The Practical Path to Authority: How Real Experts Earn Influence
10 November 2025

The Practical Path to Authority: How Real Experts Earn Influence

AI-Driven Marketer: Master AI Marketing To Stand Out In 2026

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Should you start a podcast? Find out: https://aidrivenmarketer.com/pod

In this AI marketing podcast episode, Dan Sanchez unveils his "30-30-30" blueprint for becoming a thought leader. If you've ever wondered how to actually grow your authority in a niche without spending years doing it, this episode breaks it down into a simple (not necessarily easy) system: read 30 books, interview 30 experts, and publish 30 content pieces on a single topic. Dan and co-host Ken Freire talk through the step-by-step approach and why it works so well, especially for marketers looking to stand out.

My Favorite AI Tools:

    Tella - https://danchez.com/tella High Level - https://danchez.com/highlevel Zencastr - https://danchez.com/podtools n8n - https://danchez.com/n8n

Resources Mentioned:

    ChatGPT Deep Research Mode – https://chat.openai.com/ AIDrivenMarketer.com/pod Assessment – https://aidrivenmarketer.com/pod Google Alphabet Soup Keyword Method – https://www.google.com/ Reddit – https://www.reddit.com/ Quora – https://www.quora.com/

Timestamps:

    00:00 – Why everyone secretly wants to be a thought leader 01:55 – The case for becoming a student before becoming a teacher 03:00 – What is the 30-30-30 plan? 04:30 – How to pick a niche topic (and why it matters) 05:48 – Why reading all the books is the first step 07:26 – How Dan accidentally became an authority using this method 10:00 – Alternatives to reading (and why books still matter most) 14:00 – Skimming smarter: how to speed up your book intake 16:30 – What to do if you don’t like reading 18:00 – What counts as a "niche"? Defining the right scope 19:22 – Sequencing: reading, interviews, then content 20:00 – Why interviews are key to deepening expertise 21:43 – The low bar of becoming an expert (and why few people reach it) 25:15 – When to start sharing: Day 1 27:00 – Should you podcast or write? (Pick your medium) 28:46 – How to interview without starting