While I was driving the other day, I was listening to this months Success Magazine CD. I was enjoying the interview with Barbara Corcoran (Shark Tank star) when something she said just hit me. She was talking about when she started to get recognized as an expert in her industry (New York real estate) because she was writing reports. Even though she had competitors that were much bigger than her, she was being recognized as the go-to expert. The comment she made that I loved so much was, “if you steal the limelight you steal the market share!” After she said it, Darren Hardy paused for a moment, repeated the quote and said, “I like that!”

Too many entrepreneurs that are just starting out are timid or intimidated by their bigger competitors. In her article in the magazine she says, “Use what you got all the way!” You might not be the big fish in the pond, you might not think you are the expert in your industry. But you are the expert of what you’ve got. “Use what you got all the way!” Be the expert with what you’ve got and get noticed. The more you can get yourself in the limelight, the more market share you can win. Barbara published reports on the New York real estate market based on information she had from sales she had made. Her information got recognized and used, quoting her as the industry expert. Things took off from there.

But where do you start, you’re not Barbara Corcoran? Start anywhere, start now. When she started she wasn’t the Barbara Corcoran she is today either. Start with your local paper, start with a blog, start with Linkedin. It doesn’t matter, just start. Who are you? That is what everyone in your industry needs to know.

“But I don’t want to be in the limelight. I want people to recognize my company, not me.” If that is how you feel, that is fine. Many companies grow and do extremely well without anyone knowing the entrepreneur or the leader in the company. But alternatively, think of some of the charismatic figures that are so well known and have names synonymous with their companies: Richard Branson and Virgin, Tony Hsieh and Zappos, Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.

I was recently asked to be featured in a commercial for the college I attended. The commercial was filmed at one of my stores and my brand coverage in the commercial was excellent. Since it started airing I’ve been amazed first by how many people mention to me that they have seen it. Secondly, by how many people think that it is a commercial for my company, Kodiak Mountain Stone (Yes, if you are reading this, I want you to tie me to Kodiak Mountain Stone). It’s these opportunities you need to take advantage of. You want people to know you, to know your brand. “When you steal the limelight, you win the market share!”