Lissa Appiah

Certified Career Transition & Job Promotion Coach | Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator | Speaker & Trainer | Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch of 2022

Are you an introverted leader or founder who is delivering results yet still not getting the recognition, opportunities, or visibility you deserve? You are not alone.

Research shows introverts with a bachelor’s degree earn $290K less over their careers than extroverted peers, and $760K less with advanced degrees. Workplaces often reward visibility over quiet impact.

It is no surprise that 65% of senior executives view introversion as a barrier to leadership, and only 6% believe introverts have the people skills to lead teams. Without an intentional personal brand, introverted leaders and founders are often overlooked.

I know this struggle firsthand. As an introvert, I once believed I had to act extroverted to succeed. Everything changed when I built a personal brand rooted in my strengths. I earned five promotions in under eight years, and later, as a founder, went from avoiding visibility to becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice with a profitable personal brand.

Now, I help introverted leaders and founders do the same through The Introvert Leadership Method and The Brand Visibility Accelerator. These proven systems help you be seen, attract opportunities, and earn more without acting out of character.

💡 With these systems, you will learn how to:
✔ Position your résumé, LinkedIn, and personal brand so your value is clear and compelling
✔ Build influence and visibility without draining your energy
✔ Communicate your strengths in interviews, negotiations, client conversations, and stakeholder meetings
✔ Attract opportunities and step into roles or business growth where your quiet expertise is recognized and rewarded

📈 Client Results:

“Shortly after working with Lissa, I received a job offer exactly aligned with the role I was seeking.” — Anna Savelyeva, Director of Programs

“Lissa’s program gave me the tools to land new roles, negotiate better salaries, and not sell myself short.” — Linda Adwoa Aidoo, Certified Finance Professional

“Her coaching gave me clarity, confidence, and opened doors to new opportunities I never thought possible.” — Grace Udodong, Founder, Oasis Youth Care

🏆 Featured in: The Globe and Mail • Fortune Magazine • LinkedIn News • CTV News

👉🏽 Ready to turn introversion into your advantage and claim the opportunities you deserve, in your career or your business?
📩 Message me here on LinkedIn or book a discovery call at weapply.ca

Founder, Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator

We help organizations develop and retain talent through career and leadership development workshops or programs. As a Workshop Facilitator & Keynote Speaker, my signature presentations are: 

"Building with LinkedIn: Mastering LinkedIn for Career Success"
"Brand You: Unlocking the Power of Personal Branding to Stand Out in Your Career"

All our workshops and coaching programs are customized based on your organizational needs.

I spent $2,500 trying to fix my LinkedIn.  
The problem wasn’t LinkedIn.
 
Years ago, I hired a copywriter to write 8 posts for me.
 
Result: barely any engagement, no visibility, 0 clients.
 
After investing in so many things, I came to a hard realization.
I wasn’t lacking strategy.  
I was hiding.
 
I didn’t think my stories had much value. 
As an introvert, visibility felt uncomfortable, so I tried to outsource it instead of owning it.
 
That’s what most coaching programs don’t teach you.
Visibility only works when you’re willing to be seen.
 
The shift I needed wasn’t better copy or hacks. 
It was deciding my story mattered and learning how to show up in a way that felt natural to me.
 
That shift helped me build a personal brand, grow to 65K+ followers, become a LinkedIn Top Voice, and build a 6-figure business.
 
Not by being louder.  
But by being intentional.
 
If you want growth but visibility feels overwhelming, this masterclass is for you.
 
February 28 at 12 PM ET.  
How to Overcome Fear & Show Up on LinkedIn as an Introvert.
 
Register here: https://lnkd.in/gR5hn48S

I help introverted leaders land $150K+ roles & attract their 1st client on LinkedIn | Bilingual (EN/FR) Executive Coach & Personal Branding Consultant | Top 20 Career Coach & Top 20 LinkedIn Top Voice in Canada

I’m tired.
Every year, it's the same story. 

Around International Women’s Day, invitations from women-supporting organizations land in my inbox.   
  
They often share a common goal: advancing equity and closing the gender pay gap.
  
Yet, paradoxically, when it comes to compensating the speakers, panelists, and mentors they recruit ... there’s silence.   
  
Some truly don’t have the budget at all, and I completely understand that.   
  
But others have made it a practice to expect women to offer their expertise without pay.
Perpetuating the same cycle they claim they are trying to break.   
  
If we believe women’s voices matter, we should fund them.
If we believe in closing the gap, we should stop recreating it.   
  
I’m at a crossroads because this isn’t about saying no to purpose.
It’s about saying yes to alignment.   
  
Pay women for their work.

I used to think visibility was for “louder” people.

 The ones who always knew what to say.
 The ones who never overthought a post before hitting publish.

Turns out… that’s not true.

Most of the introverted leaders I work with don’t lack ideas.
They lack permission—to be seen, to be heard, to take up space without feeling fake or forced.

And honestly? I’ve been there too.

That’s why I’m hosting a free live masterclass on February 28 at 12 PM ET:
Brand Refresh: How to Overcome Fear and Show Up on LinkedIn as an Introvert.

This isn’t about becoming louder.
It’s about becoming clearer, more intentional, and more confident—in a way that actually feels like you.

We’ll talk about:
 • How to stop letting fear and overthinking run your visibility
 • How to shape a personal brand that feels authentic (not performative)
 • How to use LinkedIn to attract opportunities without burning out or pretending to be someone you’re not

If you’ve ever thought:
 “I have something to say, but I don’t know how to show up…”
 This is for you.

You don’t need to be fearless to be visible.
You just need a strategy that fits who you are.

Join me on February 28 at 12 PM ET for my free masterclass, where I’ll share more of my story and the exact strategies I used to build my personal brand on LinkedIn as an introvert. 

Register here >>> https://lnkd.in/gR5hn48S

View event: Brand Refresh: How to Overcome Fear and Show Up on LinkedIn as an Introvert

Brand Refresh: How to Overcome Fear and Show Up on LinkedIn as an Introvert

Nokia

Head of Real Estate

I lead a Global IT Procurement team of up to 75+ staff, managing e2e supplier strategy, contracts, negotiations & governance for Nokia’s global IT Organizations.
I led the restructuring and optimizing of high-performing organization with right procurement skills and talent. I direct the organization enabling company digitization. I head the supplier reductions program around Hardware, Software and System Integrator.

Vice-President of IT Procurement 

I directed a Global Procurement organization of 40+ staff, managing spend of multi-million-dollar for ION business with support of central procurement.
I was selected for the role based on proven leadership success and charged with directing execution, communicating with leaders, making operational decisions, and overseeing daily operations of IP & Optical Networking Business Group. In this role, I worked with engineering community from conceptual product development to end of life.

Head of IP & Optical Networking Procurement (ION)

I was promoted to oversee the Optical Business Division, merging 2 entities with different stakeholders and work cultures. I supported the engineering community from conceptual product development to end of life.

*Alcatel-Lucent from 2010-2016, Nokia acquisition in 2016

Director, Business Line Procurement IP Routing, Optical Networking (ION)

I oversaw a Global Procurement team of up to 10 direct reports. I supported engineering community with new product development. I transformed and strengthened decentralized procurement practices into structured, formalized and best-in-class practices, working directly with Global Procurement organization.

Manager, Business Line Procurement for IP Routing 

I led and negotiated Development Agreements, Statement of Works, and Volume Purchase Agreements. I collaborated with North American Business Lines and Business Line Procurement teams to prepare critical items for annual negotiation, volumes, targets, and program updates.

North America Commodity Manager for Telecom IC's

Newbridge

Senior Corporate Contracts Administator

Future Electronics

Strategic Business Analyst

Vice-President IT Procurement ➠ Human-centric business leader, empowering global teams & leading organizational transformation to maximize profit and performance ➠ Supply Chain | Negotiation | Change Leadership

I consider myself a human-centric business leader... I put people first. As a leader, my mission is to drive performance and growth with people, not despite them.

I am known for empowering global teams and building trust to maximize performance. I’ve driven organizational change and led significant transformation projects, managing multi-million-dollar budgets. In addition, I am skilled at developing innovative solutions and supplier negotiations to avoid costs and maximize profits.

Some of my Career Highlights include:
 ➠ 	Heading the 1st Cloud multi-million-dollar Request for Proposal process.
 ➠ 	Negotiating favorable supplier terms and conditions saved millions of dollars annually across North America.
 ➠ 	Achieving up to 40% cost avoidance through strategic partnerships and knowledge sharing to reduce front-end costs.
 ➠ 	Championing People Strategy and addressed attrition by upskilling employees through leadership and mindset development.
 ➠ 	Nominated and graduated from the Global Top 10 Women Program at Alcatel-Lucent in 2015 & Executive Nokia Training
 ➠  Completed my Legacy Coaching program with Elite High Performance 

I am open to new connections and would be glad to connect with you here on LinkedIn.

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Lissa Appiah

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The Battle

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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);}Lissa Appiah's LinkedIn Performance

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