I once spoke with a friend who was terrified of approaching the media. ‘Firstly, who am I?,’ he argued, quite passionately, against his own interests. ‘And secondly, isn’t that just shamelessly punting yourself?’ 

As US author and consultant Alan Weiss often says, ‘If you’re not banging your own drum, there is no noise.’ And as for ‘Who am I?’; I believe that the barrier to entry for thought-leadership exists only in your own mind. So nominate yourself. 

Entrepreneurs live and die by publicity. Owning your industry is the cumulative result of your regular appearances in the media as an industry thought-leader, so it’s best to get comfortable with it early on. 

This week, I dare you to approach the media. Target a specific show. Find a publication that speaks to your market. Offer an interview or write an article and submit it.

If you’ve done it before, then I dare you to raise the ante. You got onto a regional show? Now try a national one. You were published in a small-title magazine? Now try for Forbes. 

Offer an interesting thought; propose a novel angle; show that you can give value to their audience; educate or entertain, or, in a best-case scenario, do a little of both. Experiment with your own interaction with the media, and learn about how to speak through their amplified channels.

Here’s to you developing your voice and presence in the media.