A lot of my advice on marketing is about sharing your expertise with potential clients to position yourself as an authority. 

Sometimes I hear from people saying that they're worried that they're not “expert enough” or that no one will be interested in what they have to say since they haven't written a best-selling book, run a major corporation or lectured at Harvard. 

If that's something you worry about too, this little story might set your mind at ease.

Back in the 2000s, one of my big hobbies was playing poker. I still have about 50 books packed away in our attic filled with poker theory, tutorials and biographies.

It was difficult for me to find a regular game back then since poker wasn't all that popular in Europe. But when I was down in London for a few days I'd try to grab a game at the Grosvenor Vic and later the Gutshot Cardroom.

When poker took off online I began to get quite interested. Even considered it as a career change from consulting for a while as I was a pretty decent player back then. 

In addition to all the books from well-known experts I read, I followed a few people online through their blogs.

And here's the thing: the poker bloggers I followed and listened to weren't WSOP champions or leading theorists with a string of books to their name.

They were just regular guys who were trying to make it as poker players and were chronicling their exploits in their blogs.

Some of them eventually started producing ebooks and online courses you could buy too and began to make a side income from them.

But what's interesting to me looking back is that I chose to follow the fortunes of people who were just a few steps ahead of me, not those who were already at the top.

Partially, that was because the guys still on their journey were more willing to share what they were doing, warts ‘n all.

But mainly it was because I felt a closer connection to them. They were who I could be with some work. Doing what they were doing didn't seem like some distant, unattainable goal.

So I followed them, fascinated.

When I started my own business, all hobbies went out of the window of course. But looking back I realise now that in some ways I'm doing what those early poker bloggers were doing. And you can too. 

I do well, but I'm not a multi-millionaire consultant. And although my book has sold pretty well, it was my existing following that made the success of the book, not the other way round.

I think many people like hearing my ideas, not because I'm some genius who's at the very top of the pile. But because my success seems within reach. I'm perhaps a step or two ahead in a few areas, but nothing that seems impossibly difficult.

You can be that “one or two steps ahead” leader too.

Don't pretend you're an international superstar if you're not. You don't need to. People are more than willing to follow and pay rapt attention to those just a few steps ahead who share what they know honestly and entertainingly.

You can EASILY do that.