Welcome to my Insider Notes where I'm sharing weekly career and leadership insights and the most up to date information on the Your Next Move Podcast and Brown Leadership™.
From Competence to Excellence: How to Transform Your Brand in the Workplace
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Hi Reader, Over the years, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked this question: “How do I stand out in the workplace?” I get it in emails, during career coaching sessions, and in DMs—it always comes up. And trust me, I understand why. Standing out in your career feels like this mysterious, elusive experience. We all want to be seen, valued, and trusted, but figuring out how to make that happen can feel overwhelming and like we have to reinvent the wheel to make it happen. If I’m being honest, the first time someone asked me this, I paused. I thought about all the advice that naturally comes to mind—networking, personal branding, relationship-building, and, of course, doing well at your job. And while all of those things matter, I knew there was something deeper, something often overlooked. That’s when it hit me: diligence. Every time someone asks me how to stand out, the answer always comes back to this one thing. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room or trying to impress everyone. It’s about how you show up every single day. If you’re wondering how to bring more diligence into your day-to-day work, here’s what it could look like:
Most professionals fall into the “just enough” zone (or zone of competence if you’re a fan of The Big Leap). They complete their tasks, meet expectations, and hope that it’s enough to get noticed. But hope isn’t a strategy. Diligence shifts the narrative. It tells your leaders and peers that you’re not just there to get by—you’re there to make an impact. It builds trust, which opens doors to new opportunities, whether that’s being chosen for a high-visibility project, earning a promotion, or becoming the go-to person for your team. If you’ve made it this far, here’s your challenge for this week: Choose one task and think about how you can approach it with more intention, ask yourself if you’re aligning your work with the bigger goals of your team or company, and then ask yourself did you deliver work you’re proud of? If not, what can you improve next time? Trust me, when you start working with this level of focus and care, people will notice. And those small, consistent actions will create the opportunities you’ve been waiting for. Until next time, KIMBERLY BROWN Career + Leadership Expert Founder, Brown Leadership™ follow me LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Instagram Pinterest LET'S STAY CONNECTED
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Kimberly Brown, @kimberlybonline
Welcome to my Insider Notes where I'm sharing weekly career and leadership insights and the most up to date information on the Your Next Move Podcast and Brown Leadership™.
Reader, Let me guess: you've sat through at least one virtual presentation where the speaker was framed like they were in witness protection. Camera pointing up their nose. Terrible lighting. Background that looked like a crime scene. You could barely see their face, let alone connect with what they were saying. And here's what kills me: that speaker probably had brilliant content. They might have spent hours preparing. But because they treated the technical setup as an afterthought, their...
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