I felt like I was walking a fine line when I was writing my book on decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression at work. I wasn’t a therapist. Who was I to talk about anxiety and depression?
I worked with two licensed therapists as I was developing the draft. They vetted my content, and one even said that a layman had to write this kind of book because sometimes people think therapists are too theoretical and are not relatable. This therapist had never worked in corporate so didn’t have lived experience in that world.
Your lived experience can be your thought leadership. Here are two examples.
Jimmy on Relationships
Jimmy Knowles is wicked smart and hilarious, but he is also exceptionally well-read and articulate about the ins and outs of relationships. His Jimmy on Relationships YouTube channel is must-see TV for me.
Through his own lived experience and studying the experts, he presents relevant topics in an easily digestible format. He playfully makes fun of the awkward situations we all face in dating and relationships, and gives us language and techniques to manage conflict and repair after a fight.
Here is the description from his YouTube channel:
I confessed to my wife that I had an affair, and she kicked me out (rightfully so) and as I was sitting in my car alone wondering if I should text my mom or sleep in my car I asked myself “was this pain I’m experiencing preventable? Can my marriage be saved even after an affair? What does a healthy relationship even look like?” I couldn’t stop obsessing over these types of questions, and after reading dozens of books on relationships and eventually rebuilding trust in my marriage, I decided this is too important not to talk about and share what I’ve learned with others. So I hope I can help your relationship in any way that I can.
*I am NOT a coach or counselor and my videos are NEVER intended to replace counseling or therapy =)
This video is pure gold.
I have seen him do interviews with luminaries in the relationship space like The Gottmans and others. With 1.34M subscribers, he is making a huge impact and helping a lot of people.
Crappy Childhood Fairy
Another layman expert I love is the Crappy Childhood Fairy. Besides the fantastic name for her channel, Anna Runkle is a no-nonsense content creator who calls it like she sees it and offers self-assessments and practical tools for working through trauma caused by Childhood PTSD. She also has courses and a community.
From her YouTube channel description:
My name is Anna Runkle: I teach people to recognize and heal the symptoms of Childhood PTSD.
I’m not a doctor or therapist. I’m someone who grew up with several alcoholics in the family, and all the dynamics that tend to go with that — poverty, neglect, violence, and an environment of chronic, deep stress. In adulthood, the telltale signs of Childhood PTSD were all there — health problems, depression and anxiety, relationship struggles — but traditional therapies never seemed to help.
When I found what DID help, my whole life changed. For more than 29 years I’ve been teaching a program that anyone can use, whether or not they have access to professional help. I focus first on healing dysregulation, and then on changing the self-defeating behaviors that are so common for those of us traumatized as kids. I’m glad you’re here!
If you had a crappy childhood (and a lot of us did), I think you will get huge value from and enjoy her straight talk and actionable advice. From clutter as a symptom of trauma to dating people who are actually healthy for you to emotional reregulation, Runkle covers it all.
She has 959K subscribers on her YouTube channel and is a respected expert on her topic.
Is there some topic you are an expert on? Are you hesitating to create content because you don’t have the right degree or credential? Maybe you don’t need it and should just get started.
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
