Welcome to Issue 52 of A Good Reputation, a newsletter about how to become a better storyteller and grow your brand. (Did someone send you? Subscribe here.) (Miss past issues? Read those here.)

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Hello Reader,

I was 22 years old and couldn’t believe my luck.

Despite making only $40,000 a year, living in a cockroach-infested apartment run by a slumlord, and having virtually zero work experience, I had influence.

By that, I mean people actually wanted to talk to me.

When I called, they picked up the phone. When I asked to be let into a room, they opened the door for my baby face.

In fact, most of the time, they came to me.

And it was all because I had a small piece of laminated paper hanging from a green lanyard around my neck with one word: PRESS.

I secured that press badge in my first job out of college, reporting on medical devices and pharmaceuticals for a trade publication called FDAnews.

Honestly, I'm still shocked that they hired me.

I was just old enough to order a cocktail and had no business writing about federal policy implications. And other than educating myself on which over-the-counter drug was best suited for curing my late-night hangover, I didn’t know the first thing about pharmaceuticals or medical devices.

I'm pretty sure the only reason they took a chance on me was because I knew how to spot and craft a good story.

So, that’s how it started. And the more credible the media outlet, the more influence and access I got.

Eventually, I landed a reporter position at the San Francisco Business Times covering startups and small businesses (beats that were way more up my alley). It was then that I became acutely aware of the monumental change to the industry that was happening all around me.

While I was busy using Facebook to “poke” my crushes and like my friends’ photos, other people were using social media to bypass the gatekeepers at legacy media outlets and build influence on their own terms.

Thanks to Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and other emerging platforms, anyone could find an audience for their story.

And while my publisher was panicking about losing ad revenue, I could see the massive opportunity ahead for any entrepreneur willing to play the game.

10 years ago, that realization changed everything for me.

Now, you and I no longer have to rely on people with a press badge to get noticed. Or someone’s editor to decide our story is worth telling.

You can build your own platform, earn your own credibility, and become your own media company.

And it starts with thinking like one.

A Good Reframe

Every successful brand today—personal or corporate—operates like a publisher. Yes, they sell products and services, but they also sell stories.

They create content, shape perception, and build entire worlds around their message. They bring people in by projecting a certain type of lifestyle, identity, group, or movement you want to be a part of.

It’s the reason you hear all the branding people talk about why outdoor enthusiasts don’t just buy Patagonia jackets because of the quality (also that), but because they’re on a mission to protect the planet and prove that business can be a force for good.

They have a beautiful publication called the Journal, which is full of stories supporting this mission.

Even "boring" brands like Base Energy understand the power of stories and are taking the whole media brand quite literally by creating their own newspaper.

The upshot is that when you start thinking like a media company, everything shifts.

Marketing becomes less about pushing out content and more about publishing ideas that add value and meaning to people’s lives.

A Good Framework

So, how do you actually start acting like your own little influential media company?

Here’s the basic framework I use for myself, as well as the thing I teach my clients and talk about in workshops:

First, get crystal clear on where you’re leading people.

This is your core premise—the big idea at the heart of your brand. I personally love Ogilvy’s “Big Ideal” framework for this, which is essentially the single, contagious truth that organizes everything you say and do.

It starts by identifying a cultural tension—something people feel but haven’t quite put into words—and then articulating the best version of your brand as the answer to that tension.

A simple way to get there is by finishing this sentence: “The world would be a better place if…”

That statement becomes the North Star of your brand’s worldview.

Some well-known examples:

• Apple: “Think Different,” which came from the world would be a better place if people were given simple, user-friendly tools to expand their creativity.
• Nike: “Just Do It,” which came from the idea that the world would be a better place if everyone believed they could move like an athlete.
• Dove: “Real Beauty,“ which came from the world would be a better place if women saw real beauty in themselves, as they were.

For personal brands, the same rule applies:

• Marie Forleo: “Everything is figureoutable,” which is about empowerment through resourcefulness.
• Ali Abdaal: “Work doesn’t have to feel like work,” about joyful productivity.
• Brené Brown: “Vulnerability is strength,” it’s not a weakness.

Each of those ideas defines a worldview. Once you know yours, you can use it as the North Star that guides every story, post, and campaign.

Next, know exactly who you’re leading.

Who are your people? What do they care about? What keeps them up at night?

Forget about demographics and think psychographics. Their hopes, dreams, aspirations, frustrations, and tiny daily irritations are what you need to speak to.

After that, pick your stage.

Where do your people already hang out, and what skills or resources do you actually have to meet them there?

It's not that you need to be everywhere; you just need one consistent discovery platform and one clear depth platform.

(Discovery platforms are social media platforms. It's Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Reddit, X, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Substack, and more.)

Think about what you're naturally good at before you pick your poison. For instance, if you’re great on camera, lean into TikTok or Instagram Reels.

If you think better in sentences, start with LinkedIn, Threads, or X (Twitter).

Then, lead people into a deeper space you own, like a newspaper, so to speak.

That could be a newsletter, podcast, or YouTube channel where you get more intimate with your audience and actually build trust.

I personally love newsletters because they are low-cost, lower stakes, and perfect for testing ideas. Podcasts are amazing for intimacy. And while they’re harder to start, they build loyalty fast.

And, of course, there’s always YouTube, which is the best long-term bet if you love teaching or visuals.

Finally, create the content itself.

This is where most people start, but it should actually be the last step if you want to build something that stands out and has any chance of being sustainable.

When I actually get down to creating, I make sure every piece of content answers three questions:

• Why does this matter? And why does it matter now?
• Why should they care?
• And is it aligned with my greater premise and current goals?

There you go—that's it. That's the secret. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?

A Good Takeaway

I won't sugarcoat it for you: This brave new world of everyone as a media company is a massive undertaking. And I always try to remind people of that before they commit to building a platform or chasing virality on TikTok.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. If you're up for it, you should absolutely take advantage of the tools and the time we’re in to get yourself a big slice of this online pie.

The old gatekeepers are still around, but now they're trying to learn from people like you and me.

And while you still need to figure out how to work within each platform and around those pesky algorithms, you no longer need the permission, credentials, or connections to do it.

You get to shape how the world understands who you are and what you stand for.

You just have to get a little organized and prepare to hit publish.

A Few Good Resources

1. I'm leading folks through this framework and getting into the nitty-gritty of short-form storytelling during this public workshop next week. The cost is $47 to attend. Hope to see you there!
2. "Everything is Television," the latest article by Derek Thompson, is a must-read on this topic of media, culture, and attention.
3. I just did a pricing checkup with my business strategist friend Kari that was enormously helpful. If you don't know what to charge for your services, this is for you.

Hope you have a good one,
Renee