A Book Review of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career

by Eli Chan, VPG Litigation Assistant

Unforgettable Presence begins by challenging a common and usual assumption: that excellent work by itself guarantees recognition. Lorraine K. Lee argues that in today’s hybrid workplace, how you show up matters just as much as productivity. The book’s main idea is that presence is not something some people were born with, but something you can build intentionally. (p 1-20)

One of Lee’s foundational frameworks is what she calls the EPIC Career Brand, composed of Experiences, Personality, Identity, and Community. These four elements form what people perceive you to be: not just what you do, but how you are seen, how you bring your values, and how you connect with others. Lee emphasizes that “your brand is essentially your reputation,” and that while branding may feel uncomfortable to some, letting others define your brand for you may be riskier.

A significant portion of the book discusses developing a virtual presence. She offers concrete suggestions on how to present yourself on video calls, how to optimize digital channels, and how to shape meeting behavior so that it really reflects your presence rather than fading into the background. A recurring theme is small behaviors, such as how you frame your video, how you introduce yourself, and how you contribute on Slack or Teams, add up (p 110-150).

The focus then shifts toward influencing others and leadership skills. Lee walks the reader through how to lead with presence—both in meetings and more broadly—and how to give and receive feedback that enhances others’ perception of you. She also discusses how cultivating presence in your team amplifies impact.

Lee’s strengths lie in her balance between mindset and technique, and her anecdotal stories and interviews help readers see her thesis in the real world. For instance, Lee reflects on her own journey from being introverted and overlooked to becoming someone in demand, especially around speaking and online influence. And on the practical side, her advice on digital habits—improving your LinkedIn “virtual office,” choosing what you say in meetings, and how you frame introductions—is something that anyone can immediately implement.

I found Unforgettable Presence both inspiring and immediately useful. It doesn’t just tell you why visibility and presence matter—it gives a roadmap for how to embody them without forcing an inauthentic persona. It made me reflect on my own “invisible zones” in my career and consider small but meaningful changes I could make.

Reference

• Lee, Lorraine K. Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. John Wiley & Sons, 2025.