Mistake #19: Trusting “Industry Experts” Without Proof

When you’re building a brand, you quickly discover there’s no shortage of “industry experts.” They show up with big promises, confident opinions, and formulas for success. They’ve “been there,” they “know the market,” and they “can take you to the next level.”

At least, that’s what they say.

The mistake is assuming every expert with experience—or a great story—is actually qualified to guide your business. The truth is, many experts are repeating theories, not real results. And some are great talkers, but not great performers.

Trusting without checking can send you in the wrong direction fast.

The Most Dangerous Advice Is Confident Advice Without Proof

Real experts talk in specifics:

• real brands

• real outcomes

• real data

• real examples

• real numbers

Fake experts talk in generalities:

• “branding is everything”

• “just run ads”

• “your price is too high”

• “TikTok is the future”

Confident doesn’t mean correct.

Category Experience Matters More Than Experience in General

Someone who built a fashion brand may know nothing about FDA rules.Someone who sold supplements might not understand EPA 25(b).Someone who scaled DTC might be clueless about wholesale.

What works in skincare doesn’t automatically translate to homecare.What worked 5 years ago may not work at all today.

You don’t just need experience—you need relevant experience.

Do Your Own Due Diligence

Before trusting anyone, do real homework:

• search them online

• look up the brands they claim

• verify their role

• check their portfolio

• ask for concrete examples

If nothing lines up, something’s wrong.

Get References (And Call a Few!)

Don’t skip this step. Ask for two or three references and actually call them.Ask previous clients:

• what was promised vs delivered?

• were results real?

• would you hire them again?

• what problems came up?

One honest phone call can save you thousands of dollars and months of frustration.

Start Small

Even if someone checks out, don’t commit long-term up front.Always begin with a small test:

• one ad set

• one landing page

• one project

• one SKU

• one short sprint

If they can’t perform on something small, they won’t perform on something big.

Trust, But Verify

Listen to experts with an open mind—but filter everything through:

• your numbers

• your product

• your margin

• your customers

• your channel

• your reality

Advice without context is noise.

Trust, But Verify

The Takeaway

Experts can be incredibly valuable, but only when you verify their expertise and confirm their results. The mistake isn’t listening to experts—the mistake is trusting too quickly, too blindly, or without checking proof.

Do your homework.Ask for evidence.Call references.Start small.Protect your business.

💡 Founder’s Reflection (Mayer):Looking back, some of my most expensive mistakes came from trusting the wrong “experts” too quickly. Today, I take nothing at face value. I research every claim, get references, and start small. When I learned to verify before trusting, everything changed—and I saved a lot of money, time, and stress.