Val Wright's Blog

Do you want an immediate, personally curated, hand selected group of executive peers that you will learn from, grow with, and provide advice to?

Are you ready to join me and a peer group of 8-10 fellow executives to meet virtually once a month for the next 12months, including one in person event at a mutually agreeable time in Los Angeles? Sign up here.

Save your spot today!

The next group launches in February 2025 and only three spots remain. Text, call, DM me here, or email me today to save your seat. val@valwrightconsulting.com cell: 206 321 7511.

Don't let your network shrink!

As senior executives rise in their career, the circle of those you can trust and seek advice from reduces.  The most successful executives know to constantly be looking upwards to elevate who they spend time with, those who are at the top of their game, as the CEO or reporting to the CEO, on a board, or running significant P&Ls or functions in larger companies.

Not your typical event or community

Unlike most executive events that are industry or function specific, The Wright Exchange Network brings together executives across all industries and disciplines so you are learning from those with different backgrounds and perspectives. CFOs, CMOs, and CTOs all being able to ask and give advice from their executive peers in unique guided private conversations.

How many people do you know who could hire you tomorrow?

As you rise in your career, it is easy to become the most senior executive in your network, where you are giving more than you are receiving advice, and before you know it your network is dehydrated and when it is time to consider your next career move, you look left and you look right and realize you have outpaced those around you. You need to continuously look at where and how you can raise the altitude of your network.

Here's what attendees of The Wright Exchange Network have to say:

“A perfect antidote to being ‘alone at the top’ - what senior executives need more of!”

“Action packed and informative with a set of rockstars from diverse backgrounds.”

“Mindblowing creative examples of how to think about business mashed up with practical intelligent advice.”

“Eclectic views in a unique and engaging event with artful facilitation”

“Amazingly insightful and a breath of fresh perspective on life, career, and high performing personalities - eye opening!”

“It fired my neurons for ideas to bring to my own work and business that I can immediately apply”

“Fun and great feel of community almost instantly with new people you just met”

“Expanded my network in a meaningful, memorable, and lasting way.”

“Inspired by how energized and candid everyone was”

“Able to interact with other executives from various backgrounds, industries, and roles.”

“Comfortable to be with new people who are open to telling their story and listening to yours.”

“Expressing ideas, strategies, concerns and advice on both everyday and macro business issues.”

“I saw different vantages which gave me a better perspective on my own approach to similar issues.”

“Honest real conversations with remarkable interesting people and insightful perspectives.”

“Connecting in a meaningful way where I am excited to continue the conversations.”

“Got me out of my own head and you get to discover you are more sane and successful than you may have thought.”

“Carefully Curated Serendipity. Reenergized!”

How does it work?

You will be part of a peer group of between 8-10 executives. You will be personally matched with executives to maximize your learning and growth.

Each Wright Exchange Network will meet once a month for an hour virtually for 12months.

Each Wright Exchange Network will be invited to an in person executive session in Los Angeles at a mutually convenient date within your 12month program.

You will receive copies of Val Wright’s three books Thoughtfully Ruthless, Rapid Growth Done Right, and Words That Work.

What will I get out of this experience?

An immediate executive network of peers who will be invested in your success.

A clarity of your short and long term goals and how to get their faster than expected.

Comfort and inspiration from hearing from other executives working at your altitude and their business opportunities.

New thinking and alternative ideas from executives who have been-there-done-that-got-results.

A confidential sounding board to share your ideas and ask for feedback.

Diverse perspectives from leaders outside of your familiar bubble.

A private space to share your success with executives who can help you replicate that success.

Heightened accountability because when you share your plans with others your probability of achieving them increases.

A new set of doors of opportunity will open as you share and receive new network introductions.

You will have access to Val Wright, your own growth adviser in a group setting at an extraordinary investment rate that will produce an incredible return.

I'm in! What next?

Check you qualify sign up here next group starts February 2025 and only three spots remain.

Wait - I'd love you to create one of these for my company!

Are you interested in your own The Wright Exchange Network for your company or organization? I have been running these executive peer groups for the last decade for companies, events, and groups around the world. Contact me today to explore how we can curate an experience to drive performance, pace, and progress for your company.

I can't wait to introduce you to your new executive inner circle.

To your continued rapid growth!

Val

cell: 206 321 7511

email: val@valwrightconsulting.com

I could never have predicted that one and even now when I say it out loud there is a questioning tone in my voice!

My third book Words That Work: Communicate Your Purpose, Your Profits, and Your Performance, Kogan Page Publishing won Best Business Book with the NYC Big Book Awards and was featured in Times Square New York for one minute every hour for 24 hours!

Chapter 9 Turning Investor and Media Interactions To Your Advantage covers how you make the most of media attention to attract and keep your customers - there is even an Executive Social Success Scorecard that lets you evaluate how strong your Executive Digital Footprint is today - and how to rapidly improve it.

Have you already got your copy? - let me know your favorite parts!

Not yet got one? - download a free sample chapter here

Thank you Ted Olczak and team for the brilliant spotlight!

Did you get exactly what you needed from your last talk?

Whether your talk was at a conference, internal meeting, board presentation, virtual gathering, or in front of your team how well did you deliver?

Do you know how to evaluate your performance?

Here's the most common question I get asked by executives about speaking:

"Val - I have a talk coming up, how can I make sure it is as strong as it possibly can be?"

This is an important question because conferences and events are well and truly back at full pelt. That's what I am hearing from executives and my own future speaking bookings indicate that in person gatherings are being used again for internal company events, industry conferences, and customer meetings.

I’ve recently spoken to CEOs, CIOs, CMOs, CFOs, Technology leaders and CDAOs (That's Chief Data and Analytics Officers for those new to that acronym!) across Boston, Palo Alto, Dallas, and New York at various Sales Kick Offs, Strategy Retreats, and Executive Summits with Evanta, A Gartner Company.

This tour of giving and listening to executive keynotes prompted me to share these six ways to make your next talk simply brilliant:

1. Ask "So What?"

This is my favorite question to ask when preparing for a talk.

...So what? - after you have spoken what you do want to happen? - are you sharing knowledge, trying to prompt action? provoking certain feelings? - This is the basis of your PREPARATION that is essential for any talk.

2. Make It Personal

No one else can tell your stories but you. That is how you stand out. Ask yourself, why does your topic matter to you? What have you personally experienced? I was surprised recently when a very senior executive from a phenomenal brand spoke at an event. There was not one personal story or example in their 30minute talk on what could have been a very thought provoking topic. At one point I did start to wonder if it was an experiment in using ChatGPT to create powerpoint slides because the bullet points were so predictable.... or perhaps the PR Police had got hold of their presentation and removed all company identifiable stories, but it was unbelievably bland! No one else can tell my Xbox stories, my Amazon Fashion stories, my work with a CEO that created a 37% share price increase. That is the way to make your CONTENT really catch your audience's attention and get what you want. What unique stories can you share about you?

3. Create the unexpected

I am rarely surprised at conferences anymore, but I will never forget a talk I heard at Evanta’s CIO conference in Los Angeles a few years ago. It was an unusual double act. Both the chief information officer and the chief marketing officer from Farmers Insurance were presenting. What made this unusual was the fact that they were presenting together like a perfect comedy duo, finishing each other’s sentences and being incredibly candid as they shared the lessons learned from a successful digital transformation that crossed both the marketing and technology strategy, with a significant impact on the business’s success. This was a perfect example of the unexpected. Technology leaders at conferences don't typically hear from marketing executives. I used this example as a proof point why The Innovation Trifecta is so crucial - how technology, marketing, and business minds come together to drive innovation and growth. You can read more about that in Rapid Growth Done Right.

4. If you have to apologize for your slides...

Get rid of them!

"I know the text is small"

"Sorry I won't cover all of these so I will go faster..."

"This data isn't the latest sorry I can share our latest research if you email me..."

"You probably can't read this but what it is meant to show is…"

"I know this is busy but..."

These are all painful excuses I have heard in the last 2 months in presentations and talks.  Do your audience a favor and ditch the terrible slides!

You need less slides than you think.

Focus instead on the stories you will tell...

5. Realize that no one will ever thank you for being verbose

Yes it is hard to be concise, but it is so very powerful.

Here's my thoughtfully ruthless guide to concise communication..

Why use a paragraph when a sentence will do?

Why use a sentence when a word will do?

Why use a word when silence will do?

6. What you actually say matters

The first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds is what everyone will remember. DELIVERY of your message matters.

Please don't ask people if they are having a good time (...then say..."what? I can't hear you - you can do better than that"

Don't comment on the weather, the difficulty in getting the technology to work, don't apologize

Start with an attention grabbing question or reflection

End with a powerful statement or suggested easy next step

One of the favorite parts of my work is helping executives prepare, create stories, and improve the delivery of their communications. It's why I wrote Words That Work - because so many of them told me that I simply HAD to put in writing the advice I give them. - You can download a free sample chapter or get your own copy of Words That Work here.

Some news:

If you know of a conference, event, or team who might want to explore booking me to speak reply with LET'S TALK as my 2025 calendar is filling up rapidly You can find out my most popular topics here.

As the kids would say - Like and Subscribe to my channel! You can find my YouTube Channel here.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsle...

Maybe it is the new year resolutions, or the media attention of some of the large layoffs announced, but I am talking to many executives and leaders about making a career transition. Whether you are looking for your next role by choice or through forced necessity I want to bust these three common myths of making a job move:

1. Budgets are being cut and no-one is hiring

Don't be fooled by the headline grabbing layoffs at companies including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce. There are currently 72,635 executive roles advertised on LinkedIn at the time of writing this. Companies are hiring - but they are relying far more on networks and personal recommendations than formal recruitment processes. You have to use the side door, back door, and creative ways to grab attention and share your unique value.

2. Strong relationships with headhunters is crucial to getting a new job

While I am not telling you be rude and to completely ignore the recruiters and headhunters who call you - I am advising that you don't waste time chasing headhunters - instead spend all of your time talking to people in your network who can hire you: CEOs, Board members, Executives, those in roles more senior than you who have the power to offer you a job. I cover how to "wake up your network" in detail in my second book Rapid Growth Done Right.

 3. The roles advertised don't fit my background

The more senior you rise, the more jobs are created and crafted just for you. You can ignore job descriptions when contacting those in your network you know who can hire you. A CMO recently contacted a former colleague to let them know they were looking for their next career move - she immediately said "I am so glad you called, I am about to complete a reorganization of my team and you would be perfect, I can create a new role just for you" - This happens far more frequently than people realize - the key is letting those who know you, know that you are considering alternative roles so they can factor you in to their future changes.

As I celebrate the 10th anniversary of launching my own business this month I am giving away 10 copies of Rapid Growth Done Right - that has a whole chapter dedicated to Defining and Finding Your Perfect Job. Leave a comment or message me on social media with the hashtag #valwright and if you are selected as a winner I will send you a copy.

I keep getting asked for this, so I am contemplating launching a Rapid Career Transition Support Program where I share in a virtual group setting the steps to take to define and find your perfect job. If this is something you would be interested in, leave a comment or DM me with Tell Me More.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

If you are wondering how to send an interesting email this week, here's an idea. Go through your photos from 2022 and pick 9 of your favorite, create a mosaic using an app like PicPlayPost and share with your team why you picked the photos you did.

Here are mine...

1. Datto Marketing Shark Tank

I love this picture of CMO Brooke Cunningham and her leadership team - the sheer joy on the faces while we were hearing pitches from her team in a rapid Datto Marketing Shark Tank style idea session we ran earlier last year.  Business ownership, competition, and executives can change at rapid speed, the key is how to move at the right pace and sequencing to make the changes you need to. 
 

2. When your soundbites catch on

One of my popular quotes "Be Brilliant at Demonstrating Your Brilliance" on a free gift as part of a workshop I ran for aws. You know your soundbites catch on when they appear on conference swag! What does it mean? It’s covered in my first book Thoughtfully Ruthless or you can Learn here. 
 

3. Meeting my US publishing team again!

Last time I shook hands with the US Kogan Page team was December 2019, before my second book Rapid Growth Done Right launched. It was a delight to get to discuss both that book and my third book Words That Work with the team in New York, we have exciting plans ahead!
 

4. The Power of the Fishbowl

I've run hundreds of private internal fishbowl experiences, but it was fun leading this Fishbowl during an executive session at WOTC East in New York City. The multiple levels of learning and experience is captivating!
 

5. Four years and counting...

I am approaching my fourth year of working with various Ingram Micro executive teams and events. They might have been the biggest multi-billion dollar company many haven't ever heard of, but their latest innovation and transformation is about to change that! Here I am with the Canadian Executive team during their strategy retreat.
 

6. Ascendant Network

Over the last 5 years I’ve provided executive advisory sessions to attendees of the Digital Ascendant and Retail Ascendant executive communities during their gatherings in Silicon Valley and New York.  During their events I get to meet for 30min with an executive and provide advice on any aspect of their business and career. I’ve completed over 100 of these formal advisory sessions and many more over the meals, field trips to members innovation labs, and entertainment experiences that are part of the events. All meticulously created by founder Susan McDermid and her brilliant team.  - The best part? Sometimes the location of my 1-1 sessions is with the backdrop of the brilliant whiskey bar at Alexander's Steakhouse in Palo Alto! They know me too well. 
 

7. francesca's leadership team

You can read about francesca's throughout Words That Work, from their truth telling evolution, to their Phoenix rise into PE ownership, to how to tell your story that gets you on CNBC! It has been a delight to continue my work with this impressive business and team.
 

8. 1,250 Copies of Words That Work

I love seeing copies of my books in the wild, even more so when there are 1,250 of them being waved in the air at once! The Channel Company's WOTC East event did not disappoint!
 

9. Back with Evanta CIO Summits

I spoke at many events in two years around the world with Evanta, a Gartner company, before events took an unexpected pause and transformation. If you haven't attended a CIO / CDO / CISO Evanta event I highly recommend them for brilliant peer relationships and executive content at the right altitude without any of the awkward sales pitches or annoying forced interactions!

Why not share your favorite photos with your team today?

Here’s to a remarkable year ahead!

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

I had just walked off stage in Los Angeles at Gartner's Evanta CIO Summit when an executive said to me:

"Val, thank you, to say I had an epiphany might be putting it a bit strong, but I certainly had a wake up call, you made me realize that I don't encourage people around me to tell me the truth! Thank you!"

Now I frequently hear from executives who tell me their boss, their peer, their company doesn't encourage truth telling. I have also worked with CEOs who have asked me to help one of their executives become more of a truth teller in strategy conversations and board presentations, and in my executive advisory work I have observed some of my clients create dynamics in teams where truth telling isn't easy and I have needed to provide feedback and support to improve this. But this is the first time I heard directly from an executive who was prepared to openly admit that they haven't been the best at creating a working environment where truth telling is encouraged, sought after, and rewarded.

150 CIOs had just heard my opening keynote Developing a Company of Truth Tellers. I'll share here the reflection on my Truth Telling Test® I asked the audience to complete by rating the following questions from page 7 of my latest book Words That Work:

1:Strongly disagree, 2:Disagree, 3:Neither agree nor disagree, 4:Agree, 5:Strongly agree 

I’m regularly given good/mediocre/ugly news in a timely manner. 

I seek out contrarian reviews and enthusiastically receive them even if it is uncomfortable. 

I am told when my ideas won’t work or when there is a better alternative. 

There is healthy disagreement in my executive team discussions. 

I actively encourage, coach, and reward truth telling in teams I lead.

This is part of the Truth-Telling Test® I’ve used with companies all around the world. It is a baseline for accelerating innovation and growth because new ideas won’t fly if you can’t be direct with each other. 

There are two more sections where you assess the truth telling ability of your immediate manager and your company. You can find the full assessment here. You can also find more resources on Truth-Telling in Chapter One of my latest book Words That Work: Communicate Your Purpose, Your Profit, and Your Performance. Truth-Telling is even in the free sample chapter that you can download here.

While I was on stage talking Truth-Telling, I also asked everyone to hold up their copy of Words That Work and look entertained. In the spirit of Truth-Telling I promised I would let people know I had asked for those entertained faces! You can see the photo here. 

How can you give the gift of Truth-Telling to your teams, peers, and bosses?

Finally....

Do you know an event, company, or team who could benefit from hearing me talk on Truth-Telling? I also customize workshops around this topic and others from my three books. Here's what I covered last week, I would be happy to chat about potential events and opportunities.

Developing a Company of Truth Tellers

The more senior you rise, the fewer people tell you the unfiltered truth. Yet, those at the top of companies need the most direct feedback. No one wants to be lied to, yet untruths are everywhere. No one wants to admit they may occasionally lie, but they hypocritically expect everyone else to always tell the truth. It is easy for teams to fall into polite habits and avoid direct debates. Instead, head nodding through a meeting and sharing what you think someone wants to hear vs. what they need to hear.

You will learn:How to demolish the executive insulation layer that is preventing you hearing candid feedback

The Truth Telling Test to evaluate how you, your boss, your peers and your team tell the truth

Key words that work for the most common difficult scenarios for telling the truth

Meeting tips for encouraging others to share what they really think!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday break!

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

I would never run a marathon but apparently I can walk one in 48hours. The trick it seems is being in a city with my eldest daughter! Last year we gave our three daughters the Christmas gift of a weekend away on their own with each parent. My eldest chose New York during the holidays. At first I thought it was so she could skip school and come with me because I was speaking at a conference in New York in December, but once I told her I would come back and pick her up so we could spend the weekend together - she was still interested so off we went!

Here are some fascinating observations of my time in the city that never sleeps....

The suits are back -People in suits are walking NY streets - more businesses are back in the office, restaurants are filled with those dressed for work and on business lunches and dinners.

The pavement battle takes practice! - I realized quickly that I needed to teach my 14 year old how to walk in a busy city. Determination, speed, and not getting pushed around takes practice when crossing streets and trying to get into the door of your favorite store! By the end of the weekend she was barging ahead, head down like a true New Yorker! My parenting work here is done.

Kindness wins every day - I don’t think the lady who slipped and fell by the JetBlue Mint desk at JFK airport knew that the kind person who full on picked her right up was Cristo Fernandez aka Danny Rojas from Ted Lasso. (He followed us all the way through the slow security line but on strict instructions of my daughter I was NOT allowed to talk to him or ask for a picture! - though I did sneak one to prove it really was him!)

When you are occupied you don’t notice how much effort you are putting in - even now we both can't quite believe we walked a marathon, but we were so distracted by the colors of Central Park, the joys of vintage shopping in Greenwich Village, the installations in MOMA, the spectacular buildings of St Patricks Cathedral, NY Public Library, and Hudson Yards time and miles just flew by!

Vintage is valuable! - we used to hide the fact that we bought our clothes second hand when growing up out of embarrassment we couldn't afford them new - now thrifting is a proud past time of many teenagers! My daughters have taught me that thrifting is a pleasure not a necessary evil. - I even bought two Missoni dresses for a bargain price!

Ask others how well you are doing -I have to remind myself to do what I advise my clients - don't listen to your own view of your performance and impact - ask others! I got to meet my US Publishing team at Kogan Page while I was in New York and was delighted when I asked them how well they thought my two books were doing. - Given I launched Rapid Growth Done Right on May 2020 I knew it was a tough time to launch a book, and launching my third in January this year made me wonder how exactly they were doing in my publishers eyes - Turns out I need to press the mute button on the voices in my head a little more and listen to others!

“Make the goals unrealistic and the timeline realistic" Deshawna Barber - If you ever get the chance to hear DeShawna speak go and listen - a veteran and former Miss USA has many wise words to share. I love the idea of detaching the goal from the timeline - I'm curious to hear what unrealistic goal you have quietly in your head that if you shared with one person it might not be as unrealistic as you think.

I want to take a minute to highlight the work of a brilliant organization in England. Andy’s Man Club has a motto of “it’s ok to talk” and holds free support groups across the UK. Their goal is to end the stigma around mental health and help men’s suicide prevention. I invite you to follow them on their social media channels and share their messages they apply beyond the men they are targeting. 

...and finally if you are struggling what to get the kids in your life I highly recommend the idea of a weekend away with one at a time. Ever since we brought our twins home from the hospital when our first daughter was only 23 months old, the power of "divide and conquer" runs strong in our house!

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

I’m heading to New York to speak to 1,250 attendees at a conference and as I was sharing some preparation tips for attendees I realized it might be helpful to share them here:

I rarely meet an executive who says they love to network so here are four ways to make it more enjoyable:

NETworking is annoying because it is too general. 

It’s hard to believe, but it really is possible, you can love networking once you stop the NET of networking. 

Networking is hated by many because the NET in Networking assumes a large number - that you are casting a wide net - when you need to do the opposite, take a precision approach to who you want to meet and find out who can connect you. Wouldn’t you prefer three quality conversations rather than 20 superficial ones?

Preparation is crucial

When I’m at an event with other executives I know, I ask them ahead of time who they want to meet and I facilitate the introductions. You can ask the event organizer, or someone else you know in attendance to introduce you to the right people.

Become a super node

At an event in Silicon Valley last month I overheard someone call me a “Super Node” to another executive. Board member Amit Shah explained that I’m always at the centre of connecting others and that I open up my connections to others to provide mutual benefit. I appreciated how he explained this. It’s easy for you to do this too if you think about who you know and where there maybe useful introductions. —word of warning I only introduce executives with a double-yes. Which means that both people want to meet each other before an introduction is made. 

Great to meet you!

A simple text, DM, email to whoever you met saying it was great to meet and following up on any topics you discussed is a great way to stay connected. - I like to personalize a note on LinkedIn DMs because it stays there as a record for where and when you met someone. This really helps my ADHD brain which doesn't remember names and faces without a prompt.

Cheers to making new useful connections at your next event!

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Is love too strong of a word? Have you met people who tell you how much they LOVE their job? Love at work between a company and its employees can be expressed in many ways, but reading this you will have a gut reaction in your stomach when considering the question: who loves you more your existing boss or the future one you have yet to meet?

Often executives need an impartial ear to tell them if they are thinking about this right. Your mentors, your peers in other companies, prior bosses and external experts can help with being a soundboard for you as you think about your current role and when or if you should move next.  

Should you be nervous or more confident than ever? Especially when tech giants are laying off employees including Amazon, Google, Meta and Cisco? - I don’t believe you should be more nervous, but I do advise you dedicating time to reflect and plan by evaluating your network, your personal valuation, and not letting your own network become dehydrated, so they are there for you when you need them. 

Start with this important question:

Do you feel in demand and satisfied with the rewards and recognition you receive in your current role and company?

Your valuation is like a stock valuation or share price of a company and this will go up and down throughout your career. 

In fact, you have two valuations, an internal valuation and an external valuation. Depending what your valuations are depends what action you need to take. 

Consider your internal valuation right now. This is determined by your compensation, your promotion history, your exposure and access to senior executives, your involvement in strategic projects, the feedback you receive from those who can influence your career. Rate it now, is it high? Is it correct? Could it be a lot better? 

Now think about your external valuation. This is determined by your external reputation in your industry, how often the head hunters call, how frequently you are asked to speak at events, in the media on your area of expertise. Rate it now, is it high? Are you a best kept secret? (I know not all companies like and encourage external involvement but your personal valuation is still impacted by this) Is your reputation outside the company stronger than it is inside the company? 

Depending on where you are in your career and depending on where you have focused your time and energy, those two valuations may be quite different. 

The question for you to answer is where do you want to spend your time and energy to increase your valuation? Internally or externally or maybe a little of both?

A divisional president that I was working with called me, exasperated. He said, ‘Val, I cannot believe he got that job. He should never have got that job. I worked with him three years ago, and he was mediocre at best!’

As we discussed it, we realized that while the promoted executive’s achievements weren’t that great, he did excel at showcasing his achievements with his CEO, his board and externally. Talking more with my client, we discovered that his own specific focus had been solely concentrated internally to the detriment of his external reputation. That was where he decided to spend is time improving those relationships. 

How well you promote your achievements externally can affect your company valuation, who wants to invest in you, which strategic partners will want to do business with you and how rapidly you can grow. 

Your external reputation can also drive up your internal valuation. This happened with an executive I worked with who was able to secure prominent media interviews and she was asked to speak at external events that were then shared internally. As a result, she became more well known internally and with the board of directors which ultimately led to her getting promoted across multiple divisions driving up both her Internal and External Personal Valuation.

I’d love to hear how high your Internal and External Valuations are and which you will be spending time to increase.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Over the last 5 years I’ve provided executive advisory sessions to attendees of the Digital Ascendant and Retail Ascendant executive communities during their gatherings in Silicon Valley and New York. During their events I get to meet for 30min with an executive and provide advice on any aspect of their business and career.

I’ve completed over 100 of these formal advisory sessions and many more spontaneous sessions over the meals, field trips to members innovation labs, and entertainment experiences that are part of the events. All meticulously created by founder Susan McDermid and her brilliant team. 

As I was writing Words That Work, I decided to incorporate the top questions the most successful executives ask me both at the Ascendant Network events and my broader work and experiences. 

Top 15 questions the most successful executives ask me:
 

How do I encourage truth telling? 

What is the fastest way to deliver results as a newly appointed executive? 

How can I influence my board meetings to be more productive? 

How do I improve external media and investor relationships? 

How do I set the performance bar for my executive team at the right height? 

How do I know people are telling me the truth? 

How can I help my team think bigger? 

How can I test radical, bold moonshots? 

How do I change my habits rapidly? 

How do I upgrade my network to the right altitude of peers? 

How do I rapidly evaluate and change out the right people on my executive team? 

How do I understand and live my true purpose? 

How do I help those around me explore new ideas? 

How do I say what I mean concisely? 

What are the characteristics of the most successful executives?

These top 15 questions became the backbone of Words That Work. 

Which numbers are of most interest to you to learn more about?

I’d love to hear from you. 

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/