This Shortcut Helps Build Authority Faster

Learn the simple formula behind trust, growth, and monetization—plus three ways to accelerate it

Author

Brandon Smithwrick
May 03, 2025

In partnership with

Trust → Attention → Influence → Income.

That’s the equation for growth and monetization online.

Hey friends,

If you’ve just been saving these newsletters for “later,” consider this your sign to start applying them.

We’re already in May (wild, right?). Next month is the halfway mark of the year—aka crunch time. It’s when the pressure hits… and the excuses start creeping in.

So let’s cut through the noise … Trust is the unlock.

Whether you’re trying to grow your client list, sell a product, or finally hit that revenue goal.

It all circles back to how much your audience trusts you.

This week’s playbook breaks down how to build that trust faster.

Let’s get to work. 👇🏾

🤝 The Audience Trust Equation

Every post you publish is a vote for how people perceive you.

And whether you’re trying to:

The one thing that separates the creatorpreneurs getting paid from the ones just getting seen is audience trust.

Not fake authority. Not followers through giveaways. But earned, built-from-the-ground-up credibility.

Let’s break down how to build it—faster.

Here are 3 ways to accelerate your authority game plan.

1. Borrow Trust, Then Build It

Until people know you, they judge you by association. So you should do the following…

  • Guest on podcasts.

  • Collaborate with trusted creators in your niche.

  • Share clips, shoutouts, or case studies from your clients or brand partners.

Use borrowed trust as a ladder—then prove you belong.

2. Teach What You’ve Done

Authority isn’t built from an idea of a plan.

It’s built from proof of work.

  • Share the behind-the-scenes of a launch.

  • Break down how you hit a growth milestone.

  • Post receipts, not just reflections.

People trust what they can see, not just what they’re told.

3. Repeat Yourself Over Again

Most creators change topics too soon. But repetition is reputation.

If someone can’t describe what you do in one sentence, you’re not yet seen as a go-to.

Pick your 1–3 topics. Own them loudly. Own them often.

The Wrap Up…

Here’s the truth: You don’t need everyone to trust you.

You just need the right few hundred people to trust you enough to listen, buy, and share.

So skip the follower count obsession. Build real belief.

This week’s Challenge: Pick one thing you can do in the next 48 hours to build more trust.

  • Post a client win.

  • Record a quick story with a lesson.

  • Re-share something that proves your method works.

Then reply and tell me what you chose—I’d love to see how you’re building real authority this month.

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📚️ Free Resources to Scale

Playbooks for Creatorpreneurs who think like CEOs.

 

ICYMI—I recently dropped a few free resources to help you level up your content and income this year. Grab both below 👇

📓 The 2025 Goal Planner

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📄 The Brand Deal Blueprint (No Luck Required)

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Brandon Smithwrick

Thanks for reading!

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