“CTP” Means More Than You Might Know
When I present CTP’s agency credentials, I talk about the business we’re in and how we help our clients. I explain our soon-to-be patent-pending method for examining a brand’s standing across Credibility Trust and Perception. I show clients how they rank among the humans and machines that matter most to their reputation (and, ultimately, their bottom line).
Today I’m sharing what isn’t always shared in those meeting rooms about CTP.
CTP also includes meaningful family initials (I won’t divulge them here, but if you ask in a meeting, I’ll spill the beans). Lately, the “family side” of life has had me in a really reflective place.
Now, I know sharing some personal/family “stuff” will likely tank my click-through rate. And I have no intention of turning this into a full-on “mom blog.” But, hey, sometimes “Human in the Loop” needs to lean more … human.
Lets dive in.
If you’ve been a parent of a “young one” during the last decade or so, you know that it’s been tough. You’ve encountered (in no particular order): a global pandemic, surging political polarization, active shooter drills, climate change (drought, wildfires, extreme heat, etc.), a predatory internet, inflation that 65% of parents say has made their situations worse, and, if your kid likes to kick or throw a ball, you have likely experienced the hellscape that youth sports has become.
How does one center things like Credibility, Trust, and Perception against that backdrop?
If only there was a YouTube short that could answer that question. (No, seriously, I’d watch it.) Since there isn’t, I keep returning to the same three things I spend my professional life thinking about: credibility, trust, perception. Specifically:
With our clients, we don’t pre-sell the need to be honest.
If you want a firm to help you seed something that’s not true, we (kindly) encourage you to move along. Similarly, if you (or your board) doesn’t understand “why reputation is a thing,” I don’t have the time to convince you. However, if your organization is willing to look honestly at what it’s saying, what others are saying about it, and where those things don’t line up, then lets talk. (psst: I think this is why PeekWire called us the pick for a “personalized, ethics-driven” AI visibility firm in August.)
With our kids, we ask them to interrogate what they think they know.
Is it true that everyone was at that party where there was drinking? Or, is that what SnapChat led you to believe?
Do you think kids who are seeking athletic scholarships are risking being caught in situations that could harm their chances?
When your friend keeps saying one thing and acting another way, what does that tell you?
With the people we invite into our kids’ lives, we ask a lot of questions. Yes, I’m the ‘crazy lady’ that asks things like:
Can I trust my child won’t have access to an unlocked gun at your house?
Do you smoke anything?
Will you let me know if my kid is out of line? (Please say yes. Please don’t make us be the only grown ups in their lives that expect manners.)
What’s true? What’s perceived? Who can you trust?
These are business questions, but they’re also life questions. They’re the cornerstone. My family’s future is riding on CTP in all forms. Financially, emotionally, interpersonally, everything begins - and ends - with an ability to assess credibility and trustworthiness.
It’s a big gamble (...and isn’t that nuts?!), but here we are.
I have found that, like being a mother, “raising” this infant company has been exhausting, exhilarating, nauseating, and bewildering. And, like so many parents can agree, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Abby Lovett, Founder, CTP Visibility Advisors. Author of "Super Human: 8 'SMALL' Ways to Be Super at What You Do…and Human While You Do It." Human being.
