Building Authority by Serving Your Professional Community with Connie Johnson Hambley

Building Authority by Serving Your Professional Community with Connie Johnson Hambley

Audio on the From Expertise to Authority podcast at https://pod.link/1865211396 [https://pod.link/1865211396] Article at https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple [https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple] Video: https://tinyurl.com/FETA028YT2 [https://tinyurl.com/FETA028YT2] Building authority isn't only about demonstrating expertise—it's also about serving the community around you. Matty Dalrymple talks with Connie Johnson Hambley about how volunteering, moderating panels, interviewing authors, and preparing relentlessly helped her become a trusted leader in the crime-writing community. Connie shares why service creates visibility, why professionalism matters, how thorough preparation adds value, and why paying it forward ultimately benefits both the community and your own career. Whether you're an author or another professional looking to grow your reputation, this conversation offers practical ideas for turning expertise into authority. CONNIE JOHNSON HAMBLEY began plotting harm and mayhem against all bad guys, real and imagined, at the ripe age of six when an arsonist torched her family's farm. When receiving her law degree didn't provide adequate tools for revenge, she turned to fiction where the tools were far more satisfying. Her short stories appear in the Anthony Award-winning Mystery Writers of America's anthology, Crime Hits Home, as well as Mystery Magazine, several Best New England Crime Stories, and the upcoming 2026 Bouchercon anthology, The Lines We Cross. Her journalism credits include Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Financial Advisor, and Nature. Two of her novels won Best Fiction at the EQUUS International Film Festival in New York City. She serves on the committee of the New England Crime Bake conference, interviews authors at the Newburyport Literary Festival, and remains a passionate supporter of perpetrators of (fictional) crime. MATTY DALRYMPLE is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com [http://mattydalrymple.com]. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com [http://theindyauthor.com]. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority. Get full access to From Expertise to Authority at mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe [https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

When Your Message Makes Enemies

Audio on the From Expertise to Authority podcast at https://pod.link/1865211396 [https://pod.link/1865211396] Article at https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple [https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple] Video at https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple [https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple] Every time you step into meaningful—or controversial—territory as a speaker, you risk drawing a hostile reaction from your audience. In this solo episode of From Expertise to Authority, Matty Dalrymple shares a chapter from her book "From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker" (co-authored with Michael La Ronn) on recognizing, preparing for, and responding to hecklers—on stage and online. You'll learn:- Why hecklers are rare, and what raises your odds of encountering one- How to protect yourself emotionally and keep your composure in the moment- How to tell a heckler who just wants a reaction from one with a legitimate point buried in the outburst- Practical tactics for handling a heckler without turning it into a one-on-one standoff- What to do when a virtual audience member turns hostile- When — and how — to end a talk early if a situation escalates Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com [http://mattydalrymple.com]. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com [http://theindyauthor.com]. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority. Get full access to From Expertise to Authority at mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe [https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

From Cult Survivor to Coach: Writing as a Path to Healing with Alexandra Amor

Audio on the From Expertise to Authority podcast at https://pod.link/1865211396 [https://pod.link/1865211396] Article at https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple [https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple] Video at https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple [https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple] What does it take to turn the hardest chapter of your life into a career built on helping others heal? In this episode, Matty Dalrymple talks with Alexandra Amor, who spent ten years in a cult in her twenties before leaving and spending decades making sense of what had happened to her. Alexandra shares how the disconnect between what a group preached and how it behaved became the signal that something was deeply wrong, why she turned to psychological and sociological research to understand her experience, and how that research eventually became an award-winning, best-selling memoir. She talks candidly about the difference between being taught and being led, why cult survivors often don't realize they're in a cult until well after they leave, and how writing her story became the foundation for a second career coaching other survivors and independently published authors. The conversation also covers what Alexandra looks for before saying yes to a podcast interview, the value of speaking in “sound bites” without losing your humanity, and why she believes creativity, more than expertise alone, is what helps people heal after trauma. Whether you're interested in the psychology of cults, the process of turning a difficult personal story into a book, or practical tips for showing up well as a podcast guest, this conversation offers something valuable. Alexandra Amor coaches cult survivors who want to tell their stories in writing. She began her writing career with an Amazon best-selling, award-winning memoir about ten years she spent in a cult in the 1990s. She is also The Self-Publishing Coach, helping writers to publish their books while avoiding the scams and hassles. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com [http://mattydalrymple.com]. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com [http://theindyauthor.com]. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority. Get full access to From Expertise to Authority at mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe [https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

My Substack Course Adjustment

Article at https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple [https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple] Video at https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple [https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple] Have you ever started down a path that seemed right—only to realize mid-journey that a course adjustment was in order?In this episode of From Expertise to Authority, host Matty Dalrymple shares the behind-the-scenes story of how a conversation about creator patronage prompted her to rethink her entire Substack strategy—and ultimately her YouTube approach as well.What you'll learn:• Why Matty moved away from a paid/free content split on her FETA Substack• How the goal of writing a book shaped (and complicated) her content strategy—and why she let it go• What a more informal, exploratory tone means for the future of FETA content• How her YouTube channel is evolving to prioritize audio over videoWhether you're building your own platform for a sideline or second act—or just navigating the ever-shifting landscape of content creation—this episode offers an honest, relatable look at what it means to stay flexible and follow what actually works. #ProfessionalDevelopment #SecondActCareer #SidelineCareer #CareerTransition #Sidehustle #FromExpertiseToAuthority Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com [http://mattydalrymple.com]. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com [http://theindyauthor.com]. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority. Get full access to From Expertise to Authority at mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe [https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Scaffolding Your Expertise with Jean Burgess

Audio on the From Expertise to Authority podcast at https://pod.link/1865211396 [https://pod.link/1865211396] Article at https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple [https://substack.com/@mattydalrymple] Video at https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple [https://www.youtube.com/@mattydalrymple] What if every unexpected career turn you’ve taken was actually building something powerful? In this episode of the From Expertise to Authority podcast, host Matty Dalrymple talks with Jean Burgess—author, editor, playwright, and former theater educator—about how a deliberately zigzagging career can scaffold expertise in ways a straight-line path never could. Jean shares how decades moving through professional acting and directing, college-level theater education, marketing, and now fiction and nonfiction writing have stacked on top of each other to create a uniquely versatile platform. She reflects on the surprising way skills from running marketing for an IT business transferred seamlessly to promoting her debut novel—and why understanding what is truly transferable (versus what just looks transferable on the surface) makes all the difference. Jean and Matty also dig into the mindset shifts that make career pivots work: why Jean doesn’t have the phrase “writer’s block” in her vocabulary, how she conquered imposter syndrome by reframing it as a problem to solve, and why she believes community building—not selling—is the real engine of an author’s authority. Plus, Jean shares what it felt like to realize she had arrived as an author: not when she got her first speaking fee, but during the Q&As at her presentations, when the audience’s questions tell her she had truly connected. If you have a non-linear career and have ever wondered whether all those pivots are working for you or against you, this conversation will give you a new way to see your own story. #ProfessionalDevelopment #SecondActCareer #SidelineCareer #CareerTransition #Sidehustle #FromExpertiseToAuthority Jean Burgess is an author, editor, playwright, and former theatre educator. She writes both nonfiction and fiction, enjoys presenting writing workshops and presentations, and volunteers as a facilitator with a local Teen Writing Club. Jean holds a Masters in Theatre from NorthwesternUniversity and Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com [http://mattydalrymple.com]. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she’s learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She writes nonfiction books for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine; and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. More at theindyauthor.com [http://theindyauthor.com]. She also guides professionals in building their presence through a sideline or second act through her platform From Expertise to Authority. More at theindyauthor.com/authority. Get full access to From Expertise to Authority at mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe [https://mattydalrymple.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]