What Does Google Say About You?

Before someone hires you, refers you, recommends you, or takes your call, there’s a good chance they do one thing first:

They Google your name.

Most people never think about that moment. But after nearly two decades in corporate leadership, hiring, mentoring, and building teams, I can tell you it happens more often than people realize.

And what shows up matters.

Sometimes it’s a strong LinkedIn profile and a professional website.

Sometimes it’s an outdated social profile, an old article, or almost nothing at all.

Either way, an impression is being formed before the conversation even begins.

The idea for this newsletter came from something I watched happen again and again. Talented, accomplished people would spend years building real expertise — and almost no time thinking about what showed up when someone searched their name. The effort went into the work. The search result was left to chance.

That gap is what led me to create My Polished Profile, a Personal Branding & Digital Presence Management firm that helps professionals take control of what appears when people search for them online.

But this newsletter isn’t about selling services.

It’s about sharing practical ideas and observations that can help you strengthen your online presence and avoid being overlooked because of something you didn’t even know people were seeing.

In future issues, we’ll cover topics like:

• Why LinkedIn isn’t enough

• The value of owning your own domain name

• How to evaluate your Google search results

• Common credibility mistakes professionals make online

• Ways to build a stronger digital footprint over time

No hype. No jargon. No becoming an influencer.

Just practical guidance to help you become found, trusted, and remembered.

Before the next issue, I’ll leave you with one thing to try: open a fresh browser tab, search your own name, and notice what you feel when you see the results. That feeling — whether it’s pride, surprise, or a little quiet dread — is the whole reason this newsletter exists.

Thanks for being here.
— Meredith