BFA #016 | No One Knows You're the Expert

What's happening Fraud Fighters?

Ever feel like the business leaders don’t know you exist?

We'll unveil actionable strategies and practical tips that will help you demonstrate your value, cultivate meaningful connections, and establish yourself as the go-to authority in your field.

It's time to step into the spotlight, gain the recognition you deserve, and earn the trust of your organization's top decision-makers.

Let's investigate further.

Read Time: ~3.69 Minutes

A New Mentality

Here's the game plan: Stand tall, take a deep breath, and get ready to shout it from the rooftops: "I'm the fraud expert!"

Feel the energy? Good! Let's do it again.

This time crank up the confidence and add a dash of attitude: "I'm the fraud expert!" See? You've got this.

By embracing your inner fraud-fighting superhero and wearing your expertise like a badge of honor, you're not only boosting your own morale but also sending a message to the world: "Hey, I know my fraud stuff, and I'm not afraid to show it." Your confidence will be contagious, opening doors to recognition, trust, and new opportunities

After all, you're the fraud expert, remember?

A Harsh Reality

If they don’t know you exist, they can’t know you’re an expert.

I sat back down at my desk just totally defeated. My expertise could make a real difference in our company's fraud prevention efforts, but without the support of leadership, my hands were tied.

I couldn't access the resources I needed to implement my strategies, and I struggled to gain the trust of other stakeholders. My career progression seemed to stagnate, and I often felt frustrated by the lack of collaboration and opportunities to drive change.

We were struggling with Account Takeovers, but I just couldn’t seem to get the right solutions in place. I found a problem. Researched the solution. Presented a business case. And…

Nothing.

The problem was they didn’t know I existed on the day-to-day. I was a forgotten piece of the business, and I was being punished for doing my job well and not needing anyone else to worry about fraud.

No one knew what I did. No one knew how I did it. No one cared.

In there eyes, I was far from an expert.

I felt like a nobody.

Don’t Wait for Visibility Create It

As much as I wish to have one go to way to create visibility, there hasn’t been one tactic that has worked 100% of the time. Each company a different (or variety) of tactics have worked. I am consistently looking for new ways to bring in an engaging audience.

I try things. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t.

Here are a six ideas that have worked for me in the past:

• Organize a Lunch-and-Learn Session: Take the initiative to organize a lunch-and-learn session within your organization, focused on a relevant topic in your area of expertise. This will give you the opportunity to showcase your knowledge, educate your colleagues and senior leaders, and demonstrate your commitment to ongoing professional development.

• Publish an Internal Weekly Fraud Digest: Identify a recent project or initiative you've worked on and create a detailed newsletter that highlights the challenges, solutions, and results. Share this case study with senior leadership and relevant stakeholders, showcasing your expertise and the value you bring to the organization.

• Create a Content Repository: Develop a curated repository of high-quality, relevant resources related to your field of expertise (e.g., articles, research papers, industry news, etc.). Share this repository with your colleagues and senior leaders, positioning yourself as a go-to source for information and insights.

• Offer Office Hours: Set aside dedicated time each week or month to offer office hours or consultation sessions where colleagues and senior leaders can come to you for advice or assistance in your area of expertise. This will demonstrate your willingness to share your knowledge and help others while reinforcing your position as an expert.

• Host an Expert Roundtable: Organize an internal roundtable discussion featuring experts from different departments or teams within your organization. Invite senior leaders to attend and actively participate in the conversation, fostering cross-functional collaboration and positioning yourself as a connector and thought leader.

• Offer "Shadowing" Opportunities: Invite senior leaders or other key stakeholders to "shadow" you for a day or a specific project, allowing them to observe your work and gain firsthand insight into your expertise. This direct exposure will help reinforce your reputation as an expert and provide an opportunity for senior leaders to better understand the value you bring to the organization.

The goal is simple. You are aiming to position yourself as an indispensable resource within your organization.

You are the fraud expert. It’s time they recognize it.

Out of Sight Out of Mind

You've accomplished the hardest part. You've caught their attention and established yourself as the go-to fraud expert within the organization. Now, it's time to ensure you remain at the forefront of their thoughts for future endeavors - be it product launches, feature rollouts, market expansions, and more.

Your goal is to solidify your position as a trusted advisor, consistently guiding and supporting the organization's strategic decisions.

We invest a significant amount of effort, time, and energy into our work, and naturally, nobody wants to feel insignificant or forgotten. With each day fighting fraud, you accumulate invaluable experience, which elevates your standing as a recognized fraud subject matter expert. If you need any more reason how this can help not just you, but also your team, here you go:

• Boost team morale - As you gain recognition for your expertise, your team members may feel more motivated and inspired, knowing they are led by a respected expert in the field.

• Supportive work environment: Your efforts to become a trusted advisor can contribute to a culture of learning, growth, and collaboration within your organization, encouraging others to develop their own expertise and share their knowledge.

Looking for your next role?

In the past week, I’ve curated over 200 roles within fraud, trust, payments and risk in the past week. I source the jobs from job portals, newsletters, social media, communities and selected partners so you don’t have to.

The job board hasn’t even been live for a month, and we already helped a fraud fighter land a new role!

Find your next job here

I am working on a few things with the job board. Here are a few things that are coming soon:

• Personalized job recommendations sent to your inbox daily

• Join my talent collective (not sure what to call it yet) for warm intros to companies who come to me looking for experts in my network. This will be great not only for active job seekers but those passively looking for their next step in their career. Respond to this email to let me know you’re interested.

• New website with better functionality and filtering ability

See you again next Friday in your inbox.

​Brian