3 unconventional famous in your field lessons from Gabrielle Bernstein

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You could really hate Gabrielle Bernstein. Only 33 years old and she’s already published three books, including a New York Times bestseller. She’s been featured in more media outlets than you can count, including a multipage spreads in BusinessWeek and the New York Times Sunday Style Section.

Then there’s Oprah.

A few months ago, the Queen of All Media interviewed Bernstein for an hour on her show, Super Soul Sunday, anointing her a “next generation thought leader.”

But if you focused on the envy and excuses (“I don’t have a background in PR. I don’t live in New York.) you’d be overlooking the Big Business lessons Gabrielle Bernstein has for you.

Here are three:

1. You don’t have to create a new recipe, just add new ingredients (nod to Derek Halpern for that catchphrase.)

Namely, you. And your own brand of swagga.

Too many wanna be famous-in-your-fielders get stuck thinking that what they know is “obvious” or “just common sense” and not something others would pay for. Or that they need to learn more or create a process or dream an idea that’s entirely original to be fame-worthy.

That’s a big fat lie. And Gabby can prove it.

Bernstein didn’t create the core curriculum that she teaches in her courses and talks about in her lectures. And she isn’t even the first well-known spiritual leader to bring those exact concepts – A Course in Miracles – to the masses. (Wait, it gets even better – although she’s world famous for it, Marianne Williamson didn’t create ACIM either. But she did do something remarkable and valuable: she made it accessible to the masses through her books, talks and recordings.)

Gabrielle takes the ideas from A Course in Miracles and teaches them to her specific tribe in their language, so that they can improve their lives.

2. Be unapologetic.

About your message. About why your ideas, experience and expertise will help people and maybe even revolutionize your industry.

“I believe wholeheartedly and unapologetically that the message has to be spread far and wide.”

This bred-in-the-bones belief lets Gabby be shameless in promoting herself. She has utter confidence that her teachings help improve people’s lives.

Here’s the genius behind being unapologetic about your message or methodology: when you take the focus off promoting yourself and put it squarely  on what you’re teaching (the problem you solve), it becomes so much easier to grow an audience of fans.

Best of all, exercising your big belief in what you’re doing pays off in greenbacks, too. Bloomberg Businessweek quotes women’s business expert, Tory Johnson,

“Gabby is a hustler. She doesn’t sit back waiting for the world to discover her brilliance. Many of her competitors are more modest—and their bank accounts are leaner for it.”

Don’t wait for the world to discover your brilliance. Get out there and spread your message.

3. Bust those traditional business models. 

One more limiting factor in the leaders and experts world? Relying on traditional business models. I call it the “that’s how you have to do it” trap – proposals, charging by the hour, project-based, one-on-one services, etc. But you can absolutely break free and craft a bold new model.

Bernstein has so many streams of income, she can hardly keep track of them all.

Here’s a survey of what I found:

• Books
• Workbooks
• Speaking
• Yoga classes
• Group coaching
• Meditation albums
• Lecture videos and audios
• Audio courses
• Video courses
• iPhone apps

Be like Gabby! Go multimedia and multiple streams of income. Pick one new method and add it to what you’re currently doing.

Your Fame Boosting Assignment:

This week, practice being unapologetic. When people ask what you do, tell them. Tell them what you’re passionate about and how you want to shake things up, for your clients or in your industry. You’ll be amazed at the reaction you get.