Meeting Topic
Growth Through Visibility – Tabitha Arthur
Most business owners want the same thing: growth.
More clients, more revenue, more opportunities.
But here’s the truth: real growth doesn’t just come from doing great work – you can’t grow if you stay a secret.
And that means doing the thing most business owners secretly dislike… marketing.
(I can almost hear the collective groan!)
But what if marketing didn’t have to feel salesy?
What if it was simply about helping the people who already need your expertise… find you?
Because right now, there are people out there struggling with exactly what you help with. They’re Googling, scrolling, and searching for someone like you. You might just be the answer they’re looking for – if only they could see you.
Try this quick test:
Google your own name.
What comes up?
If you were your ideal client, would you perceive you as the expert they need?
If the answer is No (or even a hesitant “hmm, not really”), the good news is – you can change that.
When I invested in strategic, authentic brand photography for my own business – before I became a personal branding photographer – it completely transformed how people saw me. My business grew 16x.
I raised my prices to reflect my true value, and clients didn’t bat an eyelid. They told me they expected my prices to be where they were. They trusted me – because through my images and authentic marketing, they felt they already knew me.
Those photos work hard for me every day – even while I sleep.
They reach people I’ve never met, showcase my expertise, and build trust before we ever have a conversation.
At events, people come up to me saying, “I feel like I already know you from your posts!”
Some even tell me they’ve been waiting for the right moment to book their own photoshoot.
That’s the power of visibility. It grows your business by building connection and trust.
If you want your marketing to work that hard for you, here are three simple steps:
- Use real photos of you.
Make sure your photographer helps you relax so you look like your best self. Skip the AI – people can tell, and it undermines trust. - Update your profile photo strategically.
When you refresh your image on LinkedIn or social media, engagement spikes. Use that moment to reintroduce yourself or share a new offer – people are paying attention. - Show up regularly.
Challenge yourself to appear in your feed at least once every 6-12 posts. It might feel a lot to you – but trust me, it doesn’t to your audience. My own goal is once a week – and it’s made all the difference.
Because growth isn’t just about doing more.
It’s about being seen more – as the expert you already are.
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Tabitha Arthur is a Wellington-based personal branding photographer helping women who create, lead, and inspire show up with confidence and authority online.
tabithaarthur.com
Next Meeting Topic
Stop Managing Performance – Try Coaching – Kate Bacchus
Performance development and management often gets a bad rap – it can feel formal, forced, awkward or focused on fixing problems or filling out a form.
What if performance conversations were about growth, not judgment? What if, instead of just managing performance, we coached it?
When leading teams or juggling multiple roles, this mindset shift can transform how you connect, motivate, and hold your people accountable.
- Ask Before You Tell
When things don’t go to plan, resist the instinct to jump in directly with solutions or the provision of the answers. Coaching begins with curiosity.
Try asking, and listening openly to the responses:
- “What worked well?”
- “What would you do differently next time?”
- “What else could you consider?”
These questions encourage reflection and ownership. The team member becomes part of the solution, not the problem. You can still provide guidance—just do it after you’ve listened.
- Catch People Doing Good
Feedback isn’t just about correction – it’s also about recognition. However, it’s a dreaded process by many people (leaders and team members’ alike) because we often don’t do it well or often, and when we do – it is often only focused on the negative.
Instead, make it a habit to notice small wins and acknowledge them out loud:
“I noticed how you handled that client call – clear and calm under pressure. Nice work.”
Positive reinforcement builds confidence and reinforces what “good” looks like. It drives momentum far more effectively than an annual performance review.
- Develop Strengths, Don’t Fix Weaknesses
We develop faster when we build on what energises us. Research from the Centre for Creative Leadership and insights from strength focused work (i.e. Strengths Profile and Gallup), shows that focusing on strengths leads to higher engagement and sustainable performance than focusing on developing or fixing weaknesses.
Instead of asking, “What needs fixing?” ask:
- Is this weakness actually a risk?
- If yes, which strengths can help support or balance it?
This reframes development from “repair” into “growth”.
- Balance Care with Challenge
A coaching approach doesn’t avoid accountability or ownership. Rather it is about blending emotional awareness with clear expectations.
Set direction, provide feedback, and hold space for people to learn. When leaders model curiosity and consistency, they build trust and trust aids driving performance.
And remember: knowing when to seek support is also good leadership. Some situations are complex. Reach out for guidance when needed.
Where to Start
Shifting from managing to coaching takes practice. Start small and keep going:
- Replace judgment with curiosity.
- Listen actively without interruption.
- Recognise what’s working, not just what isn’t.
- Develop people’s strengths and unrealised strengths, not weaknesses.
- Repeat these discussions, and do this regularly to build trust and better performance.
The best performance cultures are definitely not built on paperwork and forced pro-forma performance meetings, they’re built on on-going real conversation, curiosity, and care.
Looking for more support or guidance?
Kate Bacchus | Founder, HR Butter
LinkedIn @katebacchus
