240: Developing a digital media mindset & experimenting with short-form video: Special guest - Ben Cusack
- S6E240
- 45:12
- October 26th 2022
What does it take for a 45-year-old professional to build a following on TikTok of over 190,000, with 10M 'likes' of his videos? HINT: Letting go of perfection and adopting a 'digital media mindset'.
Let's face it, it takes time, effort and planning to build a professional personal brand that people know, trust and respect.
But sometimes, we over-think things. We get stuck inside our own heads when it comes to creating content and using social media to build our profile and our reputation.
If you’re a business owner or a professional expert with years in the trenches and runs on the board, there’s a good chance you might want to get things 100% perfect before publishing anything to social media.
It’s this pursuit of perfection: this over-thinking things around content creation, that might be holding you back and therefore, stunting your PR and personal branding efforts.
Today’s episode theme is around 'experimentation', and taking risks on social media. BEWARE: It's a wide-ranging conversation!
By ‘taking risks’, I’m not talking about doing anything silly.
Just letting loose a bit. Showing more of your authentic self. Trying new platforms. Experimenting with new technologies. Developing new skills.
There are a lot of good things that come with this: in the case of today’s guest, gaining confidence in front of the camera.
I call it adopting a digital media mindset.
Because, to be really successful with your content on social media, it’s as much about mindset as it is about the words you use.
In this episode, we hear from BEN CUSACK, a 45-year old government grant specialist and business owner whose TikTok account has generated over 10 million ‘likes’, with an audience of over 190,000.
In short, Ben takes chances on social media, and it's terrific to hear his story and how he's gained confidence in front of the (mobile phone) camera simply by doing, by putting himself out there and not taking things too seriously.
Ben and I cover TikTok, YouTube Shorts, turning blog posts into videos using AI, content curation on LinkedIn and increasing personal productivity through outsourcing.
If you tend to over-cook things on social media and have not yet broken out of the mindset that something needs to be perfect in order to be professional, then this episode is for you!
CONNECT WITH BEN:
#LearnByDoing #DigitalMediaMindset #ProgressNotPerfection
________________________
Reputation Revolution is brought to you by the **CREDIBLE AUTHORITY ACADEMY: **GROW YOUR INFLUENCE, CREATE MORE IMPACT! LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CREDIBLE, INFLUENTIAL VOICE IN YOUR INDUSTRY > go to credible authority.com > if you like what we talk about here on the Reputation Revolution, you’ll no doubt be interested in what’s on offer at Credible Authority Academy.
EARN THE RIGHT with Trevor Young
EARN THE RIGHT is your audio platform for reputation-based authority building — turning credibility into recognition, and recognition into opportunity.
Hosted by Trevor Young, it’s for credible founders, experts, and solo practitioners who’ve earned their stripes and are ready to amplify their voice with integrity.
Across four distinct (but inter-related) tracks —
- Crank The 3rd
- Pocket PR Essentials
- In The Arena
- From The Trenches
— you’ll get the ideas, stories, and strategies that help you cut through the noise and build lasting authority.
👇
1️⃣ CRANK THE 3RD
CRANK THE 3RD celebrates the Wisdom Economy — a world where depth, perspective, and lived experience fuel what’s next. It features conversations with inspiring midlife founders and professionals who are turning decades of know-how into opportunity: building meaningful ventures, shaping ideas, and designing work that matters.
2️⃣ POCKET PR ESSENTIALS
POCKET PR ESSENTIALS delivers short, sharp coaching sessions on building visibility and recognition — without the hype. Presented by Trevor Young, this audio playbook helps credible founders and solo professionals master PR, content, and digital communication to raise their profile and grow authority in a way that’s strategic, sustainable, and respectful.
3️⃣ IN THE ARENA
IN THE ARENA is Trevor Young’s unfiltered take on earning authority in real time — sharp, strategic riffs on content, credibility, connection, and the courage to keep showing up. Essential listening for entrepreneurs and professionals navigating the intersection of creativity, communication, and personal brand authority.
4️⃣ FROM THE TRENCHES
FROM THE TRENCHES presents deep-dive interviews with PR practitioners, content strategists, and digital communications experts that explore how reputation and influence are built today. Hosted by Trevor Young, this track shares grounded insights, hard-won lessons, and practical wisdom from those shaping credible marketing communications in the modern reputation economy.
You've put in the hard yards, now it's time to capitalise!
Earn attention. Build authority. Stay human.
------------------------------