On Being an Expert

I have a theory. I think there are two kinds of “experts”. One is a status you can strive to achieve, and one you’re born into.

Those of us in business online (and offline, too, I’m sure) are pressured to “become the expert” in our fields. Our marketing is designed to portray us as experts, as the “go to” person for what we do. We work hard to plant the seed of that idea in our target market’s mind and even harder to nurture and grow it.

Yet, at the same time, we battle the nay-sayer voice in our heads. The voice assures us we don’t know enough, we’re not good enough, others will see through our bravado (and it is bravado a lot of times…the ol’ “fake it til you make it” routine…) and tells us we’ll be exposed as the frauds we are.

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines “expert” as:

expert: one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject.

Doesn’t say anything about knowing everything

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