We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marina Mara a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marina, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience is completely self-made—with no operations manual or shortcuts. Life has a way of throwing us in at the deep end, ready or not, often requiring us to rise to the occasion at breakneck speed. It’s in those messy, high-pressure moments that the real magic happens that arms us with the grit and skills that define resilience.
If you ask me, every entrepreneur needs to experience suffering at least a few times—it’s the only genuine gateway to growth. But here’s the kicker: we’re living in an age of toxic positivity, where happiness is worshipped as the ultimate life goal. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
True resilience is built by wading through the full spectrum of human experience, not by dodging it. Yet society has grown increasingly soft, shying away from the big, messy emotions and challenges that actually forge resilience.
When I reflect on my own life, the moments that resonate the most—the sweetest, most transformative ones—weren’t the easy wins. They were the times I was knee-deep in the mud, clawing my way out, figuring out who I was. That process? Unparalleled. Resilience is like gold—you don’t stumble across it, you mine it. It’s hard-earned.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Professionally, I’m known as an International Media, Brand, and Reputation Advisor. For nearly two decades, I’ve run my global eponymous agency, working with high-profile personalities, business leaders, and corporations to build, amplify, and protect their most valuable asset: their reputation.
From day one, I set out to do things differently. A lot of what the public sees is a direct reflection of my cerebral depths and my relentless desire to shake up an industry that too often clings to the status quo.
(Quiet) Disruption isn’t just part of my approach—it’s the core of who I am. Not because I’m seeking attention or trying to make a scene; I’ve no interest in that. It’s because I hold myself to a standard of excellence where mediocrity simply can’t survive. I’ve been called a perfectionist, often by those who wouldn’t dare attempt the things I’ve pursued in both business and life. Excellence and mastery are my core contributing values.
Based in Paris and Los Angeles, corporations worldwide hire me to upskill their teams and executive leaders in preventing and managing communications crises. On a private client level, I advise high-profile personalities and leaders, continually shaping and safeguarding their brands and reputations in the public eye.
This is a space where I’ve firmly established myself—a realm with little to no real competition. My business model is meticulously crafted and grounded in proven methodologies with years of practical experience that is not easily accessible by everyone in the PR industry.
Even if someone tried to replicate it, they simply couldn’t. It’s deliberately designed with a level of complexity that’s impossible to decode—something I crafted with intention. From the very beginning, I had no interest in being one of many; I set out to be one of a kind. “Good enough” was never part of the plan—only exceptional would do.
After years of working in reputation at the highest level, I’m now turning my focus to bringing this awareness and education into the mainstream—for both business and life—because I believe it has the power to elevate society as a whole. As individuals, we should demand more of ourselves. This new-age notion of “I am enough” is truly the plague of this decade. The lifelong pursuit of building a strong reputation isn’t just about personal success; it’s about adopting frameworks that enrich our communities, strengthen relationships, and foster true self-sovereignty and self-mastery.
For the first time, I’m making the insights, practices, and tools—typically reserved for elite individuals and top-tier leaders—accessible to anyone ready to grow in this area.
Once again, this is a disruption I’m deeply proud of. A series of resources is launching—genuinely world-first in this realm—and my hope is that, over time, these will find their way and become formally integrated into the education system, shaping the next generation from the ground up.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
DRIVE
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been asked, “How are you so driven?”—as if my level of ambition borders on the paranormal. The truth is, I’ve shown signs of drive from a young age, and it’s shaped my determination, helping me push through and see things to the finish line—even when I’ve been tempted to throw in the towel.
Drive, to me, is that fire in your belly—the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning. If you’re feeling a bit flat, it’s not because you’re missing some lofty purpose or profound ‘why.’ What you’re really missing is curiosity.
Instead of chasing after a grand vision, start by practicing curiosity—not just for today or tomorrow, but every single day. Lean into it. See where it takes you. What’s interesting about curiosity is that it has a way of snowballing into action, and before you know it, that action morphs into passion. And passion? That’s what fuels drive.
DIPLOMACY & NEGOTIATION
I’ve spent my entire career—and a lifetime of learning—dedicated to becoming a masterful communicator—a journey that naturally sharpened my negotiation skills. Like strengthening a muscle, I quickly learned how to assess situations, read people’s behaviour, and respond strategically to secure the best outcomes.
Negotiation and diplomacy are vital yet often misunderstood skills. They’re rarely discussed openly and are sometimes unfairly dismissed as manipulative. But the truth is, we’ve all been practicing them since childhood—think back to the school playground, long before anyone formally taught us what they meant.
At their core, these skills are about deep understanding and finding solutions that benefit everyone, not about manipulation. To develop these, focus on becoming a truly active listener, staying patient, and aiming for win-win outcomes devoid of ego. Look for opportunities to put yourself in situations that challenge you to step up in this way. What some might see as conflicts are often just opportunities waiting for you to turn them into brilliant outcomes.
REPUTATION
I’m constantly struck by how little attention is given to building a strong reputation. While I live and breathe this professionally, it’s undeniable that reputation sits at the heart of success in every corner of life. In friendships and personal relationships, it draws the right people to you. In business, it’s the foundation that enables you to scale. Even your wealth is directly tied to your reputation, unlocking doors to a world of financial opportunities. On a more altruistic level, if you’re pursuing a higher purpose, reputation becomes your accelerator, shortening the time and path it takes to inspire others to join your vision and help you fulfil it.
The first step is understanding just how much weight your reputation carries. Then, take a good, honest look at where you stand—call it a self-audit. From there, it’s about committing to the lifelong work of building, nurturing, and amplifying it.
Reputation isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the invisible currency underpinning everything you do. So, why not start treating it like the asset it is?
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is the book I wish I’d discovered at least a decade earlier.
It’s a playbook for navigating the often brutal, ruthless game of business and life, where everything isn’t as shiny and idealistic as the “love and light” crowd would have you believe.
Some critics call it Machiavellian—fair enough, but if you’re too caught up in the fairy tale of pure good intentions, you’ll get crushed.
Nuggets of wisdom are found in each law. My favourite ones?
Law 5 – Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with Your Life.
Law 9 – Win through Your Actions—Never Through Argument.
Law 47: Do Not Go Past in the Mark You Aimed For: In Victory, Learn When to Stop.
Greene doesn’t just throw theories at you; he digs into human behaviour and metacommunication with real-life examples drawn from history’s sociopolitical figures, revealing the hard truths about power and influence. It’s essential reading for anyone serious about playing the game and winning, not just pretending to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marinamara.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellomarinamara/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinamara
- Twitter: https://x.com/helloMarinaMara/
Image Credits
Marie Paul
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