"I’ve spent most of my life learning what makes people lean in."

First behind the mic in radio.
Now through brand storytelling, voice, and strategic visibility.

-Shirley Hayes, Founder, Earned Presence

Shirley Hayes on XM Satellite Radio

Meet
Shirley Hayes

I’m Shirley Hayes — founder of Earned Presence, brand storyteller, and former radio personality with more than two decades of experience learning how to hold attention, build trust, and create connection through voice.

Today, I help women entrepreneurs build brands that are trusted, felt, and remembered — without performing for attention.

Before Earned Presence, there was radio.

Long before I was helping women entrepreneurs clarify their brands, I was behind the mic.

I spent more than 20 years in radio broadcasting, working in some of the most competitive markets in the country — including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and nationally on XM Satellite Radio.

Radio taught me something I have never forgotten:

"You can feel when someone has presence."

What I believe

I believe your brand should not feel like a costume.

It should feel like an extension of your values, your voice, and the work you are here to do.

I believe women entrepreneurs deserve visibility strategies that honor depth, not just speed.

I believe story is one of the most powerful tools a brand has.

I believe voice is one of the most overlooked.
And I believe the strongest brands are not always the loudest.

They are the ones people trust.
The ones people feel.
The ones people remember.

That is what Earned Presence is built to help you create.

My work blends:

brand storytelling
voice-led messaging
audience connection
content strategy
off-camera visibility
a deep understanding of how trust is built over time

I help women entrepreneurs turn their ideas, experience, and expertise into a brand presence that feels stronger, sounds clearer, and carries more weight.

Not by becoming louder.

By becoming more intentional.

What I bring to this work

Who I built this for

I built Earned Presence for women entrepreneurs who are thoughtful, experienced, and building something real.

Women who want:

a stronger brand voice
more meaningful visibility
content with depth
messaging that actually sounds like them
strategy that builds trust, not just attention

If you are ready to stop forcing your brand into someone else’s marketing formula and start building a presence that feels true to you, you are in the right place.