The Future Is Personal: Ashleigh Cook of RainFocus On How Leaders Are Building Brands That Outlast Their Businesses
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Let your work speak for itself. You can talk a good game, but you need to have the work and effort to back it up. It’s important to ensure that the work reinforces what you are saying to earn credibility.
People trust people more than they trust companies. That’s why more CEOs, founders, and executives are stepping out from behind the logo and building a real public voice, one that reflects what they stand for and where they’re trying to take their business. In this series, we’re talking with leaders who’ve made that shift, from running the day-to-day to becoming recognizable authorities in their space. They’ve learned that credibility builds over time, and that personal branding, when done right, can create influence that leads to something very meaningful.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashleigh Cook.
Ashleigh Cook, CMO at RainFocus, is an accomplished marketing executive with deep expertise in sales, marketing and product best practices and technology. Before RainFocus, she led marketing teams spanning GTM strategy, demand generation, ABM, client marketing and operations at SiriusDecisions and Forrester.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into the discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your backstory and what brought you to your current career path?
Thank you for having me! I’ve been working in the marketing industry for nearly two decades and the industry has undergone several shifts during my time.
Throughout my career, I have dedicated my work to supporting the growth of mid-sized businesses and large enterprises by implementing innovative strategies to enhance their brand, demand, and enablement efforts. Collaborating closely with sales, client success, and product teams, I have focused on measuring and improving each stage of the marketing funnel. One of the key tactics I have found to be instrumental in achieving these goals is through events and meetings. These immersive experiences facilitate meaningful engagement across the customer journey, and it’s what fuels my passion at RainFocus. As the CMO, I work alongside our remarkable teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences that align with the ever-evolving expectations and advancements in technology. The marketing and events industry is currently at a pivotal point, and I am excited to be a part of it.
Was there a defining moment when you realized that building a personal brand was no longer optional for leaders, it was essential?
Yes, I realized it when I saw how much influence thoughtful and authentic leadership had on broader industry conversations especially from leaders I admire. Each of them masterfully blends their personal brand with their organizations, representing their companies in a differentiated way. Those with strong, differentiated personal brands were the ones building meaningful connections with key stakeholders at events, being recognized as thought leaders and ultimately advancing their organizations’ objectives. Leaders are representing more than their companies, they are also shaping perspectives and influence where the industry is headed. If you are passionate about your industry, it’s important to be a part of that dialogue. And that requires a personal voice.
How would you describe the relationship between your business brand and your personal brand today? Do they operate separately, or are they intentionally intertwined?
For me, they’re intentionally intertwined, but do tend to cover different landscapes.
From the business side, I’ve always been passionate about the power of events and human connection. Events create better brand experiences and, from my perspective, remain one of the most effective marketing channels when done right. A lot of my thought leadership in this space focuses on our mission, how we’re helping organizations achieve their goals, and how the industry is evolving.
From a personal brand standpoint, my focus shifts more toward my values and leadership style. I care deeply about developing future generations of leaders. Mentorship, especially for rising talent in marketing and business, is something that really fills my cup.
The two reinforce each other. How I lead and what I believe in show up in the ways I talk about our business, and vice versa.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about personal branding for established leaders or executives?
The biggest misconception is that personal branding means you have to have everything figured out. Majority of the time you don’t, and that’s okay.
Early in my career I found myself putting too much emphasis on mastering the current best practice, whether that was a channel or part of our tech stack. What I have learned is that the channel, tech, and buyer’s journey are constantly changing in a big way.
At the same time, that’s what makes it a fun challenge and what has drawn me to marketing all of these years. I think true long term success comes from leaning into curiosity and the ability to always be learning. That mindset is far more sustainable, and honestly, far more interesting.
Can you share a time when becoming more visible personally directly benefited your company or career?
Becoming more visible on social channels and in networking groups has better enabled me to develop deeper connections with industry professionals. Networking, participating in CMO communities, and peer groups offer exposure to what other leaders are tackling and discussing. It sparks new ideas for our own organization and challenges my thinking in productive ways.
That visibility has also opened doors from a business standpoint. It has led to introductions to new prospective clients, helped accelerate opportunities or strengthened relationships with existing customers. Visibility, when done with intention, helps build trust and that trust can create momentum.
What were some of the first steps you took to define your personal narrative or thought leadership platform?
Working with a PR agency and a strong branding and communications team has been paramount to help me shape my visibility. Both encouraged me to think strategically about which channels to target, what stories I genuinely had a perspective on, and where I could add real value to the broader community. It forced clarity around what I wanted to stand for and how that aligned with our organizational goals. It’s always a collaborative partnership with feedback provided on both sides to ensure it meets the organization and personal brand objectives.
Many leaders fear self-promotion or worry about appearing “too public.” How did you overcome that mindset, and what advice would you give others struggling with it?
I wouldn’t say I have overcome it at all. I struggle with this on a daily basis. But I have become more comfortable. What helps me is support from my team and seeing small wins that support this strategy.
Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it certainly helps you become more comfortable with it. I rely on trusted team members for feedback. Having people who will validate what’s working or suggest a tweak keeps me grounded and confident in that direction. It’s important that trust goes both ways in order for me to feel confident with what I discuss.
How has media, including interviews, podcasts, and social platforms, helped amplify your personal voice, and what lessons have you learned from those experiences?
Media opportunities have been a forcing function for clarity. They give the opportunity to step back from the regular day to day execution areas and think strategically. Preparing for an interview feels similar to preparing for a presentation. It pushes you to organize and structure your thoughts.
I’ve also learned that consistency of message creates trust. You need to ensure that the messages are cohesive and that you don’t contradict your messages. If your perspective evolves, that’s completely fine, but share why it’s evolving. Talk about the data or experiences influencing that shift. In this realm, it’s important to remain authentic.
Can you share a mistake or misstep you made early in your personal branding journey, and what it taught you?
I’m still struggling with this, but I always thought I needed to have the perfect, polished response. I find it’s better, more authentic, and more effective to share your perspectives as they are to connect with others.
The moments where I best connected with people were not creating the perfect response or message, it was sharing my real life experiences, what I’ve learned, what I’ve been through and what fills my cup. That’s where real human connection comes in.
How do you ensure that your personal brand evolves as you and your business grow, without losing credibility or focus?
It starts with alignment. I regularly align with our brand a communications team on goals and priorities, and I intentionally carve out time to support this as a focus area.
It’s also important to keep in mind that it’s not one-directional. You have to carve out the time to engage with others, respond to comments, participate in discussions, and listen.
In a crowded market, what do you do to sound like yourself instead of generic ‘thought leadership’?
I talk to customers. Real-life conversations with customers provide perspective that you can’t manufacture. Their challenges, feedback, and insights help shape how I think and what I share. That keeps my point of view grounded in real experience rather than abstract trends.
How do you measure whether your personal brand is working, what signals matter, and what signals don’t?
There are some surface-level indicators like follower growth on LinkedIn. I don’t ignore that, because it’s a helpful metric to see how my message is resonating. But it doesn’t tell me the quality of the followers and if they help me advance my own personal brand and/or organization objectives. What matters more is credibility. I find myself asking are the right folks reaching out to me? Are there meaningful conversations happening? Is my perspective valuable to them? Am I building better relationships? Those are the signals that truly indicate impact.
Here is our main question. Based on your experience, what are the top 5 strategies leaders can use to build a personal brand that outlasts their business? (Please share an example or story for each.)
1. Be authentic.
Ensure what you’re speaking about is consistent with how you lead and your perspectives. It’s okay if those evolve over time, but be upfront with the why of what’s changing your perspective.
2. Don’t rely on titles.
Early in my career, I thought the best thought leaders had to have an impressive or high-ranking title. Over time, I’ve realized that the best thought leaders are based on the unique experiences they have had, valuable advice and compelling stories. If you have these, you have a great perspective to share.
3. Let your work speak for itself.
You can talk a good game, but you need to have the work and effort to back it up. It’s important to ensure that the work reinforces what you are saying to earn credibility.
4. Share wins and lessons.
Candidly, I haven’t done a great job of this, but the best thought leaders that I’ve looked up to over the years have shared their wins and success stories as well as learnings throughout the course of their careers navigating different markets, audiences, evolving customer expectations, etc. These are the most valuable because it builds upon their perspectives and expertise. This openness and willingness to share also opens doors for personal human connections that fuel them to learn, inspire, and be better.
5. Develop a niche you care about.
Focus on topics you’re genuinely passionate about. This will ensure that you don’t view building a personal brand as a chore. It needs to be part of something that you are excited about and something that fills your cup. You won’t stick with it if you’re not excited about it.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Using the power and community of events to transform the communities around them for the greater good! Connection is key to success and events bring people together.
How can our readers continue to follow you or your company online?
You can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for sharing all of these insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
The Future Is Personal: Ashleigh Cook of RainFocus On How Leaders Are Building Brands That Outlast… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.