A first-ever State of the Industry for expert firms
The 3 biggest trends of our lifetime just converged
Your buyers can’t tell who’s real anymore. So they’ve quit guessing, and they’re sitting on their hands instead. On September 3rd I’m going to walk you through what broke, what’s working now, and what to do about it.
Thursday, September 3 · 3pm Eastern · Live on Zoom · 90 minutes · Free
No recording. It happens once, and that’s it.
Save my seat
Fifty-two years in the making. Finished in two.
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The Trust Collapse. It started with Nixon in 1974 and it never really stopped. Your buyers have spent 52 years learning to doubt everybody. You’re included, and it isn’t personal.
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The Rise of Uncertainty. Uncertainty used to be an event. Now it’s just Tuesday. And when people can’t tell which way the wind is blowing, they stall. You’ve seen it: longer sales cycles, more vetting, more “let me think about it.”
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The Content Explosion. Then AI showed up. Originality.ai looked at 3,368 LinkedIn posts and figured more than half were probably machine-written. Pangram Labs put it around 40%. Anybody can sound like an expert now, and most of the time you can’t tell who’s who.
Three things, all landing at once. And underneath them, the question I keep hearing from good people who don’t say it out loud: “What’s going to happen to me?”
Here’s the good news, and I mean this: every trust collapse in history has ended the same way. People stop taking your word for it and start asking for proof. That’s how we got hallmarks on silver, the UL mark on your toaster, and “certified organic” on your eggs. It’s happening again. This time it’s happening to you.
“Looking real is free. Being provable is rare.”
Welcome to the Age of Proof. On the 3rd, I’ll show you how to win in it.
What I’ll cover in 90 minutes
The three moves to make now to get in a leadership position in the Age of Proof.
The #1 defense against AI commoditizing your business.
A new 9-part framework for standing out in the noisiest time in human history.
How to use human connection in interesting and fun ways in your business.
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How to shake off the mental fog these three trends create, and how to lead your clients out of it too.
And this is a town hall, so you’ll be doing some talking too. There are polls, an open mic, and a Q&A at the end. If you think I’ve got something wrong, say so. I’d rather hear it.
Who’s talking
Steve Gordon
I’ve spent 30 years on one question: how do clients decide to trust you?
Some of the receipts: over a million dollars paid to me as a direct-response copywriter, 500-plus professional service firms consulted, close to 400 published authors in the last five years. We started stamping our clients’ books Written By Human™ back in 2023, which seemed a little early at the time.
I also build AI systems every day. So this isn’t a guy yelling at a machine he doesn’t understand. I’ve been inside it.
Bill Baren
Bill was doing internet marketing before most people had a reason to use the word. He’s one of the originals.
He built a coaching and consulting firm to eight figures and sold it. Since then he’s been a partner and advisor in three businesses, and he’s consulted for names in this industry you’d recognize on sight.
He’s the one who put words to what we kept circling at that mastermind in Vermont: everybody’s walking around asking, “what’s going to happen to me?”
The details
What: The Age of Proof. My first-ever State of the Industry for expert firms.
When: Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 3pm Eastern (12pm Pacific).
Where: Zoom. You’ll get the link as soon as you register.
Cost: Nothing. Recording: None.
In the Age of Proof, the real ones win.
Questions you might be asking
Is this a 90-minute sales pitch?
No. It’s a report on what’s happening and what’s working, with my sources up on the screen so you can check my math. Near the end I’ll take about three minutes to mention something we’re opening up to a handful of firms. Ignore that part if you want. The rest of the time is yours.
Why no recording?
Two reasons. It’s a town hall, with polls and an open mic and a real Q&A, and none of that works on a replay. Also, a replay is just more content, and more content is the exact problem we’re going to talk about.
What does it cost?
Nothing.
I use AI in my business. Am I about to get lectured?
Nope. I build AI systems every day and my whole company runs on them. This isn’t an anti-AI talk. It’s about the handful of things AI can’t do, and why those are suddenly worth everything.
How long is it?
90 minutes. We start right at 3:00 Eastern, and I’d get there a couple minutes early. The first five minutes are worth catching.
Who’s it for?
People who run expert firms. Financial advisors, consultants, coaches, fractional executives. If clients hire you for judgment you spent 20 years building, we’re going to be talking about you. If you’re just getting started, go get some reps in first. I’ll do this again.