The Rise of the Unqualified Influencer

What happens when everyone becomes an influencer...just because they say they're one.

Jul 11, 2025

We’re Living in the Era of Performative Expertise…
Where anyone with a Wi-Fi connection and a Canva account can declare themselves an expert…and too many people believe them.

Book influencers who don’t read books.
Podcast “strategists” who’ve never hosted a show.
Political critics who’ve never worked on a campaign or built a brand, let alone a political one.

Somehow, they’re being trusted. Or rather, they’re telling us to trust them.
They’re shaping industries, campaigns, and conversations.
Yet, they haven’t done the work.

Influence isn’t about likes or follower counts.
Influence is impact.
It’s earned trust.
It’s showing up. Day after day, year after year. Bringing the receipts.

But how do we cut through the noise?
How do we tell the difference between someone who knows what they’re doing and someone who’s just mimicking what’s trending?

Let me be clear: we all start somewhere. I did and I proudly admit it.
I left an 18-year career and started over in podcasting. I didn’t launch myself into the spotlight shouting “expert” before I’d even gotten my feet wet.

I started by writing show notes. Producing shows behind the scenes.
I learned the industry. I tested. I observed. I asked questions. I failed. I tried again.

I received pitches and saw what didn’t work.
I worked with authors and noticed what was missing in their marketing.
And then…I built what didn’t exist.

When I talk about politics, it’s not just as a voter. It’s from the perspective of someone who’s worked on a campaign and asks politicians and staffers, “What can we do to help you reach voters?”.

I didn’t skip steps.
I don’t fake the work.

But what we keep seeing more of? Performance over preparation.
A race to claim the mic without earning the right to speak into it.
And we, you and me, deserve better.

We are drowning in misinformation, hot takes, and surface-level commentary disguised as expertise. We’re watching systems being shaped by people who don’t understand them and don’t care enough to do the actual work.

Then, we blur the line between hobbyist and expert. We end up eroding the trust that real creators, organizers, and changemakers spend years building. I see excuses being made for those who are faking it and I’m not ok with it.

What We Deserve (and Need to Start Demanding):

Voices with lived experience
Creators who’ve earned their platforms
Book recs from people who actually read the damn book
Political commentary and strategy from those who’ve been in the trenches
Podcast advice from people who’ve sat behind the mic and put in the hours

How do we find these people?

It’s simple. Look for those who show up consistantly. They’re honest and have integrity. You don’t have to wonder what their “take” will be on something because you already know where they stand…because they’ve shown up time and again and speak up. They have integrity. If they make a mistake, they aren’t afraid to own it.

Let’s stop looking at the follower counts to verify who we should be paying attention to. When you take a step back, it becomes glaringly obvious who is for show and who is showing up with integrity.

Better yet…let’s become these people.

Is It A Podcast Studio or Just For Show?

This week, Elle Decor did an article on podcast studio setups. Hosts, such as Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy have hired interior designers to take over a room in their homes and turn them into cozy setups. The hope is that the more cozy the vibe, the more cozy the conversation. You know I have so many thoughts on this, so I did a quick post on it and shared some of my conversation with Rebecca Sananes who was quoted in the article and happens to be a podcast executive and was behind Meghan Markle’s original podcast, Archetypes.

Writing the Damn Book

I wrote 300 words which to me is…whomp whomp, BUT I actually outlined the chapters. I did a huge outline with How To Get On Podcasts but that came easily to me. This has been much more spaghetti throwing on the wall and I feel like having an actual outline will help me write it more quickly.

Current word count: 25,510

I found inspiration on a day trip we took to Monterey where once again, someone was driving a golf cart on the street (we see this a lot in our area and it is a theme in my novel!) AND I saw real life henfluencer! If you read Everyone Is Lying To You by

Jo Piazza

(comes out next week and she’s on the podcast!), then you will understand what a henfluencer is. I had encountered one in my personal life but didn’t know there was a term for it, nor did I recognize what I’d actually seen…and then I saw this!

What I’m Reading, Watching & Listening To

I’m just finishing The Grand Paloma Resort by

Cleyvis Natera

and when I said it was pitched to me as White Lotus…oh my goodness yes! I’ve just started reading This Is Body Grief by

Jayne Mattingly

. If you don’t know Jayne, you should look her up! She’s also an incredible artist!

We just watched Small Things Like These. I read the book over Christmas and cried my eyes out. The movie told the story and Cillian Murphy was great as always, but I highly recommend reading the book.

I also did an IG reel of Books By The Pool featuring new bookmail I’ve recieved.

My Simplified Life Podcast

I’m working on something behind the scenes…something that brings real voices to the forefront of the podcast space. Not trends. Not clickbait. Just depth, trust, and receipts. Basically, my life’s theme…so while I am trying to take it slow this summer, I’m not in reality.

During summer months I try very hard to free up my afternoons to spend time with my kids. This month, that looks like having 2 episodes per week (unlike last week when we had 2 bonus live episodes!). Rest assured though, I’m not going anywhere!

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon came out this week! I had a number of DMs asking if I interviewed Taylor Swift because of Clémence’s resemblence to her.

#334 Our Last Resort with Clémence Michallon