What started as a boutique recruiting firm has grown into Talent Executives Group, a family of brands focused on helping companies hire leaders and helping professionals build real-world connections.

Talent Executives leads executive and strategic hiring across the U.S., working as a seamless part of the internal team.

Networking Executives curates in-person events so professionals can build relationships the old-fashioned way, face-to-face.

We’re known for a process that feels human, a partnership that feels collaborative, and results that stay consistent.

Along the way, I’ve been invited to speak at UT Dallas, SMU, panels, podcasts, and nationally with YMSL, and we’ve earned Women-Owned (WBENC) and SBA certifications. I’m also a finalist for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses.

If your team values both relationships and results, let’s talk.

— Amy


Amy Sulgrove

Exciting news to share! 🎊 

I’ve been accepted into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program!

As Founder & CEO of Talent Executives Group and Networking Executives, I’m looking forward to continued growth alongside other entrepreneurs in this program. 

The focus on scaling with intention, sharper strategy, stronger leadership, and a sharper foundation for what we’re building next feels especially timely!

Grateful for the opportunity and the people I’ll get to learn with.

Let's GOOO! 🙌 

#10KSBDALLAS

 Amy Sulgrove

Hiring Leaders Who Elevate Culture and Performance 🔹 Executive and Leadership Search for Mid-Market and Enterprise Companies 🔹 Relationship-Led Recruiting With Transparent Metrics

2025 was a breakthrough year for Talent Executives Group!

We grew faster
partnered smarter
and helped companies hire leaders who:

Shifted strategy
Built high-performing teams
and drove measurable outcomes.

But what’s coming in 2026?

This year, we’re putting real structure behind something that’s been quietly building: Networking Executives.

Not just a list.
Not just warm intros.

A high-trust, high-impact community built for leaders ready to level up and companies who want to hire with precision!

It’s launching big in 2026!

If you’re planning your next move, or building the kind of team that changes outcomes, this is where you’ll want to be.

2025 set the stage.
2026 will raise it! 

#TalentExecutives #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring #2026Ready #ExecutiveNetwork #NetworkingExecutives

No alternative text description for this image

First meeting of 2026 with one of my favorite people. ☕️

Joe Fang and I grabbed coffee to map out what we’re focused on this year and where we’re taking our businesses in the new year.

Clear priorities. Real strategy. And always a little laughter in between.

Starting the year this way just feels right. 🤝

What’s your #1 focus for 2026?

Talent Executives Group 
Networking Executives

On February 5th, DallasMeetup’s Pro Sports Cohort takes over Frisco with a high-energy networking night overlooking the football field at The Star in Frisco!  

Concrete Cowboy will be packed with representatives from Dallas-area professional sports teams, the Dallas Sports Commission, agencies, operators, partners, strategists, and technologists who work behind the scenes in the sports industry.

If you care about:
⚽ The business of sports
⚾ Who’s actually doing the work
📊 Relationships that start fast and compound over time

You’ll want to be there!  
I will be!

👉 RSVP: https://luma.com/c8ankchj

Francis Mesina, MBA, LUTCF, FSCP, CLTC Francis Enyinnaya Ufomadu Thomas Brachey, PMP Kyle Gray Tyler Riddell, Leadership MBA Aaron Witherspoon Alexie Estrada Chris Martin Bobby Miller Lacey Garner Mati Fombang Bahadir 'Baha' Koseli Tad W Perryman Ichan Stall James Wang Dane Fuentes Jil Smith Joe Fang Chris Nieto Jessica Stettler Carson Gibbons Networking Executives

Open article: DallasMeetup at Concrete Cowboy Frisco · Luma by luma.com

DallasMeetup at Concrete Cowboy Frisco · Luma

We’re headed to a launch party in California tomorrow, to announce something we’ve never offered before!

Be on the lookout for a steady stream of announcements, new collaborations, and partnerships we’re proud to celebrate this year. 🎊

The first one drops later this week. 🎤

If you want a preview, check out our new website!

Take a look and tell me what new offering you notice! 👀  

Hint: we have a whole page dedicated to it!

Talent Executives Group

Open article: Talent Executives Group by talentexecutivesgroup.com

The best outcomes often start in a conversation no one planned.

🔹 We’ve seen a founder meet their future president over lunch.

🔹 A CFO find the investor who reshaped their entire board.

🔹A COO connect with a partner who unlocked growth across five markets.

None of it started with a job description.
All of it started with access.

At a certain level, leadership is less about credentials and more about collision.

Putting the right people in the same room, before the urgency shows up.

That’s when doors open without being knocked on.

That’s when decisions feel obvious.

Don’t miss the opportunity you didn’t know you were one conversation away from.

“I’m not sure they’re a culture fit.”

It’s a phrase that comes up often when a finalist is passed over.

But too often, it’s a catch-all that covers for something else:

→ Unclear expectations.
→ Discomfort with new perspectives.
→ Or internal misalignment that the team hasn’t fully addressed.

When “culture fit” becomes a vague filter, it doesn’t protect your company.

It limits it.

At Talent Executives Group, we believe cultural alignment matters deeply;

→  But only when it’s defined intentionally.

It’s not about sameness.

It’s about shared values, complementary thinking, and behavioral consistency with how the business actually operates.

The best leaders don’t always mirror your team.

But they do reflect what your culture is capable of becoming.

Culture fit is not a vibe.

It’s not how well someone “gets along.”
And it’s not something you decide over lunch.

At the executive level, culture fit is measurable.

It’s a pattern of values, behaviors, and decisions that reflect how the business really works.
Not just how it’s described.

Here’s what we look at:
🔹 These insights don’t come from resumes or references.
🔹They come from honest conversations, behavioral mapping, and alignment with the CEO’s actual vision, not just the job description.
🔹Cultural alignment isn’t soft.

It’s one of the hardest, most strategic parts of an executive hire.

When it’s right, the impact isn’t just visible.
It’s felt across the business.

This is the lens we bring to every retained search we lead.

Announcing our new strategic partnership with Gig Talent! 

A collab that we knew was the right fit, from our initial meeting!

Pics below are from Gig Talent’s 2026 kick off event in California, featuring Amplify Executive Search.

Welcome to our collaboration of flat fee pricing for retained search and 90 days of leadership coaching for the new hire!

Talent Executives Group
Jamie Jacobs Tona Blount Melissa Lambert Hopkins Mary Porst Kelly Etter

It’s official - Amplify Executive Search is LIVE! 

We’re thrilled to introduce Amplify Executive Search, our boutique retained search offering in collaboration with our incredible partners at Talent Executives Group. Together, we’re redefining what executive search can be, moving beyond just filling a seat to setting leaders up for sustained success from day one and beyond.

What makes Amplify different?
-A flat-fee retained model built on transparency and partnership.
-Precision search paired with leadership launch coaching.
-Support for cultural alignment and accelerating impact in the first 90 days of a new hire.

Thank you, Amy Sulgrove, for joining us on this journey. We're just getting started!

Learn more about how Amplify Executive Search can help you find the right leader and set them up to thrive: https://lnkd.in/gFkTpHDd

#ExecutiveSearch #Leadership #TalentStrategy #GigTalent #AmplifyExecutiveSearch Jamie Jacobs Kelly Etter

The strongest candidates are rarely the ones chasing the loudest roles.

They’re leading.
Building.
Listening for the right opportunity to show up with clarity, not chaos.

What turns them off?

🔹 Vague roles
🔹Conflicting messages
🔹Lack of alignment across leadership

Top candidates can tell when a company hasn’t done its homework.
The hiring process doesn’t just evaluate them.

It reveals you.

Nikki Duncan, PMP, BSM, what a fun episode!  Thank you for having me and I am now on a mission to adjust the lighting when I work from the home office ;).   

Loved chatting about my passion: Talent Executives Group and Networking Executives, as well as having so many in common connections that we were able to talk about as well!  Cheers to a great year ahead!

Joe Fang Chris Barnes Dylan M. Rafaty (deaf/HoH)

Woman of Impact Nominee | Operations Specialist | Leader | Speaker | I make life easier for executives and small businesses by bridging the chasm between vision and action. Let me rein in your chaos!

New Episode Alert! 

I recently sat down with Amy Sulgrove and heard her take on recruiting and networking. 

Leaders: Are you solving for what you think you need, or what you actually need? Amy reminds us that clarity starts with curiosity. Building aligned teams means going deeper than the job title.

Jobseekers: Are you curious what's happening in the lives of recruiters? Do you need tips on how to network effectively? 

This is the episode for you! 

https://lnkd.in/gyZ4wgqt

#ScalingWithHeart #NikkiDuncan #Podcast

Share with your professional network and help them know where to be and when! 🤝

Introducing: The Network Effect! 🎉  

This brand new weekly newsletter by Networking Executives gives you the full rundown of professional networking events happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Read on to see what's happening this week and make sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on the latest events!

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Network Effect - your weekly source for curated high-impact networking events in Dallas-Fort Worth, compiled b

Open article: The Network Effect: January 18-24, 2026 by Networking Executives • 2 min read

Most leadership exits don’t happen overnight.

They’re the result of small signals ignored over time:
🔹 Clarity replaced by confusion
🔹Momentum replaced by friction
🔹Trust replaced by silence

The signs are always there.
But many companies don’t track the early indicators,
They only manage the aftermath.

Retention starts by noticing what’s no longer being said.

You launch the search.
You build momentum.

Then halfway through... everything slows down.

It’s not the market.
It’s not the role.
It’s internal indecision.

Unaligned expectations, shifting priorities, or unclear ownership behind the scenes can quietly derail even the best-laid search strategy.

The problem isn’t speed.
It’s structural clarity.

And without it, every candidate, no matter how strong, feels like a risk.

40+ Linkedin Money-Making-Influence Resources I Toxic Boss Immunity I Frequency of INFLUENCE: ETHICAL PERSUASION I $20k Brain-Based Sales System | HarvardX Neuroscience Research I Keynote 🎤 I X-Microsoft I Captain ⛵

$20k Monthly Brain Based Sales System Without Chasing the "Yes"

You know the feeling:
😳 Your brain lights up with “What if they think I’m pushy?” the second you open a DM.
😬 You’d rather post and pray the right people find you than risk being ghosted.
😅 You tell yourself that if you were really good, clients would just show up.

You don’t want to fake connection just to pitch.
You want sales that feels human. Real conversations, not pressure tactics.

You’re not bad at sales.
Your brain is just protecting you.

The amygdala flags rejection as danger.
Your prefrontal cortex freezes.
And boom hesitation, overthinking, silence.

That’s where my work comes in.
I teach the Neuroscience of No-Pressure Sales so you can sell with calm confidence instead of fear.

No scripts. No manipulation.
Just science, psychology, and simple tools to retrain your nervous system so selling feels natural again.

When your brain is relaxed, your authenticity returns.
You stop pitching and start connecting.
Outreach stops feeling like an intrusion and starts feeling like service.

This is sales made easy for coaches who hate selling.

✨ Ways to get started with me:

✅ If you're a coach DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a business owner DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a sales leader DM me "Butter"
✅ Attend my next workshop for FREE BRAIN BASED SALES SECRETS. https://forms.gle/HvTRDEZEuu7bgQEF8
✅ Subscribe to the Be Like Butter Bugle: Weekly brain hacks for resilience and influence. https://synaptic-solutions.kit.com/newsletter

Personal interests: 
- Captain ⛵️ 
- Recovering Sugar Addict 🍭 
- Trash TV consumer 🗑️

Sales Coach | Toxic Boss Coach | Neuroscience Coach | Executive Coach | Master Behavioral Strategist | Speaker | Advisor | Expert | 7 figures | Virtual Speaking | Sales Performance Brain Hacker | Mindset Coach I Corporate Trainer I Influence I Key Note Speaker

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

The deals that hurt the most...

are the ones that looked healthy.

The pipeline wasn’t red.
The rep wasn’t nervous.
The forecast didn’t raise alarms.

Until it did.
And suddenly the quarter is gone
and everyone’s asking
“How did we miss this?”

What you missed wasn’t data.
It was hesitation.

CRMs track activity.
❌ They don’t capture confidence.
❌ They don’t surface doubt.
❌ They don’t flag quiet fear.

So reps fill the gaps the only way they know how.
They round optimism up.
They smooth uncertainty over.
They delay bad news.

Not to lie.
To stay credible.

To avoid being wrong too early.
That’s human behavior, not bad selling.

But the result is the same every time.
You learn the truth too late.
Forecasts snap.
Deals stall without warning.
And leadership absorbs the fallout.

Quarters don’t fall apart because deals fail.
They fall apart because reality shows up late.

SalesSage closes that gap with a simple pulse.
No grilling reps.
No awkward pipeline reviews.
No performative confidence.

You get signals before silence.
Drift before delay.
Risk before excuses.

And once truth shows up earlier,
everything changes.

Forecasts stabilize.
Conversations get cleaner.
Your team stops managing perception
and starts managing reality.

Less chaos.
Fewer surprises.
More control over the number.

If you’re done finding out too late,
start a free 14-day trial:
👉 https://salessage.co/

See what your team feels before it turns into a missed quarter.

P.S. What’s the deal you wish you’d known the truth about sooner?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

♻️ Share if you’re tired of last-minute surprises
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed sales insights

It's not that you aren't creative...

It's that you don't have psychological safety.

You can’t innovate when your nervous system feels unsafe.
Most people think creativity comes from pressure.

👀 Deadlines. 
👀 Urgency. 
👀 Stakes.

Neuroscience says the opposite.
When your brain senses threat,
the amygdala takes the wheel.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows.

You default to what’s familiar and proven.

That’s great for survival.
Terrible for innovation.

Creativity lives in the prefrontal cortex.
That part of the brain only comes online
when your nervous system believes it’s safe to explore.

No safety, no curiosity.
No curiosity, no new ideas.

Its why teams under constant pressure stop experimenting.

Why “high standards” without safety
quietly kill original thinking.

Why people with brilliant ideas keep them to themselves.

Psychological safety's about giving the brain permission
to take intelligent risks.

When people feel safe enough to be wrong,
their brains stay open.
✅ They connect more dots.
✅ They challenge assumptions.
✅ They see possibilities instead of threats.

Every breakthrough you admire
came from a nervous system
that wasn’t bracing for impact.

If you want creativity,
you have to design for safety first.

PS: Where do you notice creativity shutting down?

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights 
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

It’s not that you’ve lost your holiday creativity...

It’s that your brain is overloaded.

End-of-year deadlines.
Family logistics.
Financial pressure.
Social expectations.

Your nervous system doesn’t see “festive.”
It sees threat + noise.

When the brain is overstimulated,
it shifts into management mode.
The amygdala prioritizes control.
Cognitive bandwidth shrinks.
Novel thinking gets postponed.

You don’t brainstorm.
You cope.

That’s why your best ideas don’t show up
when you’re rushing through airports,
closing Q4,
or juggling ten obligations at once.

Creativity doesn’t emerge from hustle.
It emerges from spaciousness.

The prefrontal cortex needs slack.
Moments of quiet.

A sense that nothing bad will happen
if you pause.

That’s why ideas surface in the shower.
On slow walks.

While staring at holiday lights.
When the brain finally exhales.

This season isn’t killing your creativity.
It’s waiting for you to give it room.

Less urgency.
More margin.
More permission to wander.

Creativity comes back
the moment your nervous system
feels like it doesn’t have to brace.

PS: Where do you notice your best ideas showing up this time of year?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 
You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

Video Credit: Uknown

-----------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Creativity has less to do with talent...

And more to do with a bored brain.

People think creativity comes from inspiration.
It doesn’t.
It comes from boredom.

Your brain needs open space
🧠 to connect ideas
🧠 to solve problems
🧠 to spark something new.

But most adults never get bored anymore.
Their mind is always occupied.
❌ Scrolling.
❌ Responding.
❌ Consuming.
❌ Reacting.

A busy brain can execute.
A bored brain can invent.
When your mind wanders your default mode network activates.
That’s the part of your brain
that blends memory, imagination, and insight.
It creates the stuff you call intuition.
It forms the ideas that feel like they “came out of nowhere.”

But they didn’t.
Your brain just needed quiet
long enough to hear itself think.

You don’t unlock creativity by trying harder.
You unlock it by giving your mind room to roam.

Sit still.
Walk without a podcast.

Take a shower without rushing.
Let your brain get a little bored.

That’s when the breakthroughs show up.
Not because you forced them
but because you finally made space for them.

P.S. When’s the last time you let your mind wander
without pulling out your phone?

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud (before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based creativity
♻️ Share to remind someone that boredom is a feature, not a flaw

It's not that you aren't creative...

It's that your brain doesn't get enough breathing room

When outcomes matter too much,
the nervous system shifts into protection.

Certainty over curiosity.
Efficiency over exploration.

The amygdala scans for mistakes.
The prefrontal cortex goes quiet.
Thinking narrows to what’s already proven.

That feels like a creativity problem.
It’s actually a safety problem.

Innovation doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from widening the mental field.

Creative insight requires a brain
that isn’t bracing for consequences.

One that feels free to test, miss, and iterate
without immediate judgment.

That’s why pressure-heavy environments
produce more output…
and fewer breakthroughs.

Creativity is a state, not a talent.
Change the state and ideas follow.

Here’s how to heighten creativity on demand:

1/ Slow the body before you think
Creativity follows regulation.
Lengthen your exhale for 60 seconds before ideating.
A calmer nervous system reopens cognitive range.

2/ Create “low-stakes” thinking space
Tell your brain nothing here has to be right.
Set a 10-minute window for bad ideas only.
Permission removes the fear that blocks novelty.

3/ Shift environments, not effort
New inputs disrupt rigid patterns.
Walk. Change rooms. Look farther into the distance.
Movement and visual expansion spark new connections.

When the brain feels safe enough to explore,
it starts to play.
And play is where innovation lives.

PS: Which of these would change how you think the fastest?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

Video Credit: Unknown
---------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

You’re not broken.

You're just not connected...

...in a way no one taught you to recognize.

We have more connection technology than ever.
Group chats. Slack threads. Social feeds.
Standing meetings. Faces everywhere.

You can be busy, productive, and surrounded by people
And still feel unseen, unfelt, and unsupported.

Modern life keeps the nervous system overstimulated.
Your brain is flooded with input, decisions,
and performance cues.

When that happens, the social brain goes offline.
You don’t lose the desire for connection.
You lose access to it.

So you adapt.

You stay functional instead of present.
You keep conversations light instead of real.
You handle things alone because it feels safer.
You tell yourself you’re “fine”
while feeling disconnected from yourself.

Over time, that state becomes your baseline.
And the most painful part?

You start to believe this is just how life is.
It’s not.

Disconnection isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a nervous system state.
And nervous system states can change.

Here’s what neuroscience shows actually helps.

1/ regulation comes before connection.
 When your system is overloaded,
 bonding chemistry can’t do its job.
 You don’t need better words.
 You need your body to feel safe enough
 to be real.

2/ small moments matter more
 than deep conversations.
 Eye contact that lasts a beat longer.
 A pause instead of rushing away.
 Naming what you notice
 instead of what sounds impressive.

3/ connection accelerates in the right environment.
Trying to heal disconnection alone
 keeps the brain in protection mode.
 Being around others doing hard inner work
 creates co-regulation.

Your nervous system learns:
“I don’t have to carry this by myself.”
That’s why community matters.

Not noisy.
Not performative.
Not networking.

But a grounded space of people 
reconnecting with themselves
and with others.

This is what I’m building.
A community for capable, thoughtful people
doing hard things
who don’t want to do them alone.

A place to regulate, reflect, and be real
without fixing yourself
or pretending you’re fine.

If you’ve felt alone in a world full of people,
it’s not because something is wrong with you.
It’s because your nervous system
hasn’t had the right conditions yet.

And you don’t have to create those alone.
If this resonated, the community is open
for people ready to reconnect with themselves and with others.

P.S. Where do you feel most disconnected right now?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

------------------------------------------------------------
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based connection
♻️ Share this with someone who might feel alone but never say it

It’s not that your team doesn't have new ideas…

It’s that they don’t feel safe enough to share them with you.

When people sense evaluation,
their nervous systems switch to self-protection.

😶‍🌫️ They edit.
😶‍🌫️ They hedge.
😶‍🌫️ They stick to what’s already approved.

That looks like alignment.
It’s actually inhibition.

Innovation requires exposure.
New ideas are, by definition, unproven.
And the brain treats being wrong like a social threat.

So the amygdala gets loud.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows to what won’t get you in trouble.

That’s why teams with “high standards”
but low psychological safety
produce execution…
not breakthroughs.

Psychological safety isn’t about being nice.
It’s about creating conditions
where the prefrontal cortex stays online.

When people believe they won’t be punished
for experimenting,
their brains stay open.

They challenge assumptions.
They connect unlikely dots.
They surface problems early.

No safety, no innovation.
No innovation, no future edge.

If you want better ideas, don’t ask for more creativity.
Design environments where
people don’t have to protect themselves first.

PS: Where do you notice people holding back on your team?

Join the Butterhood Connect
- Get free resources and training on DMs
- Figure out your sales style
- Jumpstart your sales!
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs
You don't have to do this ALONE
https://lnkd.in/gbpNMdU6

Video Credit: Unknown

--------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Your CRM shows ACTIVITY.

It doesn't show REALITY.

Most managers think they understand their pipeline.
But they’re only seeing the version their reps feel comfortable sharing.

The CRM shows progress.
The reps show confidence.
The pipeline shows movement.

But underneath all of that
there’s hesitation, uncertainty, and doubt
that never makes it into the forecast.

And that’s the part that costs you.

Reps aren’t trying to mislead you.
They’re trying to look competent.
So they hold back the early warning signs.
They soften how shaky a deal feels.
They overstate buyer momentum.

They wait until a problem becomes undeniable
and by then
your quarter is already in danger.

That’s why so many leaders get blindsided.
Not because the deals are bad
but because the real signals were never visible.

A CRM tracks activity.
It doesn’t track conviction.
It doesn’t track buyer emotions.
It doesn’t track rep confidence.
It doesn’t track the energy of the deal
which is the part that collapses first.

SalesSage exposes that hidden layer.
It reveals where reps feel unsure.
It highlights deals that look fine on paper
but feel unstable underneath.
It identifies slipping belief before it becomes slipping revenue.
It gives you truth early
so you can fix the problem while there’s still time.

Leaders don’t need more data.
They need the truth behind the data.
That’s the gap SalesSage closes.

If you want to see what’s really happening
beneath the surface of your pipeline sign up
14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. How was your Q4?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” deal that fell apart

Your pipeline isn’t lying. 

Your reps just don’t feel safe telling you the truth.

Managers think they know what’s in their pipeline.
But they only know what the CRM tells them.
And the CRM only tells them what reps feel safe enough to share.

You’re managing numbers you can’t trust.
Your pipeline looks clean.
Your reps sound confident.
Your CRM says things are “on track.”
But something feels off.

Deals stall quietly.
Momentum fades.
Forecasts slip.
And you don’t see it until it's too late.

Reps aren’t dishonest.
They’re human.
They soften risk.
They hide uncertainty.
They overstate momentum
because nobody wants to look unsure.

So you get blindsided.
Not by deals.
But by the emotional truth your CRM can’t capture.

This creates a silent threat inside every sales org.
You miss red flags early.
You lose weeks of runway.
You carry the blame for information
you never got soon enough.

The cost isn’t just deals.
It’s trust.
It’s team performance.
It’s the reputational hit when your forecast misses again.

SalesSage uncovers what’s really going on
Underneath the numbers.

It reads emotional signals your CRM can’t track.
It surfaces hesitation before it becomes a stall.
It identifies low conviction before it becomes a lost deal.
It reveals drift before it becomes a blown quarter.

No pressure on reps.
No interrogation.
Just a 10 minute pulse
that shows you the truth behind the pipeline.

If you want your pipeline to tell you what’s real
not what’s hopeful

Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

--------------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” pipeline

7 ways to protect yourself during a toxic boss attack

and how to stay sharp in the heat of the moment.

When your boss triggers uncertainty or criticism,
your brain reads it as threat, not feedback.

Amygdala activates.
Prefrontal cortex goes offline.
You react instead of choose.

That’s biology, not weakness.
Here’s how you protect yourself from a toxic boss

1/ Map triggers through the body
 Your nervous system reacts before your mind does.
 Early signals give you control back.
 Do this: scan jaw, chest, and breath before speaking.
 Do this: label the sensation silently.

2/ Widen awareness
 Threat narrows attention and locks you in.
 Expansion tells the brain you’re safe.
 Do this: soften your gaze to include room edges.
 Do this: notice three objects around you.

3/ Create psychological distance
 Emotion collapses perspective under stress.
 Distance restores clarity and choice.
 Do this: observe the interaction like a case study.
 Do this: imagine you’re watching it on mute.

4/ Reclaim your energy
 Stress transfers through empathy circuits.
 Awareness breaks emotional absorption.
 Do this: remind yourself “this isn’t mine.”
 Do this: feel your feet on the ground.

5/ Transmute stress into fuel
 Stress is mobilized energy, not damage.
 Direction determines the outcome.
 Do this: stand tall and open your chest.
 Do this: slow your breathing by one count.

6/ Interrupt mental time loops
 Threat traps the brain in replay.
 Time perspective restores agency.
 Do this: ask how this matters in six months.
 Do this: name one lesson you’re gaining.

7/ Regulate before responding
 Words land differently from a calm body.
 Regulation is the real boundary.
 Do this: exhale longer than you inhale.
 Do this: pause two seconds before speaking.

Same boss.
Same environment.
Different outcome.
That’s immunity.

P.S. How many of you have had a toxic boss?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
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How to Protect Yourself from a toxic boss

7 signs you're tough enough for your toxic boss...

without quitting your job.

Your nervous system has a baseline.
That baseline shapes how pressure lands.

Here are 7 signs you're tough enough:

1/ Your baseline state
 A system that rarely rests stays closer to threat.
 From that state, stress hits faster and harder.
 Do this: notice how you feel when you first wake up.
 Do this: schedule one daily pause with no objective.

2/ Continuous motion
 Moving task to task keeps activation high.
 The body never completes a stress cycle.
 Do this: insert a 2-minute pause between blocks.
 Do this: stand still and breathe before switching tasks.

3/ Mental load during “rest”
 A busy mind keeps the system activated.
 Physical stillness alone doesn’t equal recovery.
 Do this: notice if your mind stays busy at rest.
 Do this: gently bring attention to body sensations.

4/ Guilt around slowing down
 Guilt keeps the nervous system alert.
 Safety requires permission to stop.
 Do this: notice the urge to justify rest.
 Do this: remind yourself recovery supports performance.

5/ Morning and evening carryover
 Tension on waking signals unresolved load.
 Evening stress blocks downshifting.
 Do this: check your body before checking your phone.
 Do this: create a short shutdown ritual at night.

6/ Recovery timing
 Waiting for exhaustion delays regulation.
 Late recovery takes longer to work.
 Do this: rest before you feel depleted.
 Do this: add small resets throughout the day.

7/ Social threat sensitivity
 Overloaded systems struggle with power dynamics.
 Emotional range narrows under pressure.
 Do this: regulate before interactions, not after.
 Do this: widen awareness when tension rises.

This comes before any boss strategy.
Awareness of starting state is the first layer of immunity.

PS Which point showed you something you hadn’t noticed before?

Toxic Boss Immunity - 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa
OR
DM Me "Toxic Audit" for your own quick check

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 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

You don't need a cute dog to beat the Seattle Freeze

You just need to get out of your head.

I live in Seattle.
It’s known for the Seattle Freeze.

People are kind.
They’re just… guarded.

But this isn’t a Seattle problem.
It’s a nervous system problem.

Modern life keeps us in our heads.
Thinking. Optimizing. Performing.
And connection doesn’t happen there.

Connection happens in the body.
That’s why people connect so easily with animals.

Animals pull us out of our head and into our heart.
No agenda.
No self-monitoring.
Just presence.

Your nervous system softens.
Oxytocin releases.
You feel human again.

Here’s the good news:
you don’t need a dog to create that effect.
You just need to create present-moment safety.

1/ Presence is the fastest way to melt the freeze
When you’re fully here, other nervous systems feel it.
Eye contact. A relaxed face. A slower pace.
The amygdala stands down.
The body says, “I’m safe.”
That’s the doorway to connection.

2/ Small human moments rewire the social brain
A smile.
Holding a door.
Letting someone go first.
A dumb dad joke.
These aren’t trivial.
They create micro-bursts of oxytocin and dopamine.
Tiny signals.
Big biological impact.

3/ Lock eyes and smile, just for a beat
Say the kind thought instead of keeping it inside
Tell the bad joke
Acknowledge the human, not the role
Move slower than the moment demands

You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to be more interesting.
You just need to be here.

In a world full of guarded nervous systems,
presence is the warmest thing you can offer.

P.S. What’s one small, human moment you’ll create today?
P.P.S. Merry Christmas!

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud (before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

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Don't just pray for a job.

Pray for a leader, not a toxic boss. 

They say you leave your manager, not your job.
So. True. 

Culture lives in nervous systems.
Leaders set the baseline every day.
Teams regulate around that signal automatically.

Here are 5 signs of a great leader:

1/ Self-regulation
 A great leader notices their own stress.
 They slow down before they speak.
 The room settles when they enter.

A toxic leader brings unprocessed stress.
The room tightens immediately.

2/ Clarity under pressure
 A great leader keeps priorities stable.
 Expectations stay clear during chaos.
 Brains relax when rules do not shift.

A toxic leader changes direction emotionally.
The team scans moods instead of work.

3/ Pressure flows upward
 A great leader absorbs pressure from above.
 They filter noise before it hits the team.
 Focus stays intact.

A toxic leader pushes pressure downward.
Urgency spreads through the group.

4/ Recovery is allowed
 A great leader respects human limits.
 Pauses are normal and safe.
 Energy and thinking stay strong.

A toxic leader rewards constant output.
Rest feels risky or earned.

5/ Response over reaction
 A great leader pauses in conflict.
 Their nervous system stays online.
 Hard talks feel contained.

A toxic leader reacts emotionally.
Others mirror the instability.
Trust erodes quietly.

Leadership is not control.
It is regulation.

PS Which one of these have you felt?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa

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♻️ Repost if a leader you know needs this lens.

You’re not “too much.” 

You just think faster than most people can keep up.

I swear I’m going to be distracted forever.

I built Reboot Your Brain.
I built SalesSage.
And now look what I can do in ChatGPT.

I typed one idea…
and an entire app appeared.

No code.
No setup.
No figuring anything out.

Just Replit, build me an app and boom. 
Done.

This is dangerous for people like me
who can’t stop creating.
Because now creation is instant.
Your ideas don’t sit in Google Docs anymore.
They turn into something real right inside ChatGPT.

You describe what you want.
Replit builds it.
A live preview pops up.
You tweak it with another message.

It feels like cheating.
It feels like having a dev team
wired straight into your brain.

And yes… 
I’m already thinking about my next 5 apps.

If you’ve ever said
“I wish someone could just build this for me”
you can literally do it now.
(Sorry Devs)

Type “Replit…” in ChatGPT
and watch your idea come alive.
You’re not distracted. 
Now, you’re finally dangerous.

YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I disappear, I’m probably in a Replit Rabbit Hole.
P.P.S. How many ideas are waiting in your google doc?

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The way to get clients on Linkedin is this...

Understand the inner thoughts of your ICP

Most people study their ICP on the surface.
Top sellers study how their ICP thinks.

If you want to sell on LinkedIn,
you have to know what your ICP is actually worried about,
not what they pretend to care about.

Here are 8 steps to uncover the real subtext 
of your ICP on LinkedIn:

1. Audit Their LinkedIn Profiles
Look at what they emphasize.
Tension shows up in their headcount, KPIs, and team priorities.
Their top headaches are usually hiding in plain sight.

2. Study Their Event Activity
Search for events they attend.
Then check the attendee list.
The themes they show up for
tell you what’s keeping them up at night.

3. Watch Them in Comment Sections
Look at your ICP commenting on competitors’ posts.
Their questions reveal fears.
Their reactions reveal pressure points.

4. Analyze Comments Under Hand-Raising Posts
Creators often say “comment for more info.”
Those comments are gold.
They show exactly what your ICP thinks they need
and what they wish someone would help them solve.

5. Read Your Own Comments Differently
Your commenters are micro-versions of your ICP.
Study their language, frustrations, and patterns.
Your future offer refinement is already hiding there.

6. Track What They Subscribe To
Newsletters, creators, and series they follow
tell you what they’re actively trying to improve.
Subscription signals = priority signals.

7. Act Like Your ICP For a Day
Ask yourself:
If I were them, what problems would I think about at 10 a.m.?
Budget. Productivity. Risk. Politics. Efficiency.
Not “culture” or “soft skills.”
Speak to the internal pressure they feel,
not the topic you want to teach.

8. Go One Layer Deeper Than Logic
Once you find the logical problem,
double punch it.
What’s the emotional layer?
Fear of missing targets?
Fear of looking incompetent?
Fear of wasting budget?
Fear of taking a risk and being wrong?
This is the real subtext.

If you understand your ICP’s subtext,
you won’t sound like their 10th vendor.
You’ll sound like the only person
who actually gets how they think.

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. What is the number 1 problem your ICP cares about?

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"We don't stop playing because we grow old;

 we grow old because we stop playing."

-George Bernard Shaw

I think about this quote a lot.
Probably because play shaped more of my life
than people realize.

I had a chat with Cammanex 
About my story and how play shaped me
Full feature story here: https://lnkd.in/gTKuuQ5g

I didn’t grow up in a way that told me to stay inside the lines.
I grew up following sparks, testing ideas,
and chasing whatever lit up my brain.

Neuroscience shows that play isn’t childish.
 It’s cognitive fuel.
 It builds flexibility.
 It boosts creativity.
 It strengthens neural pathways.

Adults don’t stop playing because they mature.
They stop playing because they start performing.

They trade curiosity for correctness.
They trade imagination for efficiency.

Your brain feels that loss instantly.
When play goes down,
problem solving goes down with it.

But when you bring play back
your prefrontal cortex lights up
and suddenly everything becomes easier.

That’s how I operate even now.
SalesSage started from play.
Reboot Your Brain started from play.
Countless other endeavors over the years

Play is not a distraction.
It’s a strategy.
It keeps your brain young, sharp,
and brave enough to build the life you want.

P.S. When’s the last time you played?

One of my toys:
Sales Sage: Uncover the truth gap with your sales reps
https://salessage.co/
Get a free 14 day trial

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Challenges don't happen TO you...

They happen FOR you.

Resilience doesn’t come from comfort.
It comes from contact with difficulty.

Most people think resilience is something
you either have or you don’t.
👀 Tough childhood.
👀 Hard jobs.
👀 Big failures.

When you face manageable adversity, 
your brain adapts.

Stress-response systems recalibrate.
The nervous system learns,
“I survived that.”

Each challenge becomes data.
Not trauma.
Training.

The amygdala stops overreacting.
The prefrontal cortex gets better at regulating emotion.

You think clearer under pressure.
You recover faster.
You don’t break.
You build.

That’s why people who’ve faced some adversity
often handle future stress better than those who’ve faced none.

It’s why setbacks sharpen judgment.
Why failure builds emotional range.
Why hard seasons quietly increase capacity.

Adversity isn’t the enemy.
Unprocessed adversity is.

When difficulty is integrated,
it turns into resilience.

And resilience changes how bad things land.
Less collapse.
More choice.
More perspective.

Every strong nervous system you admire
was shaped by something it didn’t choose.

If you’re going through something hard,
there’s a future version of you
that’s gaining strength right now.

PS: What challenge in your life might be training you, not punishing you?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
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Why do you have that stupid look on your face?

A C-level executive asked me on my first day

I was sitting across his desk of my first big girl job
(Talk about an executive onboarding)
I was just 20 years old.

I remember freezing.
Not answering.
Just blinking.

I laughed it off and swallowed my pride. 

Meeting over.
But my body stayed locked.

Jaw tight.
Chest and body buzzing.
Mind replaying every word.

Later that day a coworker asked if I was okay.

I said yes.
I wasn’t lying on purpose.
I just didn’t know what “okay” even meant anymore.

That’s the problem with stress.
It normalizes.
Your nervous system adapts.
Your baseline quietly shifts.

You think its no big deal. 
I’m fine. 

Your body knows that you’re not.
For years, I relied on vibes.
Am I handling it or barely holding it together?

No data.
No baseline.
Just guessing.

That’s why I built a these resources
✅ An entire toxic boss armor system
✅ 25-question nervous system audit
✅ An app that helps you each step of the way

Not a personality quiz.
Not mindset fluff.

Actual signals of load, recovery,
and how close you are to the edge.

The site and app give you a real baseline.
Clear data.
Practical next steps.

You don’t need thicker skin.
You need awareness and a hand up. 

PS What's your worst toxic boss story?

https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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Why do you have that stupid look on your face

If you can’t regulate...

You can’t close.

Sales exposes you.
You meet yourself in every conversation.

Your patterns.
Your pressure points.
Your nervous system.
And there are truths you can’t bypass.

You can only face them and train your brain to handle them.
Here are the fifteen brutal truths that shape every 
👀 coach
👀 solopreneur
👀 salesperson

Skinny to long.
Short to heavy.

Exactly how they hit in real life.

1. Pain shows.
2. Hope lies.
3. Buyers drift.
4. Silence grows teeth.
5. Confidence is unstable.
6. Urgency fades overnight.
7. Your tone leaks your pressure.
8. Your pipeline mirrors your mind.
9. Hard calls get pushed tomorrow.
10. Deals die from emotional overload.
11. You cling to maybes to avoid rejection.
12. You chase when your nervous system spikes.
13. You fill your calendar instead of your forecast.
14. You talk more when your brain feels threatened.
15. You lose more deals from dysregulation than bad skills.

The people who win aren’t the hardest closers.
They’re the ones who can think when the noise hits.

They regulate faster.
They recover quicker.
They protect their cognitive bandwidth.

If you want a system that reduces noise, 
increases yeses..
and keeps you out of chasing mode
Let's Talk here --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS. Which truth hit the hardest today?

---------------------------------------------------------------

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If you've ever felt alone in a room full of people...

And wondered what was wrong with you...

Nothing is wrong with you. 

We live in the most connected era in human history.

Video calls. 
Group chats. 
Unlimited DMs. 
Social feeds full of faces.

And somehow, a lot of people feel deeply alone
even while surrounded by people.

That’s not a personal failure.
It’s a nervous system mismatch.
Most modern connection is cognitive.

Typing. 
Scrolling. 
Curating.
Performing. 

Your brain stays active, alert, and evaluated.
But real connection doesn’t happen in the thinking brain.
It happens in the body.

“I’m seen, but not felt.”
“I’m included, but not safe.”
“I’m connected, but not attuned.”

The nervous system doesn’t bond through information.
It bonds through regulation.

That’s why people soften around animals.
No agenda. 
No impression management. 
No performance.
Just presence.

Your body drops out of scan mode.
Oxytocin releases.
You feel like yourself again.

You don’t need fewer people or better social skills.
You need better nervous system conditions.

1/ Presence creates safety.
Safety creates connection.
When you slow your pace, soften your face, and actually arrive,
other nervous systems feel it before they understand it.

2/ Eye contact that lasts a beat longer.
A pause instead of a rush.

3/ Saying what you notice instead of what sounds right.
Those moments aren’t small.
They trigger dopamine and oxytocin.
They tell the brain, “You belong here.”

Giving connection regulates you faster than getting it.
You don’t have to wait to be  invited.

You can initiate presence.
A smile.
A genuine compliment.
Naming relief, humor, effort.
Letting silence breathe.

And when you learn how to connect with yourself first
by slowing down, 
dropping performance, 
and regulating your own system...

Connection with others stops feeling forced.
It starts feeling natural.

This is the work I help people do.
Rebuilding the biological conditions for real connection
with themselves and with others.

Because in a hyper-connected world,
presence is still the rarest signal of all.

PS: What’s one moment today where you can choose presence?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

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♻️ Share this with someone who might be feeling alone on the inside.

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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