Why standing out is your superpower
Standing out can feel risky - but it’s actually your greatest strength. Join Storm Mackay, founder of Soba: Private Label, as they explore how embracing your identity, breaking the rules, and challenging conformity can make you a bolder leader and help you build a better business.
What if your greatest risk is your biggest advantage? In this bold, high-energy session, Storm Mackay, queer and non-binary founder of rebel agency Soba, explores the power of standing out as both a leader and a brand.
Drawing on their experience as a non-binary, queer founder who delivers rebel marketing strategies for million-pound B2B brands, Storm will show how owning your difference is your secret weapon.
Blending personal perspective with sharp insight from Soba’s new B2B Echo Chamber Report, Storm will reveal why most professional services firms are drowning in generic messaging and how breaking the rules leads to better leadership, braver business and messaging that actually connects.
This session is for LGBTQ+ leaders and brand builders who are sick of drowning in a sea of sameness. Whether you’re a beast of a business or just finding your voice, you’ll leave with practical tools, creative ideas and the confidence to stand out.
What we’ll cover
- Leading out loud
How Storm’s queer identity shapes how they lead, communicate and create
- Visibility is power
What queer leadership teaches us about showing up and being seen
What 1,000 websites told us
New research into the messaging mistakes most B2B brands are making
- Why fitting in kills connection
How playing it safe holds back both leaders and brands
- It’s not about you
Why talking about yourself isn’t a strategy and what to do instead
- Rebel branding in action
Real examples and strategies to help you ditch bland and go bold
- Ask me anything
A chance to ask honest questions about leadership, branding and showing up as your full self.
What you’ll take away
- Fresh insight into how leadership, messaging and identity intersect
- Clear strategies to help your brand stand out and get remembered
- A sense of connection with others ready to lead and brand differently
- Confidence to own your difference and use it as your superpower
About Storm
Storm Mackay is a non-binary, queer founder and the fearless force behind Soba. Their agency helps professional services brands stand out in a sea of sameness. Known for their fierce, ballsy approach, Storm puts
human-first creativity and audacious positioning at the heart of everything they do.
From running a pirate radio show out of a caravan in high school to founding the Scottish Business Podcast, Storm has always chased ideas that excite rather than conform.
As a non-binary business owner, Storm is passionate about inclusion, gender identity, and mental health, speaking candidly about breaking down gender norms and supporting other LGBTQ+ leaders in creative industries.
