In partnership with
I had an idea for a new strategy. I was super excited about it and did tons of research, meticulously choosing every word to craft a proposal.
I decided to take it to a senior manager two levels up from me, someone I had a good relationship with and trusted. I booked time on his calendar, sent over my proposal slides so he could review them before
hand.
The meeting went well. He was receptive but not overly excited. He mentioned a few things to consider. Overall, it felt like a good meeting.
Fast forward a few months later.
I was in our quarterly departmental meeting—200+ people, where leaders share progress and announce upcoming projects. When we got to his portion, I was shocked to see my own slides up on the screen.
Want to become a marketing GURU?
What do Nicole Kidman, Amy Porterfield & the Guinness Book of World Records have in common? They’ll all be at GURU Conference 2025.
If you're obsessed with marketing like we're obsessed with marketing, Guru is the must-attend conference of the year. We'll be covering all things email marketing: B2B, B2C, newsletters, email design, AI & more.
You can expect to walk away with new email strategies, the very latest digital trends, and how to step up your email performance. But don’t worry, we also like to have fun (dance contests, anyone?)
Don’t miss out. Join us on Nov 6th & 7th for the largest virtual & free email marketing conference.
He started presenting MY strategy as the department's newest priority.
The only difference? He'd added a detailed implementation timeline.
There was enthusiastic chatter around me. People were excited about this "new initiative."
But I sat there stunned.
No mention of my name anywhere on the slides.
No verbal reference to me in the room. Nothing.
I went to him after the meeting.
Told him I'd been really surprised. He smiled and said he knew I'd be excited to hear about it. Then:
"Hey thanks, those slides were really helpful."
And then he dismissed me, saying he had to go to a meeting.
I was flabbergasted. Frustrated. And felt completely unsure of what to do next.
Looking back, I realized I'd made it incredibly easy for him to take credit.
I'd handed over my work with no protection, no witnesses, no documentation of my ownership.
The Strategic Framework I Developed:
1. Prevention Tactics:
Never send work without a clear "Created by [Your Name]" footer
CC your direct manager on important proposal emails
Use phrases like "my research shows" and "I recommend" in presentations
Create a brief email summary after meetings: "Thanks for the feedback on my proposal..."
2. In-the-Moment Responses:
"Thanks for presenting my strategy. I'd love to share how I developed this approach..."
"I'm excited to see my proposal moving forward. Happy to answer questions about my research..."
"That's the strategy I presented to you in [month]. Should we discuss next steps for my involvement?"
3. Follow-Up Strategies:
Send a follow-up email: "Thrilled to see my strategy being implemented. Here's my recommended next steps..."
Loop in stakeholders: "Hi [relevant people], excited that my proposal is moving forward..."
Document everything: Keep email trails of your original work and contributions
4. The Nuclear Option:
When all else fails: "I need to clarify something. This was my original strategy that I presented to you in [date]. I'd like to discuss how we can properly attribute this work."
This Week's Challenge:
Before sharing any significant work or idea, implement one prevention tactic. Add your name to it, document the conversation, or copy the right people.
Your ideas deserve your name on them.
Stop making it easy for people to steal your thunder.
What idea are you working on right now that needs better protection?
Hit reply and let me know. I read every email.
Keep up the momentum,
Cassie
P.S. That strategy I created? It became a major department initiative that ran for two years. And yes, I made sure everyone knew it was mine—just took a little longer than it should have.