Lauren Cobello

Lauren Cobello PR Strategist for 7-9 Figure CEO’s, Non-Fiction Authors & Growth-Stage Executives | Founder and CEO Leverage with Media PR | I Turn Expertise Into Authority

06/08/2026

One of the most powerful things Spencer West shared during our conversation had nothing to do with climbing mountains or overcoming obstacles.

It was about humor.

Spencer said that humor gives people permission to relax.

Instead of pretending differences don't exist, he addresses them head on. As a speaker, one of the first things he does is make a joke about his legs.

And then something interesting happens.

The tension disappears.

People stop worrying about saying the wrong thing. They stop focusing on what makes him different and start focusing on who he is.

Instead of pretending differences don't exist, he addresses them head-on. As a speaker, one of the first things he does is make a joke about his legs.

Sometimes authenticity isn't about having the perfect answer.

Instead of pretending differences don't exist, he addresses them head-on. As a speaker, one of the first things he does is make a joke about his legs.

What I admire most about Spencer West is his ability to lead with authenticity.During our conversation, he shared how hu...
06/07/2026

What I admire most about Spencer West is his ability to lead with authenticity.

During our conversation, he shared how humor became a way to navigate awkward situations, connect with people, and embrace who he is without apology.

But underneath the laughter was a lesson that applies to all of us.

The more we hide parts of ourselves, the harder it becomes for the right people to find us.

Whether it's in relationships, business, friendships, or life, authenticity has a way of filtering out what isn't meant for you and attracting what is.
And sometimes, that's exactly where the connection begins.
Spencer reminded me that confidence isn't pretending to be someone else.

It's being comfortable enough to be yourself.

And sometimes, that's exactly where connection begins.

The Best-Kept Secret Problem Visibility isn't about doing more. It's about becoming the person everyone — including AI —...
06/06/2026

The Best-Kept Secret Problem Visibility isn't about doing more. It's about becoming the person everyone — including AI — recommends.

Let me tell you the most expensive sentence I hear from brilliant people:

"I'm the best-kept secret in my industry."

They say it almost like a badge of honor. As if being underestimated is charming. It's not. It's quietly costing them clients, opportunities, speaking stages, book deals, and the kind of influence that compounds for the rest of their career.

Here's the truth most people never get told:

The reason you're not growing usually isn't that you're not good enough. It's that nobody knows you exist.

The best products don't win. The most visible people do. The expert who gets the podcast invite, the media feature, the referral, the deal — it's rarely the most qualified one in the room. It's the one people have heard of.

And now there's a new gatekeeper in the room: AI.

When someone asks ChatGPT "who's the best expert on [your topic]?" — AI is going to name someone. The question is whether it names you. Because if AI doesn't know who you are, it can't recommend you. We're entering an era where being invisible to AI is as dangerous as being invisible to Google was ten years ago.

So what do most people do about it? They try to do more. More content. More followers. More ads. More hustle. They confuse activity with visibility.

But visibility isn't about doing more. It's about becoming known for something.

The people who win don't chase attention — they own a category. They become:

The person AI recommends
The person journalists call
The person podcast hosts invite
The person their audience already trusts before the first conversation
That's not luck. It's not charisma. It's a system — one you can build on purpose.

I know this because I've built it from scratch, twice. Once for myself — a single mom of four who started with no audience, no connections, and no roadmap, and built a multi-million-dollar visibility agency. And then for hundreds of clients: authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders we've helped land major media, write bestselling books, and appear on the top podcasts in their space.

Everything I teach comes from doing the work in the real world — not theory, not vanity metrics, not "post 3x a day and hope."

So here's what this newsletter is.

If you're an expert, author, founder, or builder who's tired of being the best-kept secret — this is where I'll show you, every week, how to fix that. Practical visibility strategies. Real client case studies. Media and PR insights. And how to position yourself as the authority AI actually recommends.

No fluff. No vanity metrics. Just the strategies that turn visibility into real revenue, opportunity, and influence.

— Lauren

06/06/2026

One of my favorite things about Spencer West is his sense of humor.

So often, people assume that resilience has to be serious.

Spencer proves the opposite.

When I asked him about the funniest misunderstanding people have about him, he shared a hilarious line that used to live on his dating profile:

"No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. I don't have any legs. And although I don't like camping, I can still pitch a tent."

I was laughing so hard.

But beneath the humor is something I really admire.

Spencer has found a way to navigate difficult conversations with honesty, confidence, and a sense of humor that immediately puts people at ease.

Sometimes laughter can be one of the most powerful ways to connect with others.

And as a bonus, that dating profile eventually worked...

Because it's how he met his partner.

A reminder that being authentically yourself is often the best strategy.

06/05/2026

Most people focus on the fact that Spencer West climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands.

And yes, that's incredible.

But what stood out to me most wasn't the climb itself.

It was the reason behind it.

Spencer wasn't chasing personal glory. He wasn't trying to prove anyone wrong. East Africa was facing one of the worst droughts in decades, and he wanted to use his platform to make a difference.

That's the difference between passion and purpose.

Passion gets you started.

Purpose keeps you going when things get hard.

And according to Spencer, the hardest part wasn't the mountain.

It was learning how to accept help along the way.

I think so many of us can relate to that.

We want to be independent. We want to figure it out ourselves. But sometimes growth requires us to lean on others and trust that we don't have to carry everything alone.

Hand over hand.

Step by step.

That's how mountains are climbed.

And that's how meaningful change is created.

"Don't get lost in what you can't do."That simple message has shaped so much of Spencer West's life.In a world that cons...
06/04/2026

"Don't get lost in what you can't do."

That simple message has shaped so much of Spencer West's life.

In a world that constantly points out limitations, Spencer chose to focus on possibility.

Step by step.

Hand over hand.

What I love about Spencer's story is that it reminds us that progress rarely happens all at once.

You don't need to have everything figured out.

You don't need to know exactly how you'll reach the summit.

You simply need to focus on the next step in front of you.

And then the next.

And then the next.

In a world that constantly points out limitations, Spencer chose to focus on possibilities.

06/04/2026

There are people who hear limitations and accept them.

And then there are people like Spencer West.

When Spencer was born, doctors weren't sure what his future would look like. They told his parents that he might never be a functioning member of society.

Think about that for a moment.

Most people would have allowed that prediction to define their expectations.

His parents didn't.

What struck me most during this conversation wasn't the diagnosis. It wasn't the surgeries. It wasn't even the fact that Spencer lost both of his legs at a young age.

It was the perspective.

Instead of focusing on what was taken away, Spencer focused on what gave him more freedom, more mobility, and more independence.

That mindset has shaped his entire life.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the challenge itself. It's the story we tell ourselves about what that challenge means.

Spencer is proof that other people's expectations do not have to become your reality.

06/03/2026

The people who raise us have more influence on our mindset than we often realize.

One of the things that stood out most during my conversation with Spencer West was the way he talked about his parents.

They never ignored his disability. They simply refused to let it become the center of his identity.

They taught him to focus on what he could do instead of what he couldn't.

They encouraged independence. They let him try things. They treated him like every other kid, even if he had to do things a little differently.

That mentality became the foundation for everything that followed.

I think there is a powerful lesson in that for all of us.

It's important to acknowledge the obstacles in front of us. But we cannot allow ourselves to get lost in them.

The people who move forward are often the people who focus on what is possible instead of what isn't.

What's one lesson your parents taught you that still impacts your life today?

06/02/2026

Sometimes the answers people give tell you more about them than the question itself.

When I asked spencer2thewest who he would want to sit next to at dinner if they had never heard his story, his answer was immediate: Barack Obama.

Not because of politics.

But because of his perspective, the way he thinks, and the way he communicates.

What I loved most about this answer is that it wasn't about fame or status. It was about curiosity.

The people who continue to grow are the people who never stop learning. They seek out different perspectives, ask better questions, and stay open to new ways of thinking.

And honestly, sitting between Barack and Michelle Obama for dinner sounds like a pretty incredible night.

So now I'm curious...

Who would be sitting at your dream dinner table?

One of the most powerful lessons from my conversation with spencer2thewest had nothing to do with his disability.It had ...
06/02/2026

One of the most powerful lessons from my conversation with spencer2thewest had nothing to do with his disability.

It had everything to do with mindset.

Growing up, Spencer’s parents never ignored his challenges. They simply refused to let those challenges define what he was capable of.

They taught him to focus on what he could do instead of what he couldn’t.

That mindset gave him the confidence to try, to take risks, and to build a life based on possibility instead of limitation.

I think so many of us get stuck focusing on the obstacles in front of us that we forget to see the opportunities beside them.

Spencer is a reminder that while it’s important to acknowledge your limitations, you cannot allow yourself to get lost in them.

The question is: What would change in your life if you focused more on what’s possible?

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