Most bios are word salad. You’ve seen them. “Strategic leader.” “Passionate innovator.” “Driving growth through synergy.” None of it means anything.
I was reviewing resumes for a social media and paid media management role recently, and by the fifth one, I couldn’t tell if I was reading different people or copy-pasting the same buzzword-laced template. Everyone was a “passionate storyteller” with a “data-driven mindset” and a “track record of driving engagement.” It all blurred together. Not because they didn’t have experience, but because their bios had no voice. No edge. No actual them. Just recycled marketing platitudes stacked like a game of meaningless bingo.
We write them to impress, but end up sounding like everyone else. It’s corporate karaoke. Same phrases, different names.
The real issue isn’t the fluff. It’s that we’ve forgotten the point. A bio should say what you do and why it matters. Instead, it tries to sound important.
Try this instead: write two versions.
The Standard Bo
Keep it. You’ll need it for proposals, decks, and systems that still run on buzzwords. It’s your checkbox bio. Clean, professional, safe.
Here’s mine:
Kraabel is a senior marketing and brand strategist with two decades of experience helping global brands, startups, and creative teams define their voice and market position. She specializes in brand architecture, personality development, and narrative clarity, with a focus on actionable strategies over abstract theory. Kraabel has led in-house and agency teams, bringing a grounded, insight-driven approach to complex brand challenges.
Fine. It checks the boxes. Now for the one that doesn’t.
The Human Bio
This is the version that tells people what you actually do. No filler. No hype.
I help companies make money. I help them stop sounding like PowerPoints and start sounding like people. I make things. I track data. And I find ways to use that data to make the data and creative better. Twenty years in the field means I’ve seen every buzzword in the book, and I know how to write around them. I work quick and smart. If your brand voice needs less noise and more clarity, I’m your person.
Simple. Honest. Clear.
You don’t need to be clever. You need to be clear. If someone asked you what you do, and you had to answer without any business speak, what would you say?
Write that down. That’s your real bio.
And if you’re still using “change agent,” we need to talk.
