200: From outsider to industry leader in 4 years - how Steve Vallas became a key player in Australia's emerging Blockchain sector

🎉 Welcome to episode 200 of REPUTATION REVOLUTION, the podcast dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and leaders build genuine personal brand influence ... in a respectful way 🎉

The legendary actor Al Pacino once said: "You’re only as good as the chances you take."

It's a great quote, and one that characterises this week's guest - Steve Vallas, CEO of Blockchain Australia.

Steve originally came on the show back in October, 2018. That episode - titled 'Relentless slowburn: How Steve Vallas builds visibility, influence and trust one event at a time' - has been, by a fair stretch too, our most popular show in terms of download numbers.

To commemorate the 200th episode, we thought we'd get Steve back on to see how the investment in time and effort he made in building professional trust and reputation in the industry has paid off.

(SPOILER ALERT: It has paid off!)

Part one of this episode is a replay of that original interview with Steve. It runs for 29 minutes, and it's a ripper (see original show notes below).

This is followed by a newly recorded interview with Steve.

In this second interview (which kicks in at the 33-minute mark), Steve explains how the groundwork he put in building his bona fides in the Blockchain space has led to him to the position he holds today, helming Australia's peak Blockchain industry body.

Plus we hear how he is harnessing the power of connection and conversation to further the Blockchain cause in Australia.

It's a terrific yarn, incorporating heaps of great lessons and truth bombs, many of which are quite 'contrarian' in nature.

If you want to make a dent in your chosen industry and are willing to put in the hard yards required, you will definitely benefit from listening to Steve's professional journey.

SHOW NOTES: 128 Relentless slowburn: How Steve Vallas builds visibility, influence and trust one event at a time

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Steve Vallas is quietly but surely making his mark in the Blockchain technology space.

A qualified lawyer with a background in business strategy and digital marketing, Steve is fast developing a reputation as the Blockchain go-to guy in Australia.

He has done this through relentless self-education, as well as proactively building connections and facilitating conversations with like-minded people interested in the space.

In the wide-ranging interview, Steve discusses how he's gone from being unknown in the Blockchain sector in Australia, to someone with a growing profile and reputation.

Along the way, he has:

• staged Blockchain APAC 2018, the biggest event of its kind for enterprise in Australia (taking it from idea to fully-blown conference with 45 speakers, in just 10 weeks)
• been invited by Austrade to attend a major international Blockchain event in Shanghai
• appeared on Australia's new Your Money TV channel

One of the keys to Steve's ongoing success in this nascent sector is his willingness to attend Blockchain events, no matter how small they may be. From professionally run conferences and seminars right through to informal meetups, over the course of a year, Steve has attended well over 100 events, on average of 2-3 per week.

He says showing up to so many events and having genuine conversations with people builds familiarity and trust. 

Key takeaways:

• Take the slow but steady route - Steve eschewed 'making a splash', preferring to bide his time, build his knowledge and expertise over a one-and-a-half to two-year period.
• If the idea is a good one, back yourself in - organising a major conference from go-to-whoa in 10 weeks is a massive, if somewhat crazy, undertaking. But Steve could see the potential, and the risk paid off: running such an event has elevated Steve's standing within Blockchain circles.
• Build your community before you need it - Steve has been building his online/offline community for years, always adding value, helping people and rarely asking for much in return.

Connect with Steve on Twitter.