As a Portfolio Executive, I recommend that you become very sophisticated about narrowing down the initial niche in which you work.  Consider what is your best niche based on the company life stage, headcount, geography, and sector.  As you build your expertise in a niche, you can get recognition from your niche as the go-to person around a particular narrow segment.

This might feel counterintuitive—why do you need your peers to recognise you?  Why do you need to be more established within the professional group that you’re working in? There are several good reasons why you need recognition from your peers.

Many of the Portfolio Executives and Fractional Directors I work with have a level of personal humility that means you take it for granted that you’re doing a good job and don’t crave explicit recognition.  However, as you build and develop your portfolio and want to create long-term sustainable relationships, you must get explicit recognition from your clients.  How do you go about this?