top of page

The Age of AI: Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever

Earlier this month, I took part in a panel discussion titled “The Age of AI – How Female Founders Can Claim Their Voice.” It was one of those rare conversations that reminded me why I do what I do - because the world is changing at speed, and clarity has never been more important.


We live in an era where visibility is currency. But visibility without clarity? That’s just noise.

The old ways of “being seen” are over. A press release, a few social posts, or a brand refresh might give the illusion of momentum, but without strategy, it’s motion without meaning. In a landscape where AI can generate a headline, a paragraph, or an entire campaign in seconds, what will really set you apart isn’t how loud you are. It’s how clear you are.


Lisa Maynard-Atem standing with five women from the EAST VILLAGE. team in a modern industrial space with glass walls and a coral sign in the background. The group is smiling and standing together, representing collaboration and female leadership.
The brilliant EAST VILLAGE. team, where visibility is being redefined. As a newly appointed Advisory Board member, I’m intend to help shape a future where women are seen, heard, and valued, with purpose, not just presence.

AI is Here - But So Are You

Let’s start with the obvious: AI isn’t going anywhere. It’s transforming how we work, how we create, and how we connect. For entrepreneurs and founders, it’s a gift, but only if you use it with intention.


I use AI as part of my workflow and an extension of my thinking. It helps me research faster, organise ideas, and build frameworks that would once have taken days. But I don’t use it to replace my creativity. I use it to protect it. That distinction matters.


AI should be a collaborator, not a crutch. It can analyse, process, and replicate patterns, but it can’t feel the pulse of human experience. It can’t understand nuance, empathy, or intuition. It can’t sit in the complexity of a founder’s journey - the setbacks, the near-misses, the moments that test your conviction. AI can be trained to write your story, but it cannot live it.


The Rise of the Human Brand

If the last decade was about building visibility, the next will be about building voice. When I think about personal branding today, it’s no longer about crafting the perfect LinkedIn headline or a glossy grid of professional photos. Those things help, but they’re only surface-level. A truly powerful personal brand is an ecosystem. It’s the sum of how you show up, what you stand for, and how consistently you live those values across everything you do.


AI has made content easy to produce. But authenticity, real, grounded authenticity, remains the hardest thing to fake. That’s why a founder’s voice will become their most valuable currency.

Your voice is what translates expertise into influence, and influence into opportunity. It’s what helps people trust you, not just know of you. And in an age of algorithms, trust is the ultimate differentiator.


A founder’s personal brand is no longer just about reputation; it’s about resilience. It’s the asset that carries you when markets shift, platforms change, or industries evolve. Because while AI might level the playing field for production, it cannot compete with lived experience, emotional intelligence, or the depth of human storytelling.


Visibility Without Clarity Is Just Noise

This is a phrase I often come back to, and it formed a central part of the panel conversation. We’re in a world that celebrates output, but rarely pauses for alignment. The temptation, especially for founders, is to be everywhere: posting, promoting, performing. But when everything is about attention, we risk losing intention.


Visibility, on its own, doesn’t build legacy.

It’s clarity that turns visibility into value.


Clarity about who you are, what you do, why you do it, and who you serve. Clarity about your goals, your growth, and your guiding principles. This is the heart of personal branding: when every piece of visibility, whether a podcast, a partnership, or a post, reflects a consistent story of purpose. Without that thread, even the smartest marketing tools in the world can’t save you from blending into the noise.


East Village and the Future of Visibility

I’ve recently joined the advisory board of EAST VILLAGE., a company that has boldly repositioned itself from a PR agency to a visibility agency. That language shift might seem small, but it’s seismic.


For years, PR has focused on output - the press release, the coverage, the event. All valuable, but often disconnected from long-term strategy. Visibility, on the other hand, is about building sustainable influence. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being recognised, understood, and remembered.


EAST VILLAGE. has reimagined what visibility can mean for women in business, and that’s precisely why I wanted to be involved. Their mission is to create a new standard for how women are seen, heard, and valued. It aligns perfectly with the work I do around personal branding: helping founders move beyond performance and towards positioning, so that their visibility has purpose and their presence has power.


Together, we’re asking deeper questions:


  • What does it mean to build influence responsibly?

  • How can visibility support genuine equity and inclusion, rather than just visibility for visibility’s sake?

  • And how do we use AI to amplify women’s voices rather than homogenise them?


This is the kind of work that excites me. Work that sits at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and purpose.


AI + Human Originality = The New Advantage

AI has changed the rules of business, but it hasn’t changed the fundamentals of connection. People still buy into people. Investors still back conviction. Teams still follow leaders who communicate clearly and care deeply.


Founders who thrive in this new age will be the ones who combine machine efficiency with human originality. They’ll use AI to handle repetition, but they’ll use their humanity to create resonance.


Think about it like this: AI can give you data, but only you can give it direction. It can generate a thousand possible answers, but only you can decide which one aligns with your purpose. The role of the modern founder isn’t to out-produce the machine, it’s to out-think it.


That requires reflection. It requires courage. And it requires a strong personal brand that keeps your compass steady when the landscape shifts.


Claiming Your Voice in the Age of AI

So, what does it really mean for female founders to “claim their voice” in this age of AI?


It means refusing to be reduced to metrics.

It means using technology strategically, but never letting it define your tone.

It means leading with insight, not imitation.


AI can write your caption, but it can’t write your conviction. It can edit your video, but it can’t replace your energy. It can help you find your audience, but only you can move them.


That’s why personal branding isn’t a vanity project. It’s a leadership strategy. It’s about shaping the narrative before someone else shapes it for you. It’s about ensuring that every word, every image, every interaction speaks to the future you’re building, not just the moment you’re reacting to.


And for women in particular, this matters deeply. Too often, we’ve been told to “stay visible” but not “be vocal.” To occupy space but not define it. The age of AI, with all its automation, gives us a chance to do things differently. To use our voices with intention and authority.


From Noise to Narrative

When I work with founders, I often remind them that strategy and storytelling are inseparable.

Without strategy, storytelling is just noise. Without storytelling, strategy is just a document.


AI might accelerate the pace of business, but it also increases the risk of dilution - of brands sounding the same, looking the same, and losing their individuality in the process. Personal branding is how you protect your differentiation. It’s how you stay human in a digital world.


The goal isn’t to outshine everyone else. It’s to stand clearer. To be the voice people trust in the sea of content. To show that you know who you are and what you stand for, even when the landscape is shifting beneath your feet.


The Human Edge

The irony of AI is that it’s making humanity more valuable. When everything can be automated, the most powerful thing you can bring to your brand is yourself.


Your quirks, your insight, your worldview. Your story - unpolished, imperfect, but real. That’s what connects. That’s what converts. That’s what endures.


The founders who thrive in this new age won’t be the ones who simply master the tools. They’ll be the ones who use those tools to magnify their truth.


AI gives you speed. Your humanity gives you meaning. And meaning is what leaves a mark.


In Closing

As I left the panel, I found myself reflecting on how this moment feels like a turning point. We’re standing on the threshold of something big. A new chapter where technology and storytelling intersect, and where every founder has the chance to shape their narrative with intention.


AI might change how we communicate, but it doesn’t change why we communicate. The goal is still the same: to connect, to inspire, and to build trust. That’s why personal branding matters now more than ever. It’s the anchor that keeps your message steady, your vision strong, and your story human.


So, as we move deeper into the age of AI, remember this:


Speed gets you noticed. Clarity keeps you remembered. And authenticity builds your legacy.


Follow me on:   



Comments

bottom of page