The Reputation Myth

Good Morning Reader, it's Maria,

When I left corporate, there was something I didn't expect.

I assumed my reputation would do the heavy lifting. After 22 years at Sotheby's, I had a strong network. People trusted me, respected my work, and knew what I was capable of.

I believed that when I stepped out on my own, that foundation would carry me. Clients would come, the phone would ring, and the doors I had built relationships behind would open. Some did.

My first clients came from people who knew me, and I'm grateful for every one of them. But it wasn't what I expected.

Not even close.

If podcasts are more your speed, I've got you covered; there's a discussion about this topic available now here.

THE BIG IDEA

The Reputation Myth

Here's what nobody tells you when you leave a senior role to go out on your own: Your reputation won't be enough.

It lived inside a specific context. A company, a title, an industry network that understood you in a particular way. The moment you step outside that frame, you have to carry it yourself. Into new rooms, with new people (scary, I know), speaking a different language (not corporate).

That's simply how reputation works.

What I realised, once the initial surprise wore off, was that I couldn't park myself in my existing network and wait. I had to keep moving. Introduce myself to new people, build new relationships from scratch, stay curious, stay visible, stay connected.

Not instead of nurturing the relationships I already had, but as well as.

Reputation isn't a bank account you fill up over a career and draw down in retirement. It's a living thing. It needs to be tended. Fed. Brought into new spaces.

The myth is believing that your network will carry you. The truth is more measured.

Your network gives you a head start, not a free pass. The people who know you will support you. Some will hire you, refer you, champion you. But they can't do all of it. And they won't reach the people you haven't met yet.

That gap is yours to close.

For me, closing that gap has meant intentionally stepping into new spaces.

One of those spaces is TruthWorks, and I'm proud to share that I'm one of the first verified experts on the platform. TruthWorks is a marketplace dedicated to People & Culture expertise, connecting organisations directly with experienced independent specialists.

What drew me to it was the quality bar. Experts are vetted and verified. The ambition is to build a genuinely trusted community in this field, and that matters to me.

It's a new way to stay visible, to connect with peers nd to meet organisations looking for serious People & Culture capability.

If you're part of a business looking for experienced experts in this space, you can sign up for free to explore the platform and the community. You can also choose to work with me there.

Because if reputation needs to be carried into new rooms, this is one of the rooms I've chosen to walk into.

And that brings me back to you.

Don't know where to start?

Book a free consultation and let's chat!

THE ACTION STEP

Three small ways to keep your reputation moving forward this week

1. Step into one new room.

That might mean reaching out to someone you don't yet know, joining a new community or putting your name forward somewhere new. One room. That's it.

2. Strengthen one existing relationship.

Send a message. Suggest a coffee. Check in properly. Reputation is maintained in quiet moments as much as public ones.

3. Make yourself visible in one small way.

Say yes to the panel or te podcast. Publish the post. Share the perspective. The rooms that feel modest now often contain exactly the right people.

Reputation compounds. But only if you keep carrying it forward.

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AI MADE SIMPLE

There's a blog doing the rounds this week: Something Big Is Happening.

I read it, and I get why it's been going viral.

We're currently watching how work gets restructured. And for all of us, it's a strategic moment to step into.

Here's what I know for certain. The people who benefit from this shift won't be the ones experimenting randomly. They'll be the ones thinking clearly about three things:

where AI removes friction
where it amplifies their expertise
and where it absolutely must NOT replace human judgement

That last one? That's the one I care about most.

AI should protect your time. It should improve how you deliver for clients. It should clear the bottlenecks that slow you down. What it should never ever do is strip out your thinking, or become a shortcut where leadership is needed.

If you want to understand why this moment feels genuinely different, and why the next 12 months will matter more than the last two years combined, this piece is worth 10 minutes of your time.

👉 Something Big Is Happening

Then ask yourself one question: Where in my business does AI create leverage, and where does it require restraint?

That's the real work.

That's all for today Reader

Have a great weekend!👋🏼

Take Care

Maria