Introduction
In the process of writing my latest book on the business of podcasting, a striking realization stopped me mid-sentence: I had once accepted advice about my podcast from people who had never even hosted one.
It seems obvious now—but in the early stages of building “Life The Battlefield”, a podcast that now has over 250,000 subscribers and 4.9 million+ views, I was overwhelmed with offers from self-proclaimed experts.
Business coaches. Branding consultants. They were also referred to as social media strategists.
They all assured me that their “system” would propel me to success.
But they had never held a microphone, edited a second of audio, or stood behind the hard work of growing a show from zero.
And that’s when I remembered a principle from my military intelligence days that changed everything: never take instructions on how to use a weapon from someone who has never fired it under pressure.
The Epidemic of Unqualified Expertise
According to a 2024 Global Coaching Study by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), more than 67% of people who market themselves as coaches do not hold any verified credential.
Even more troubling, many are selling expertise in industries they’ve never worked in.
The coaching and self-help market, now worth over $20 billion globally, thrives on perception rather than proof.
Business Insider reported in 2023 that up to 65% of small business owners regretted purchasing online courses, mentorships, or marketing plans that yielded no measurable return on investment.
In short, we’ve entered an age of expert inflation.
People confuse visibility with credibility.
Podcasting Is Not a Formula—It’s a Discipline
Podcasting today is one of the fastest-growing communication tools in business and personal branding. A 2025 Edison Research Report showed that 64% of podcast listeners say they trust podcast hosts more than traditional media personalities.
But here’s the hidden danger: as podcasting becomes more mainstream, opportunists flood the market, claiming they can build your brand—even if they’ve never done it themselves.
Early on, I succumbed to this trap. I paid for advice, strategies, and coaching that sounded impressive but delivered nothing. No growth. No clarity. There were only empty buzzwords that had been recycled from a thousand Instagram carousels.
It was only when I stopped outsourcing my voice to strangers and began applying battle-tested knowledge that results came.
Lessons From the Battlefield
In military intelligence, our survival depended on learning from seasoned professionals who had used the tools they taught. When we were trained in handling surveillance equipment or firearms like the SIG Sauer or M4, the instruction didn’t come from a theorist or a TikTok creator.
It came from people who had used those weapons under fire.
Why? Because real knowledge is not read—it’s earned.
Podcasting is no different.
If someone has never struggled with scheduling guests, editing audio late at night, troubleshooting bad sound, managing public backlash, or growing an audience one subscriber at a time—what are they really teaching you?
Real Mentorship Requires Real Scars
I now choose to learn only from practitioners. I choose to learn from individuals who have both personal and professional scars. Real podcasters. Real entrepreneurs. Real fighters.
As Harvard Business Review pointed out in their 2022 piece titled “Why Great Mentors Matter More Than Ever,” the most impactful mentors offer experience-based guidance, not motivational clichés.
They share their mistakes. They provide applicable advice. And most importantly, they know the field because they’ve walked it.
If you’re building a business or podcast, you don’t need inspiration—you need instruction. You should seek guidance not from a spectator, but from an experienced professional.
The New Rules of Advice
Here’s how I now vet anyone offering me guidance:
Have they done what I’m trying to do—successfully?
Not once. Not 10 years ago. However, they have been consistent and active recently.Do they have verifiable results and testimonials?
I’m not concerned about follower count. I care about impact.Have they experienced and overcome failure?
If they haven’t bled for what they preach, I’m not listening.Is their advice tailored or templated?
Cookie-cutter strategies kill creativity. I want context, not copy-paste.
Conclusion: Advice Is a Compass—Point It True North
Too many people fail not because they lacked drive, intelligence, or vision—but because they followed a map drawn by someone who had never been to their destination.
This article serves not as a cautionary tale, but rather as a call to action. Make sure to conduct thorough research before seeking mentorship, coaching, or advice for your business or podcast. You shouldn’t waste your time, money, and message on marketing theory.
I don’t regret the mistakes I made. I learned from them. I rebuilt my show, rebuilt my voice, and returned to what I knew best—fieldcraft, truth, and resilience.
The right voice at the right time can change your life.
But what if you choose the incorrect one?
The wrong voice can bury your dreams before they have even taken breath.
So ask yourself: Who’s holding the compass? And have they ever walked your battlefield?