Boardroom Blonde Brigade: Why Storytelling Isn’t Just for Influencers Anymore
A reflection on a SuperScalers session, the power of narrative in business, and the rise of unapologetically visible women rewriting corporate communications — with purpose, polish, and punch!
🗣️ “Tell your story or someone else will.”
Two hours is a LONG time for a hustling social entrepreneur to spend on a webinar, but this one was a must: Media Profile & SuperScale by Sam Smith’s The SuperScalers, and global brand & storytelling gurus With.
Sam Smith is the hashtag#badass City entrepreneur who founded investment bank, finnCap (now Cavendish). Now independent, still young (50 is the new 30, dahling!), and still on 🔥 fire, she’s roaring with energy to empower entrepreneurs to achieve their full potential.
Importantly, she’s setting an example for other City types like her - to be BRAVE and to tell their stories, beyond the official corporate communiqué. Something that was (and often still is) rarely encouraged in corporate culture.
“Tell your story or someone else will.” That’s hers. In my work at The Engagement Appeal - TEA, I talk a lot about board directors being influencers - yes, I do believe it’s possible to achieve this with full regulatory compliance. Our mindsets just need to shift.
✨ Today’s webinar with Debbie Zaman and Lizzie Jones of With was practical, insightful, and motivating. I’ll spill more TEA in the coming days in my blog (sherylinmotion.com / teaxall.org/blog) on why women especially should heed their (and Sam’s) advice about positive influence through storytelling.
📞 To wrap up: in my weekly call today with Ms Millennial Money (aka Sarah Penney) I shared an observation I’ve been mulling over - the rise of what I call the ‘Boardroom Blonde Brigade’.
Successful, sassy, savvy, intelligent and unapologetic women, who based on my independent observation (for TEA and my PhD), know their stuff and aren’t afraid to blur the lines between corporate leadership and social influence.
Sam Smith Gay Collins Clare Parsons Melanie Richards CBE Edwina Dunn OBE Bina Mehta Melissa Sturgess Devyani P Vaishampayan Annabel Brodie-Smith Peju Adebajo and of course Fiona Hathorn. 👀We see you.
OK fine - they’re not all strictly blonde, but I think you get what I mean.
There are others. And hopefully, there will be MANY more.
⚡This is not your great uncle’s corporate comms. It’s storytelling with a seat at the table.
Anyway, #justsaying. I need to get back to the hustle to make sure TEA can keep pouring. Just wanted to drop this (long) line to express appreciation. Seeing others living out what one is advocating is so nourishing for soul of the hungry social entrepreneur. ☕️