoid the important work and how to manage the underlying fears that drive our behaviours.

Here are a few of the key areas we discussed:

✳️ High-Functioning Fear: We explored how fear often masquerades as productivity or strategic high performance. Grace breaks down the four common fear responses-fight, flight, freeze, and fawn-and explains how they manifest in the workplace.

✳️ Leadership in the Modern Workplace: We discussed the shift from traditional command-and-control leadership to a more collaborative and trust-based model, especially in remote and hybrid environments.

✳️ The Power of Naming Your Fears: A key theme was the importance of surfacing and acknowledging fear. When we name our fears, they lose their power over us and can become a point of connection rather than isolation.

Here are three actions you can take, inspired by my conversation with Grace:

👉 Practise the Pause: Before your next meal, take 10 deep, slow breaths. This is a powerful way to build moments of intentional pause into a busy day.

👉 Notice Your Fear Signals: Pay attention to how fear shows up for you. Do you speak faster, avoid certain tasks, or find yourself saying "yes" too often? Recognising your personal patterns is the first step to managing them.

👉 Explore Grace's Work: If you want to dive deeper, check out Grace's book, "Struggle," and listen to her podcast, "What the Fear."

Find out more about Grace and her work here : https://gracemarshall.com/

----

Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

----

Subscribe to my Youtube!!

Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentle

Join the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : www.amplifyme.agency/insiders

Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.

As we head into the homestretch of 2025, I'm taking a moment to reflect on the year and, more importantly, look ahead to what's next. In this solo episode, it's just you and me. No guests, just a straightforward conversation about how to make 2026 your best year yet.

I've been thinking about the phrase: "You can't get second-gear results with first-gear strategies." But I believe the flip side is even more critical for most of us: you can't succeed in first gear if you're trying to use third-gear strategies. We see complex funnels and multi-platform approaches and think we need to do it all now. The result? Overwhelm.

This episode is about mastering the fundamentals-the "first gear" work that truly powers your journey. I break down the six practical steps that form the foundation for creating your own reality and making your goals not just possible, but probable.

Here are the six steps I cover for mastering your "first gear" in 2026:

🎯 Clarity: You can't hit a target you can't see. It's about getting specific on what you truly want, not just what sounds good. The future responds to focus, not fog.

⚡ Energy: Where your attention goes, your energy flows. This is about purposeful engagement and investing your focus in the things you say you want to achieve.

🔥 Necessity: Desire gets you started, but necessity gets you across the finish line. Your goal has to shift from a "nice-to-have" to a non-negotiable part of your identity.

🚀 Productivity: This is the action part of the equation. It’s about creating, shipping the work, and moving your dream from an idea in your head to a tangible thing in the world.

🤝 Influence: Big dreams are rarely a solo mission. This is about building genuine relationships, a strong reputation, and a support system that opens doors you never knew existed.

🦁 Courage: This is the final leap. It’s not the absence of fear but moving forward despite it because your mission has become more important than your comfort.

I hope this gives you a practical framework to think about your goals for the year ahead. I'd love to know which of these steps you're focusing on for 2026. Reach out and let me know.

(00:00) Introduction: Why You Need First-Gear Strategies for 2026

Bob sets the stage for the year ahead, explaining why trying to use advanced, "third-gear" strategies can lead to overwhelm and why mastering the fundamentals is the key to real progress.

(05:17) Step 1: Clarity - The Future Responds to Focus

The first and most critical step. Learn why vague goals like "be successful" don't work and how getting specific gives you a clear target to aim for.

(06:28) Step 2: Energy - Where Your Attention Goes, Reality Follows

This step is about directing your focus. It's not about hustle, but about purposeful engagement and investing your energy in the things you truly want.

(09:04) Step 3: Necessity - Moving from 'Nice-to-Have' to Non-Negotiable

Desire gets you started, but necessity gets you across the finish line. This is where your goal becomes a core part of your identity, making excuses irrelevant.

(10:32) Step 4: Productivity - The Action Part of the Law of Attraction

You can't just visualize success; you have to create it. This section covers the importance of output, shipping the work, and turning ideas into tangible reality.

(11:57) Step 5: Influence - Building Your Support System

Big dreams are rarely a solo mission. Learn how to build genuine relationships and a strong network that will open doors and support your journey.

(13:23) Step 6: Courage - The Leap Beyond Your Comfort Zone

The final step is about taking the leap. Courage isn't the...

If you've ever felt stuck or that some invisible force is holding you and your business back, this episode is for you. It's easy to blame external factors like technology or strategy, but more often than not, the real barriers are internal. Fear is a powerful force that can keep us from reaching our full potential, often in ways we don't even recognize.

In this conversation with Mark Franklin, author of "The Four Fears of Business Ownership," we get to the heart of what's really stopping you. We explore the common fears that show up for almost every entrepreneur and discuss how to move past them, not by ignoring them, but by understanding and embracing them.

Here are a few key things we explored:

The Four "Surface" Fears 👹: We break down the four most common fears that hold business owners back: perfectionism ("I'm not ready"), imposter syndrome ("I'm not good enough"), overwhelm ("I don't have time"), and the fear of failure.

Your Internal "Thermostat" 🌡️: We discuss the idea that we all have a subconscious comfort zone or "thermostat" that dictates the level of success we allow ourselves to achieve. Pushing past this setting is key to growth.

The Power of "What Do You Really Want?" ✨: Mark shares the two simple but powerful questions he asks every client to cut through the noise and connect with their deepest motivations, making it easier to take brave action.

To help you start exploring this for yourself, here are three actions you can take:

✍️ Journal with intention: At the end of each day, write down three things that went well or made you happy. It shifts your brain into a more positive mode.

🏃‍♂️ Move your body: Even a 15-minute walk or workout can help clear your head and reset the mental noise.

🫂 Explore "Havening": Look into this simple self-soothing technique of gentle touch to calm your brain and disarm historic limiting beliefs.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify Chapters:

(00:00) - The Two Most Important Questions for Clarity

(01:59) - Meet Mark Franklin: The Four Fears Guy

(03:26) - What Are The Four Fears of Business Ownership?

(09:44) - Why Business Owners Are on a "Quest"

(16:13) - The Alchemist's Metaphor for Personal Growth

(20:48) - Moving from "Small" Fears to "Big" Fears

(27:26) - How to Start Exploring Your Own Fears

(31:47) - Practical Tools for Building Self-Awareness

(37:28) - What Does an Amazing Client Look Like?

(39:22) - How to Connect with Mark

----

Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

----

Subscribe to my Youtube!!

Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentle

Join the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : www.amplifyme.agency/insiders

Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.

If you're an expert, consultant, or coach trying to explain what you do, you've probably experienced that sinking feeling when someone's eyes glaze over mid-conversation. You know your work matters, but somehow the message isn't landing. This episode tackles one of the most critical skills for building your personal brand: the ability to communicate your expertise in a way that actually connects.

Brian Miller, founder of a message design firm, joins me to break down how smart people can explain their big ideas to the rest of us. We explore why traditional presentation skills training often fails, how to design speeches that do the heavy lifting for you, and why your next keynote shouldn't try to teach everything you know.

Three Key Areas We Discussed:

🎯 The Audience-First Principle - Brian introduces the AFA (Audience First, Always) framework and explains why most experts lose their audience in the first three lines. We dig into the four ways to build a compelling premise: wants, problems, beliefs, and fears.

🎤 The One Page Keynote Method - Forget charisma training and presentation skills workshops. Brian reveals why great speeches matter more than great speakers, and how his framework treats keynotes as a sequence of questions the audience is already asking.

📝 Structure vs. Improvisation - We tackle the controversial question of how much you should script your talks. Brian's take? You need a plan, and "being authentic" isn't an excuse for winging it.

Three Actions You Can Take:

✅ Create Your Filter Framework - Before any communication (keynote, email, networking conversation), write one sentence: "For [audience] to achieve [impact] via [action]." This becomes your filter for what belongs in your message and what doesn't.

🤔 Practice Curiosity Over Interest - When someone talks about something you don't care about, ask yourself: "Why do they care about this?" This shift creates genuine connection and opens doors to unexpected relationships.

💬 Embrace Radical Responsibility - Adopt Brian's mantra: "Everything can be said clearly." When people don't understand you, it's not because they're not smart enough. It's because you haven't found the right way to explain it yet.

https://keynotedesignbook.scoreapp.com/

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Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

----

Subscribe to my Youtube!!

Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentle

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Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.

In this episode, we dive into the world of personal branding and career development with Andy Storch, who has just published his new book, "Own Your Brand, Own Your Career," co-authored with Mike Kim.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, or professional, understanding how to build and leverage your personal brand is crucial for success. Andy shares insights on how to navigate the complexities of personal branding, the importance of authenticity, and the role of content creation in career advancement.

Key Takeaways:

📈 Personal Branding as a Career Tool:

Discover how personal branding can elevate your career by making you a known quantity within your organization and industry.

📝 Content Creation Strategies: Learn safe and effective ways to start creating content that aligns with your career goals and personal brand.

🤝 The Power of Networking: Understand the importance of building relationships and how walking the floor, both physically and virtually, can accelerate your career growth.

Actions You Can Take:

🔍 Define Your Brand: Reflect on what you want to be known for and ensure your actions align with this vision.

✍️ Start Creating Content: Share insights from books, articles, or podcasts you consume to establish yourself as a thought leader.

🌐 Engage with Your Network: Regularly connect with colleagues and industry leaders to build a strong professional network.

✳️ Get the book : https://amzn.to/4pzEG3w

✳️ Andy's Website : https://andystorch.com/

----

Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

----

Subscribe to my Youtube!!

Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentle

Join the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : www.amplifyme.agency/insiders

Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.