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Designing Your Multi-Hyphenate Thought Leader Career

Explore how professionals can start, balance, and expand their portfolio of offerings.

Public speaking

Writing

Thought Leadership

Speaking Business

Kris

Kelso

Business Faculty

minute read

Published on

December 8, 2025

Kris Kelso, keynote speaker, author, and leadership coach, is a multi-hyphenate professional and HEROIC Business Faculty. Photo courtesy of Kris Kelso.

So, you want to be a speaker-author-coach-consultant-podcast host with an online course, solid online presence, and personal brand?

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You can.

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We live in a unique moment in history where dedicated professionals can (and do) design their own unique career path like never before.

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But it doesn’t happen overnight.

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Becoming a multi-hyphenate professional is a journey of discovery and mastery. Like a multi-tiered cake that’s built layer upon layer, each aspect of your business builds and contributes to the next.

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The Benefits of Being a Multi-Hyphenate Thought Leader

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The term multi-hyphenate actually originated in the entertainment industry. You see, Hollywood was already packed with “triple-threats”: performers who could sing, dance, and act. This new term was used to describe professionals who were multi-faceted, but fell outside of those three common categories.

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Take for example, George Clooney, an actor, writer, director, and producer. Or Dr. Dre, a rapper, record producer, and founder of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. These professionals have built their brands and businesses through multiple diverse-but-related ventures.

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In the thought leadership world, a multi-hyphenate professional could be a speaker-author-consultant, an author-therapist-podcaster, or an entrepreneur-podcaster-speaker. The possibilities are endless.

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Being a multi-hyphenate in the thought leadership sphere has its benefits:

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Diversified income. Having multiple streams of income is always a plus—especially in the thought leadership sphere. Revenue from professional speaking alone can have wild swings, and other sources of income can smooth out those ups and downs.
Access to different networks and communities. Having multiple professional roles broadens your network and reach. You can meet new people from different circles and benefit from unique business relationships in multiple spheres.
Increased variety in the day-to-day of thought leadership. For example, alternating between speaking to large audiences and working one-on-one with coaching clients can provide a rich contrast and lead to breakthroughs and new ideas.

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The Not-So-Bright Side

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Multi-hyphenation isn’t without its challenges. Consider these potentially difficult aspects of actively engaging in multiple areas of the thought leadership world:

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The mental shift can be taxing. Switching gears from one facet of your business to another can be difficult. Once, I was deeply focused crafting my keynote when suddenly, one of my coaching clients called; I had to stop everything, shift gears, and help resolve the emergency.
Market confusion. Sometimes, if you’re trying to sell many things at once, identifying your ideal customer or client is hard. It’s important to clearly define who you serve and what your role in the marketplace is to avoid blurred lines and missed opportunities.
Overwhelm from doing too many things at once. Trying to build multiple different lines of business isn’t easy. Maintaining one while trying to amplify another is strenuous. I’ve had to evaluate at times and ask myself: “Am I doing too much?”

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That being said, you are the designer of your multi-hyphenate journey and career. Being able to try new things, expand your offerings, and serve multiple groups of people is richly rewarding.

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Over the years, I’ve come to profoundly enjoy the benefits of the multi-hyphenate lifestyle; and, I’ve been able to find a few strategies and tools that help me manage the not-so-bright side as well.

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Keynote Speaker—Author—Leadership Coach: My Thought Leadership Journey

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After I left the company I co-founded, I decided to shift from the IT world to executive coaching. I knew this was something I wanted to excel at, so I immediately began training with a coaching school, The Professional Christian Coaching Institute.

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That decision allowed me to focus and quickly lift my executive coaching business off the ground in less than a year. During my second year as a coach, I went from one-on-one coaching to facilitating and working with leadership and executive teams. Of course, I kept upleveling my skills at the same time, earning my DiSC Certification, taking emotional intelligence courses, and becoming an EOS Implementor for a bit.

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In that second year of my executive coaching business, I also got my first paid speaking gig. That first invitation to speak was the spark that ignited my interest in the professional speaking world.

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After a year or two of dabbling and speaking at a few smaller events, I decided to take professional speaking more seriously, and I joined HEROIC. Crafting a transformational speech, being trained by best-in-class performers, and connecting with like-minded professionals during GRAD was game-changing for me. I started speaking more regularly and today, it’s a major part of my business.

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A year later, I published my book, Overcoming the Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critic and Lead with Confidence, after working on the idea for more than three years. That led to launching an online course based on the book a few years later.

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Along the way, I also got certified with the International Coaching Federation, became a Faculty member at the The Professional Christian Coaching Institute, and became Business Faculty at HEROIC.

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I’ve dabbled in other things here and there, but for now, I’ve centered my multi-hyphenate journey around three main pillars: speaking, authorship, and coaching. Every month, I’m able to work with a small set of coaching clients, speak at different events and conferences, and continue promoting my book and online course.

Full Transcript

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Being able to serve different audiences and connect with incredible professionals in a variety of spheres is one of the most rewarding aspects of a multi-hyphenate career.

Five Recommendations for Professionals Looking To Expand Their Offerings

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Expanding your offerings and adding valuable layers to your professional portfolio takes a serious investment of time, effort, and planning.

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Whether you’re already building your multi-hyphenate thought leadership career, or just starting out, here are a few suggestions:

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#1 Build One Layer at a Time

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Becoming a multi-hyphenate professional is a lot like baking a Mississippi Mud Pie (I’m no baker, but I’ve watched enough Top Chef meltdowns to know it’s no joke). If you’ve never tried one before, don’t let the “mud” fool you—this treat isn’t one you can just throw together. It’s a delicate, multi-layered dessert that takes hours to make.

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To create this delicious treat, you have to carefully build one layer at a time. First, the graham cracker crust is baked, then cooled completely. Next, the brownie layer bakes on top of the first layer. The chocolate pudding comes next, then the entire pie chills in the fridge overnight. Only then can the final touch—homemade whipped cream—be delicately placed on the top of the pie and dusted with cocoa powder.

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Just like a Mississippi Mud Pie, you simply can’t create all the layers of your multi-hyphenate thought leadership business at once. (If you try to, it will probably turn into a very muddy mess.)

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Instead, carefully and intentionally focus on one thing at a time.

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When I first started coaching, the idea for my book came almost immediately. I was anxious to start writing, but a couple of my advisors recommended I focus on getting my new coaching business stable before I take on a project like that.

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It was absolutely the right call. My coaching business is stronger and my book is better because I didn't try to create them both at the same time.

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You see, each layer you create and solidify will help you build and improve the next layer. Making sure each layer is solid and sustainable before moving onto the next will help prevent burnout, overwhelm, and a multitude of avoidable problems.

Don't

try to create multiple layers of your business at the same time.

focus your efforts on one single aspect of your business. When it’s solid, you can move on to the next layer.

#2 Set Learning Goals

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As the year comes to a close, I start to think about what I want to add to my professional portfolio. I ask myself: “What do I want to get better at?”

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Based on that reflection, each year I set a learning goal for myself to keep improving my skills and investing in my professional growth.

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Staying true to the first suggestion, I try to focus on just one thing. I’ve found this helps me set manageable goals without biting off more than I can chew.

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This year, my goal was comedy. I hired a professional stand-up comedian to help me incorporate more humor into my speeches. I’ve been working with him on and off for the better part of the year.

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It’s been really hard work—writing comedy is hard. But, I’ve seen the fruits of my labor: I’m getting more laughs, which often means that the audience is more engaged. Those moments of levity help my key lessons land even stronger, and I’m getting more stageside leads as a result.

Don't

focus solely on goals that directly increase your revenue.

focus on personal development; focus on what you want to learn.

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#3 Dabble First, Invest Second

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I’m the type of person that likes to dabble. I’ve tried a lot of things: building an online community, experimenting with video production, emceeing and moderating panels, speaking as a guest on podcasts, serving as an ICF "Mentor Coach," and more. This approach allows me to find new creative outlets, experiment, and make connections between different mediums.

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Now, as I dabble in different areas, I ask myself two important questions:

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Do I enjoy this enough that it’s worth pursuing?
Am I good enough at this to invest more and become great?

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If my answers to those two questions are “no,” I know it’s time to move on and find something else to dabble in. A lot of the things I try, I end up quitting. But if the answers are “yes”, I double down and pursue mastery.

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I once heard bestselling author Michael Hyatt say: “If you want to be great at anything, hire the best coaches and trainers you can afford.” He explained that sometimes, you might only be able to afford a book, an online course, or even just free YouTube videos. Other times, you’ll be able to find a mentor, enroll in a GRAD-level program like those at HEROIC, or participate in private coaching (like HEROIC’s vocal training, performance coaching, or content coaching) to uplevel your skills with more support.

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Investing in yourself and hiring the best trainers you can afford will help you deliver in high-stakes situations and excel in the areas you chose to add to your multi-hyphenate career. The most successful multi-hyphenates aren’t just good at a few different things, they’re masters of each aspect of their businesses.

Don't

invest in coaches, training programs, and tools to help you achieve mastery in the areas you’re focusing on.

#4 Be a Good Quitter

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Experimenting is great, but you have to be intentional about quitting. If you try a lot of things and start pursuing everything you try, pretty soon you’ll be juggling more than you can manage.

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That’s why it’s essential—especially for multi-hyphenate thought leaders—to cut things out on a regular basis. Each year, I take a look at everything I’m doing and ask myself: Do I need to give something up in order to add something new (or focus on a specific area)? What do I need to quit?

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I can’t stress enough how important this is. You just can’t do it all. Sometimes, to be able to successfully add something to your portfolio, something else has to go.

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Assess what’s working, what could be improved, and where you need to quit. This will help you better serve the people you want to serve and design a career that’s both profitable and enjoyable.

Don't

be intentional about quitting. You can’t do it all.

#5 Don’t Expect Overnight Results

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No matter what areas you decide to pursue, building a multi-hyphenate career takes time. Generally speaking, adding a new facet to your portfolio of offerings takes a few years. It doesn’t happen overnight.

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It took me ten years or so to get to the place I am today as a speaker, coach, and author. The journey was filled with some missteps along the way, and I learned—and am learning—many valuable lessons during each phase of the journey.

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The Key to Success: Mastery of Craft

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If there’s one thing my multi-hyphenate journey has taught me, it’s this: mastery compounds, so invest in world-class training. When you perform at the highest level, your whole business levels up.

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Training to become an executive coach helped me become a better consultant, a better listener, and a better inquirer.

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Mastering speech writing and stage performance at HEROIC has transformed how I communicate—in person, on paper, and on stage. My writing is sharper. My message is clearer. I feel confident when I deliver my keynote.

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Authoring a book certainly gives credibility. But just as importantly, it helps you refine your ideas. The process of having to clarify, scrutinize, and refine your ideas during the book writing journey is invaluable. It challenges you to know exactly what you believe; then refine it, distill it, and share it with power.

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Every skill you sharpen, every insight you discover, every message you craft—it all stacks. So keep honing your skills. Keep building layer upon layer. Keep growing, and keep going.

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Each daring new endeavor fuels the next. And before you know it, you’re not just running a multi-faceted business. You’re building a body of work. You’re making your mark in the thought leadership world.

Don't

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Five Recommendations for Professionals Looking To Expand Their Offerings

‍

Expanding your offerings and adding valuable layers to your professional portfolio takes a serious investment of time, effort, and planning.

‍

Whether you’re already building your multi-hyphenate thought leadership career, or just starting out, here are a few suggestions:

‍

#1 Build One Layer at a Time

‍

Just like a Mississippi Mud Pie, you simply can’t create all the layers of your multi-hyphenate thought leadership business at once. (If you try to, it will probably turn into a very muddy mess.)

‍

Instead, carefully and intentionally focus on one thing at a time.

‍

It was absolutely the right call. My coaching business is stronger and my book is better because I didn't try to create them both at the same time.

‍

Dont

try to create multiple layers of your business at the same time.

focus your efforts on one single aspect of your business. When it’s solid, you can move on to the next layer.

Being able to serve different audiences and connect with incredible professionals in a variety of spheres is one of the most rewarding aspects of a multi-hyphenate career.

#2 Set Learning Goals

‍

As the year comes to a close, I start to think about what I want to add to my professional portfolio. I ask myself: “What do I want to get better at?”

‍

Based on that reflection, each year I set a learning goal for myself to keep improving my skills and investing in my professional growth.

‍

Staying true to the first suggestion, I try to focus on just one thing. I’ve found this helps me set manageable goals without biting off more than I can chew.

‍

This year, my goal was comedy. I hired a professional stand-up comedian to help me incorporate more humor into my speeches. I’ve been working with him on and off for the better part of the year.

‍

Don't

focus solely on goals that directly increase your revenue.

focus on personal development; focus on what you want to learn.

#3 Dabble First, Invest Second

‍

Now, as I dabble in different areas, I ask myself two important questions:

‍

Do I enjoy this enough that it’s worth pursuing?
Am I good enough at this to invest more and become great?

‍

Don't

invest in coaches, training programs, and tools to help you achieve mastery in the areas you’re focusing on.

#4 Be a Good Quitter

‍

Experimenting is great, but you have to be intentional about quitting. If you try a lot of things and start pursuing everything you try, pretty soon you’ll be juggling more than you can manage.

‍

I can’t stress enough how important this is. You just can’t do it all. Sometimes, to be able to successfully add something to your portfolio, something else has to go.

‍

Assess what’s working, what could be improved, and where you need to quit. This will help you better serve the people you want to serve and design a career that’s both profitable and enjoyable.

Don't

be intentional about quitting. You can’t do it all.

Learn from

Kris

HEROIC

Speakers

Learn how to give speeches that transform how people think and perceive the world. We’ll teach you how to write, perform, and get booked.

Learn more

#5 Don’t Expect Overnight Results

‍

The Key to Success: Mastery of Craft

‍

Training to become an executive coach helped me become a better consultant, a better listener, and a better inquirer.

‍

Every skill you sharpen, every insight you discover, every message you craft—it all stacks. So keep honing your skills. Keep building layer upon layer. Keep growing, and keep going.

‍

Dont