When was the last time you looked yourself up on Google?
For me, it’s been years. But recently, I tried something different: I asked ChatGPT about my own consultancy — to see how AI would position 11 Fifty-Nine among established crisis communication firms.
At first, the result was what you’d expect: my name didn’t appear in the general list. After all, 11 Fifty-Nine only launched a few months ago.
But when I asked specifically about my brand, the AI surprised me—with a concise and almost spot-on description of what defines my work.
Here’s what ChatGPT said, in essence:
“While large agencies offer broad, process-driven services, 11 Fifty-Nine focuses on one thing: enabling leaders and teams to act with clarity and confidence when the playbook breaks.
Big firms operate as institutional brands—impressive in scale, but often impersonal and layered.
11 Fifty-Nine is built around lived experience and trust: a boutique consultancy led by Martin Riecken, grounded in decades of real-world crisis leadership.
The focus is not on managing the message alone, but on guiding people through uncertainty — quickly, calmly, and with empathy.
In short: 11 Fifty-Nine doesn’t compete on size, but on depth.”
I was genuinely impressed. Not because AI “praised” my brand, but because it managed to extract its core purpose from what’s already out there — my website, my tone, my approach, and the stories behind my work.
That’s what fascinates me about AI: it reflects what you’ve built, sometimes more clearly than you see it yourself. It forces precision. It holds up a mirror — and if you’re open to it, you can learn a lot about your own narrative.