The Newsletter, Issue #97
September 15th, 2026

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

Hi Reader,

Last week, I sat down to review a client's last ten posts before our call. I usually look at their social media output in-between our planned focus sessions.

What I saw was great, to be honest. The grammar was good, the structure of the caption was solid, and every post was technically correct.

But, one thing stood out for me .. I couldn't tell you a single thing about the person who wrote them (I mean, I know her, but if I was someone new to her page, that would be the first thing that stands out to me).

Nothing in those ten posts told me what she'd actually lived, what she'd gotten wrong, what she'd figured out the hard way. It read like she'd researched her own expertise instead of drawing from it, and experiencing it.

This is very common, now that everyone is using AI (we all do, and AI is not the issue)

I see this constantly, and if I'm honest, I've caught myself doing it too because it is such an easy trap.

As experts, we have our own experiences to draw from, and so many time, we use research to confirm our perspective.

That's fine (and sometimes necessary), but not everyone stops there, right?

Let's be realistic: research feels productive.. and safe. Nobody can push back on a well-sourced framework, and that's the trap.

Safe content is also forgettable content, because it could have come from anyone. And then when we add the layer of AI, where we source our voice and opinions and ideas to, the results come out 'factual' but also bland and impersonal.

If you've been having that experience (which we all have at some point of another), I want to share with you a short audit I run on my own content, and now on my clients', before anything gets published.

THE FIVE QUESTIONS

1- Could someone else have written this without ever talking to me?
If the answer is yes, then it's probably written with more research and less experience infused into it. Swap the generic example for a specific one only you could tell.

2- Does this include a real decision, a mistake, or a moment, not just a lesson or information dump?
Lessons are easy to state, but what makes content sound like you is the actual situation the lesson came from, and that's what needs to be included.

3- Would this sentence survive being read out loud to a client who was there?
Believe it or not, alot of sentences, when read out loud, sound completely different in how it lands than when writing it. If you wince or say "that's not really what happened," or the way it is written doesn't sound like how you'd say it, then know that the framing has drifted too far from the truth.

4- Am I explaining a concept, or showing what it actually looked like in practice?
Let's be honest, concepts are now everywhere online. Share what the experience or idea looked/felt like in your experience.

5- If I removed my name from this, would anyone in my industry know it was me?
This is the most important question because the answer will help you know if what you're sharing is generic (and your voice will be lost in a sea of competitors) or if it's truly your opinion and perspective, which builds your name in a crowded market.

Run your last five (or ten) posts through these questions, and if you find one or two that are all research or generic content, then know that it's just a sign of exactly where to add the real layer back in.

Deal Rana? Hit reply and tell me how many posts actually passed.

And if you need to do a deep assessment, that goes into much more detail, I have something you can use, Brand Beyond Social™

This is based on the assessments I use with my private 1-1 clients, and using my TRUST Method™ Framework.

Brand Beyond Social™ is a personal brand self-assessment masterclass and workbook for experts, founders, solopreneurs, and business owners like you, who are showing up online but are still struggling to turn their visibility into a trusted reputation that grows their business.

Learn more about it here, and if you have any questions, just hit reply and send them over. I'll answer them all.

Have a great week. Keep making waves. You've got this.

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PS: NEW EPISODE ON LET'S MAKE WAVES PODCAST: This week, I'm talking about where binge-worthy content actually comes from.

There's something about about a rock climbing wall, turning 50, and a lesson I picked up years ago watching a creative team avoid their desks entirely before a big brief, also in there.

It's about why clarity rarely shows up when you're trying to think your way into it.

If this newsletter got you thinking about what's actually behind your last few posts, that episode is the other half of this conversation. Listen on Apple or Spotify.