Announcing my newest book with Penguin! Poverty Proof - 50 Ways to Train Your Brain for Wealth, is now out.

Are you bored but brilliant? Try this:
 What happens when you’re talented at what you do, but bored with the whole thing? Stephen King, who has written 56 novels to date (and 86 books in total), is inarguably one of the most prolific practitioners of his craft. He proposes this solution: Try the same thing in a different medium.  King credits writing illustrated comic books, and getting involved in script adaptations for the movie-versions of his books, with helping to keep the creative fires burning. The change in channel made a difference. And he didn’t have to depart from his core competence, writing horror and thriller stories, in order to do it.  If you write books, how about trying your hand at a creative essay? If you write essays, how about a book? If you record songs in a studio, how about a live performance? And if your particular talent could possibly lend itself to travel, how about a roadshow? Becoming an expert is about longevity, which means you must find ways to sustain your own interest in what you do. Why now award yourself a new ‘toy’ to play with, in order to keep it fresh? Reignite your own creative vitality through a little lateral tinkering, and you could own your industry.  Douglas Kruger is a multiple award-winning speaker, focusing on innovation and expert positioning. Books like his, ‘They’re Your Rules, Break Them!’ are bestsellers informing his conferences speeches for leadership audiences. Book him as the motivational speaker for your next event at www.douglaskruger.com.

Low budget horror movies are hit or miss. Yet you don’t actually need Avatar-levels of affluence to make a successful scary movie. The same applies to positioning yourself as an industry expert.

Writing a book helps to position you as an industry expert. It increases your credibility, it clarifies your own thinking on the topic, and it leads naturally to media and marketing opportunities.

In your industry, what could you offer or emphasise as your point-of-distinction that might create this clever dynamic? Why would it be a risk to go with anyone other than you?

I’ve just finished recording the audio version of another of my books. I’ve been thinking about how gruelling it feels, because the sensation tends to catch me off guard every time, like a mother who forgets how difficult childbirth really was, then opts to go through it all again.

If you're paying attention, truly listening, clients tell you what's important to them. Pick up on these cues and use them in your marketing, and you can start hitting all the right notes in your marketing.

A friend and I were discussing how to write business books. We both write, speak and train for the corporate market, and producing thought-leadership material is immensely beneficial for our careers. His question to me was an interesting one: 'Where do I find enough corporate examples to fill a book?' The answer is: 'You don't have to.'

Jumping on the band-wagon and being ‘another one who’ tends to make you invisible as an expert. Can you see something original that can be done in the opposite direction?

Your workload has been astounding. It's felt like you're catapulting through your calendar, just trying to breathe. But suddenly, the momentum dies down, the clouds part, and you find yourself with an open week. Given that block of time, what could you do that might significantly propel your career goals? Professional Speaker and business author Douglas Kruger explores a simple way to maximise your time and effectiveness. Book Douglas as the keynote speaker for your next leadership retreat: www.douglaskruger.com.

High-performing experts make the extraordinary seem routine. What's difficult and taxing for others has really become easy to them. But therein lies a danger and an opportunity.

‘How did you do that? And how do you even know how to do that?’ If you’ve heard this phrase in response to performance of your craft, you are meeting one of the best recognised criteria for an expert. By this definition, you are an individual who can ‘recognise novel patterns from noise.’

Many qualities define experts. One is their ability to out-produce amateurs. But what if terminal hesitation sets in?

Experts generally believe very deeply in what they do. Their ‘why’ tends to be unusually strong. Yet ultimately, being an industry expert is a money-generating career, and it should ideally be treated as a fully-fledged business. That said, do you get involved in the revenue-generating aspect of what you do?

Experts increasingly express their ideas through video content on YouTube. It's not uncommon to hear monikers like 'author, speaker and host of a globally successful YouTube channel.' If you’re getting started, what’s your best bet in terms of a setting for your channel?

I was coaching a group of executives in presentation skills and we got to discussing ways to handle nerves. One gentleman confided to the group that his jitters are so severe that before presentations, he experiences a sort of 'white-out', which is a biological fraction away from a flat-out faint. He drifts back in, then finds himself wondering where he is. His colleagues expressed their surprise at this, saying that they didn't perceive him as nervous at all.

Last week, I bought myself a car I've desired for years. It's a Jaguar XJ, and its sense of theatricality is delightful. Since then, I've noticed something. Whenever I've parked in an open parking lot, I arrive to find that the big cat has found a friend. Other Jaguar drivers tend to park their cars beside mine. Not many brands enjoy this level of cult-following.

Could you make customer-aspiration your end-state goal? Could you look at the techniques used by these big brands and reverse engineer how they go there? Could you begin to build brand-messaging with that destination in mind?

The big event is about to begin. Your banners are proudly displayed at the doors. Your pamphlets are on the table and you're excited about winning new business. What's on that banner of yours?

There are several security companies operating in my area. I only ever really see one of them, and that’s an interesting point.