#157 Claim the space – Expert in…

My ‘word” for the year is “spotlight”. I’ve been holding back and not claiming my space. A few years back I worked with a coach who encouraged me to claim an expert space.

I dabbled in it…

 

Expert in New Entrepreneurship

 

Small Business Expert

 

or ….what

 

This year, when we were encouraged to select a word that would capture what this year would look like, I chose “spotlight”. No more shying away from the spotlight, I chose to claim my space and step into it once and for all.

 

Debbie Adams – Entrepreneurship Expert

 

Oh, people will chafe at the thought and some may even want to challenge me.

Expert – really?

 

Let’s look at what it means to be an expert in any field.

 

Dictionary definition of expert is “A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area.” Yep, I have that in the area of entrepreneurship and I’m stepping into that space.  I’ve always resented it when people claimed the space in business just because they had the education but had never really done the grind.

 

Back when I was a tradeswoman, I used to meet other women who were holding themselves out as expert on “women in trades” but they had never spent one hour on tools. They could not possibly have been an expert – they had never used toothpaste to get the grime out of their hands. How could they be expert? Expert is about learning and doing – knowledge and wisdom.

 

I love it when #tradescontractors come in and ask me how to double their revenue. I love it when I get asked to develop a partnership agreement for two guys who are coming together to bid on a job. I especially enjoy it when I get asked to speak on a topic and share what I have learned where the rubber hits the road.

 

Here’s a question – what are you expert in? Where are you holding back and waiting for someone to invite you into the spotlight. What body of knowledge do you hold comprehensive and authoritative knowledge or skill in? Think about it – are you an expert?