A complete profile is the difference between getting found and being invisible. It only takes 15 minutes to fill in everything that matters. Here’s a checklist.
The minimum viable profile
If you only have 5 minutes, fill in these four things:
- Profile photo — a clear, recent headshot. Plain background. Smiling.
- Professional title — what you’d say at a networking event. “Author, public speaker, and parenting coach.”
- Short bio — 2-3 sentences. Not a resume, just a clear who-you-are statement.
- Location — at minimum your country, ideally city and state/region.
The full profile
If you’ve got 15 minutes, also add:
- Long bio (4-6 paragraphs covering your story, your work, your impact)
- At least one book and one episode
- 3-5 social links (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, your website)
- Your speaking topics, if you speak publicly
- Your booking and contact links
Why this matters
The Smile Channel surfaces profiles in a few places — the Leaders directory, search results, the homepage “Featured” sections, event speaker pages. The system promotes complete profiles over incomplete ones because they offer more value to visitors. A blank profile with just a name is unlikely to ever appear in those surfaces.
The 80/20 of profile setup
A clear photo and a sharp professional title account for about 80% of how people respond to your profile. Spend extra time on those two things.
What NOT to do
- Don’t use a logo or graphic instead of a photo. People want to see people.
- Don’t write your bio in the third person if you’re going to read it yourself later — it sounds weird everywhere except actual press kits.
- Don’t list every job you’ve ever had. Pick the 3-5 things you want to be known for.
- Don’t leave the location blank. Even “United States” is better than nothing for event organizers searching by region.