In this episode, Tara explains the transformation from being an online business owner with some level of expertise, to a Scalable Expert—someone who leverages their expertise and experience to build systems, frameworks, and products that grow their business beyond the limits of their personal time and effort.
If you feel like you’re constantly juggling client work, stretched thin across multiple projects, and wondering how you can expand your reach without burning out, this episode will help you understand how to escape the bottleneck of delivering services directly and move toward a model where your expertise works for you, not the other way around. If you're ready to stop being the bottleneck in your business, this episode is for you.
✨ Key Takeaways:
⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to Becoming a Scalable Expert
00:38 – The Value of Expertise and Why You’re Already Ahead
01:29 – The Challenge of Scaling Beyond One-on-One Client Delivery
02:36 – Bridging the Gap: Moving from Expert to Business Owner
06:13 – Developing a Proprietary Approach and Packaging Your IP
08:45 – How to Create Consistent Client Results with a Framework
10:51 – Scaling Through Systems, Automation, and Team Building
14:33 – The Power of Packaging: Unlocking Time and Freedom
19:31 – Building a Business That Lives Beyond You
💡 Ready to scale your expertise and grow your business? Hit that Subscribe button, leave a review, and share this episode with others looking to create scalable online businesses.
🔗 Explore the resources and tools mentioned in this episode to kickstart your journey to becoming a scalable expert today!
About Me:
Hey, it’s your host, Tara Bryan. And I am on a mission to help more business owners learn to infinitely scale their businesses by leveraging the power of online without sacrificing the customer experience or results.
I like to geek out on all things business strategy, marketing, interactive digital and user experience. This podcast is all about what is working, lessons learned and actionable tips to create and grow a thriving online business.
Join us each week as we dive into different strategies, tactics and tips you can apply immediately to your business.
To learn more:
Find us at https://www.taralbryan.com
Here are two ways we can help you create, grow and scale your business:
1. Want to package your expertise or become a Scalable Expert? Take our free quick assessment to see how close you are to creating a scalable business.
The Scalable Expert Assessment
2. ALREADY HAVE AN ONLINE BUSINESS & READY TO INFINITELY SCALE?
Download our free 50 Ways to Engage Your Customers guide or Schedule a 30 minute call with Tara to talk about our offers that will help you master the game.
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcasts review
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://taralbryan.com/step/15-learn-to-scale-call
Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast.
2
:To kick off the Scalable Expert Podcast
season number one, I want to just talk a
3
:little bit about what it means to be an
expert and how we position ourselves using
4
:our expertise to become a business owner
that has a thriving, scalable business.
5
:So let's just break this down because
this is a unique skill set that you have
6
:as an expert that will help you actually
grow a business that scales beyond
7
:you, saves you time when everything is
working, and and you really get out of
8
:kind of being the center of everything
that's going on in your business.
9
:So, so let's talk through that.
10
:So first of all, One of the greatest
gifts that you have is that you have
11
:been able to develop an expertise.
12
:So first, I congratulate you on that.
13
:Whether or not it is what you have been
doing in your career, whatever that looked
14
:like before, You've built that expertise
within the business that you have created.
15
:Maybe it's an agency model, a
service model, or you just have
16
:a passion for something and you
want to help other people with it.
17
:So however you have developed your
expertise, I just applaud you for not only
18
:developing that expertise, putting the
reps in to get really good at whatever
19
:it is that you are an expert in, but
you also have seen the value of how
20
:your expertise can help other people.
21
:So kudos to you because
that is the first step.
22
:And so what happens is we become an
expert and, and if it's about something
23
:that we have been doing, right, like
our body of work that we have created,
24
:so often that something starts because
someone's like, hey, you're really good
25
:at this, this is something that's natural
for you, can you help me with solving
26
:this thing that I'm trying to solve or
do this thing that I'm trying to do?
27
:And, and it's great.
28
:You're like, yes, I can do that.
29
:So you dig in and you help them, and
that usually looks like you know,
30
:helping them one-on-one when you are
starting to kind of bridge the gap
31
:between having this expertise and
monetizing the expertise that you have.
32
:And that's awesome.
33
:And that's a great place to start.
34
:The problem comes into play when like
you're a really good expert, right?
35
:Like you're really good at what you do.
36
:And so you're drawing more and more
people to you so that you have a lot
37
:of people who are coming in, a lot of a
lot of people who want your expertise.
38
:And that is where the challenge starts
to happen, is that you're helping
39
:so many people, or trying to help so
many people, that you're maxed out,
40
:and you don't have any more capacity,
and you don't have any more time.
41
:So the question becomes, how
do you help more people without
42
:maxing out your time, right?
43
:You, you love what you do, you love that
you are an expert, and that you can help
44
:people with it, but you've kind of gotten
to that place where you're like, okay this
45
:is great, but now what's the next step?
46
:And I'm going to tell you that like,
you know, this is the path that I
47
:traveled and I got to that point and
I was like, okay, well guess what?
48
:Everyone is telling me that the
next step is to build an agency with
49
:employees and then I'm going to own
the business and lead all these people
50
:and do and keep doing the thing.
51
:And there's a huge shift from, being
the expert, to being able to build
52
:a business around your expertise.
53
:So if you're in that place, you
know what I'm talking about.
54
:If you've passed that place, you also
know what I'm talking about, but if
55
:you haven't gone there yet, like you
have to go through the, through the
56
:shift, like identify for yourself,
like do you love to do the work?
57
:Do you want to keep doing the work
or do you want to build a business
58
:by having other people do the work?
59
:And then you're kind of leading and
managing the work where honestly you
60
:start, you know, having to add different
skills into your, into your skillset,
61
:which means you may not actually be
doing that thing that you're an expert
62
:at anymore because now you're kind
of operating at a different level.
63
:And so that's the first point is
just like, really identify it.
64
:Like what do you like,
what do you not like?
65
:What do you want to be doing?
66
:What do you not want to be doing?
67
:And can you use your expertise
as kind of that starting point?
68
:So, so that's the direction that
I went as I was like, great, like
69
:I, I am going to own an agency.
70
:I'm going to grow this agency.
71
:I'm super passionate about what
we do and I'm going to have a
72
:lot of other people be doing it.
73
:And that worked for a
while until it didn't.
74
:But that was the first sort of
look at how to take your expertise
75
:and skill into a business.
76
:But there's another way, which
is really looking at like, you
77
:know, look at your proprietary
approach for how you do something.
78
:So within every industry, there's
sort of a set of, of rules or
79
:guidelines that people follow,
especially when they're new.
80
:So there's like a model or methodology
for how things work, right?
81
:Like a kind of a step by
step path in most industries.
82
:So if you go and look at marketing,
marketing has an approach.
83
:Sales has an approach.
84
:Design has an approach.
85
:Everybody, you know, project
management has an approach, right?
86
:So there's kind of ways that you, when
you're getting started, you sort of take
87
:somebody else's framework and then you
you start working on that framework.
88
:Well, when you become an expert, you
start to have your own way that you
89
:are doing the thing that you're doing.
90
:And whether it's defined or not,
you have an approach that you're
91
:using that's unique to you.
92
:It's why people are drawn to you.
93
:It's why you have complete sort of
control over your expertise, right?
94
:That makes you an expert.
95
:And so we call that your
proprietary approach, right?
96
:That's your IP, your
intellectual property.
97
:That's what you have sort of created
in, in order to go out and help people.
98
:So if you're in that place where
you're like, well, I'm kind of just
99
:using someone else's framework.
100
:I'm, I'm certified in somebody's approach.
101
:Like, that's great.
102
:That's a great place to start, but I
guarantee that you have a unique view
103
:in terms of how to apply that framework.
104
:Or if you don't yet, keep working
with people one-on-one until
105
:you've figured out, like, what's
your unique way of delivering that
106
:that process or that methodology.
107
:Cause it's there I promise.
108
:And and so you'll develop
your own approach.
109
:So for example you know, in the agency
model, we did a lot of instructional
110
:design for large corporations.
111
:And so what that is, is we would design
and develop large online learning
112
:programs, and we would come in and we
would kind of figure out like, what
113
:is it that that we need to create in
order to teach people how to do the
114
:thing that they needed to have done?
115
:That's it.
116
:Instructional design in a nutshell.
117
:But in the instructional design space,
there is a model, it's called the ADDIE
118
:model, and it's a traditional model.
119
:It's the one you learn in school.
120
:It's the one that everyone
kind of starts with.
121
:And it's A D D I E.
122
:And so each one of those stands
for you know, something like
123
:analysis and design and development
implementation and evaluation.
124
:And, and so, so the ADDIE model
is the one that everyone follows
125
:when they are first in the space.
126
:And then there's been a number of people
over the years who have sort of created
127
:their own iteration of the model.
128
:So now there's a SAM model, there's
a a LLAMA model, there's different
129
:approaches, but basically it's, it's
underlining like you're, you know, you're
130
:starting with kind of an analysis, right?
131
:Like kind of trying to figure out
what the problem is, and then you're
132
:evaluating whether or not you've
been able to solve the problem.
133
:So if you kind of look at like
every single approach out there,
134
:it kind of starts, starts there,
and then there's some stuff in the
135
:middle, and then there's an outcome.
136
:Again, there's one for marketing,
there's one for project management,
137
:there's one for sales, everyone
has a model that they're following.
138
:And so when we were in the agency, I
was like, okay, well, we kind of are
139
:using a lot of different approaches.
140
:We're using our own proprietary method
that we know works for the work that
141
:we're doing, the unique way that we
show up and what our clients expect.
142
:And so our approach was the 5D model.
143
:And so we just created our own
methodology, our own step by step
144
:path that was around the five D's.
145
:And for us, that took all the
different models, it took our unique
146
:IP and and packaged it together, and
that's how we served our clients.
147
:And then we could get really, really good
at, at serving our clients consistently,
148
:getting consistent results and being able
to really measure what we're doing, right?
149
:So that's an example of packaging
your intellectual property
150
:in order to help customers.
151
:So the reason I'm spending some time
talking about this is this is one of
152
:the cornerstone pieces of the INFINITE
SCALE model, which is to really
153
:define your own Authority Strategy.
154
:What makes you stand out?
155
:What makes you unique?
156
:And what's the approach that you
take all of your customers through
157
:or you can take all of your customers
through to go from point A to point B.
158
:What's that standard approach?
159
:What's that framework that you use
every single time to to go from from
160
:the problem that they have to the
result that they're looking for?
161
:That is the very first piece of this
puzzle because if you can do that, then
162
:you can deliver a consistent experience.
163
:So back when I said, like, it's great
when you're doing one-on-one work, right?
164
:It's a lot easier to be able to
take on custom work or ad hoc work
165
:or just do something different for
every single customer that you have.
166
:But when you have ten, when you have a
hundred, when you have a thousand or more
167
:customers, you can't do that anymore.
168
:Even, I don't even care, like, you
could have a hundred employees,
169
:but you still can't do that.
170
:You still can't bring in a completely
custom random project that has nothing to
171
:do with your proprietary methodology or
your standard approach that you use and
172
:and be able to build a scalable business.
173
:So at the end of the day, once you
can develop kind of a, a standardized
174
:way in which you help get your, your
customers from point A to point B,
175
:then you know, you can start adding
more and more people into it and start
176
:to deliver and serve in a different
way versus just one-on-one custom.
177
:So that is the, like the very first
thing to becoming a scalable expert
178
:is that you are able to really own and
identify your proprietary methodology,
179
:which we call your Authority Strategy.
180
:And once you have that, then you can
start consistently serving the people
181
:that you want to help and there's lots
of steps of course in in there to help
182
:you identify that but that's the very
first piece is to be able to do that.
183
:Here's the challenge is you've done
that now you can consistently help
184
:people so you can bring a lot more
people in at the same time, right?
185
:So instead of just being able to help
one person or try and help, you know,
186
:as many people as you can fit in into
the hours of the day that you have, then
187
:now you have a system that you can put
them through that's fairly consistent.
188
:Then you could hire a team and they
could run through a consistent system.
189
:You could start to package your
signature framework, your methodology
190
:into something that can be delivered
outside of you doing one-on-one work.
191
:That, my friends, is where the power and
the magic shows up, and that's what we're
192
:super, super passionate about helping
people do, is let's package up what you're
193
:doing so that you can help more people
without the chaos of just manually trying
194
:to figure it out, ad hoc you know, kind of
questions and problems and whatever else.
195
:It becomes the way that you take your
expertise, all of the wonderful, like,
196
:you know, knowledge and skills that
you've acquired over the years by
197
:doing the reps, by doing the work, and
getting it out to a broader audience
198
:that allows you to increase your
impact, your income, and build something
199
:that is going to live beyond you.
200
:And so that's how you start
to become The Scalable Expert.
201
:And then what starts to happen is once
you can package it into something that's
202
:consistent, then you can get super
creative and and, you know, kind of
203
:put some ninja tricks in, in terms of
like, how do you actually deliver what
204
:your expertise is to your customers
because that's when the INFINITE SCALE
205
:Method really becomes powerful is once
you have it packaged, you can deliver
206
:it in a million different ways, right?
207
:So it, then it becomes the match between
like, how do you want to show up?
208
:Like how, what do you need
in the relationship, right?
209
:And how your customers need you to
show up so that they can get results.
210
:And you match that together and you
create a super engaging yet scalable
211
:experience that helps your people get
results and then you get to come in
212
:during the time that they need you.
213
:Instead of like pre scheduled or you know,
just assuming it has to be one-on-one,
214
:assuming that they're not going to
do the things that they want to do to
215
:solve their own problems, you get to
come in and solve the obstacles and
216
:challenges that they're having along
the way versus reteaching things or
217
:re-explaining things or redoing things
over and over and over and over again.
218
:And if you have done this in
your business, you know exactly
219
:what I'm talking about, right?
220
:Like, you get to that place of
critical mass when you've helped enough
221
:one-on-one customers where you're
like, I feel like I'm saying the same
222
:thing over and over and over and again.
223
:Right?
224
:And that is when you know that you
are onto something and you have
225
:that framework inside of you that's
just ready to start to be packaged.
226
:Because wouldn't you rather, instead
of just repeating yourself over
227
:and over again, wouldn't you rather
come in and have really meaningful
228
:coaching or strategy conversations
with your customers that helps keep
229
:them on the path and moving forward?
230
:I don't know about you, but that is
a much more fulfilling way to share
231
:my expertise than just repeating kind
of the basics over and over again.
232
:Early in my career, I had my very first
job out of college was was so much fun.
233
:I should say my first corporate job out
of college since I have an undergrad in
234
:education, was with Kinko's Corporation.
235
:At that time Kinko's Corporation, which is
that they do I don't know what the proper
236
:term is, but at the time they were doing a
you know photocopies and printing and and
237
:binding and all of those kinds of things.
238
:They're a little bit different now.
239
:Well now they're not around, but, but back
in the day I worked in their corporate
240
:office, which happened to be in my town.
241
:And my job was to do onboarding
training with all of the
242
:new hires every single week.
243
:And it was a, it was a great job.
244
:I had a ton of fun.
245
:I got to meet a ton of people.
246
:And so we would teach them how to
make notepads and how to make bound
247
:documents and how to make photocopies
and how to do graphic design and like
248
:all the things that we used to do in
the Kinko's offices back in the day.
249
:But here's the deal my job
was to deliver onboarding the
250
:orientation, the onboarding training.
251
:It was a week long.
252
:I would go into all of the
stores and train all of the
253
:people and all the machines.
254
:So, and if you see me in person, do not
ask me to do any of that 'cause I don't
255
:remember any of that, but like how to
change the toner and all of the things,
256
:and of course we did customer service and
all the other kind of training that, that
257
:needed to be done, but, of course, in my
mind, I just remember all the fun we had
258
:with all of the machines that were there.
259
:But my point is, I did that
training every week for, I
260
:don't know, maybe a year or two.
261
:I can't remember how
long I actually did that.
262
:It seemed like it was forever.
263
:But by the end, I literally
could be planning my weekend.
264
:I could be like doing all sorts
of other things in my head and
265
:still delivering the training.
266
:And I was just like, ah, you know, there's
got to be a better way to of doing this
267
:than my just repeating myself every single
week to the point where I don't even
268
:need to think about what I'm delivering
anymore because it's so automatic for me.
269
:I could like literally read the
script without even thinking about it.
270
:It's kind of like when you, you know,
are either driving your kids to school
271
:or you're driving to the office or
you're driving to a store that you go to
272
:all the time or whatever, and all of a
sudden you get there and you're like, oh!
273
:I didn't even like, I wasn't
even paying attention.
274
:Like, how did I get here already?
275
:That feeling, that was how it was.
276
:And so I could be doing other things.
277
:And that was the moment honestly, and
maybe at some time I'll tell you my full
278
:backstory, but that was a moment for
me that I was like, all right, listen,
279
:like, we got to get this e-learning
thing going, because there's no reason
280
:why we need to be delivering this every
single week, the same exact thing.
281
:We need to package it
and get it out there.
282
:And that was like before
e-learning was really a big thing.
283
:And I was thinking about
packaging back then.
284
:But that is the problem that you are
going to run into either you or your
285
:team or other people is once you
standardize what you're doing and you
286
:really package it and go, oh, well,
this is how I helped solve this problem.
287
:Right?
288
:Like we, we start here and we go here and
this is the step by step path which is
289
:great, that's what they're getting from
your expertise is that simplified step by
290
:step path for them, you're going to have
that moment where you're like, oh my gosh,
291
:like, I don't think I can deliver this
again because it's the same thing, right?
292
:Like, especially those of us who
are entrepreneurial in nature where
293
:we have a million different ideas.
294
:And that's when you know, like,
that the power of packaging can do
295
:so much for you and your business.
296
:That it unlocks unlimited
potential for how you can scale.
297
:So you can do a book, you can do a
kind of a worksheet or a workbook or
298
:a kit or something like where it's
all kind of packaged with templates
299
:and all the different things.
300
:You can create a course, you can create a
mastermind, you could create a membership,
301
:you could create a certification program.
302
:You could create a live event.
303
:You could create a recorded event.
304
:Sky's the limit, right?
305
:Like there's a million different ways
that you can deliver to, to provide
306
:value for your customers, to put
out different offers that, that your
307
:customers can interact with you or
your proprietary approach once you
308
:have it in as a packageable asset.
309
:And that is so powerful when that
happens because then you have
310
:choice in when you are showing up.
311
:You have choice to be able to come
in at a high level and help people.
312
:You have choice to be able to
deliver it in whatever way you
313
:want to show up and deliver it.
314
:And you have choice in helping
people be able to, to get that
315
:proprietary system on demand so they
can access it whenever they need it.
316
:And that is when instead of creating
like random offers or different
317
:things that are going on all over your
business, you're starting with your
318
:proprietary approach, packaging it,
and then that's how you're growing
319
:is by offering it in different ways.
320
:So that, my friends, is the beginning of
the journey of becoming a scalable expert.
321
:Once you become a scalable
expert, then you start unlocking
322
:the power of your expertise.
323
:So instead of
324
:only being able to deliver it one-on-one
and not be able to get your message
325
:out to impact more people, to be able
to help more people solve the problem
326
:that you uniquely are able to solve, you
are able to package into an asset that
327
:lives and breathes outside of you and
your time so you can help people at the
328
:highest level in different areas than
you probably even have imagined up until
329
:this point, and it puts you in a position
where your expertise becomes scalable.
330
:So I welcome you in.
331
:Hopefully this is something that you start
to think about, like, how do I do this?
332
:How do I show up as an expert and scale
a business that not only provides you
333
:with the income that you want, the
impact that you want, but also gives
334
:you a little bit of time to reap the
rewards of all of the work that you
335
:have put into becoming an expert.
336
:There you go, my friends.
337
:Until next time, enjoy working on
how do you package your expertise.
338
:If you love this episode, I would love
it if you were to give it a review,
339
:share it with your friends, and check
out all of the other resources that
340
:we have for you out on taralbryan.com.
341
:All right, take care.