Brand Leaders

Are you a subject matter expert, leader or entrepreneur ready to expand your influence but unsure how to position yourself for the next level.

Hi, I’m Michelle, a speaker, author, advisor and founder of Brand Leaders, a professional branding and LinkedIn visibility training platform. 

I help experts, leaders and teams position their personal brands, grow visibility on LinkedIn, and become in-demand authorities in their industries. 

Your personal brand should be your business advantage, but it needs a foundational strategy and plan first. That's why I created my Own Your L.A.N.E. framework to make so you're clear, credible and competitively advantaged in your field:

OWN YOUR LANE. OWN YOUR FUTURE. 

After years of watching brilliant professionals stay overlooked, I created the Own Your L.A.N.E.™ System, a proven roadmap for business development. 

L – Launch Your Vision (Purpose)
A – Assert Your Difference (Positioning)
N – Navigate Your Brand (Presence)
E – Elevate Your Authority (Proof)

Because when you’re clear on who you are and how you show up…

The right people find you
The right opportunities follow
And you become known for what sets you apart

I speak, teach & advise experts, leaders, teams and audiences to:

✔ Position and differentiate your expertise into a recognizable brand
✔ Grow a consistent presence and build influential relationships on LinkedIn®
✔ Elevate your authority through speaking, media and PR opportunities

👉 CASE STUDIES: MichelleBGriffin.com/results

TOPICS 
> Own Your Lane™ The Recognition Roadmap
> LinkedIn® Personal Branding for Experts, Leaders & Teams
> Brand is The New Demand 

Learn more about me in the About section.

LET'S CHAT
Book a call to learn more: 👉 MichelleBGriffin.com/chat

 I look forward to meeting you!

Own Your Lane™ - Personal PR/Personal Brand Speaker, Workshop Facilitator + Masterclass Presenter 

Brand Leaders® - Powered by Own Your Lane® helps subject matter experts and expertise business owners clarify their brand positioning, simplify their message and amplify their visibility to win clients and land PR opportunities.

Brand for Business Speaking, Advising and Workshops

Innovation Women

Innovation Women is a visibility bureau connecting event managers to women speakers. Our goal is gender-balanced panels and equal visibility opportunities for women. Join us on a FREE Speaker Friends Friday Zoom session: https://innovationwomen.com/events/speaker-friends/

My Innovation Women Profile: https://speaker.innovationwomen.com/users/15203
To book me as a speaker: https://michellebgriffin.com/speaking or email michelle@michellebgriffin.com

Member and National Speaker

Michelle B Griffin Speaker & Author

Own Your Lane®  is the go-to podcast for experts and leaders who are ready (but may struggle) to position their brilliance, clarify their message, and grow their visibility for next-level opportunities.

Host, Own Your Lane® Podcast

As a LinkedIn™ personal branding & PR expert, I speak, teach, educate, and host in-depth workshops for organizations, groups, and teams. My authority-personal branding-focused presentations focus on positioning profiles, presence, and publicity to align with brand and business goals. 

Need a Speaker, Workshop Facilitator, Expert Quote, or Podcast Guest? Let's chat about how I can support you and your event/ team/group. I'd love to learn more about your goals and how I can partner with you. Please get in touch here or via LinkedIn DM.

LinkedIn® Personal Branding, Professional Visibility Speaker, Educator & Workshops

Personal Branding Books to Help You Get Visible and Grow Your Industry Presence—My personal branding books teach you to get visible, own your value, and confidently grow your professional presence for next-level industry opportunities.

The LinkedIn Branding Book helps you build your personal and business brand on LinkedIn for exponential growth. PLUS, a 50-page action-taking (online fillable) companion Brand Squared Workbook™ is included with the book.
https://michellebgriffin.com/books

Own Your Lane® books series are your personal branding and visibility acceleratosr, designed to help you take charge of your presence and become the go-to authority in your field.

Too many talented professionals—especially women—remain unseen, not because they lack skill but because they struggle to communicate their value and gain the visibility they deserve.

Through the actionable, four-step L.A.N.E.™ system, these books will teach you how to confidently step forward, articulate your unique strengths, and get recognized for your expertise. Learn more at  OwnYourLane.io.

Author - Personal Branding, PR, LinkedIn® Presence, Professional Visibility

With a mantra of "Put Yourself Out There to Own Your Lane and Own Your Future," I believe professional visibility is a powerful form of economic leverage and business growth, leading to industry opportunities, increased impact, and higher income for professionals and organizations.

As a PR, personal branding, and LinkedIn visibility speaker and educator, I empower and equip professionals, and especially women in business, to confidently set themselves apart, step into the spotlight, and seize next-level opportunities in a crowded field through my Own Your Lane® learning platform and book series,

Book me to Speak, Facilitate a Workshop, Guest On Your Podcast, Contribute To Your Publication, and/or Moderate a Panel.

Speaker Inquiries and Bookings

Let's chat about how I can support you and your event/ team/group. I'd love to learn more about your goals and how I can partner with you. Please contact me via my inquiry form or book a chat at MichelleBGriffin.com or via LinkedIn DM.

Thought Leadership Branding Speaker, LinkedIn Visibility Strategist and Workshop Facilitator

As a PR and personal branding speaker, author, and LinkedIn visibility expert, I love empowering audiences to get visible for their next level. 

I guest weekly on podcasts, LinkedIn Audio, Livestream, and YouTube shows and speak/host group training and workshops on personal branding and LinkedIn to build your professional presence and opportunities. 

Watch/listen and see more here: https://michellebgriffin.com/media

Let's Connect
Need a Speaker, Expert Quote, or Podcast Guest?

Let's chat about how I can support you and your event/ team/group. I'd love to learn more about your goals and how I can partner with you. Please contact me via my inquiry form or book a chat at MichelleBGriffin.com or via LinkedIn DM.

Podcast Guest, Personal Branding, PR, LinkedIn® Presence and Professional Visibility

Join 1,700+ global professionals who are getting visible to build and boost their personal brands. The P.Y.O.T. Community - Put Yourself Out There Community to Build & Boost Your Personal Brand will help you become clear, confident and consistent on LinkedIn. Join us as we ramp up our personal brands, expand our connections, and build meaningful communities on LinkedIn. You'll find peer support, accountability, training, and tips on LinkedIn and personal branding. 

NOTE: This is NOT an engagement pod
Join us; it’s free: 👉 https://michellebgriffin.com/pyotcommunity

Founder, P.Y.O.T. - Put Yourself Out There Community to Build & Boost Your Personal Brand

StandoutWomen.org is a movement to grow visibility, personal brands, and thought leadership for women in business and women in leadership. Our mission is to empower impact-driven women to position themselves as industry leaders and create meaningful opportunities.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or professional, we provide tools, training, and events to support your journey of standing out and stepping up—all through the lens of the Own Your Lane®: Personal Branding framework. Learn more at StandoutWomen.org.

StandoutWomen.org - The Personal Branding Movement For More Standout Women in Business & Leadership

THE LINKEDIN™️ BRANDING COMMUNITY by #MichelleSquared

The LinkedIn Branding Book: The Power of Two: How to Double Your Personal and Business Brand for Exponential Growth by #MichelleSquared, Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond, is now available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions. PLUS, a 50-page action-taking companion Brand Squared Workbook™ is included with the book.

Co-Author, The LinkedIn Branding Book

The top-ranked podcast, The LinkedIn Branding Show, hosted by #MichelleSquared, Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond, empowers professionals, entrepreneurs, experts, and small business owners to stand out and rise up as they build personal and business brands on LinkedIn. New episodes drop every Thursday on your favorite podcast platform.

Co-Host, The LinkedIn Branding Show Podcast

The Power of Two to Double Your LinkedIn Growth with our new book, top-ranked podcast and supportive community. Join Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond, aka #MichelleSquared, for fun events, real conversations, and actionable takeaways with a community of impact-driven professionals ready to rise up and stand out on LinkedIn as a powerful force of good. Join us and learn more at MichelleSquared.com

Co-Founder, The LinkedIn Branding Community

Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc.® - Property/Windstorm Insurance Claims Industry Member Association

The Windstorm Insurance Network (WIND) is a B2B national association for the property insurance claims and legal industry. Through professional development, continuing education, and annual conferences, the group is the leading provider of industry insights for the property/windstorm insurance claims industry, property/windstorm insurance service providers, and industry consultants. 

As the association's executive director, I oversaw the day-to-day management and marketing of the Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc. and the annual Windstorm Insurance Conference, a 2,000-person international conference. 

My duties included strategic business development, marketing communication planning, event marketing, team management and member experience management. Specific personal skills include digital marketing, inbound/content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing/outreach, branding strategy, copywriting, website design, WordPress management, and conference/event planning and marketing.

Executive Director

As the lead marketer, I managed a team to plan, promote and host the annual (WIND) Windstorm Insurance Conference, which attracted nearly 2,000 attendees each year from across the U.S. and internationally. 

Under my leadership, membership grew at a steady rate of 1,000 members and conference attendance and revenue targets exceeded goals. 

As the lead event marketer, I also managed, promoted regional and one-day events and continuing education seminars and presentations across the U.S.

Event Marketing Director

Positioning Women Experts Into Visible Authorities┃Personal Brand, PR & Thought Leadership Strategist & Coach to Own Your Lane With More Visibility, Impact & Income┃Author┃Speaker┃80s Music Fan┃Own Your Lane™ Book 10/15

Hi, I’m Michelle. I transform hidden experts into visible authorities and so glad you’re here. 

If you've ever struggled to explain what you do, felt overlooked despite your expertise, or missed opportunities you knew you were perfect for, you're not alone—and you're in the right place.

After seeing brilliant experts stay invisible because they believed their work would speak for itself, I created the Own Your Lane™ Recognition Roadmap to help you become the go-to authority in your field.

THE OWN YOUR LANE™ SYSTEM

L – Launch Your Vision (Purpose)
A – Assert Your Difference (Position)
N – Navigate Your Brand (Package)
E – Elevate Your Authority (Promote)

OWN YOUR LANE. OWN YOUR FUTURE.
My mission is to position you for success. I speak, train, and advise experts and leaders—especially women in business—who are ready to be seen, heard, and sought-after. Together, we chart your one-page personal branding roadmap to give you the clarity, confidence, communication and competitive edge for business growth. 

Why this matters: You stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You gain the positioning, words and strategy to know who you are, what makes you different and a repeatable way to talk about what you do — in person, online, in meetings — anywhere decisions are made.

My clients have gone from “one of many” to “the one” -- booked on TEDx & industry stages, featured in top media, published best-selling books & effortlessly growing thought leadership on their terms. 

Now it’s your turn…

WORK WITH ME
> Own Your Lane™ Speaking & Workshops 
No hype, just help. Experiential sessions with clarity, tools & action

> Own Your Lane Roadmaps & Advising 
Let's chart your one-page plan for next-level goals and opportunities

👉MichelleBGriffin.com/RESULTS

ABOUT ME
With 20+ years in branding, PR & executive leadership, I’ve helped Fortune 500s, startups and global thought leaders sharpen their message, elevate visibility & grow their businesses.

• TEDxFSU Speaker, April 2025
• Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc. & Authority Featured 
• 2x Author, Position Yourself & The LinkedIn® Branding Book 
• 2x Podcast Host, Own Your Lane™ & The LinkedIn™ Branding Show
NEW: Own Your Lane™ Book publishing soon

“Live in the moment” is my mantra; find me outdoors with an ’80s playlist, meeting new people and exploring new places.

🎧 FREE RESOURCES
Grab my LinkedIn Visible Training + Go Your Own Way Playlist 
👉MichelleBGriffin.com/QUICKLINKS

READY TO OWN YOUR LANE?
👉Visit MichelleBGriffin.com - let's chat on how I can support you best.

MICHELLE B GRIFFIN

📌 REPLAY IS BELOW...
So you want to land a TEDx talk? But what does it actually take to get on the red dot?

Join host MICHELLE B GRIFFIN for this month’s Own Your Lane LIVE as I sit down with a longtime TEDx organizer and coach Tessa Rawson to talk about what really happens behind the scenes.

We’ll unpack:

• What makes an idea compelling enough for the TEDx stage
• What organizers pay attention to that applicants miss
• Why strong experts still get rejected
• The biggest application mistakes
• How to know if you’re truly ready

Tessa has been a TEDx organizer and coach in Europe and the US since 2013. She’s reviewed hundreds of applications and knows what makes a great talk and why good ideas get overlooked.
 
📅 Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 ⏰ 1:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM CT | 6:30 PM GMT 

📌 WATCH HERE:
LinkedIn Live replay: https://lnkd.in/e8zsM-jP and also 
YouTube https://lnkd.in/eEiGDS4G

Get the insider tips and steps to get a TEDx Talk. Join us. 
We can't wait to see you there.

#OwnYourLane #ShesVisible

Positioning Women Experts into Recognized Authorities • PR-Powered Personal Brand Strategist & Speaker • Elevate Your Visibility on LinkedIn, Media, Stages, Podcasts and in AI search • TEDx Speaker • 2x Author

Tessa Rawson, Gabe Leal and 2 other connections attending

How to Land a TEDx Talk: Insider Tips From a TEDx Organizer

📌 REPLAY IS BELOW...A good idea won’t get you a TEDx talk.
And neither will being highly accomplished.

It’s about having the right idea, framed the right way, at the right time for the right TEDx stage.

Today at 12:30 PM CT, I’m going live with longtime TEDx organizer Tessa Rawson to talk about what actually gets someone selected.

→ What organizers are really listening for
→ Why experts still get passed over
→ The mistakes most applicants don’t even realize they’re making
→ And how to know if you’re truly ready

If a TEDx stage is on your radar, this conversation will save you time and guesswork.

📌 REPLAY HERE

LinkedIn Live replay: https://lnkd.in/e8zsM-jP and also 

YouTube https://lnkd.in/eEiGDS4G

📅 Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 
⏰ 1:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM CT | 6:30 PM GMT 
📍 Streaming on LInkedIn Live and YouTube

Sponsored by She’s Visible, my women’s leadership initiative focused on closing The Recognition Gap because we need more women speaking on stages, featured on pages and earning better wages.

_____

If you lead a women’s ERG or leadership group and want to equip your members with personal branding and LinkedIn presence this season, She’s Visible workshops are designed for exactly that.

#OwnYourLane 
#ShesVisible

What does it REALLY take to land a TEDx talk?

I'm going straight to the source, interviewing a long-time TEDx organizer to find out....

Join me for a the behind the scenes reveal from Tessa Rawson, a TEDx organizer and coach in Europe and the US since 2013. She'll share what makes a great talk, why good ideas get overlooked and will answer all your TEDx questions.

👉 RSVP below to join us LIVE or REPLAY

Also, drop your questions in the comments. 
We want to see your message and story on the red dot.

Head of Social Media at Comerica Bank | Executive Media Advisor | Former TV Reporter

I am a communications leader with 15+ years of experience advising executives, brands, and institutions on how to communicate clearly, credibly, and effectively in high-stakes moments.

At Comerica Bank, I lead social media and content strategy across small business, commercial, and retail banking, as well as corporate philanthropy, financial literacy, and community engagement. I oversee a high-volume content operation, approximately 100 pieces of content per month and the production of live streaming events on LinkedIn and Facebook that bring the brand’s voice directly to audiences in real time.

Previously, I served as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Comerica’s California market, where I led media relations, executive speechwriting, crisis communications, and served as a spokesperson. 

In that role, I worked closely with senior leaders to prepare for interviews, public appearances, and moments where clarity, message discipline, and credibility mattered most.

Earlier in my career, I was a television reporter and anchor. That newsroom experience shaped how I approach executive communication today: with an understanding of how journalists think, what audiences listen for, and how quickly a message can succeed or fail under pressure.

Alongside my corporate role, I advise founders and senior leaders on executive media performance, visibility, and on-camera presence through my SmartPresence advisory practice. The focus is practical and risk-aware: helping leaders show up prepared, composed, and aligned with their organization’s goals when the stakes are high. 

This work blends traditional media preparation with modern tools, including AI-assisted video analysis, to accelerate insight and improvement.

I’m always open to thoughtful conversations with communications leaders, founders, and executives about storytelling, media readiness, and executive visibility.

Susan Siravo

When you first show up on camera, it’s not your words that land first.

It’s the visual.

When I’m working with a client who will be doing a lot of their interviews and sales calls online, we start with your setup. 

That’s because credibility begins the second you appear on camera. 

Here’s what we review:

Camera
Laptop camera? Is it good enough or do you need a plug-in webcam? Using your phone or iPad? Do you have a stable tripod at eye level?

Audio
Built-in mic, plug-in USB mic or a lav?
If people have to strain to hear you or there’s too much background noise, your authority drops immediately. 

Lighting
Outside? Direct sun? Walking and talking?
Inside? Do you need a ring light or a soft light source to avoid harsh shadows?
Lighting shapes perception more than most people realize.

Backdrop
Home office? Conference room?
Is it clean, intentional, and aligned with how you want to be perceived or is there too much stuff making you look disorganized?

And here’s what this really signals:

When you invest in your setup, you’re demonstrating standards.
You’re showing your audience that you take your message and yourself seriously.

That visual investment communicates preparation, discernment, and executive presence before you ever speak.

The goal isn’t “fancy.”
It’s professional and high quality. 

Whether you’re on a video sales call, recording content for LinkedIn, or preparing for media interviews, your camera, audio, lighting, and backdrop are doing a lot of the talking for you.

If you’re stepping into a bigger stage this year, start with the fundamentals. 

Have you invested in equipment? What upgrades are your favorites?

Executive Media Trainer | High-Stakes Communications Advisor for C-Suite & Founders | Former TV News Reporter | Crisis Readiness & On-Camera Coaching

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One of the biggest myths about media interviews is that if you’re knowledgeable, the interview will work.

Not necessarily.

When I was a TV reporter, I was sent to interview a professor at a prestigious Bay Area college about a topic in the news.

The interview lasted about 10 minutes.

At the time, we recorded interviews on tape…this was before everything was transferred digitally. 

I brought the tape back to the newsroom and handed it to one of the producers, so she could log it and pull a soundbite. 

Since I was moving to a different story, this interview was going to be used for what’s called a VOSOT. (Anchor voiceover VO, sound on tape SOT, which is the interviewee’s soundbite). 

Those are usually 45 seconds total. So the anchor reads about 20-25 seconds of copy, then the soundbite would be about 10-15 seconds, then the anchor would read a 5-10 second tag. 

Unfortunately, the interview never made on the air and the story was cut down to 25 seconds. 

Why? Throughout the interview, there was not a concise, short soundbite that stood on its own. 

Not because the professor didn’t know his subject.
He clearly did.

The problem was that he never landed a point.

Every answer was thoughtful and detailed… but each one ran two minutes long. 

There was no clear statement to pull as a soundbite.

In TV news, you have to be able to express an idea clearly in 10–15 seconds. 

That’s the format the story is built around for the daily “packaged” stories. And that’s because there’s a certain pacing to newscasts and people are accustomed to it. Plus there are so many stories to get to, each one only has a certain amount of time allotted. 

Experts are trained to explain.

But media interviews require you to distill.

A lecture might go an hour.
A TV soundbite is measured in seconds. 

Two very different formats and two very different communication skills.

I’ll leave you with this question: if someone stopped you today and asked about your area of expertise, could you explain the key point in 20 seconds or less? 

P.S. these principles work in all communications. No one will complain if you make your point very quickly. 😀

One month. Fully self-employed. Here’s what I’ve learned.

1️⃣ The market will tell you what it wants if you listen.

I went all in with a clear core offer:
Media training for founders and executives; podcasts, press interviews, panels, company town halls, high-stakes moments.

What I’m seeing?
The demand is real.

Leaders know that when the camera turns on, whether it’s a podcast interview or a media appearance, they have to show up sharp, concise, and credible.

At the same time, another need is surfacing:

Sales leaders who want to use short-form, direct-to-camera video to speak to their ideal customer on LinkedIn, in DMs, in nurture sequences, but feel intimidated doing it alone.

I put together a few proposals last week to address this need for sales managers and I’m looking forward to pursuing more. 

The lesson: you can have multiple interests. But your offers must solve problems people are actively trying to fix.

2️⃣ Helpful content works.

When you share insights and guidance consistently, people respond. You don’t have to worry about giving all your knowledge away. If people are attracted to your message and believe you can help them achieve their goals, they will want to work with you. 

This week I have several meetings scheduled with people completely outside my network who booked a call after seeing my content.

That’s validation. And momentum. And I have deep appreciation for those opportunities when they come my way.

3️⃣ Deciding your priorities and ignoring shiny objects is essential even if it feels constricting at the time.

I always pursued new initiatives in my corporate roles and considered myself an “intrapreneur,” but since I’m solely responsible for results, I have to be very disciplined with my time. This is a work in progress. 😀

In a corporate role, you align to the company’s strategy.
You move departmental goals forward.

In your own business?
You create the vision.

You decide:
• Who you serve
• What transformation you provide
• How you help people feel confident and powerful
• And how you help them drive revenue

That last piece matters so much. Confidence is wonderful. Revenue is essential.

The sweet spot is helping someone become the person who can drive their revenue far more than they had in the past.

4️⃣ Find your cohort.

Going through Darren McKee’s LinkedIn Social Selling program changed the trajectory of this month.

I learned how to use LinkedIn more strategically for relationship-building and sales. In addition, I built genuine relationships with ambitious professionals across the U.S. and in other countries. 

Running your own business can feel isolating.
It doesn’t have to be.

If you’re building something, find a room where other builders are too.

Month one has been equal parts exciting and challenging. 

I know the lessons will keep coming.

But so far?

Worth it. How about you? How did last month treat you?

A lot of people tell themselves,
“I just don’t like presenting.”
“I’m not great on camera.”
“I’d rather stay behind the scenes.”

But in most cases, it’s not dislike.

It’s self-confidence.

A client shared this after I worked with one of her executives:

“Susan’s professional and upbeat approach immediately made a great impression on our exec, allowing her to feel more confident in the advice and feedback she was getting. In just four one-hour sessions, Susan made a tremendous difference in improving the self-confidence, thought process, and certainly in the presentation our exec now experiences. I would highly recommend Susan to anyone.”

Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again:

When confidence increases, everything changes.

Your thoughts become clearer.
Your delivery becomes more concise.
Your presence becomes stronger.
Your audience responds to your message. 

Have you ever watched someone give a compelling presentation or interview and wished it was you, but you haven’t mustered up the courage to put yourself out there? 

You don’t have to stay on the sidelines watching your peers excel. 

Some structured practice and objective feedback builds real confidence.

And confidence isn’t just a “nice to have.”
It directly impacts visibility, influence, and career trajectory.

When you can stand up, speak clearly, show up on camera, and command the room, people see you differently. They see leadership.

If presenting, media interviews, or on-camera communication makes you uncomfortable, it may not be because you “don’t like it.”

It may simply be that no one has shown you how to feel confident doing it.

And that’s a skill you can build.

If being too critical of yourself is holding you back from posting videos, it's time to give yourself some grace. 

Creating video posts sets you apart from the crowd because not that many people use video and it's definitely not AI, at least until the day that everyone has a digital clone.  

When I first start working with a client, I hear the same thing over and over. 

When they hit record, they freeze and don't know what to say. Or they start out okay, then they go off on a tangent and can't figure out how to get back to the point. 

Then they decide this is just not working, so they abandon the idea.

That's the wrong move because you want to do video and you know it's a powerful way to build you brand. When people see you speaking and hear your voice, they get to know you. 

Here's the thing to remember, you don't have to say everything perfectly. You can stumble on a word and correct yourself. You can start to go off topic and pull yourself back quickly. 

No one is going to stop and scrutinize every word of your video. No one cares.  

Except if you're the CEO of McDonald's and your video has some awkward moments especially when you call a burger, a "product." 😬 

With video, you need to have some self awareness. If you're not sure if you're coming across chill or cringe, you need to hire a coach to deliver the hard truth. 

You don't need to strive for perfection, but you do need to consider the vibe you're giving off and make sure it's not a lame one. 

Video allows viewers to get a feeling about whether you are sincere, trustworthy and generally someone they would like to hang with. 

So when you ask for that coffee meeting or call, they already know who they're agreeing to meet with and feel comfortable. 

Don't put video on the backburner when your competitors are making it happen. If you're not sure where to start, book a call with me and let's chat.

Things rarely go exactly according to plan.

Not in business. Not on a golf course.

I was thinking about that yesterday while watching a collegiate tournament at Lake Merced Golf Club with my son. We were there to watch my nephew, who plays for the Pepperdine Waves golf team.

It was one of those classic San Francisco days with bright sun, but very windy and cold.

And if you’ve ever seen that course, you know it’s not exactly forgiving. 

The course was redesigned a few years back to restore more of the original Alister MacKenzie-style architecture, which emphasizes strategic bunkering, natural contours, and greens that demand precise placement.

Rolling hills. Lightning-fast greens. Deep bunkers. Pins placed on slopes where the ball will roll right back down the hill if the speed isn’t perfect. And that happened a lot yesterday! 

Watching these elite college athletes reminded me that at this level, it’s not just about athletic ability.

It’s constant problem solving in a matter of minutes.

Every shot is a new puzzle:

• A bunker blocks the approach
• A tree takes away the direct line
• The wind suddenly picks up
• The greens are so fast and some of them have their own hills. 

The goal is simple: get the ball in the hole.

But between the tee and the cup are all kinds of obstacles just like growing a business. 

You can easily get rattled, but you still have to keep going. You can’t hold up the game by being indecisive.  You have to quickly assess the situation, figure out the next move, and take the shot. 

Watching that yesterday was a good reminder: progress rarely happens in a straight line.

Sometimes the smartest play is simply solving the problem right in front of you… and taking the next shot.

What’s the “next shot” you’re focused on?

Are you visible where your customers are hanging out online? 🔍

If you're Gen X or older...remember the Yellow Pages? 📔 

Businesses were promoted, not people. That has changed drastically even in the last few years. 

Personal branding, otherwise known as sharing who you are and what you do, is not a nice-to-have anymore, it's a must-have. 

In this short video...a reminder on how algorithms work in your favor if you have the right content in the right place. And video is your best tool for building trust quickly. 🤩

Podcasts may feel informal. 

They're actually not. 

They're public, searchable, highly shareable leadership moments. 

And if a founder or executive treats them as casual chats, it shows. 

In this video, I talk about how important they are for marketing and why you may need to prepare not once, but twice for the same interview.  

When you're on a podcast, you're not just having a conversation. 

You're: 
- Introducing yourself to a cold audience 
- Representing your company and leadership brand
- Creating clips that will live on LinkedIn, your website, YouTube and other social media sites
- Borrowing the host's credibility and being evaluated in real time. 

This may be someone's first impression of you as a leader. Preparation is what separates a "casual chat" from real authority. 

That's why I'm seeing more execs reach out for podcast-focused media training. They want to tighten their messaging, refine soundbites, and improve their delivery. 

They also want to make sure the camera, lighting and audio reinforce credibility instead of distracting from it. 

If you're pitching yourself to podcasts or starting to get invited some, treat these opportunities as gifts. 

Showing up confidently and prepared takes effort. If you interested in learning more about how I help people with these skills, please book a call with me. 

This isn't about memorizing lines or acting like a robot. It's about getting comfortable in the spotlight and knowing how to express yourself effectively during interviews. 

BTW, I've been getting booked on podcasts through PodMatch and suggest you take a look at the platform if you want to be a guest! 🎙️

Great turnout at the PRSA California Capital Chapter's session on creating engaging vertical video.

Wendy Aguilar, Media and Communication Specialist with the Sacramento Fire Department brought incredible energy to the room. Her tips were practical and real about what it takes to create consistent content.

She’s a one-person social media team and also handles media relations. That's a lot of responsibility! And she gets strong participation in her videos across the department.

How? She spends time building relationships and trust internally, so when she pitches a creative idea, people want to be part of it.

Her core reminders:
• Tell stories, don't just deliver information
• Emotion over effects
• 90% straight cuts, don't overuse transitions
• Start with your strongest clip
• It doesn’t have to be perfect

Although the session focused on vertical video, the principles are exactly what I teach founders and executives who want to become more visible.

Whether you’re producing a Reel or recording a talk-to-camera message, the same rules apply:
Make people feel something.
Lead with your strongest idea.
Have a hook in the first three seconds
Keep it simple.

And when you’re asking others to show up on camera, whether it’s firefighters or senior leaders, trust is everything.

What’s been your experience?
Is creating the video the hard part or getting people comfortable enough to participate?

Thanks so much to Wendy for sharing her experience and knowledge!

I was inspired to make this video after reading Conor Paulsen’s post about the reasons many founders say they don’t post content on LinkedIn. 

What do you think? Is fear of cringe holding you back? 😬

Any fans of the HBO show “Succession” out there? So many family dynamics at play, and very entertaining characters and storylines. 

I like to use TV shows as case studies for what not to do when there are media scenes. We need the drama or no one would watch, but let’s not try any of this in real life. 

I’m breaking down one of the most iconic (and disastrous) media moments in TV history: Kendall Roy’s press conference in the Season 2 finale. It was a doozy. 

On the surface, it may feel like a moment of bravery. But from a strategic communications perspective, it’s what you’d call an epic fail. 

Kendall was supposed to be all about containment and stability, but that would be super boring, so he did his own thing much to the chagrin of advisors. (I’ve always wanted to use the word chagrin!)

When leaders speak from an emotional state rather than a logical one, the costs are multiplied.

Loss of Message Control: Once the pivot happens, the story takes on another life.

Institutional Instability: Is this an internal "civil war?”

Credibility Gaps: Public platforms being used for personal gain? 

Crisis Expansion: Once a leader goes rogue on camera, all bets are off. 

If you’re a leader, you should know that preparation isn’t just about memorizing lines. It’s about defining the purpose of the moment before defining the message.

And know the consequences of oversharing, sharing the wrong info, sharing the stuff that’s not ready to be shared…you get the picture. 

Check out the full breakdown below where I analyze what leaders can learn from this fictional crisis to protect their real-world reputations. Link to the video is in the comments!

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The Battle

MICHELLE B GRIFFIN

Susan Siravo

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taplio

The Battle

MICHELLE B GRIFFIN

Susan Siravo

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);}MICHELLE B GRIFFIN's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSusan Siravo's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMICHELLE B GRIFFIN's LinkedIn Performance