Craig Williams Apprentice Talks Small Business Authority

Kristen: Alright, we're here today

talking with social architect Craig

Williams about the power of

authority marketing.

Craig, welcome, and thank you

for talking with me today. Why

don't we just start out talking

about what is authority

marketing?

Craig: Well, authority marketing

is basically an area of expertise

or mastery spreading the word.

Being the leader in an industry of

sharing ad value or value added

service or product. And having

enough followers or experiences

to show that you have an opinion

that needs to be listened to.

Kristen: Now, who exactly

needs authority marketing?

Craig: I would say

everyone, whether you're in

business for yourself or in

business with someone else, and

a support system, or the support

system as part of a community.

Getting the word out needs to

come from a reputable resource

and I think those who have

authority have proven their

reputation or they've proven

themselves to be considered a

dependable resource.

Kristen: So an expert in

their field, perhaps?

Craig: Most definitely, most

definitely.

Kristen: Could you explain how

exactly does having authority in

your field or being an expert help

with business?

Craig: Well one credibility.

When you're in business you

don't always get a second

chance.

Yes, the first impression makes a

big difference, but people are

moving at the speed of light.

They want to have confidence in

what they're about to invest their

time, money or energy into.

So, they want to know that what

they’re about to invest in is going

to pay off. And it's all about, a

return on their

investment, whatever that might

be. So credibility is big, a big

asset.

Kristen: Now, a little birdie told

me, and it wasn't the Twitter

bird, that a while ago you were

on the TV show the Apprentice.

Can you talk to me a little bit

about that and what you learned

about business from your

experiences?

Craig: Yeah, it's been quite a

while. Actually the early years

when they were still writing

curriculum at Ivy League schools

surrounding the show.

What I learned about that

experience was that

experience, my past

experiences, will always make

room for me, no matter what the

challenge that is in front of me.

And we have quite a few of

those challenges.

It was an encouraging affirmation

and confirmation to the lesson

that I learned in my past

experiences, that be ready at any

given moment, you'll have to

reach back sometimes to be

successful in the journey of

succeeding.

Kristen: Now, when you went on

The Apprentice, did you know

that you had a strong interest in

business?

Craig: Oh, definitely; that's part

of what paved the way for me.

I've been a serial entrepreneur

since sixth grade.

So a sense of providing a service

or a product to the marketplace

has always been a part of my life.

Kristen: So what was your first

business in the sixth grade?

Craig: Actually, I was an artist

on demand. So, I was an early

illustrator.

Art was one of my first loves, and

just doodled a lot and people

loved the caricatures that I would

create of them, or sometimes I

would get pieces of paper and

form a 3-Dimensional architecting

of, a visual expression of an

experience I might put together.

Like a Gilligan's Island. A 3-

dimensional Gilligan's Island with

scrap paper or something, and

people liked it so they purchased

it.

I didn't do it for the sole reason of

making money, I was pretty

innovative and creative and

people liked it.

My classmates liked it, so it

started from there and went from

that to illustrations to a number of

other things that I was able to

conjure up.

Kristen: So what types of

businesses can we find you

doing today?

Craig: I do a lot in the area of

leadership and influence

consulting.

I've found that those who have

the responsibility of thousands

and ten thousands of individuals

tend to not have that person that

holds them accountable…

…keeps them sharp, and it's

because of my extensive

background in engaging people

of many levels in business and

life that I'm able to be a voice of

reason from a personal

perspective or business.

Kristen: And you specialized a

little bit, it sounds like, in being a

connector.

Craig: Yes. Yes, ma'am.

Because of those relationships

for years I've had a very diverse

background.

Geographically and just literally

as well as figuratively. And I grew

up never meeting a stranger, so

always valuing the engagement I

had with individuals.

Whether it was on a personal or

professional level, and always

really appreciated the opportunity

to engage and I've always kept a

Rolodex of names and those

experiences and those people

that I've met in my journey in life.

So, always knew what their

passions were. I could remember

and file it away mentally.

If I couldn't remember their name

I could remember the

conversation or what they had on

and what they love.

So it was something to do with a

passion of theirs and I ran into

someone who was in that

space, I would always know how

to be able to refer and make the

connection for them.

Kristen: That's an

interesting talent, too.

Now, when you are working with

clients on building authority for

themselves and their

business, what is the biggest

struggle that they're having that

brings them to you to get help

with this?

Craig: I think they minimize their

individual experience and so I

pretty much just have a

conversation just to get the

essence…

…or the ethos of who they

are, where they come from and

I'm able from there to build a

case on what their value

proposition is in the exclusivity of

their life experience.

I think we're all an expert or an

authority on at least our journey,

and funny as it may seem, we all

have something to learn from one

another.

So, I'm able to provoke them into

that area of their expertise of

mastery that they really take for

granted.

Kristen: Now, coming up what

would you tell people who are

just starting to think about maybe

looking into working on authority

and how they might be able to

establish their business as an

expert?

What's the first little piece of

advice that you would give to

them?

Craig: Make sure they have

some passion or an interest, of

course.

Don't just go seek out, hey, is

there a great need for

authorities, oh okay, I think I'll do

that.

No. If you haven't started

journaling and if you have

journaled, go back and review

what the recurring theme that

you've written about.

Maybe it's some of if you're a

reader. Look in those areas that

you tend to read about.

Of course, even if you're a big

reader of Harlequin romances,

maybe you want to be in the

dating industry.

Kristen: So, discovering

your passion.

Craig: Definitely.

Kristen: Either through writing

about it or through looking at

previous work that you've done.

Craig: The natural interest that

you have. Maybe it's a gift or

talent or knack that you have of

something, no matter how quirky

it is.

I mean, there are 7 billion people

on the face of this planet, I'm

sure you can garner an audience.

Kristen: Now, you were talking a

little bit in the beginning and you

mentioned words like

followers, so you're kind of

referring a little bit to social media

and those outlets.

Is that primarily the way that

you're encouraging clients to get

connected and to build up their

authority would be through social

media or are there alternate

venues?

Craig: Of course there are

alternative ideas.

How effective they can

be, efficiently effective. If you

have a tool that can reach all of

your friends or all of your

contacts, why not use it.

Leveraging resources can help

you spend a little bit more time

on those other areas that you

may like going to networking

events.

But how much energy and cost

are involved in that? I don't know

that there is a more efficient way

of reaching the numbers that you

want to reach than social media.

Kristen: Right. Now, I'll just give

you one last question, hopefully I

don't throw you for a loop here.

I'm wondering, since you have

such an interest in business and

you've been such a solo-preneur

and entrepreneur over the

years, building up your own

authority and expertise…

…is there someone in the

business world or celebrities that

really inspired you to really go

down this entrepreneurship path?

Craig: That's a good question

and that remains to be seen.

Because I started at an early

age, I think it was just a matter of

another way to engage people

and create a win-win.

So I don't know that I had the

insight, or if there was, right now I

can't think of that individual

because I've always pursued and

since business was one of those

avenues that created that win-

win.

I think I naturally and organically

just rolled into it and didn't know I

was an entrepreneur until

someone said I was an

entrepreneur.

I didn't look at as something to

aspire to, it was just who I was

being.

Kristen: Right, so going back to

what you told the potential clients

that would work with you.

You had a passion and you

followed the passion in making

money and being an

entrepreneur was really

something that came out of

following the passion.

Craig: Yeah. I think it was very

much a byproduct, especially the

making money part and although

I've been able to make money

and had those seasons of great

increase.

I think the greater increase is

ahead of my because now I have

a more healthy relationship with

money and a respect for it and

know how to pursue it for greater

benefit and legacy…

…as opposed to that being the

driving force. It was passion,

need, mostly the needs of others.

They were asking and I saw it in

their eyes. I figured I had to

deliver since I had the

capabilities to do that.

Kristen: That's very

interesting, Craig.

The very last question I have for

you this afternoon, is just talk a

little bit about what does it mean

to be a social architect?

Craig: Well, for me, being a

social architect means that you're

considering more than the

now, the present, but you're

considering mankind.

The society that you're a part of

and those that you want to be a

part of building. the more of a big

picture, beginning with the end in

mind type of perspective.

It's definitely a global one and it

involves not only the

commerce, but the lifestyle of

those who are involved in the

engagement.

Whether it be service or product

oriented. It has a lot to do with

principals, for me.

Kristen: Right. Well, Craig, I'm

very thankful that you took some

time this afternoon…

…to talk with us about the power

of authority marketing and

becoming a social architect,..

…but also really to address the

idea that you need to follow your

passion and then build up

entrepreneurship after you have

the passion giving you that

driving force.

And, also, the same thing applies

as an authority in your field and

building up expertise to really let

it come from that space of this is

what I love to do,..

…this is my own personal

experience, and I think that's

valuable advice to share with

everyone out there.

Is there any last thing that

you'd like to add?

Craig: To yourself be true. I

really appreciate the time you've

given me and the questions were

very thought provoking.

Kristen: Alright. Well thank

you so much for joining us.

Craig: Thank you, Kristen.

Kristen: Alright, bye-bye.

Craig: Bye.

To Find Out More About

Craig Williams and Authority

Marketing, visit:

http://HoweMarketingConsultants.com