This episode is a nudge to our our best, brightest, often quietest leaders - many of you cynical about being in a spotlight, reluctant to take on this label of ‘thought leader’ - to consider how you explain YOU to the world now that AI’s here and demanding much of us.

I share a rapid fire 15-mins with:

* Real stories/examples from my journey (pivot moments, lessons learned).

* Concrete strategies for positioning yourself in our new perma-uncertainty.

* Tips for leading through AI thoughtfully rather than reactively.

A little more background:

AI is now the denominator. It’s the underlying thing that has changed everything about my world and yours.

I believe we’ve reached a time where nothing will ever be the same - we will look back on this technology shift in a couple of decades, and pity those of us who had to be at the messy front end of it.

I’m ready to be less afraid, and ready to find my footing.

I’ve been (relatively) quiet over the last few months, considering the ramifications of this global transformation we’re all walking through.

Through 2025 in the thick of AI, it’s felt like waves crashing. Hard to stand up straight, and hard to see through the sand dredged up by the waves.

If you’re like me, you’re considering how AI is now the denominator in your world …

* How to be a parent / AI

* How to be a business owner, employee, provider / AI

* How to sleep at night / with rapid-fire AI headlines

* How to make sure you’re staying centered, curious, learning.

How to be thoughtfully, proactively positioned in life, thought leadership, to your industry / AI.

You are needed. We are needed.

We - with good ideas.

We - with heart to serve and to see the world around us do well.

We need you sharp, confident - long before you feel like you are those things.

We need you clear enough on why you’re here.

We need you to do the hard thinking.

We need you to show up with confidence, to the best of your ability.

I had to pause twice just while writing this brief cover to the episode to read pings from my phone about massive job cuts taking place.

No one is coming to save us but us - you, me, the other bright, caring folks who are waiting - too long - to be activated into action.

We cannot have our best and brightest unsure of their place in this world such that they feel frozen, unsure - “am I qualified to speak up on AI if I’m not a engineer or PhD? I barely know how to explain this to my team - who am I to write about it? I don’t know what to do.”

No one knows what to do. There are so many unknowns and uncertainties for any one of us. That’s why we need YOU and others to add their slice of know-how to help us chart a path forward. All you need to bring is your slice.

There are two things you need to do the hard thinking about:

* Where are you the best in your field?

* What you think about AI and the direction of your industry?

Why are these things so important?

Take 15 minutes and listen to this episode. Please.

If I hadn’t introduced myself, I’m Julie Michelle Morris.

If we’re not connected on LinkedIn, please do so.

I hope when you wake up tomorrow that your feet hit the floor with you on fire for the thing that only you can do in this world. Talk to you soon.

Share this episode with a friend.

From the pod:

You are probably trying to figure out: What exactly do you believe about AI? What are you telling people around you that you believe about AI? And how on earth are you supposed to capitalize on this?

Most of the people who listen to this podcast are monetizing their subject matter expertise. It is time to get very clear about what you want, where you’re going, what you’re willing to bleed for, what you tell people when you talk about AI.

And it’s time to get a little excited.

(Aaand I don’t know what happened to the last four seconds. But if you make it that far, I would have said…. get started!)

Why would I encourage the busiest people I know to essentially abandon efforts on other thought leadership efforts, like LinkedIn (albeit temporarily!) and add yet another platform?

This is the bigger point of Substack:

If you're trying to build visibility or influence and you don't have a central place where your ideas live, Substack helps solve that problem, and more.

Substack offers your thought leadership a home base, where you can publish writing (short form posts and long form articles, blogs), podcasts - AND will send an email to subscribers when you do!

Why start now?

You want to be there while it’s still early. Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s working. ever wonder why some people have huge followings and their stuff is… mediocre? They got there early. That’s why. They scooped up the gains.

More to know:

* Other writers can recommend your Substack to their audience, which helps you grow.

* You can host your podcast there. I do.

* It sends your thought leadership straight to your subscribers by email — every post, every podcast. If you don’t have email marketing set up, this is a big deal (if you don’t need complicated segmentation)

* What audiences are on Substack? Business, tech, journalism, venture capital, finance, politics, arts, philosophy, religion, science, ‘the future of’ and much more. Only way to know if your people are there? Go look.

* When you go to start, avoid choosing a title for your Substack that is vague, abstract, skippable. Stand out! Use four or five words.

* Yes, you can have subscription levels for your Substack, and subscriber-only options. If unsure, don’t think about this part for now. Just write.

* B2B? Yes, organizations have a place on Substack, and can help fill voids of thought leadership in your marketing calendars and when SEO is less than useful.

If you feel like you’re ready to begin, but having a partner would be helpful to launch your Substack, book a 20-min intro call at this link to learn about my process to take your thought leadership from idea to live.

Thanks for reading! Julie Michelle Morris LinkedIn | My work

I’ve said if I ever was going to write a book, it would look NOTHING like the current state that publishing is in today.

(And while I’m not here to thumb my nose at publishing, I believe that whatever the route - traditional, self, hybrid, publishing - I’d LOVE to see a major rethink of the extractive, zero fun rigamarole I see WAY too many thought leaders stumble into, and walk out the other way with $20-50K less in their pocket and their confidence crushed.)

I have no patience for a big reveal months down the road after manufacturing hype and teasing, while the world is in the biggest AND fastest transformation we’ve ever experienced.

This method meets the times. I have a playbook to put into your hands.

AND want to do the thing I always aim to do… pull back the curtain on the ‘how’ of thought leadership. There are so many ways to approach the ‘doing’ of thought leadership, and I am a firm believer that you will not do the things you do not like to do. This writing method is what will work for me to get it done.

My (different) writing method:

* Speaking the book: While I write… all day… I know myself enough to know that this is about the length I’ll write for me - article length. I will not sit down and write a book for myself. Verbally processing is useful. You’ll hear my method in action.

* The team: My intern. Yes, intern. My mentee. She’s another author, a novel self-published on Amazon at age 12. In high school. It’s her summer, and she asked about an internship. She’s a great writer. And knew nothing about AI. It’s a project to teach her AI and to leverage her ability to write and execute.

The Book Title: No way.

This book doesn’t have a title yet. I usually title everything I’m working on (you recall I am a ghostwriter, yes?) at or near the end.

Where will we start?

We begin at the beginning. You need a WHY and a thesis statement. They can change mid-process, but you start from a best guess.

THESIS: I'm writing a reinvention field guide that teaches people how to figure out what they want and confidently go after it. It's specifically for people who want to monetize their expertise beyond the norm of corporate, with a three-part framework and practical tactics for turning your expertise into revenue and thought leadership into positive influence.

WHY: Most of us are going through life on two of five cylinders - puttering along in our work, our business, our personal mission. This is how to get all cylinders running so you can go after whatever it is you want to do with your one life.

Listen and hear more about my book process and wrestling with an introduction, as a voice note to my intern working to interview me, gather all the material I have. This is my behind-the-scenes as I build a book.

You won’t be surprised that I’m nudging you to finally start your podcast.

If you’re stalled in your own podcast, you’ve been debating for three years now whether to start one, or you’ve talked yourself out of starting one, but you feel like you could or should, take 20 minutes and listen.

This is everything I would’ve wanted to know before starting my podcast, why I started one, the few must-do’s, how to get moving on zero budget, and what a podcast will do for you.

Four years ago would’ve been the best time to start a podcast. But instead, what you’ve got in front of you is today.

And by the time you finish listening to this one, you’ll be ready to go.

Or you’ll remember the power of this medium and pick up a couple of new tips and tricks to make yours even better.

Make sure you get to the part about the Stir Test.

I can’t wait to hear what you think and what you’ll do next.

Julie Michelle Morris

I won’t mince words - tenacity is going to be crucial if you’re starting a community today.

There are a number of ways to monetize your thought leadership and expertise that are easier than starting a community.

You have to see it as a startup.

You probably need to love it so much, you’d do it for free, at least at the beginning.

But if you have runway to make it go, realistic numbers of a current audience to share the opportunity with, and hopefully you aren’t going it alone…. You can do it.

But don’t expect it will be easy, fun, of financially worthwhile at the get-go.

Hear why in this quick episode or cruise down the transcript.

(I wish there were a group of folks building community and networks to support each other - if you know of one, or want to convene us, let me know!)

Thanks for reading!

Julie Michelle Morris

I built our community diyinfluence.com on Circle. Love the platform, and they are constantly building to make it better.

I believe thought leadership isn’t about showing off—it’s about showing up. It’s about sharing what you’ve learned, owning your expertise, and building something meaningful that serves others.

But here’s the problem:

For so many people, the idea of “thought leadership” feels vague - at best.

Where do you start? What do you say? How do you find the time?

And how do you cut through the noise without burning out, or feeling like you’re just showing off?

The challenge is that most of us are trying to figure it out alone. We read articles, watch videos, and attend webinars, but the steps still feel unclear.

And with everything else on your plate, it’s easy to push this work to “someday.”

That’s why we started DIY Influence, a space where thought leadership feels achievable.

It’s built for people who are ready to grow, but need structure, guidance, and a community to lean on.

I know how hard it can be to take that first step.

I’m a thought leadership trainer, and have seen so many brilliant, talented people hold back their ideas because they felt they had to do it perfectly.

DIY Influence is a space where you can learn, grow, and take action with experts who have your back. With the right tools, the right people, and the right plan, you’ll find your voice and see how much it resonates.

Our Focused Learning in 2025

* January: 2025 Thought Leadership Framework

* February: Personal Brand

* March: Thought Leadership; AI

* April: Monetization: Thought Leadership-driven Business

* May: Speaking as Personal PR

* June: Strategic Networking & Referrals

* July: Video Content Creation

* August: Monetization: Sales and Conversion

* September: Podcasting

* October: Thought Leadership; AI

* November: Personal Branding

* December: Monetization: Thought Leadership Business Models

A preview of the resources in our library: Using AI in Thought Leadership - A Checklist.

Key Dates:

Onboarding begins this Friday, January 3rd at 2pm ET, and membership closes for the quarter on January 5.

If you’re ready to stop waiting for “someday” and start building your influence now, we’d love to welcome you in DIY Influence - a network, an academy, a community.

Explore Membership Options

Let’s make 2025 the year your thought leadership takes off.

Questions? DM me via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemichellemorris or reply if you’re reading on Substack. Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts:

And stay tuned for tomorrow’s podcast - the biggest reasons our thought leadership goes nowhere and what to do about it.

We've been tiptoeing around thought leadership for years - churning out safe, generic content while hoping to reach revenue and impact goals. (And now AI is doing the same thing, but significantly faster.)

Whether you're building your own visibility, or curious about thought leadership for your organization, here are three factors that will make your insights land effectively in 2025! This is Part 2 of this mini-series on your thought leadership strategy for revenue and impact.

(And if your thought leadership didn’t drive the return you hoped it would in 2024, this is for you!)

Factor 1: It’s Anticipatory

This is the least sexy one, but here's why thought leadership often falls flat:

We're playing it safe.

We stick to what's right in front of us, what's comfortable, what everyone else is talking about.

Want to stand out?

Thought leadership leads. It points a way forward. It says, "This is where our industry needs to go, and here's why."

Yes, it feels edgy. Yes, it's brave. And AI can't do it - this has to come from YOUR expertise and unique perspective.

Factor 2: It’s Intentional

Everything you put out there needs to have a purpose. Your audience should instantly know if something's for them or not. If you serve everyone, you are high level, generic, and serve no one. Help them self-select in or out for faster sales cycles, greater impact, and bonus - more fun for you! Because if it’s not fun (if you’re doing this on your own), it’s not going to get done.

The service you offer is a commodity without YOU. The only real differentiator is your brain. Your insights. Your unique take on things. That's what sets you apart, whether you're writing for yourself or your company.

Waste no time in 2025:

* Spread thin and trying to do all the platforms

* Being inconsistent in your writing and speaking,

* Feeling nervous about getting started.

This is where you need to be.

Factor 3 will be tackled in our next episode. Making these insights fit within 20 min podcasts is our goal!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Work with me:

1: Thought Leadership for Founders and Consultants

Join my Influence Accelerator: A 4 week ‘all you need, nothing you don’t’ thought leadership course designed for revenue and impact, kicking off January 22, 2025. Our learnings building thought leadership brands with hundreds of people to shave years off your journey.

If you want to:- Learn from people living it out,- Be a speaker, write a book, and visibility is crucial, - Grow from being a quiet, head-down leader and know it’s time to be seen,

This is for you. 7 spots remain - secure yours now at this link.

2: Thought Leadership for Business

Leading brands in your space are leveraging ambassador programs employees and ghostwriting thought leadership for their executives. Why? It’s a headwind that takes marketing and sales messaging and uses them as levers, because without people to carry the torch for your brand, the marketing goes slower and the sales cycles take longer. Book a call with me to discuss our 6 month program to build and execute this program for your organization. We specialize in cybersecurity and technical brands.