A lot of people in the world want that title: influencer, thought leader. But the truth is, those are titles you can only earn. You can’t buy it with press mentions. You can’t have someone give it to you. People only see you as an influencer or a thought leader if you’re actually influential.

I just write. I honestly don't think about it that much, I just write and write and write. I try and stay connected with the real world, what's actually going on and not get too disconnected

I stay connected with people and communities who constantly create and challenge conventional thinking, whether that be via personal relationships, books, online content or social media. I also speak at events, mentor and connect people with opportunities, this helps too.

“Perception is reality” is one key phrase that has stuck with me from my PR days and is very relevant now. It simply means how people perceive you is what they believe. Everything you do, what you say, what you put online, what others say about you creates a perception.

When I think about people who were able to effect great change historically, I think of people who had an incredible ability to shape the thoughts of masses of people. 

I think it’s important to remember to be humble and stay hungry to learn, no matter what stage of your career and business you are in. That is one of the reasons why many people I admire stay at the forefront of their industry as an influencer in the first place. ..

As the year draws to an end, we will begin to reflect on how well our year has gone, how many goals we ticked off our 2015 new year's resolution list, and what we hope to achieve in the coming year. While having a new year's resolution isn't a bad thing, without the attribute of self-control, our resolutions may end up looking the same in five years time as we continue to procrastinate.