I Didn't Fit the Mold – So I Became the Blueprint

She didn’t fit the mould, so she became the blueprint.

Keeran Gunnoo is a powerhouse in personal and corporate employer branding, shaping narratives for some of the world’s most recognisable companies, including LinkedIn, Unilever and Flow. In this raw and empowering conversation, she shares how she built a career that broke every rule and why it worked.

From being headhunted by LinkedIn before people knew what LinkedIn was, to being complimented by Barack Obama on her Louboutins, Keeran’s story is as inspiring as it is unconventional.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why squiggly careers aren’t chaotic, they’re strategic

How your reputation is your brand (especially when you're not in the room)

The uncomfortable truths about diversity, employer branding and internal comms

How to build a career and life that align with your values, not societal norms

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00:00 – Intro: She Became the Blueprint

00:01:04 – HR was never the plan

00:02:10 – From cold calls to leadership: the Essex charisma advantage

00:03:27 – Getting headhunted by LinkedIn before it was big

00:04:58 – Meeting Obama & the power of great shoes

00:06:04 – Unilever hired her without an interview

00:07:19 – Becoming a Strategic Career Architect

00:08:31 – Reporting to Chanel’s future CEO

00:10:33 – The importance of working for brands you believe in

00:11:51 – Flow, reproductive health, and brand affinity

00:13:00 – What a squiggly career really means

00:14:44 – Breaking ceilings: race, gender & neurodiversity

00:17:20 – Ditching the fairytale career path

00:20:20 – Culture add, not culture fit

00:21:51 – Why Gen Z are changing career norms

00:23:01 – Internal bias, ATSs, and being mistaken for a man

00:24:58 – Writing job ads that actually speak to humans

00:26:17 – Helping companies overcome DEI friction

00:27:59 – The truth behind Glassdoor reviews

00:29:49 – Who owns comms: HR vs. Marketing

00:33:42 – Creating Unilever’s first editorial team

00:35:11 – Data, communication, and internal trust

00:37:47 – Taking Unilever from #24 to #7 on Glassdoor

00:39:07 – EVP: What’s in it for me?

00:40:35 – Stuck? Give yourself a performance review

00:41:39 – Self-belief and your personal brand

00:42:50 – Audit your energy—don’t stay where you can’t shine

00:43:59 – Final message: If they’re not advocating for you, go