Christine Blosdale — The Expert Authority Coach™ — joins Kelly Callahan-Poe to tackle the real reason talented marketing and advertising professionals stay invisible: not lack of skill, but lack of positioning. With 25+ years of experience building brand visibility for entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Christine shares her 5-step Expert Authority Framework to help you go from best-kept secret to unmistakable. No hustle required — just clarity, confidence, and a few smart moves.
That’s the question Christine Blosdale — The Expert Authority Coach™ — asks every client who walks through her door. The answer is almost never about talent. It’s about positioning.
Christine’s first move with every client is to go straight to the website — because that’s where your positioning either lives or dies. In a world where AI tools are surfacing experts in search results, discoverability depends on clarity. If your site doesn’t communicate your value immediately, you’re invisible to humans and algorithms alike.
Kelly shared her own four-question positioning formula: Who is your target audience? What do you do for them? Why you? And what’s your why? Christine also pushed back on the advice to “niche down” — a phrase she dislikes. Instead, she thinks about it as a circus tent. Put one clear message on the outside. Once people walk in, then show them everything else you do.
In those first three seconds — whether on video, in a Zoom waiting room, or at a networking event — two things matter: your words and your energy. Christine’s advice for video is to lead with a question your audience is already thinking, rather than a lengthy introduction. Pull them in immediately.
She also puts a short welcome video in her Zoom waiting room so clients aren’t staring at a blank screen before a call. It’s a small move that starts building trust before she’s even on camera.
Stop telling people you’re great and let your clients do it for you — but know that not all social proof carries equal weight. Written testimonials work. Add a photo and they work better. Add video and you’ve reached the gold standard. When someone is visibly lighting up on camera talking about working with you, that’s impossible to dismiss.
For those earlier in their careers without a client vault yet, Christine’s advice is simple: start creating content in whatever format feels natural. She built five bestselling books not by sitting down to write, but by converting her workshops and speaking engagements into chapters. Use your natural mode of expression to build credibility now.
The biggest threat to a consistent brand voice right now? Over-relying on AI to generate content. Christine uses ChatGPT — she calls him Charlie — but only to enhance work she’s already created, never to replace it. AI-generated content is technically correct but fundamentally generic, and people can feel the difference.
Her practical test: the Coffee Shop Test. Read your content out loud. If you wouldn’t say it that way over coffee, it’s not your voice. Your brand voice isn’t just aesthetic — it’s the filter that attracts the right clients and signals to the wrong ones that they can keep scrolling.
Christine learned this lesson in radio fundraising. One clear offer, one clear ask — the phones lit up. Multiple offers at multiple price points during the same hour — zero calls. The prizes weren’t the problem. The confusion was.
The same thing plays out constantly in small business marketing. We give people fifteen things to click and wonder why conversions are flat. Christine’s fix: identify the single most important action you want someone to take and build everything around it. For her, it’s booking a discovery call. One click. One ask. One clear next step.
More than positioning, social proof, or the perfect hook — what people are craving right now is authenticity. Our collective baloney detectors are maxed out. The professionals who will stand out are the ones willing to be genuinely, unapologetically real. Build your brand on who you actually are, and the right clients will find their way to your tent.
Kelly Callahan-Poe: If you’re great at what you do, but nobody knows it, this episode is for you. I’m Kelly Callahan-Poe, host of the Marketing Moms podcast. Today’s episode is called How to Become an Expert Authority with Christine Blosdale. Christine is the Expert Authority Coach and brand visibility strategist with more than 25 years of experience helping coaches, entrepreneurs, authors, and thought leaders get seen, trusted, and paid for what they actually know. Christine helps her clients clarify their personal brand, sharpen their message, and step confidently into the spotlight. She’s also a podcast host, author, and the creator of the Expert Authority Cheat Sheet. Welcome, Christine.
Christine Blosdale: Hey Kelly, thank you so much. I’ve been really looking forward to this. It’s like Christmas morning to be with you.
Kelly: Yeah, we’ve had a couple of pre-conversations that have gotten us going, but I want to dive in and talk about my favorite topic in the whole wide world, which is positioning. And you say that talented professionals don’t struggle because they lack talent, they struggle because we’re not clearly positioned. Walk us through your process for helping professionals figure out where they stand.
Christine: One of the very first places I go is the website because that is our glorified digital business card. It’s where you have search engine discoverability. And now we are in the world of AI and ChatGPT. You want to be discovered and found on ChatGPT and the different AI tools — Claude and all these different ones — you’re going to be positioned, but we want to make sure that your message of who you are, who you serve, what you do — we want to make that really clear. So that’s the first place that I go, really, is their website. The social media and all those other places I do go to as well, but I really am concerned about that website right away.
Kelly: Got it. So I have a formula that I use for myself and for others. It’s a basic formula that a lot of people use, and it’s basically four questions. Who is your target audience? What do you do for them? Why you and not someone else, which is your area of expertise? And why this — which is I love Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why.” What’s your why? What’s your purpose? What’s your cause and your belief? And so for me, I position myself as the career acceleration guide for marketing and advertising professionals. And I deliver expert advice and career growth, mindset and motivation, upskilling, industry insights, and work-life balance. I specifically use the word “guide,” not “coach,” signaling my expertise without having to say it. And then my why is: I’ve been there and I want to share the advice I never got in my early career so you don’t make the same mistakes I did. So for me, I get out of it knowledge sharing, mentorship, and being able to help the next generation of advertisers and marketers.
Christine: I love it. You nailed it. You got an A+. And repeat again what your title is, because I think this is really important for people to remember. When somebody says, at a party, “Hey Kelly, what do you do?”
Kelly: I am a career acceleration guide for advertising and marketing professionals.
Christine: Boom. You see how clear that was? There was no ambiguity. I’ve run into clients who are in desperation mode — they quit their job and now everything is riding on this coaching or consulting business — and when I ask them what it is they do, a lot of times they’ll go, “I do so many things. I do a lot of things for a lot of people.” And I’m like, girl, we need to talk, because if you say something like that, you’re going to get nobody. What you said was specific. When somebody asks me, I say, “Hi, I’m Christine. I’m the Expert Authority Coach” — and I say the expert, not an expert — “and I help overwhelmed entrepreneurs get seen, get trusted, and get paid for what they already know.” So immediately people get an idea — okay, you’re somebody who can help an overwhelmed entrepreneur like myself get seen, get trusted, and get paid. That’s clear.
Kelly: And your audience is targetable and it’s narrow. So for me, if I say advertising and marketing professionals and you go on my website, you can see on marketingmoms.com I target college students, entry-level professionals, mid-career professionals, and senior executives. I have different content for each of those different areas. So that’s really narrow focusing. People understand where they fit and the type of content I’m going to deliver them.
Christine: You did it right. Because here’s the thing — we all have multi-talents, right? And I work with a lot of multi-talented people. And what I say to them — I do not like the words “niche down” — but I do like the words: you need to be clear. We want to bring people into our circus tent, right? We want to bring people into our world through something that’s really clear. On the outside it says “Expert Authority.” Then when they come into my circus, into my tent, I can show them all the other things I’m really great at. I can say, let’s create a podcast to promote your brand. Let’s get you a bestselling book. Let’s get you booked on podcast shows. But if I just put all of that out there first, it’s too confusing for people and they’ll go, “I don’t want to be on TikTok” — and walk away. You want to bring people in through that door first.
Kelly: Absolutely. And the positioning statement you use as your outward-facing line should ideally be five words or less if you can make that happen. Then people learn the key part — your why — through your story, your storytelling. All of those things don’t necessarily go into those five words, but how you present yourself and how you present your content, people will start to understand the story.
Christine: Absolutely. And you can have a few different mantras. I have a couple, but the one I really want to drive home is on the bottom of every page on my website: “Remember this — if you’re not seen and heard, you’re not hired.” It’s very simple, but it stops people in their tracks. They go, “I do need to be seen and heard, don’t I? Because if you’re not — do you really exist?”
Kelly: Absolutely. You have a framework — your Expert Authority Framework — and step one is something you call the Three-Second Authority Hook. What is the biggest mistake people make in those first three seconds, and what’s the fix?
Christine: I think it’s a lack of clarity, but it can also be a lack of confidence — especially with most of my clients, who are women. And there’s energy. Now, I’m not going to get super woo-woo, but I’ll get a little woo-woo: we all have an energy, a vibe that we emanate. You know, if you’ve ever been to a party and somebody walks in and you’re not crazy about their energy — you feel it. So in those first three seconds, what are the words you’re saying? What’s the energy you’re bringing? Right before you go into a networking event — are you sitting in your car worried about rent, worried about getting more clients? That energy has a smell, a taste. You need to be confident in your skillset, confident in who you are, and you need to know that the energy you bring needs to be something people want to be a part of.
Kelly: Give me some examples of how you use the Three-Second Hook.
Christine: When it comes to social media content, ask a question. When you just come on video and go, “Hi, I’m so-and-so and this and this and that” — you’re eating up time. If you can ask a question right away, whatever the topic, your audience is already thinking and they’re answering in their head. Another tip for video — I have a microphone, more of a hand prop. When you have something in your hand, it’s more powerful than just a talking head. I’ll bring my microphone to my mouth and ask that question: “Have you ever…?” Just that action of a cool piece of technology coming to my mouth — people stop and watch. They’re like, “What’s that in her hand?” It depends on your style and your content, but the key is capturing people with something visual in those first three seconds.
Kelly: The surprising thing that you did — which was my first interaction with you — is when I was on hold in your Zoom room, you had a video playing so I didn’t have to sit there and look at a blank screen. I could hear you talk and get a feel for your personality before you even came on camera.
Christine: Yes! And it’s the same thing with the website. When I go to people’s websites, there’s a big photo and a long bio. But I recommend: as soon as someone comes to your website, there should be a video playing. It’s less than a minute. You’re welcoming them — “Hey, welcome to my website. I’m Christine Blosdale. I’m an Expert Authority Coach. This is what I do. This is who I serve. If you’re interested, take a look around. If you’ve got any questions, just click the link.” You’re engaging that person right away. Websites that are just static and dead are going to lose people. The Zoom room video? So many times since COVID we go into a Zoom room and stare at a blue screen wondering, “Am I going to like this person? Am I not?” Especially if it’s a consultation. So instead of a blank screen or a static image, I put a video up there. I’m saying hi, telling people we’re going to have a great time. Some clients thought I was live — they were talking to the video going, “How come she’s not answering me?”
Kelly: That was very clever. Something I clearly need to add to my website — it’s going on my to-do list. So step two is about what you call the Unmistakable Visual Storefront. What are the non-negotiables here?
Christine: Non-negotiable: you have to have a professional headshot. If you want to make the impression that you’re professional, that you’re good at what you do — a professional headshot, not a selfie. I had a client with a photo from 20 years ago and I’m like, clearly that’s not how you look today. And she was self-conscious about her gray hair. And I said, girl, embrace it — you’re representing the 65-plus women and you need to show up and be proud about how you look right now.
That headshot is going to open doors you would never believe. I have one shot that is the epitome of me — my eyes are nearly squinting closed because the expression on my face is pure joy. I have my headphones on, a microphone in front of my face, my mouth is wide open. That image has gotten me more interviews and more opportunities than anything. You want that shot where you go, “Yeah. That’s me.”
Kelly: And you also talk about having a consistent brand identity across all of your platforms — how you talk, what you post, the colors, the fonts. They all need to have the same vibe and the same signal.
Christine: Yes. And know that different platforms speak differently. The wacky stuff I do on TikTok, I won’t necessarily be doing on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a different planet — we’re talking professional CEOs, CFOs, collaboration and networking. It’s not so much a place where you’re trying to get likes and video views. TikTok is a completely different vibe. But your core brand identity — your colors, your fonts, your voice — needs to be consistent so people recognize you wherever they find you.
Kelly: Step three is what you call the Trust Accelerator: stop telling people you’re the best and let your clients do it for you. And you have a silver and a gold standard for social proof. Walk us through that.
Christine: It’s not about you saying how great you are. That should be evident from the content you create and the services and products you offer. It’s really important when other people say how great you are — through Google reviews, client testimonials, whatever format. Here’s the hierarchy: a written quote from a client is great. Add their photo and it’s even better. The gold standard is a video testimonial, where your client is visibly lighting up on camera saying, “You’ve got to call Christine — she helped me do this, that, and the other.” A video is way more powerful than just words on a screen. People won’t be able to dismiss it as fake.
Kelly: So what about someone who’s early in their career — a college student, entry level — who doesn’t have a vault of wins yet? How do they start building credible proof from scratch?
Christine: Go with the low-hanging fruit — the stuff that feels like play, not work. Whatever is your easy thing to do, do it. For me, I have five bestsellers and I’m working on a sixth book — but I’m not a writer. If I’m looking at a blank Word doc, I feel sick. I’m a talker, I’m a speaker. So I take my workshops, webinars, masterminds, lunch-and-learns — anytime I’m speaking — and I convert that content into readable chapters for a book. All those different things I’ve spoken on are my experiences and my tips, and I can put them into chapters. Whatever your natural mode of expression is, use it to build credibility now.
Kelly: Step four is a fun one — Unmistakable Brand Voice, AKA the vibe check. How does someone audit whether their voice is consistent, and what does it sound like when it’s not?
Christine: What I see more and more right now is people using ChatGPT for everything. And while I love my Charlie — I call him Charlie — I do not use ChatGPT to create my content. I use it to enhance work I’ve already done. There’s a big difference. You’ll know right away if you ask it to write your bio — there will be markers in there that give it away. The first time I tested it, Charlie was calling me “world-renowned Christine Blosdale.” Come on now.
Kelly: It’s aspirational.
Christine: You’re pouring it on a little thick! It wants to please you. So you want to check yourself before you wreck yourself when it comes to ChatGPT — allow it to enhance the work you do, don’t allow it to create for you. Because people will know. It sounds generic. It doesn’t have your vibe, your essence. My whole personality — I tell people right away: if you want to work with me, get ready to have fun. We’re going to keep it fun, keep it simple, make it easy for you to progress. If you’re a super serious person who wants just the facts, I’m not your person. But if you want joy in the process of building your brand and your business — come join me. We need to put that out there right away, because it also filters out people we don’t want to work with.
Kelly: Yeah. And at our age, we can be selective about that. You can’t do that when you’re 25. So what is the Coffee Shop Test?
Christine: The Coffee Shop Test — you tell me.
Kelly: Read your content out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something you’d actually say over coffee, it’s not you.
Christine: Yes! And once you speak it, you’ll go, “Yeah, I can embody that. I can feel that.” If you say something and it’s not really coming from you, it’ll feel forced. I say the same thing to first-time authors — once you’ve written the manuscript, read it out loud. Perform it. Because as you’re speaking it, you’re going to realize right away if a sentence or phrase isn’t feeling right. You can hear it. And you need to be able to say your core introduction in your sleep. I know I can. You probably can too. If you want people to be comfortable paying you for your services, you need to be really comfortable with it yourself.
Kelly: Absolutely. Step five is what you call the Straight Line to Success, or the Zero Friction Call to Action. Your premise is that confused people don’t buy. Can you give us real examples of how to eliminate that friction?
Christine: It’ll be a constant thing you need to check in on. Offering too much confuses people and they won’t choose anything. I’ll give an example from radio. When we did fund drives, what I knew after 20-plus years was: keep it very simple. Focus on one thing. Come back to it over and over, talk about it a little differently each time, but stick with that one offer. When I did that, we had massive success — the phones lit up. A colleague of mine would offer tickets to this event, a screening, a Sunday thing — so many different things at so many different price points. Zero calls. The prizes were amazing. The confusion was the problem.
I see it over and over with small businesses and solopreneurs. They’re offering the moon, the sky, everything, and it’s confusing. People just go, “I’m out. I can’t figure it out.”
Kelly: So you recommend things like the one-click rule — Book Now, Get a Free Session — kill the clutter, stop giving people 50 things to do.
Christine: Absolutely. And what’s the most important thing for your business? For me, the most important thing is for people to book that discovery call. All the lead magnets I have — if they take a quiz, get the book for free, whatever — none of it is as important as that discovery call. Because that call is person to person, one on one. They tell me what they’re stuck with, and I tell them how I can help. So constantly through my website, my podcast, my content — I am telling people: book the discovery call. That is the most important thing for me. More than getting somebody in my email database.
Kelly: Well, that is clear on your website. I was successful in booking that. So I want to get a little personal, if that’s okay. You’ve been doing this for 25-plus years, and you’ve said that as you were finding your way, you personally felt invisible. What was the turning point for you — when you went from doubting your message to really owning it?
Christine: I think it was truly in my career in broadcasting, where I was happy to be behind the scenes as a producer or a writer. Making things happen — but never seen. I was very content to be the wizard behind the curtain. Then one day, the host of the five o’clock drive-time show couldn’t make it — sick, broke a leg, something — and it was literally ten minutes before the show was supposed to start. Management said, “Christine, you’re the producer. You need to go on air.” I was like, “Are you — what? No. There’s someone else who’s done this before. I’ve never been on the microphone.” All that imposter syndrome kicked in. But they said, “It’s going to be five o’clock and thousands of people are tuning in.”
So I went into the studio. I put on the headphones. I pulled the mic close. The studio was dark. And when the on-air light went on — it was like magic. All my fears just left. It felt like the chair, the room, everything just wrapped around me and said, “You are home, honey. You are home.” The words that came out of my mouth were exactly the right words. I opened up the phone lines — one of the scariest things you can do in live radio — and every single call that came in was so positive and so lovely. All my fears were unwarranted. That was the moment I owned my power. And I went, “Yeah. I like this. I really dig this.” That was the beginning of a very long and wonderful career — which eventually transferred into podcasting.
Kelly: Last question: what’s the one thing you want our listeners to walk away with today — the thing that will actually move the needle on becoming an Expert Authority?
Christine: I want you to walk away understanding that yes, being clear in your messaging is important — but right now, more now than ever, we as human beings are craving authenticity. We are craving truthfulness. We see lies everywhere. Our baloney detectors are on full blast and we want someone who is real. So as much as you can, have that authenticity and that truthfulness in your messaging, in your content — and it will go very far. The age of perfectionism is over. The Kardashian-in-the-jet aesthetic? No. We are craving the real, true heroes of our society — people who are honest and kind and authentic. That is going to be the key moving forward. And also: don’t be afraid to be collaborative. Work with other experts. There’s enough for everybody. Scarcity mindset has no place here.
Kelly: Agreed. Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing your insights today, Christine. I will have links to your website, social media channels, books, and all of your resources in the transcript. Don’t forget to subscribe and share. Thanks for joining.
