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“If You’re an Expert, I’m Oprah Winfrey”
In the digital world, there’s TONS of ways to learn, but there is a pandemic of people claiming to be experts in various areas, and going on to teach faulty methods and give bad advice — And, of course, hurting people in the process. It just makes me CRAZY!
So, I have developed this: The ‘Discerning’ Litmus Test for Spotting Psuedo-Experts
1) Does this person have social credibility? Are they active and engaged in the digital world? Are they a “real person” or hiding behind a fake name? Are they actually successful in the field for which they
claim to be an expert? For example, does your potential “Social Media Expert” have more than five likes, one of whom is his mama, on his Facebook page? Don’t be afraid to check up on people. If they’ll lie
about who they are, they’ll lie about how they can help you.
2) Have they “faked” their reputations? There are a ton of ways to “buy” likes these days. Sock-likes and some others… people do this and get big numbers, meanwhile they don’t know JACK about JACK and they take
people’s money and give them nothing of value in return. You can tell if someone has purchased likes and followers by scrolling back through their list of followers and look for profile names made up of nothing but symbols, or people who speak languages that aren’t the same as the “expert” (Twitter) and by checking their engagement levels (Facebook). If someone has THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of likes/follows, but their news feeds get zero engagement, they’re probably not as awesome as they claim to be.
** Bonus Tip — DON’T buy follows. I’m not talking about getting likes through legit ads that target relevant
demographics, I’m talking about literally, “buy 20,000 followers for $39.99.” DO NOT DO IT, it’s algorithmic suicide. Engagement speaks way, way, way, way louder than numbers.
3) Are they adding value?
Has this person been putting out things that are of high value, useful, problem solving, uplifting, and generally helpful? Typically, expert-level knowledge comes out of a person on its own. If this person has genuinely given of themselves in service, and the other aforementioned boxes have been checked, you could be on the right path!
But, if they have never put out anything of value, I mean, for FREE, they might be full of it. If EVERYTHING they do is ‘pimp-ish’ and every other phrase is “pay me, pay me, pay me…” pump the brakes.
4) FINALLY – there’s no classy way to say this — most actual experts don’t call THEMSELVES experts. I mean, most people who are considered experts have been named as such by another verifiable source. They may
admit to having been coined an expert, but they, themselves, usually don’t jump up and down going “look at me, I am an expert!” If the only person who thinks they know everything is THEM, they’re probably not the one you’re looking for.
Good Luck — If you have questions, or you’ve been burned by a psuedo-expert, please comment and tell us your story!
In addition to pressing matters such as rent or payroll, there are a myriad of challenges facing modern entrepreneurs. For example, business owners should establish an online presence, both with a quality website and through social media. Building a website, managing profiles on Twitter and other sites, along with the day-to-day operations of a business can quickly become overwhelming. Burnout is a real possibility for the individuals vigorously pursuing the American dream, which is why it is important to get qualified and knowledgeable assistance.
Tweets, blogs, website design, copywriting, SEO–who has time for all of this on a day-to-day basis? Allow us to free you from these tasks, provide you with a quality product and allow you to focus on what you do best–communicating your passion to your customers.
Before giving up and settling for a less-than-fulfilling career, understand that living a purpose cannot always begin in the classified section. Instead of filling a position in someone else’s purpose, build a career with its foundation solidly formed upon your very own purpose. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners started out by searching to fulfill their own purposes, and what better way to live that purpose than to create the means to do so?
Now, get it down on paper (digitally or not). List all of the goals related to creating a purpose-filled business and then outline the steps necessary to get the ball rolling on your future success. Make sure you leave out the opportunity to procrastinate by including a timeline for each goal to be completed.
Unable to let go of any aspect of their businesses — even the unprofitable aspects — business hoarders hang on for dear life to even the most useless products, services and money-drains. Business hoarders are also less likely to succeed at growing a healthy and sustainable company.
If hoarding unprofitable business practices and products has run a startup into the ground, there is nothing left to do but start unloading the dead weight as quickly as possible. The results likely will not be immediate, but slimming down and reworking the business model can give a company the boost it needs to eventually overcome the ill-effects of business-practice hoarding.
Even with employees, freelancers and contractors, starting a business requires a commitment of time and resources. Even those who have been in the business world for years cannot escape the dedication that new startups require. For a secondary business, keep it simple.
The secondary business is not only to help solve a problem or meet an unmet need but to also help one reach a personal goal. Completely depleting any previously accumulated wealth to start a smaller, sidebusiness will not necessarily produce a desirable return on investment.
Instead of creating another business from the ground up, purchasing another already-established company can be a viable option. Buying out a supplier can increase income and introduce cost-saving measures at the same time.
Maintaining a productive and goal-oriented day might seem easy enough after hitting the first cup of coffee, but soon after reality usually hits and daily tasks and goals can take a nosedive. By the end of the day, to-do lists remain as long (or longer) as they were in the morning and many goals can still sit just out of reach.
Try listening to music with a quick beat or taking a quick walk around the street before settling in with the new and improved daily list. A bit of physical activity and some engaging music can be just the trick to help jump start motivation when it is noticeably lacking.
Are you living every day to its full potential? 
If you could be doing anything at all, what would it be? 
In many European countries, it is a standard practice to take a significant break in the afternoons. Despite the fact that they are working fewer hours, workers are still productive, effective and competitive. Research indicates that it is good for the brain to break from work in the middle of the day. During a lunch break, try intentionally giving yourself a mini-vacation by trying a few of the following:
Two hours in the middle of the day can rejuvenate the brain, provide the motivation to finish tasks and actually increase the amount of work that you can get done during the duration of your work day. A significant midday break may seem counterintuitive, but it could be the key to increasing personal productivity and that of your employees.