Lorraine K. Lee

Wiley

➡️ unforgettablepresencebook.com

*𝑷𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑺𝑬*
If you’ve ever felt that your hard work wasn’t enough to move you forward, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. It shows that the answer isn’t to become loud, flashy, or inauthentic. Instead, the secret is to follow Lee’s advice and craft a professional presence that reflects who you are while making sure the right people notice.”
–Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 'The Power of Regret' and 'To Sell Is Human'

'Unforgettable Presence' is 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 who want to foster deeper connections and seamless collaboration across any setting. Through tactical frameworks and relatable stories, Lorraine K. Lee shows us how both teams and individuals can communicate with purpose, build confidence, and create lasting impact.
–Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom

In business and in life, how you show up matters. 'Unforgettable Presence' is your guide to making every interaction count. Lorraine K. Lee offers 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥.
–Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter

In a world where early-in-career individuals are pressured to have an authentic personal brand from day one on the job, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭. Lorraine K. Lee breaks down complex topics into clear, actionable strategies for anyone serious about leveling up.
–Natalie Marshall (aka Corporate Natalie), Content Creator and Advisor

'Unforgettable Presence' is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 and owning your value at work. Lorraine K. Lee breaks it down with actionable advice and relatable stories that anyone—from entry-level to exec—can use to get noticed and make moves. 
–Vivian Tu, NYT Bestselling Author of 'Rich AF'

Best-selling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career

Business Insider

Writing thought leadership pieces on career advancement, communication frameworks, leadership strategies, and how to get ahead at work.

Contributing Writer

CNBC

Writing thought leadership pieces on career advancement, communication frameworks, leadership strategies, and how to get ahead at work for CNBC's Make It. Multiple articles have trended at #1.

RISE Learning Solutions

RISE Learning Solutions helps organizations and teams RISE to become more Respected, Influential, Successful, and Empowered. RISE Learning Solutions is a holding company for all of Lorraine Lee's business ventures.

RISE was founded by Lorraine K. Lee, who speaks, consults, and teaches clients how to stand out and supercharge their professional presence — meaning both *how* and *where* others see you.

Recent speaking clients include Zoom, Cisco, and Atlassian; recent consulting clients include Inspiration At Work (on behalf of the National Institute of Mental Health) and UC Irvine.

See more of Lorraine's work and testimonials below.

Founder

Stanford Continuing Studies

Invited to teach flagship public speaking and presentation course, "The Art of Public Speaking." (Fall 2024) Received 4.7/5 rating (avg scores are 4.5-4.6)

***

Invited to teach "Essential Video Communication Skills for Today's Workplace," a 3-week virtual course covering video communications, virtual presentations, and virtual meetings. (Fall 2023)

⭐️ Course Rating: 4.86/5 (average Stanford Continuing Studies course is 4.4-4.6/5)

Instructor, Stanford CSP

Lorraine K. Lee | Leadership and Professional Development | Corporate Keynote Speaker

Get personalized support for your team or organization.

➤ Create a LinkedIn strategy and content calendar as an executive to build your visibility, thought leadership, and credibility (Limited number of clients per month)
➤ 1:1 coaching on topics like executive presence, public speaking and presentations, and video communication (Limited number of clients per month)

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆

✨Two years ago, I received a federal grant from the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 to create a program to alleviate the emotional distress associated with unemployment. Although I had a strong vision and desire to help a lot of people, I had a limited budget and was overwhelmed by the notion of creating a visually appealing and content rich online product. Throughout the entire process of developing the DRIVEN prototype, 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 on everything from working with Prezi software to ensuring our actors were positioned effectively in front of the right type of webcams and lighting. She is endlessly patient, generous, and thorough, and I'm so very lucky to count her as a part of the DRIVEN team today and hopefully in the future as the program evolves.
—𝘈𝘓𝘌𝘟 𝘓𝘌𝘝𝘐𝘛, 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘒𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘊𝘌 𝘍𝘜𝘛𝘜𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘛, 𝘞𝘚𝘑 𝘊𝘖𝘓𝘜𝘔𝘕𝘐𝘚𝘛, 𝘐𝘕𝘛'𝘓 𝘉𝘌𝘚𝘛𝘚𝘌𝘓𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘈𝘜𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘙

✨ My team and I were brainstorming how to build our company's LinkedIn presence, and Lorraine has a proven track record of building brand presence on LinkedIn from the ground-up. In our call, Lorraine was able to walk me through the foundations of where to get started. Our conversation was a great jumping off point, and she was able to guide me to focus on some approaches to 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐑𝐎𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬.
—𝘒𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘌 𝘒𝘞𝘖𝘕, 𝘔𝘈𝘙𝘒𝘌𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 @ 𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘐𝘊 𝘌𝘋𝘌𝘕

Consultant

• Launched 18 LinkedIn Learning courses across a variety of topics. Popular ones include: Virtual and Hybrid Meeting Essentials, Nano Tips for Giving and Receiving Feedback, Nano Tips for Managing Up, How to Speak So Others Will Listen Nano Tips, Nano Tips for Self-Motivation
• Selected as an instructor for Stanford CSP's flagship public speaking course, "The Art of Public Speaking"
• Selected as one of the first 30 LinkedIn Nano Learning Instructors, and one of 2,500 LinkedIn Learning Instructors worldwide
• Invited to be instructor for a cohort-based course platform called Maven, founded by Udemy co-founder; Part of Maven's 3rd cohort, made up of 145 instructors from 27 countries in 100+ cities (out of 2,000+ applicants); Launched and led 3-week course for inaugural cohort titled, "Engage Your Virtual Workforce"

Online Course Creator and Instructor

🎙𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊: 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐄.𝐂𝐎𝐌/𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

🏆 Named a Top Virtual Keynote Speaker - ReadWrite (2020)
🏆 Finalist: Global Conference Speaker of the Year - WomenTech (2022)
🏆 Survey results: Speaker rating: 4.8/5, 100% learned something new, 98% found the session valuable (2023)

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫, with experience speaking to global audiences ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups, including Zoom, Cisco, Atlassian, and GitLab. She’s also a 5x-LinkedIn Learning Instructor with more than 300,000 followers on LinkedIn. 

Lorraine speaks on a wide range of topics, and each of her talks receive rave reviews: In 2022, she was rated a 4.92/5 as a speaker with 100% of attendees saying they learned something new.

Popular talks:
➤ How to Have Better Meetings (#2 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮 '22 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦)
➤ How to Build Your LinkedIn Presence
➤ How to Make a Memorable First Impression on Video
➤ How to Present Like a Pro
➤ How to Stand Out On Video and Beat Zoom Fatigue

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 (More at lorraineklee.com/testimonials)

✨ I [...] recently invited her to speak at Zoom as part of our internal speaker series. Lorraine led a masterclass in engaging an audience virtually, including using cutting-edge tools to elevate virtual storytelling. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. — 𝘈𝘙𝘜𝘕 𝘑, 𝘡𝘖𝘖𝘔

✨Her presentation was 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 on how to improve our video communications. Her presentation encouraged engagement in an authentic way that made everyone enjoy the call. — 𝘚𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘏𝘈 𝘓𝘌𝘌, 𝘎𝘐𝘛𝘓𝘈𝘉

Top-Rated Keynote Speaker and Trainer

LinkedIn

• Created 15 LinkedIn Learning courses across a variety of topics. Popular ones include: Virtual and Hybrid Meeting Essentials, Nano Tips for Giving and Receiving Feedback, Nano Tips for Managing Up
• Selected as one of only 2,500 LinkedIn Learning instructors worldwide
• Selected as one of the first 30 LinkedIn Nanolearning Instructors.

View courses here: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/lorraine-lee

LinkedIn Learning Instructor

Prezi

I was the first Editorial hire at Prezi, the leading presentation software in creating engaging visual communications.

As Director, Head of Editorial, I led a growing team that worked closely with influencers and thought leaders to create educational, informative, and engaging presentations and meetings with Prezi. I was the creator of Prezi's Meeting Guidebook (an internal and external-facing resource), and a founding member and lead for Women@Prezi.

• Drove tens of thousands of registrations through webinar program that focused on topics incl. hybrid work, presentations, and public speaking, with expert guests from Slack, Stanford, and more
• Build relationships with subject-matter experts and business leaders to create and live stream Prezi videos with goal of 1) building top-of-funnel awareness 2) driving leads and 3) creating content library that grows user engagement and acquisition
• Grew Prezi Video awareness and adoption through virtual conference collaborations, reaching 100K+ professionals across target audiences
• Co-led PR with CMO and agency; Partnered with CEO to define swim lanes and secure thought leadership, momentum and product launch stories in top-tier publications, including The Wall Street Journal; Managed LinkedIn strategy for CEO
• Authored Prezi’s Meeting Guidebook as part of a task force selected to build out Prezi's virtual-first meeting policies; Collaborated cross-functionally to distribute playbook internally and externally
• Exceeded company average scores for team engagement and management categories, based on employee engagement results
• Founded and led Women@Prezi ERG; Organized and moderated multiple Speaker Series; Published quarterly newsletter

Director, Head of Editorial

• Built relationships with subject-matter experts and business influencers to create Prezi videos with goal of 1) driving top-of-funnel awareness and 2) creating content library that grows user engagement and acquisition
• Launched Prezi’s Presentation Pros cohort to strengthen Prezi’s positioning as a market leader in the presentation space; 86K+ views on creator videos and 5K+ visits to landing page in first 6 months
• Conceptualized Prezi’s first Big Ideas campaign, feat. 15 videos from Influencers such as Hooked’s Nir Eyal, an Emmy Award-winner, Udemy’s VP of Learning, and a CDC Public Health Advisor (https://blog.prezi.com/big-ideas-2021/)
• Oversaw editorial initiatives across business and education verticals, incl. editorial calendar and email campaigns centered around sales audience; “emerging educator influencer” outreach strategy on Twitter; and virtual conferences strategy (https://prezi.com/virtual-conferences/)
• Hired to lead Prezi’s first-ever Editorial team, with focus on business and education verticals; managed two direct reports, 2 contractors, and a rotating quarterly intern

Managing Editor

Maven

• Invited to be an instructor for a new cohort-based course platform called, Maven, founded by the co-founder of Udemy and the co-founder of altMBA. Maven has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz
• Part of Maven's 3rd cohort, made up of 145 instructors from 27 countries in 100+ cities (out of 2,000+ applicants)

Join the waitlist: http://maven.com/lorraine-k-lee/video-linkedin
Join the newsletter: https://courses.lorraineklee.com/signup

Course Instructor

• Developed social media strategy for LinkedIn Editors across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn; Implemented paid campaigns that surpassed LinkedIn CTR benchmarks by +947% (FB) and +175% (Twitter) while lowering CPC up to 95% (projected savings of ~$1.3M); Mentor university interns on quarterly basis for social initiatives like crafting weekly content insights email for stakeholders, including then-SVP of Product (current CEO of LinkedIn)
• Lead editorial strategy for LinkedIn’s first newsletter product; Wrote weekly newsletter curating top newsletters; selected pilot participants; Educated writers on publishing best practices 
• Conceptualized and hosted #FemaleFounder video series, one of the most engaging series on our LinkedIn News Page
• Wrote and reported for LinkedIn Lists franchise; Co-led first List webinar to educate and excite honorees; built first content calendar to spark member conversation
• Mentored university interns on quarterly basis for initiatives including crafting weekly content insights email for stakeholders; and creating and translating the Content Creator's Guide (https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/100132) to more efficiently educate members about LinkedIn and how to create impactful content (85% helpfulness score)
• Established GDPR compliance across Editorial tools and processes

News Editor, Special Projects

News Editor, San Francisco // February 2016-October 2016
News Editor, Hong Kong (on assignment) // November 2016-November 2017
 
• Wrote Daily Rundown, a digest of breaking news and trends delivered to ~170 million members; script for video digest (https://www.slideshare.net/LinkedInPulse/tagged/Daily%20Top%20Headlines)
• Wrote heds, deks, and descriptions; curated first- and third-party content for the top stories feature, an editorially-driven way to see and discuss today’s news and views
• Operationalized processes for LinkedIn Influencer program to ensure active engagement by participants
• Operated independently as the sole US editor in the Asia-Pacific region as part of 24-hour global news team
• Supported launch of LinkedIn's first-ever video app, "Record"; collaborated with LinkedIn Influencers to create content for app launch

News Editor, Daily News

🎙️ Virtual Speaker | 300K+ Followers | LinkedIn Learning Instructor | Consultant | Editorial + Tech | Ex-LinkedIn, SlideShare, Prezi | I help organizations and teams stand out and supercharge their professional presence

📖 Grab your copy of Unforgettable Presence, an instant #1 Amazon bestseller and Next Big Idea Club must-read: https://amzn.to/3Hdv79r

My career grew exponentially and unexpectedly in 2021 when I decided to get more comfortable with public speaking. 

Full of nerves, I spoke whenever and wherever. In a surprising turn of events, speaking became a small side hustle while I led Prezi's editorial team.

Then I got laid off in 2022. The combination of that side hustle, the career brand I had created, and my 10+ years of experience as a founding editor at numerous tech firms like LinkedIn and Prezi gave me the confidence to start my own company, RISE Learning Solutions, where I am now a keynote speaker and trainer, content creator, and instructor teaching courses to global audiences with LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies.

Looking back, I've realized that all the opportunities that have come my way have happened because of my 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — both in terms of 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 others see me. I believe being intentional about these two things are the most critical factors to someone's professional success, and it's why I'm so passionate to share all the skills that fuel presence: from presentations and communication to managing up and LinkedIn.

🎙️ Keynote Speaker and Trainer: In 2023, 100% of surveyed attendees say they learned something new; 98% of attendees said they found my sessions valuable; and I received a speaker rating of 4.9/5.  Past clients: Amazon, Zoom, Cisco, ServiceNow, and McKinsey and Company.

👩🏻‍🏫 Instructor @ LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies. I also create custom courses for organizations. I've empowered more than 250,000+ LinkedIn learners with all 15+ of my courses rated 4.7/5 and up. Watch: lorraineklee.com/linkedinlearning

✏️ Content Creator: I publish on LinkedIn M-Sat, and share bite-sized career and leadership tips through my free weekly newsletter, Career Bites (lorraineklee.com/subscribe).

🏆 Named a LinkedIn Top Voice
🏆Top virtual keynote speaker by ReadWrite
🏆Featured in Inc, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, CNBC, and more

🎓 BSJ from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism

📧 DM me or email me at contact@lorraineklee.com if you'd like to collaborate! (See what it's like to work with me in my 200+ recommendations 👇🏻)

🥊 Outside of work, I can be found doing muay thai and eating my way through San Francisco

Top-Rated Virtual Keynote Speaker and Trainer

I spent the first 5 years of my career thinking I was being polite. In reality, I was undermining my worth:

"Sorry, can I just ask..."
"I might be wrong, but..."
"This is probably a dumb question..."

Sound familiar? I was sabotaging my own authority — and didn't even realize it. 🥲

Your words tell people how to treat you. And the language that feels “polite” early in your career can quietly hold you back later.

Here are 7 phrases that make you sound junior (and what leaders say instead):

1️⃣ "Sorry to bother you..."
Say instead: "Do you have 5 minutes to discuss X?"
Leaders value their time and yours. Be direct.

2️⃣ "I think maybe we should..."
Say instead: "I recommend we..."
Own your expertise. You were hired for your judgment.

3️⃣ "Does that make sense?"
Say instead: "Happy to answer any questions."
Assume clarity. Let others flag confusion if needed. 

4️⃣ "I'm not sure if this is right..."
Say instead: "Based on my analysis..."
Make a confident recommendation based on the information you have.

5️⃣ "Just a quick thought..."
Say instead: "I've been thinking about X and here's my take..."
Take out unnecessary qualifiers.

6️⃣ "Ugh so sorry for the delay..."
Say instead: "Thanks for your patience!"
Turn apologies into appreciation. It changes the entire dynamic.

7️⃣ "I'll try to get it done..."
Say instead: "I'll have it to you by [date]."
Trying is hoping. Committing builds trust.

Start speaking like the leader you want to be. ✨

Which phrase are you guilty of overusing?

* * * * * *

👋 I'm Lorraine—keynote speaker and bestselling author. I help rising leaders build an unforgettable presence and stand out at work. Follow for more actionable career tips!

♻️ Reshare if this resonated with you!

📘 PS: Want more communication scripts that command respect? Check out my book, 𝙐𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚: https://amzn.to/3Hdv79r

Bestselling Author (Unforgettable Presence) | Corporate Keynote Speaker | Instructor: LinkedIn Learning & Stanford | Former Founding Editor at LinkedIn & Prezi

𝙐𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 won an award! 🥹

It placed 2nd at The BookFest® Awards for Business Leadership & Professional Growth. 🏆

I am so happy that this book is out there helping professionals transform how they show up at work so that they can become truly unforgettable. 

What readers are saying:

💬 "I can genuinely say that your book was the best I have read this year!" - Belen 
💬 "I love your new book. Your thoughts and insights are spot on" - Mark 
💬 "Thanks for all the great tips... I feel like everyone should read and take notes!) - Stephanie

Thank you to everyone who's supported this journey. 💙

If you've been thinking about grabbing a copy (for yourself, a colleague, or that new grad in your life), now's a great time: https://amzn.to/3Hdv79r

Y/N: Do you know someone who has an unforgettable presence? Give them a shout out below!

* * * * * *

👋 I'm Lorraine K. Lee—keynote speaker and bestselling author. I help rising leaders build an unforgettable presence and stand out at work. Follow for more actionable career tips!

♻️ Reshare if this resonated with you!

📘 PS: Ready to go from overlooked to unforgettable? Grab the book: https://amzn.to/3Hdv79r

My first Forbes feature is live!! 

In my article, I tackle a question I get asked constantly:

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜’𝗺 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴?!

I share 5 simple, non-cringey ways to do just that.

(You’ll want to read this before you create your annual reviews!)

You can read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gmUZDvcw 

(Thank you to Julia Korn for making the intro and to my editor Sarah Chandler Perez)

Five years into my speaking career, and I’m now speaking alongside Neil Patel Ali Abdaal, and Seth Godin 🌔. 🤯

Ten years ago, I was the introvert avoiding presentations at ALL COSTS! 😂

When I did present, I was:
…trying to hide the fact that my hands were shaking
…sweating through my shirt (lol)
…wondering if I’d ever feel confident speaking to a room of 10 people, let alone thousands.

Digital Cut 2025 brings together some of the most influential digital minds on the planet for three days of deep dives into:

✨ AI & Automation
✨ Marketing & Advertising
✨ Content Creation
✨ Product-Led Growth
✨ RevOps & Data

I’ll be discussing what presence looks like in the age of AI, and how an introvert who once hid behind her laptop built a career helping millions show up with clarity, confidence, and credibility.

And I can’t wait.

Will I see you there? 

FEB. 6-8, 2026 | Register here: https://digitalcut.co/

📘Grab bestseller Unforgettable Presence to go from overlooked to unforgettable 🎙️ Corporate Keynote Speaker & Trainer 👩🏻‍🏫 Instructor: LinkedIn Learning, Stanford 💼 Prev. Founding Editor @ LinkedIn, Prezi

Taking a moment to appreciate the people who've made a real difference in my journey these last few months 🙏🏻 

(Make sure to give them a follow, too!)

Ryan Leffel and I met through his podcast. Then he asked me to join him in New York for a UXDX event. Then he suggested I speak at Priceline. Thank you for always thinking about the next opportunity for me!

Dorie Clark carved out time literally the morning of a flight to meet me in person for the first time. She generously shared her experiences and ideas. (Say hello to us on Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gh2N7KFs)

Che Ugwuala, MBA and I connected over LinkedIn, started talking about ways to collaborate, then he went above and beyond to organize and facilitate a fireside chat at Google’s New York office. 

Brandon Smithwrick 🧠 and I met at Hubspot’s INBOUND Creator program and when I recently reached out with some questions about the creator space, he generously wrote me a very long text with his answer the same day!

Kendra Stone, MBA hosted me at ServiceNow in New York and made what could have been a standard office visit into something memorable. She offered up the office in case I needed good internet (I did for a virtual event), reserved a room for said event and even got a monitor brought in, and took me out to lunch with the team (thanks, Marc Monday!). 

So appreciative of all of you! 💙

Who's been your unexpected champion this year?

After 3 years running my own business, these are a few of the things I appreciate most:

🔵 Becoming friends with other solopreneurs-turned-friends (who would have thought talking about work would be so energizing 😅)

🔵 Meetings only when they’re actually needed 
(love a good async collab — Nicole Kayla, you’re brilliant at this!)

🔵 Providing economic opportunity for others
(such a rewarding feeling)

🔵 Sharpening my negotiation and business acumen skills
(these are skills I can take with me wherever)

🔵 Being able to WFH in silence
(an introvert’s dream)

🔵 Watching my team and revenue grow
(it’s so cool to see everyone’s direct impact on the bottom line)

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty that’s hard about running RISE Learning Solutions… but today (and most days), I try to focus on the positives because I’m so lucky to do what I do. :)

What questions do you have for me about my business?

PS: Check out my year 3 solopreneur reflections here: https://lnkd.in/gSSfhF7H

At LinkedIn, I noticed something fascinating:

The most well-liked people weren't the smartest or most talented.

They just followed one simple rule: Don't be a jerk.

Sounds obvious, right? But here's what that actually looks like in practice.

Check out these 5 secret habits of well-liked people at work 👇

Being well-liked isn't about being “fake nice.”

It's about being genuinely interested in the humans around you.

And in a world of AI and automation?
This human touch becomes your competitive advantage.

After 10+ years helping professionals build their presence, I've learned:

Your expertise gets you in the room.

Your character keeps you there.

💭 Which habit resonates most with you?

* * * * * *

👋I'm Lorraine—keynote speaker and bestselling author. I help rising leaders build an unforgettable presence and stand out at work. Follow for more actionable career tips!

♻️ Reshare if this resonated with you!

📘PS: Want more tactical career tips? Check out my free Career Bites newsletter here: lorraineklee.com/subscribe

5 Secrets of Well-Liked People

Just wrapped up my third year in business!!! 🥹 And to think it all began from a layoff.

As part of my annual tradition, I’m sharing a business recap and my favorite lessons with all of you in this special edition of Career Bites — the one time a year it’s more than 3-minute read. 😂

Read the full recap ⤵️

*****

PS: Want my previous recaps?

Year 👆: https://lnkd.in/gBgWDJ7b 
Year ✌️:  https://lnkd.in/gE8dQ7Cd 

#CareerBites #careertips #solopreneurtips #entrepreneurtips

Hi Reader, It’s been 3 years since I was laid off and began this crazy journey of solopreneurship (or should I say, entrepreneurship, now that I’ve ma

Open article: what I learned in year 3 of solopreneurship by Lorraine K. Lee • 10 min read

what I learned in year 3 of solopreneurship

Ever had someone bump into you in passing and you end up saying “sorry” ? Have you apologized for simply following up on an email? 

Why do so many of us apologize for things when we’ve done nothing wrong? 🥲 (I’m guilty of it, too!)

The words you use at work shape how people see you — and how you see yourself.

One small habit that silently weakens your presence?
→ Overusing “sorry” when there’s no need to.

I wrote an article for CNBC about this exact thing. In it, I shared how over-apologizing sends a message you may not intend: that you don’t fully believe in your value, your ideas, or your right to be in the room.

Here are a few quick swaps you can start using today:

1. Instead of: “Sorry I’m late.”
Say: “Thanks for waiting.”

2. Instead of: “Sorry to follow up.”
Say: “I’m checking in to see when you plan to review the document.”

3. Instead of: “Sorry, can I add something?”
Say: “I’d like to add a quick thought.”

Small changes, big difference.

Your language is one of your strongest tools for building credibility and influence.

Want more swaps and tips?

Check out my article: https://lnkd.in/gdgW3Uri

Want more practical ways to communicate with confidence? Grab my bestselling book Unforgettable Presence: https://amzn.to/4jm8SvD 📘

In the workplace, extroverts often get noticed first.

They’re the ones speaking up in meetings, networking at events, and leading the charge in group discussions.

But what about the introverts?

The ones connecting dots others might miss.
The ones listening carefully to what’s being said (and what isn’t).
The ones reflecting before they respond, ensuring every word they share carries weight.

Introverts might not always stand in the spotlight, but their contributions shape the culture, strategy, and success of an organization in profound ways.

→ They’re the planners behind bold decisions.
→ The observers who notice what others overlook.
→ The steady presence others turn to in moments of chaos.

Just because something isn’t always seen right away doesn’t mean it isn’t equally if not more powerful.

Let’s start appreciating the hidden strengths that make all the difference.

💬 Do you agree that introverts are an underrated force in the workplace?

* * * * * *

👋 I'm Lorraine—keynote speaker and bestselling author. I help rising leaders build an unforgettable presence and stand out at work. Follow for more actionable career tips!

♻️ Reshare if this resonated with you!

📝 PS: Want other bite-sized tips and strategies to future-proof your career? Join 60,000 others who are subscribed to Career Bites: lorraineklee.com/subscribe

So many emails fail before they even start. 😬

And when that happens, you’re not just losing replies —
you're losing opportunities, trust, and influence.

Not because your idea is bad…
but because one sentence is killing your credibility. 😣

If your emails are getting ignored, it might not be your message — it might be your opener.

👉 I'm sharing the 3 phrases that are quietly working against you (and what to say instead) in today's newsletter. ⬇️

#CareerBites #careertips #credibility

I recently sat down with Mo Bunnell on Real Relationships, Real Revenue to talk about what personal branding really means today. We dug into authentic

Open article: 3 email phrases your boss secretly hates by Lorraine K. Lee • 4 min read

My team and network are full of podcast lovers, so I asked them to share their go-to listens for career growth.

After dozens of recommendations, these six came up more than once:

🎧 Think Fast Talk Smart — Matt Abrahams
Practical communication tools to speak clearly under pressure.

🎧 Psychology at Work — Melody Wilding, LMSW
Insights on emotional intelligence, confidence, and navigating tough work moments.

🎧 Future of HR Consulting — JP Elliott, PhD
Real-world insights on modern HR, talent strategy, and what leaders need to build strong, people-first organizations.

🎧 Get Hired — Andrew Seaman
Actionable job-search advice from one of LinkedIn’s top career experts that teaches you how to find work aligned with your interests, values and strengths.

🎧 Tiger Sisters — Cherie Brooke Luo & Jean Luo
Smart, honest conversations about career, identity, and ambition.

🎧 Career Contessa — Lauren McGoodwin
Career guidance for women navigating growth, job changes, and leadership.

Some teach presence.
Some teach psychology.
Some teach leadership.

All of them teach you something you can apply right away.

PS: If you're curious to hear every podcast I've been on, here's the playlist: https://lnkd.in/gMqXSuyG

What are you listening to right now? 👇

* * * * * *

♻️ Reshare to help more people discover their next great listen!

My Favorite Podcasts

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hope you’re all having a wonderful time reconnecting with family and friends. 🧡

You’re qualified for roles at Google, Meta, Amazon, and top AI companies.

But recruiters still aren't messaging you.

The job market is tough, but I'm still seeing great candidates land offers in just 1-3 months.

I know what it feels like to work hard, think you're doing everything right, and still get overlooked.

That's why I'm hosting a FREE LinkedIn Workshop with Superinterviews  tomorrow, Dec. 10 @ 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET! 

When I ran this workshop in November, the response was so positive that we’re bringing it back one more time! 

This time around, we’ll include a deeper look at visibility too, not just LinkedIn. Because getting opportunities isn’t only about optimizing your profile. It’s about how you communicate your value everywhere.

Kasey ✨ KD ✨, Jeremy Barton, and I will discuss:

✨ How to make yourself known in whatever room you’re in
✨ What makes a profile stand out in a 6–8 second scan
✨ What recruiters are actually looking for in candidates
✨ Ways to update your LinkedIn profile so it finally gets seen

Plus: There may or may not be some LIVE LinkedIn profile reviews too 😬 

Spots are limited, so grab your seat now! https://luma.com/z4z3comj

#SidebarPartner

As someone who studied journalism and has spent my entire career in communication/content/marketing roles, I was totally nerding out at getting the chance to speak at Ragan Communications and PR Daily's Future of Communication Conference in Austin last week! 🤩  

I closed out day 1 with a fireside chat — "The Visibility Factor: Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading with Intent."  

While the conference was packed with sessions on hard skills like AI (and yes, we need those), there were a lot of smiles and head nods when we dug into the human skills and career strategies that will be our biggest competitive advantage — from personal branding, to advocating for yourself, to why it's so important to be on LinkedIn.

Here are just a few of my fav pieces of audience feedback so far:

💬 “I so enjoyed your keynote speech. A lot of what you shared really resonated with me :)” 
💬 “Your session really resonated with me and where I am currently in my career. I’m excited to explore how I am showing up at work and defining my career brand. I haven’t thought too much about it before and I look forward to the journey.”
💬 “I listened to your fireside chat at Ragan’s Future of Comms Conference in Austin. Loved your practical guidance for doing little things to make meaningful connections.” 

Remember: We're not competing with AI. We're partnering with it. 

And the professionals who understand how to amplify their human skills alongside these tools are the ones who will own the future of communication.  

Thank you to Alyssa Smith, Allison Carter, and Courtney Blackann for making the event such a success! ✨  

What human skill do you think will matter most in the age of AI?

Highlights from RAGAN's Future of Comms Conference

So many of you are fans of my mentor and friend Matt Abrahams. 

Now, you have an awesome opportunity to learn from him directly!

Check out his new Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community to learn all things communication (+ author talks, guided quests, and even AI Coach Matt!): https://lnkd.in/gPqEQ9sk

(He's offering a 1-month free trial too 🤩)

***

PS: Matt and I met in person for the first time earlier this year to record an episode for his Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gqP799bT

I have so many reasons to be grateful this year, and one of them is YOU. 😊

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm giving away 5 audiobook copies of 𝙐𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!

I want to help even more of you speak up in that meeting, get that promotion, and build your confidence like the readers below did after reading the book.

Here's what readers are saying:

→ “I loved Chapter 4. It’s helping me tremendously in sharpening my communication skills.” - Nick C.

→ “I've implemented some of your ideas. So far my LinkedIn engagement has increased and a few of my cold messages were answered.” - Jane D.

→ “Your insights were incredibly inspiring and practical, especially for someone like me working as an EA. Just yesterday, I found myself applying one of your tips. My executive was away on a business trip, and I needed his preferences regarding upcoming external events. Normally I keep my messages concise, but this time I made sure to include my rationale. And it worked — he appreciated the context and responded positively! Your advice reminded me that thoughtful communication, even in small moments, can make a big difference. I’m truly grateful for the tools and confidence your work has given me.” - Clara N.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞" 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝟱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟵𝘁𝗵.

Your support made this book an Amazon bestseller. The book has reached thousands of you, thanks to you spreading the word. Your success stories and wins keep me going! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 🧡

📸 : Yes, those are all cassette tapes behind me at the Google Atlanta office from when I spoke there in June!

There’s a part of career growth no one really talks about:
how to manage upward when communication becomes inconsistent or unclear.

When your manager is juggling too much, direction often shifts, priorities blur, and answers come through quicker than anyone can interpret.

In those moments, it’s natural to assume the confusion is coming from you.

But more often, what’s really happening is that communication is cracking under the weight of competing demands… and you’re the one feeling the impact. 😅

You can’t always change how someone communicates, but you can learn to navigate those gaps in a way that protects your energy and positions you as the go-to person leaders trust.

Sharing 3 practical ways to do this in today’s Career Bite.👇

#CareerBites #careertips #managingup

My first Forbes piece is officially live! 🤩 This article tackles a question I hear constantly: "How do I get noticed for the right reasons, without o

Open article: frustrated with your boss? here’s 3 things to do by Lorraine K. Lee • 3 min read

frustrated with your boss? here’s 3 things to do

If you’ve ever talked yourself out of applying because you “weren’t qualified enough,” this is for you.

My best hire didn’t match the job description — yet she outperformed everyone who did.

I shared this story with CNBC because it surprised a lot of people: my strongest candidate didn’t match the “ideal” résumé. But she showed me something far more valuable.

Here are the 3 things my first full-time hire, Meagan, did that helped her rise to the top:

1️⃣ She showed HOW she thinks, not just WHAT she’s done.
Instead of matching every bullet point, she gave real examples of solving similar problems in different contexts. Her examples came from different roles, but the underlying skills mapped perfectly.

2️⃣ She didn’t try to “play it cool.” 
While others tried to seem casually interested, Meagan made it clear that this wasn’t just a role she could do — it was the role she wanted. Her enthusiasm wasn’t over the top; it was energizing. It made me excited about her.

3️⃣ She followed up after applying. 
Out of 1,000+ applicants, fewer than 10 reached out on LinkedIn. Fewer than 5 messages stood out, including Meagan’s. Meagan’s message was short and thoughtful, and it moved her towards the top of my list. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: 
You don't need to check every box. 
You need to show you can think, adapt, and create impact.

Months later, I couldn't be happier with my decision.

If you want the full breakdown and the exact steps any candidate can use to stand out, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gPUXAUJj 

What's one thing you've done to stand out in a job search? ✨

* * * * * *

👋 I'm Lorraine—keynote speaker and bestselling author. I help rising leaders build an unforgettable presence and stand out at work. Follow for more actionable career tips!

♻️ Reshare if this resonated with you!

📘 PS: Want more tips like these? Join 60,000+ others who are subscribed to Career Bites: lorraineklee.com/subscribe

Do you know what people say about you when you’re not in the room?

That’s your personal brand. And whether you’ve built it intentionally or not, you already have one—it’s your reputation.

If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend using the EPIC Framework to uncover and shape your personal brand.

In the video, I dive deeper into how you can use the EPIC Framework to take control of your narrative and ensure your personal brand works for you, not against you.

For more tips on personal branding, check out my book, Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career.

💬 Your personal brand matters more than ever. Do you know what yours is, or are you starting to shape it now?

💪Girl dad 🛋️Psychologist 🌅I pulled back from a prestigious (but overworked) clinical path to design a 6-figure career around my family 🤝🏾I help therapists build and make money from their online courses and podcasts

I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs or business owners.
I thought I’d spend my life doing therapy work.

But in 2015, a snowstorm changed everything.

The power went out. Roads froze over.
I had to cancel 21 therapy sessions in one week.

We were saving for our first home.
And just like that, my income was gone.

That week I asked myself:

👉 What kind of business really supports the life I want?

A few months later, I started the Selling the Couch podcast.
It didn’t blow up overnight. But step by step, it grew into:
	•	🎙 One of the top 0.5% podcasts in the world
	•	🌍 1.82M+ downloads in 100+ countries
	•	💛 A quiet community of thoughtful therapists and founders

Then life shifted again.
Our daughter was born 8 weeks early.
The sound of NICU machines is something I’ll never forget.

That season taught me this:
It’s not just what you build.
It’s how you build—and who you become while building.

⸻

Now I help others create businesses that fit their lives:

✅ 245+ therapists launched podcasts ($344,000+ in course sales)
✅ 50+ founders built courses inside my mastermind ($300,000+ earned)
✅ I’ve shaped my own business around hiking, deep work, church, golf, and unhurried time with loved ones.

Here’s the truth:
Good work doesn’t always speak for itself.
People need to see it.

But you don’t have to hustle or burn out to be seen.

If you’re a therapist, quiet founder, parent, or leader who wants to grow without losing yourself—I’d love to connect.

🟡 I share stories and lessons on slow growth each week
🟡 Follow for simple, calm business ideas
🟡 My DMs are open

And if you want to go deeper—

I write The Quiet Builder:
A paid newsletter for thoughtful builders.
$97/year. Two soulful issues a month.
It’s for people who want to grow slow—but strong—even in uncertain times.

👉 sellingthecouch.com/quietbuilder

Because that snowstorm taught me one thing:

A business worth building protects your life.
It doesn’t swallow it.

Melvin Varghese, PhD

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 —
a new community for therapists building through:
🎙 Courses
🎧 Podcasts
📺 YouTube
✍🏽 Writing
🎤 Speaking

⸻

If I’m honest, I nearly built it in secret. 

After 10 years online — and two $400K+ products — launching something new still stirs up fear. 😔

What if it flops? What if no one shows up?

But I’ve learned: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

A few months ago, I gathered 13 thoughtful colleagues into a 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗸.

They asked sharp questions. Gave generous feedback.
Helped refine every piece.

Suzie, Amanda Campbell, LMHC, Anne Rice, Cecilia Racine, LCSW, Julie Hartman PhD, Katie Lear, LCMHC, RPT, RDT, Laura, Michelle Richardson, Nina, Rachel Orleck, Psy.D., Shawn, Antonia O'Planick, PsyD, and Tiffini Sharifi, LPC, CST — thank you. 

You shaped this. ❤️

⸻

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 especially as a husband and dad raising a daughter.

From day one, 1𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 funds a donor-advised scholarship for girls rescued from the commercial sex trade.

At full capacity, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 $𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, compounding into hundreds of thousands over time.

We’re calling it 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱.
Because real impact is often quiet.

⸻

If you’re curious to join us — especially 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 on 𝘼𝙄-𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 —
check the link at the top of my profile.

Thank you for being here.
It means more than you know. 🙂

Melvin Varghese PhD

💪 Girl dad + Psychologist + New Golfer ⛳ Helping therapists & quiet builders grow calm, strong businesses ✍🏽 Sharing slow growth lessons since 2015

No alternative text description for this image

🍁 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲

Hi friends —
I’ll be stepping away from social for the rest of the week, but before I go, I wanted to say a quiet, heartfelt thank you.

If you’re here in the U.S., I hope this season brings you:
🌿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁
🥧 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱
🫶 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

And wherever you are in the world —
thank you for being part of this little corner of the internet for Quiet Builders...
where we value depth over noise and steady growth over spectacle.

⸻

🌱 𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 (𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼)

Over the past two years, I’ve started to move many of my online connections into real-life conversations.
📞 Phone calls
🤝 Sometimes longer collaborations.
💬 Sometimes simply human connection.

If we’ve had a call this year, thank you.
These moments matter more than metrics.

⸻

📣 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻… 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

We’re hosting a new, free workshop:

🧠 How to AI-Proof Your Online Course Idea
📅 Wednesday, December 10
🔗 https://lnkd.in/edPNSaqu

It’s for therapists who are:
→ Building their first course
→ Revisiting something they’ve already created
→ Or trying to future-proof their income stream without hustle

I’ll be sharing:
🧩 What I’ve learned from working with 50+ therapist course creators
🧠 How to think strategically about content and longevity
💡 What actually works in this shifting economy

⸻

🍂 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻…

Wishing you a warm, grounded Thanksgiving.

Let’s keep building slow, meaningful things —
Together. Quietly. 🙂

𝗔𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Yesterday, we officially opened up 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 —
a new community for therapists building online courses, podcasts, YouTube channels, speaking platforms, and writing projects.

We kicked things off with a free live workshop:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.
72 therapists signed up. The energy was incredible.

But the moment I signed off...
𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲.

Not “I need a nap” tired —
the kind of tired that leads to a dimly lit room, an Avatar movie, and chocolate mousse from my favorite local bakery. (📸 evidence included 😅)

Here’s the part we rarely talk about as founders:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹.

✨ Haven has been in the works for months —
13 generous colleagues offered feedback to help shape it into something calm, practical, and deeply human.

💔 At the same time, I’m closing down STC Elite —
our online course mastermind that’s supported 50+ therapists since 2021.
Our final cohort ends next week.

That tension — of beginning and ending — is real.

And yesterday reminded me:
𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Sometimes it looks like a blurry screen, a spoonful of mousse, and your nervous system asking for stillness after you’ve given everything you’ve got.

⸻

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿,
𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

Because building meaningful things isn’t just strategy —
𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀.

Every course starts with one small lesson.

It might not feel like much, but 1% progress beats 0% every time.

But there's something safe about staying in that 0%.

Each step you take gets you closer to your finished course.

Consistency compounds. Keep going—you’re building something valuable.

How are you moving 1% forward today?

Three months into my golf journey... and I’m just now learning how to swing the club back.

This past week, my coach and I started working on the backswing —
a movement that looks deceptively simple but unraveled me completely. 😅

Every time I tried to do it in real time, my brain flooded with so much information that I froze.

Friends watching my videos said the same thing:
“You’ve got that deer-in-the-headlights look.”

So I asked my coach:
𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝟮 𝗼𝗿 𝟯 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝟮 𝗼𝗿 𝟯 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀?

For the next hour, we repeated the backswing in ultra-slow motion:
 • Spread stance.
 • Square shoulders.
 • Hinge wrists to 90°.
 • Rotate gently.
 • Feel the clubhead float beyond my head

We did this 20 times.
Not once did I hit a ball.

Just movement, feedback, breath, adjustment.

And it hit me:
𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

Right now, we’re launching Haven —
a calm, strategic community for therapists building online income through courses, podcasts, YouTube, speaking, and writing.

I’ve got dozens of ideas:
🎯 bonus courses
🎯 growth strategies
🎯 new systems to increase value

But this time, we’re slowing it down.

Instead of rushing to build the “perfect” sales page, we’re prioritizing trust and community.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 — 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲.

As of today:
 • 11 therapists have already joined Haven.
 • 24 more are on the interest list.

And while I’m proud of that, what I’m most excited for is the slow, deliberate build —the one where the community is forged carefully, not hurriedly.

Sometimes progress looks like a 2-minute backswing.

And that’s exactly the pace we need. 🏌️♂️💻🙂

🔥 I’ve been thinking a lot about a phrase lately:
𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲.

It’s how I’d describe so many of us building things quietly —
Not for show.
Not for scale-at-all-costs.
But for meaning, health, and longevity.

Not the burn-it-down kind of fire.
The kiln kind.
Steady, intentional, high heat that reshapes things permanently.

⸻

This mindset has been quietly shaping everything I build.

🧱 Earlier this year, I launched the 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 — a $97/year letter for people building long-game, life-first businesses.

We’re now at 59 paying members with ~80% open rates per issue.
Not huge revenue.
But huge signal.

It tells me Quiet Builders are out there.
People who crave stillness, not spin.
Depth, not dopamine.

https://lnkd.in/ekm_yFtG
⸻

Next year, I’ll be rolling out something new:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.

It’s a private, 1-day golf experience for high-performing people in high-pressure roles —
surgeons, investors, operators, pilots, founders —
who need their 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 when the stakes are real.

We use 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹,
𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺,
and 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to create one of the most personalized executive coaching days available.

⸻

Quiet fire isn’t fast.
But it compounds.
And what it builds tends to last.

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

But this past year, I started to quietly worry:

💬 “What if online courses are... dead?”

I mean, if ChatGPT can give someone a deeply researched, personalized answer in seconds, why would they ever pay $500–$2,000 for a course?

The panic was real.

I started questioning everything:

→ Would my students still see value?
→ Was this model still ethical?
→ What would I build next if this all dried up?

But here’s the surprising part:

As I slowed down... studied what’s working… and paid close attention to how learners actually behave in this new world…

A pattern emerged:

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

The courses that are 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 right now — and will continue to in the age of AI — all share 3 traits:

⸻

🎯 𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

People don’t just want information.
They want to belong.
To ask questions.
To be seen.
To be held accountable.
Courses that weave in meaningful community → win.

⸻

🎮 𝟮. 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The average adult attention span has 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 23% 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2000.
Completion rates for online courses are plummeting.
Courses that build in checklists, unlockables, progress bars, and small wins → keep people engaged.
(It doesn’t have to be cheesy. Just thoughtful.)

⸻

🌊 𝟯. 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The most successful courses are the ones where:
→ The buyer either chooses you
→ Or chooses nothing at all
Because there’s no other offer that speaks to their specific, nuanced need.
It’s not about louder marketing. It’s about better positioning.

⸻

If you’re a therapist with a course (or thinking about one in the future )…

𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝟵𝟬-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝗮.𝗺. 𝗘𝗧:
🧠 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘐-𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢

→ What’s working
→ What’s not
→ And how to build in a way that aligns with your energy, values, and real-life bandwidth

🎁 We’re also sharing a few practical gifts for live attendees.

You can sign up here (free):
👉 https://lnkd.in/eu2ATt8h

Hope to see you there. 🙂

Excited to announce a new partnership with the Kartra team! 🎉

Honestly, if you told me 9 years ago that I’d have opportunities like this, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Kartra has been the backbone of Selling The Couch, and I can’t imagine running STC without it.

Here’s what it powers for us:
📧 Our email list
🎓 Online courses
📊 Surveys
🎥 Video hosting
...and more things I’m probably forgetting!

The Kartra team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve hooked us up with a special deal for the STC community.

If you’re a therapist or business owner looking for an all-in-one platform, it’s worth checking out.

➡️ sellingthecouch.com/kartra

P.S. For full transparency, this is an affiliate link. I only recommend products I’ve personally used or whose teams I trust to stand behind STC’s mission and my name. 😊

I remember the first time I thought about starting a podcast.

Before I ever hit record, there was a deeper fear running the show:

“What if I share my voice... and people judge it?”

I didn’t have a "radio voice."
I stumbled over my words.
I worried I’d say something wrong—or worse, not say anything worth hearing.

But here’s what I learned:

Visibility feels scary because it 𝘪𝘴 vulnerable.

And if you’ve been trained to stay small or quiet, stepping up can feel unnatural.

But your lived experience has power.

And someone is waiting to hear your perspective in your voice—not a polished version.

If you’re a therapist thinking about podcasting but holding back because of fear, I created something that might help:

🎙️ From Therapist to Thought Leader: Why Podcasting Could Be Your Next Big Move

It’s a free workshop that covers how to start a podcast grounded in purpose—not performance. 🙂

You can find it at the top of my profile or at:
https://lnkd.in/eXCZAmhb

taplio

The Battle

Lorraine K. Lee

Melvin Varghese, PhD

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreLorraine K. Lee's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMelvin Varghese, PhD's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Lorraine K. Lee

Melvin Varghese, PhD

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Lorraine K. Lee's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMelvin Varghese, PhD's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreLorraine K. Lee's LinkedIn Performance