Why I No Longer Use the Word "Expert"

Secrets of this industry revealed: If we can't trust the wellness "experts," who can we trust?

In my last post, I wore the same hat but showed a different face. Are the faces we see in wellness genuine and real? Hat created by my friend Lisa Borden of Borden Communications.

Don’t support me because I was featured in an article like this:

https://www.laweekly.com/top-15-content-creators-influencing-the-world-with-their-fantastic-talent/

It looks fabulous, right?

I paid for this. If it’s any online publication similar to this, all the participants paid for it.

At the time, I believed it was an honour to be asked. Since then, I learned that these articles are a dime a dozen, and if you, as an expert, have at least some relevance to the title of the article being released, you’ll qualify. And you’ll likely have to write it yourself, about yourself. I get numerous similar requests every day from different online publications. Product reviews, expert reviews, etc., are mostly all bought now. This last week, I could have been entered into a draw to win a Rolex watch if I spoke about a collagen powder I knew nothing about. I get emails, DMs, and requests constantly to test my ethics and integrity as someone in the wellness industry.

The big question is: If everyone pays to be seen as an expert or gets paid, who are the real experts? This will be my thesis for this article, and I’ll return to it at the end.

Will the real experts please stand up?

I was recently quoted $1500 USD to have my podcast listed and included amongst a supposed group of experts. It felt like an elite clique I wasn’t yet a part of when I saw many colleagues and podcasters I know in this industry who were a part of this group. There were many ways I could be included and be considered an expert if I paid to play. This same group produced their own documentary about themselves as experts, held their red carpet, and these experts, at least the ones I am aware of, paid a whopping $33,000 USD to be a part of this documentary.

People might pay you when they value your expertise, creativity, or original thought. However, getting paid to speak can be tricky, especially regarding wellness. This may be illegal for some medical professionals, especially if paid to speak on a specific topic or say something specific.

Nevertheless, there is a fine line between “ick” and ethical regarding how we are seen in this wellness space. It can be very “ick” if you pay to speak on a podcast or at an event so you can dominate the space and be seen in a particular light. Then again, money talks more than ever in big pharma and now, in biohacking, functional health and alternative wellness.

If you have true talent, creativity, and goodness to share, you are a light in the world. But in today’s society, talent alone is no longer enough to be seen and heard. The world is dominated by those who shout the loudest and pay to drown out the rest.