[NEW INSIGHT] 6 ways to build executive visibility without burning out
Personal branding has become an essential tool for entrepreneurs. It’s what allows one founder to command attention in a crowded market while another struggles to be remembered.
When pitching to investors, it’s even more critical, with VCs, PEs, and angel investors more cautious than ever.
From the importance of a compelling narrative to becoming confident speakers, this article explores exactly how entrepreneurs can leverage personal branding to strengthen their investor pitches.
You’re not just asking for money. You’re giving investors a real reason to believe in you, your vision, and the journey that will get you there.
Every entrepreneur has a unique narrative that binds them to their ventures, distinguishes them from their peers, and inspires others to believe in their vision.
The problem? Too few actually leverage it.
Most entrepreneurs focus too much on projections, market opportunities, and competitive analysis, which, while important, don’t inspire the trust and conviction a compelling story can.
The result? Pitches often fall flat. Worse still, many entrepreneurs don’t realise why, so they keep making the same mistakes, over and over again.
In fact, the success rate for pitching is so low that angel investors typically fund just one of 400 pitches. And in nearly every case, it’s not just the business model that wins them over. It’s the way the pitch is brought to life.
Think about it: we rarely choose one branded polo shirt over another because it’s cooler, donate to one charity because it saves more lives, or vote simply because of policy points. Instead, we’re drawn by the values and messaging that resonate with who we are and what we care about.
If we apply this to pitching, ideally, every pitch should:
Begin with the moment or insight that sparked your idea.
Explain why you’re uniquely positioned to solve a problem.
Clearly articulate your desired impact to inspire belief.
Highlight the challenges, lessons, and milestones that demonstrate your resilience.
Taken together, these form the core of a powerful story.
If you're struggling for inspiration, lean on entrepreneurs who have been there and done it before.
Elon Musk’s narrative of “solving humanity’s future problems” powers both Tesla and SpaceX. Meanwhile, Brian Chesky of Airbnb built his pitch around the idea of shared experiences and belonging, not just the rental market.
What do they have in common? Their company's identity has become indistinguishable from their personal brand.
If you want to strive for this, too, you need to proactively embed your mission, values, and journey into the minds of your audience across all channels, way before you pitch.
Think: your website, social media, newsletters, podcasts, and every speaking opportunity available. If audiences connect with your messaging, you’ll steadily build a following.
Then, when it's time to pitch, you won’t be introducing your story for the first time. You’ll be reinforcing a narrative your audience already knows and believes in, giving you the confidence to treat it as the glue that holds everything together, rather than an add-on to numbers and projections.
You’ll be more focused, structured, and persuasive, because every element, from slides to Q&A, ties back to your story.
At that point, you’re not just asking for money. You’re giving investors a real reason to believe in you, your vision, and the journey that will get you there.
And that’s what sets you apart from the other 399.
Miss a step, and you could seriously lose momentum, which is why we always start with a digital audit for any new client.
Research shows that people judge your character in just 0.1 seconds.
With this in mind, if you want to ace your pitch or even get invited to meet investors, you need to look just as sharp online as you would in person.
This means updating all online profiles, including LinkedIn, websites, and other social channels, with relevant bios, current ventures, experience, awards, and achievements.
It also means professional multimedia, with a balance of well-edited videos and varied imagery.
Your aim is a uniform, polished presence that demonstrates to investors that you’re organised, ambitious, and ready to scale.
At the same time, you'll build credibility among other stakeholders, from potential clients to top talent, who are yet to trust you.
Miss a step, and you could seriously lose momentum, which is why we always start with a digital audit for any new client.
Moving up the media ladder from niche blogs to major publications shows momentum.
Ever heard of the saying: “Content is king”?
It’s actually not an over-exaggeration.
For the most part, when building an entrepreneur's personal brand before an investor pitch, it's essential.
Here’s why:
Tapping into industry debates proves that you know your market and can anticipate change.
Showcasing your expertise positions you as the go-to expert in your field.
Maintaining consistency suggests staying power and commitment.
Moving up the media ladder from niche blogs to major publications shows momentum.
These are all characteristics investors look for.
Playing it safe or regurgitating what others have already said won't generate any traction. You'll simply get lost in the noise.
But how do you leap from average content to viral gold?
Partly through a strong story that connects audiences to your personal brand, as we've already discussed.
And partly by weaving that story and expertise into trending debates to deliver genuine value, rather than coming across as overly promotional.
If you don't, social audiences won't engage with your content or share, and journalists won’t even open your media pitches, let alone collaborate with you.
With this in mind, as an entrepreneur building their personal brand, you need to stay abreast of industry developments to find gaps in knowledge that your expertise can fill.
You also need to be bold about any insights you do share. Playing it safe or regurgitating what others have already said won't generate any traction. You'll simply get lost in the noise.
Finally, you must be patient. Good content isn't born out of haste, and if anything, a lack of quality or too much quantity risks turning both social audiences and journalists off for good.
These proof points won’t just give your personal brand more substance, but also add weight to your pitch deck.
While good content is one aspect of earning credibility, there comes a point when audiences, including investors, will want to see something more tangible.
Think of:
Company mentions in the media.
Industry awards.
Testimonials from previous clients.
Strong endorsements from previous mentors.
These proof points won’t just give your personal brand more substance, but also add weight to your pitch deck.
In many ways, pitching is as much about psychology as it is about anything else. Most investors, especially those seeking strong returns, are competing with one another. Your goal is to make them eager, even desperate, to back you by giving the impression that you’re already in demand.
Many entrepreneurs are incredibly intelligent, but not all are naturally charismatic or strong salespeople. And there's nothing wrong with this.
Successful entrepreneurs who have standout personal brands, a thriving business, and a clear trajectory haven’t reached the heights they have without becoming confident speakers.
Sometimes, this one small detail can be the missing piece of the jigsaw when pitching. Because if you’re not convincing, your pitch deck alone isn’t going to cut it.
The same applies to:
Media chats, where a single mishap can shape public perception of you and your company.
Conference stages, where a lack of presence can determine whether audiences tune out after five minutes.
Team meetings, where your ability to inspire directly impacts culture and retention.
Candidate interviews, where people decide to join your company based on your persuasion skills.
Yet, none of these occasions is as high-pressure or time-constrained as an investor pitch, which often gives you just a few minutes to convince someone. That leaves very little room to recover if you hesitate, stumble, or avoid eye contact.
This is why it’s important to treat those earlier opportunities, media chats, conference stages, team meetings, and candidate interviews as practice grounds to refine your delivery before facing investors.
After all, many entrepreneurs are incredibly intelligent, but not all are naturally charismatic or strong salespeople. And there's nothing wrong with this. Sometimes, you just need some practice.
Our top tips?
Before you enter the room, remind yourself about how far you've come as an entrepreneur to evoke some confidence.
Bring your conversations to life by pacing, using hand gestures, and making eye contact to keep people engaged.
Don't rush your talk so that your most important points resonate and you don't stumble over words.
And be prepared for questions, so you're not caught out.
Investors will almost certainly question it, and if you avoid it, there’s a strong chance they’ll reject your pitch entirely.
This personal branding checklist wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that as many as 4 in 5 investors agree that sustainability is integral to a company's strategy.
With this in mind, even if you’re not running an impact-driven firm, it’s important to give your business, personal brand, and pitch a sustainable edge.
If you lead a SaaS startup, this might mean having the foresight to source energy-efficient servers, reduce your carbon footprint, or integrate green software practices.
If you’re in fintech, you might produce content that highlights how your platform encourages responsible investment and supports climate-conscious clients.
If you’re a manufacturing leader, you could dedicate part of your pitch to highlight efforts to reduce emissions in production and source sustainable materials.
The aim? To demonstrate that sustainability is firmly on your radar. Investors will almost certainly question it, and if you avoid it, there’s a strong chance they’ll reject your pitch entirely.
That said, it’s vital that you follow through on any policies, content, or commitments you make. Otherwise, you risk being accused of greenwashing, which can undo any progress and seriously damage your personal brand.
Recent years have shown how harshly leaders and their businesses are judged when they backtrack on sustainability. With media scrutiny so intense, few have come away unscathed.
While investors are human and they understand that entrepreneurs make mistakes, they often see financial awareness as a skill entrepreneurs either have or don't.
While this section doesn’t directly preface an investor pitch, it's worth mentioning, considering that very few startups succeed, and second-time entrepreneurs tend to do better.
So, here's the key message: always manage your money well.
While investors are human and they understand that entrepreneurs make mistakes, they often see financial awareness as a skill entrepreneurs either have or don't, and it's only ever born out of good habits.
As such, the first time you ever receive investment:
Prioritise funding for the purposes you agreed with investors.
Monitor progress to track whether the investment is having an impact.
Stay adaptable and adjust your strategy if something isn’t working.
Share transparent updates to build trust and reduce investor scepticism.
One: Your first business might succeed against the odds.
Two: The more disciplined with money you are the first time around, the better off your personal brand, and the greater your chances of being backed for your next venture.
Investors aren’t just betting on your business. They’re betting on you.
When it comes to winning investment, numbers and projections will always matter. But they rarely tell the full story. What truly convinces investors is the person behind the pitch:
The narrative you tell.
The credibility you’ve built.
The confidence you project.
Case in point: personal branding isn’t a “nice to have". It’s the difference between blending into the noise and standing out as someone worth backing.
Because in the end, investors aren’t just betting on your business. They’re betting on you.