profile

Gabrielle Gweneth

You’re doing the work. So why isn’t it working?

Published 7 months ago • 1 min read

Notes on strategy and storytelling.

Hey Reader,

In case you missed it (or you’re newer to my community) I moved from Scotland to The Bahamas 5 months ago.

As you can imagine, there were lots of logistics to sort out on the ground.

So I did what I would normally do: looked up various companies and sent them emails asking for help.

Unfortunately, this was about as effective as sending a paper airplane into space.

Nothing happened.

I really didn’t want to pick up the phone. It seemed unnecessary. Slow. Not how I needed to operate in Glasgow.

But eventually, I stopped waiting on emails and started calling people - even WhatsApping them! - instead.

The pace picked up immediately.

My difficulty *cough resistance* to adopting the most effective strategy reminds me of so many people who are frustrated about the hard work they’re putting into their marketing, but not finding their influence growing.

It could be that you’re making a similar mistake: confusing action that feels right with action that will move the needle.

In the case of personal branding: confusing visibility with credibility.

The truth is, people follow and hire authority, not activity.

And authority comes from a compelling perspective.

That’s what connects your expertise, your mission and the problem you solve for your people.

Without it, all your effort — posts, speaking, interviews — is just noise. People skim, forget or misunderstand.

Influence grows for leaders with a simple, powerful perspective.

When you have this clarity, the effect is almost immediate: people understand the problem you solve for them, why your ideas matter and they actively look for your insight.

It’s the difference between being noticed, and being sought out.

So start with these two questions:

  1. Why you?
  2. Why now?

When your audience can easily answer those, everything else — from growing your reach to getting bigger opportunities — becomes easier.

Yours aye,
Gabrielle

Go from respected to renowned.​
Ready to build an iconic brand?

Strategic brand advisory for visionary leaders.

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Gabrielle Gweneth

Executive Brand Strategist

I help visionary leaders build legacy brands — combining anthropology with brand strategy so accomplished change-makers can serve movements.

Read more from Gabrielle Gweneth

Notes on strategy and storytelling. Reader, Perhaps the biggest challenge with having huge goals for your brand is that you can see its ecosystem and impact in your head long before they’re reality. That vision is what pushes you forward — and is also what can make you feel impatient, exasperated or overwhelmed. Tolkien (author of Lord of the Rings) wrote a story about a painter called Niggle. He wanted to create a glorious tree, and after a lifetime of work (with its interruptions, obstacles...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Notes on strategy and storytelling. Reader, I owe you an apology. Ok, that was dramatic, although it was a fun way to open. To be more accurate, I’ve left you under-informed, due to an oversight. All year I’ve been alluding to my Luminary framework, taking it for granted that you could easily follow along, without ever having shared it in full. Today is the day we fix that. But before we go straight into the model, first some context, and a reminder of my personal brand philosophy: I believe...

3 months ago • 2 min read

Notes on strategy and storytelling. Hey Reader, When you’re at the very top of your career, having made the kinds of contributions you only dreamed of as a junior, is there much that a personal brand can add to your arsenal? This is exactly the position that my client, Rubie Nottage, was in when we met. Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of The Bahamas, practicing attorney for more than 55 years, law professor and former Chancellor of the Anglican Church for the entire Caribbean, Rubie has...

6 months ago • 1 min read