Thought Leadership 101 | Tory Burch Foundation

As the founder of C Talent, an agency representing disabled artists, Keely Cat-Wells had made a name for herself as a leading disability advocate. Then she sold the company in 2022—and realized her professional identity had gone with it. “I felt unmoored,” she recalled. “My authority had been tied to the company.”

The next year, Cat-Wells launched Making Space, a disability employment platform. This time, however, she also created a personal brand alongside it. “I had to rebuild my credibility and visibility from scratch,” she explained. 

Here, as part of our webinar series, Cat-Wells—also a Tory Burch and Gloria Steinem Fellow—shared her blueprint for developing a voice of your own. “A personal brand creates trust, accelerates partnerships and helps you build social capital,” she said. “It’s an investment in you and your longevity.” 

PERSONAL BRAND VS. COMPANY BRAND.

So what exactly is a personal brand? And how does it diverge from your organization’s? Cat-Wells broke down both, and suggested writing statements for each to make the separation clear. 

• A company brand: the promise your business makes about what it delivers and to whom. It’s accountable to customers, investors, employees and partners, and has to survive an exit or name change. 

• A personal brand: your purpose, expertise and point of view. What problems are you addressing? What long-term changes do you want to see? What lived experiences make your perspective essential? This doesn’t mean making yourself the center of attention or putting your whole life online. “You decide what gets shared,” she stressed. 

As for founders whose story is central to the initial business pitch, Cat-Wells pointed out that the company has to eventually stand on its own to scale—all the more reason to build your thought leadership from day one. 

For her, the divide looks like this: Making Space targets workforce transformation and accessible technology; her own brand leans on political advocacy. “The mission is the same,” she said, “but the tone and approach are different.”

CONTENT STRATEGY GUIDE.

There are three main ways to amplify your personal brand: your own digital platforms, op-eds and speaking engagements. 

“Think about the moments that have shaped your journey, the patterns of harm and the wins that show what’s possible when systems change,” said Cat-Wells. “These are the stories that anchor your content. The more you can give people the human side, the better.”

Owned Channels

Start with the channels you control to establish your voice.

• Set up a dedicated website, separate from your business site. In addition to your bio, your area of expertise and what you’re available to do, include press coverage, endorsements as well as logos of organizations that have worked with you. “Media equals credibility,” said Cat-Wells. “And make sure it’s accessible: alt text, image descriptions and captions.”

If you’re interested in panels and public speaking, make that apparent. List the topics you cover, upload clips and add a dedicated speaking email address. 

Not tech-savvy? AI tools like Lovable can help you design a site with natural-language prompts. 

• Leverage social media. You don’t need to be everywhere at once. Prioritize the platforms where the people you want to influence are. 

Some of her best content, Cat-Wells noted, comes from responding to news in real time. To decide what’s worth weighing in on, question the value to your audience. “What’s the intention?” she asked. “Is it going to drive action? Make them sign a petition or sign up to your business?” It’s fine if these posts are messy; don’t let perfectionism get in the way. 

Pro Tip: This shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Create and schedule a week’s worth of posts at once. Recycle content by adapting old posts. “Building a personal brand can feel like a distraction from leading a company,” Cat-Wells cautioned. “Don’t let it get overwhelming.”

Opinion Writing

Published by a third party, op-eds, open letters, columns and guest essays are powerful tools for driving change and elevating your profile as a thought leader. “They create a clear public stance,” said Cat-Wells, “and allow you to mobilize allies quickly.” 

Open letters are particularly impactful when respected names are attached: public figures, activists or CEOs. “You get a snowball effect,” explained Cat-Wells. Case in point: In 2021, she wrote a letter calling on Hollywood to hire disabled talent. Before approaching celebrities, she gathered signatures from the community first. It worked—Naomie Harris and Amy Poehler signed on. That, in turn, got it picked up by the press. 

When pitching journalists, provide a headline-ready summary, key signatures, the stakes, why now and a call to action. Follow up with updates and wins to keep the momentum going. 

Pro Tip: Consider Substack, too. The platform combines the direct connection of an owned channel with the long-form real estate to expand on your ideas. 

Public Speaking

Speaking engagements are a boon for thought leaders, helping to boost credibility and reach while opening doors to funding and partnership opportunities. But, Cat-Wells noted, you’re going to have to go after the openings yourself. 

Start with a company’s employee resource groups, in-house networks organized around a shared identity (LGBTQ+), experience (veterans) or interest (sustainability). Ninety percent of Fortune 500 companies have them, and they’re often looking for speakers for awareness days, workshops or fireside chats.

You can also sign up for speaker bureaus, such as All American Entertainment. Or cold-contact via LinkedIn—search for titles like event manager, conference producer and events coordinator. 

Above all else, ensure you’re getting paid. “This is how you sustain your work,” Cat-Wells emphasized. “People take you far more seriously when you charge, and it sets a standard for other founders to get paid, too.” To gauge the rates, which can vary depending on career stage and deliverables, ask other entrepreneurs in your circle. 

“Remember, your lived experience is expertise,” she added. “Your voice is valuable and let the budget reflect that.” 

THE COLD OUTREACH.

Be shameless. “The worst thing that can happen is that they don’t reply,” said Cat-Wells. “The best thing that can happen is that it can change your trajectory.” 

Here’s her simple framework for the cold ask:

Research in advance.  

“Plan out why you’re reaching out,” she said. “There has to be value for them.” Use terms and language from their website, so they don’t have to interpret what you’re saying. Plus, the more customized, the less it reads like a copy-and-paste message you’ve sent en masse. 

Now, the message itself. 

Whether an email or DM, Cat-Wells breaks it down into a five-part structure. She notes that the micro intro and the point of connection are interchangeable, depending on which is the stronger hook for the recipient. 

• Introduce yourself briefly. 
• Identify the connection—a mutual contact, perhaps, or a shared mission?
• Establish your credibility in one line. Include your lived experience or an impressive measurable result. This is not the time to be humble. 
• Make the ask. Don’t go into too much detail, just enough to spark interest. 
• End with a question. This is the soft close: “Would you be open to a call?” Offer two time options for an easy yes. 

Align your social content. 

Time a post to go live shortly after the ask. If Cat-Wells DMs someone on LinkedIn, for example, she’ll publish a post highlighting work relevant to the organization. “It’s public proof of your impact,” she said. 

Follow up, follow up, follow up. 

Yes, three times. Cat-Wells staggers her follow-ups on a schedule: six days after the initial message, then 15, then 30. Reconnect to the value and add something new—an update, an article or a name drop. “Be respectful,” she said. “Don’t be apologetic or guilt-trip them.” To stay organized, she uses a spreadsheet to track every correspondence and its status. 

The greatest factor in getting a response? The body of work you’ve built as a thought leader. “When you’re frustrated at having to create content on top of everything else you have to deal with as a founder, think of the bigger picture,” Cat-Wells said. “Make your work impossible to ignore.”