Career Strategist I Change advisor for Leaders | I help successful professionals build freedom, income & impact through portfolio careers | Speaker I Ex-Citi COO | Follow for modern leadership, career and change

Over the past 25 years, I have built a successful international banking career.
Most recently, I was the Regional COO for Citibank’s $2Bn business across 16 countries in Asia - leading large-scale transformations in digitisation and culture.

But in 2021, I walked away from my high-paying executive role.

Why?

Because I wanted more space.
More time with family.
More alignment between who I am and how I work.

But I didn’t want to start from scratch.
So I asked myself a question:
What if I could build a career around everything I already know - and love?

That’s how my portfolio career began.
And it changed everything.

Now, I help other professionals do the same.

What I’ve built since 2021:
→ A 6-figure portfolio business with 3 income streams
→ Founder of Change is Possible - a business community for professionals redesigning their next chapter
→ 100K+ LinkedIn followers (grew from 17K in under a year)
→ Coached 100+ professionals through successful career transitions
→ Host of a Top 20 global podcast on career change, Change is Possible
→ TEDx speaker, Forbes columnist, and Bloomberg TV guest

Want to build your own portfolio career?
🚀 THE PORTFOLIO CAREER ACCELERATOR (Launching October 2025) 
Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1thkmph_EwRxLGfuL9muCsRir1uKDdF2nXYeI7X_1oSA/edit

This is an 8-week program designed to help you:
→ Turn your expertise into income
→ Build a personal brand that opens doors
→ Create your first income stream - even before you leave your job

Only 20 spots. 12 already claimed.

Other ways we can work together:
✔️ Join my business community — Change is Possible https://changeispossible.co.uk/ - doors open for new members on Sept.10, 2025
✔️ Book me to speak — I deliver keynotes on leadership, change, career reinvention, and the future of work - send a DM.
✔️ Hire me as an advisor — I support companies navigating complex transformation - send a DM to meet and explore.
✔️ Book 1:1 coaching — For senior execs ready to design their next chapter - send a DM.
✔️ Book my LinkedIn Growth Bundle — A 2-session intensive where I teach you the exact system I used to grow to 100K+ followers. Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bLp7wmK8xhIpfFu8beImvD5JZQHYsbraTBx5Orjx0zs/edit

P.S. Still wondering if change is really possible?
🎧 Tune in to my podcast Change is Possible — where 100+ professionals share how they redesigned their careers and lives. Watch here - https://www.youtube.com/@ChangeIsPossiblePodcast

Ani Filipova

When I quit my COO role, everyone suddenly became a life coach.

It’s wild how your decision wakes up their unlived dreams.

“You are crazy to walk away from that salary.”
Translation: I’m terrified of losing mine.

“At your age? Too risky.”
Translation: I’ve convinced myself I’m too old to change.

“But you worked so hard to get there!”
Translation: I can’t imagine stopping.

Every piece of “advice” came wrapped in someone else’s fear.

The colleague who insisted that leaving corporate was “career suicide”?
15 years in the same role.
Never took a risk.
Still warning others about dangers he’s never faced.

The friend who said, “Must be nice to have that privilege”?
Not about my privilege.
About why they can’t do it.

My decision became everyone else’s therapy session.
Their fears.
Their excuses.
Their unlived lives.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs?
“What took you so long?”

The people who’d actually done this?
“Hard… but worth it.”

See the difference?

People don’t give advice based on your reality.
They give it based on the limits of their own.

Your promotion challenges their ambition.
Your resignation challenges their settling.
Your success challenges their stagnation.

How to decode the advice you are given:

1. Listen to the subtext, not the text.
“That’s risky” = I avoid risk.
“You’ll regret it” = I regret not trying.
“Think of your family” = I use mine as an excuse.

2. Check their track record.
Would you trade places with them?
If not, smile → ignore.

3. Notice who asks vs. who tells.
“What support do you need?” = They’ve been there.
“Here’s what you should do” = They haven’t.

5 years later

I run my business globally.
I wake up excited.
I control my income and my calendar.

That colleague?
Same role.
Same warnings.
Same fear dressed as wisdom.

Your big moves will always trigger other people’s small thinking.

Let them keep their advice.
You keep your momentum.

♻️ Repost if someone needs this
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for uncomfortable career truths
📩 Join other leaders and entrepreneurs getting weekly courage in my newsletter -  link in Featured

Some leaders read numbers.

Great leaders read people.

Perfect reminder from Mike Leber here.🔥

I've watched this truth play out for 25 years.

Like the manager who noticed her star performer started arriving at 9:00 instead of 8:30.
Small change. Big signal.
She asked. Her child was seriously ill.

Most leaders would've missed it entirely.
They are too busy reading KPIs to read people.

Throughout my 25 years in banking, I've watched brilliant strategists fail at basic humanity.
They master management but miss what matters.

Real leaders don't talk about empathy.
They practice it.

Here is how👇

1️⃣ They notice when something's off
The forced smile.
The heavy silence.
They check in before it breaks.

2️⃣ They ask before they act
No assumptions. No judgment.
"What's making this hard for you?"
Understanding beats assumption every time.

3️⃣ They protect dignity, not egos
Direct? Always.
Demeaning? Never.
Growth can't bloom in shame.

4️⃣ They slow down when others struggle
Compassion > urgency.
One person lifted beats ten tasks completed.

5️⃣ They normalize honesty
No masks. No pretending.
They make it safe to say: "I'm not okay today."

6️⃣ They stay kind under pressure
When kindness is hardest -
that's when it matters most.

7️⃣ They understand you carry more than tasks
Sometimes it's grief.
Sometimes it's fear.
Sometimes it's just life being heavy.
They lead with space for all of it.

The uncomfortable truth?

Experience teaches you process.
Empathy teaches you to understand people.

One builds companies.
The other builds humans who happen to work at companies.

We all get to choose which leader we become.

Which number resonated most with you?
Mine was 5 - took me years to learn that one.

Drop yours below 👇

♻️ Repost to spark more humanity in leadership
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern leadership and career

Today and any other day, you have a choice about the 80/20 principle.

You can use it to do less.
Or you can use it to become more.

We read about success. 
Dream about change. 
Talk about our goals.

We feel like we are doing something.
And we are.. but what?

The business plan you’ve perfected but never launched.
The gym membership you researched but never use.
The conversation you've rehearsed but never had.
The course you bought but never completed.

We spend 80% of our time on the 20% that makes us feel productive, while avoiding the 80% that would actually make us successful.

Why? Because the real work is uncomfortable:

→ Understanding deeply requires much more effort 
→ Doing the work is scarier than dreaming about it
→ Listening is more vulnerable than waiting to speak
→ Eating well consistently is harder than scrolling  
→ Building savings is less fun than investment strategies

Here is what I know:

You already know what your 80% is.
You know the conversation you need to have. 
You already know he habit you need to build. 
The thing you need to stop researching and start doing.

So the only thing left to do is to stop deceiving yourself.

Because once you prioritise the 80%, everything else genuinely does fall into place.
Not because it's easy. But because it's real.

💭 What's the 80% you've been avoiding?
💾 Save this for when you need to stop researching and start doing
♻️ Share with someone stuck in the 20%

Image credit: librarymindset on IG

JSESSIONID

li_at

Talks about #leadership, #careerpivot, #futureofwork, and #transformation

Tetty Delviana

"I found a better opportunity."

Translation: I found a leader who values me.

Dora is spot on here! That's exactly what it means!

The real reason people leave: 
it's rarely what they say at first.

Behind "better opportunity" or "career growth" is something deeper:

They don't feel valued.
Nobody says thank you.
Their ideas get ignored. 
Their skills go unused. 
They've stopped learning.

If you want to keep your best people:

- Don't cancel their 1-on-1s
- Say thank you (and mean it)
- Admit when you don't have the answer
- Remember what they told you last week
- Protect their time from pointless meetings
- Give credit publicly, give feedback privately
- Be honest about what you can and can't do
- Help them grow in directions they actually want
- Shield them from unnecessary corporate chaos
- Ask what support they need (don't assume you know)
- Trust them to make decisions without micromanaging
- Respond to their messages (don't leave them hanging)
- Let them say no without it being a career-limiting move

You don't need a budget for any of these.

Just intention, and genuinely caring for your people.

Be the leader you wish you had.

♻️ Repost to inspire others
+ Follow me, Ani Filipova for daily content on Modern Leadership, Career and Change

Your career shouldn’t look like modern art.

Everyone talks about “doing what you love” as if it’s a magic formula.
As if clarity just appears one day and everything lines up.

In reality, most careers sit in three separate buckets:

• Things you enjoy - but no one pays for
• Things you are good at - but don’t actually fulfil you
• Things that pay well - but quietly drain you

So you end up with something that works on paper…
but never quite feels right.

After 25 years in corporate, here’s what I’ve learned:

Alignment doesn’t arrive.
It’s constructed.

Most professionals wait for their career to click.
The right role.
The right manager.
The right moment.

They stay stuck inside a lopsided Venn diagram,
hoping the picture will fix itself.

The people who eventually break out don’t find clarity first.
They move first - and clarity follows.

Not in dramatic leaps.
Not in overnight reinventions.

But through deliberate shifts.
Small decisions that compound.
Skills that start overlapping.
Income streams that begin to make sense.

The overlap is rarely perfect.
And it’s never instant.
But 50% overlap is better than zero
And you can build it further.

This is what I know:

No one is going to hand you the career where
what you enjoy,
what you are good at,
and what pays
finally sit in the same place.

You either keep waiting for it 
or you start assembling it.

Piece by piece.
Over time.

If this feels uncomfortably familiar, save it.

And if you are ready to stop improvising your career and start designing it,
this is exactly what we do inside the Portfolio Career Accelerator.

8 weeks to turn that modern-art mess into something intentional.

Starting January 26, 2026 for 8 weeks.
4 out of 20 seats already bought.
Apply here: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Repost this for someone quietly stuck.
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for honest career clarity.

Image credit: Adam Grant (IG)

You tell yourself: "I just need better time management."

So you try: 

Waking at 5am. 
Time-blocking. 
Batching tasks. 
Saying no to "small things."

And you are still exhausted. 
Still overwhelmed. 
Still behind.

Because you don't have a time management problem.

THE REAL PROBLEMS you have are:

1. The Boundary Problem
You say yes when you mean no.
Your calendar is full of other people's priorities.

2. The Priority Problem
Everything feels urgent because nothing is defined.
You are reacting, not choosing.

3. The Identity Problem
You are the "reliable one."
The one who always covers when someone's out sick.
The one who stays late to fix others' mistakes.
And rest? Rest feels like failure.

4. The Energy Problem
You treat draining, sustaining, and energising tasks the same.
So you stay depleted.

5. The Clarity Problem
You've met expectations for so long that you lost your own.

6. The Courage Problem
You know what needs to change - but you are waiting to stop being afraid.

So what actually helps?
A simple reset:

The Three Lists Exercise:

List 1: What drains me
(The work, people, commitments that leave you depleted)
List 2: What sustains me
(Neutral energy - necessary but not inspiring)
List 3: What energizes me
(You'd do this even if no one paid you)

Most professionals discover their calendar is:
60% drain / 35% sustain / 5% energise.

No wonder they are exhausted.

Ready to flip that 60/35/5 ratio?

Here's where to start:
→ Take 30 minutes this week
→ Create your three lists
→ Move ONE thing from "drain" to "delegate"

That's it. One small shift.

Because your life won't change until your calendar does.

I spent 15 years in corporate before learning how to build and rebuild a career without burning out. If you are tired of being tired, this will help:

→ Free masterclass: How to start a portfolio career
(Link in featured section)

💾 Save this for later
♻️ Share with someone running on empty

Throughout my career I have seen two types of leaders: 

Type 1:
Those who develop thinkers and problem solvers.

Type 2: 
Those who hoard every decision.

The second type? They are everywhere.
Every decision needs their blessing.
Every email needs their approval.
Every idea dies without their permission.

They think they are indispensable.
They are actually organizational bottlenecks.

The good thing? 
We all get to choose which one we become.

Here is how to become the first type of leader:

1️⃣ Turn questions into coaching moments 

When someone asks "What should I do?"
I ask: "What would you recommend?"
Then I listen.
Nine times out of ten, they know exactly what to do.
They just need someone to believe they can do it.

2️⃣ Show them how you think, not just what you think 

Don't just give answers - share your process.
• What information do you look for?
• Which factors matter most?
• How do you make trade-offs?
When your team understands your thinking pattern, they stop needing you for every decision.

3️⃣ Disappear on purpose 

Every Friday - be completely unreachable.
Not to test them - to trust them.
First week: They'll hesitate.
Second week: They'll figure it out.
Third week: They'll surprise you with what they can handle.
Eventually, you can take that whole day off without drama.

The uncomfortable truth?

Organizations don't need more managers who create dependencies.
They need leaders who build capability.

Your real job isn't to have all the answers.
It's to develop people who can find them without you.


💾 Save this for when your ego wants to micromanage
♻️ Share with that leader who thinks they are "helping" by controlling everything

Follow me, Ani Filipova, for more uncomfortable truths about leadership and change.

Most people don't dare to challenge their boss.

Not because they lack ideas.
But because they've seen what happens to the people who do.

"I disagree because...."
Eye roll. Heavy sigh.
"I have more experience. I know this won't work."
Conversation over.

Or sitting in a high-stakes meeting where the senior exec chair gives suggestions.
Never asks for opinions.
And when someone tries to speak?
Immediate shutdown.

If you are a leader and everyone nods at all your ideas…
That's not leadership.
That's obedience.

It's easy to lead people who agree with you.
It takes guts to lead people who challenge you.

Real leadership isn't tested by how well people follow your vision.
It's revealed by how safe they feel questioning it.

So how do you become that kind of leader?
These 3 behaviours make the biggest difference:

🛠 1. Ask for the objection
Stop asking: "Any thoughts?"
Start asking: "What might be wrong with this idea?"
People are more honest when you invite critique, not validation.

🛠 2. Speak last
If you speak first, most people will try to agree with you.
You'll kill fresh thinking before it starts.
Say less → hear more → lead better.

🛠 3. Praise the pushback
Reward the people who disagree with you,
especially when it's uncomfortable.
Your reaction to dissent teaches the whole team whether it's truly safe to speak up.

Remember: the goal isn't harmony.
The goal is better thinking.

Think of a leader you once felt safe challenging - 
What exactly did they do that created that safety?

👇 Share the behaviour so others can learn from it.

📑 Save this to revisit before your next meeting.
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for daily content on Leadership, Career and Change.
📩 Want deeper weekly insights? Subscribe to my newsletter, The Change Blueprint - link in my Featured section.

I love working with optimistic people.

Here is why.

Pessimists and optimists look at the same challenge…
and see completely different worlds.

The pessimist sees every problem as "end of the road".
The optimist sees every problem as a puzzle to solve.

The pessimist says, “That won’t work because…”
The optimist asks, “What if we tried…?”

So - can optimism be learned?
Yes. But not in the way most people think.

What CAN’T be taught:
• Your instinct to see possibilities vs problems
• Your natural response when things go wrong
• Your baseline emotional wiring

What CAN be learned:
• Interrupting negative thought patterns
• Choosing a different perspective intentionally
• Practising optimistic responses until they become habit

Some people are naturally optimistic.
Others train themselves into optimism through repeated practice.
For most of us, it’s both.

Here’s the part people forget:
You can’t just decide to be optimistic and expect it to stick.

You have to:
• Catch yourself in negative loops
• Actively reframe
• Surround yourself with optimistic people
• Build evidence that things work out

And this is exactly what I see inside my community every day - optimistic people building portfolio careers, choosing courage over comfort, and turning setbacks into stepping stones.

It’s pure magic to watch!!!

✨ The community opens for new members on Monday, November 24th. This is the last time we are opening this year.

If you are ready to surround yourself with people who see possibilities instead of problems, this is your moment - join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gKeB77z9

🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for more on building careers with freedom.
♻️ Share this with someone who needs a boost today.

9:00 AM: "This is urgent."
9:05 AM: "Actually, THIS is super urgent."
9:10 AM: "Wait, THIS is the MOST urgent."

Sound familiar?

Meanwhile, your team?
Same 8 people as yesterday.

They can stretch.
They always do.

But physics doesn’t care about urgency.
There's a breaking point.

Then comes the magic phrase:
 “Manage it.”

Manage WHAT exactly?
The 47 "urgent" requests that came in today?
The team that's already working weekends?
The fact that everything can't be priority No.1?

I spent 25 years watching this circus.
Leaders who pile on work like they are playing Tetris.
Teams drowning while executives debate "resource optimization."

Reality check: 

Your team isn't a resource to optimize.
They are humans with a fixed capacity for miracles.

As a leader, YOU own this mess.
Not your team. Not "the business." You.

Stop saying "manage it" and start doing your actual job:

I created a carousel breaking down exactly how urgency tricks your brain and what to actually do about it.

The psychology behind why we fall for it every time.
The deadline games people play.
The dopamine trap that keeps you hooked on urgent tasks.

But most importantly - how to break free from the urgency addiction.

Because when everything is urgent, nothing is.

And your team? 

They are not machines you can overclock indefinitely.
They are humans who need leaders brave enough to say: "No, that can wait."

Swipe through the carousel for the full breakdown on beating the urgency trap.

Your sanity (and your team's) depends on it.

💾 Save this + the carousel for your next priority pile-up
♻️ Share with someone drowning in "urgent" requests
➡️ Follow me, Ani Filipova, for truths about modern leadership and career

The people most committed to your failure often wear the warmest smiles.

The saboteur appears helpful.
They are  "concerned" about you.
They want to "mentor" you.
They are "protecting" you from failure.

"Oh, I thought someone told you."
"No offense, but..."
"I'm just trying to help."
"Don't take it personally."

Because of all this:

→ You question your own competence
→ You work harder to prove yourself
→ You become grateful for crumbs
→ You apologize for existing

These are the tactics they use:

1. The visibility trap
2. The communication sabotage
3. The idea laundering
4. The information blackout
5. The resource starvation
6. The impossible timeline
7. The gaslighting special
8. The social engineering
9. The attribution shift
10. The isolation protocol

If you recognised yourself in any of these, you are not crazy.
You are being played.

Wait. There's a plot twist.

SOMETIMES THE SABOTEUR IS ...YOU
When you internalise their tactics and start doing their work for them.
When you silence yourself before they even have to.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

🛡️ Create Your Paper Trail
• BCC yourself on important emails
• Summarize verbal conversations in writing
• Keep a private log of incidents with dates

🚪 Build Your Escape Routes
• Find sponsors outside your direct chain
• Create visibility beyond your saboteur's reach
• Strengthen peer relationships across departments

🧠 Stop Gaslighting Yourself
• That feeling something's off? It is usually correct
• Stop explaining away red flags
• Your instincts evolved for a reason - use them

The hardest truth about workplace sabotage?

It's done by people who smile at you daily.
Who ask about your weekend.
Who bring you coffee.

Because sabotage isn't about hate.
It's about fear.

Fear that your light might dim theirs.

Which tactic is happening to you RIGHT NOW?
Drop the number - and let's correct it!

♻️ Repost to help someone trust their instincts
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for truths about career, leadership and change

P.S. Done playing defence in a game you can't win? The Portfolio Career Accelerator starts January 26th. Build your escape route while you still have options:https://lnkd.in/gw-h7p5h

I used to believe skills could compensate for a lack of care.

It never does.

The fact is - everyone still hires for skill.
I hire for care.

Because whether it's an employee, contractor, or consultant, care is what holds ANY team together when things get hard.

Skills can be taught.
Experience can be gained.
But care?
You either have it, or you don't.

When I was Regional COO at Citibank, I hired hundreds of employees.
Now I work with a distributed team of specialists.
Different scale. Same truth.

And here’s where that truth became expensive for me:

I hired a "10x developer" on contract.
Perfect portfolio. Stellar reviews.
Zero care about the actual problem we were solving.
The project died in week three.

Then I hired someone with half the experience -
but they asked: "Why does this matter to your business?"
They delivered beyond the brief because they cared about the outcome.

Here’s how to spot care in ANY collaboration:

🎯 They ask about impact, not just specs
“What happens if this succeeds?” beats 
“What are the requirements?”

🎯 They protect your blind spots
"Have you considered…?" is their favourite phrase.
They think like owners, not vendors.

🎯 They communicate proactively
No chasing for updates.
Problems surface before they explode.

🎯 They push back (respectfully)
“This won’t work because…”
Care looks like honesty, not compliance.

🎯 They reference the bigger picture
Every decision connects to your goals - 
not just task completion.

🎯 They stick around when it’s messy
Scope creep. Budget issues. Timeline problems.
People who care help solve, not just report.

Here’s the truth nobody talks about:

In today’s world, your “team” isn’t just employees.
It’s everyone you collaborate with:

• Your VA
• Your copywriter
• Your developer
• Your coach

You are not their boss.
But you are still hiring for care.

Because skills without care?
That’s just expensive disappointment waiting to happen.

Whether you lead 500 people or work with 5 contractors -
Your success depends on finding people who give a damn about the work itself.

♻️ Repost if you believe care beats credentials
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about building teams and careers
📩 Join other leaders and entrepreneurs getting weekly change and career advice in my newsletter - link in Featured

Job security isn't earned. 

It's engineered.

Most professionals spend decades being loyal, working late, hoping their company will protect them.

Then layoffs hit.
The 20-year veterans get cut first.
The "indispensable" people discover they weren't.
The loyal ones learn loyalty doesn't pay bills.

Meanwhile, there's another breed of professional.

You know those people:
↳The ones who always seem to land on their feet.
↳They switch jobs during a recession 
↳They get headhunted for roles you didn’t even know existed.
↳ They are asked to speak at conferences, join advisory boards, get introduced to “the right people.”

And you wonder: How?

Is it luck? 
Better connections? 
Being in the right place at the right time?

Maybe.

But maybe they've figured out something most people miss:

Security isn't about working harder.
It’s about engineering visibility, value, and options ...
... long before you need them.

They are not luckier.
They are simply playing a different game.

If you are building real career security, revisit this list every quarter. 👇
9 invisible traits of professionals who never worry about job security:

1️⃣ They know their unfair advantage
2️⃣ They treat their career like a business
3️⃣ They have multiple income streams
4️⃣ They stay visible outside their company
5️⃣ They invest in relationships, not transactions
6️⃣ They know their market value
7️⃣ They solve problems, not just do jobs
8️⃣ They keep learning publicly
9️⃣ They diversify their identity

None of these requires permission from your boss
But building them requires intention.

Job security isn't about finding the right company.
It’s about becoming the person companies fight to keep,
or better yet, the person who doesn’t need them to.

If one trait jumped out at you, tell me why - your perspective will help others reading this.

💾 Save this to revisit during your next career audit
♻️ Share this with someone who’s playing it too safe
➡️ Follow me, Ani Filipova, for more uncomfortable truths about modern careers

---
P.S. I’m hosting a free live masterclass tomorrow on the job and career trends in 2026.
If you want to go deeper into these you are welcome to join us: https://lnkd.in/gT5S8Sbs

How do they do that??

We all have days when we lose perspective. 

When that happens, a few simple reminders can save the whole week.
Here are 10 that save me every time👇

1️⃣ You don’t have to have it all figured out
It took me 2 years to leave my corporate job.
And another 2 to figure out my portfolio career.
I’m still figuring it out, and I enjoy my life far more

2️⃣ Healing takes time, be patient
Some days you feel strong.
On other days, you feel broken.
That doesn’t mean you are not healing; 
it just means you are human.

3️⃣ Kindness is free
Not everyone deserves your energy.
But kindness?
Give it freely. It makes you feel better too.

4️⃣ Not every action needs a reaction
You don’t need to reply to every email in 2 minutes.
You don’t owe everyone a reaction.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is ....nothing.

5️⃣ Everyone’s journey is different
A CEO at 25 - great and kudos!!
At 45, finally doing what you want - even better!
One is fast. One is deep. Both are valid.

6️⃣ Smiles are contagious
You smile at someone, and they smile back 
(most of the time).
It’s that simple.
And science agrees.

7️⃣ Your thoughts shape your reality
If you keep telling yourself “I’m stuck,”
you’ll stay stuck.
But try saying, “I’m learning.” Watch what happens.

8️⃣ It’s okay to start over again and again
Changed your mind? Good
Changed direction? Better
Changed careers? Best
Every restart is an upgrade.

9️⃣ There is no timeline for your life
Society's schedule is made up.
Marriage by 30? Says who??
Success by 40? Define success.

🔟 Letting go is brave
That job. That one-sided relationship. That old story.
If it’s weighing you down, it’s time.
Let go, not to give up, but to make space.

The most successful people I know needed these reminders the most!
Because success without peace is just expensive misery.

Which one did you need today?
Mine was 4 - it has been a tough week.

Drop yours below - let's remind each other we are not alone.

♻️ And if you know someone who needs this, send it to them today.
🔔 Follow me, Ani Filipova for more reminders like this.
--
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The Executive Committee seat
The six-figure salary.
The CEO on speed dial.
The business-class flights.

I had all of it as a Regional COO at Citibank.

But I couldn’t control my own time.

And after 25 years in corporate, I learned something uncomfortable:

There are two types of wealth.
Most people only chase one.

-> Bank Account Wealth:
What everyone sees.
What everyone measures.
What everyone envies.👇
Your salary, savings, and assets
Your job title

-> Calendar Wealth:
Who decides your Tuesday afternoon?
Can you leave early without asking permission?
Do you choose your meetings or do they choose you?

The uncomfortable truth:
My bank account peaked when my calendar wealth hit zero.

Every promotion meant more money.
Every promotion meant less autonomy.

Regional COO at Citibank.
$2B business. 16 countries.
Couldn't control my own calendar.

Golden handcuffs are still handcuffs.
Just more expensive.

When I left in 2021, people thought I'd lost my mind.
"You are walking away from all that?"

I wasn't walking away.
I was walking toward something.

Built relationships beyond company walls.
Developed skills the company didn't own.
Created value beyond my job description.

Now I control both types of wealth.

Not because I chose one over the other.
But because I stopped believing it was either/or.

You can have financial security AND freedom.
But only if you build them intentionally.

Most professionals optimise for the paycheck.
Then wonder why success feels like prison.

Your company rents your time.
Don't let them buy your freedom.

If you are ready to build both types of wealth apply for the The Portfolio Career Accelerator: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Share with someone trading their freedom for a paycheck
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern careers

You can know your stuff inside out…
and still sound unsure when it matters.

I learned this the hard way.

There were moments in high-stakes rooms:
I walked out, replaying every sentence…
cringing at how I softened my point…
knowing I’d unintentionally undermined myself.

Here’s the truth:

If you sound unsure, people assume you are unsure 
even when you are absolutely not.

And smart people lose influence because of how they speak, not what they know.

Over the years, I started spotting the phrases that were weakening otherwise excellent professionals.

Here are 12 phrases that make smart people sound less smart  and what to say instead 👇

❌ “I just think…”
✅ “Here’s what I see.”

❌ “Maybe we could…”
✅ “Let’s try this approach.”

❌ “Sorry, but…”
✅ “Let me add something here.”

❌ “Does that make sense?”
✅ “Let me know if you want me to go deeper.”

❌ “I’m not sure, but…”
✅ “Based on what I know…”

❌ “I’m no expert, but…”
✅ “From my experience…”

❌ “This might be a dumb question…”
✅ “Here’s something I’m curious about.”

❌ “Hopefully, we can…”
✅ “Our goal is to…”

❌ “I think we should…”
✅ “I recommend we…”

❌ “I feel like…”
✅ “What I’m seeing is…”

❌ “It’s kind of like…”
✅ “It’s similar to…”

❌ “We could maybe look at…”
✅ “Let’s explore…”

Small shifts in language → big shifts in presence and authority.

If you want to communicate with confidence in high-stakes rooms, this is exactly what we train inside my Portfolio Career Accelerator - where our speaking and communication module is led by Julian Treasure, the voice expert behind 40 million TED Talk views.
Apply here:
https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

🔁 Share this to help more people sound as smart as they truly are.
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That email just hit your inbox.

"Performance Review Season - please complete by December 15th."

Your stomach drops.

Not because you didn't deliver.
But because you already know how this goes:

• You scramble to remember your wins.
• Your manager is too busy to spare enough time 
• Nothing actually changes.

Here's the truth:

Performance reviews fail because nobody prepares.
Not managers. 
Not employees.

This is the ONE moment all year where someone MUST pay attention to your career.
Don't waste it!

🟢 MANAGERS: 
Your best people are deciding whether to stay based on this conversation.
Great leaders don’t walk into reviews hoping for clarity.
They walk in prepared to give it.

🔵 EMPLOYEES: 
Create a presentation with a summary of your wins.
Send it 48 hours before the meeting.
Not for them - for you:
• Your track record
• Your negotiation leverage
• Your ammunition for the next opportunity

I created a step-by-step guide for both sides:

For Leaders →
• The 48-hour prep framework
• How to steer the conversation
• Follow through after the review

For Employees →
• How to prepare
• What to do during the review
• What to do AFTER (where 95% drop the ball)

Swipe through the carousel for the full playbook.

Your review is in 3 weeks.
Your preparation starts now.

💾 Save this before your review
♻️ Share with someone who deserves better this year
Follow me, Ani Filipova, for insights on Modern Career and Leadership

Save this for your upcoming review!

You are scrolling LinkedIn at midnight again.

Comparing your career to people who graduated the same year.
Googling “successful people who started late.”

And somewhere between the second glass of wine 
and that sinking feeling in your stomach, 
you are asking yourself:

“What am I doing with my life?”

I know that spiral.
I hit the same point when I was a Regional COO at Citi.

This is what I know about this moment:

- That question isn’t a breakdown.
- It’s a breakthrough trying to happen.

Because you’ve reached what I call The Crossroads.

The moment when you realise: 
- the things you wanted to do might never happen
- you are not stuck - you are choosing not to choose.

And at The Crossroads, you have three real options:

1. Accept it.
Stay in your career.
Make genuine peace with it.
Stop the mental warfare; build your joy outside of work.
This is valid - but you must choose it consciously.

2. Add something.
Keep the stability. 
Build meaning on the side.
A project that feeds your soul while the job pays the bills.

3. Explore it.
Test the ideas you've been burying.
The pivot. The business. The portfolio career.
Start discovering what’s real.

Most people never get past the spiral.
They collect online courses like participation trophies.
They watch younger colleagues get promoted.
They wait. And wait. And wait.

If you are not one of these people, then some part of you is already leaning toward Option 2 or Option 3.

That’s exactly why I created the Portfolio Career Accelerator - for people standing at The Crossroads who want to test some ideas!

8 weeks.
20 people.
A guided transition into what's possible without blowing up your life.
We start on January 26th.

If you’ve been at The Crossroads long enough, maybe it’s time to stop thinking and start testing.

👉 Apply here to see if it’s a fit: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Repost with someone stuck in the midnight scroll
🔔 Follow me: Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern careers

Swipe through to see the phases and what to do next.

Your title was never your power.
The company just let you borrow it.

The day you leave corporate, you learn a terrifying truth:
Your badge gets deactivated - but your capability doesn’t.

When I left, I genuinely thought nobody would speak to me anymore.

No title.
No budget.
No org chart position.
Just me and whatever I could carry in my head.

Then I discovered something:

Everything I’d learned.
Everything I’d built.
Every pattern I’d spotted over 25 years…
It was all still mine.

The “power” I thought I’d lost?
I’d never actually owned it.
It belonged to the logo on my business card.

Real power - the kind that travels with you - works differently.

Here are the 7 power principles every professional needs when they step out of their job and title:

1. Control your narrative
My title disappeared.
My story became my new currency.
“I help professionals build portfolio careers” replaced “Regional COO at Citibank.”
Clarity beats prestige every time.

2. Stay hyper-visible
Inside corporate, visibility is automatic.
Outside, it’s a choice.
I posted daily, spoke at events, taught what I knew.
113K followers later, visibility became my new infrastructure.

3. Maintain your alliances
I didn’t vanish.
I stayed connected.
Those relationships became my first clients and my strongest advocates.
Your network doesn’t care about your employment status.

4. Own a niche
Generalists survive in corporate.
Generalists disappear outside it.
I picked one problem: helping professionals build portfolio careers.
Focus created magnetism.

5. Build value assets
Not skills. Assets.
Frameworks. Systems. Repeatable solutions.
Things that aren’t generic — and aren’t replaceable.

6. Make reputation your résumé
Citibank used to vouch for me.
Now my results do.
100+ professionals transitioned.
6-figure portfolio careers built.
Proof is the new endorsement.

7. Own who you are now
I stopped leading with “I used to be a COO.”
I started leading with the value I create today.
Confidence signals power more than any title ever could.

Jeffrey Pfeffer puts it bluntly:
“Titles create position power. Real power comes from personal assets and social capital.”

Your expertise doesn’t expire when your badge stops working.
Your value doesn’t shrink when you walk out that door.
It becomes fully yours.

These 7 principles aren’t theory.
I used them to rebuild my own career  and now they are the foundation of my Portfolio Career Accelerator.

8 weeks.
20 professionals.
Starting January 26.

If you want a career that travels with you, we build it step by step. Apply for the accelerator here: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Share this with someone questioning their value outside corporate
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for more uncomfortable truths about modern careers and leadership

eatreats bangalore

I'm building something new,

Let me tell you about it.

For the past three years, I've been helping professionals leave corporate and build portfolio careers. 

One-on-one coaching. 
My community. 
Hundreds of conversations about what actually works.

And I keep seeing the same thing:
People spend years piecing this together
jumping between YouTube videos, 
buying courses they never finish, 
trying to connect the dots alone.

I had to figure it all out at once when I left Citi. 

So I'm changing that.

The Portfolio Career Accelerator launches January 26th.

It's everything I've learned, packaged into 8 intensive weeks.

Here's my story in 30 seconds:
• 25 years in corporate banking
• Regional COO at Citi (€2B, 16 countries)
• Left at 51 with no plan
• Now: 140K followers across LinkedIn/YouTube
• Multiple income streams
• I own my time

I've watched hundreds make similar transitions. 
And they all needed the same five things:

1️⃣ Build an audience that knows and trusts you
2️⃣ Create an offer people actually want to buy
3️⃣ Become a speaker (yes, even TED talks)
4️⃣ Position yourself as an advisor/board member 
5️⃣ Start investing your new income wisely

And the secret weapon? AI to make it all happen 10x faster.

I spent three years figuring this out through trial and error.
You don't have to.

Picture this:
March 2025. 
Your LinkedIn is growing. 
You built your first digital product.
You are positioning yourself for an advisory position.
You still have your job (if you want it), but now you know your options.

That's what 8 weeks can do.

The accelerator is intimate - just 20 people.
Live sessions, which are recorded. 
Feedback on whatever you are building.
Amazing guest experts on all topics.

And after that - 3 months free in my community to keep the momentum going.

This isn't about following my exact path.
It's about me showing you the map so you can choose your own adventure.

Want the full details?

🚀 Get all the information here and apply: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN
Applications open now. We start January 26th.

I genuinely believe everyone deserves a portfolio career - work that fits your life, not the other way around.

Come build yours with me.

No alternative text description for this image

Lester Chng

Cyber CEOs Brand Strategist. I build your brand as you build your business. | Senior Cybersecurity Advisor | Author | Naval Officer | CISSP | 🇨🇦🇸🇬 |

You head a leading cybersecurity firm.
But your online presence doesn't reflect it.

In fact, being invisible is damaging. 

You understand the power of thought leadership.
You know LinkedIn shapes deal flow and adds credibility in the industry.
You just don’t have the cycles (or the copy) to share your expertise and experience.

You have stories worth telling.

The insights from being in the trenches.
The deep conversations with your ace teams.
The hard discussions with your clients. 

Don’t let this wisdom go to waste.

That’s where I come in.

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

How we work together.

Profile & Positioning
=> Rebuild your LinkedIn profile so visitors see industry authority, not “another vendor.”

Content engine
=> Ghostwritten posts that leverage your insights and expertise into engaging LinkedIn posts. 

Outreach campaign
=> Targeted DM campaigns and audience-building strategies that build your authority and land you on podcasts and conference stages.

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

You focus on growing your firm and protecting your clients.
And we will ensure the industry, clients, prospects, and investors can’t ignore it.

Let’s build the personal brand that commands the cybersecurity conversation and drives business.


Worked with global client portfolio 
- MSPs
- MSSPs
- Agentic AI SOC
- AI-powered GRC 
- Operational Resilience 

Senior Advisor, Financial Crimes Unit Exercises. BMO Fusion Centre

Execution of Financial Crimes Unit Exercise and Drill Program
• Design and execution of exercises and drills to operationalize the Financial Crimes Unit Fusion Centre
• Scenario creation and exercise execution for Information Security, Enterprise Fraud Management, Physical Security, and Global Crisis and Continuity Management teams 
• Providing effective challenge of incident response readiness through exercise observation
• Execution of enterprise-wide Purple Team Exercise


Cybersecurity Exercises: Purple Team, Ransomware, DDoS, Malware, Data Corruption, Data Breach, 3rd Party Incidents
Fraud Exercises: ATOs, Attack on Payment systems, Business Email Compromise, PII Breach
Physical Security Exercise: Active Assailant, Civil Unrest, Bomb Threats
Crisis Exercises: Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, Operational Resilience, Fire Incidents, Natural Disasters, Utilities Disruption

We landed in Canada 8 years ago. 
Today I still get this question. 
Why did you move from Singapore?

I always answer with this as if one of the reason. 

“We were very comfortable and had stable jobs. In fact, I know almost exactly how many career will pan out”

And we wanted to try something diff. 

This is what it wld have looked like:
- stayed on in the Navy
- promotions to LTC or SLTC
- 300k salary (don’t quote me)
- waiting on a ~500k bonus in 2026
- complete command of 2-3 warships

This is the last 8 years instead:
- ~50% pay cut for first role
- took 3 role changes to gain parity 
- only to be laid off after a few years
- and living through a dead economy

If we take a snapshot view here, it is a disastrous decision. 

But of course it’s never that linear. 

Here are other things that I gained:
- explored 2 career paths. PM + cyber
- grew professional network from 0
- gained experience in enterprises
- sold digital products & services
- found mission driven role + team
- resilience and independence
 
The questions will always be asked. 

And the journey is still being written. 

P.S what questions do u always get when you tell your story?
How do u answer them?

Sales Navigator

Talks about #linkedin, #resilience, #cybersecurity, #crisismanagement, and #personalbranding

The Brand Strategist for Cyber CEOs. I build your brand as you build your business. | Senior Cybersecurity Advisor | Author | Naval Officer | CISSP | 🇨🇦🇸🇬 |

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University is hiring.
We continue to grow and if our vision of "Cybersecurity for all" resonates with you. Check out and apply for these roles.

Director of Strategic Partnerships
https://lnkd.in/gaTXKaBz

Director, Public Sector and Small Businessess
https://lnkd.in/gFGDsGvG

Program Lead
https://lnkd.in/gSajF8eK

Cyber Clinic Program Lead
https://lnkd.in/gcFhZFkP

Operations Coordinator

Check out this job at Toronto Metropolitan University:  https://lnkd.in/g2S-fNFa


Applications close soon and start the new year in a role and organization that is shaping the future of Cybersecurity in Canada and beyond.

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University

You are all busy. I don't expect you to read my history, so here is a little about me.

𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲.

Never the model student.
Made a career choice at 19.
To serve in the Navy and see the world.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆

Daily lessons of leadership, critical thinking.
Ran the wargaming and simulation centre.
Left in 2017 after rejecting a promotion and the opportunity to command a ship.

𝗢'𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮

Moved to Canada w no corporate exp
Struggled for years to climb a ladder
Fortunate to move into cybersecurity

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

Currently in my 3rd role in cyber.
1. Project Management
2. Senior advisor - security exercises
3. Senior advisor - security exercises

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀

Full-time at Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University. 
Best place I have worked in Canada.

Need cybersecurity tabletop exercises, cyber range training, cyber advisory services?

Give me a shout.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

Book author
The Essential Cybersecurity Ex Playbook.
I still refer to it when I design exercises. 
Get it if you are tasked to run exercises.

Ghostwriter for Cyber CEOs and Founders
Your LinkedIn Account is a goldmine.
Build your thought leadership and authority.
I write your LinkedIn posts for you.

P.S What did you not know abt me?

Cybersecurity professionals struggle in OT organizations.

Especially if they don’t take the time to understand operations.

I interviewed my friend Osman Saleem, the Managing Director of Actimeta, who helps his clients secure their OT and IoT infrastructure.

What Makes OT/IoT Security Complex

Q3: What makes protecting operational environments fundamentally different from traditional IT cybersecurity?

OT environments have physical processes, so organizations prioritize safety, reliability, and availability of OT systems. Confidentiality of data takes a back seat. Additionally, OT systems have a much longer life cycle. As a result, these systems operate 24/7 on legacy equipment and networks making patching and rebooting a challenge. Security changes can directly impact physical processes, which means risk management must balance cyber controls with operational continuity.

Q4: Can you share an example of how operational and security priorities sometimes conflict — and how organizations can bridge that gap?

Security teams may recommend immediate patching or network changes, while operations teams push back due to downtime risks or safety concerns. Capital upgrades of legacy equipment are also cited as reasons for avoiding immediate patches. Bridging that gap comes from joint risk assessments, staged mitigation plans, or designing controls that reduce risk without disrupting critical operations
_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Osman. He is a security infrastructure expert and has helped organizations build IoT and OT security programs.


P.S. What’s the biggest challenge in OT security?

OT & IoT Cybersecurity | Smart Building Technology | Smart Cities

“I’ll take a break from writing/posting”. 

That’s what I told myself as I returned from my vacation. 

“It will be easy to get back into it”. 

Just like my exercise routine, my writing and networking rhythm were severly derailed. 

Even though my systems and tools were in place, I need to reconvince myself of the intend of being active on this platform. 

And it really does fall back to the why. 

Once that is reaffirmed, then the other pieces of the how kicks back in. 

Here’s back to sharing:
- how organizations should use cyber exercises to improve their readiness and resilience 
- how cyber CEOs should use LinkedIn to drive brand awareness 

P.S who thinks the LinkedIn feed is darn boring these days. Let’s start sharpening our storytelling skills.

Cyber CEOs are missing one of the biggest opportunities on LinkedIn.

Your founder story.

Not the pitch.
Not the product.
The reason you started.

Here is why it matters.

1. It builds trust faster than yr website.

People want to know the conviction behind your company. Your story answers the core question every buyer has: why should I trust you.

2. It humanizes your brand.

Cybersecurity is technical and crowded. Your story cuts through the noise and shows the person behind the mission.

3. It creates instant differentiation.

Competitors can copy language, pricing, and positioning. They cannot copy your journey.

4. It strengthens every future conversation.

When people understand your why, your product demonstrations, sales calls, and partnerships become warmer and easier.

Your founder story is not optional.
It is a strategic asset.

If you do not tell it, your audience will never hear it. And don’t wait for permission to share too. 

No one is gonna give you that.

Culture change is crucial for security transformations.

How does one influence change in critical infrastructure?

I interviewed my friend Osman Saleem, the Managing Director of Actimeta, who helps his clients secure their OT and IoT infrastructure.

Leadership, Culture & Collaboration

Q7: You’ve worked across consulting, engineering, and executive leadership — what have you learned about leading teams through complex technical change?

Real progress happens when leaders listen to their teams, and more importantly, remove obstacles instead of issuing directives. Operational teams adopt change when they feel respected, supported, and protected from unnecessary risk — not when security is pushed onto them as “another policy to follow.”

Q8: In your view, what’s the biggest cultural or mindset shift organizations need to make to strengthen their cyber and operational resilience?

Organizations must stop treating security as something they “enforce” on operations and start treating it as something they build with them. When frontline technicians and engineers are empowered as partners rather than problems to manage, security becomes practical, sustainable, and actually effective.
_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Osman. He is a security infrastructure expert and has helped organizations build IoT and OT security programs.


P.S. Which sector needs the most security attention?

Have you tried asking ChatGPT abt yourself?

Try it. I hope you don’t find sensitive information.

AI models feed on data. And yet so many organizations have headed straight for the AI gravy train without due consideration for the impact on data management and privacy. 

I interviewed my friend Patrick Lo, the CEO of Privacy Horizon, who helps his clients make sense of the ever-changing landscape of privacy and the impact of AI.

The Intersection of Privacy and AI

Q5: As AI becomes more embedded in diagnostics and digital health tools, where do you see the biggest privacy blind spots emerging?

Many organizations that adopt AI often overlook the importance of a solid AI Governance Framework. This oversight can lead to unsupervised AI being used within the organization, allowing users to leverage AI solutions without proper guidance. Such a lack of direction often leads to unintended disclosures of sensitive information. Additionally, a significant blind spot exists where many organizations are unaware of what personal or health data their AI models are accessing, retaining, or inferring. 


Q6: How is Privacy Horizon adapting its services — for instance, with AI-PIAs or automated privacy assessments — to address these new challenges?

We’ve expanded our service model to include AI Privacy Impact Assessments, AI Governance Frameworks, AI Training, and readiness tools aligned with the EU AI Act and ISO 42001. These help healthcare organizations assess AI systems’ risks, ensure transparency, and demonstrate trustworthy AI adoption.
_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Patrick. He is a healthcare privacy expert and has helped organizations build privacy and security programs.


P.S What worries you about AI and privacy?

It seems like privacy is a premium these days.

And it can be sidelined if we don’t preserve it.

AI models feed on data. And yet so many organizations have headed straight for the AI gravy train without due consideration for the impact on data management and privacy. 

I interviewed my friend Patrick Lo, the CEO of Privacy Horizon, who helps his clients make sense of the ever-changing landscape of privacy and the impact of AI.

The Future of Privacy Leadership

Q7: What qualities will define the next generation of privacy leaders in healthcare?

Future privacy leaders will combine a strong understanding of technology, turning intricate risks related to AI, data, and cybersecurity into transparent, human-focused governance approaches that build trust among stakeholders.

Q8: If you could change one thing about how organizations approach privacy today, what would it be and why?

I would change the perspective from viewing “privacy as compliance” to seeing “privacy as strategy.” Privacy doesn’t have to be a boat anchor. Privacy is about common sense. Privacy is nothing more than good information management and good customer service. When organizations integrate privacy with trust, innovation, and brand value, compliance occurs naturally and a culture of accountability becomes self-sustaining.

_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Patrick. He is a healthcare privacy expert and has helped organizations build privacy and security programs.


P.S Is privacy a top concern when implementing AI?

Take a second to count your personal connected devices.

Now, estimate that number for an enterprise set-up.

Enterprises struggle to keep up with the inventory, tracking, management, and governance of their IT systems. Industries and companies that rely heavily on physical systems, such as monitoring devices, automated systems, and highly integrated systems, add layers of complexity and associated risks to maintaining operational efficiency and security.

I interviewed my friend Osman Saleem, the Managing Director of Actimeta, who helps his clients secure their OT and IoT infrastructure.

The OT/IoT Security Landscape 

Q1: How has the growing interconnection between physical systems and digital networks changed the way organizations think about cybersecurity?

Organizations that run physical systems and OT are more aware now of the risks that come with connecting them to digital networks. Asset owners are increasingly focused on securing these environments—marketing hype can amplify the fear, but the concern is justified. More connectivity expands the attack surface and links cyber incidents to real-world impacts on safety, reliability, and finances. As a result, there is a shift to treat cybersecurity as an operational responsibility, not just an IT issue.

Q2: From your experience, what are the biggest misconceptions business leaders still have about securing operational or connected environments?

Many business leaders place more emphasis on tooling and technology. Their main focus should be prioritized towards embedding cybersecurity practices and controls in their business workflows, organizational processes and ensuring their governance is not just documented, but functional. 
_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Osman. He is a security infrastructure expert and has helped organizations build IoT and OT security programs.


P.S. What are some IoT/OT security assumptions that many have?

If growing your LinkedIn presence as a cyber CEO is not part of your 2026 plan, it is a huge marketing miss. 

The others parts are shaping up:
- website copy
- marketing swag
- cold email blasts
- conference booth
- CISO wine and dine 😃

All that is important and probably takes up the bulk of your budget. 

And then when your prospects land on your LinkedIn page, it blands (yes bland) in with the rest of the corporate copy. 

“We are on brand.”
“Our product speaks for itself.”

What could have been a differentiator from your competitors and a vibrant platform to build a community and awareness for your company. 

Instead, it just fades to the background. Like many of the other passive accounts. 

Is your LinkedIn account working your you, your company, and your vision?

Or will 2026 be another missed opportunity? 

Your platform. 
Your choice.

LinkedIn

Addressing security issues in an OT heavy organization is an uphill battle.

Especially if we blindly apply IT security principles.

Where should one start? Or is it an impossible task?

I interviewed my friend Osman Saleem, the Managing Director of Actimeta, who helps his clients secure their OT and IoT infrastructure.

Building Secure and Resilient Systems

Q5: When you work with clients on OT/IoT cybersecurity, what guiding principles or frameworks do you find most effective?

Common sense, to start with. We also rely heavily on frameworks like NIST SP 800-82 and ISA/IEC 62443, focusing on asset visibility, segmentation, and defense-in-depth. These frameworks take a risk-based approach. There are industry-specific regulations that may also apply. Effective cybersecurity programs align cybersecurity controls directly to safety, reliability, and regulatory objectives rather than treating security as a standalone effort.

Q6: How can organizations take practical first steps toward improving their OT or IoT resilience without massive overhauls?

Work on foundational knowledge first. Document your environment and how OT intersects with and affects other organizational departments. Start with visibility - and I don’t mean deploying a tool. Understand what assets are connected, where data flows, and who owns them. Understand your existing staff's skill set. Establish your risk tolerance thresholds. Document everything. Then implement basic segmentation, access control, and incident response planning — small changes that dramatically reduce risk without major system interruptions.
_____________________________

If you enjoyed this interview series, please follow Osman. He is a security infrastructure expert and has helped organizations build IoT and OT security programs.


P.S. What are some key differences between IT and OT security?

Here’s one signal to know yr cyber exercise is highly effective. 
And most TTXs never trigger this. 

We recently executed a cyber range simulation exercise that put an IT team through a stressful scenario. 

The team was actively analyzing the IOCs and raise many relevant points for decision making. The leadership team weighed the risks and make a decision for containment. 

This decision was communicated to the technical teams and it spark a behavior which I didn’t expect but was glad it happened. 

The IT team responded to seek clarification on the decision. The instructions from the leadership team was clear on intent but the IT teams wanted to ensure that the leadership team understood the risks and nuances of the decision. 

And the discussion got pretty heated. 

This is termed as “Challenge and Response” and is something that we used while we manage the navigation team to ensure the safety of the ship. 

Team members would challenge the instructions (not the authority) if they were unclear or they had information that may impact the decision. The officer of the watch will have to respond to confirm or clarify the order. 

The purpose of this mechanism was to ensure that there was an avenue for clarification of an order without the risk of insubordination. 


So to my surprise, I saw this playing out as we ran our exercise. 

This is a healthy sign that the team had the right culture and understood the intent of the team’s actions. 

How did the heated discussion end?

I had to intervene, acknowledge the perspectives of both parties, and park the issue aside to continue w the exercise. 

This learning point would not occur in a benign tabletop exercise. It took a realistic high pressure scenario to tease out the practical considerations of incident response. 

P.S can u guess what the discussion was about? 
I’ll give a prize if anyone guessed it!

I consult with many Cyber CEOs. 

These 4 questions come up in every strategy call I run with founders.

⸻

1/ What should I post without oversharing or sounding salesy

They worry about balancing:
- Oversharing insights 
- Being authoritative vs promotional

But the real issue?

This isn’t a writing problem.
It’s a positioning + content strategy problem.

Once you define your POV and boundaries, posting becomes easy.

⸻

2/ Will this really generate business, or is it just vanity?

They’re skeptical because:
- Impressions ≠ pipeline
- “Likes” don’t close deals
- Decision-makers feel invisible on LI

Behind this question is a deeper fear:

“Will my effort pay off?”

LinkedIn is a trust engine, not a slot machine. It compounds if you show up consistently.

⸻

3/ How do I stand out when every cyber CEO sounds the same?

Their feed is full of:
- News reposts
- Corporate announcements 
- Zero Trust / AI buzzwords

Their real question is:

“What is MY unique point of view?”

The answer is always the same. 
Stand out by being specific, not louder.

Your niche, your observations, your client stories, your lessons.

Those are the differentiators.

⸻

4/ How much time does this take each week?

They assume LinkedIn is:
- Daily posting
- Daily commenting
- Constant DMing
- Full time social media diva

But what they actually want is simple:
A strategy that is intentional. 
A plan that drives results. 

You don’t need to post daily.
You need clarity, consistency, and relevance.

⸻

If you’ve have all these questions too, the good news is they’re all solvable.

Cyber CEOs don’t need more content.
They need a clearer strategy, stronger positioning, and a repeatable system.

P.S what other qns do u have?

Cyber CEOs have endless stories. 

Here are some ideas if u r stuck.

1. The moment you realized the cybersecurity problem you’re solving was real (A client incident, a failure you witnessed, or a blind spot in the market.)

2. Why you decided to start the company instead of joining another one (Your conviction, frustration, or spark.)

3. The first obstacle you faced as a founder and what it taught you
 (Funding, product clarity, hiring, credibility.)

4. The early version of your solution and how different it was from today
 (Show evolution and persistence.)

5. A hard lesson you learned that shaped how you lead now
 (Trust, communication, resilience, decision speed.)

6. The turning point when you knew the company would work
 (First client, first renewal, first big validation.)

7. A belief you hold about cybersecurity that most people overlook
 (Your “why” behind your mission.)

8. How your background shaped the way you approach security problems
 (Past industries, roles, failures, or personal experiences.)

9. The sacrifice most people don’t see
 (Time, stability, opportunity cost, personal growth.)

10. Your vision for the industry and why you’re committed to it
(Where things are going and why you care.)

P.S Expand on each point in a few different angles and your content is set for months. 

Any other story ideas?

LinkedIn has never worked for me. 

Many Cyber CEOs tell me that. 

“What have you tried?”

- had 1 video call w a new contact
- create 2 posts every quarter 
- msg 3 CISOs every week
- like 4 posts every day 
- read 5 cringey posts

Bruh, what were you expecting. 

If you execute prod dev like a hawk,
raise funds like the fed, why do you neglect your professional presence?

You may be causing more damage missing more opportunities than u thk. 

Is 2026 going to the same for u?

Here are 4 silly TTX lessons that you never plan for but do happen. 

You have gone through the rigor. 

Study the IRPs and escalation flows. 
Deep dive into sector intel and risks. 
Create the most compelling scenario. 

You executed the exercise w precision. 

Then realize this is what they gained. 

1. Some participants have never met. 

Whether it is high turnover or there never as reason to meet, don’t be surprised if some members have never met before and the exercise served its purpose of building relations. 

Silly but happens more often than u thk

2. Some plans have never been read. 

Or in some cases, no one knew it existed or didn’t event realize annex C-7 had a whole section dedicated to the responsibilities of said department. 

Better late than never to realize you have a role to play in an incident. 

3. Some words have diff meaning. 

You used industry defined nomenclature as you peppered the response plans with actionable and detailed terminology. Only to realize no one cares about your glossary on page 54. 

Fav terms. Isolate. Asset. Segregate. Sanitize. Take offline. Clean up. 

Record the lesson learned. 
Create an action item to synch. 

4.  Some roles and ppl r gone. 

This always happens but don’t let u derail the exercise. Plans are never perfect. They are there to serve as a kick off point and reference, not a step by step instruction booklet. 

Don’t be so rigid. 

P.S what other interesting TTX encounters have you experienced?

10 planning considerations for a live red team exercise.

A live Red Team exercise can transform your organization’s cyber readiness.

Or it can blow up in your face.

Most companies underestimate the planning required. 
Live exercises introduce operational risk, reputational exposure, and real technical consequences if poorly scoped.

Here are 10 planning considerations. 

⸻

1. Define crystal-clear objectives before touching the scenario.

A Red Team exercise easily derails without a defined purpose.
•	Are you testing detection?
•	Decision-making?
•	Business response?

Knowing the objective helps guide the red team and enables alignment.  

⸻

2. Assess organizational maturity honestly before selecting tactics.

Live exercises should match capability.
Teams still struggling with escalation protocols shouldn’t jump straight to advanced APT emulation.
Ensure your IRP, SOC workflows, and communication playbooks are mature enough to withstand live pressure.

⸻

3. Secure executive sponsorship and socialization early.

Leadership must know what they’re approving. This includes scope, risks, expected disruptions, and reporting cadence.

⸻

4. Establish strict scope, boundaries, and rules of engagement.

A Red Team must know exactly what is allowed.
Examples:
•	No production data exfiltration.
•	No destructive actions.
•	Limited hours for intrusion.
•	Clear ‘stop game’ conditions.

Defined ROE protects your systems, your people, and your reputation.

⸻

5. Map out all critical systems, dependencies, and crown jewels.

You can’t test everything.
Choose what matters most:
•	Mission-critical applications
•	Identity systems
•	Cloud environments
•	OT/ICS (very rare)

Have a clear reason why this is the target. 

⸻

6. Involve key third-party vendors before game day.

Many Red Team exercises collapse due to vendor bottlenecks.

Notify them early. 

Their tools, logging, and escalation capabilities determine how realistic and valuable the exercise becomes.

⸻

7. Prepare the SOC and security teams without revealing the scenario.

Let them know the exercise window and who to clarify with if there are doubts. 

A Red Team exercise shouldn’t overly hamper operations. Yes there will be increased load for short periods of time. 

⸻

8. Decide the battle rhythm for decision-making and communication.

Synchronisation avoids chaos and ensures realism in response flow.

Also include exercise control meetings to keep teams updated. 

⸻

9. Create a safety plan.

Live operations = live risk.

A safety plan ensures the Red Team can push boundaries without endangering the business.

⸻

10. Design a mature debrief, learning review, and AAR process.

The biggest ROI comes after the exercise.

A rigorous debrief is where transformation happens.

⸻

Conclusion

A live Red Team exercise is a meticulously planned, high-stakes enterprise learning event.

Plan it properly, and you elevate your team’s resilience.
Rush it, and you erode trust in security

How to instantly instill confidence during an incident response call?

One of the key features in every incident response plan is the incident response call or CSIRT (cybersecurity incident response team) call. 

Yet, it is hardly ever practised and you can confuse everyone if it is a mess. 

There is no clear lead, the agenda is sketchy, and the conversation goes all over the place. Even worse, it drags on with no end in sight. 

A simple way to fix this. 

Meetig structure + Practice

Here is a sample meeting structure:

1. State the objective and summary
2. Facts so far (what we know, what we think, what we don’t know)
3. Impact and scope 
4. Top 3 priorities and risks
5. Decisions needed now
6. Action item review
7. Comms and notifications
8. Recap key next steps
9. Open for questions 
10. Timing of next call 


You need to practise these calls. 
And run it with military disciple. 

P.S what agenda item wld u add?

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