Sharing your Expertise

It’s time to consider some of the ways in which you can cement your knowledge and expertise, either whilst you are in the process of training or obtaining a qualification (where relevant), or once you have finished.

Experience is going to give you a greater level of competency in your field, and with competence, we develop confidence. You’ll soon recognise this is vital, especially when it comes to being visible and marketing yourself as an expert.

Here are some suggested ways that you can share your expertise, particularly in the early stages of building your career in wellness:

Free group sessions – you might offer sessions to family and friends, offering either a physical practice or talking about your expertise in the form of a workshop or masterclass. These could be offered online or in-person, and will give you the opportunity to receive feedback, validation, and encouragement in a safe space.

Free one-on-one sessions – you might do the same as above but approach individuals (again, family and friends are a good place to start) to provide a more personalised experience.

Offer discounted sessions – as per the suggestions above, but instead of offering these for free, you might decide to offer them at a discounted price – especially as your confidence grows and you become sure of your value proposition.

Podcasts – why not put yourself forward as a guest on a podcast that focuses on your niche or area of expertise, so that you can practice speaking about your knowledge in a conversational way? Most podcast hosts are constantly on the lookout for guest experts, so why not put yourself forward rather than waiting to be asked?

Local radio or media outlets – in the same vein, you might reach out to a local radio station or newspaper and suggest some areas of expertise that you might be able to provide insight on. It might not be relevant to what they’re sharing right now, but there’s the possibility that something comes up in the future, and your name comes to mind!

Write a blog – why not get online and start a blog where you write about your passion, share your knowledge, and give insights into the benefits of your expertise? Some of the industry’s most widely recognised leaders in wellness began with a free blog.

Other options:

• Volunteer to guest writes on other people’s blogs by reaching out with some ideas on potential topics that you’re confident about.
• Volunteer your time with a more advanced expert in your field to shadow them in their day-to-day and get inside experience.
• Request an internship with a more advanced expert in your field – for the same reasons as above, but on a longer-term arrangement.
• If you’re already working a job, but in a different field, you might volunteer your service or expertise to colleagues to enhance the company’s corporate wellness offering.

Fundamentally, this stage is about proactively seeking out ways to publicly share your knowledge so that it becomes second nature, and so that you begin to build a reputation as a thought-leader in your field.

What do you think?

Which of these suggested actions could you take to get experience in your chosen field of expertise? What would you say the benefits might be for you in doing so? Are there any challenges that you foresee?