I came out of a spinning class today with a new teacher. At the end I was chatting to the teacher and she asked what I did.

I had to gulp and say “well, I’m kinda a TikToker”.

At my age! Goodness! Ha!

But it’s true. I’ve driven £300,000+ of revenue in the last year because of TikTok… Even if I don’t like it I’m a professional TikToker! (I guess I need to get over myself and just accept that).

Before I was always behind the scenes. Planning, strategy, automations, systems. For other people. For other brands.

But when I decided to step out from behind the scenes and get in front of a camera everything changed.

Not because I'm some natural at short-form video. The opposite, actually. I'm awkward on camera, stumble over words, have a lisp, and hate the editing process.

It doesn’t matter.

The hard stuff nobody else wants to do? Like getting their mug on camera. That's exactly where the opportunity lies.

Now I've got 250k+ followers, a newsletter read by 50,000+ entrepreneurs, and a solid six-figure revenue streams. Within a year. All because I showed up daily on one platform and did the work everyone else was avoiding.

Let’s get started

Why Being Known Changes Everything

Authority is the ultimate force multiplier in business. When people know you as the AI expert in your field, everything becomes easier.

We’re not talking here about becoming a general influencer. Hell, I’m not good enough looking for that!

Instead we’re talking about becoming an authority. Someone who is known in a specific industry for talking about a certain topic.

This is arguably more profitable than being a generic influencer. You can make good money with a few thousand followers in your industry as an authority rather than requiring the millions of generic followers that an influencer needs.

And the world is smaller than you think. I started to get recognised in the streets of London at around 50,000 followers. That’s hardly celebrity status - but apparently enough to occasionally be recognised in a big city. Madness!

Now imagine that within your specific industry? It’s a very powerful position to be in. Being known means:

Trust happens faster. Instead of cold pitching prospects, they come to you already convinced you know what you're talking about. You have built in social proof. It’s shallow but true - having x0,000 followers automatically elevates your status.

Doors open automatically. Speaking opportunities, partnership offers, consulting gigs - they start flowing without you having to chase them down. People will jump into your inbox and DMs saying “hey I saw your video on such and such can you come and talk at my event” on a regular basis.

Revenue becomes easier. You can monetise through sponsorships, affiliate deals, and direct audience payments while also launching your own products with built-in distribution. The last is underrated - this is using your audience to drive your business. Rather than the audience being your business. Super important distinction.

Pricing increases dramatically. When you're the recognised expert, you can charge premium rates because people understand your value before they even speak to you. I charge $4000/hour to give a talk which (frankly) seems mental.

Look at someone like Pieter Levels. He built (initially for fun) a flight simulator game in three hours using AI. Within days, it had 89,000 players and generated significant revenue. Luck? Hardly.

Levels spent the last decade building an audience that trusts his work. When he launches something - anything - they show up. That's the power of authority. And that is what you need to start building ASAP.

Here's what most people don't see coming: AI means that building will get easier, but being heard will get harder.

AI is democratising creation. Soon, anyone will be able to spin up an MVP in hours, not months. That means more competition, more noise, more products fighting for attention.

Ditto with content. As more content production can be automated (even if it is “AI slop”!) the airwaves will fill up. You’re going to have to shout louder and louder to be heard.

In a world where everyone can build, distribution becomes everything. The difference between a successful launch and a failed one won't be the quality of your product - it'll be whether anyone knows you exist.

Building an audience basically isn't optional anymore. It's survival. And the best time to start this if you haven’t is today.

The Formula That Actually Works

I tested every growth hack, secret strategy, and algorithm trick the gurus sell.

It’s all junk.

Here's what actually moved the needle

Consistency + Volume = Authority

That's it. No secret sauce. No hidden hashtags. No magic posting times.

Just showing up every single day and creating valuable content. One piece at a time. For months.

The hard truth? Most people quit after two weeks because they don't see immediate results. They're looking for the shortcut that doesn't exist. 🤷‍♂️ 

I posted every day for six months before things started clicking. Not because I'm naturally good at this - because I was willing to do the work that felt impossible at the start. And I’m stubborn…mainly stubborn.

And one day one video just…worked. I’m literally wearing my jacket because I was going out of the door and thought “ugh I have to do my stupid video”. Sat down, shot the thing. Went to meet friends at the pub.

Checked TikTok later than evening.

The video was at 500,000 views…

Damn…kinda cool! Maybe there’s something to this whole TikTok thing.

Woke the next morning. 1.5M views.

Wha…

And it kept rolling, all the way to 3.5M or so by the end of the week.

After that? I was off to the races.

BUT that came after months of plugging away with little to nothing in terms of results. And it’ll probably happen to you too. Sorry!

I run an AI Authority Accelerator where I give students 4 week of content and scripts to produce. Primarily to get them into the creative habit. Out of the 100 students I had 5 or so who pop off within the 30 days and get their first 100s of thousands of views (and 10,000 followers).

Great for them! Amazing work! But the key thing is that everyone just chug along and stick to the programme until the algo Gods decide it’s their turn. Consistency and volume beats all.

OK what about the nitty gritty?

Step 1: Choose Your Niche

You want to carve out space as the AI person in your specific industry. Not "AI expert" - that's too broad. "The AI expert for engineering firms." "The AI educator for charities." "The AI consultant for accountants."

You want to be THE person in your industry. So when someone mentions AI in the context of your industry you are the first person who comes to mind.

Every industry needs someone who can bridge the gap between AI capabilities and their specific business problems. Someone who speaks both languages - tech and business.

That someone could be you. A lot of industries do not have that person yet.

As highlighted before pick the industry you already understand. Don't try to learn a new sector while also learning AI content creation. Use your existing knowledge as your unfair advantage.

Step 2: Master Short-Form Video

I know, I know. "But Kyle, I hate being on camera."

Join the club. Most of us do.

But here's why short-form video wins

Authenticity beats polish. People don't want perfect production - they want real expertise from real humans. Your awkwardness is actually an asset. AND you’ll get better at speaking about your topic area by simply putting in the repetitions. It’s the ultimate public speaking practice!

Speed of creation. No editing, no fancy graphics, no complex setup. Record, post, move on. Boom, boom, boom. You can create more content faster. More rolls of the dice.

Platform preference. People consume technology content through video now. Books are boring (even though they're valuable). Don’t agree?? Don’t like that? Me neither. BUT…you and I can't fight this trend alone. It’s simply how most people consume information.

Low barrier to entry. Anyone can start. No expensive equipment or technical skills required. No faffing with gear and setups - that’s procrastination. Just point and shoot.

Short-form video lets you cut your teeth without the overwhelm of long-form content production. As someone who is just getting into long form (after a year of short form) believe me it’s a different ball game. Much more complicated and requires resources. Stick to short form to start.

Step 3: Your Content Framework

Everything you create should follow this pattern: take AI news, tools, or techniques and filter them through your industry lens.

AI news through your industry lens: "New ChatGPT update: what this means for law firms"

AI tools through your industry lens: "I tested 5 AI writing tools for marketing agencies - here's what actually works"

AI techniques through your industry lens: "How to use prompt engineering for better client presentations"

Notice the pattern? You're not creating generic AI content. You're creating industry-specific AI content that nobody else is making.

Your audience doesn't care about AI in general. They care about how AI applies to their specific problems.

FYI my AI Authority Accelerator gives you 20+ content “types” to practice. I won’t outline them all here because it’s overwhelming. Start basic and layer in complexity as and when you feel ready.

The main thing is, repeat after me, volume and consistency. Just keep plugging away at the highest volume you can sustain.

Just Start

98% of the people reading this will think “Yes! This sounds great and I will definitely do this. Let me just add that to my To-Do list and I’ll swing back to it in a week or so when I’m ready”.

Do you think they’ll do it?

Nah!

The key is starting before you feel ready. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine were. Everyone's are. Hell, go back and look at your favourite creator’s first video - chances are it’ll be terrible. Unless they deleted all their old stuff the cowards!

Here’s the thing. The person who posts terrible videos consistently will beat the person planning perfect content that never gets published.

Because the person posting will get better. Every video is a practice opportunity. A chance to get feedback. To see what works and what doesn’t. And also, as a nice bonus(!), a chance to pop off and get that first “viral” video.

Getting Started

Speaking of getting started - I run a 4-week AI Authority Accelerator that covers exactly this process. How to carve out your niche, create consistent content, and build authority in your specific industry.

It’s a 4 week day by day Accelerator rather than simply giving you the complete plan now. That’s because the name of this game is building a creative habit. Putting in the consistent work over several weeks. Rather than spaffing out 10 videos today and not doing any more for 8 months.

But you don't need to wait for an Accelerator to begin. Pick your niche today. Create your first video tomorrow. Post it even if it's rubbish.

I've also got free playbooks covering content creation and audience building - check those out if you want to dive deeper into the specifics.

But if you need extra structure and support then absolutely check out the AI Authority Accelerator and see if it makes sense for where you are right now.

What's Next?

In the next Part we'll explore the second legitimate AI opportunity: building actual solutions that businesses need. This is where your technical skills (even basic ones) meet real business problems to create tangible value.

Keep Prompting,

Kyle