Something unexpected happened earlier today that made me pause and rethink how opportunities come knocking. I had a Google Meet call with a big event organiser this morning. This call was arranged after he emailed me an invitation to become a speaker in this particular event happening in September. The call was great. After telling me that they were looking for a speaker for their upcoming business event, and the topic I need to deliver for 90 minutes, I whisper to myself that this is a pretty serious and heavy session. It showcases that the event is significant, and they have a serious theme there.
But that wasn’t the surprising part. What caught me off guard was when I asked him about the person who introduced me to him. This is what he said. “We asked ChatGPT for speaker recommendations. And, your name came up in the top three. It was after Suraya of Ringgit Oh Ringgit and Roshan Thiran of Leaderonomics.” I had to listen to that twice.
I know people use ChatGPT for research, content ideas, and even personal questions. But I didn’t realise some are now asking for speaker recommendations and getting names like mine in return. It’s now a modern-day word-of-mouth, powered by algorithms. Besides Googling to search for something they are after, people are now using ChatGPT for it.
How did I end up in that answer in the first place? I’m not a celebrity. I’m not a recognised thought leader in the country. I don’t even have a bestselling book. I’m just a nobody who writes about business, marketing strategy, and practical decision-making. Yes, I’ve built a marketing advisory firm, launched platforms, written articles, shared ideas, and apparently, over time, that left enough digital breadcrumbs everywhere, yet it still surprises me that ChatGPT somehow “recognises” me when someone asks the right question.
I guess that’s the lesson here. We’re all leaving traces through what we publish, how we position ourselves, the topics we talk about, and the way we solve problems. And whether we realise it or not, these traces are shaping how others (and even AI) see us. Now I know that the reputation I built doesn’t just travel by word-of-mouth. It travels by word-of-machine, too.
That’s a bit surreal, isn’t it?
One Response
love this!