In a recent LinkedIn post, Heather Monahan shares a surprising realization about her own profile’s visibility, stemming from an exercise where she had six distinct “AI buyers” critically review her professional online presence. Monahan, who boasts over 341,000 followers on the platform, detailed how these simulated buyer personas offered a stark assessment that prompted a significant re-evaluation of how her accomplishments were being presented.
The Verdict: Visibility Over Underbuilding
The core feedback Monahan received was pointed and clear: “You didn’t underbuild your record. You underbuilt its visibility.” This insight, delivered by a diverse group including a Fortune 500 buyer, a speaker bureau representative, a board nominating committee member, a potential coaching client, a brand partner, and a competitor, suggests that even extensive experience can go unnoticed if not effectively showcased.
“You didn’t underbuild your record. You underbuilt its visibility.”
Monahan expressed her initial surprise, noting the significant achievements that were, in her view, “buried in my profile the whole time.” She highlighted substantial professional milestones that were not immediately apparent to a casual or even a discerning observer.
Key Achievements Overlooked
Among the accomplishments Monahan pointed out as being inadequately visible were:
- Driving a business from $25 million to a $55 million sale.
- A 14-year career progression to Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), overseeing hundreds of millions in annual revenue across 53 radio stations and managing over 1,000 employees.
- Current service on a public company’s Board Audit and Compensation Committee.
This revelation led Monahan to a broader conclusion about the professional landscape.
I’d bet a lot of accomplished people are sitting on the exact same gap and have no idea just like me.
She argues that many successful individuals may possess impressive track records but fail to translate that success into clear, accessible visibility on platforms like LinkedIn. This disconnect, she suggests, can hinder career advancement, business development, and overall professional recognition.
Actionable Insights and Peer Engagement
To help others avoid this pitfall, Monahan indicated that the specific prompt she used for her “board meeting” exercise is available on her Substack, encouraging her audience to “steal it” and conduct their own profile reviews. She framed this as an opportunity for professionals to run their own internal “board meetings” to uncover what their profiles might be “hiding.”
Steal it. Run your own board meeting. Then come back and tell me: what was your profile hiding?
Monahan concluded by expressing eagerness to hear the discoveries her followers make, fostering a sense of shared learning and professional development. Her post serves as a compelling case study on the critical importance of profile optimization and strategic visibility for even the most seasoned professionals.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Heather Monahan on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 3, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →