Episode 19
The Authority Show
January 15, 2016 · Mike Murphy
Ep19: The Authority Show How to build authority as a content creator. Episode Summary: 1. How to overcome fear 2. Establish yourself as an authority
Episode Summary: Why hosting on your own platform beats renting space from a trendy one, how to overcome impostor syndrome, and why becoming an authority has nothing to do with knowing everything.
What You’ll Learn
- Why owning your RSS feed matters more than picking a trendy hosting platform
- How to define and start overcoming impostor syndrome
- The real definition of being an authority — it’s not about knowing everything
- Why teaching for free is the fastest path to establishing authority
Ask Mike Anything: Should You Host on SoundCloud?
Question (from Blab.im): Is SoundCloud recommended for hosting a podcast?
Answer: No. SoundCloud is genuinely well-designed as a user experience, and hosting there was considered early on — but the advice against it turned out to be right. Complete control over the RSS feed matters. As Scottish online buddy Kevin Scullion puts it: you don’t want to build your home on other people’s land. SoundCloud was also rumored to be in real financial trouble at the time, adding more reason not to take the chance — without feed control, migrating to a new host later could become a genuine hassle.
Recommendation, and what’s actually used: Libsyn for audio hosting, and Blubrry PowerPress to generate the feed through WordPress. Either company is a safe bet — $15/month for Libsyn.
1. How to Overcome Fear
It’s all about mindset. Impostor syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy, experienced internally as chronic self-doubt and feelings of intellectual fraudulence. Resources mentioned: Austin Kleon and Anne Lamott’s essay on “Shitty First Drafts”.
2. Become an Authority
“Try not to become a person of success. Rather become a person of value.” — Albert Einstein
Resource mentioned: Derek Sivers’s “What’s Obvious to You”.
To teach online: step out of your comfort zone and share what you know — give the knowledge away for free. Authority gets established when the focus shifts away from yourself and toward solving other people’s problems and offering real help. Creating content or solving even a small problem for someone is genuinely valuable.
Being an authority doesn’t mean knowing everything — remember that. John Lee Dumas of EOFire often references the legal definition of “expert”: simply knowing more than others in the room. Authority stems from helping others and knowing enough to solve real problems. The more you serve and engage, the more you’re perceived as an expert — and the more you create and practice your craft, the better you actually become.
It starts with a mindset shift, and develops the moment you start sharing your knowledge.
Music: “Life of Riley” & “Wallpaper” (incompetech.com).