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Episode 139: Why Your Offline Credibility Isn't Translating Online

• Dr. Angelina Davis • Season 4 • Episode 139

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Respected in real life, but hearing crickets online? The credibility gap between offline success and online impact is real and can be hard to navigate.

This episode unpacks why your hard-earned reputation isn't automatically translating to digital spaces and, more importantly, how to fix that without burning out or starting over. The truth? Your success offline operates in a different world from your online presence. Credentials that opened doors in your career don't carry the same weight in the digital landscape without strategic positioning.

Let's transform your online presence and turn your reputation into digital success. Tune in now. Your next opportunity is just a click away!


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Ready to identify the gaps preventing your genius from being recognized? Click here to take the quiz to discover your next steps toward unshakeable credibility that generates consistent demand without the hustle.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let me guess You're respected in real life. Your clients love you and your name carries weight Whenever you walk in the room. Things are going well when you're networking and you're meeting new people and you are able to sell yourself when you have a seat at the table. But when it comes to showing up online and trying to attract a bigger or more expansive audience, that can be a little bit more difficult. As a matter of fact, it can often sound like crickets. I get it, I know, I've been there, and one of the things that I do realize is that your success offline doesn't necessarily translate online, at least not easily and without intention. So today we're going to unpack why the credibility you've built already isn't translating into consistent demand and how we actually fix that without burning out, without being beholden to the algorithm gods, and definitely without starting over, because nine times out of 10, you don't need to do that. We're going to talk about the real reason why many of us, as seasoned consultants, tend to plateau, and how we can better engineer our platforms to find the right people who need our help. They say the odds are stacked against us as women, especially women of color, trying to thrive in the consulting world. But rather than wait for a seat at the table that may never come, what if we build our own tables? What if we channeled our talents into guiding each other towards the success we deserve?

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Black Girls Consulting Podcast. I'm your host, dr Angelina Davis, and I've walked the path from healthcare consultant to a mentor. For women like you, ambitious, unstoppable and ready to make waves in the consulting world, this podcast is your go-to spot for all things entrepreneurial consulting. For us as women, especially women of color, think of it as your weekly coffee date with a friend who's here to dish out real talk on building a solid business, elevating your thought leadership and mastering that all-important mindset. And let's not forget, we're doing all of this while balancing day jobs, family life and running teams. Yes, we can do it all. So if you're ready to dive into how you can grow a thriving consultancy or get strategies and insights that actually fit your busy lifestyle, then you're in the right place. Grab your coffee, tea or hey, even a glass of wine, I won't judge and let's get started. Hi, my name is Dr Angelina Davis and I'm the host of the Black Girls Consulting Podcast, and on this podcast, we are focused on not just surviving in the consulting industry, but actually thriving in this space and reshaping it all together. So if you have been trying to figure out how you shift from just being emotion to having meaningful growth online, then this is the episode for you, because there is a definite difference between being busy and booked and being booked by the right clients who actually value everything that you have to offer. So today, no cold pitches. We're not focused on being on a content treadmill, so don't worry about any of that being the case. We're looking for clarity, traction and things that allow you to have sustainable growth. All right, so let's get started Now.

Speaker 1:

If I hear that one more expert tells you to just do more, I think I might scream. One of the reasons is because you're already doing enough. You don't need to keep doing more, especially if it's not working the way that you thought it would. Doing more, putting in more effort there's something to be said for that. It does help when you have a situation where things are already working in your favor. So if your efforts as you are online is translating into more clients and people really resonating with you and you're growing and building a highly engaged audience and community, if all of those things are working, then, yes, do more so that you can increase the visibility that you have. But if those things have not landed yet, doing more is not going to help. You have to first gain traction. And I think that's where we mess up as consultants, because we're often seeking the volume, the doing more and, to be honest, it's often because it feels good, it feels more productive, to be able to do more. When we are taking more action and when we're go-getters and we're making progress by checking things off our to-do list, it feels as if we have accomplished a lot and although we've been in motion, it doesn't mean that we've taken the types of action that are actually moving us along, moving us further down that path, because that is the difference between taking action and actually gaining traction.

Speaker 1:

If I was to just lean on some of the writings from Gino Wickman in his book Traction, you'll find that in his framework he talks a lot about how traction is really the combination of you putting together the right vision with the right people and the data and the processes that help you to grow. So it's not just about one aspect or one thing, such as visibility, but it is the alignment of all those things together that helps you to gain the traction that you need, that helps the business to grow. So when we think about our growth, we have to think about it in the same way. It's not about doing more. That is a myth that if you just do more you're going to succeed, and so, yes, doing more has its place, but in terms of you gaining traction and growing the business and getting it truly to a point where it's sustainable, it's going to take more than just doing more, especially if those efforts are not already aligned and working. You have to begin to think about what are those things that people resonate with, that they're going to respond to, that they are going to listen to, because, in all honesty, the market is very noisy and if we are just doing more to create more noise in the space, then no one hears anything.

Speaker 1:

So it has to be about building a reputation that stands on its own and, unfortunately, the reputation that we had offline in our careers or maybe in networking circles and in places where we're able to sell ourselves in front of people that doesn't always translate online, and if it doesn't translate online, then we have to build it. I like to think of it as two different worlds. So when you're in the offline space, in your career or maybe in a setting where you're not as concerned about your presence online, that's one world and you may have mastered that world tremendously well, but that world and its credibility does not translate into this new world where we're online, where everybody has their own platform. If you're going to have a space in this new world online that matches the world that you had offline, then you have to actually bridge that gap. There needs to be something that allows you to carry the credibility that you had offline into the online space, and what often happens with us as consultants is that we think that it's going to be our credentials that's going to allow us to transport that credibility from one world to the other, and that's not true. The credentials don't carry the same weight as they did, maybe in the offline space or maybe in a career where there was more context around the credentials that you had.

Speaker 1:

So if you are building in this new world, then you have to also design your business to succeed in that new world. Business to succeed in that new world, you need to create an ecosystem that lives and breathes on its own in this online space, because that's how you're going to build the credibility that you need to gain traction. It's about why should people listen to you? Why do they want to seek your help? Why are you the person that they want to work with. That all has to be strategically built in this new world, in this new space.

Speaker 1:

Online, it's a totally different approach to gaining credibility. So the myth of just be visible we need to put that out of our minds and toss it aside, because more is not the answer. Instead, gaining traction, being able to create a level of credibility that stands on its own in this new space, is going to be the answer to us growing the business to the level that we desire. When we talk about gaining credibility online, a lot of this is tied to differentiation. So how do we stand out in this really noisy space? Because what we're trying to do is take everything that we've accomplished offline or in our careers and hope that translate into this new world and this online space. That means that we have to find a way to stand out, and with such a noisy market, that can be difficult to do if you are not different. So one of the key components of building credibility is differentiation. That's one of the reasons why outside of just making it easier for you when you start that many people choose a niche. Because if you begin to niche down, you're working with a smaller group of people that recognize your value and you're able to build and gain traction faster. So that's one of the reasons why niching down works so well.

Speaker 1:

Now, when we get to this point where we're already have the credibility and we're trying to allow that credibility to translate in different setting, then what we have to do is not just niche down, but go a lot deeper, and I like to call this your MVP specialization. So this is that deep expertise that you have as a consultant that helps you to stand out. That is what's going to translate into your value in the market. And when you think about this, it's not just about learning and knowing more. That's one of the reasons why often, when I'm talking to clients and they're thinking about potentially getting another degree or another certification, I always ask them well, why do you want to do that?

Speaker 1:

It's not that it's a bad idea, but if you're doing it for the sole purpose of building credibility, then that's unnecessary in most instances, because what's going to build the credibility is not just the knowledge. It's not just someone vouching for the fact that you went through a program or you have been exposed to a certain level of material. What is going to build the credibility is what you live through. That's actually your fingerprint in this industry. It's tying that knowledge that you gained together with your lived experience and that is what creates the lens that you see through, how you interpret challenges in your industry, the way that you solve problems.

Speaker 1:

And so when you're thinking about credibility and building that credibility and developing resonance in your space, you have to lean on the things that make you you. What have you experienced as you have navigated challenges within your space that you can offer to clients? Those are the things that help you to stand out. That's what's going to help you build the credibility that you need, just like you built in your career or offline. That is what's going to help you bridge those two worlds. So I want you to ask yourself what have you been trusted with that others may not fully understand? Usually, if you think hard enough, that's going to cue you into where you can specialize more deeply where people have gone to you about a problem or looking for a solution where they have not been able to find that, help with others. That is part of your deep MVP specialization and many times we can find this if we look and try to find a through line in our work.

Speaker 1:

So, looking back on your experiences in life, looking back on your career, looking back on your education, where are you able to connect the dots together so that that helps you to perform at a higher level? Those are all the components that you want to pull together to offer to your industry. That specialization, that deeper knowledge that you have, that lived experience, that being in the trenches that you've done, that is what makes you stand out and that's what builds the credibility that you need so that you become the go-to in your space. And this is often hard for us to do because it requires us to be comfortable with sharing a different perspective, a different way of looking at the world, and that's a little nerve-wracking, it can feel a little bit scary to do. But if you understand that this is the central component of you being able to stand out and how you're able to build greater credibility in your space so that you are the go-to expert, then you understand its value and it becomes easier and easier for you to push yourself to do, because that's often just what we need. We need to understand why it's valuable and then have the why behind it so that we know how we need to move forward and why we need to take these actions. So this is what we need to focus on MVP specialization Making your specialized approach the MVP of your business, and whether you are offline or online, it translates because you become known for the one thing that others cannot do.

Speaker 1:

This is the key to you being able to bridge the two worlds, and when that message is clear, when you're able to communicate that clearly to each and every person that you work with, then that builds the reputation that you need to generate demand over time so that you're not solely relying on referrals. People know you because they know you from the credibility that you've built, and you've built that through sharing a lot of what it has taken for you to get to where you are now. It's what you've lived through. That is life, part of the most valuable piece of your positioning. Why am I harping on this? Why does all of this matter?

Speaker 1:

If we were to name it plainly, consulting still is a very masculine space. It's a hyper masculine industry, meaning that typically the loudest voice in the room often gets the deal, all because it was presented by someone that fit the traditional norm. And for us as women, especially as women of color, that can create a huge obstacle to get over at times, because the industry still demands that we prove ourselves, whereas others, who may be mediocre in terms of the work that they do, because they fit the norm of the industry, the traditional norm, then they get the benefit of the doubt. This is one of the main reasons why us building credibility strategically matters. You've been in those rooms before. You have been in spaces where your expertise has been second-guessed and questioned until someone else validates it. I often think, sometimes, in my personal opinion, I think that's why I have sought out many credentials and degrees over time, because I was always looking for the external validation, not because I needed it, but because I felt other people needed it in order for me to achieve the position that I wanted to achieve or get.

Speaker 1:

We don't have to rely on those traditional systems any longer. Yes, it looks different, but there are other options and everything that you experienced before being closed out of rooms or being second-guessed or feeling as if somehow your expertise was not as valid as others. You weren't imagining that and you weren't alone. But positioning is how we begin to take our power back, being able to create a certain level of credibility in our industry and position ourselves effectively to capture and capitalize on the demand that exists. To capture and capitalize on the demand that exists those are the things that will allow us to not just win one contract or two, but to build sustainable businesses that last over time, because positioning, although it does not fix bias, it does help us to lead with more clarity. Us to lead with more clarity, to be bolder, to really command respect in any room that we walk into.

Speaker 1:

So if I was to speak to you, woman to woman, sister to sister, in this moment, I really want you to focus on not just what you know to be the traditional consultant version of you, not just what you know to be the traditional consultant version of you. I want you to honestly lean into those things that are going to create unshakable credibility in your space, that are going to help you stand out and really catapult your business far beyond what you might have ever imagined. Because if you are used to being the strategist behind the scenes or doing the thankless work. It's time for you to be acknowledged for the excellence that you provide and the work that you do For us. Credibility is not optional. Building strategically is not optional.

Speaker 1:

The online space, for us, can be an asset, a business asset that allows us to market at a fraction of the cost. That helps us to put our thought leadership in the world without having to sell and pitch endlessly. It helps you to show up on your own stage instead of waiting for the invite to come. This is the opportunity to begin to level the playing field and utilize this online space as another tool. So, if this episode resonated with you, I want you to stop grinding, stop trying to do more and instead focus on the things that allow you to build greater credibility in your space.

Speaker 1:

And if you are interested in figuring out what that might be, where the gaps might lie in your business, for why people don't see your genius, why people are not seeing your credibility translate offline to online, for you to identify the gaps that may exist, then I have a quiz that you can take. I'm going to leave it in the description and just hop right in and figure out for yourself where those gaps exist and then, when you're ready to refine your platform from the inside out, we can work together. We can talk about how you design your authority, because when you do that strategically, then you sharpen your specialization and you build a business that reflects your brilliance and it stands out and succeeds in your market. You've done enough grinding, you have done enough hustling. It is time for you to gain traction. You deserve the business that you want. You deserve that business to not just exist, but for it to sustain you, to reflect you in who you are and, most importantly, for it to reward you. So thanks for listening and until next time, keep being brilliant, keep being you. All right, guys, we'll talk soon.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Console 2 podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to leave your review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe and share it with a friend. We're on a mission to increase the success and longevity of women in consulting, and you can help us do just that. Also, I'd love to hear from you. So let's connect at Dr Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and don't forget to visit excelatconsultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey. Until next time, keep breaking glass ceiling, all right, take care.

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Dr. Angelina Davis

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