Let me tell you a secret about executive promotions. They don’t happen during performance reviews. They happen in conversations you’re not in. Backchannel chats. Executive team meetings. If this sounds familiar, read this breakdown of why you are being overlooked for VP. Moments where someone says: “What about Maya?” “She’s sharp. I’d bet on her.” That’s how people get promoted behind closed doors. And most of your peers aren’t doing anything to influence those conversations.

Today, we’re diving into one of the most important, yet often misunderstood, aspects of leadership: Executive Presence—the skill that separates good managers from great executives. I've been promoted 10 times in 15 years, and I can say the most critical skill I needed to become a VP was not what I thought it would be. Your results matter, of course. But this is what few people realize: executive leaders aren’t just evaluated on what they do—they’re evaluated on how they do

If you are a Director or senior leader aiming for VP, the hidden key is not working harder, it is strategic visibility with the people who decide promotions. In this guide, you will learn how to build relationships with senior leaders, earn executive sponsors, and make sure decision makers actually see your impact. If networking feels uncomfortable or if you’ve ever hesitated to speak up in front of senior stakeholders, keep reading. The Pitfall: Avoiding Senior Stakeholders

If you are aiming for a Director or VP promotion, self promotion at work is not optional. It is the bridge between doing great work and being seen as the obvious choice for the next level. In this guide, you will learn how to make self promotion feel natural, strategic, and completely aligned with your values, so you can get promoted without turning into someone you do not recognize. If the thought of self-promotion makes you cringe, you’re not alone. Many ambitious leaders

I remember the day I realized I'd been playing the promotion game all wrong. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve always been a high achiever. I worked hard but I was constantly praised for that dedication. Until… I wasn’t. Think getting that VP promotion is just about working harder and doing more of what you've always done? Think again. Most people assume that their work performance is the key to leveling up. But here's what I realized that day: your accomplishments only ma

A few years ago, I coached a client who was known as the go-to person on her team. If something broke, she fixed it. If someone dropped the ball, she picked it up. She was the engine keeping the machine running. But when promotion time came around, she kept hearing: “You’re not quite strategic enough yet.” She was stunned. Her results were clear. She'd saved her team hundreds of hours and built systems that scaled. But none of that mattered. Because the perception was: She wa

Stuck in middle management as the reliable get things done person? Learn how to shift from doer to leader so you are seen as executive ready.

Ever wondered how top executives manage to stay ahead of the game? It is not just about working hard, it is about how they plan their week like an executive: smart and strategically. If you are not intentionally planning your career growth, you are planning to stay exactly where you are. Here is the truth: becoming an executive is not about chance. It is about the choices you make every week. Today, I am sharing my tried and true weekly planner for aspiring executives. This i

You have done everything right. You deliver. You fix. You take on the projects that matter because people trust you to land the plane. Your calendar is full, your team depends on you, and your manager knows you are the safe pair of hands. So you're being overlooked for VP while promotions keep happening around you and not to you? If that question hits a nerve, you are in the right place. This newsletter is your short guide to how promotions at the executive level really get d

One of the most common pieces of feedback ambitious professionals get: “You just need to be more strategic.” If you’ve ever heard that, you probably walked away wondering: Okay… but what does that even mean? What they are really saying is: you need to start thinking like an executive, not just a high performing doer. It sounds like a compliment and a critique at the same time. And because no one actually explains what “strategic” looks like, most people try to fix it by doing

Let’s start with a reality check: Most leaders are drowning in updates. Dashboards. Threads. Project trackers. Monthly reviews. Status emails. If you want your work to stand out, you need to know how to write updates for leadership that cut through the noise. It’s a blur of information, and most of it is ignored. I did my best to stay up to date as a VP, but the reality is, there just aren't enough hours in the day. Anything that didn’t pass my “spam” detector got skipped. So

Ever feel like you’re doing all the right things… but people still don’t see you as “leadership material”? You’re not alone. At a certain level, performance isn't the problem. Perception is. You do not get promoted when you are ready. You get promoted when people believe you are ready. And that belief is shaped by how you think, how you show up, and how you communicate long before you ever get the title. So if you want to demonstrate your executive potential and be seen as ex

You are doing the work. You are delivering results. You are checking every box they asked for. But when it comes time to talk about how to get promoted to VP, somehow it is always someone else whose name comes up. Here is the uncomfortable truth. VP promotions are not just about performance. They are about perception , positioning , and power . I break this down more in my guide on why you are being overlooked for VP. I’ve seen brilliant people get skipped over year after yea

When I applied to my dream business school, I missed the GMAT cutoff by two points. Most people would’ve moved on. I took it again — and got in. Years later, I faced 17 rejections before finally landing my first Director role. And when I started my business, I made less than my corporate salary for three years before crossing seven figures this year. Every one of those moments had the same turning point: I stopped asking “What if I fail?” And started asking “What if success

Your manager controls your next promotion more than HR ever will. When it comes to senior-level promotions, your manager can make or break your career. They can open doors that change everything — or quietly block your name from ever coming up. I’ve had both. One manager put me in rooms I didn’t even know existed. They gave me exposure, coached me behind the scenes, and made sure I got credit where it mattered. That kind of advocacy changed my entire career trajectory. And th

"I've been trying to become a VP for a year. When should I stop trying for it?" A client inside my program asked me this recently. And it stopped me for a second - because that's not really a tactical question. It's an emotional one. It's what people ask when they've tried everything they think they're supposed to do… and it's still not working. It's the moment when ambition meets exhaustion. My honest answer? If this milestone matters to you - never . Not because I believe i

Here’s something too many talented high achievers never hear: Promotions aren’t given to the most qualified person. They’re given to the person who looks most ready for what’s next. In other words, you’re not just being evaluated on your performance. You’re being evaluated on your potential . And perception - what leaders think about you - is the proof of that potential. Every meeting, every update, every interaction sends a signal about whether you’re operating at the next

A lot of the talented, high-achieving executives I coach come to me feeling stuck. They’ve been at the same level for years, performing, delivering, and being the “go-to” person, yet nothing moves. When I ask them one question: “If you got your manager’s job today, could you do it?” The answer is almost always the same. “Yes. Hell yes.” So the problem isn’t capability. It’s not that they’re not ready. It’s that their company is not set up to help them grow. This isn’t a skill

Do you know how to introduce yourself to leave a lasting impact? Most people don’t. They either read a résumé out loud… or play it so safe they sound like an intern. I’ve watched it happen in rooms full of brilliant leaders. And I’ve done it, too. Years ago, at a leadership offsite, I gave the most forgettable intro of my career. With a low voice, I shared my title, team. Done. Everyone nodded politely. Then the VP after me said, “I build the systems that make $50M look like

A tactical job isn’t a dead end. It’s a stepping stone if you know how to use it. Even if your role isn’t technically strategic right now, you can make it one. Every executive you admire started in a tactical role. None of them began their career setting corporate strategy. They grew into it by showing up differently: by learning how to frame their work, share insights, and position themselves as partners to the business. The mistake most high achievers make? They already hav