Welcome to Famous in Your Field! Here’s your free weekly tip to boost your fame factor. (Be sure to sign up in the box on the right to get on the VIP list for free tips and training, delivered straight to your inbox.)

My interview & cover article on next gen guru, Gabrielle Bernstein – you could learn a lot from this angel

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.

9 Comments

  1. Lilia Lee on June 17, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    Thanks for the ideas. Really like the post.

  2. Michelle Barry Franco on June 18, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    Oh, there is just so much I love about this wisdom! My very favorite, though, is the Be Unapologetic counsel. Why are we apologizing anyway? Seriously – Gabrielle’s message does change lives. So does mine. So does yours. We are catalysts for the brilliance that our clients are on the brink of revealing. Why are we apologizing for igniting the fire or opening the flow or bringing them the system (or whatever great gift we contribute)?! And yet, it happens for so many of us soul-inspired types. I’m going even more unapologetic (I’ve made a lot of headway on this, but there is more there) here forward… stopping this silliness once and for all. Thanks for this, Lori 🙂

  3. Nancy Tierney on June 18, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Fantabulous! This is such a great example. And yes, it is so easy to just be jealous of these trailblazers when it’s so much better to learn from them. You examples are right on and so helpful. As is this week’s assignment. Thank you.

  4. Cindy on June 19, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    Good ideas. Nancy, I agree it is good to learn from trailblazers.

  5. Dorothy Pang, The Natural Fertility Expert on June 19, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    Thanks for the great reminder that we don’t have to recreate the wheel – just improve upon it! I didn’t create the idea to use Chinese Medicine principles for fertility enhancement – but my program is a GREAT accumulation and distillation of knowledge and I’m proud of it! Now, time to be unapologetic.

  6. Katie Mazzocco on June 20, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    This is amazing!!! Such great nuggets of inspiration and guidance to propel me forward. Thank you for sharing these insights. I have renewed inspiration in my biz now 🙂

  7. Suzanne on June 20, 2013 at 10:14 pm

    I love that she is so confident promoting herself while simultaneously focusing on the benefits to her tribe – excellent, and something many more women (and men, but especially women) need to do more!

  8. BizSugar.com on May 31, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    3 unconventional famous in your field lessons from Gabrielle Bernstein

    Gabrielle Bernstein: only 33 years old and she’s already published three books and was featured in more media outlets than you can count. Here are three Big Business lessons Gabrielle Bernstein has for you.

  9. […] If you can say something that’s already been said, but in a new way, for a new audience. […]

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