I’ve spent the past decade writing for other people.
Founders. Executives. Marketing leaders.
My role was simple: help them clarify their voice, shape their stories, and publish with confidence.
But I’ve rarely done that for myself.
At heart, I’m a journalist and analyst. I miss digging into ideas, connecting dots, and saying something original. After ghostwriting for years, I wanted to revisit that part of my career — to publish under my own name and share what I’ve learned.
In the last 10 years, I’ve seen it all: startups racing to build credibility, companies of all sizes struggling to get their CEOs to show up consistently, marketing teams trying (and failing) to make executive voice part of their strategy.
Those experiences taught me something important: executive thought leadership isn’t inherent. It must be taught — over and over again. It’s hard because it requires busy people and brands to align and say something that’s authentic to individuals but also carries the business forward. Thought leadership or executive voice is one of the most powerful levers a company can pull — for hiring, fundraising, trust, and growth.
But most people treat it like an afterthought. And usually, it’s never intentional. It just happens. It gets too hard. Something else takes priority. No one knows where to start. It’s multiple people’s jobs. It’s no one’s job. It didn’t take off immediately. It doesn’t matter. I’ve heard (and seen) those excuses and more.
The Thoughtful Executive is here to help.
Each edition, I’ll share insights, systems, and playbooks to help you:
Put executive voice at the center of your marketing strategy.
Use thought leadership as a growth lever, not just PR fluff.
Avoid the mistakes I’ve watched companies repeat again and again.
Some issues will be reflections from my own work. Others will be frameworks, case studies, interviews, or playbooks you can apply directly to your team or your role.
Here’s how distribution will work:
Paid subscribers receive a new issue every Wednesday, plus full access to the archive and playbooks.
Free subscribers receive a new issue every other Wednesday and limited access to the archive.
This newsletter is built on a simple belief: thought leadership isn’t side content. It’s flagship content. Okay, looks like I’m already jumping right into the type of content you’ll get from this platform.
When thought leadership is done well, it sets the tone and direction for everything else a company publishes, from brand storytelling and recruiting campaigns to investor updates and internal comms.
CEOs aren’t just chief executive officers. They’re chief storytelling officers. Their voices should be the anchor that everything else in a brand’s content ecosystem connects back to. And the rest of the C-suite also has a role to play in this endeavor. I’ll talk more about that in upcoming issues.
So if you’re a founder, executive, or marketer who cares about the power of executive voice, I think you’ll find value here.
Thank you for being part of this journey!
— Johnathan