I still remember it clearly. It was shortly after nine in the evening; our workshop had long since ended, and the coffee cups on the table had already gone cold. We were still talking with four of the participants about careers, the leap into self-employment, leadership, and why some people seem to land the most exciting projects, the best positions, and the highest-paying clients with apparent ease, while others with at least as much merit remain in the background.

Then one of the women said something that caused the room to fall silent for a few seconds.

I feel like I always have to prove myself first. Others are simply seen as experts without ever having had to prove themselves.

I’ve been hearing this phrase for years, in various forms, from women in all kinds of professions and at different stages of life—from executives as well as female founders who are just starting their first businesses.

And every time, I think the same thing: It’s not because these women are less capable. In my work, I encounter women almost every day who possess impressive professional expertise, judgment that is irreplaceable, and a sense of responsibility that one would wish for in many a boardroom. Women who lead teams through crises, build companies from the ground up, manage complex projects, and develop ideas that simply didn’t exist before.

Nevertheless, many of them remain under the radar. Not because they aren’t good enough, but because they’ve long relied on something that, unfortunately, isn’t true: that good work will be noticed on its own. That’s exactly what sets them apart from the women who are immediately recognized by everyone as experts. And that’s exactly the difference that can be learned.

We’ve learned to work, but not to talk about it

The figures confirm what was palpable that evening. According to the AllBright Foundation’s Fall 2025 report, titled “Crisis Paralysis,” 80 percent of the board members of German publicly traded companies were still men as of September 2024, even though women have been earning more degrees in economics than men for over ten years. The higher the position, the lower the proportion of women. And according to the foundation, new appointments to executive boards still largely follow the same pattern as they did years ago.

For female founders, the situation is no better. EY Parthenon’s Startup Barometer shows that in 2026, out of 660 startups that had secured funding, only 21 had an all-female founding team—a mere three percent. They received 53 million euros in venture capital—roughly one percent of the 7.8 billion euros that flowed into German startups overall. All-male teams received 94 percent. Thomas Prüver, a partner at EY Parthenon, sums it up in the study: If only one percent of the capital goes to female founders, it creates the impression that female entrepreneurship is less promising, which further deters potential female founders.

These figures don’t explain everything. But they show that visibility for women is not a side issue; for many, it is literally a matter of capital, position, and influence. And they reveal something encouraging: Those who are aware of this gap can take targeted steps to address it.

Part of the explanation lies deeper, in the way we were socialized. Most of us grew up believing that hard work, reliability, and good results will be rewarded sooner or later. We’ve learned to complete tasks conscientiously, take on responsibility, and deliver. Hardly anyone taught us to make that performance visible and to talk about it.

A study published in the *Journal of Social Psychology* measured exactly that in a simulated job interview situation. The difference between self-assessment and external assessment was about one-third greater among the participating women than among the men. Women rated their own performance significantly lower than those around them actually rated it. Not because they performed worse, but because they assessed themselves as being worse than they actually were.

Many women associate personal branding with self-promotion. Some fear coming across as arrogant. Others simply don’t want to put themselves in the spotlight. I can fully understand each of these concerns. Nevertheless, for me, personal branding has nothing to do with putting on a show or making oneself out to be something more than one is. It means giving other people the opportunity to recognize who we are, what we stand for, and what we can contribute. If you don’t tell your story, you remain invisible. And invisibility is rarely rewarded, as the figures from AllBright and EY show very clearly.

Communication lies between competence and perception

In my work as a consultant and trainer, I see almost every day how critically women evaluate their own performance compared to what they’re actually capable of. While they downplay their successes, others speak about their skills with great confidence. This has nothing to do with having more talent. It’s simply a different way of communicating.

Today, simply being technically excellent is no longer enough. People need to understand why you’re the right person to turn to, what area of expertise sets you apart, and what mindset drives your work. This isn’t a marketing strategy, as some might fear. It’s clarity. And clarity builds trust—with supervisors just as much as with clients or investors.

Networking doesn’t start at an event

When I ask women what comes to mind when they hear the word “networking,” I often hear “small talk,” “business cards,” and “superficial conversations at receptions.” For me, networking means something completely different.

Most of the opportunities in my own professional life didn’t come from job applications. They came about because people talked to one another, because someone passed on my name, because that first conversation led to trust. A network isn’t about having as many contacts as possible. It’s about relationships, genuine interest, mutual support, and people who know what you stand for.

That’s why, for me, personal branding and networking go hand in hand. One creates clarity; the other creates connections.

Storytelling: Why Stories Are More Powerful Than Resumes

What has fascinated me for years is the power of stories. Not the polished success stories that sometimes make it seem on social media as if success were a straight line. I’m talking about the real stories. The moments when we’ve had doubts. The experiences that have changed the way we see the world. The values that shape our decisions.

That’s exactly where a connection is formed. People rarely remember individual milestones in someone’s career. They remember the people whose stories have touched them. For me, storytelling is therefore not a communication tool, but an opportunity to put a face to one’s expertise—not to attract attention, but to build trust.

Harvard Business Manager has also devoted a special issue to the stereotypes that hinder women’s careers, compiling studies from the fields of economics, psychology, and sociology. A recurring finding: Companies must learn to highlight women’s achievements just as credibly as they do men’s. Until this becomes the norm across the board, it’s up to us to tell our own stories.

Maybe it’s not about greater visibility at all

The longer I work with people, the more I believe that we often ask the wrong question. We ask how we can become more visible. Perhaps we should instead ask how we can become clearer—clear about what we stand for, clear about the value we create, and clear about the story we want to tell.

Ultimately, visibility isn’t a strategy—it’s the result of clarity. And this clarity doesn’t just change how others perceive us. It changes how we present ourselves, make decisions, and seize opportunities—whether we’re employees or running our own businesses.

A Personal Invitation

It was precisely these ideas that led to the creation of our two-day workshop: “ Personal Branding and LinkedIn. Make yourself visible for what makes you unique. “

Dennis and I don’t want to show people how to gain as many followers as possible or how to write the perfect LinkedIn post. We want to help women gain clarity about their positioning, discover their personal stories, consciously build their networks, and authentically showcase their expertise—whether as employees or as founders.

After all, the workplace doesn’t need any more self-promotion. It needs more competent women who have the courage to share their perspectives and take their rightful place.

If you feel that there’s more to you than others see right now, we warmly invite you to join us in Cologne this September to work on that together.

You can find all the information about the workshop here: www.femalexperts.academy/weiterbildungen/personal-branding-linkedin