Who is betting on you?
The missing piece when no one is telling your story yet—and how, if that’s the case, you can begin shaping that narrative from scratch, especially when you don’t have the usual signals working in your favor.
We’ve already talked a lot about careers—the core idea that everything starts and ends with you: your inner drive, your purpose, and your skills. But also how careers are not vertical ladders; they’re more of a journey, with small and sometimes bigger changes that directly or indirectly shape your environment.
In this labyrinth of corporate life, talent and hard work matter—but they don’t always get you where you want to go. I believe—and I’ve had many conversations on this—that there’s a deeper truth we don’t often speak about openly, or when we do, it tends to carry a negative connotation.
People move forward when someone else with influence places a bet on their future value. That bet, in the business world, is called sponsorship.
Unlike mentorship—which is about guidance and development—sponsorship is about advocacy. It’s about having someone senior who doesn't just advise you but actively opens doors, speaks your name in the rooms you’re not in, and pushes for your growth because they believe in your potential and are willing to risk a bit of their credibility on you.
But what if you don’t have a sponsor? What if you're not in a tribe that naturally amplifies each other’s stories? What if you don't know how to frame your achievements in a way that people notice?
What if you’re doing the work—but not being seen?
I believe you already know the answer.
And sometimes, it’s that short story—or excuse—you tell yourself about others, while overlooking a clear blind spot in what you still need to develop. This article is about that blind spot. The missing piece when no one is telling your story yet—and how, if that’s the case, you can begin shaping that narrative from scratch, especially when you don’t have the usual signals working in your favor.
