A Good Reputation Is More Valuable Than Money
Warren Buffet says "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it."
Before I dive into this week’s newsletter, a quick reminder about Tuesday’s live stream!
Books That Build Bookclub LIVE
Here are the details for joining the LIVE virtual Books That Build chat with Sami Sage, author of Democracy In Retrograde! You can click on the link and add it to your calendar! The live stream will be available on Riverside.fm and YouTube!
Reputation Management
Have you heard the saying “Your reputation precedes you”? We know that people talk and we know that with social media, our reputations are out for the world to see permanently and quickly. There are two types of PR, proactive and reactive. The same goes for communicating about your brand and business. Proactive PR is getting ahead of the story, sharing stories and news about your business, your founder, etc. It’s what podcast interviews are. Reactive PR is when you react to news. The news has already been broken, the story has been told and now it’s time for you to react.
I’m currently reading is We Need New Leaders by Charlotte Otter which comes out June 3rd and am completely fascinated by the internal workings of big companies with the CEO and CCO. About We Need New Leaders…
People from diverse backgrounds struggle to land C-Suite jobs and their tenures are often shorter. One key but often overlooked reason for this is the failure to capitalize on reputation management and communication as an integral part of increasing diversity at the highest levels. We Need New Leaders helps aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds to land and keep the top jobs.
The CCO, or Chief Communications Officer, has to have a very close and respectful relationship with the CEO because the it is the CCO’s responsibility to not only be candid and honest with the CEO but to be proactive in how their story should be shared and what potential questions or even backlash they might face.
I’ve come to realize that my role with clients is reputation management. I work with them to identify the stories that will connect with people and will reflect positively on their companies/brands/books.
While I’ve always been able to define what I do, it’s the identifying it as “reputation management” that was a light bulb moment for me.
As you know, I’m a truth teller. I have never held back and I do the same with clients. Most appreciate that, but once in awhile, someone doesn’t. Last year I had a client who had a great career background filled with interesting stories. Her goal was to “become famous” which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but we couldn’t align on the avenue to getting there. My idea was to take her stories and share them far and wide along with her expertise and experience. Her idea was to create TikTok videos that were not only controversial, but also inappropriate and had absolutely nothing to do with her career or stories. The goal became to be a Real Housewife (you know I have no problem with that!), not to help others with her story or build her reputation.
If this was a corporation with the CEO going viral for posting nonsense while feeling aloof about the outcome, there would be a major crisis. The same goes for individuals. Otter’s book details the importance of the relationship between a CEO and CCO and the trust between the two. In the above instance, I was the CCO and my client the CEO. I couldn’t trust what she would do, she didn’t listen to my guidance and therefore our relationship could go no further. It was not only her reputation on the line, but mine as well.
Podcast interviews are perfect for reputation management. It’s proactive and not reactive communication. Interviews allow a CEO’s story (and your story!) to be shared and trust to be built which reflects on the company they/you represent. This is the same whether it’s a Fortune 50 company or a small business or somewhere in between. This applies to business owners, authors, politicians and more!
Another Podcast Pitch
I’m hoping that sharing the real pitches I receive and what can be done to improve them is a helpful resource. I don’t think it takes much effort to include the things I look for and include in the pitches I send which is why I feel the need to point them out.
Speaking Up - Politics and Platforms
More and more we are seeing influencers, content creators, podcast hosts and more speaking up on their platforms. Yes, some of it is political but in the current state of our country, it’s not politics. It’s more about human rights and acknowledging the chaos that is all around us. I’ve never held back on speaking up whether on my show, my newsletters or social media and I greatly appreciate when others do the same. I’m seeing more and more friends speaking out and when I do, I acknowledge it and let them know I appreciate it.
Danielle Silverstein, host of Marriage and Martinis podcast is one of those people who is using her platform to speak out. She just put out this resource on how her listeners and followers can take action. She covers everything from where to shop, to where to boycott to how to contact your reps, who to donate to based on the cause that is dear to you, small action items and more. Danielle understands what it means to have a platform of influence and to use it.
I think it’s extremely important to speak out right now and take action. I believe that the future of news information gathering is only going to grow when it comes to social media and podcasts (and I’m here for that!). It’s a responsibility to have an audience and to ensure you not only walk the walk, but also talk the talk. I saw a post last week that said “the silence is deafening” when it came to an issue this influencer wanted to be covered. She has yet to bring attention, awareness or take a stand on anything since the election though…so yes, I would agree that her own silence is deafening and I hope others notice when people are silent.
I’m going to continue speaking out, informing, making my calls and building the California Moms For Good platform (moms, dads, fur parents, aunts, uncles…all are invited!). I’m also planning an in person coffee meetup in March for those in San Jose to meet and build community. Yes, I’ve already changed the logo, but that’s allowed as we find our roots and grow!
I know that it can be intimidating to speak up on social media. Yes, you might lose followers, but you might also gain followers. I truly believe with my entire being that now is not the time to remain silent.
