Build Your Career Like a Brand: 3 Marketing Concepts Every Woman Needs

September 7, 2026

Most women I know are heads-down doing good work and assuming that's enough. It's not. The women who get promoted to VP and beyond aren't just talented. They've built a career brand, and they've done it intentionally.

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Episode Summary

You have a personal brand at work whether you're intentional about it or not. The question is whether it's working for you. Steal the playbook from brand marketing: three concepts that drive market share and apply them to your career. morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter

Most women I know are heads-down doing good work and assuming that's enough. It's not. The women who get promoted to VP and beyond aren't just talented. They've built a career brand, and they've done it intentionally.

In this episode, I sit down with Shea Cole, CMO at Field Effect and former VP at FullScript, to break down the three brand marketing fundamentals that drive market share and show you exactly how they apply to your career. If you want to be the name that comes up when a big opportunity opens, this episode is your playbook.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why your personal brand is just your reputation and how to start building it intentionally, even if you have zero social media presence
  • How differentiation works in your career: what makes you different doesn't have to be what you're best at today; it just has to be authentic and sustainable
  • The two-part framework for "meaning," including the part about making people want you in the room (and what happens when strong opinions get mislabeled as difficult)
  • What top-of-mind awareness actually means in a workplace context and why a single standout project isn't enough to get you on the succession plan
  • The one habit Shea's former boss swore by: "merchandise your work" and why doing it benefits your boss as much as it benefits you
RESOURCES MENTIONED

Join my FREE Masterclass on September 8th: The 3 Things Keeping You Stuck from VP and How to Fix Them: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

 

…LET’S CONTINUE THE CONVO!

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward and we can take it from there.

Remember, there’s room for all of us at the table.

Hi, I’m Katy McFee
A former VP and EVP who knows how hard it is to break into executive leadership. After years of feeling stuck, I figured it out and now, as a certified executive coach, I help other women do the same. I’ve supported hundreds in landing the promotions they deserve with strategies that make success achievable, without the years of trial and error.