In Episode 19 we speak with marketing strategist and successful author, Mark Schaefer on the way to generate and leverage Influence, for both your personal and professional brands. Author of nine books including Return on Influence and Cumulative Advantage, Mark shares his research and experience in the area of content marketing. He explains why it’s not enough to simply generate content; why you must rise above the noise with a ‘spiky point of view’. Mark and Jo reflect on the challenges faced by people with a business or personal brand in being genuine, proving trustworthiness and the importance of creating comfortable and supportive spaces for your audience. As a  global public speaker and a professor, Mark shares lessons on how to create a distinct value proposition by observing changes in the world and lining them up with your own unique experience. And on how important patience and self-awareness are in building a successful venture. -- To look outside Mark relies on three to five sources - from blogs, newsletters, podcasts - that inspire him every week. Mark says having these handful of regular sources focuses your attention on what’s relevant and forces you to look at things in a new way. Mark is a self-proclaimed ‘look outside junkie’ because he lives in the world of ‘what’s next’, which means he relies on observation of the fast changing world. -- Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized author, keynote speaker, futurist, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world. He teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University and has written nine best-selling books. Mark’s new book Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for Your Ideas, Business and Life Against All Odds is an essential new path to being seen and heard in a busy world. Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for more than 30 years and now provides consulting services as Executive Director of U.S.-based Schaefer Marketing Solutions.  He specializes in marketing strategy and social media workshops. Clients include both start-ups and global brands such as Adidas, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Pfizer, The U.S. Air Force, and the UK government. He has been a keynote speaker at prestigious events all over the world including SXSW, Marketing Summit Tokyo, and the Institute for International and European Affairs. Mark has appeared as a guest on media channels such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CBS News. He is the co-host of The Marketing Companion, one of the top 10 marketing podcasts on iTunes. See more from Mark: Mark’s consultancy, Schaefer Marketing Solutions at businessesgrow.com Mark’s latest book Cumulative Advantage which you can purchase on AmazonConnect...