This week: Somewhere along the line, the word reputation got a bad rep. We talk a lot more about "bad reps" than we celebrate good ones. It often feels like reputation is something that happens to us, but really, it should be something we carefully nurture.

Hi Reader:

Something cool happened this week—a new contact reached out to me on LinkedIn because they "heard" I speak about AI. I didn't pitch them. I didn't send a cold message. They just... found me.

That's what a strong reputation does. It opens doors you didn't knock on and attracts opportunities you didn't have to chase.

But somewhere along the line, the word reputation got a bad rep. We talk about "bad reps" more than good ones. We treat reputation like something that happens to us when things go wrong, instead of something we intentionally build.

Here's the thing: in 2026, when anyone can claim expertise, learn skills quickly, and use AI to scale their message, your reputation is what separates you from everyone else.

This week's article breaks down what reputation really is—and how to build yours strategically.

Read: What is Reputation?

Monica

This Week's Article

What is Reputation?

Your reputation is your most valuable business asset — it determines your pricing power, the quality of opportunities you attract, and how quickly you secure new business.

But most founders can’t clearly articulate what they’re known for, which means they’re invisible to both people and algorithms.

This article breaks down the Know/Like/Trust/Sizzle framework and shows how AI can quietly erode your reputation.

Upcoming Events

• ​AI Impact on Business (Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce; 2/11)
• ​City of Albuquerque Small Biz Resource Fair (CABQ, 2/18; Free)
• ​Marketing Content in Minutes (SCORE.org, 2/24; Free)
• Women Make a Difference (April)
• AI & Automation for SCORE Colorado (May)

What I'm Reading

🔵 This Whole AI Thing Is Simpler than You Think — AI isn't failing because the technology doesn't work. Writer Douglas Rushkoff argues the real opportunity is helping your people understand how AI enhances their capabilities. [Fast Company]

🟢 How to Get AI to Stop Lying: Even HubSpot struggles with AI hallucinations. Here's the process they used to get incorrect information corrected—written as a how-to so you can follow the same steps. [HubSpot]

🟠 Claude Rolls Out Anti-Advertising Ads. After ChatGPT announced it will include paid ads in AI results, Claude AI fired back with hilarious ads like: What do you think of my business idea? Their statement: "Including ads in conversations with Claude would be incompatible with what we want Claude to be: a genuinely helpful assistant for work and deep thinking." Love it. Though one commenter said it best: "I'll remember these ads when Anthropic starts having ads in Claude."

Work With Me

Reputation Glow Up

You can choose to be a premium brand or a commodity provider—but don't let your digital presence make that decision for you.

The Reputation Glow Up is a 60-minute, one-on-one strategy session where I help you evaluate your presence across 25 reputation markers, showing you what people and algorithms see when they're deciding if you're worth their attention and their money.

You walk away with a scored assessment across Know/Like/Trust/Sizzle, a Keep/Stop/Speed Up analysis, and four next-step actions that build on what's already working.

$299 | 60 minutes

Additional Services

✨ Private AI Training — Build a custom training program tailored to your business. Learn how to use AI strategically to amplify your reputation, automate repeatable tasks, and scale your best thinking without losing your voice

📈 Need a Speaker? — Give your team the tools they need to think strategically about AI. Practical workshops and keynotes that help leaders use AI strategically—to amplify what makes them valuable, automate what slows them down, and protect their reputation while scaling their impact.

📘 Schedule a Free Vision Call — Ready to use AI to build a powerful, fast-moving strategy? Schedule a free Vision Call and let's talk about where you’re going in 2026.

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