You’ve probably seen this guy somewhere on your online feed this year:
That’s Jefferson Fisher. He’s a Texas-based lawyer who was completely unknown 3 years ago.
And now he’s an influential thought leader – featured on The New York Times, author of a best-selling book and is speaking at places like NASA and The Diary of a CEO.
It’s not that he became an “influencer” (I know many of you hate that word). By building his thought leadership, he has now opened doors for himself that he never could have imagined before.
And the most interesting part for us – he mainly built his influence by creating videos from his car. So his meteoric rise can be traced directly to his speaking skills.
This is how he did it:
📈 Timeline of Jefferson Fisher’s Rise to Influence
2014–2021: Legal Career Development
- Joined a law firm, eventually becoming a partner.
- Gained experience in persuasive communication in high-stakes environments.
- Quit his firm to establish his own practice.
Early 2022: “The one viral video”
- Began recording short videos in his parked pickup truck, offering practical communication tips.
- A video titled “How to Argue Like a Lawyer” went viral on TikTok, amassing over one million views in a single day.
2022 – 2023: Rapid Audience Growth
- 500,000 followers on Instagram by end of 2022, 2 million by 2023.
- Featured on prominent platforms, including the CEO Lawyer Podcast.
2024: Diversification of Content
- Appeared on The Mel Robbins Podcast.
- Launched “The Jefferson Fisher Podcast.”
- Continued to produce relatable videos from his car.
2025: Mainstream Recognition
- Published his first book, The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More – became a best seller.
- Appeared on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
- By March, hit 5.8 million Instagram followers and over 500 million video views.
- Recognized by major media outlets, including The New York Times, Good Morning America and The Times.
And just like the other business founders we’ve highlighted here- the way he built his influence wasn’t a fluke.
This is the strategy he followed to build a strong business foundation based on “one viral video”:
1. He doubled down on what worked:
- After his first super viral video “How to Argue Like a Lawyer”, he doubled down on the topic. He created a series of videos on the same topic (“How to Argue Like a Lawyer” part 9 just came out).
- But he also experimented with adjacent topics. He asked himself – “If people are interested in winning arguments, what else are they interested in?” The answer: people want to be heard, understood, defend themselves against bullies…and he made videos on all of them.
- Key lesson – Base your content on what the audience wants and needs.
2. He created a signature style that made him instantly recognizable:
- He kept going with his “car videos” till he became known as “that lawyer who does car videos (that go viral)”.
- He may have gotten “bored” of the format but his audience didn’t.
- Key lesson – Figure out a way to visually stand out and stick to it.
3. He always uses conversational language, simplifying everything:
- The way he speaks is simple and easy to understand – which means it can appeal to millions.
- He always focuses on the audience using “You” language. “Here’s what you can say…” “You don’t have to respond that way…” This makes his advice feel personal and actionable. It’s not abstract—it’s direct coaching.
- Key lesson – Don’t overcomplicate language – speak like a human.
And as a bonus – he posts videos speaking directly to camera, often against a plain background This removes distractions. The focus is entirely on the message and the man delivering it.
Jefferson Fisher’s story is real-life proof of this – going viral can launch your thought leadership like a rocket. Creating something that can appeal to millions is a true superpower – and can open doors that you may never even have known the existence of.
Behind the scenes
Over the past 1.5 weeks, I spent 35+ hours recording and editing my most comprehensive course yet. It’s 50 videos that encompass – how to speak with confidence, how to structure your talks, how to improvise on the spot, and how to deliver your message with impact…
It’s basically 17 years of my life on stage and on camera in a course.
This course will become part of The Confidence Accelerator – which I’ll be telling you more about next week.
Your resource this week
Jenny Wood is an ex-Google leader, an amaaaazing speaker and now a New York Times bestselling author. She’s known for one thing – being unapologetic about asking for what you want. And she lives and breathes this message.
That’s the book I recommend to you this week – Wild Courage.
When I talked to Jenny a few years ago on my Speak as a Leader podcast – she completely surprised me by being so full of energy and passion that it was contagious. I left the conversation overflowing with “can do” energy.
That’s Jenny’s superpower. And that’s why I’d love to share it with you through this book.
This week’s communication challenge
Take a lesson from Jefferson Fisher’s incredible story and let’s make it actionable:
This week I want you to share with me 3 video topics that you can create. They must be – simple, actionable and based on the needs of your audience.
And if they get selected, I’ll even give you my take on them in next week’s newsletter!
Let’s go!
