I write you this newsletter from the CUTEST LISBON CAFE I STUMBLED UPON I ALMOST CANNOT.

Please know I am usually writing you this newsletter in my room which is sort of a makeshift storage unit with my toddler’s stuffed animals strewn all over the bed and desk because he brings in 34 of them every night when he invariably makes the 1AM trek with his stuffy squad.
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Oh and drying clothing racks all over with boy underwear just out of my peripheral.

But NOT. TODAY.
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You’re coming to the cafe with me post hormone blood panel work.
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More on that another time. (Anyone else OBSESSIVELY think and talk about hormones!??!)
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​Is it just my feed?
My friends?
My age?
American capitalism at its finest?
Maybe all of the above.
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Moving on…
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I went crazy viral on LinkedIn last week and I have THOUGHTS.
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​In the past writing and conceptualizing this would have taken me hours.
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But now these types of needle-moving hero stories take me a fraction of the time and I am going to show you how to do it too.
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Back to Linkedin….

It’s been an on and off again love affair with LinkedIn for a few years but I finally committed to the relationship this past year. (I hate to state the obvious but consistency is a factor in anything good on social.)​
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LinkedIn scared me (still does a bit TBH).​

There are LOTS of bros.
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LOTS of people giving you whimsical advice cloaked in condescending productivity tips that don’t take into account tiny responsibilities or just LIFE in general.

As my mentor told me, “Be VERY snobby about whose advice you choose to take on SOCIAL MEDIA.”
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And I’d like to say if anyone reading this has cracked their LinkedIn code please reply and say hi! I’d love to chat.
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Generally speaking there are RULES for Linkedin:

And this is not wrong.
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But what is happening over there is not great and I have THOUGHTS.
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1. Algorithm Favoritism: The algorithm tends to reward a certain style and right now it’s en vogue to be like Justin Welch and Sahil Bloom (two power creators on that platform). This favoritism leads to a homogenization of posting styles. I fall prey to it myself at times.
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2. Copycat syndrome: Success breeds imitation. People see a particular style working, they tend to replicate it. I, too, have bought Justin’s LinkedIn course (still sitting in my inbox not consumed) but now you have a powerhouse creator teaching others HOW he does it so that’s a lot of wanna bees.
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3. Perceived professionalism: There’s a belief that a certain style appears more “professional” or “business-like” but you lose a lot of soul when you abide by that and WHO says this? Probably not women. Probably not the marginalized. Because that’s not where THE RULES come from.
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4. Virality focus: Creators like Justin and Sahil (who many imitate) go viral daily so the PRIORITY for creating for others who copy is now to “go viral” and not “get my unique thoughts” out there no matter what.
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5. Limited creativity: Some users may lack the confidence or skills to develop a unique voice on the platform.
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And let’s dig into point 5 a bit. Who said that honing and then crafting your original voice for public consumption was easy?
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Because It’s NOT
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Doing that does indeed take effort, original thought and time.
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But that’s also the beauty of showing up with your unique voice and style.
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And here’s the thing… if you are ONLY copying formats, mimicking trends, trying to package your big boss baller ideas into a “viral optimized” post- even at the sake of leaving out your personality -then what is the point of any of this?
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Justin and Sahil did… Justin and Sahil.
And you should do… YOU. (Even if it goes against “The rules” of what you SHOULD be doing.)
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When I posted this video last week on LinkedIn it went against ALL the rules. ​
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✅It was a long video story (NOPE)​
✅It was highly personal (FINE but only if it’s business related)​
✅It was not business related (cardinal sin)​
✅It was more “Instagram” than “LinkedIn” (we don’t want you Instagram people here).
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​Yet, 3.5 million people interacted with this video.
People are tagging me sharing their own stories of hearing loss

I’m getting lots of DMs about my storytelling programs.

It’s rekindling messages from students I helped YEARS ago and they are telling me where they are currently in their business.

I’ve been asked to be on a few podcasts, some of which have massive audiences but who never would have known me if not for that story.
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What’s my point?
Aside from telling you I can teach you how to do this too in October….

The standardized approach to showing up in your business can feel robotic.
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When you try to mimic formats too much or mimic “ways to say something” your perspective usually gets LOST.
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And at worst, it can give you potential credibility loss because if you’re “looking” and “sounding” like everyone else, it can come across as insincere.
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Also I’m not here to “go viral” and I know you’re not either. I am here to do exactly what that post did.
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↳ Inspire others to share their stories.
↳ Amplify my messages to a wider audience that needs to hear it.
↳ Draw attention to my services.
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In a world of cookie-cutter content and “LinkedIn bros,” your unique voice is your superpower. Remember:
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1. Rules are made to be broken: The so-called “rules” of LinkedIn or whatever social platform were created by someone, somewhere. And we don’t have to care about them. We’ll do it our way please and thanks.
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2. Authenticity trumps virality: While going viral can feel great, touching even one person with your genuine story is infinitely more valuable and usually authenticity and virality work in tandem! (i’m sorry does your brain hurt too)
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3. Consistency beats perfection: Show up regularly with your true self, rather than sporadically with a polished facade or “when you’re ready.” If you are serious about making an impact, you have to commit to it every day.
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Thanks for tuning in! I hope this has helped. If you know someone who would benefit from my storytelling tips be sure to share this with them.