Melissa Patenaude

Founder & CEO at Na-Mii | Creative Strategist & Brand Alignment Architect | Building Human-Centered, High-Impact Brands | Bridging Vision, Design & Operations

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

One sentence to ask your leadership team this week: "What does our company do?"
If you get three different sentences, you don't have a messaging problem. You have an alignment problem.

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

I finally found language for a pattern I've watched inside companies for years.

Narrative debt.

The gap between what your brand says and what your company is actually doing.

The product evolves. The team changes. The audience shifts. The story stays frozen at the moment it was written.

You can spot it in the improvisation.
Sales starts rewriting the pitch on calls.
New hires explain the company differently than leadership does.
Customers understand the product better than the homepage does.

The interest on narrative debt is paid in friction.

Most companies treat this as a messaging problem and reach for a refresh. What's actually happening is accumulation, compounding. Every decision that doesn't make it into the narrative compounds quietly, until eventually no one inside the company is telling the same story anymore.

The companies that stay aligned revisit the narrative as often as they revisit the roadmap. The story evolves with the business instead of lagging behind it.

Question:
What part of your company story feels most out of date right now?

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@0xgaut Call the architect :/

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@jh3yy 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

Well of the day at least.

[Linda Dong 🍉 @lindadong]

New Pantone color of the year?

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@NoahVerrier 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@loftwah 🤣🤣🤣

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

Oh the circus 🤡

[litquidity @litcapital]

Imagine not being from the US and watching this as part of our presidential election process

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

"If you’re gonna bs an ass, be a mission-driven ass"
YUP.
@GuyKawasaki
#ADPListGrowthSessions

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

Growth
Grit
Grace

"I started practicing ice hockey at 44" @GuyKawasaki
-> Living life as we preach. 👏

#ADPListGrowthSessions

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

This is just a moment of pause to give you all the flowers you deserve.🌹Even when no one gives them to you. I see you.

There’s been a lot of movement lately. Take a moment to tell your partners, co-workers, affiliates, bosses, employees, etc, that you are grateful for them. 🤍

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

I am SO excited so many of my folks’ wins these days!

Seeing so much of my family coming together and building brilliant team, orgs, companies. You all inspire me. 🤍

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

Very excited to see our friends at @aembit_io on the #RSAC Sandbox Innovation stage.

Let’s go!!

#RSAC2024

[RSAC @OneRSAC]

We need to eliminate secrets, says @aembit_io at #RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest.

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@RSAConference @aembit_io @antimatterhq @bedrocksec @DropzoneAI @harmonicsec @Mitiga_io @P0Security @RADSecurity_ @DetectDeepfakes @VulnCheckAI Let's go!

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

Friendly reminder…
Usability > Ego
;)

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

#Designers,
In a review, when I (or anyone else) mention that the font size, weight, contrast is not legible, and you answer that you prefer this look because it’s beautiful, I question your priorities, why you design and who you are designing for.

…

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

I fully agree that, in some cases, rules can and should be broken. And these should be broken with purpose and intent.

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

NOTHING makes me happier than having conversations with my customers.

Especially the ones who start a little ‘unshiny’ (it happens), and walk away filled with a smile and open heart.

Oooofff 🤍🤍🤍

To me, customer service should be nothing less.

[Melissa Patenaude @melpno7]

@CharlesPattson 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼