Becoming Unforgettable: Lorraine K. Lee on Presence, Power, and Putting Yourself Out There

Doing great work is important. But being seen doing great work? That’s how you become unforgettable.

In this episode of The Ripple, Lorraine K. Lee —LinkedIn Top Voice, keynote speaker, and author of Unforgettable Presence and founder of RISE Learning Solutions —gets honest about why great work alone isn’t enough. She opens up about losing out on a promotion, how being an introvert shaped her career, and what it means to build visibility without selling your soul.

Her message: Intention is not inauthentic. Visibility isn’t self-serving. And you don’t have to be perfect to be remembered.

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Why Great Work Isn’t Enough

Lorraine spent six years at LinkedIn , doing high-visibility projects and earning praise across the board. But the promotion she hoped for never came.

“You would think all these things on paper would be what was needed to advance,” she says. “But it just wasn’t happening.” Only later did she realize: she hadn’t been building her presence.

“Presence isn’t just how people see you in a room. It’s where they see you—on video, in chat, on LinkedIn, in how you show up and advocate for yourself.”

Reflection: Where have you been hoping your work would speak for itself—instead of speaking up for yourself?

Intention Isn’t Inauthentic

Lorraine challenges the myth that strategic presence is manipulative. To her, intention simply means ownership.

“I let a lot of things happen to me,” she says of her early career. “I assumed good work and loyalty would lead to growth. It didn’t. I had to learn how to be the CEO of my own career.”

She also had to unlearn the discomfort of talking about herself. When launching her book, Unforgettable Presence, she wrestled with self-doubt: Am I being annoying? Do I sound too self-promotional?

Her coach flipped the script: "You’re being selfish if you don’t talk about this. It’s going to help people."

Reflection: How might your visibility serve not your own ego—but serve someone who needs your voice?

Start Small. Stay Consistent.

Presence isn’t built in one viral post or big meeting. It’s a slow, intentional layering of small actions over time. Lorraine’s advice: Don’t try to overhaul your presence all at once.

"Pick one thing to improve. Track your impact. Try a new phrase, or start documenting what you do."

She shares the tip that changed her approach at LinkedIn: Write down everything—even the things that seem too small to mention. Those details are often what shift how others see your leadership.

Reflection: What small, repeatable action might help in shaping your public presence the way you want it?

The Risk of Being Seen

As an introvert, visibility didn’t come naturally to Lorraine. It felt risky.

"In my head, the risk was always: what will people think? But the bigger risk was staying silent. The longer you wait to show up, the longer you wait to grow."

She points to the "spotlight effect"—our tendency to believe others are paying more attention to our flaws than they really are. Most people aren’t scrutinizing you. They’re thinking about themselves.

Reflection: What would change if you believed that people wanted you to win?

Unforgettable Doesn’t Mean Overwhelming

Lorraine redefines what it means to be unforgettable.

It doesn’t mean being everywhere. It doesn’t mean perfection. It means being remembered for the right reasons—because people know what you’re about, how you work, and what you stand for.

“Presence is a long game,” she says. “It’s about showing up again and again, in small ways, over time."

Reflection: Where can you start showing up—a little more consistently, and a little more courageously?

Keep the Ripple Going 🌊

We bet you're ready to hear more from Lorraine, we suggest you start with the full episode on The Ripple, with host Ashley Laabs . (And be sure to grab her book also!)

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Make Your Own Waves: Learn how we do what we do from our amazing host, Ashley Laabs of Composure Digital , and our producer, Jelena Djordjevic of KIND Media Productions.