Let me tell you something most people don't know about how guests land on the Marketing Smarts podcast.
I get hundreds of pitches a month. So many that I hired my daughter to sort through them. Her job is simple: flag the ones she thinks I'll want to say yes to.
One day she walked into my office and said, "Dad, I think you're going to like this guy. He's a lot like you." In all the pitches she'd screened, that had never happened before.
The guy was Adrian Moreno. He had no PR firm. No big name.
If you'd searched for him back then, you wouldn't have found much. What he had was a real story, told on video, aimed at exactly the right person.
That's the answer to the question in the headline. You don't become the go-to expert by buying attention. You become the go-to expert by telling your story to the audiences that already trust someone, earning their endorsement, and following up like a pro.
Let's break down what Adrian taught me, what's changed by 2026, and how to turn it into a simple plan.
What "Go-To Expert" Actually Means
Adrian defined it in a way that stuck with me. You're the go-to expert when someone thinks of a problem, and your name shows up in their head right next to it. Automatically.
He described it like planting a seed. You plant yourself in someone's mind, you water it consistently, and when they're finally ready for a solution, it sprouts. Immediately.
That's the goal. Not fame, not followers. Association.
Takeaway: Pick the one problem you want your name attached to. If you can't say it in one sentence, your audience can't either.
Why This Matters More in 2026
Here's why this isn't just a nice-to-have.
B2B buyers lean hard on expertise when they decide. In the 2025 Edelman and LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, 53% of decision-makers said that when a company's thought leadership is strong, brand recognition matters less (Edelman). Read that again if you're a smaller company competing against a bigger name.
That same research found hidden buyers, the folks in finance, legal, and operations who quietly shape deals, consume thought leadership just like primary buyers do (Edelman). Your expertise reaches people your sales team never meets.
And the stage keeps getting bigger. Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 found a record 58% of Americans age 12 and older consume a podcast every month (Edison Research).
The Two Myths Keeping You Invisible
Adrian named two myths that stop most people before they start. I've seen both keep smart humans on the sidelines for years.
Myth One: "I Need a Big Track Record First"
This is the one that keeps you quiet. "Who's going to want me on their show? Nobody knows who I am."
Adrian answered with a classic advertising story.
In the early 1900s, Schlitz brought in copywriter Claude Hopkins. He toured the brewery and was blown away by how carefully they made their beer. The brewers shrugged and said every brewery does it that way.
Hopkins's point was that nobody else was telling that story. So Schlitz did.
The accounts vary on the exact rankings and timing, but the lesson has lasted over a century (Claude C. Hopkins).
Adrian summed it up in a line that gave me goosebumps: "All stories are interesting, but not all stories are told." It's not about what you've done. It's about whether you're talking about what you've done.
Myth Two: "I Need a PR Budget"
Adrian told me he got booked on more than 80 shows in 14 months without spending a dollar on PR. That's his number, not a benchmark. But the point stands.
Today there are platforms that match guests with hosts, databases that help you research shows, and tools that help you find the right contact. The access problem is mostly solved.
The new problem? Everyone has the same tools.
Some booking platforms now draft pitches with AI and send them at volume (Talks.co). That means host inboxes are fuller than ever, and most pitches sound the same.
Who Gets to Be the Expert? You Do.
I asked Adrian a question I really cared about. Is this only for the CEO? Or can the marketer, the HubSpot Super Admin, the sales leader listening right now become the go-to expert too?
His answer was blunt: the expert is whoever claims the expertise. Nobody calls you a writer until you call yourself one.
Here's my addition, because belief without work is just wishful thinking.
First, do the work. Then believe the work has made you someone worth listening to. When you've got the foundation and the belief, your title doesn't matter.
Reflective question: What do you know that took you years to learn and your peers still struggle with?
The Plan: Get Found, Get Booked, Get Remembered
Adrian shared a framework for turning podcast interviews into what he called evergreen marketing funnels. I've organized it into three phases, and added the piece where Sidekick lives: the follow-up system.
Phase 1: Get Found (Build Your Dream 100)
Start by finding where your buyers already gather. Adrian's shortcut: find out who they're listening to.
- List the voices your buyers trust. Ask your best customers directly who they follow. Tools like BuzzSumo can help, but your customers are the best research tool you've got.
- Find the shows those voices have appeared on. If your buyers follow that person, they're probably listening to the same shows.
- Track every show in one place. A spreadsheet works. If you're in HubSpot, a simple custom pipeline for pitches (Researched, Pitched, Booked, Recorded, Published) keeps it visible and shared. [LINK: custom pipelines in HubSpot → Sidekick article]
Aim for a list of 100 real, relevant shows. Relevance beats reach every time.
A quick note on outreach. Use a show's guest form when it has one, and keep pitches personal and one-to-one. If you start sending promotional emails at volume, remember that the CAN-SPAM Act covers commercial email, and it makes no exception for B2B (FTC).
Phase 2: Get Booked (Tell Your Story on Video)
This is where Adrian stood out in my inbox. He didn't send a paragraph about his credentials. He sent a short video with a story.
His pitch followed three moves:
- Connect. Say the show's name and reference a real episode. Not "I love your interview style." A specific episode and why it mattered to you.
- Tell your story. Share the moment that explains why you do what you do. Adrian opened with a phone call to his mom asking to move back home after his business stalled. You had to keep watching.
- Ask. Clearly. Adrian said most people forget this part. Tell them what you'd like to do next.
Adrian's reasoning: feelings follow pictures. When your story creates an image in someone's mind, the emotion comes with it.
And his prediction from years ago has aged well.
In a world full of AI-generated everything, a real human on camera telling a true story is rare. Record it yourself. Don't let a tool fake it for you.
Template: Ready to Paste
Hey [Host Name], I just listened to your episode with [Guest] on [Topic], and [specific moment] really stuck with me because [why it mattered].
You don't know me yet, but [one-sentence story opener that creates a picture]. [Two to three sentences on what happened.] That's when I realized [your epiphany].
Since then, I've [real, verifiable result]. I'd love to share [specific topic or framework] with your audience because [why it fits their listeners].
If that sounds like a fit, let me know the best next step.
Keep it under three minutes. Your story, your face, your voice.
Phase 3: Get Remembered (Be a Power Guest and Follow Up)
Getting booked is half the job. Adrian had two more pieces here, and they're gold.
Answer with stories. Adrian answered almost every one of my questions with a story, and I didn't notice until he pointed it out. His advice: pick stories that teach the beliefs your buyer needs to hold before they'd work with you.
Send them to one place. When the host asks, "Where can people find you?" most guests list six links. Adrian gives one. A single page with a single action.
This is where Sidekick would jump in. Here's how we'd set it up in HubSpot:
- Build one landing page with a clear offer and a short form. One button. No menu of 30 options.
- Tag it to a campaign so every podcast appearance rolls up into one view of what's working.
- Use a unique tracking link per show so you know which audiences convert, not just which ones feel good.
- Set up a simple follow-up sequence so every person who raises a hand hears from you. Check which automation features your subscription tier includes.
Borrowed audiences are powerful. Owned follow-up is what turns them into relationships. [LINK: HubSpot campaigns setup → Sidekick HubSpot services page]
Endorsement: The Shortcut Adrian Swears By
If there's one idea from this conversation I'd underline twice, it's this. Adrian said the fastest path to authority is being endorsed by someone your audience already trusts.
His own turning point came during a long dry spell. A friend invited him to speak to her group of clients, and three of the nine became his clients. That's when it clicked: instead of marketing straight to buyers, market to the people who already have their trust.
It lines up with decades of research, and it's how humans have always decided who to trust.
Nielsen's 2021 Trust in Advertising study found recommendations from people they know were the most trusted channel for U.S. respondents, at 89% (Nielsen, 2021). A podcast host introducing you works the same way.
Try this: Name five people your buyers already trust. Don't pitch them. Help them first, and build a real relationship.
Where I Push Back a Little
I love this conversation. But being your sidekick means being honest about where I see it differently.
On being polarizing. Adrian's point is that strong, consistent voices attract their people. I agree.
Aim to be respected, not liked by everyone. But bold doesn't mean harsh. Stand for something without standing on someone.
On sharing what you've hidden. Adrian believes the parts of you that feel weird or uncomfortable are what make you magnetic. There's real truth there, as vulnerability builds connection.
We're humans, not highlight reels. Just share what serves your audience and what you're comfortable having attached to your name for years.
On holding back value. Adrian's closing advice was to "dangle" what people want rather than give it all away, because anticipation drives desire. I get the psychology.
But at Sidekick, we believe growth should be shared, not gate-kept. We give away the playbook. People still hire us to run it with them, because knowing what to do and having help doing it are two different things.
Try both approaches and see what fits your voice and your audience.
The Real Hurdle Is You
When I asked Adrian what gets in the way, he didn't mention tools or budgets. He said it's usually us. The "my story isn't good enough" voice.
His approach wasn't to wait for the doubt to disappear. It was to let doubt sit next to you and do the work anyway. He even treats every pitch he sends as though the answer will be yes, and says that confidence shows up in the pitch.
Here's what I'd add. Most of what you believe about your story being boring is an assumption. You can choose a better one.
What Success Looks Like
According to Adrian, you know you're the go-to expert when people chase you instead of the other way around. Prospects show up already convinced. The price conversation gets easier.
But his deepest answer wasn't about money. He talked about losing his grandmother and regretting how often he'd told her he was too busy.
That changed how he built his business. For him, success means freedom to be with the people who matter, when it matters.
That one stuck with me. Becoming the go-to expert isn't the destination. It's what gives you room to live the life you actually want.
FAQ
How Long Does It Take to Become the Go-To Expert in a Niche?
There's no set timeline, and anyone promising one is guessing. Consistency matters more than speed. Pick one problem, show up regularly in front of the right audiences, and track which appearances bring real conversations.
Do I Need My Own Podcast?
No. Guesting on other shows lets you borrow an audience that's already built and already trusts the host. Many people start as guests and only launch a show later, if at all.
Should I Pitch by Video or Email?
Adrian's experience, and mine as a host, says video stands out. A short personal video, sent by email or through a show's guest form, combines both.
Can a Marketer or Super Admin Become the Expert, or Only the CEO?
Anyone with hard-earned knowledge can. Your title doesn't decide your expertise; your knowledge and your willingness to share it do.
How Do I Measure Whether Podcast Guesting Works?
Give each appearance a unique tracking link to one landing page and group everything in a campaign. Then measure form submissions, conversations started, and deals influenced, not just downloads.
Here's the Bottom Line
Adrian left me with a line I keep coming back to: the world belongs to the people who ask for what they want.
You already have a story worth telling. There are already audiences who need to hear it. And there are already hosts looking for someone real to put in front of them.
So tell the story. Ask for the opportunity. And build the follow-up so every conversation has somewhere to go.
Ready to Turn Your Expertise Into a System?
If you're ready to show up as the go-to expert, but your HubSpot setup isn't ready to catch the attention you create, we can help. We'll build the landing page, campaign tracking, and follow-up that turn every appearance into real relationships. One clear step at a time.
