Beyond the technical “how to fill in fields” questions, there’s a softer set of conventions that make profiles land well in the community. This article shares what we’ve learned from observing thousands of profiles.
The profiles that work best
Three things tend to be true of profiles that get clicked, remembered, and acted on:
1. They feel like a person, not a brochure
Generic professional bios read like LinkedIn summaries. They list achievements without conveying who the person is. Profiles with personality — a turn of phrase, a specific story, a moment of self-awareness — are vastly more memorable.
2. They’re specific, not aspirational
“I help people unlock their potential” is so vague it could apply to anyone. “I coach mid-career engineers transitioning into management roles in mid-sized tech companies” is so specific that the right person knows immediately whether you’re for them.
3. They show evidence, not just claims
Anyone can claim to be a thought leader. Books, episodes, and reviews are evidence. Profiles with at least one book and 3+ episodes feel substantially more credible than profiles with neither.
Writing style that lands
- First-person reads better than third-person on a profile (third-person is for press kits and bios that hosts read aloud)
- Short paragraphs over walls of text — most visitors skim
- Concrete examples over abstract claims
- One sentence per main idea — easier to read on mobile
Read your profile and ask: ‘Who specifically is this for?’ If the answer is ‘anyone interested in personal growth’, it’s too generic. If the answer is ‘female founders raising their first round of funding’ or ‘parents of teenagers struggling with anxiety’, it’s working.
Photos that work
- Recent (within the last 2-3 years)
- Clear, well-lit
- Smiling or at least looking warm — this IS The Smile Channel
- Background uncluttered
- Eye contact with the camera
What to avoid
- Buzzword soup (“thought leader, change-maker, paradigm shifter”)
- Overly polished bios that hide who you actually are
- Lists of every accomplishment with no narrative
- Photos that are too old, too dark, or too zoomed-out
- Empty episode and book sections (better to skip them temporarily than show “no items”)