Now booking guests for Accelerating Your Authority podcast :

Book Here
The Recognized Authority Podcast Cover
Publishes Weekly on
Monday Mornings

“Anyone interested in authority needs to add this to their podcast playlist right now”

Rochelle Moulton 
Author of The Authority Code

The podcast that helps experts & consultants to rapidly build authority so that you can command premium fees, cherry-pick the best projects, get off the gilded-hamster wheel of hourly-rate work, and never have to suffer a bad-fit client again!

Available on All Major Podcast Platforms

Episodes

Episode 49

Running a Consulting Business with Molly Angel

The business of independent consulting can be challenging, no more so than for a change management consultant in the healthcare industry in the midst of a pandemic! In this episode, Molly Angel and Alastair McDermott discuss what it’s like to run consulting projects in challenging times. Molly shares why she hired a business coach for […]
View Episode
Episode 48

Research and the Journey to Authority with Alastair McDermott

Last week, David C. Baker talked about the importance of research. In this week’s solo episode, Alastair McDermott speaks about how research fits in with the Journey to Authority, and explains the Authority Maturity Model. If you are interested in growing your expert business and becoming an authority, this is for you. On Thursday Alastair […]
View Episode
Episode 47

The Business of Consulting with David C. Baker

Running a consulting business can be exhausting. How can we make consulting easier to sell, easier to price, and easier to predict? In this episode, David C. Baker and Alastair McDermott discuss the business of consulting, including why research is crucial in positioning and standing out from your competitors, how to deal with the fears […]
View Episode
Episode 46

Using Case Studies to Build Trust with Kate the Case Study Copywriter

Selling consulting services is often selling the invisible and intangible. How can we better demonstrate the value of our services to prospective clients? In this episode, Kate The Case Study Copywriter and Alastair McDermott discuss how case studies can help convert your prospective buyers. They can learn how you have helped businesses like theirs to […]
View Episode
Episode 45

Accelerating Revenue Growth with Killer Positioning with Emily Omier

How do you give yourself the maximum chance of winning your ideal clients? What are the characteristics of clients that you are uniquely able to help? How do you know if your messaging is right? In this episode, Emily Omier and Alastair McDermott discuss the differences between strategy, positioning and messaging, how to get more […]
View Episode
Episode 44

Marketing is for Morons – and What You Should Do Instead with Michael F. Schein

For consultants, traditional marketing can often feel like an inappropriate tool for the job. In fact, sometimes it even feels like we’re screaming into the void. But what’s the alternative? In this episode, Michael F. Schein and Alastair McDermott discuss how to use hype to grab attention, create curiosity, and build a tribe of like-minded […]
View Episode
Episode 43

Why Positioning Is Crucial to Your Business with Shannyn Lee

As a consultant, it can often be difficult to be seen as meaningfully different from your competitors. Every consulting firm has  – or claims to have! – smart people, great methodologies and tools, and every website talks about how they can solve complex business problems in a variety of industries. So how can you stand […]
View Episode
Episode 42

The Journey to Authority with Alastair McDermott and Philip Morgan

In this episode reposted from Philip Morgan’s The Self-Made Expert Podcast, Alastair and Philip discuss what the journey to authority looks like, why you should cultivate expertise, and how publishing develops your thinking. They also discuss when authority matters, how you know if you have authority, and the importance of specialization in building authority. ➡️ […]
View Episode
Episode 41

Using LinkedIn for Lead Generation with Louise Brogan

LinkedIn can be a fantastic source of leads for consultants, but there’s a lot of noise on the platform, especially since the start of the pandemic.  In this episode, Louise Brogan and Alastair McDermott discuss how to do lead generation on LinkedIn without spamming people or burning yourself out. They also discuss Louise’s specialization journey […]
View Episode
Episode 40

Choosing the Right Business Model for You with Chris Williams

When we first start our consulting business, very often we come in with a specific idea of how it’s going to look, what our services are going to be, and how we’re going to sell them. But the great advantage of being independent is the ability to change the rules, to choose a business model […]
View Episode
Episode 39

How to Grow Your Consulting Business – Alastair McDermott and Alisa Meredith

There are different stages to growing a consulting business: the strategies you adopt when you’re getting established can be different to those you use to scale later. Several weeks ago I attended a marketing conference called The Uprising, an event run by Mark Schaefer. I spoke with many of the attendees and speakers. One of […]
View Episode
Episode 38

How to Position, Monetize & Sell Your Expertise with Rochelle Moulton

The path to authority is one route to creating leverage and value beyond simply billing for your time. Authority allows you to work with clients who energize and inspire you, it allows you to stop pitching and instead have sales conversations with pre-sold clients and buyers. In this episode, Rochelle Moulton and Alastair McDermott discuss […]
View Episode
Episode 37

How to Charge More by Niching Down with Geraldine Carter

There is a direct connection between niching down and earning more money. In this episode, Geraldine Carter and Alastair McDermott discuss positioning and specialization. Geraldine outlines the direct connection between your specialized positioning and your ability to command higher fees. They also discuss pricing new service lines, and how consultants tend to undercharge significantly.
View Episode
Episode 36

How to Increase Your Reach with Podcasting with Joe Casabona

Podcasts are rapidly growing in popularity in the B2C and B2B worlds with Joe Rogan and Spotify leading the drive. There’s a lot of advice about podcasting available online, but much of it is missing an important nuance that applies to experts and consultants who are on the path to authority. In this episode, Joe […]
View Episode
Episode 35

How to Write a Successful Book with Anne Janzer

Most consultants have been told “you should write a book” at some point. But easy as that is to say, where do you start? In this episode, Anne Janzer and Alastair McDermott discuss how to start writing your book, why writer’s block isn’t quite what people think it is, and how to think about success […]
View Episode
Episode 34

How Quality Audio Makes You Sound Smarter with Norbert Schwarz

As authorities and experts in our specialist areas, we want our prospective clients to see us as competent, intelligent experts. But many of us are self-sabotaging and creating the perception of being less competent, less intelligent, having less expertise. In this episode, Norbert Schwarz and Alastair McDermott discuss how audio and video quality exerts a […]
View Episode
Episode 33

How to Be Heard in a World of Noise with Carmel Finnan

The world is getting louder, more chaotic and it becomes difficult to hear your own voice amidst the noise around us. In this episode, Dr. Carmel Finnan and Alastair McDermott discuss the importance of storytelling in communication, and how it helps in building your brand. They also discuss how listening can play a major part […]
View Episode
Episode 32

How to Do Value Based Pricing with Ron Baker

“You should raise your prices” is advice you’ll frequently hear on this podcast and elsewhere. But it’s not that easy to implement. In this episode, Ron Baker and Alastair McDermott discuss why pricing by the hour is a bad option, and why value pricing is better for the provider and for the client. They cover […]
View Episode
Episode 31

How Plants Were the First Marketers with Leo York

Marketing and branding are often conflated: the distinction can feel more like semantics. But there’s a very real and easy to understand difference. In this episode, Leo York and I discuss the primitive origins of marketing, how plants were the first marketers, and how and why color choice impacts how we think about brands. We […]
View Episode
Episode 30

How to Run a Successful Consulting Business with Michael Zipursky

Being an independent consultant can sometimes be a tough gig – but there are things you can do to make life easier for yourself! In this episode Michael Zipursky and Alastair McDermott discuss how to run a successful consulting business, including details on how to niche, how to increase capacity, and why you should raise […]
View Episode

About the podcast

The Recognized Authority is the podcast that helps experts & consultants to rapidly build authority so that you can command premium fees, cherry-pick the best projects, get off the gilded-hamster wheel of hourly-rate work, and never have to suffer a bad-fit client again!

This podcast features interviews with successful consultants – in any field – who are willing to share the ups and downs of their story to inspire and educate our listeners.

We also interview marketing and sales experts who have a message or lesson that is relevant for a B2B professional services audience.

We’ll cover all aspects of business developement, sales, marketing and lead generation with advice, tips and in-depth analysis specifically aimed at independent consultants & specialized consulting firms.

Alastair McDermott

Podcast Host & Marketing Consultant

Meet the host

I created the The Recognized Authority podcast to help experts & consultants to rapidly build authority so that you can command premium fees, cherry-pick the best projects, get off the gilded-hamster wheel of hourly-rate work, and never have to suffer a bad-fit client again!

I’m a former software engineer who has converted to “The Dark Side” becoming a business and marketing consultant. I built my first website on GeoCities in the before-time of 1996, and I’ve been hooked on websites ever since.

I left a safe corporate job in early 2007 to start and grow my digital marketing business during the worst recession in modern history – that was a wild ride!

Along the way I co-founded several start-ups, some of which were mildly successful, and I wrote a book called “33 Ways Not to Screw Up Your Business Podcast”.

If you’re reading this, I’d love to connect with you on the socials – please add me on your social network of choice.

Apply to be a guest

Our guest schedule for The Recognized Authority is full. 

We are actively seeking guests for our new podcast Accelerating Your Authority. 

Apply to Guest
Alastair McDermott

Let's work together!

If you’d like some support on your journey to authority, I’d love to help. Learn More.

Logo of The Recognized Authority
Linkedin Twitter Youtube Facebook Instagram

© Copyright 2007-2023 · WebsiteDoctor Consulting Services Ltd trading as The Recognized Authority · All Rights Reserved.

Registered in Ireland: No. 441380. Registered for VAT: IE9677367E.
WebsiteDoctor® is a Registered Trademark of WebsiteDoctor Consulting Services Ltd.
The Recognized Authority is a Registered Business Name of WebsiteDoctor Consulting Services Ltd with the Companies Registration Office. Formerly Marketing for Consultants. Alternative spelling “The Recognised Authority”

Privacy & Cookies · Media / Press Kit