Want To Become An Automatic Expert?

Often our clients come to us seeking to be positioned as industry experts.
They tap into our media relationships, community connections and know-how to help them gain the reputation and trust as a reliable source for various audiences who can comment on a variety of topics related to their specific industry.
It could be the banker who shares insight into economic indicators such as housing starts, job growth or interest rates.  Or the attorney who discusses the application of new laws, what court rulings could mean in the workplace or how legal action can impact a business, industry or community.  Or the real estate executive who can talk about office inventory, multi-housing trends or the shrinking commercial retail environment.
An immediate way to become a recognized expert is to write a book.
Not that there’s a huge demand for such, but I have become an expert on Arizona sports history through the research, writing and publishing of two books, “What’s Your Number?” and “Who Is Gym?”
“What’s Your Number?” which was released earlier this month, tells the stories behind the retired numbers at Arizona’s high schools.
“Who Is Gym?” shares the stories behind the names of Arizona’s high schools and their sports venues.
It’s an accidental theme.  Several years ago, while officiating high school football, I stumbled across a trend of people at high schools not knowing who or why their particular school or the school’s sports facilities, including gyms, baseball fields and football stadiums, were named.   Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s official historian, convinced me to write a book to preserve what was becoming lost Arizona history.
Five years later, Stan “The Man” Hoover, whom I’ve been umpiring high school baseball with for the last 16-plus years, suggested that I write a second book – one about all the retired numbers at Arizona’s high schools.  His suggestion came in the middle of a game we were umpiring!
Here are some interesting things I discovered:

• 71 Arizona high schools have retired at least one number.
• 186 individuals in Arizona have had their high school number retired.
• Mary’s High School has retired the most numbers – 21.
• #44 is the most-retired number in Arizona – 10 times.
• Six former/future Arizona Diamondbacks players, three former Arizona Cardinals players, two former Arizona Rattlers players, one former Phoenix Suns player and one former Phoenix Mercury player have had their Arizona high school numbers retired.

And the names of some of the greatest Athletes in Arizona sports history include Misty Hyman, Channing Frye, Curt Schilling, Mike Nixon, Randall McDaniel, Michael Bates, Phillippi Sparks, Frank Garcia, Tim Landers and Rosa Bernasconi.  That’s just a sample.
By way of publishing two books, I’m also an expert in that area, too!