Welcome to Issue 89 of Clearly YOU. Every second Wednesday, I serve up ideas that help you cut through the blah-blah and actually get heard. Clarity + Realness. That’s the magic combo that connects with other people in meaningful ways. Not a subscriber? Sign up now.

Professionally, what are your go-to nouns? What do you CALL yourself?

If you've got an old-school job, like lawyer or accountant, this may be a fairly straight-forward question. But in 2025, most of us have a zillion choices when it comes to labelling ourselves. Also... the world of lawyers and accountants is complex, so even those nouns can be too generic.

Anyhoo...

Went down a rabbit hole with a colleague last week about this very thing. Specifically, COACH versus CONSULTANT. And whether EXPERT feels like gravitas - or grandstanding.

Side note: If you have opinions on this, email me at kim@kimscaravelli.com. The debate is still heated and I'm keen to hear your thoughts.

Here’s the thing: nouns are useful. They give people (and algorithms) a quick way to put you in a category. They’re shorthand.

But they’re also bland. Lifeless. And they toss you into the same pot with everyone else who grabbed that label.

Nouns don’t show what makes you unique. They don’t highlight your value. And they definitely don’t make you memorable.

VERBS are where the juicy goodness lives.

Examples:

🥱 I'm a lawyer 🥳 I help people navigate tough times.

🥱 I'm an accountant 🥳 I help small business owners create financial security.

See the difference? Nouns anchor you. Verbs make people lean in.

That said, if you only read the verb statements, you may not figure out that the person is a lawyer or a doctor, and that's a big problem. So don't abandon nouns. But don't overthink them. And don't let those labels fully define you.

Find some decent nouns for your LinkedIn profile. But then - shift your energy to verbs and develop a Verb-Mindset. It will serve you better... I promise!

Cool Quote

"We are not nouns, we are verbs.”

Stephen Fry, British writer and actor ***

*** Verb energy => Stephen Fry: He writes stories and entertains us, occasionally stirring the pot.

Try This: The Noun-Verb Comparison

Grab a piece of paper. Yes. Pen and paper, my friend. The process of writing things down sparks a deeper level of creativity.

Make two columns. In one column, list your nouns. In the other, rewrite them as verb statements.

Examples:

Nouns

Marketing Consultant

Growth Strategist

Business Coach

Verb Statements

I help brands connect with their ideal customers by being in the right spaces with meaningful messages.

I create smart, doable plans that help companies grow without burning out their teams.

I teach entrepreneurs how to run their businesses with more confidence and less chaos.

When you’re done, look at both columns. Which version makes you sound more unique? More valuable? More memorable?

👉 Spoiler: Column B always wins.

Stuff Worth Sharing

If you've got a minute, check out The Noun and the Verb by Isaac Jeffries: https://isaacjeffries.com/blog/2020/4/16/the-noun-and-the-verb

Isaac is a business strategist who has a knack for turning fuzzy ideas into sharp insights. He and I share the belief that labels can lock us into small spaces - and action words can open doors!

For the Word Nerds

The word noun comes from the Latin nomen, meaning “name”. Verb comes from verbum, meaning “word."

So, technically, verbs are the words, and nouns are just names we stick on things. The Romans already knew which one had the juice. 🔥 Verbs are hot.