Alicia Teltz

Ex-LinkedIn employee sharing underrated LinkedIn features | Part #2
→ Download your profile as a PDF

❓ Why does this matter?

It was originally designed for recruiters to share candidate CVs and for users to export their own profile as a CV in PDF format.

𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵.

❓ How?

The LinkedIn algorithm analyses your profile positioning (skills, experience, job titles) and checks if it aligns with your content.

❓ Why?

LinkedIn sees itself as a global news broadcaster and wants users to share their opinions/start discussions around things happening in the world.

In an effort to stay the world’s most trusted social media platform, it needs to ensure you are actually qualified to talk about a certain subject.

So if your profile says “web designer” but you talk about the stock market, the algorithm gets confused. And confused algorithms don’t hand out impressions.

❓ So how can this CV feature help our reach?

𝗪𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗜𝗙 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝗽.

❓ How?

1️⃣ Step: The Analysis

Download your LinkedIn profile into a PDF by clicking the three dots at the top of your profile.

Then upload the PDF into AI and use this prompt:

“𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 5 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.”

✅ If the results match your content = You’re golden.
❌ If they don’t = Your content won’t be traveling far.

2️⃣ Step: The Fix

Fill in these blanks by yourself (without AI!!).

“𝘈𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 [𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺], 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 [𝘸𝘩𝘰] 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 [𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵] 𝘣𝘺 [𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥], 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 [𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵].”

It doesn’t matter if it’s long or messy.
Just get it out of your head.

Then go back to AI and use this prompt:

"𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸. 
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦:
→ 3𝘹 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘊𝘛𝘈
→ 3𝘹 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
→ 𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
→ 5𝘹 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥
→ 𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
[𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵]"

Spend 30 minutes updating your profile accordingly.

And et voilà, now your profile actually supports your content.

Wild times.

💬 Which underrated LinkedIn feature do you want me to overanalyse next?

If you’re new on LinkedIn, I need to talk to you.


The first few posts will suck.
The first few months will suck.
You won’t get many comments.
You won’t get much engagement.
Clients will not “magically” appear.
You will need to spend TIME on here.
You’ll write posts that aren’t “perfect”.
You’ll most likely have a slow period too!
You’ll most likely want to quit way too soon.
You’ll 100% want to add random connections.
That feeling of being “seen” will be super scary.
But experiencing being seen will be rewarding.
My message to everyone reading this today:
Embrace the “slow” and “scary” beginning.
Embrace the high & low platform periods.
Ditch the fast, templated hacks for now.
Accept the fact that this is a “journey”.
Show up daily the next 6–12 months.
I promise you, there’s zero chance.
That things don’t work out for ya.
It has to… It will… I promise you.

Your friendly LinkedIn coach,

Jasmin ❤️

____

One year ago, I was one of the 81 people who reposted Jasmin Alić’s post.

I was still a LinkedIn employee.

Amongst the 99% of LinkedIn employees who don’t post content themselves despite being employed by the very same platform.

Jasmin’s post not only compelled me to share it with my network but also motivated me to start my own LinkedIn journey finally.

Seeing his words encouraged me.
Embracing the messiness and having faith that it will work out.

Today, I can confidently say that it did work out.
I am living proof that his words were true.

Thank you, Jasmin, for changing my life.
You probably had no idea.

And I hope by resharing his words today, we might be able to change another person’s life. 🙏🏻❤️

____

Yes, the first image is 100% AI-generated.
No, I did not look this put together over Christmas.

I used it to stop you scrolling.
Because this message deserves a fighting chance.

Now go and follow Jasmin Alić.
The man's a legend.

10 LinkedIn Hooks that always work 👇🏻


1️⃣ “Stop doing [...]”
→ Contrarian and demands attention

2️⃣ “The truth about [...]”
→ Promises insider knowledge

3️⃣ “Here's the secret I learnt the hard way” 
→ Vulnerability + exclusivity

4️⃣ “The number one mistake new [...] make”
→ Specific, actionable, fear of missing out

5️⃣ “The biggest mistake I made when it comes to [...]”
→ Personal story + Lesson = Gold

6️⃣ “I can't believe I just (learned/noticed) [...]”
→ Genuine surprise is contagious

7️⃣ “This is your sign to [...]”
→ Permission-giving, emotionally resonant

8️⃣ “POV: you [...]”
→ Immersive, relatable, great for storytelling

9️⃣ “Your [...] isn't (ugly, lame, etc.), you just need [...]”
→ Reframe + solution = Share/Save-worthy

1️⃣0️⃣ “If you have ever struggled with [...], do [...]”
→ Targets the pain point directly, promises relief


🎁 Bonus for actually reading the text alongside this video 🎁


1️⃣1️⃣ “As a [credibility], [followed by your chosen hook]”
→ Instant credibility

1️⃣2️⃣ Add numbers (ideally $$$)
→ Pattern interrupt, tangible


And yes, some of these hooks feel quite lame.

Why's that?

Because we have seen them a lot.

Why's that?

BECAUSE THEY WORK!!!

Why's that?


1️⃣ Emotional triggers 
→ Fear, curiosity, relief, validation

2️⃣ Specificity 
→ No vague promises, clear simple language

3️⃣ Pattern interrupts 
→ Stop scrolling moments

4️⃣ Story potential 
→ Personal experience brings your post to life

5️⃣ Under 12 words
→ Roughly when users need to click “see more”


Remember:

Your hook makes or breaks your post.

If people don’t click “see more”, you’ve already lost.

Sad but true.

💔


P.S. I use Stanley to help me write ALL of my hooks.

I'm mentioning Stanley because I genuinely use the tool and bully all my creator friends into using it, too.

This post isn’t sponsored, but (to honour transparency and capitalism) if you stay after the free trial, I do get a little commission. Happy days! 😀

You can test it yourself with a 7-day free trial here: https://lnkd.in/gNqsQe6B

I’ve made my first $1,000 on Substack!! 🤩

To anyone who subscribed since I switched on my paid tier last week:

You are absolute LEGENDS!!!

Next exclusive article drops on Sunday. 👇🏻

https://lnkd.in/gTKGnUuQ

Can anyone relate??

I’m so f*cking tired of this idea that you have to work hard to make money.

I don’t believe it.

Life is short.
Offensively short. ☠️

You should live your life FULLY.
Now and every single day thereafter.

Don't ever postpone joy, freedom, travel, rest, creativity (or our nervous system) for “one day”.

Instead of people saying:
💬 “Enjoy your holiday, you deserve it.”

They should say:
💬 “What the f*ck you're on holiday AGAIN?!”

Somewhere between chairlifts and pretending I enjoy the cold, I realised that it is absolutely possible to build a *wildly* successful business AND enjoy life at the same time.

Very Tim Ferriss 4-Hour-Work-Week-Style.

Now back from skiing (with both knees intact), I'm going to share transparently how I'm redesigning my business to maximise its success without working myself into the ground.

Follow along to learn:

→ How I change my strategy towards passive income.
→ Which systems and flows I implement to scale.
→ Who I'm going to hire for growth.

If you want more than just reading my LinkedIn posts, join my The Hype Department 📣 community for expert strategies on how to set up a successful passive-income driven digital business, alongside tactical LinkedIn advice coming from someone who has worked on the inside.

Next *exclusive* session coming up TOMORROW with Harrison McIntyre-Miller on how to create a Newsletter that converts. 💸

Join here: https://lnkd.in/g4aJGGhr

Don't be that person on their deathbed thinking you wasted the most precious time of your life. 💔

From invisible to invited by Google... 👀 
And it all happened because I got over the CRINGE.

If you never came across my profile before, quick recap:

I used to work at LinkedIn. THE LinkedIn.

I helped multi-bn-dollar companies build their presence on the platform.

And yet I never posted myself.
What a complete hypocrite. 🙃

→ It obviously wasn't because I didn't know how.
(I worked at LinkedIn)

→ It obviously wasn't because I didn't have time. 
(It’s not shady having a LinkedIn tab open when you work at LinkedIn).

→ It was because posting felt CRINGE.
(So, so f*cking cringe)

Until…. I stumbled across this:

Polish psychologist Robert Zajonc ran an experiment back in the 60s called ‘The Exposure Effect’.

He found that familiar faces (aka faces we’ve consciously or subconsciously seen multiple times before) were rated as:

→ More competent
→ More trustworthy
→ More likeable

Even when their accomplishments/skills/credentials/etc were IDENTICAL.

Meaning (in modern business terms):

✅ Repeatedly visible people become industry leaders.
❌ Quiet experts get overlooked.

Now see this:

LinkedIn has 1.3 billion users.
Only 1% post more than once a week.

That's your opportunity sitting right there.
One of the easiest platforms to stand out in no time (ish).

So in February last year, I said F****CK it.

I publicly announced I’m gonna hit 10k followers in 90 days.
(I hit that goal one day before the deadline, phew!)

And so many doors opened that I ended up:

→ Leaving my job at LinkedIn to start my own business.
→ Getting global speaking invitations.
→ Landing seriously cool brand partnership deals.
→ Working with the world’s largest organisations. (Hi Google 👋🏻)

Whether you like it or not:

→ 99% of the time, people choose ‘visible + good’ over ‘invisible + excellent’. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Don't be invisible.
You bloody deserve them opportunities.

Just like I deserve that Google logo on my banner. 🤓💅🏻

__
Btw, I wrote a whole article about how I got over the cringe: https://lnkd.in/gz_hjgrX

As an ex-LinkedIn employee, I thought I'd start a little series on "LinkedIn features I'm shocked people don't use". Here's Part #1 👇🏻

There's a feature that sells for you while you sleep, and only a few creators are using it.

➡️ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 ⬅️

Mine is currently set to:

"𝘏𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘢!! 👋🏻

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘺 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 💀
𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯.
𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘙𝘌𝘌 2-𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥/𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦/𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴:
𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘪𝘷.𝘤𝘰𝘮/

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯,
𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢"

Honestly, one of the easiest little LinkedIn growth hacks.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:

1️⃣ Promotes your lead magnet in a non-salesy way
→ This should be something genuinely valuable and FREE, not slapping people with your paid offer.

2️⃣ Gives you breathing room 
→ You don't have to respond to every message the second it arrives. You are allowed to blink.

3️⃣ It subtly makes you look in demand
→ Lines like "my inbox is a little busy" or "my calendar is packed" subconsciously show that you're worth waiting for.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽:

→ Go to your messages
→ Click the three dots
→ Set your time frame and message

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲:

→ Only available with Premium, Sales Navigator, or Recruiter licenses
→ 300 character limit, so be concise
→ Only sent to people you're connected with

Tell me in the comments if you already knew about this feature and if so, what was THE BEST away message you’ve come across?

🔔 Follow Alicia for more LinkedIn insider tips and features you didn't know existed.

I’m an ex-LinkedIn employee. Let’s bust some myths as to why your impressions dropped.

Firstly, nobody knows *exactly* how the LinkedIn algorithm works.
Yes, that includes me.

Anyone claiming to know either works on LinkedIn's engineering team, is married to or related to them, or is outright lying.

Even when I was still working at LinkedIn, I couldn’t find out how my own content was distributed.

That's how much emphasis they put on protecting fairness and stopping anyone from gaming the system.

But I know enough from the inside to tell you what’s myth, what’s noise, and what’s actually happening.

👽 Myth 1: LinkedIn lowered your reach to sell Boosts.
→ Plausible, but unlikely. 
→ Killing trust = killing the platform.

👽 Myth 2: LinkedIn is silencing women.
→ LinkedIn's LLM is biased, yes. Same with any AI model. 
→ But there is zero commercial incentive for LinkedIn to suppress women’s reach.

👽 Myth 3: There’s simply more content due to AI.
→ True, but not the reason to cause a platform-wide reach dip overnight.
→ LinkedIn did, however, announce tackling generic AI-produced content.

👽 Myth 4: You’re posting at the wrong time
→ Early engagement isn’t a key algorithm signal anymore, but it still matters.
→ The best time to post depends on when your specific audience is online.

👽 Myth 5: Your SSI Score is low. 
→ SSI doesn’t control distribution.
→ It’s a spam-prevention score.

👽 Myth 6: You are shadow-banned
→ Probably not. It’s often an easy excuse.
→ If in doubt, raise a ticket with LinkedIn Support.

👽 Myth 7: You included an external link
→ LinkedIn confirmed that external links don’t harm your reach. 
→ Your post was likely too salesy and didn’t deliver enough value.

📣 What has ACTUALLY changed?

→ LinkedIn shifted how it analyses and distributes content with its new LLM.
→ Your feed has moved from network-based to persona-based.
→ It now behaves more like a “For You” page.

📣 How does it all work?

→ The system looks at who you are, what you post, and who/what you engage with.
→ Then it groups you with people “similar” to you.
→ Your content gets shown to them, not just your network.

📣 What does this mean for you?

Your impressions dropped because your audience changed without you realising it.

✅ Pros: 
You connect with more people like you, and your feed becomes an echo chamber.

❌ Cons: 
You stop seeing and being seen by your ideal customers or the network you spent years building relationships with.

📣 What to do about it?

1️⃣ Make sure your profile reflects your ICP and matches your content.
2️⃣ Engage/connect with people in the “persona bubble” you want to be in.
3️⃣ Be crystal clear WHO you speak to and WHAT your insight is about.

I did a full 2h deep dive into ➡️ EVERYTHING ⬅️ you need to know about the new algorithm and how to get your reach back up.

Watch it for free here: https://lnkd.in/g4HY-Rk6

I quit my $250k job at LinkedIn for freedom.
What I actually built was a prison.

In my head, entrepreneurship sounded perfect:

→ I’d own my wins.
→ I’d choose where my energy went.
→ I’d work when I wanted, where I wanted, for as long as I wanted.

But in reality:

→ Every day, I’m stuck to my laptop. 
→ Back-to-back calls. Emails. Deliveries. 
→ Weekends don’t exist anymore.
→ Sometimes, I don’t leave the flat for days.

The result: I cry (a lot).

→ I’m a terrible girlfriend.
→ I don’t see my friends and family.
→ I’ve lost weight. Headaches. No energy.
→ I live in a way that isn’t how humans are meant to live.

And before anyone says it…

I KNOW.
I do this to myself.

My ambition has always been my biggest strength.
But now it is my biggest enemy.

The very thing that got me into these high-paid corporate roles, I’m now quietly resenting.

But you can’t just “switch off” your ambition.
You keep going and keep telling yourself:

→ “It’ll calm down once revenue hits X.”
→ “Once I have a team, it’ll be easier.”

Absolute lies.

→ I now make more money than I ever have. 
→ I have a team of 9. Some part-time. Some project-based.

And the pressure only multiplied.

→ More expenses: software AND salaries.
→ More meetings: external AND internal.
→ More energy: for clients AND the team.

It's a new kind of anxiety I never experienced before:

1️⃣ When a month isn’t as strong as the last, suddenly it’s not just your own mortgage on the line.

2️⃣ If software can’t get paid, business operations collapse.

3️⃣ If you don't keep the energy high, clients lose trust, and the team gets disheartened.

A person can only endure so much pressure until their body and mind shut down.

Therefore, I had some very hard conversations with myself recently.

I’ve never been someone who plays the victim.
If I don’t like the reality, I change it.

So I’m making some scary, uncomfortable, very deliberate changes for 2026.

This time, freedom won’t just be the story I tell.
It’ll be the system I build.

And I’ll bring you along that journey. 
Because you deserve to see what it truly means to run a business.

If you're an entrepreneur and this resonates, know that you're not alone.

More to follow soon.

Until then, enjoy your Sunday. ❤️

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU!!


You’re about to post...

But end up hesitating...

And that hesitation turns into somewhat of an existential crisis...

Palms sweaty.
Knees weak.
Arms heavy.
Mum’s spaghetti. 🍝*

All just because *someone* popped into your head.

There they are.
Rent-free in your brain.

→ That girl from school everyone fancied?
→ A colleague who might roll their eyes?
→ Your boss who still doesn’t get it?
→ Your ex (obviously)?
→ Your mum?

They are the ones keeping you away from your success.

And they’re not even thinking about you.

They’re too busy worrying about what YOU think of THEM.
They're struggling with their own insecurities.**

Nah.
Not you.
Not today.

Go on.
Post the thing.
You've got permission.

It’s YOUR life.
Not theirs.

OWN IT! 💥

__

*Millennials, you're welcome.
Big Eminem fan here.

** My boyfriend likes this picture.
I hate it.
But to live by example, I'm hitting "post" nevertheless.
Just like you'll do today.
You've got this! 💪🏻

Posting this video because an ex-LinkedIn colleague reached out to me yesterday.

They were telling me how proud they are to have been following my journey and seeing my growth ever since I made the decision to build my personal brand.

Looking back, I can't believe HOW much my life has changed.

HOW many opportunities have been coming my way since I got out of my comfort zone and embraced the cringe.

It is SCARY to start posting, especially on LinkedIn where our networks are made up of colleagues, bosses and clients.

But facing that fear will unlock possibilities in your life you CANNOT imagine.

In that video, I'm holding a workshop at Google (!!!).

How the f*ck would Google have able to book me if they didn't knew I existed?!

I hope this video is giving you encouragement to finally make yourself seen.
To finally be recognised and awarded for the brilliant work you're doing.

You deserve it!

❤️✨

1 follower is your start.
100 followers is validation.
1,000 followers is momentum.
10,000 followers is a side hustle.
50,000 followers is a full-time business.
250,000 followers is your long-lasting legacy.

Keep at it 🫡✈️✌🏻

I posted the same video 2 days apart. 
The first one got 300 impressions. 
The second one got 20,000 impressions.

Ohhh LinkedIn. You messy little app. Watcha doing??

Last Friday, I posted a video about "10 LinkedIn hooks that always work”.

Normally, my average impressions after 2 days: 10,000
This post's impressions after 2 days: 300 (now at 1,137)

That's a 97% decline vs my average. 💀

Never in my LinkedIn posting career have I had a post stuck at 300 impressions.

Naturally, I messaged our beloved friends at LinkedIn support.

Their response:

"𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴."

→ Nothing got flagged.
→ No platform-wide issues.
→ Apparently, it just didn't resonate with my audience.

Nah. I'm not having it.
I knew it was a good post and that my audience would find it valuable.

So I posted it again.

Second post's impressions after two days: 20,000 (now at 25,516)

That's a 100% increase vs my average. 💥

→ 1,066 Engagements
→ 11 Reposts
→ 420 Saves

(Told you I knew it was a good post 🙄)

But WHYYY didn't it get pushed the first time???

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝟭: LinkedIn did indeed make changes to the algo

Lots of people have had a weird reach lately. It always happens when LinkedIn is tweaking things.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝟮: It did get flagged as being naughty

In the text of my first post, I used the letter “X” as a placeholder a total of 12 times.

Which could have made LinkedIn think I was:

a) Posting p0rn
b) Aggressively promoting one of their key competitors

Now, I could go down a rabbit hole and argue with LinkedIn support to get to the bottom of this...

But we'll probably never know what actually happened. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Not every bad post means:

→ Your content is bad
→ The algorithm hates you
→ Your audience is bored of you
→ Your career is over and you should work on a farm in Wales

Sometimes the app is just acting like a little weirdo.

Post again.
Drink water.
Touch grass.
Enjoy the sun.
Hug your loved ones.

Tomorrow is another day on the internet.

🌷

Anyone else experiencing some funny LinkedIn behaviour recently?

___

P.S. To the people who noticed the hook placement changed in the second video:

Firstly, I both fear and respect the level of attention you pay to my content.

Secondly, turns out that when you place the text too high, LinkedIn's interface will block it.

We live and learn.

⁉️ Are my LinkedIn impressions low because I’m posting too often ⁉️

As an ex-LinkedIn employee, I used to say that there’s no such thing as being punished for posting too much or too little.

Up until LinkedIn made its most recent algorithm change, as further confirmed by TheShieldIndex's data.

→ It proves that your impressions will drop by 65% if you publish content more than 4+ times a week vs. just once every two weeks.

⁉️ ”𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹?”

Not necessarily.
Take 3 people with 10K followers each:

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 3𝘅 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
Average reach per post: 16%
Total monthly reach: ~4,800

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗕 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 10𝘅 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
Average reach per post: 10%
Total monthly reach: ~10,000

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 20𝘅 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
Average reach per post: 5.55%
Total monthly reach: ~11,100 🚨

Yes, more posts can increase your total reach.
But doubling your output only adds 1,100 impressions.
→ A lot more effort for barely more payoff.

⁉️ “𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀’ 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗵.”

If you’re posting constantly, there’s a good chance quality starts slipping.

But that doesn’t explain the sudden 40% drop for Person C in February. 
→ Unless high-frequency creators all decided to publish sh*t content last month.

⁉️ “𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻?”

LinkedIn’s new LLM (launched in 2025) has recently been further optimised to:
1. Prioritise persona-relevancy
2. Reduce low-quality content

I spoke about 1. before (see below).

For 2., *my theory* is that LI’s new LLM gives every post sort of a spam-score based on two things:

1️⃣ Content Quality
→ AI signals, promotional intent, harmful content.

2️⃣ Engagement Quality
→ Likely in the first 90 mins or so.
→ AI or Pod engagement, promotional spam, low comment discussion-threads.

If both scores are low, *I assume* LinkedIn throttles your post.

→ Creators who treat LinkedIn like a systemised content machine could be hit the hardest, explaining the sudden drop in their impressions.

⁉️ “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲?”

If your content is GOOD, it will drive genuine engagement, and therefore, posting frequency doesn't matter.
Your posts will still perform.

But if you’re forcing low-quality posts just to stay consistent, I advise posting less frequently and using your freed-up time to:

1. Improve your content.
2. Engage genuinely with others (commenting, connecting, DM’ing).

⚠️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

I’m running a free 90-minute Masterclass on how to build a content strategy that works with this new algorithm.

⏰ Tomorrow, Tuesday 31st March | 1pm UK time
📍 LinkedInLive | Sign up here: https://luma.com/fpaa1oym

Drop your questions in the comments, and I will address them during my session.

You should be RIDICULOUSLY OPTIMISTIC about this life.


For 2026, you should pick goals that SCARE THE LIFE out of you.

💥 Aim BIGGER than feels polite.
💥 BIGGER than feels logical.
💥 BIGGER than you can currently explain.

Same as you, I’ve come across people telling me to lower my expectations.
To be “realistic”.
To avoid disappointment.

But that advice is usually given by people protecting their own choices.

They will be the ones lying on their deathbed, regretting they spent their one, wild life pre-rejecting themselves.

Do you really want to look back and realise you listened to advice that kept you small?

Imagine you aim outrageously high… and fail.
You'd land in EXACTLY the same place you’d be if you’d played it safe.

Not worse off.
But BRAVER. 💪🏻

Chasing big dreams doesn’t just change outcomes.
It changes WHO YOU become.

And that’s the whole point.

You’ve under-aimed before.
This is me helping you correct course.

Be RECKLESSLY optimistic.

Because one day you might look back and realise you weren’t delusional.
You were RIGHT.

👉🏻 What would you do in 2026 if you weren’t trying to be sensible?
👉🏻 Say it out loud so you're finally calling it into reality.

___

💻 If 2026 is the year you actually let the world see how brilliant you are…

I’m running a free 90-minute Masterclass tomorrow where I’ll walk you through your LinkedIn Game Plan for 2026.

If you’re going to be seen anyway, you might as well do it properly 🤓.

4,116 people already signed up. 
Secure your spot here: https://luma.com/ffazz21q

___

This post went out at 11:11am.
IYKYK ✨

I'm SOOO FED UP (!!) with people saying everyone is suddenly getting ADHD, autism or any other neurodivergence.

We're not suddenly becoming neurodivergent.
Our brains ALWAYS had a different neurological profile:

🧠 Different dopamine regulation
🧠 Different GABA and glutamate balances
🧠 Different connectivity to the prefrontal cortex
🧠 Different brain development rates and sequences

We're just finally getting answers.
About 20-30 years later than we should have.

It’s kind of our own fault because we learned to get INSANELY good at coping.

And now that more of us are recognising that we're neurodivergent, people call it a "trend".

Left-handedness shot up when parents finally stopped forcing kids to write with their right hand.

Left-handedness didn’t trend.
Oppression just chilled out. 😂

Same with neurodivergency.
But some people think it’s only real if it looks a *very* specific way.

Someone once had the audacity to ask me:
“But you don’t seem autistic??!!”

YEAH NO SHIT!!

Because you didn’t see:

→ the script running in my head with every casual conversation.
→ the mental coma after pretending to be normal for too long.
→ the exhaustion of analysing every word after it’s been said.

→ the relief when plans get cancelled (even if I was excited).
→ the constant scanning of the room for noise and light.
→ the need to rehearse simple conversations in advance.

→ the effort it takes to make eye contact feel natural.
→ the anxiety of not knowing what’s expected of me.
→ the exhale when I can finally stop performing.

I do all of these things just to get through a "normal” day.
No surprise I constantly feel fucking burnt out. 😅

I finally got diagnosed with AuDHD (autism + ADHD) two years ago.

→ 34 years wondering why everything felt harder than it did for others.
→ 34 years believing something was wrong with me.
→ 34 years of contant struggle finally make sense.

Now I get to build the rest of my life around how my brain ACTUALLY works.

___

If reading this resonates with you:

Ignore what people are saying.
You don't owe anyone a version of yourself that makes more sense to them.

They're still catching up and learning about it all.
Give them time.

You already spent your whole life trying to fit in.

Now is your moment to hone in on your differences, show up fully as yourself and lean into what makes you EXCEPTIONAL. ✨

From $250k corporate to $0 entrepreneur: Month 9 reality check.

On 30th June last year, I handed in my LinkedIn badge and said goodbye to 15+ years of climbing the corporate ladder.

Here’s how that leap into complete uncertainty turned out for me:


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟭 (July):
The jump was fucking scary.
But there’s never a “perfect time”.
So I took a massive leap of faith and bet on myself.

💡 That honeymoon phase (being blissfully naive) was PRICELESS.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟮 (August):
My business strategy was a bloody mess.
I offered: LinkedIn coaching, workshops, ghostwriting, community, speaking, and brand deals.

💡 Basically doing everything and nothing all at once.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟯 (September):
First time replacing my corporate salary.
I felt UNSTOPPABLE.
Booked a $3k ski trip for January as a little (big) reward.

💡 Money coming in now means money coming in later, right??


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟰 (October):
Glued to my laptop 10h / 7 days a week and still felt behind.

💡 Comparing yourself to other people’s timelines is FUN.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟱 (November):
Burnout creeping in.
Pipeline massively slowing down pre-Christmas.
Financial panic arises.

💡 Was booking that ski trip truly a good idea?


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟲 (December):
Working non-stop in fear of not making rent. Dreading Christmas because buying presents was out of the question.
Sitting at the family dinner, forcing a smile when everyone asked how the business was going.

💡 Life is fucking miserable.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟳 (January):
Ski trip finally happening.
All those pre-Christmas “on hold” clients are now flooding my inbox while I’m on the slopes.
Relieved to be in demand again, I said yes to everything.

💡 Ended up dreading the return to London due to the looming workload.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟴 (February):
I HATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP!!
I didn’t leave corporate to rot in a dark London flat with my laptop.
So I convinced my boyfriend Alex to quit his job and work for me.
The idea is to live cheaper abroad while seeing the world.

💡 THAT’S the flexibility and freedom I dreamt about.


𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟵 (March):
First stop: Thailand 🌴
Removed myself from 1:1 client work and shifted my focus to passive income and digital products.

💡 Saying no to clients is SCARY.
But it serves my long-term strategy, or at least I hope so.



I expected entrepreneurship to be a wild ride, but I didn’t think the emotions would swing THAT widely.

But you do learn to cope.

Especially once that first breaking point is out of the way.
You realise life goes on and that you’re always able to figure shit out.


No matter where you are in your journey:

Keep going. 🙏🏻❤️


What month are you in?

And what’s one thing you wish an experienced entrepreneur told you sooner?

I don’t want to be all whiney and sh*t but you know that when you write something on LinkedIn, it’s public?!

Like people can actually see what you’re posting/commenting.

For example the person you’re publicly taking the p*ss out of?

They happen to be real people with real feelings.

It stings.

But since I can’t control other people’s actions, I’m left with managing my own emotions/thoughts and remind myself of Codie A. Sanchez words:

“I've never had someone more successful than me take time out of their day to tear me down.

They're too busy building.

You will only get criticism from people doing less than you.

And I don't take constructive criticism from people who haven't constructed.

It's a mirror.

They see you doing something big, reflects back on their own insecurities.

That's not your problem.
That's theirs.

Haters can actually be useful.

They're proof you're doing something that matters.

If no one's pushing back, you're probably not pushing hard enough.

So I say let them talk.
You don't win by arguing.

You win by outlasting.

Keep building, keep growing, and let your results do the talking.”

Amen Codie, Amen. 🙏🏻

If you’re a creator, save this. 📌

I mean it.
You’ll need it.
Them trolls will come eventually.

And when the time comes, know that Codie and I, we’ve got you.

We’re here to build, to grow and to outlast. 🔥💅🏻

Would I have been able to grow my LinkedIn this successfully if I still looked like I did in 2021?

I don’t ask this to talk about appearance.
I ask this because 'Pretty Privilege' is real.

Sadly, but undeniably, beauty is tied to moral value, status, discipline, and even intelligence.

I wish this was different.

But anyone who has lived on both sides of the beauty spectrum knows it's the truth.

I was born in 1990.
Like half of LinkedIn users, I’m a millennial.

We, and every generation before us, were raised during a time when a handful of people defined what “pretty” meant for everyone else.

Previous centuries had painters, aristocracy, royalty, and the church.
We had MTV, paparazzi, and 5 magazines deciding reality for us.

For millennial women, that ideal was thin, pale, angular, effortless, and unattainable.
(Think Kate Moss, Keira Knightley, the Olsen twins.)

And this isn’t just about how others see us.
It’s about what happens internally when we don’t fit that reality.

Up until my physical appearance changed:

→ I didn’t speak up as much.
→ I didn’t look people in the eye.
→ I didn’t hold my head up straight.

Because, subconsciously, I believed I wasn’t deserving of more.

Today, that’s changed.
I carry myself differently.

My business and personal brand are thriving.

BUT

→ Has my success been fuelled by people treating me differently?
→ Or is this because I changed how I show up?

We don't know.
We will never find out.

But what we can do, no matter where you sit on the so-called beauty spectrum:

→ Recognise the bias we were handed.
→ Acknowledge it.
→ Don’t pass it on.
→ And don’t ever let it define your worth. 🙏🏻

The next generation is our thought leader on this already.

Gen Z/Alpha grew up with Social Media, seeing many body types, many faces, many aesthetics, many definitions of “hot”.
They're leading the way for body positivity and diverse representation.

This might be the first time in history where there isn’t just *one* way to be “pretty”.

Resulting in the end of our value being tied to the way we look.

About time.

Ohhhh I bloody love you lot 🫶🏻🥹
Last week, 1,880 people watched me yap for 2+ hours about LinkedIn.

What is wrong with you all?? 😀

Many don’t know just HOW much effort goes into running a webinar like this.
Seeing you all show up, engaging, your feedback, your DMs, it makes it all so worthwhile.

THANK YOU!! ❤️

As someone who absolutely haaaated school, I never thought I’d say this:
I do love being a teacher. 😀👩🏼‍🏫

Which made me think:
👉🏻 How about I create a proper, in-depth digital course?

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: 
“InDemand”
(𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵? 😀😀 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝙄𝙣 + 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴.)

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲:
A step-by-step guide to becoming a well-known thought leader, growing your influence, and turning LinkedIn into a lead-generating machine.

𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 1 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁

→ Why LinkedIn is the most underrated platform for lead generation

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 2 — 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗻

→ How long LinkedIn actually takes to work
→ Your LinkedIn toolkit
→ Setting LinkedIn goals tied to business outcomes

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 3 — 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗢𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿

→ Personal Brand vs Company Page
→ Defining your dream client
→ Niching down without boxing yourself in

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 4 — 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵

→ Does your current profile sell you while you sleep?
→ Optimising your profile for conversion
→ Leveraging your company page

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 5 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲?

→ Cracking the algorithm
→ The anatomy of high-performing LinkedIn content
→ How to never run out of content ideas

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 6 — 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀

→ Hooks that stop the scroll
→ The Body: Keep Them Hooked
→ CTAs that actually convert
→ Choosing the right assets

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 7 — 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲

→ Who’s actually worth your attention
→ How to find the right people to engage with
→ The art of the connection request
→ Spring cleaning your network

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 8 — 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲

→ The commenting playbook
→ DMs that don’t feel salesy

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 9 — 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀

→ Sales Navigator tutorial
→ When and how to hire a ghostwriter or VA
→ Automation: what’s safe, what’s not

_____

👉🏻 PLEEEEASE give me your honest opinion:

🎓 Is there anything missing? Or is it all way too overwhelming?
🎓 Would you guys actually be keen on a course like this, or is this all a big waste of my time?

If I’m doing this, perfectionist-me will go above and beyond. 
So if you’ve got thoughts, I want them.

Thaaanks 😘
ขอบคุณนะคะ - khob khun ná ka (Oh, I’m loving Thailand 🇹🇭🌴)

To avoid burnout at work, use the 30-30 rule:


After 30 minutes of work → Quit your job → Disappear into the mountains for 30 years.

Imagine you’re face-to-face with a VC legend who’s invested in over 100+ startups...

What would you ask them?

Next week, I'll be sitting on Graham Norton's couch (make it LinkedIn).

I'm joined by serial entrepreneur and VC Expert Raja Skogland, who’s been named as one of the 'Top 100 Most Influential Women in European VC'.

Normally, conversations like these happen behind closed doors.
Except this time, you get a front-row seat *AND* can ask your questions live.


🎙️ Host: Callum Laing | Investor, Entrepreneur and M&A practitioner

🎙️ VC Expert: Raja Skogland | 3x Top 100 Most Influential Women in European VC

🎙️ Visibility Expert: Alicia Teltz (yours truly) | Former Global Client Executive, LinkedIn


There will be no script.
Just an honest conversation fuelled by your questions.

Questions such as:

❓ What’s the biggest reason great ideas still fail?
❓ What’s the key reason VC’s say no to a startup?
❓ What’s the wrong way founders try to build credibility online?
❓ What’s a subtle red flag founders don’t realise they’re showing?
❓ How much does a founder’s public presence matter to investors?

📍 Tuesday, 3rd February at 12pm GMT | LinkedIn Live
👉🏻 Register here so you don't miss it: https://lnkd.in/gJEi4Unb

What’s the one question you’d love to get an answer to but are too scared to ask?

Put it in the comments.
I’ll do it for you.

See you on the couch.

🛋️ 🛋️ 🛋️

I almost cancelled this podcast recording.
Which would’ve been THE DUMBEST decision ever!!

It was 48 hours before my flight to Thailand.
I was staying at my boyfriend's parents' house in Norfolk with all of our belongings crammed into their spare room.

I had a to-do list longer than my arm: vaccinations, hotels, packing, getting my nails done (priorities 💅🏻).

Travelling to London for a podcast meant losing a whole day AND spending over £100 on train tickets.

Naaahhh.

But rather than outright cancelling, something in my gut told me to have an honest chat with Angeliki Galanopoulou about it all first.

We reshuffled timings, I moved half my life admin to London for the day, and it turned into one of THE BEST podcast recordings I’ve ever done.

Ohhh I'm so f***ing glad I didn’t cancel.

The trailer just dropped and it confirms that this episode is 🔥🔥🔥!!
We're talking:

1️⃣ The "golden handcuffs" corporate trap and why corporate is actually the BEST place to start your entrepreneurship journey.

2️⃣ Why every corporate employee should be active on LinkedIn (and a looong list of content ideas if you're stuck).

3️⃣ How to post without feeling like a cringe influencer, plus practical tips on HOW to actually write a post.

4️⃣ The "Cringe Mountain" framework for overcoming the fear of judgment online.

5️⃣ Imposter syndrome and why you don't need to be an expert to spark valuable conversations.

_____

The full episode is live on Spotify and YouTube:

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/Vfx3h
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g6dX6yjz

Go watch it. 
If only for the production quality alone 😮‍🔥

___

Moral of the story:

The things you’re this close 🤏🏻 to cancelling are often the ones that change EVERYTHING.

Have you ever almost skipped something that turned out to be exactly what you needed? 👀

Wanna know what people with ADHD are terrifyingly good at?


Getting hired.


I saw a video by Hannah Viney on TikTok and had to bring her message to LinkedIn.

↓

Put us in an interview, and we turn into performance artists.

You say 'fast learner' → Already smiling.
You say 'resilient' → Head nod engaged.
You say 'high-pressure environment' → That’s literally our nervous system.

We mask.
We mirror.
We read the room like it’s a crime scene and we’re the lead detective.

Job secured.
Inbox refreshed.
Dopamine injected.

You’re buzzing because (once again) you’ve reinvented yourself.

But this time?
It’s different.

This job will fix everything.
This job is your new personality.

You buy a notebook.
You plan outfits.
You meal prep.

Your mum tells people you’ve finally settled.
Your friends think you’ve actually found your thing.

Bless them.

Because six months later...

The masking slips.
The novelty’s gone.
You’ve mentally completed the job in its entirety.

Now you’re bored.

Restless.
Low-key resentful.

You’re staring at your screen, wondering if you need to quit the industry, the city, or capitalism by EOD Friday.

You don’t even know everyone’s name yet and you’ve already drafted a resignation letter.

You open LinkedIn.
Close LinkedIn.
Open LinkedIn again.

You apply for a role you’re wildly underqualified for.

Not because you want it.
But because you need to *feel* something.

People call it commitment issues.

It’s not.
It’s an ADHD brain that needs stimulation.

Novelty.
Purpose.
Challenge.

So if you ever see an ADHD person quit out of nowhere...
Just know, we've mentally left three weeks before HR even saw the email.

Hope that clarifies things.

☠️ DON'T post the content you planned for today.
Post THIS instead. ↓

Look, I want you to put out high-value, deeply researched content that is rooted in your lived experience and embedded in a beautiful story.

But sometimes, we have a writing block or are simply short on time.

This content format is ridiculously simple, brilliantly smart, sooo quick to do.
Plus, if you do it well, it will do the numbers for you. 🤓

Here’s the framework that works for ANYONE, in any NICHE, any INDUSTRY, right here on LinkedIn.


👉🏻 “These are my 3x favourite/biggest [THING].” 👈🏻


Examples:

🔥 “As somebody who's been coaching executives for 10 years, these are my 3x favourite questions that actually give clients clarity.”

🔥 “As a serial entrepreneur, these are the 3x favourite/biggest mistakes I see first-time founders make.”

🔥 “As a founder of an award-winning SEO agency, these are my 3x favourite tools to create visibility for my clients.”

🔥 “As a top-performing AE, these are my 3x favourite ways to follow up without being annoying.”

🔥 “As a freelancer of 10+ years, these are my 3x favourite ways clients accidentally tell me they’ll be a nightmare to work with.”

🔥 “As a recruiter for the world's leading staffing company, these are my 3x favourite/biggest CV red flags everyone ignores.”

🔥 “As a LinkedIn Creator with 36k+ Followers, these are my 3x favourite content ideas for beginner creators.” (😉)

That's it.

You can swap the role.
You can swap the topic.
You can swap the experience.

⚠️ But you CANNOT break the format.

Because:

→ You build credibility as someone worth listening to.
→ It's experience-led, not opinion-led.
→ It's generous, not preachy.

→ It's impossible to copy you (it's tied to your personal experience).
→ Your insights are unique and cannot be googled or ChatGPT'd.
→ Low cognitive load by removing decision fatigue. 3x things feel doable.

→ This format makes your post save-worthy.
→ And when people save your post, the LinkedIn algorithm gods will be on your side.

You're welcome, my friends. 😘

Tag me in your posts so I can see them in action. 🤩

Week 1 Update | Building a LinkedIn Business from abroad 🏝️

We made it to Thailand!!

And I’m not going to lie…
Work has been giving very much “seen at 09:23AM, never replied.”

So apologies to anyone currently waiting on me. 
I am alive. 
Just slightly distracted by palm trees and pad thai.

I’m also fully aware I’m in the honeymoon phase of this move and treating “building a business abroad” more like “accidentally extending a holiday with a laptop on stand-by.”

Between beach walks and mild delusion about making this all work, I have been rethinking eeeeeverything about my business:

→ How do I structure it to scale?
→ How do I reduce how much of my time it eats?
→ How do I build something that doesn’t require me to be attached to my laptop?

Because what is the EFFING point of wanting to explore the world… if you’re just doing it from a different desk?!

It's a bugger to figure out.
But I think I’ve got an idea. 🤓

It does involve some terrifying decisions that will set me back financially.

So let us pray it’s a “it-gets-worse-before-it-gets-better-situation".
And not a “you’ve-ruined-your-business-(and-life)-situation".

I’ll share more over the next few weeks and give you a peek into how I’m trying to build this whole thing between beaches, jungles and (very) overdue client work.

And if it all goes spectacularly wrong?

I’ll be selling watermelons on a beach in Phuket. 
Honestly, I’ve had worse business ideas.

🍉

I have so many questions…
Only one of them is who’s Leila.

I blink and there are 4736473 new AI-generated posts on my feed.

Is it just me, or does LinkedIn feel like a sea of soulless content these days?

originality.ai estimates that 54%+ of longer English-language LinkedIn posts are likely AI-generated.

And I get it.

→ AI is fast.
→ AI is polished.
→ AI never gets tired.
→ AI helps people who struggle to write.

But something about it feels off.

Fine, use AI to think WITH you:

✅ Brainstorm
✅ Sense-check
✅ Get unstuck.

But my rule in The Hype Department 📣 community is always:

“If you wouldn’t say it in a voice note to a friend, it doesn’t get posted.”

As simple as that.

Which means:

1/ Know your voice
→ You sound the same online and offline.

2/ Write from experience
→ Stories beat theories every time.

3/ Choose clarity over perfection
→ Post progress instead of chasing polish.

4/ Speak to emotions
→ Make people FEEL something.

5/ Show your face
→ Trust builds faster when people see you.

6/ Engage more than you post
→ Listen first, comment second, create third.

7/ Don’t copy trends blindly
→ Make trends fit YOUR voice.

8/ Share opinions fearlessly
→ Bold doesn’t mean loud, it means honest.

9/ Build real conversations
→ You reply, not react.

10/ Add value in every post
→ Even one line can change someone’s mindset.

11/ Learn from analytics, not ego
→ Numbers tell stories, read them wisely.

12/ Stay consistent
→ You don’t wait for motivation, you build discipline.

None of this is about hacks.

It’s about having the guts to sound like yourself in a very noisy feed.

👇🏻 Drop the number you already do well.
👇🏻 And the one you need to work on next.

On Monday, I published the same post twice. 5 minutes apart. 
Here’s what I learned about the algorithm. ↓

This hook even made me cringe (sorry).
But I’m glad it worked. 
Thank you for your attention.

Here's what happened:

I had back-to-back meetings on Monday.
So I scheduled my post for 11am.

At 10:55, I remembered that someone once said that scheduled posts perform worse.

I always believed it to be a myth.

But hey, you try anything to succeed in this wild-algorithmic-climate we're in.

→ So I opened my scheduled post.
→ Cleared the time.
→ Hit “Post now”.
→ And off I went to my meetings.

After a few hours, finally catching my breath, I noticed that my team frantically pinged me, saying I’d posted twice.

Turns out, LinkedIn will make your post go live 10 minutes before the selected time. (or something like that)

The fact that I hit ‘post now’ didn’t matter anymore because it was already locked in to go live.

Instead of LinkedIn informing the user about such a situation, it just lets you look like an idiot. Thanks.

Normally, I’d have frantically deleted that duplicated post.

But as we were already a few hours in, I thought I’d treat it as an experiment 🤓.

Here's the result:

1️⃣ First Post (Live at 10:55am)

→ Likes: 236
→ Impressions: 30,133
→ Profile Views: 262
→ Followers gained: 18
→ Saves: 13
→ Sends: 3


2️⃣ Second Post (Live at 11am)

→ Likes: 296
→ Impressions: 21,327 
→ Profile Views: 327
→ Followers gained: 15
→ Saves: 26
→ Sends: 2


🧪 Experiment result: Very inconclusive.

No one (incl. LinkedIn’s algo team) will be able to say what would have happened if this post hadn’t gone out twice.

There are too many variables at play that could have influenced each post's performance.

I asked the people in my community, turns out (roughly):

→ 5% saw my post twice.
→ 35% saw my post once.
→ 60% didn't see my post(s) at all.


TL;DR 👇🏻

The world is still spinning.
I know, we all overreact and overdramatise when something like this happens.

Go and live your life.
It's not worth the headache.

As an ex-LinkedIn employee, I reviewed hundreds of profiles. 
Here's the #1 mistake killing your reach:

➡️ YOUR PROFILE AND CONTENT DON'T MATCH ⬅️

You might be playing two different games on the same board.

Tim Jurka, VP of Engineering at LinkedIn, confirmed this in his newsletter last month.

The algorithm ranks content based on:

→ Your skills
→ Your experience
→ The content you’ve shared
→ Your overall profile positioning

Aka, LinkedIn is asking:
“Is this person actually qualified to talk about this subject?”

❌ If NO = Your reach is solely dependent on your EXISTING networking.
✅ If YES = LinkedIn pushes your content BEYOND your network.

Here’s your strategy:

1️⃣ Check IF your profile and content currently match:

→ Copy your LinkedIn profile URL into AI and use this prompt:
→ "Based on this LinkedIn profile, give me the 5 topics you would expect this person to talk about."

✅ If the results match your content = You're golden.
❌ If they don't = Your content won’t be travelling far. Go to Step 2.

2️⃣ Now, be crystal clear what you want to be known for:

→ Fill in these blanks (WITHOUT AI!!):
→ "As someone who [credibility], I help [who] achieve [result] by [method], without [constraint]."
→ Doesn't matter if it's long or messy, just get it out of your head first. Then onto Step 3.

3️⃣ Update your profile by using this prompt:

"Revamp my current LinkedIn profile based on my statement below.
Please give me:
→ 3x LinkedIn Banner wording options with a CTA
→ 3x LinkedIn Headline options
→ Rewritten About Section
→ 5x Top Skills to add
→ Rewritten Experience Section
[Insert your manually written statement]"

Now your profile actually supports your content.
Crazy concept.

4️⃣ Then, engage with the right people:

→ When you scroll your feed, connect and engage with people who are relevant to your target audience.
→ Unfollow, or mark as "not interested", any irrelevant creators.

5️⃣ And always craft high-quality content:

If your content is:

❌ Generic
❌ Full of AI
❌ Engagement baity
❌ Overly salesy

It’s the equivalent of losing your queen. 🏴‍☠️

LinkedIn pushes content that is:

✅ Original
✅ Thought-provoking
✅ Worth engaging with

It'll be shown as "suggested" in the feed of people outside of your network.

That’s how you win the game.

🚨 NOTE 🚨

Nobody knows *exactly* how the algorithm works.
This is just a simple starter guide to ensuring your foundations are in place.

If you want a full deep dive, rewatch my most recent 2h+ Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/gdTUjTem

___

PS: I’m significantly better at LinkedIn strategy than I am at chess with Alex.
#WhyDoestHeAlwaysWinForFuckSake

‘Content clusters’ on LinkedIn.
Is this smart… or is this nonsense?

I saw this on TikTok (sorry for cheating on you, LinkedIn).

Creators should stop posting “a bit of everything” around their niche and instead publish in tight content clusters for a set period of time.

Imagine you’re a career coach and you talk about:

→ CVs on Monday
→ Confidence on Wednesday
→ Salary negotiation on Friday

You end up building momentum with no one really, and only appeal to people with a broad interest in career (probably other career coaches).

Because your actual target audience has ONE specific problem they need solved. TODAY.

So instead of being a generalist, you should become HYPER-RELEVANT.

Therefore, you should spend 1–2 weeks going deep on salary negotiation ONLY:

→ Common negotiation mistakes
→ How to anchor without sounding aggressive
→ Scripts for raises, promotions, and new offers
→ Myths about “being grateful” vs being paid fairly
→ What recruiters actually expect you to push back on
→ How to negotiate when you don’t have leverage (yet)
→ Mindset blocks: fear of rejection, loyalty guilt, imposter syndrome

You'll end up:

→ Getting repeat engagement from the same people
→ Speaking directly to ONE pain
→ Training the feed in real time
→ Building relevance fast

And then you move on to the next cluster.

“But when I switch to a new topic, don’t I lose the interest from the previous batch of followers?”

Apparently, switching topics SHOULD shake things up.
A content shift is supposed to cost you something.

You don’t lose value when the audience changes.
You refine it.

Every new direction deserves its own foundation.
Not recycled interest or borrowed momentum.

With LinkedIn's new persona-based algorithm (aka more like a 'For You' page), this new approach *could* be very smart.

What do you think?

If you have more than 2,000+ LinkedIn followers, you could already be sitting on a decent extra $$$ revenue stream.

Tbh, I plucked that number of 2,000+ out of thin air.

Any audience size (even smaller) works to make extra money with affiliate and brand partnerships.

That’s something I wish I had embraced and learned about much earlier in my LinkedIn journey.

At 2 pm TODAY (UK time), I’m running a LinkedIn Live with Sarah Adam, Head of Influencer Marketing, at Wix.

We'll discuss how brands *actually* pick and pay LinkedIn creators and how you can get started with a small audience.

It's a casual fireside chat and (trust me) I will be asking all them questions to ensure we (creators) fully understand how to capitalise on potential opportunities.

Join live to ask your own questions.

I will keep an eye out for them in the comments and might pop your question onto the screen to get Sarah to answer it right there and then.

See you later alligator! 🐊
I’m excited!!

Link to register/join here: https://lnkd.in/gGZ758Af

Yesterday, I told you I 10X’d my LinkedIn reach with 3 posts.
Today, I’ll show you exactly ➡️ WHY ⬅️ they outperformed.


I ran a public experiment by asking you what I should post next, giving you 5 hooks to vote on.

Those hooks came from Stanley, an AI tool that suggests content based on what’s working for YOUR specific audience.

Stanley predicted 1-3X my normal engagement for these posts.
The actual results were 3-10X!!!

Here’s why each post outperformed:


⬇️ Post #1 Analysis ⬇️

🪝 Hook:
"As an ex-LinkedIn employee, I reviewed hundreds of profiles. Here's the # 1 mistake killing your reach:"

🏆 Why it worked:
→ “Ex-LinkedIn” = instant credibility (yes, I'm still milking it)
→ Profile optimisation is evergreen = people always want this
→ Fresh angle = your profile and content don’t match (rarely talked about)

🎯 Results:
Likes: 752
Saves: 1,178 (!!!)
New followers: 486
Impressions: 61,676 (10X reach)


⬇️ Post #2 Analysis ⬇️

🪝 Hook:
"If I started posting on LinkedIn in 2026, I'd do these 3 things differently."

🏆 Why it worked:
→ Beginner-friendly = wider reach
→ Personal story = kept people hooked
→ “3 things” = simple and actionable

🎯 Results:
Likes: 513
Saves: 75
New followers: 133
Impressions: 18,586 (3X reach)


⬇️ Post #3 Analysis ⬇️

🪝 Hook:
"From $250k corporate to $0 entrepreneur: Month 9 reality check."

🏆 Why it worked:
→ Ongoing story = people are invested in the journey
→ Emotional honesty = kept people reading
→ Inspirational ending = made readers feel empowered

🎯 Results:
Likes: 506
Saves: 52
New followers: 64
Impressions: 59,224 (9X reach)

__

1️⃣ These results weren’t luck

→ Stanley gave me LOADS of content ideas
→ I filtered them down based on my own judgment
→ Then I asked my audience to vote on the final 3x.
→ By the time they went live, my content had been pre-approved three times already.

2️⃣ Don’t let AI fully take over

→ Stanley helps to give you some ideas and a first draft.
→ But YOU bring the expertise, experience, original voice, and unique thinking.
→ AI should NEVER FULLY REPLACE YOU!!!

3️⃣ Don't let the numbers trick you

→ Educational posts (1 and 2) drove more followers and saves. 
→ You might think that’s the content to hone down on.
→ But personal stories (3) build the trust that makes people actually buy from you.
→ You need both angles to generate business on LinkedIn.

__

I’m a Stanley ambassador, but this post is NOT sponsored.

I’m sharing it because the results genuinely surprised me, and I'll never recommend tools I don't believe in.

I only earn commission if you keep it after the free trial has ended.
Try it here: https://lnkd.in/gNqsQe6B

__

We've made it to Japan!! 🇯🇵🏯

We're going to stay in a temple with monks up in the mountains for the next few days. Ohhh, I CAN'T WAIT for this experience!!

Don't be surprised if you see content from me, but I don't engage with your comments. It's all pre-scheduled. 🥲

I'll speak to you all soon again!
またね

Here are the TOP 3 QUOTES from LinkedIn’s CMO about the algorithm (published yesterday) 👇🏻

Jon Evans had Jessica Jensen on his Uncensored CMO podcast.

Full episode link at the bottom for the overachievers.
For the rest of us, here's 3x things you need to know:

1️⃣ The Algorithm

Jessica:
“The algorithm and the LinkedIn feed is a living breathing organism.
[...] We are constantly adjusting the algorithm based on trends, behavior, topics, people's connections. [...] It changes all the time.”

“The algorithm is extremely complex and there are many different factors.
So you can post 1 thing about 1 topic at 1 time and get a very different response at another time because people are commenting and sharing and the dynamics of the feed are changing at all times.”

Alicia:
The algorithm is chaos. Accept it.
Even LinkedIn doesn't know why your post flopped.


3️⃣ Video

Jessica:
“Do it [posting content] in short form video. Don't overthink it.
Make it snappy, make it insightful, and from your personality, post it with captions, […]

[…] Share your insights, learnings, advice, primarily in short-form video.
Use captions, use visual hooks in your video content.”

Alicia:
Yet again, LinkedIn is pushing video.
I have mixed feelings about this one. Wrote about it at length here:
https://lnkd.in/gmW9PuAy


4️⃣ Commenting

Jessica:
“[…] engage with the comments.
This is probably the secret sauce that you've figured out.
Most people post something and then sit there and watch what happens.

The true Jedi engage with the comments.
That drives massive reach and engagement.

And they are commenting on the posts of other people that they admire and they follow.
And that networking effect is magical.

[…] if you make an intelligent enough comment or a funny comment on someone else's post, it can blow up.”

Alicia:
Let me reiterate with Jessica said:
Commenting on YOUR OWN post drives massive reach.

→ Spark discussions with a good CTA
→ Leave a couple yourself to kick things off.
→ Tag people (appropriately).
→ Respond to every single comment you've received.

For comments under other people's posts:

Karen, a member of my The Hype Department 📣, got 180,000 impressions from ONE comment. 
→ Her profile views exploded. 
→ Her next post massively outperformed her baseline.

My suggestion (for the time poor):

→ Post less.
→ Comment more.

__

I can’t shake the feeling that Jessica tried to tell us something about commenting and video.

I’m doubling down on them two because those who win at this LinkedIn game are those who embrace change.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, especially around video. 
I’m going to send Jessica a message armed with our feedback.

I'll keep you posted on her response.

__

Full episode available here:

apple
https://lnkd.in/e6P8KmjX

Spotify
https://lnkd.in/eB-rKF7i