LET'S MAKE WAVES with Rana AlBasri Mouawad

Rana AlBasri Mouawad
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing
  • Biweekly

Your dose of Personal Brand, Marketing & Content Strategy to build a reputation that grows your business and career.  Each episode dives into a business aspect with step-by-step actionable tips, tactics and resources that are designed to help and guide you to find your professional voice, attract interested audience and gain confidence for better business opportunities.

  1. 21h ago

    Your Offer is your Communication Map - Why Content Alone Can't Sell a High-Ticket Offer

    Most founders launch an offer and go straight to content.  In this solo episode, I explain why your offer is actually your communication map, and walk you through how to map yours across three stages: before they buy, while you deliver, and after the work is done.  Through the story of a life coach whose high-ticket program wasn't selling, you'll learn the five questions every offer needs to answer, why depth matters more as the price goes up, and why content is only one pillar of a reputation/personal brand that sells. Links mentioned in the episode: My Private 1-on-1 Consultancy: https://www.ranamouawad.com/1-1consulting Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  2. 6d ago

    Why Journalists Don't Care What You Know, and What They Care About Instead

    When I asked my Instagram community where they feel stuck with publicity, 46% chose the same answer: they don't know what story angle to pitch.  In this episode, I explain why the angle is so hard to find when you look for it inside your own business, and why it really starts with the audience of the outlet you want to be in and the way that outlet tells its stories.  In this episode, you'll hear  The difference between a topic and an angleWhat journalists say makes a pitch relevantHow to study an outlet before pitchingWhere to look in your own expertise for angle material3 questions to answer before you write any pitch.Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  3. Oct 21

    48,000 Followers and No Sales: What Was Really Missing

    She grew her account from 2,000 to 48,000 followers, and her sales didn't move.  In this episode, I share a conversation with a fashion designer at a friend's house, and the questions she asked before giving a single tip. You'll hear why social media is a distribution channel and not a strategy, why most businesses have more than one audience, what I learned from the boutique buyers who said no to my own fashion label, and which communication tools build trust beyond your feed. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Brand Beyond Social™: https://www.ranamouawad.com/brandbeyondsocial Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  4. Sep 30

    Too Humble to Be Found: Why "Letting Your Work Speak for Itself" Stopped Working

    Your clients rave about you, your referrals convert, and yet the keynote invitations and media quotes keep going to people with half your results.  In this episode, I look at what the research says about modesty, bragging and the humblebrag, why praise lands better when someone else says it (with a little help from Keanu Reeves), and three practical ways to build a reputation that travels beyond your inner circle without becoming someone you're not. In this episode:  Why your instinct to stay quiet is partly rightThe humblebrag trap and why sincerity winsWho gets taught to stay smallThe wingman effectWhy thought leadership levels the playing field for lesser-known expertsThree moves for a humble brand.Find out exactly which part of your reputation is holding you back with Brand Beyond Social™, the masterclass and the TRUST Method™ self-assessment workbook: https://www.ranamouawad.com/brandbeyondsocial Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  5. Sep 23

    6 Years of Let's Make Waves (and an Invitation for You)

    This week's episode is a personal one. Let's Make Waves just hit its 6 year anniversary, and I'm taking the full episode to walk through how it all started, back in 2020, right after moving from Dubai to Canada in the middle of the pandemic. I get into what changed along the way, why I experimented with video, what podcasting has taught me about being myself instead of performing, and the honest advice I'd give anyone thinking about starting a podcast today. And to celebrate 6 years, I'm opening up something new.  6 guest spots, for you, my listeners. If you've ever wanted to come on the show and talk about your expertise, your reputation, or your own journey, this is your invitation. In this episode: How Let's Make Waves started, and why the pandemic became the catalystWhat changed when I chased the video trendWhat 6 years of podcasting has taught me about showing up as myself6 pieces of advice for anyone starting a podcast todayThe 6 guest spots now open for the anniversary, and how to applyApply to be a guest: ranamouawad.com/podcast-anniversary-application If this episode brought back memories or gave you the push to start your own podcast, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review, it genuinely helps this show reach more people. Want more on personal brand, reputation, and communications strategy between episodes? Sign up for my newsletter, Built, Not Branded. Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  6. Sep 15

    Why More Research Won't Fix Your Personal Brand

    This week, I'm talking about something most personal brand advice skips entirely, the difference between guessing at what's wrong with your brand and actually knowing. I share two lessons that shaped how I think about clarity, one from years ago watching a creative team at an agency avoid their desks before a big brief, and one from this year, when I finally sought an honest assessment of what was and wasn't working in my own business.  I also get into why turning 50 this year felt different, why I put myself back in the student seat, and why real clarity rarely comes from more research, more content, or more copying what's already working for someone else. I also introduce Brand Beyond Social™, a personal brand self-assessment masterclass and workbook for founders, solopreneurs, and business owners who are visible online but not converting that visibility into trust or leads. In this episode: Why "you don't know what you don't know" applies directly to your personal brandThe lesson that changed how I think about creativity and clarityWhat taught me about seeking real assessment over self-judgmentWhy learning outside your industry sharpens your message inside itAn inside look at Brand Beyond Social™ and how it diagnoses your brand across the 5 pillars of the TRUST Method™If this episode helped, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review, it genuinely helps this podcast reach more people. Links in this episode: Brand Beyond Social™: https://www.ranamouawad.com/brandbeyondsocial  Send us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  7. Jun 10

    Your Content Can Be Valuable and Still Be Completely Irrelevant

    Why does your best content get ignored? You've put real thought into it. You know it’s good. But you post and then nothing. A few likes. No comments. No leads. The explanation most founders give themselves: wrong time, wrong algorithm, not enough followers.  The more common explanation: your content was valuable AND completely irrelevant to the person it reached. Both things can be true at the same time. In this episode, I break down the three-layer language gap that explains why expert content sometime misses, and give you a practical framework to close it. What is covered:  What the language gap actually is: the distance between how you understand a problem and how your audience experiences itLayer 1: The vocabulary gap: your language vs. their language (with real examples)Layer 2: The urgency gap: awareness vs. recognition vs. decision-stage contentLayer 3: The stage gap: why most founder content is pitched three steps ahead of where the audience actually isThe practical framework: how to close each layer starting with your next piece of contentSend us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

  8. May 20

    Faceless Marketing for Founders: Building a Reputation Without Being on Camera

    What if showing up on camera is not an option for you?  You've tried doing more videos, but there is a real, legitimate reason why video doesn’t work for your life, your culture, your industry, or your comfort level. In this episode, I dismantle the assumption that personal branding requires video, and walk through exactly what faceless reputation-building looks like in practice - including who this is really for, the formats that actually work, and the trust signals that build credibility without a ring light. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of personal branding because you thought video was the only way in, this episode is for you. What we cover: Why the video-first assumption is a relatively recent and not a universally applicable ideaWho faceless personal branding is specifically designed for (cultural, industry, temperamental, and circumstantial reasons)The formats that build real reputation without being on cameraThe trust signals that work regardless of medium: specificity, consistency, proof, third-party endorsementHow to choose the format that matches how you actually think and communicateThe honest trade-off: format choice affects growth velocity and timelineSend us Fan Mail ------ RESOURCES: - Subscribe to my Newsletter, Built, Not Branded: https://ranamouawad.kit.com/builtnotbranded - My Resources: https://www.ranamouawad.com/resources - Work with Me: https://www.ranamouawad.com/workwithme - Get in Touch!: https://www.ranamouawad.com/contact KEEP IN TOUCH! - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranamouawad/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rana.mouawad/

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Your dose of Personal Brand, Marketing & Content Strategy to build a reputation that grows your business and career.  Each episode dives into a business aspect with step-by-step actionable tips, tactics and resources that are designed to help and guide you to find your professional voice, attract interested audience and gain confidence for better business opportunities.

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