I Asked 7 Seasoned Leaders, Execs, and Entrepreneurs How They Got Better at Self-Promotion—Here’s What They Said
Turns out, promoting your work doesn’t have to feel gross. Let’s talk about it.
Welcome to Reframed, where high-achieving professionals come to rethink their careers. Because doing things the “right” way only works if it’s actually right for you.
I'm Ashley Rudolph—a former tech executive turned coach for leaders and next-gen execs in the creative, tech, and lifestyle industries.
This week, I’m feeling inspired. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I love writing this newsletter. But I challenged myself to make a simple shift this week and I learned a lot. Enjoy!
THE SCENE: STORY TIME
I just finished reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt this weekend. Picture this: me taking a long walk on Saturday and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to replay (3x!!) a framework in Chapter 8. Haidt talks about social spaces and the three axes we’re all navigating at any given time. He applies it to childhood development, specifically its ties to how the smartphone has impacted younger generations.
The axes above represent how people orient themselves in social spaces from: (1) how connected they feel to others (Closeness), (2) to where they sit in the pecking order (Hierarchy), and (3) to how they relate to higher ideals or collective meaning (Divinity).
When I looked at it through a leadership lens, I saw the similar themes. Connection. Status. Purpose. It felt like a map of what so many high-achievers are navigating at work. It’s what every tense meeting, missed promotion opportunity, or “off” team dynamic can often be traced back to. It’s what I coach on.
As for the framework above, I thought it needed a little translation - so I’ll walk you through my revised version below. The concepts of Hierarchy and Divinity felt dated in today’s context, so I reworked them to better reflect what actually happens in the workplace.
THE FRAMEWORK: THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF WORK
The 3 Dimensions of Work: Connection, Status, and Purpose
SCREENSHOT THIS →
Today’s your lucky day — you’re getting a sneak preview of something I haven’t shared with anyone else yet: the 3 Workplace Dimensions:
X-Axis → Connection (formerly Closeness): The strength of your working relationships. Do we feel like teammates or just co-workers? Is there trust, feedback, and safety in the workplace?
Y-Axis → Status (formerly Hierarchy): How you and others show up in rooms. Whose voice carries weight here? Whose voice needs to carry weight?
Z-Axis → Purpose (formerly Divinity): The shared meaning behind the work.Why are we doing this? Do we have shared goals? Do people feel pride in their work?
Almost every leadership challenge touches at least one of these. But the one that I find myself gravitating towards the most with high achievers who aren’t getting what they want is Status.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE
Unpacking an Example of a Status Mismatch at Work
If you’re a Director—or any senior IC or manager, really—and you’re sitting low on the Status dimension for your level, people around you are probably wondering why. They’re looking to you to lead conversations in meetings, to speak up with ideas, or to show how your work is moving the collective forward.
Here’s some quick examples of behaviors of Director not operating high enough on the status dimension:
You’re a Director, but in meetings you defer.
You’ve led org-wide work, but someone else is presenting it.
You wait to speak until you’re called on.
You wait for your manager to ask for updates before you share them.
You feel invisible until review season.
If this sounds familiar, you’ve also probably received the feedback that you need “more executive presence”.
The core issue here is a status problem.
And often, people interpret the solution as needing to become louder, to command a room, or to be more “type A” or controlling. That’s not how the game works. It requires more tact. You play the game well by learning how to dial your status up to match either your current level—or the level you’re aiming for. One of the skills you need to “win” this particular game is self promotion.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT → MY THOUGHTS ON SELF PROMOTION AND VISIBILITY
If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know I’ve written about promoting your work and increasing your visibility on here before. If you’ve missed those posts, here are two of my favorite on the topic:
1. MY TAKE ON VISIBILITY →
2. MY TAKE ON PROMOTION & SELF ADVOCACY →
A few weeks ago, some of you shared your desire for more tactical advice on making yourself more visible at work. So I tapped into my own brilliant community for real world examples. I asked friends and folks I’ve met through Reframed to share:
A moment when they claimed credit for their work and how it helped their careers
How their style of self-promotion has changed over time
What they’d tell their younger selves about visibility
Here’s what all 7 of them said—raw, unfiltered, and full of wisdom. Their shares made me reflect on my own career and habits, I hope you’re inspired as well.
YOUR ADVICE
How To Win: Your Thoughts on Promoting Yourself at Work
Sammy – Senior Director, Accounting Operations
“When I talk about my work I keep it clear, confident, and tailored to my audience—focus on the impact you make or the problems you solve, rather than just your job title.
For example → “I lead accounting operations to ensure financial processes run smoothly, efficiently, and accurately—so the business can make better decisions with confidence. My focus is on streamlining workflows, strengthening compliance, and driving continuous improvement across finance.”
Advice to my younger self?
“Trust your instincts, take more risks early on, and don’t be afraid to speak up—you know more than you think you do. Prioritize learning and relationships over titles or salaries.”
Winy – Entrepreneur
“I’ve always been shy when it comes to talking about my work, because I’ve always been about the collective. That approach has its pluses and minuses. It makes it quite difficult to shine in a group, especially if you’re trying to position yourself for a promotion.
I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to always think about the collective, but you can also let people know what you’ve done and take credit for it.”
Gabe – Customer Success Manager
“I try to make sure my accomplishments are aligned to overarching goals or solve a tricky problem. I also make sure my colleagues aren't doing the same thing so that my contributions stand out. Doing good work is great, but if it's not progressing internal initiatives, it won't matter much when you elevate it.
Before, I used to only share in 1:1s or performance reviews. Now I share in team meetings for more impact. Because if your co-workers are impressed, they’ll say so in front of your boss.
I can tell you what NOT to do for sure though: waiting until your performance review.”
WORK WITH ME
→ Ever been told you need “more executive presence”?
Let’s change that. Inside Elevate, we work together to build the clarity, confidence, and visibility you need to be recognized at the level you’re already operating on. Whether you're aiming for your next big move or simply ready to lead more confidently — I got you.
Bree – Author, Today Was Fun
“Remember you’re not promoting snake oil. If your work and ideas are good, then you’re helping others benefit from your skills and thinking.”
And advice from Lauren Currie, founder of UPFRONT: “get going, then get good”. Just start sharing! Over time you’ll refine your voice and POV. Often that’s done through the doing, not before it.
Allison – SVP, Brand, Culture, & Media
“I think about sharing work as lighting the way for people coming up behind. There’s no impact without visibility!”
Arzu – Global HR Leader
“I created an onboarding buddy program for my local team and shared the outcomes with our global HR network. That simple act of visibility led to the program being adopted for a major enterprise project and I was asked to lead the rollout and scale it.
It showed me how sharing what works locally can drive broader impact when others see its potential.
Earlier in my career, I stayed focused on doing a great job in my immediate scope. Now, I think more enterprise-wide, sharing ideas that might scale, while staying open to feedback and adaptation. My younger self wouldn’t have had the confidence to say, “I have done this and it could be useful beyond my team—what do you think?”
Colleen – Operations & Product Management Leader
“Throughout my career, I’ve made it a habit to track big wins—project outcomes, milestones, and measurable impacts. Every month, I carve out time to reflect and list the things I’ve worked on, backing them up with data whenever possible.
I do this for a few reasons:
As a personal reminder of what I’ve accomplished.
To make quarterly or annual reviews easier (no scrambling to recall everything the week before).
To have clear documentation when opportunities arise—whether it’s for promotions, new roles, or upskilling.
One moment stands out. I was a Senior Manager overseeing product development. What started as leading one team quickly expanded into leading two, and then evolved into a full-blown zero-to-one build of a new technology and user experience across one of our core websites. Suddenly, I found myself orchestrating daily standups and workflows across four+ cross-functional teams—each with its own manager. I wasn’t officially in charge of them all, but I became the glue that held the whole initiative together.
About four months into the nine-month project, I’d been consistently sharing updates with both my direct manager and the Head of Technology (who I didn’t report to but worked closely with). I finally got the courage to ask for a raise—before the project even wrapped—because I had proof of the expanded scope I’d taken on and the progress we were making.
A week later, I was called into the office and given a 15% raise.
When I started my career, I didn’t really understand the concept of self-advocacy. I believed what I’d been told growing up—that if I worked hard, I’d be seen, valued, and promoted. I thought merit alone would speak for itself.
I now know it’s not just about what you accomplish—it’s about how you frame your contributions, how you build relationships, and how you advocate for your own growth. It’s a holistic system.
One thing I do now that younger me would’ve never dared to try?
I make sure people beyond just my direct manager know what I’m working on and the impact it’s having. I share wins in team meetings, flag accomplishments in cross-functional channels, and don’t shy away from saying, “Hey, I led this.”If I could give my younger self advice, I’d say:
“It’s not enough for you or your manager to know how great you’re doing. The people around you—and above you—need to know too. Don’t be afraid to speak up. You’re not being pushy. You’re making sure your work gets the recognition it deserves.”
THE WRAP UP: CLOSING THOUGHTS
Reading through these stories, I was reminded of how generous people can be with their wisdom and how the people around us often have the language, lived experience, or perspective we’re still searching for. That’s what happened here. I saw a framework that lit something up in me and then the people in my network helped me bring it to life.
What I loved about these shares is how clear and honest they were. Just real people making themselves visible, in ways that felt aligned with how they work and who they are. Making yourself more visible just means making sure the right people know the right things about your work at the right time.
If you’re feeling stuck around self-promotion, especially if you’ve ever been told you need “more executive presence”, here’s my challenge to you →
Take five minutes to check on your habits and ask yourself:
Am I waiting to be invited into conversations I could initiate? Am I waiting to be called on before I participate in meetings?
Am I being clear about the value I bring or hoping someone connects the dots?
When people think about impact in this org, do they think of me?
You don’t have to be someone else. You just have to find alignment between how you operate and how you’re perceived. Every time you downplay your work, you give permission for it to be overlooked. Your future self deserves much more than that.
Many thanks to
, , , , Gabe, Sammy, and Bree for sharing your stories.Good luck! See you next week.
Ashley
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What a great collection of advice, was fun being part of this, thanks Ashley! You continue inspire me with your wisdom and practical approach!
Superb piece of advice. Thanks