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Own Your Impact equips experts and leaders to transform their expertise into meaningful influence. Host Macy Robison reveals how successful thought leaders use deliberate systems—not luck or volume—to amplify their authentic voice and create lasting impact. Through practical frameworks and strategic guidance, you'll discover how to build a self-reinforcing ecosystem of Core Resonance, structured Content, a Central Platform, strategic Connections, and intentional Commercialization. Whether you're just starting to share your expertise or scaling an existing platform, this podcast delivers the roadmap to turn your ideas into purpose-driven influence that resonates far beyond what you might imagine possible.
[00:00:00] Welcome back to Own Your Impact. I'm Macy Robison, and if this description, the last description of the 10 archetypes that I'm about to share with you, sounds like you, this episode is for you and thank you for waiting till the end of the series. You have natural curiosity and an investigative approach to ideas.
[00:00:22] You truly excel at translating complex research and evidence. Into accessible, practical wisdom frameworks, things that people can actually use. You maintain balanced credibility between academic and practical worlds, and you have a really clear explanatory style that allows you to maintain accuracy while making research understandable to real people with real problems.
[00:00:45] But here's what's frustrating you. Everyone keeps pushing you to take a strong position without sufficient evidence or create inspirational content when your strength is in the rigorous analysis that actually helps people make better decisions and transform.
[00:00:59] [00:01:00] If this sounds like you, but you want confirmation, I would love to have you take the thought leadership archetype quiz@macyrobison.com slash quiz to see if you are in fact, what I call a research innovator. Now, I've had a couple hundred people take this test so far as of the publishing of this episode in the middle of August.
[00:01:19] And here's what I've discovered about this archetype. I haven't had a lot of people who, where this has landed at the top of their list yet, but I have several folks who have taken the archetype quiz where it's somewhere in their top three or four. And so even if it's not your top archetype, if you've got it present in your, like somewhere in the top five, this is gonna be some important information for you to have.
[00:01:43] And most of the thought leaders that I have. Worked with or studied or been around, especially early in my career, I am willing to bet that they are research innovators. They're often tied to university. They [00:02:00] are the people who don't just do research for research's sake. They want to make sure the things that they're uncovering actually matter.
[00:02:08] Like I said, to real people in the real world, you're a crucial bridge if this is your archetype between. Research and practical application, and that bridge is desperately needed. I remember when I was working on my master's degree, I really got frustrated by the classes where we were doing research and I couldn't see an application to the classroom.
[00:02:29] And when it came time to start doing my own research, I was still teaching during the day and made sure that everything I designed was going to be applicable to my real life. In the real classroom, there is something about the importance , of doing research for real people. That is a big part of how you're wired.
[00:02:48] If you're a research innovator, you love investigating evidence, you love forming opinions. You're not interested in hot takes, you're not interested in gut reactions. You want to know what the data says. [00:03:00] And so translating complex findings into practical applications and bridging that gap is really exciting.
[00:03:06] Digging deep into studies and coming out back out with insights that actually help people make better decisions about their lives, about their business is really exciting, and you are energized by maintaining credibility with both academic and practical audiences. You can speak the language of researchers while making your findings, and
[00:03:26] you have the ability to take your findings and make them accessible to practitioners who need the information that you've uncovered. I was thinking about Angela Duckworth while I was getting this episode ready. She took really rigorous academic research on persistence and grit and made it practical even by calling it grit, by giving it a name that felt like it was tangible to people without losing any of the scientific foundation of what she uncovered.
[00:03:53] That is a fantastic book, and that's the magic of a research innovator. You don't dumb down research [00:04:00] for people. You make it actually usable packageable possible to take it and bring it into my life so I can understand it and, and use it. And if you're trying to make your findings more accessible to people, what probably drains you and can be potentially frustrating or make you want to just stay in the academic world.
[00:04:20] , Instead of stepping more into visibility and reach as part of a thought leadership platform, it's traditional advice completely misses your value because people want you to share hot takes or opinion based content without any evidence to back it up, or superficial advice that isn't grounded in research.
[00:04:39] People want to hear what you think, but you shouldn't have to bend to the pressure to take a strong opinion without evidence to support it. And so if you felt exhausted about the push to create inspirational content or share personal opinions as if they're facts, that's because your credibility comes from research rigor and not charisma or personal stories.
[00:04:59] , Here's the [00:05:00] distinction that might change that for you. You're what I would consider a pre-processor. You do research independently to solve real, real world problems, and then you bring synthesized insights to help others make changes. That's different than a strategic advisor. They also do research, learn things, make sure they're well equipped when they walk in a room, but they process input in real time.
[00:05:24] And you work with data and studies first as your input, and then deliver that pre-processed wisdom. It's kind of like the difference between a resident orator and an experienced facilitator in terms of the preparation is the same, but the way it's expressed and shared and processed by you is a little bit different.
[00:05:45] And some of the misalignment I see that undermines research innovators. Is sharing research that's not practically applicable. It just doesn't land or dumbing down your research so much that it loses its rigor and value. You're trying to compete with people who [00:06:00] are just sharing their opinions or their inspirational content that can get lost in the noise if you don't make sure you are sharing evidence-based insights.
[00:06:08] Someone who's doing this really well online right now is Adam Grant. I love following his Instagram. He does a really great job of taking the data, taking the things that he's studied, the research that he is pulling together, and figuring out a way to share it that is applicable to the people who follow him.
[00:06:30] But he never loses that connection to the data and the research, and yet what he writes, he usually does a little. , Like threads or Twitter visual. And then sometimes if he does a carousel, maybe there's a meme or something like that, which is kind of fun. And he teaches college students, so he speaks their language.
[00:06:47] , But that's a really great example of how to do this while staying connected to the rigor of the research and still making the insights shareable. And that's [00:07:00] a, that's an example to follow in terms of how to. Get a fast path to results. Identify a gap in your field where you can start to do some investigation or, or find some existing research that needs better practical translation and get started sharing it if you don't already have an area that you're researching.
[00:07:18] Because that's what most people do who are in this archetype. They've chosen an area where they see a gap between what the research says and what the actual application or practice is. They start to systematically collect evidence and develop a unique perspective on how to bridge that gap for people and for all of them, and potentially for you, this could become the foundation of your unique value proposition.
[00:07:42] But just trying to share inspirational content isn't going to work. People value your ability to be rigorous with the research and then share research based insights and practical applications. And when you can do that, it's really been fascinating to see how the people who are listening to you, how that [00:08:00] grows.
[00:08:00] As far as your content goes, you really need to just stay in the, in the home base where you already are evidence-based, transformational IP that bridges the gap between research and practice. That is your home base. And I can think of a whole bunch of people who have books on my bookshelf behind me in my office where this is, this is their lane.
[00:08:20] They do the research, they see a gap, they lean into the research and they create a really practical way to help people bring it into their everyday lives.
[00:08:29] But the next step they often don't take, which is part of the resident thought leadership system, is taking that to a central platform where people can actually interact with it and having a credibility focused presence that showcases the research with being academic to the point of inaccessibility. I think Brene Brown does this really well on her website.
[00:08:48] She very clearly shows her research credibility, and she very clearly shows the practical application. She doesn't necessarily have a bunch of white papers, but you could if you needed to. But she's able to show the [00:09:00] research that she's done, the case studies, and, and there's several people who are able to, who've been able to translate this to their websites pretty well and to their central platforms.
[00:09:09] Even if they're borrowing an audience like somewhere on LinkedIn, very well, that detailed analysis, that systematic approach that matters, a lot of them build really powerful assessment tools based on their research to help you understand yourself better. And case studies are a really great way to showcase what you have figured out in terms of how to bridge that gap now, connection, strategy, finding your audience. Academic partnerships give you access to the latest research and give you credibility and research communities. So staying connected to those folks matters. Mainstream media appearances are a place where research innovators can really make their, platform grow because people want to hear from you if you have the credibility and the ability to translate these findings into everyday language. A lot of the folks that I mentioned [00:10:00] have really been brought to the forefront because of mainstream media appearances.
[00:10:05] People like Esther Perel and brene Brown being on Oprah when she was still on the air every day or going on podcasts. Things like armchair Expert. They really give you opportunities to find a broader audience and connect your ideas to people who need them that are based on the research that you've done.
[00:10:25] And just becoming the go-to person for research-based insights in your field is a really great opportunity. But just be careful not to make a mistake to cost yourself any credibility By oversimplifying your research to the point where it loses its value, your audience comes to you specifically because you are able to maintain academic rigor and research-based rigor while still making things practical.
[00:10:49] The trick is don't get stuck in academic language when your goal is practical application. I saw a really great post on LinkedIn to just today.
[00:10:57] This really cool post about. [00:11:00] Mark Cuban and said, one of the things that is so interesting about Mark is that he has all the business knowledge, but he doesn't use the business words, he doesn't use the jargony words. To explain what he's thinking. So he doesn't say things like EBITDA or things like that.
[00:11:19] When he's talking about making an investment, he, and, and that's the case everywhere, but specifically on Shark Tank, you know, instead of like, what's your MRR? He'll say, how much money do you make a month? Like, what are you bringing in every month? And this, and I just think there, there's a really great application there for you as a research innovator.
[00:11:36] You are trying to take this research and bridge the gap so it's applicable in everyday lives and using jargon is not going to work. So we need to find the balance and strike the balance between oversimplification and avoiding jargon, which isn't easy, but it's just something to be aware of. Now as far as your business models and revenue strategy here, [00:12:00] um, research-based books, that is the kind of go-to for this archetype, publications that establish your authority.
[00:12:07] I've worked with a lot of folks over the years who, you know, get their initial work published in something like Harvard Business Review or some other, prominent journal of some kind, truly assessment tools and diagnostic systems that are based on validated research. Those can be incredibly valuable to organizations and those can actually generate a lot of meaningful revenue.
[00:12:29] I think we undervalue the importance of diagnostic tools and assessment tools. , If you look at healthcare, something like an MRI is one of the most expensive things you could probably get when trying to figure out what is going on with your health. And that is a diagnostic tool. So if there is something you can do with your research that helps people diagnose where they are and actually have some practical application for the things that you've uncovered, that is wildly valuable.
[00:12:53] Evidence-based consulting is another thing you could do as far as a revenue strategy where you research and the foundation that you bring to the table [00:13:00] justifies premium pricing. Brene Brown does a lot of consulting. Based on the things that she's uncovered about connection and vulnerability, especially as it relates to work.
[00:13:11] Her book , dare to Lead is one of my favorite books of hers because of how practical it is to that setting.
[00:13:18] Corporate training programs, train the trainer programs. There are lots of things that are possible here, but you need to price for the rigorous foundation and practical translation you provide. You are not just charging. For your time in the room, you are charging for the years and years of study and time and thought and research that has gone into your ability to take something complex and make it usable and simple.
[00:13:41] And organizations will pay significantly for approaches that are both evidence-based and really practical and easy to implement. 'cause they reduce risk and they increase the likelihood of success. Brene Brown. Has built her public platform on shame and vulnerability research, but a lot of the [00:14:00] revenue her organization generates and her ability to command really premium prices for her speaking is because her insights are evidence-based.
[00:14:08] They're not based on her opinion, and she tells people what the rigor was behind all of the studies, especially because she's interviewing people to get some of the data that she uses. But she has a very , rigorous, trackable system, for collecting your data. And that's important too. So now what I want you to do is take action.
[00:14:30] If you aren't already in a field that you love researching, choose an area where you see a gap between research and practice and start to systematically collect evidence. Or think about what your unique perspective could be and start to gather evidence. Start to look at other people's studies.
[00:14:46] Adam Grant does this a lot.
[00:14:48] He looks at other people's research to gather findings, to create an opinion that's helpful, usable, important in the field of organizational, , development and psychology that he [00:15:00] is so great in and teaches at Wharton, , it doesn't necessarily have to be your own original research, , but looking at other people's. Deep research and translating. It can be a great place to start and can become the foundation of your unique value proposition who makes research, whether your own or someone else's really applicable instead of just interesting. Now, if you're a research innovator and you scored high in other analytical archetypes on my quiz, understanding how all these combinations work together and shape your approach is really important.
[00:15:34] Especially some of the expression, archetypes like resident order, like understanding how those all work together can be crucial to sustainable thought leadership. And my live workshop beyond your primary archetype is where I help you analyze these patterns. And previously these insights were only available to my clients.
[00:15:53] But if you attend this workshop live. We'll break all of those things down with you and the other folks who are attending. So [00:16:00] register@macyrobison.com slash workshop for that deeper research and strategy analysis. There's a couple more workshops in August of 2025, and already a couple on the books in September, did one earlier this week, and it was just such a great opportunity to help the folks who were there understand themselves more clearly so that they could express their ideas and guide transformation more effectively, and that is the whole point. But remember, for you as a research innovator, your ability to bridge the gap between research and real world application is just so desperately needed in our evidence, light opinion heavy world. So step into that space.