To build sustainable business value, you start with the goal, then earn the reputation that makes it possible.

At Reputation Sherpa, we guide CEOs and leadership teams to work backwards from their growth targets to define the reputation they need to achieve them. Then we help make it real.

Clients have attributed nearly half a billion dollars in added business value to this process.
Because when your reputation is clear, every path to growth gets easier:

--> Clients choose you faster
--> Employees stay longer
--> Investors see greater value

Using our CARAT framework (Credibility, Attention, Relatability, Authority, and Trust) we help turn your invisible wins into visible credibility.

Our frameworks are built on more than 15 years of research, psychology, and results across sectors from professional services to tech and infrastructure.

The outcome is a stronger reputation, inside and out, that amplifies your brand, builds stakeholder confidence, and increases the future value of your business.

If you’re ready to start with the goal and build the reputation that gets you there, let’s talk.

For insights on proactive reputation building, or to start a conversation, let's connect.

Jo Kinner

Any organisation that's thrived for 30 years creates significant value.
But it's so often buried under layers of words no one is reading.

For HCB Group, their reputation was already strong in one market. It just wasn’t transferring into a new geography with a different industry culture. 

After a session with their UK and Australian teams, we surfaced the gems in their offer. Then we created clear, value-based positioning and messaging for their internal team to roll out.

Of course, there’s more to be done. Reputation is a journey. 
Knowing where to start and what to do next makes for an easier climb.

Thank you Jim Harris, Derek Perkins 🇦🇺 and the HCB team. Working with people this kind and committed is always a pleasure.

Take your business further with a higher reputation | We guide you | Founding Partner at Reputation Sherpa

It takes around two months to climb Mt. Everest. 

I must admit that's longer than I thought. (I mean, how hard can it be? 😜 !!)

Some guides offer "fast track" expeditions, but they're riskier. It takes time to acclimatise to a higher elevation.

After weeks of trekking to base camp, climbers ascend gradually, build a higher camp, come back, rest and recover. When they set off again, they're better prepared. And each time they start from a higher place.

It's the same with organisations that succeed long-term. They don't overextend by pushing too hard too soon.

The clients I've helped reach their particular summits 
--> better quality clients
--> new revenue targets
--> first customers in a new market
--> investor confidence
--> a sale or acquisition 
didn't get there in one go either. 

They pushed ahead toward their reputation goal, then paused. When they called me back in (sometimes two years later), they were ready to go again.  

The pause is vital. CEOs and teams need time to acclimatise to internal changes and consolidate their resources. Then they set off from a higher place than before. 

If you're aiming for your next peak and are promised a rapid ascent to the top, think about the risks of overextending. 

Why is it that we always chase the promise of fast results, when we know a controlled climb is the best way to get where we're going?

----
I'm Jo from Reputation Sherpa. I help business leaders use reputation as a strategic tool to build long term value in their company and brand.

Why are some women reporting a massive boost in reach by switching their profile gender to "male?" It seems the use of AI is compounding the issue.

I dug into this and here's what I found:
--> LinkedIn doesn't filter content by demographics like gender or race
--> Its algorithm ranks and recommends content based on “quality”
--> Higher quality content is then amplified to test for engagement

So the first question is: What counts as "quality" to an algorithm? 
It appears to use leadership signals as filters. It ranks for topic authority, network size, job seniority, engagement levels, and language style.

On a business platform, that makes sense. But there's a problem. 

Algorithms aren't neutral. They absorb social and cultural patterns from the world. Those patterns have bias baked in. 

Research shows the algo rewards a direct, decisive language style. Writing that's more tentative or reflective gets filtered out. Not because readers reject it. Just because they don't get to see it.

AI content is reinforcing this dominant style. 
-->More people use AI to write posts 
--> those posts sound like 'leadership' and get amplified
--> AI tools learn what 'works' on LinkedIn and generate more of it. 

So no, LinkedIn isn’t suppressing content based on a gender switch. It doesn’t need to. The data is encoding what business leadership looks and sounds like and dishing up more of that, whether we like it or not!

Who else has experimented with this? Keen to know what you found.
---
I'm Jo. I usually post about reputation but sometimes deviate.

--> "Reputation is dead!" 
--> "You don't need brand trust."

I've seen some spicy takes on LinkedIn lately.

After my initial 𝘱𝘧𝘧𝘵𝘴, I decided to actually read the posts. The points were valid. They just looked at the issue from a different frame of reference. 

It's true that not all brands need to build trust equally. 
They only need to meet the baseline level of trust for their category. And that baseline varies widely.

You don't need to trust a hammer brand the same way you trust a car brand. And a barber doesn't rely on reputation the same way a financial adviser does.  

For low-involvement categories, the baseline is simpler: safe, effective, available, fairly priced. 

As price and complexity increase, so do risk and expectations. Expertise, honesty, compliance, and leadership all matter more. So does trust.

The more brand trust and reputation are 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 to your business, the more you need to invest in them. 

So when someone says, "reputation is dead," maybe they mean "reputation is less important to some companies than others." But that's not exactly a scroll-stopping hook! 😜

What's been called “dead” in your industry that might just need viewing from a different angle?

----
I'm Jo from Reputation Sherpa. I help business leaders use reputation as a strategic tool to build long term value in their company and brand.

I had a different post planned for today. But after reading the news, I couldn't write about business reputation. 

All day I've been thinking about the reputation of people. 

In particular, individuals willing to stake their personal reputation on the belief that power and privilege will protect them, no matter what.

So they deny, distract, and deflect, waiting for the expected protections to kick in. 

But as my mum always used to say, "truth will out." (Shakespeare might have said it first, but it holds up whatever). 

And when that happens, the repeated lies -- and the arrogance and entitlement that accompanies them -- make everything worse.

I watched the interview the late Virginia Giuffre gave to journalist Tara Brown. 
She talked about that infamous photo of her with the former Prince. She described the room, the girls, the power dynamics, the dehumanisation. It was a hard listen. 

Of course we've all heard the denials: I've never met her, I don't remember, the photo might be doctored, those aren't my fingers. 👀 🫱 Deny, distract, deflect.

Now we see evidence of the pleading for protection, asking others to deny everything, complaining their lives are being ruined. The pattern of believing a title will make everything uncomfortable disappear.

The point is, whether you run a country or a company, your reputation isn't protected by privilege. Reputations are built on trust and protected by truth.

The first rule of crisis communication is: Don’t make it worse.
But those who believe they’re untouchable do exactly that. And their personal reputations, rightly, pay the ultimate price.

Back to normal business programming shortly. 🤨

Open article: 'I can't take any more': Former prince Andrew emailed Epstein for help by abc.net.au

'I can't take any more': Former prince Andrew emailed Epstein for help

A financial services CEO told me their clients didn't care about brand. 

We were about to interview their stakeholders and brand is one of the dimensions we explore. 

Sure enough, the first two clients said "brand doesn't matter." They were happy this firm flew under the radar. To them, a known brand just meant higher prices. 

Interesting, I thought. These were loyal clients in their traditional niche.
-->they already trusted them
-->they knew the quality of their work
-->they'd experienced promises kept 
--> it was a close-knit industry where word of mouth travelled.

They didn't care about brand. They already had the evidence they needed.

Then I spoke with newer clients and referrers in the larger growth market they saw as their future. They loved my client's service, but said:
--> their website didn't look professional
--> they wanted materials to share that explained the firm's value
--> their own clients preferred to deal with a recognised name

This firm was highly regarded and didn't need a major overhaul.
We clarified their positioning, refreshed their visual identity and produced a strong company profile informed by their clients' perspectives. Not long afterwards, they were acquired by a leading player in the new market.

If your current clients “don’t care about brand,” it’s likely because they already trust you. But future clients don't come with trust built in. How does your services firm make its value clear?

This report by Craig Badings and SenateSHJ on the Future of Reputation is timely reading for anyone leading through uncertainty. 

We're moving further into an era where disinformation, polarisation, and AI make it harder to know where to place our trust. And where, as Scott Sayres puts it, "it's never been easier to torpedo a company with half-truths and lies." 

Building an aligned reputation "from within," as Alan Chumley says, gives organisations a structural integrity that can resist many pressures.

The report dispels common misconceptions about what reputation is and isn't, and positions it firmly at the centre of business strategy (where it belongs!)

Thank you, Craig for undertaking this important work and for inviting me to take part. Thanks also to the many leaders featured who've advanced our collective understanding in an area I am passionate about.
Look forward to learning with and from you.

Partner at SenateSHJ, PRovoke Innovator Asia Pacific 2024. Passionate about building and protecting your reputation

What a privilege it has been to interview the 44 global experts on reputation, corporate affairs, communication and risk for SenateSHJ's Future of Reputation 2030 report.  

For anyone in an executive role that touches on communication, culture, risk or reputation, this is essential reading. Here is the link - go to the bottom of the web page and you can download the full report:  https://lnkd.in/gJGHwFji 

Unfortunately, I am limited by how many people I can tag below, but a massive thank you to the experts who took part:
Oliver Freedman, Anthony Larmon, Patricia Santa Marina, Tony Jaques, Stephen Waddington, Gary Davies, Paola Vallejo, Chris Savage, Trevor Young, Peter M. Sandman, Jo Kinner, Mike Abel, Dirk Aarts, Rod Cartwright, Dustin Chick, Kasper Ulf Nielsen, Emmanuel Goedseels, Michael Felber, Basil Towers, Tony Langham, Sandra Macleod, Peter Heneghan, Mark Hutcheon, Amy Binder, Scott Sayres, Lori Turner, Ron Culp, Ralph Jackson, Mignon van Halderen, Elliot S. Schreiber, David McCarthy, Karine Lohitnavy, Lida Citroen, Paul Stamsnjider, Rupert Hugh-Jones, Richard Tsang, Victoria Cross, Alan Chumley, Jason Laird, Helio Fred Garcia, Gerry McCusker, Stephen Thomas, Thomas Fife-Schaw and Will Hetherton

Executive Brand

Executive Brand provides specialised brand strategy advice to senior executives and business leaders who are:
• seeking their next C-suite role
• planning to transition from their pinnacle executive role
• pursuing a portfolio career of Board, consulting, interim and advisory roles
• stepping back from their business
• creating their leadership legacy

Brand & Career Strategist for Executives and Advisors

Your Executive Brand

To achieve my mission of elevating the *best* people to pinnacle leadership roles, I'm making it easy to build the brand, profile and network that will accelerate your path to the roles you really want. Stay tuned for more in 2025.

Powerful personal brand for Executives, Advisors and Board members

Wendy Pavey

I speak, present and commentate on Personal Brand, Visibility, Networking, Portfolio Careers, Executive Roles and Marketing for executives and advisors.

Conference Speaker • Masterclass Presenter • Podcast Guest

Australian Business Book Awards

Judge

National Council of Women of Queensland Inc

Advocacy Hub Member

LUMINO

At Lumino, the brand consultancy I co-founded, we created now famous brands from the ground up – articulating the brand values, identifying the target audience needs and developing the strategy to apply the brand to all touchpoints. My speciality was creating the brand name – often hugely challenging but immensely satisfying.

Working with the incredibly talented Pip McConnel-Oats, I developed a true understanding and appreciation of great design, and I am extremely proud of the many, many awards Lumino won for its brands and branded materials.

Brand Strategist • Partner

Queensland Government

Working with skilled operators including Pascale Anderson and Nikki Accornero, I undertook marketing and PR campaigns for numerous Queensland Government projects including the Colonial George Street Festival and the RNA Show (Ekka) Government Pavilion.

Marketing Communications Strategist

Holt Public Relations (now Porter Novelli Australia)

Holt gave me the opportunity to work with iconic global brands like Apple, PepsiCo (Gatorade, Pizza Hut), Nokia, SC Johnson (Raid, Glade) and Gillette. 

I learned a huge amount from big brand experts like Karen Balstrup and Rebecca Preston (and the Clemenger team) about developing and implementing integrated consumer communications strategies. Launching new products like Gatorade, Raid Off! insecticide, Gillette Sensor for Women and the Apple Newton was hugely valuable and allowed me to manage very large promotional budgets.

Group Account Manager

Marketplace Communications

At Marketplace I began to see the power of the well written word to persuade, and it was here I learned how to partner with the media to achieve results for clients. 

Under the tutelage of Patrick McGuire, I implemented PR campaigns for blue chip brand projects like the opening of the South Bank Parklands and the launches of Daydream Island Resort and the legendary Castlemaine Club business forum.

Account Executive

Parliament of Australia

It still surprises me that I was employed by several politicians after completing my degree in political science. Political theory, while fascinating, doesn't actually equip you to work in politics. 

Nevertheless, I volunteered on the successful election campaign for the first member for Nerang, which led me to work for a backbench Senator as a Media Officer. From here, I joined the staff of the Queensland Minister for Health as Speechwriter, before a brief stint with the Young LNP.

Speechwriter / Media Officer and Researcher

Be honest: is your brand, profile and network helping you reach your career goals?  

If not, I can help you. 

Whatever your ambitions, my experience says you need to be 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗱. 

Here’s what I do:

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I guide you to:
- explore the work that has the most meaning for you
- design your ideal portfolio and go after that work
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Together, we’ll ensure you’re working for the right companies, making the right money and having the right impact.


𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 
To achieve your career goals, your strategy and positioning must align. 
You need to create opportunities and give yourself a competitive edge.


𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲

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➡︎ Download a chapter from my book 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 written for fractional/ interim execs and advisory board professionals - DM me for the link

Curious? Message me here or email me at 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻@𝘄𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘆𝗽𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺

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Jo Kinner

Wendy Pavey

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jo Kinner's LinkedIn Performance

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