Unforgettable Presence

Selected as a Next Big Idea Club Must Read

Are you an ambitious hard worker and high-achiever—but feeling stuck, unseen, and struggling to move up in your career?

Being great at your job isn't enough anymore. In today's competitive workplace, ambitious professionals need to master both how and where they show up if they want to stand out and be recognized.

Lorraine K. Lee knows this journey firsthand. As a shy, overlooked introvert who became a sought-after keynote speaker, she discovered that success comes not from working harder, but from being intentional about your professional presence. Through her role as a founding editor at LinkedIn and work with Fortune 500 companies, she's helped millions of professionals develop an intentional, powerful presence that takes them from invisible to unforgettable.

Drawing from research-backed principles, personal anecdotes, and insights from interviews with dozens of industry leaders, including bestselling author Daniel Pink and Radical Candor's Kim Scott, Unforgettable Presence teaches you how to:

• Master virtual presence using proven frameworks for standing out in today’s workplace
• Deliver impactful presentations with confidence and authority
• Develop executive presence at any career stage
• Leverage LinkedIn to stay top-of-mind and be recognized for your expertise
• Transform your team’s presence and impact as a leader
• Give and receive feedback that inspires change
• Lead meetings that your teammates don’t dread

This guide introduces practical frameworks to help you build influence and be seen as a leader, and gives you concrete tools to increase your impact immediately. You'll learn to communicate with confidence, build strategic relationships, and advocate for yourself and your team effectively.

Whether you're an introvert seeking greater visibility or a leader looking to amplify your team's impact, Unforgettable Presence provides the proven frameworks and practices to ensure you're remembered for all the right reasons. It's time to take control of your career trajectory by mastering both how and where you show up so that you can create a presence that makes you truly unforgettable.

Introduction: What Does It Mean to Be Unforgettable?

Part I Building Your Foundation 1

1 Crafting Your Career Brand 3

2 Turning Video Into Your Superpower 23

3 Using LinkedIn the Right Way 41

Part II Today’s Key Skills 65

4 Becoming a Confident Communicator 67

5 Supercharging Your Virtual Presentations 85

6 Leading Meetings That Are Actually Good 103

Part III Career Advancement 119

7 Making Yourself Unforgettable to Executives 121

8 Building Influence at Any Level 137

9 Managing Your Manager 155

Part IV Leadership and Management 175

10 Thinking Like a Manager 177

11 Increasing Your Team’s Presence 191

12 Expert Advice on Executive Presence 207

Conclusion: An Unforgettable Future 225

Acronyms and Frameworks 233

Notes 235

Acknowledgments 241

About the Author 245

Index 247

LORRAINE K. LEE is an award-winning global keynote speaker, executive coach, and instructor for Stanford Continuing Studies and LinkedIn Learning. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice, she has hundreds of thousands of LinkedIn followers and more than a decade of experience leading editorial teams at top tech firms. Lorraine empowers Fortune 500 organizations, teams, and individuals to supercharge their leadership skills, influence, and impact. She has been featured in various media outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc. and Entrepreneur.

You work hard. You deliver results. Yet somehow, it’s your peers who seem to get all the recognition and advance while you’re stuck wondering why you’re getting left behind. In today’s competitive workplace, being good at your job is no longer enough — you need to be unforgettable.

In Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career, award-winning keynote speaker and founding LinkedIn news editor Lorraine K. Lee reveals the secret that separates those who advance from those who stagnate: knowing how to be seen and heard in the right ways, at the right times, by the right people. Through her proven frameworks and strategies, she shows ambitious professionals how to transform from overlooked to unforgettable.

This isn’t just another book about “executive presence.” Lee breaks down professional presence into two critical components that experts miss: “how” you are perceived and “where” you are seen. When mastered together, these elements become a career accelerator that helps you get noticed, earn recognition, and advance with confidence.

Drawing on her decades-long career as a founding editor at companies like LinkedIn and Prezi, Lee combines personal stories and actionable tactics that are tailored for today’s digital-first workplace, such as:

• Advocating for yourself and your team with confidence
• Navigating underrepresentation in the workplace
• Commanding attention with executive presence
• Leading meetings that inspire action
• Building influence that opens doors
• Expanding your impact on LinkedIn
• Creating a standout career brand
• Excelling as a team leader

In addition, you’ll get insights gleaned from Lee’s interviews with 36 renowned business leaders and experts, including 5x New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink, Radical Candor ’s Kim Scott, content creator Corporate Natalie, and communication expert Vinh Giang.

Whether you’re an introvert looking to be heard, an underrepresented professional aiming to break through, or a leader wanting to amplify your team’s impact, Unforgettable Presence provides the blueprint. You’ll learn exactly how to take control of your career trajectory and create a presence that makes you truly unforgettable.

Praise for Unforgettable Presence

“If you’ve ever felt that your hard work wasn’t enough to move you forward, this book will change your perspective. It shows that the answer isn’t to become loud, flashy, or inauthentic. Instead, the secret is to follow Lee’s advice and craft a professional presence that reflects who you are while making sure the right people notice.”
—DANIEL H. PINK, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret and To Sell Is Human

“Unforgettable Presence is a powerful guide for leaders who want to foster deeper connections and seamless collaboration across any setting. Through tactical frameworks and relatable stories, Lorraine K. Lee shows us how both teams and individuals can communicate with purpose, build confidence, and create lasting impact.”
—ERIC S. YUAN, Founder and CEO of Zoom

“Unforgettable Presence is an empowering guide for anyone eager to own their career journey. Lorraine K. Lee provides practical, accessible strategies to build confidence, elevate influence, and make a lasting impact. This book is an essential resource for women in technology and beyond to navigate challenges, amplify their voices, and inspire meaningful growth at every level.”
—FAYE IOSOTALUNO, CEO of Tinder

“In business and in life, how you show up matters. Unforgettable Presence is your guide to making every interaction count. Lorraine K. Lee offers a clear, actionable roadmap that’s as enjoyable to read as it is impactful.”
—EVERETTE TAYLOR, CEO of Kickstarter

“In a world where early-in-career individuals are pressured to have an authentic personal brand from day one on the job, this is the career guide I wish I had starting out. Lorraine K. Lee breaks down complex topics into clear, actionable strategies for anyone serious about leveling up.”
—NATALIE MARSHALL (aka Corporate Natalie), Content Creator and Advisor

“Unforgettable Presence is the ultimate guide for stepping into your power and owning your value at work. Lorraine K. Lee breaks it down with actionable advice and relatable stories that anyone — from entry-level to exec — can use to get noticed and make moves.”
—VIVIAN TU, New York Times bestselling author of Rich AF and CEO of Your Rich BFF

"If you've ever felt that your hard work wasn't enough to move you forward, this book will change your perspective. It shows that the answer isn't to become loud, flashy, or inauthentic. Instead, the secret is to follow Lee's advice and craft a professional presence that reflects who you are while making sure the right people notice."
—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret and To Sell Is Human

"Unforgettable Presence is a powerful guide for leaders who want to foster deeper connections and seamless collaboration across any setting. Through tactical frameworks and relatable stories, Lorraine K. Lee shows us how both teams and individuals can communicate with purpose, build confidence, and create lasting impact."
—Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom

"In business and in life, how you show up matters. Unforgettable Presence is your guide to making every interaction count. Lorraine K. Lee offers a clear, actionable roadmap that's as enjoyable to read as it is impactful."
—Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter

"Unforgettable Presence is an empowering guide for anyone eager to own their career journey. Lorraine Lee provides practical, accessible strategies to build confidence, elevate influence, and make a lasting impact. This book is an essential resource for women in technology and beyond to navigate challenges, amplify their voices, and inspire meaningful growth at every level."
—Faye Iosotaluno, CEO of Tinder

"In a world where early-in-career individuals are pressured to have an authentic personal brand from day one on the job, this is the career guide I wish I had starting out. Lorraine K. Lee breaks down complex topics into clear, actionable strategies for anyone serious about leveling up."
—Natalie Marshall (aka Corporate Natalie), Content Creator and Advisor

"Unforgettable Presence is a must-read for any team aiming to build confidence, presence, and leadership skills. I'd recommend this to any leader who wants to invest in their team's growth and success, and develop a high-impact team."
—Stanley Tang, DoorDash Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer

"Unforgettable Presence is the ultimate guide for stepping into your power and owning your value at work. Lorraine K. Lee breaks it down with actionable advice and relatable stories that anyone—from entry-level to exec—can use to get noticed and make moves."
—Vivian Tu, NYT Bestselling Author of Rich AF and CEO of Your Rich BFF

"Unforgettable Presence is more than a career guide—it's a call to action for professionals to show up for others and themselves. Lorraine's thoughtful advice and stories will leave you feeling inspired to show up with purpose and presence every day."
—Sherrie Westin, CEO of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street

"In Unforgettable Presence, Lorraine shares practical steps for building a successful career in today's corporate world and shows us that leadership is a skill anyone can develop. This book is a meaningful guide for anyone ready to unlock their full potential."
—Christina Hall, Chief People Officer of Instacart

"Making the leap from mid-level manager to strategic leader is one of the toughest transitions—but Lorraine K. Lee provides a clear roadmap to get there. Her insights, paired with stories and advice from dozens of other leaders, make this an essential read for anyone ready to uplevel their career."
—Arin Bhowmick, Chief Design Officer, SAP

"Working with Lorraine has always been a highlight for our teams at Cisco—her insights are practical, refreshing, and easy to put into action. Unforgettable Presence brings that same energy, offering leaders a toolkit for building genuine influence and impact. It's the kind of book you'll keep coming back to."
—Carlo Dela Fuente, Chief of Staff & Director of Business Operations – Cisco (Webex)

"Lorraine K. Lee's Unforgettable Presence delivers what every ambitious professional and entrepreneur needs to thrive: a roadmap for building credibility, making an impact, and leaving a lasting impression in every interaction."
—Jason Feifer, editor in chief, Entrepreneur magazine

"In a world where attention is our most precious commodity, having a strong, authentic presence is critical. Lorraine Lee provides specific, actionable advice to help all of us break through the noise and have the impact we want."
—Matt Abrahams, Strategic Communication Lecturer at Stanford GSB, host of Think Fast Talk Smart the Podcast, and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter

"Setting yourself apart from everyone else is easier said than done. But Lorraine's insights, lessons and the information she's gathered in this instructive manual will help anyone thrive in corporate America, entrepreneurship, and beyond."
—Angel Au-Yeung, reporter at The Wall Street Journal and co-author of Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley

"Lorraine Lee's Unforgettable Presence is the confidence boost every professional needs. A must-read for anyone ready to make their mark in the professional world."
—Vanessa Van Edwards, Founder at ScienceofPeople.com and best-selling author

"Unforgettable Presence is a career game-changer, packed with Lorraine K. Lee's expert insights on crafting a standout brand that gets you seen and recognized."
—Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game and executive education faculty, Columbia Business School

"Profound. Resonant. Transformational. A gift every mentor should offer those in their professional care."
—H Walker, Vice President & Human Centered Strategies Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

"Lorraine K. Lee has nailed the formula for professional presence. Unforgettable Presence is a powerful resource for those who want to be seen, heard, and respected in any room they walk (or dial) into."
—Ross Pomerantz (aka "Corporate Bro"), Entrepreneur and Content Creator

"Unforgettable Presence by Lorraine K. Lee is the ultimate guide to becoming the CEO of your own career, blending wit, relatable stories, and actionable strategies to help you create a lasting impact, regardless of the room in which you find yourself. Whether you're navigating the post-COVID workplace or rethinking what it means to lead, get ready to uplevel your skills, master your professional presence, and finally get noticed for the incredible work you're already doing!
—Soni Basi, Global CHRO and former Global Chief People Officer of Edelman

"In today's fast-evolving workplace, individuals and teams alike can benefit from the confidence and communication strategies in Unforgettable Presence. Lorraine Lee's tactical advice empowers leaders to help their teams stand out and succeed."
—Robert Glazer, #1 WSJ and USA Bestselling Author of Elevate Your Team & Friday Forward

"Unforgettable Presence will help you craft your career and give you the confidence to show up with purpose and authenticity each day. Whether you're an emerging leader or an exec, this is the kind of book you'll turn to again and again."
—Sara Felsenstein, Brand and Content Strategy Director, IBM

"At a time when we see work contacts in person less than ever, establishing a memorable and effective personal brand is essential no matter what your career or life stage. I've had the pleasure of watching Lorraine Lee grow her own unforgettable presence over the last decade, and one need only glance at her vast and brilliant body of work to conclude that there is no one better to write this book."
—Alexandra Levit, author of Deep Talent

"I struggled to find and own my presence in my career. Lorraine provides a valuable roadmap on how to be simply unforgettable."
—Mita Mallick, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Best Selling Author, Reimagine Inclusion

"Today, presence is paramount. Being seen and leading in a modern workplace requires building lasting influence. Unforgettable Presence redefines what it means to achieve professional success in the modern era. With compelling insights and practical frameworks, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to make an impact."
—Susan Howe, Chief Executive Officer of the Weber Shandwick Collective

"With instability being the only certainty of the current job market, today's young professional must develop a set of skills that will enable her to stand out in a fuzzy, Zoom landscape. Lee teaches us how to do just that—this guide should be required reading for all budding professionals."
—Charles Whitaker, Dean at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University

"Lorraine's transparency and skillful use of storytelling makes Unforgettable Presence a captivating read. This guide will become a staple for the evolving professional, empowering readers to navigate their journeys with authenticity and purpose."
—Ashleigh C. Watts, Sr. Learning & Development Leader, Cisco

"In an era where authenticity and visibility are paramount, Lorraine Lee's Unforgettable Presence serves as an indispensable resource for anyone determined to leave a lasting impression in their career."
—Diana Steen, Learning & Development Sr. Specialist at ASICS

"So much about the world of work comes down to how you show up and the impression you leave on others. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, Lorraine Lee has filled this book with the tools you need to stand out, make a difference and get ahead."
—Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor for jobs and career development

"Lorraine K. Lee's Unforgettable Presence is a must-read for anyone serious about standing out in today's world. Her actionable insights help you not only show up but do so with purpose and authenticity—both online and in person. This book is your guide to creating a career presence that truly makes an impact."
—Ann Low, Senior Director of Talent Development, LinkedIn

"Creating a strong social presence, selling, and knowing how to make a memorable impression have become even more critical in today's digital world because of the abundance of information and distractions online. Lorraine Lee provides ways to successfully stand out amongst all the noise, no matter what role you're in."
—Paul Park, Chief Revenue Officer at Sparrow, Board Member at Distillery

"Unforgettable Presence is the book I wish I had early in my career, but I'm glad I have it now! It's packed with actionable tips to grow in your career, even if you're a seasoned professional. Just getting started on LinkedIn? Working towards your next promotion? Looking to grow your network? This book will help you do it faster.
—Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing, Portfolio at Atlassian and author of Human-Centered Marketing: How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI

"This book is for anyone ready to level up their career! Lorraine delivers powerful examples, expert insights, and actionable strategies to help you stop just working hard—and start working smart, getting noticed, and accelerating your growth."
—Casey Zanowicz, Tech Talent Experience Lead of Deloitte Consulting

"For those ready to break through the noise, Unforgettable Presence offers a roadmap to mastering your presence with confidence and authenticity. Lorraine's insights equip ambitious professionals to be noticed and valued in any environment."
—Brandon Carson, Global Talent Development Leader and Author

"Forget building a personal brand, and instead craft an Unforgettable Presence to get the most out of your career. As the authority on professional presence, Lorraine offers tangible advice on how and where to show up so standing out for the right reasons becomes a daily practice and priority."
—Brian Honigman, marketing consultant, career coach for marketers, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and Fast Company contributor

"An essential read for high-potential professionals ready to be recognized as the leaders they truly are. Unforgettable Presence blends relatable stories with practical advice for anyone who wants to make their presence known."
—Shivani Berry, CEO & Founder of Arise Leadership