What label have you been given?

"You're too quiet."

I've heard that more times than I can count.

And every time, it landed like a backhanded compliment.

It wasn’t feedback. It was a label.

A quiet signal I wasn't seen as leadership material.

But here’s the thing...

I'm not quiet.

I'm thoughtful. I pick my moments. I speak to move things forward, not to take up space.

Yet in meetings, nuance gets drowned out by noise. And that used to frustrate me.

I blamed the dynamics:

• Loud voices

• Stacked agendas

• People who interrupted just to say something

But eventually, I stopped blaming the room and asked a better question:

"What if that comment was a clue?"

A glimpse into the personal brand I was building by default—one I never agreed to.

That realization changed everything.

What does it mean?

People are always forming impressions.

And if you don’t intentionally shape how you're perceived, others will do it for you.

This isn’t about being fake.

It’s about being clear.

Clear about who you are. Clear about what you bring. Clear about how you want to be seen.

Because perception doesn’t start with what you say.

It starts with what others see.

This also applies to your personal brand.

My challenge was "too quiet."

But maybe yours is different:

• "Too loud"

• "Too intense"

• "Too soft"

• "Too junior"

Whatever the label, the principle is the same:

If you don’t define your story, someone else will.

Take meetings, for example:

You don’t need to dominate airtime to be seen as a leader.

But you do need to show up with intention.

• Prep a key insight ahead of time

• Claim space early, even briefly

• Ask a strategic question that signals your value

These micro-moments matter.

They’re not about volume. They’re about visibility.

And visibility builds trust.

That’s why I work with professionals to redefine how they show up.

Especially if they’ve ever been told they’re "too quiet," "too nice," or "not ready."

Because those labels? They aren’t fixed.

They're just feedback loops.

And you can change the pattern.

If you’re tired of being overlooked, then it’s time to start shaping the story others tell about you.

Book a 1:1 session and let’s build your brand—with intention.

Book Here

Also, a subscriber, don’t forget you have access to all my best tools. Here’s the link if you need it (and make sure to bookmark it…I add to it all the time).

Rooting for your success,

Cassie