Communication Pitfalls To Avoid

❌ Most founders fail at fundraising for the same reason they fail at sales: they avoid the follow-up. I was talking with a founder recently, and he shared something that really stayed with me. He wasn’t asking for advice he was reflecting on his own journey. “The way I ran my first company almost killed it. The second? I didn’t treat it the same way and that made all the difference.” His first venture grew out of an academic project. Brilliant, technical, endlessly fascinating. He iterated the product endlessly tweaking formulas, perfecting the science, optimising every detail. In doing so, he avoided the one thing that could have kept the company alive: consistent pipeline management. He didn’t chase clients, didn’t follow up when conversations stalled, and didn’t keep opportunities warm. Instead, he buried himself in technical work that felt productive. From an R&D perspective, it seemed like progress. In reality, the pipeline went cold, and deals slipped through his fingers. That company never really had a chance. Since then, I’ve worked closely with him on his second venture a chemical technology company developing scalable, sustainable solutions for industrial challenges. The sector is technical, capital-intensive, and competitive. The founder is still intensely technical, but this time, he approached the business differently. We've focused on building discipline around the work he used to avoid. He treated follow-ups, relationship maintenance, and pipeline tracking as non-negotiable. Every client conversation, every investor touchpoint, and every partnership opportunity was tracked, scheduled, and executed consistently. I helped him design systems, create routines, and hold himself accountable. He trained the “follow-up muscle” he had neglected in the first company. The results speak for themselves. Conversations that might have gone cold stayed alive. Strategic partners became advocates. Investors noticed his consistency and commitment leading to pre-seed investment. What he once dreaded relationship management and pipeline discipline are now some of his greatest strengths. Through this process, he’s learned and applied a powerful lesson: the technical brilliance that drove his first venture can only create value if paired with disciplined commercial execution. Product iteration alone doesn’t build a business. Sales discipline translates directly into investment discipline. Weaknesses aren’t permanent they can be trained like muscles. 🔥 For me, it’s been rewarding to see him transform his approach and transfer lessons from failure into success. Treating the second venture differently, showing up consistently for the uncomfortable essential work, and embedding that discipline into every part of the business became the foundation for growth, execution, and investor confidence. #founderstories #startups #innovation #raisingcapital #newableadvice

I watched a talented professional send 127 follow-up emails after interviews. Got replies from 3 companies. 2.3% response rate. Then she showed me what she was writing. I immediately knew why recruiters ignored her. Here's the truth about follow-ups: Most people remind recruiters they're desperate. Not that they're valuable. The typical follow-up: "Just checking in on my application..." "Any updates on the timeline?" Translation: "Please don't forget I exist." Recruiters read anxiety, not confidence. After years of coaching professionals, I've noticed: The follow-ups that get responses don't ASK for updates. They DELIVER value. Stop following up on YOUR need. Start following up with THEIR solution. Think: → What problem did they mention? → What insight can I share? → How can I make their decision easier? One client rewrote her follow-up: Instead of: "Any updates on the position?" She wrote "Hi [HR Manager Name ], been thinking about the bandwidth challenge you mentioned. Found an approach that might help—similar to what I used before. Would love to share if useful. Recruiter replied within hours. She shifted from "remember me?" to "I'm already solving your problems." The difference between ignored and responded follow-ups? One reminds them you're waiting. The other reminds them why they need you. Your follow-up isn't about checking their timeline. It's about them seeing you as the solution they can't ignore. People who add value get calls back. People who add pressure get silence. Stop checking in. Start showing up as the answer. PS: For more such content subscribe to my newsletter. Check out my feature section.

The CEO admitted he was terrified. Not in a private conversation. Not in therapy. On stage. In front of his 100 top leaders. During the biggest crisis in company history. A multi-billion dollar energy company being acquired. Decades-old family business dissolving. A board member who'd worked with this CEO for 15 years said after: "I've never felt that level of engagement before." What happened? Your IQ is the racecar. Your EQ is the fuel. This CEO had the car. Brilliant mind. Decades of expertise. The intelligence that builds billion-dollar companies. But for months, his people weren't going anywhere. Because he refused to add the fuel. When you ignore emotions, you don't erase them. You lose control of them. Those leaders were feeling everything: fear, grief, uncertainty. The CEO's refusal to acknowledge it didn't make those emotions disappear. It made them radioactive. Unspoken fear → passive resistance Unacknowledged grief → disengagement Suppressed anxiety → paralysis Before that moment, he told me, "I've processed this. I'm excited. My people know I'm not emotional." His company was being ripped apart, and he wanted to pretend he had it figured out. I pushed back: "Your leaders need you to meet them there." He looked at me like I'd asked him to set his career on fire. But something shifted. When he got on stage, he told them the truth: "Some nights I was terrified." The room went from frozen to electric. That's when the fuel hit the engine. His IQ was still there. But his EQ—his willingness to meet people in their emotional reality—moved 100 paralyzed leaders into action. The World Economic Forum ranks emotional intelligence as a top in-demand skill. TalentSmart found 90% of high performers are highly emotionally intelligent. Most agree, then go back to polishing the car while their team sits stuck. Right now, while you're nodding about EQ, your best people are updating their resumes. Not because you're a bad leader. Because you're performing certainty they don't believe. They know you're anxious about AI, or uncertain about the restructure. Your refusal to admit it teaches them they're alone in their fear. So they're seeking leaders who will meet them there. EQ isn't a soft skill. It's a stability skill. Your ability to read the room matters more than your strategic plan. Your ability to sense when someone's breaking matters more than your documentation. Your ability to build trust through humanity says whether your strategy moves people forward. The leaders who will own the next decade aren't the ones with credentials. They're the ones who sense what's happening while everyone else fakes certainty. Who read the resignation letter that hasn't been written. Who admit their own fear and give others permission to stop pretending. Your emotional intelligence IS your effectiveness. Not your credentials. Your ability to stay human when everything's falling apart. Are you fueling or just polishing the car?

I've been working with 20+ founders & coaches, and it's shocking to see how many still make these fundamental mistakes that can destroy their marketing efforts and brand reputation. Trust me when I say this - avoiding these mistakes can be the difference between a thriving business and one that struggles to gain traction in the market. After years of experience in this field, I've identified 7 deadly sins in marketing and branding that you absolutely must avoid: 1. Inconsistent brand messaging across platforms. When your tone, voice, and values differ on different channels, you confuse your audience and lose credibility instantly. 2. Copying competitors blindly without understanding your unique value proposition. Your audience can spot inauthenticity from miles away, and it damages your brand's reputation. 3. Neglecting data-driven decisions and relying purely on gut feeling. I've seen countless campaigns fail because brands didn't analyze their metrics or understand their audience's behavior. 4. Overlooking the importance of customer feedback and reviews. Your customers are your best teachers - ignoring their input is like throwing money down the drain. 5. Running random campaigns without a solid strategy. Posting content or running ads without clear objectives and KPIs is the fastest way to waste your marketing budget. 6. Focusing on vanity metrics instead of conversion rates. Getting thousands of likes means nothing if they don't translate into actual business results. 7. Neglecting brand guidelines and visual consistency. When your brand looks different everywhere, it creates confusion and reduces trust among potential customers. I've witnessed businesses lose significant market share because they committed these mistakes repeatedly. The good news is, these are all preventable with the right approach and strategy. The key is to stay focused on building a strong foundation first. Start with clear brand guidelines, understand your audience deeply, and create a solid strategy before execution. P.S. If you're struggling with any of these aspects in your business, let's connect. I help founders and coaches build strong marketing foundations that drive real results.

Stop telling on yourself by trying to use big fancy words and complicated explanations. Using big words to sound smart makes you sound less smart. Sales reps think using complex language makes them look professional. They throw around industry jargon and technical terms to prove they know their stuff. But research shows emails written at a third grade reading level get 36% higher response rates than emails with complex language. Your prospects aren't impressed by your vocabulary. They're scanning your email for 3 to 4 seconds trying to decide if it's worth their time. When they see complicated language, their brain registers it as extra work. Complex language creates barriers. It confuses prospects, makes your message harder to digest, and causes frustration. Clear, simple copy helps prospects quickly grasp your message. Clarity is what drives action. I personally aim to write emails at a fifth grade comprehension level. This isn't talking down to anyone. It means using clear language that's easy to understand, even if someone is skimming on their phone between meetings. Make your message so clear that prospects immediately understand the benefits you're offering and feel confident taking the next step. They respond because you made it easy for them to engage. Simple stands out in sales copywriting. 📌 What's one piece of jargon you need to cut from your outreach?

One of the simplest yet more underrated changes you can make as a brand to be more instantly credible is... *drum roll* 🥁 Yes, boring old consistency 🤯 Imagine... marketing says one thing. Sales says another. The website is still saying something from 2021 (yes, people notice). To me, this is the number one killer of brand trust: inconsistency. When you're already fighting for awareness and relevance, any break in your consistency across channels confuses your audience. And a confused audience rarely buys. So, how do you ensure you show up with the same story across every channel? Here's my framework for implementing more brand consistency: Phase 1: run a channel audit. This is where we map every touchpoint. → External: Website, email, social handles, review sites (Glassdoor/TrustPilot). → Internal: Intranet, newsletters, onboarding decks, trainings, etc. Test: Read them side-by-side. Do they sound like they come from the same company? If you are preaching "world-class service" on LinkedIn, but your TrustPilot reviews are being ignored, you have a credibility gap. Phase 2: prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. You do not need to be everywhere. You need to be tactical... Seriously, if a channel is a ghost town or off-brand, archive it. Focus resources only on channels where you can maintain a sharp, subjective POV. You don't need a strategy for TikTok, Reddit, and Bluesky. You need a strategy for where your audience actually makes decisions or wants to learn about you. Phase 3: Create an internal playbook (my personal favorite). Consistency breaks when internal teams aren't aligned. If marketing builds the brand, but sales uses a deck that contradicts it, the trust is broken. My recommendation: create an unbreakable "Source of Truth" resource (could be a document, a webpage, an FAQ) accessible to everyone in the org. What goes in this "source of truth": → Codify the identity: "We are X, we are never Y." Don't leave room for interpretation. Map out the visuals (fonts, colors, imagery) alongside the voice (tone, language, personality). Pro tip: Create a "Do vs. Don't" list (e.g., "We say 'clients', never 'users'") so teams can self-edit. → Define the narrative, the one story everyone tells. Make a global version and allow for local nuance, but never change the core plot. → Update the resource quarterly or when necessary and communicate internally (use newsletters, the intranet, brand champions, Slack/Teams, etc). I am thoroughly convinced that consistency and clarity are the strongest forms of leadership. What channels are you prioritizing now?

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟕𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐄𝐎𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 ! 🤖 Welcome AI & Tech Skills… Farewell Emotional Intelligence for CEOs? In today’s boardrooms, the balance is shifting fast. 🧠 Emotional intelligence among CEOs sits at just 38%. The ability to drive employee engagement? Even lower — 20%. At the same time… ⚠️ 63% of leaders say their organisation’s risk exposure has jumped in the past 12 months. 💡 AI is reshaping entire business models faster than leaders can adapt. 🚩 But here’s the critical mistake: Instead of doubling down on irreplaceable human strengths — creativity, trust, and relationships — some leaders are training people for tasks machines will soon take over. 🌍 Geopolitical conflicts are turning trusted supply chains into vulnerabilities overnight. 📉 Talent and skills gaps are widening just when organisations need new capabilities most; according to a new fascinating research published by Korn Ferry using data from a survey of 250 chief executives and board directors worldwide. 🌟 Finally, researchers’ advice to today’s leaders: ✔️ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️ 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 ✔️ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ✔️ 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ✅ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:  I’m not surprised that so much of today’s advertising — especially from BIG consulting firms — pushes CEOs and executives to believe their top priority should be AI and technical skills above all else. I agree with the researchers’ point of view: if leaders follow this belief blindly, they risk putting their organisations and their businesses in a vulnerable position in the coming years. The truth is far more nuanced. Yes, AI fluency is essential. But so is the ability to lead with empathy, build trust, inspire creativity, and strengthen relationships. Both skill sets are critical — and neglecting the human side of leadership can quietly erode even the most advanced technical capabilities. In the age of AI, the leaders who will thrive are those who can master the technology and the timeless human skills that no machine can replace. 🙏Thank you Korn Ferry researchers team for sharing these insightful findings: Tierney Remick Alan Guarino Jane Edison Stevenson Lucy McGee Dominic Schofield 🔑 What’s one human capability you believe will become more valuable, not less, in the age of AI? #Leadership #HumanSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #ExecutiveLeadership

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with many leaders who took genuine pride in being empathetic, good listeners, and self-aware. These were their superpowers, and honestly, I admired them for it. But somewhere along the way, these leaders had to face an uncomfortable truth, some of what they assumed emotional intelligence was actually emotional performance. They weren’t always empathizing. Sometimes they were rescuing, stepping in to fix problems because it made them feel needed, not because it was what the other person actually needed. They weren’t always listening. Sometimes they were waiting, nodding along while quietly steering the conversation back toward their own perspective. They weren’t always being self-aware. Sometimes they were seeking reassurance, hoping the feedback they received would confirm they were doing just fine. The hardest part? They meant well. Every single time. That’s the nature of performative emotional intelligence. It doesn’t come from bad people. It comes from good people with unexamined needs, the need to be the hero, to be right, to be liked. Real emotional intelligence isn’t a set of skills you perform in the moment. It begins much earlier, in the quiet, uncomfortable work of honestly examining what’s driving you beneath the surface. So here’s the question every leader must reflect on, is your emotional intelligence self-serving, or authentic?

5 things I noticed while auditing 13 startup websites & social channels (You won’t find this in templates,  it’s tried and tested) Mistake #1: Inconsistent brand tone and voice Most startups don’t have clear writing or styling guidelines. Even among the clients I’ve worked with, only a few can clearly answer: 👉Do we want a quirky, conversational, authoritative, or professional tone? And even when they do figure it out, they don’t follow it everywhere. - Social media sounds professional - Website copy sounds completely different This zig-zag messaging confuses your audience. Consistency builds trust but inconsistency breaks it. Mistake #2: One person doing the job of four Yes, we’re in the AI era. But that doesn’t mean one person should: - Act as a Reddit strategist - Manage social media - Write long-form content - Handle distribution and analysis Multitasking is important but not at the cost of quality. You can’t extract the best work from someone who’s stretched thin. Mistake #3: “We want high-quality content” (but fast) Writers aren’t content-churning machines. Good content takes time. And when I say good content, I don’t mean AI-generated filler. Treating writers like disposable resources — use → publish → discard — kills quality and morale. Mistake #4: Content creation > content distribution Creating content isn’t the real problem. Distribution is. Ask yourself: - Are you repurposing content for socials? - newsletters to existing users? - Building a cold audience? - Leveraging founder branding? If content doesn’t travel, it doesn’t convert. Mistake #5: Creating new content and forgetting existing content Content audits are a goldmine yet highly underrated. The audits I’ve done in the past: Performed better than new content 📌Improved visibility 📌Brought actual leads But many clients still see audits as “optional.” They’re not — they’re low-hanging fruit. P.S - If you’ve never audited your content, what’s stopping you?

Silence in a meeting isn’t agreement. It’s fear in disguise. I’ve seen “leaders” mistake quiet rooms for loyal teams. But in reality, that silence often means people have stopped feeling safe to speak. Why? Because too many leaders punish honesty. 👉 Someone raises a concern → they’re dismissed. 👉 Someone shares an idea → it’s ignored. 👉 Someone admits they’re struggling → they’re branded as weak. And then those same leaders wonder: Why problems catch them off guard Why innovation dries up Why their best people leave without warning Here’s the truth: your team already sees the problems. They just don’t trust you enough to tell you. If you want them to open up, change how you respond: Swap “That won’t work” for “Tell me more.” Swap silence for “Thanks for raising that.” Swap “I’ve got all the answers” for “I’m figuring this out too.” The best leaders I know: ✅ Reward honesty, even when it stings ✅ Ask questions before giving directions ✅ Make mistakes safe to learn from The worst ones? ❌ Blame “poor communication” ❌ Act shocked when things break ❌ Wonder why talent keeps walking out the door Your words either build trust or destroy it. There’s no middle ground. 👉 What’s the most frustrating response you’ve ever had when you spoke up?