You won’t be surprised that I’m nudging you to finally start your podcast.

If you’re stalled in your own podcast, you’ve been debating for three years now whether to start one, or you’ve talked yourself out of starting one, but you feel like you could or should, take 20 minutes and listen.

This is everything I would’ve wanted to know before starting my podcast, why I started one, the few must-do’s, how to get moving on zero budget, and what a podcast will do for you.

Four years ago would’ve been the best time to start a podcast. But instead, what you’ve got in front of you is today.

And by the time you finish listening to this one, you’ll be ready to go.

Or you’ll remember the power of this medium and pick up a couple of new tips and tricks to make yours even better.

Make sure you get to the part about the Stir Test.

I can’t wait to hear what you think and what you’ll do next.

Julie Michelle Morris

I won’t mince words - tenacity is going to be crucial if you’re starting a community today.

There are a number of ways to monetize your thought leadership and expertise that are easier than starting a community.

You have to see it as a startup.

You probably need to love it so much, you’d do it for free, at least at the beginning.

But if you have runway to make it go, realistic numbers of a current audience to share the opportunity with, and hopefully you aren’t going it alone…. You can do it.

But don’t expect it will be easy, fun, of financially worthwhile at the get-go.

Hear why in this quick episode or cruise down the transcript.

(I wish there were a group of folks building community and networks to support each other - if you know of one, or want to convene us, let me know!)

Thanks for reading!

Julie Michelle Morris

I built our community diyinfluence.com on Circle. Love the platform, and they are constantly building to make it better.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.