I empower leaders with AI Workshops & B2B digital strategy | LinkedIn Top Voice | Public Speaker | Board Director | Podcaster🎙️

AI won’t replace communicators, but communicators who use AI will define the future.

The communications industry is evolving faster than most teams are prepared for. Those who integrate AI today, ethically, strategically, and confidently, will lead tomorrow’s conversations.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻.

I help PR and communications leaders future-proof their teams with practical, hands-on AI strategy. Through custom workshops, audits, and advisory programs, I bridge the gap between curiosity and capability, showing teams how to integrate AI into real-world workflows without losing the human voice that makes communications powerful.

I’ve trained and advised leaders across a variety of organizations like Ragan, MacMillan Publishing, Penguin Random House, PPG, etc., helping them build AI readiness, sharpen strategy, and unlock new efficiencies in content, reputation, and storytelling.

If your team wants to:
✅ Use AI responsibly, with clear governance and guardrails
✅ Build workflow efficiencies that actually stick
✅ Strengthen credibility in an AI-driven media landscape

Then 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. Visit chrisgee.me
or send me a message here on LinkedIn.

Don't wait to future-proof your team.

Chris Gee

Communicators used to write for journalists.

Now we also have to write for 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘂𝘀.

If your message falls apart when AI condenses it to three sentences, you have a problem.

This week I found myself saying the same thing in two different conversations with communications leaders.

More and more often, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆.

They are reading 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁.

AI assistants, search tools, and productivity platforms are increasingly acting as intermediaries. They scan long documents, extract key points, and present condensed answers to busy executives, journalists, and stakeholders.

Which means communicators now have a new challenge.

Your message has to survive 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

If the essence of your story disappears when an AI compresses it into three sentences, you have a problem.

I mentioned this a couple times this week and realized it was worth sharing more broadly.

So in tomorrow’s, this Prompt of the Week is designed to help you test exactly that.

Use it to pressure test whether your message still holds together once an AI system distills it down.

Because communicators used to focus on how journalists interpreted our stories.

Now we also need to think about how 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.

Curious if others are already thinking about this.

Are you designing messages that survive AI summaries?

Helping PR & Comms leaders future-proof with AI strategy | Speaker + Trainer | Keynotes + Workshops | Ragan Advisor

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We may be approaching the saturation point for synthetic content.
We tend to assume technology spreads exponentially until it becomes ubiquitous. That’s the default narrative... 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗱.

The data suggests something more complex is happening with synthetic content on social media.

AI-generated supply is rising quickly across platforms. At the same time, we’re seeing more labeling systems, more “see less AI” controls, and a sharp increase in public conversation about “AI slop” (9x year-over-year growth in usage of that term).

In one YouTube-focused estimate, between 21–33% of a new user’s Shorts feed may already be AI-generated or low-value synthetic content.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀.

That combination matters.

When supply rises faster than trust, friction emerges.

This doesn’t mean AI content disappears. It means it meets resistance.

The research outlines three possible paths:
1️⃣ Continued acceleration
2️⃣ A plateau where synthetic content becomes common but less effective
3️⃣ Or a trust feedback loop where audiences shift toward verified creators and authenticity signals

We are already seeing early signs of an “authenticity premium,” where content that signals human authorship or limited AI use outperforms baseline synthetic volume in certain categories.

And there’s something deeper here.

Humans are biologically wired for social connection. We rely on faces, voice, and perceived intent as trust shortcuts. 

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆.

This isn’t anti-AI.

It’s a reminder that adoption curves bend when they collide with human psychology.

AI content will continue to grow. But growth does not automatically equal acceptance.

For communicators, the question is no longer “How much AI can we use?”

It becomes:
→ Where does AI enhance experience?
→ Where does it erode trust?
→ Where does authenticity become a differentiator?

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁.

Curious how others are seeing this play out in their campaigns and feeds.

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The story around “AI layoffs” is no longer just a business headline.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸.

Across industries, executives are framing workforce reductions as AI-driven, even when their AI deployments are still early and delivering limited automation gains.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.

When people hear “AI layoffs,” they don’t hear restructuring or strategic pivot. They hear replacement. And that perception creates a breach of trust that lingers far longer than the headlines.

💡 This is where communications leadership matters.

A few principles are critical:

✅ Name the real drivers. If it’s cost optimization or a strategic shift, 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. Don’t oversell AI as the scapegoat.
✅ Ground the change in human agency. Explain what is evolving in the work 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺.
✅ Lead with capability building. Show investment in reskilling, mobility, and support systems.

The perception of an event can be more consequential than the event itself.

𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀.

How are leaders navigating these comms in your organization? 

Let me know in the comments! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

We keep talking about AI as if it’s about to replace most white-collar workers.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Researchers recently constructed what they called a “Remote Labor Index,” testing AI agents across 240 real freelance projects spanning architecture, graphic design, video production, marketing assets, and game development.

🚫 Not toy prompts.
🚫 Not lab simulations.
✅ Real deliverables companies actually paid for.

Across more than 6,000 hours of paid work worth over $140,000, the best AI agent automated about 2.5 percent of the work. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟯 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁.

🚫 45.6% failed on quality
🚫 17.6% produced corrupted files
🚫 14.8% included inconsistencies
🚫 35.7% produced incomplete work

These weren’t minor glitches, they were breakdowns.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄.

Yes, you can re-engineer the hammer.
You can keep pouring money into improving it.
But it’ll never be as effective as a $15 screwdriver. 

They have totally different strengths and are meant to solve totally different problems. 

Global AI infrastructure investment is already in the hundreds of billions annually, with projections reaching into the trillions over the next decade.

But if the best systems can only automate 2–3 percent of real-world creative and knowledge work, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

The math just ain’t math-ing.

The real opportunity is not wholesale worker replacement. It’s building the ideal human co-pilot.

✅ AI excels at narrow tasks.
✅ It accelerates drafting, summarizing, iteration.
🚫 But it struggles with end-to-end ownership and messy coordination.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

The real win re: AI?

💪🏽 Human judgment + AI speed.
💪🏽 Human accountability + AI leverage.

Maybe the future isn’t about building the perfect hammer.

Maybe it’s about recognizing when the screwdriver already works better to drive screws? 🤷🏽

What do you think? Are we evaluating AI the wrong way? Let me know in the comments. 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

I recently joined Monica Talan on her “𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘥 10 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴” podcast to talk about what’s actually changing in communications right now.

A few themes:

1️⃣ AI is exceptional at speeding up output. Slides, drafts, repurposing. That means our value moves to the 20 percent that drives real impact: judgment, empathy, and creativity.

2️⃣ Prompting matters. But imagination matters more. Models follow instructions. Humans decide what’s worth asking.

3️⃣ Agents are not automations. Automation is linear. Agents have autonomy. That difference is a real governance flag.

We also discussed how AI is accelerating the fractional model and why human connection becomes more valuable in a sea of synthetic content.

Just a short, 10-minute conversation. Check it out and let me know what you think! 

https://lnkd.in/ear2mzNT

AI can draft the slides.
But are we using it to think bigger?

AI expert Chris Gee breaks down where the real opportunity lives, where the risk sits, and how communicators can lead instead of react.

Get clear perspective on the future of comms in just 10 minutes...

I recently joined Monica Talan on her “If I Only Had 10 Minutes” podcast to talk about what’s actually changing in communications right now.

Not the hype.
The practical shifts.

A few themes:

The execution layer is being commoditized.
AI is exceptional at speeding up output. Slides, drafts, repurposing. That means our value shifts to the 20 percent that drives real impact — judgment, positioning, risk, and context.

Creativity beats coding.
Prompting matters. But imagination matters more. Models follow instructions. Humans decide what’s worth asking.

Agents are not automations.
Automation is linear. Agents have autonomy. That difference isn’t technical — it’s governance.

We also discussed how AI is accelerating the fractional model and why human connection becomes more valuable in a sea of synthetic content.

Short conversation. Big implications.

https://lnkd.in/ear2mzNT

The AI debate is stuck on the wrong premise.
Instead of asking “Will AI replace workers?” we may need to ask something more uncomfortable.
What happens if there simply 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁?

Let's look at the demographics.

Across the developed world — and increasingly in the United States — populations are aging rapidly. Birth rates are falling. Labor force growth is slowing.

The constraint may not be too many workers displaced by AI.

It may be too few workers available without it.

Think about the math:

• The U.S. fertility rate is around 1.6 births per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
• By 2034, adults 65+ will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.
• The worker-to-retiree ratio continues to shrink, placing pressure on productivity.

That creates a different framing.

AI isn’t just a cost-cutting technology.

It may become a demographic stabilizer.

Automation in:

• healthcare
• logistics
• software development
• design
• marketing production
• research

...could partially offset structural labor shortages rather than cause mass unemployment.

In other words:

The biggest economic impact of AI might not be replacing workers.

It might be helping societies function with fewer of them.

We may look back and realize the real question was never:

“Will AI take jobs?”

It was:

“Could our economies keep growing without it?”

Curious how others see this.
Are we underestimating the demographic side of the AI story?

Instead of asking “Will AI replace workers?” we may need to ask something more uncomfortable.
What happens if there simply 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁?

Let's look at the demographics.

Across the developed world — and increasingly in the United States — populations are aging rapidly. Birth rates are falling. Labor force growth is slowing.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗜.
𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

A few numbers to consider: 

📉 The U.S. fertility rate is 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟭.𝟲 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
📉 By 2034, 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝟲𝟱+ 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.
📉 The 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗼-𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸, placing pressure on productivity.

Based on those numbers, we may be looking at this the wrong way. 

Automation in:
→ Healthcare
→ Logistics
→ Software development
→ Design
→ Marketing production
→ Research

Could partially offset structural labor shortages rather than cause mass unemployment.

In other words:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

We may look back and realize the real question was never:

“Will AI take jobs?”

It was:

“Could our economies keep growing without it?”

Curious how others see this. 🤔

Are we afraid of the wrong thing regarding AI? 

Let me know in the comments. 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

𝗔𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆-𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.

A federal judge in the Southern District of New York just issued a ruling that should get the attention of anyone using AI for strategy work.

In this case, a defendant used Anthropic’s Claude to help think through a legal defense. When federal agents seized the AI outputs, he argued they should be protected under attorney-client privilege and the work-product doctrine.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱.

The key reason: the AI interaction happened outside the direction of his attorneys. Claude is not a lawyer, and its terms of service state that user prompts may be used to train the model and may be shared with authorities. Because of that, the judge ruled there was no reasonable expectation of confidentiality.

In other words, the AI conversation was discoverable.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸.

The legal system runs on relationships, responsibility, and accountability. None of those concepts map neatly onto a chat interface.

There are a few broader implications here.

1️⃣ First, AI prompts are not automatically private. If you are using public AI tools to think through strategy, assume those interactions could become part of a record.

2️⃣ Second, AI is not a substitute for privileged relationships. Legal protections rely on a human relationship and a clear expectation of confidentiality.

3️⃣ Third, this reinforces something many organizations are still catching up to: AI governance is not just about productivity. It’s about risk management.

If teams are using generative AI to explore sensitive strategy, litigation risk, or internal planning, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱.

The takeaway isn’t “don’t use AI.”

It’s understand that how you use it changes the legal and reputational context around the work you produce.

Curious how others are thinking about this as AI becomes embedded in more professional workflows. Let me know in the comments! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

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. 🚀

Rest is not the opposite of innovation

It’s the doorway to it.

Most people try to generate ideas
 by staying constantly engaged.

❌ More meetings.
❌ More input.
❌ More stimulation.

The brain adapts by staying reactive.

Alert.
Scanning.
Responding.

That state produces output.
It doesn’t produce originality.

Creativity depends on something quieter.

When the brain isn’t processing external demands,
the default mode network activates.

This network links memory,
imagination,
and future planning.

It’s the system that recombines ideas
without you consciously directing it.

But it only turns on
when the brain isn’t overloaded.

When the parasympathetic system activates,
neural noise decreases.
Energy shifts inward.
Associations strengthen.

That’s when insight feels effortless.
Not because you tried harder.
Because you stopped interrupting the process.
No rest, no recombination.
No recombination, no innovation.

Here’s how to give your brain space to create:
1️⃣ Create input-free windows
 Silence allows internal networks to activate.
 Less consumption = more synthesis.

2️⃣ Stop mid-problem
 Leave space before resolution.
 The unconscious continues integrating.

3️⃣ Prioritize sleep as strategy
 During sleep, the brain consolidates patterns.
 Tomorrow’s clarity builds overnight.

Innovation isn’t forced.
It emerges when the brain has enough space
to connect what it already knows.

PS: When do your best ideas arrive?

Try out my new DM Coach
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

-------------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
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Innovation isn’t a talent

It’s a regulated brain.

When your nervous system is agitated,
your thinking becomes rigid.

Under stress, the brain prioritizes efficiency.

It narrows options.
It relies on old pathways.
It chooses what worked before.

That keeps you safe.
It doesn’t move you forward.

Cognitive flexibility lives in the prefrontal cortex.
And the prefrontal cortex goes offline under threat.

When the brain is calm, a different pattern emerges.

Neural networks communicate more fluidly.
Distant associations strengthen.
Perspective widens.

Calm brains compare.
Stressed brains conclude.

Innovation requires the ability to hold multiple possibilities
 without collapsing into the first one.

That capacity expands
when the parasympathetic system is active.

Heart rate steadies.
Cortisol lowers.
Executive function sharpens.
In that state you think differently.

Here’s how to increase cognitive flexibility:
1️⃣ Slow your exhale before big thinking
 Longer exhales activate vagal tone.
 Regulation restores executive function.

2️⃣ Ask “What else could be true?”
 This interrupts default pathways.
 Flexibility increases with alternative generation.

3️⃣ Shift state before strategy
 Walk. Stretch. Change posture.
 Physical regulation precedes mental agility.

You don’t innovate by pushing harder.
You innovate when your brain is calm enough
to see more than one path.

PS: Do your best ideas come when you’re calm?

Video Credit: Unknown

Amazing NeuroDM Coach - Check it out here ->>
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
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Shannon Smith

Innovation doesn’t come from adding more ideas

It comes from disrupting old ones.

Your brain is a prediction machine.

It runs patterns.
It favors familiarity.
It repeats what has worked before.

That’s efficient.
It’s not innovative.
When environments stay the same,
the brain conserves energy.

Neural pathways strengthen around habit.
Cognitive shortcuts deepen.
New signals get filtered out.

Innovation requires interruption.
When the brain encounters novelty,
dopamine increases.
Attention sharpens.
Learning circuits activate.

Prediction errors force updating.
Old maps loosen.
New associations form.

Without novelty, the brain optimizes.
With novelty, the brain reorganizes.

No disruption, no rewiring.
No rewiring, no innovation.

Here’s how to intentionally spark it:
1️⃣ Change inputs, not effort
 Read outside your field.
 Expose your brain to unfamiliar patterns.

2️⃣ Ask better constraint questions
 “What would make this impossible?”
 Constraints stretch neural flexibility.

3️⃣ Shift environments physically
 New surroundings activate orientation networks.
 Fresh context triggers fresh thought.

Innovation isn’t about trying harder.
It’s about giving the brain a reason to update.

PS: When was the last time you disrupted your own patterns?

Video Credit: Unknown

PLUS! New DM NeuroCoach here --> 
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA
(Its really, really good, try it out)

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

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Innovation doesn’t happen when everything makes sense

It happens when you can sit in what doesn’t.

Most people rush to resolve ambiguity.
❌ Pick a direction fast.
❌ Close the loop.
❌ Reduce uncertainty.

The brain loves certainty.

Ambiguity activates threat circuitry.
The amygdala flags the unknown.
Cortisol rises.
The mind searches for the quickest stable answer.

That stabilizes you.
It doesn’t evolve you.

Innovation requires holding competing ideas
without collapsing into one too soon.

When the prefrontal cortex stays regulated,
it can tolerate cognitive dissonance.
It can compare models.
It can simulate alternatives.

That capacity is called cognitive flexibility.
And it’s trainable.
If the nervous system stays calm,
contradictions become data.

Tension becomes creative fuel.
Unfinished thoughts get room to mature.

No tolerance for tension, no transformation of ideas.

Here’s how to build innovation capacity:
1️⃣ Delay resolution
 When you feel urgency to decide, pause.
 Time expands cognitive flexibility.

2️⃣ Name the competing truths
 Hold both perspectives visibly.
 The brain integrates better when contrasts are explicit.

3️⃣ Regulate before debate
 Calm physiology increases perspective-taking.
 Innovation collapses under threat.

Breakthroughs rarely come from the first clean answer.
They emerge when the brain feels safe enough
to stay with complexity.

PS: Do you rush to clarity, or can you sit in ambiguity?

Video Credit: Unknown 

Amazing NeuroDM Coach - Check it out here ->>
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

---------------------------------------------------------------
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Original ideas rarely come from pressure.

They come from pattern disruption.

Most people try to innovate 
by pushing the same thinking harder.

❌ More analysis
❌ More meetings
❌ More brainstorming

But the brain doesn’t generate novelty
by repeating familiar patterns.

It generates novelty by breaking them.

The brain is a prediction machine.
Your neural pathways are built from repeated experiences.

The more something is repeated,
the more automatic the pathway becomes.

Efficient.
Fast.
Predictable.
But also…
Rigid.

Innovation requires the brain
to step outside those default pathways.

That process is called cognitive shifting.

The anterior cingulate cortex
detects when existing patterns fail.

It flags conflict.
That moment of friction is where creativity begins.

But most people shut that signal down.
They revert to familiar thinking.
They defend old models.
They protect what already works.

The brain stabilizes.
The idea dies.
Real innovators stay curious when the brain detects conflict.

They explore the signal instead of silencing it.

Here’s how to strengthen innovation thinking:
1️⃣ Expose your brain to unrelated domains
Breakthrough ideas often come
from unexpected combinations.

2️⃣ Ask pattern-breaking questions
“What assumption am I protecting?”

3️⃣ Reward curiosity over certainty
Curiosity keeps the brain exploring
instead of defending.

Innovation rarely appears inside the same thinking
that built the current system.

The brain must step outside its familiar maps.

PS: What things in your field might already be outdated?

Video Credit: Unknown

Amazing NeuroDM Coach - Check it out here ->>
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

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

If it needs applause, it isn’t power.

It’s performance.

I’ve worked with leaders
who needed the room to feel small
so they could feel big.

Interrupting people.
Correcting publicly.
Name-dropping constantly.

Reminding everyone of their title.

It looked like authority.
It felt like insecurity.

When a leader performs dominance,
the team’s nervous systems register threat.

Amygdala activation rises.
Psychological safety drops.
Creative thinking narrows.

People stop challenging ideas.
They stop volunteering insight.
They protect themselves.

And when people protect, performance declines.
Not because talent disappeared.
Because safety did.

Real power does something different.

It regulates the room.
Calm tone.
Measured responses.
Curiosity before correction.

The prefrontal cortex stays online when people feel safe.

That’s where strategy lives.
That’s where innovation lives.
That’s where real performance lives.

If you’re leading and feel the urge to prove yourself, pause.
Ask instead:
Am I trying to influence or impress?

Influence builds trust.
Impressing demands applause.
And applause fades.
Safety compounds.

Toxic leadership performs power.
Healthy leadership stabilizes it.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Have you had have a toxic boss like this?

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve seen performance mistaken for power

If I saw people viewing my profile 

but not replying to my DMs…Here’s EXACTLY what I’d do:

I wouldn’t send 50 more messages.
I wouldn’t copy a new template.
I wouldn’t “circle back” again.

I’d change the stimulus.

Because here’s what most people miss:
Activity isn’t attraction.
Volume isn’t influence.

The longer your message…
The more polished your pitch…
The more “value bullets” you stack…
The more cognitive load you create.

And when cognitive load goes up?
The brain conserves energy.
Ignore.
Delay.
“I’ll respond later.”
(They won’t.)

But when a message feels specific?
When it mirrors their internal tension?
Dopamine spikes.
Relevance.
Recognition.
Response.

That’s the difference between being left on read
and starting a real sales conversation.

On March 9, I’m hosting a LIVE 2-hour DM Workshop

No scripts to memorize.
No spam tactics.
We’re engineering your DM system on the call.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

→ LIVE ICP breakdowns for attendees
→ The 4 DM fundamentals that drive reply rates
→ We’ll workshop your stuck threads in real time
→ Hidden pockets where your ICP is already engaging
→ Access to my Custom Neuro-GPT DM Coach (client-only tool)

You won’t leave with hope.
You’ll leave with a system that creates momentum
on demand.

If your inbox looks busy but your calendar looks empty…
March 9. 

Shift the stimulus.
Change the response.
Move the pipeline.

Comment “DM” and I’ll send the details.
PLUS! New DM NeuroCoach here -->
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

(It’s sharp. Test it.)

P.S. How many stuck DMs do you have?

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

♻️ Share if you’ve been left on read
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based sales insights

Failure isn't final. 

Giving up is.

Gentle reminder.
Be someone who still tries.

Even with a toxic boss.

Even when meetings feel unsafe.
Even when feedback feels like an ambush.
Even when you walk in bracing.

Your nervous system will want you to shut down.

Toxic leadership activates social threat.
The amygdala fires.
Your body prepares for danger.

Protection shows up as:

Stay quiet.
Don’t volunteer.
Do the minimum.
Avoid visibility.

That response makes sense.

Your brain is trying to prevent more pain.

But here’s the cost.

When you consistently shrink,
your nervous system starts associating
your own voice with danger.

Capacity drops.
Confidence erodes.
Engagement fades.

Not because you lost talent.
Because threat narrowed your range.

Trying does not mean tolerating abuse.

It means protecting your nervous system
while staying intact.

It means regulating before meetings.
Clarifying expectations directly.
Closing stress cycles after conflict.

Each time you respond instead of collapse,
you build evidence.

Evidence teaches the brain
that activation is survivable.

Survival becomes stability.
Stability restores choice.

Healthy cultures matter.

But until you’re in one,
be someone who still tries.

Not recklessly.
Not desperately.

Regulated.
Clear.
Deliberate.

Good things are still available
to a nervous system that refuses to shut down.

Create a path to freedom where you call the shots, 
you're unshakable, 
you're influential, 
and free from anyone else’s control.
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Are you an optimist or pessimist?  

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if someone you know is navigating this right now

Get so invested in your own growth

that you don’t have time to keep score.

Because toxic bosses love scorekeeping.

They keep track of who they “saved.”
Who they “fixed.”
Who they “carried.”

They rewrite your work.
They take over your project.
They correct you in public.

Then they act like you should be grateful.

If you get pulled into that game, you lose twice.

You lose time.
And your nervous system stays trapped in threat.

The brain hates unfairness.
It lights up stress circuitry fast.

So you start tracking every slight.
Every eye roll.
Every comment.
Every moment they ignored you.
And now your attention is on them.

Which means your growth slows down.

Stop competing on their scoreboard.
Build your own.

Not motivational.
Neurological.

Attention is a finite resource.
Whatever you track, your brain reinforces.
So track what makes you stronger.

If you’re dealing with a toxic boss, do this:

1/ Keep a Growth Log, not a Grievance Log
Every day, write:
• What I learned
• What I improved
• What I shipped
• What I would do differently next time
This retrains your brain to seek agency.
Agency reduces threat.

2/ Build a “Proof File”
Create a folder called Proof.
Drop in:
• wins
• feedback
• deliverables
• numbers
• screenshots of praise
This is not ego.
This is protection.
When a toxic boss tries to distort reality,
you have receipts.

3/Preload one boundary sentence
Pick one line and practice it until it’s automatic.
Try:
“I can do it. I’ll send a draft by Wednesday for your input.”
Or:
“If you’d like to own it, you can take it.
If you’d like me to own it, I need decision rights.”
Calm. Clear. Clean.

4/ Recover on purpose
Toxic bosses create lingering stress.
If you don’t discharge it, it leaks into your work.
After a hit:
Long exhale.
Shoulders down.
Two minutes of walking.
Signal safety.
Then get back to building.

Toxic bosses want you reactive.
Scorekeeping keeps you reactive.
Growth makes you untouchable.

Get so invested in your own growth
that you don’t have time to keep score.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu
New app with toxic boss log!

P.S. What’s one skill you’re building this month?

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve seen scorekeeping used as control

If it needs to be right every time...

It isn’t leadership. It's toxicity.

I’ve worked with bosses who had an answer for 
everything and a correction for everyone.

They “clarify” in public.
They interrupt mid-sentence.
They rewrite your work in front of you.
They talk like certainty is competence.

And your body feels it.
Because the brain treats social threat like physical threat.

Stress shows up fast.
Before language.
Before choice. 

The body tightens.
Attention narrows.
Memory gets patchy.
Speech gets harder. 

So how do you armor yourself when leaving isn’t an option?

1/ Most stress at work isn’t random.
It follows patterns. 
Run a simple experiment:
What was the context?
What did they do?
What did your body do first? 

The brain feels safer when it can predict.
Observation creates prediction.
Prediction creates safety. 

2/Have a tactic ready
You don’t rise to the occasion.
You default to what’s preloaded.
Pick ONE tool for the moment they swing.
My go-to:
Inhale through the nose.
Slow exhale.
Brief pause at the bottom. 

Or widen your vision.
Notice the edges of the room.
Wide vision signals safety. 
Then buy time.
“I’m going to think about that.”
“I want to be precise. Let me come back to you.”
Pauses restore choice. 

3/ Recover after the hit
This is where people lose weeks of their life.
The meeting ends.
The water stays. 

So close the stress cycle on purpose.
Say to yourself:
“That’s over.”
Slow breath out.
Move your shoulders. 

You’re telling your nervous system:
The event is done.
Toxic bosses who “know everything”
make everyone else feel small.

Your job is to stay intact.
Track the pattern.
Use one tool.
Drain the stress.
Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Have you had a boss like this?

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve seen performance mistaken for power

This feels dangerous.

In a good way.

I can build a full presentation without leaving Claude.

Start to finish.
Idea to polished deck.
No copy. No paste. No rebuilding.

Claude is where I think.
Now Gamma lives inside it.

So when I’m brainstorming the deck builds itself.
I type the idea.
The outline appears.
Slides form.
Structure tightens.
Visuals lock in.

And when my thinking changes?
The deck updates with it.

Before this, it looked like this:
Think in Claude.
Copy notes.
Open another app.
Rebuild everything.
Lose momentum.
Go back. Repeat.

Now?
Think.
Generate deck.
Refine.
Update.
All in one flow.

It feels like my ideas finally have a body.
And here’s where it gets wild.

Claude can pull from Gmail.
From Notion.
From HubSpot.
From GitHub.

Claude pulls the context.
Gamma turns it into something I can present.

No context switching.
No rebuilding slides at midnight.
No “final_v7_REAL_final.pptx”.

Claude helps you think.
Gamma helps you show it.
And for the first time my deck can actually 
keep up with my brain.

Try Gamma inside Claude.
Worth it. 
https://gamma.app/

P.S. How much time do you spend making carousels per week?

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

♻️ Share if you’re tired of doing things manually
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based insights

Never make another carousel again

Your brain doesn’t need more motivation

It needs fewer interruptions.

Every unfinished decision sits in working memory.
Every tiny inefficiency adds micro-friction.
Every small irritation raises baseline stress.

Individually, they’re nothing.
Collectively, they’re noise.
The brain burns glucose managing loose ends.
Cognitive load rises.
Creativity drops.
Long-term thinking gets crowded out.

When small drains disappear, energy reallocates.
The nervous system relaxes.
Prefrontal bandwidth expands.
The brain shifts from maintenance to imagination.
That’s when ideas surface.

Not because you pushed harder.
Because you stopped leaking energy.
Small structural shifts
create disproportionate mental relief.

Here’s how to reclaim space:
1️⃣ Batch low-value decisions
 Group admin tasks together.
 Fewer context switches preserve cognitive momentum.

2️⃣ Automate what repeats
 Templates, shortcuts, saved responses.
 The brain shouldn’t redo what it already solved.

3️⃣ Create a “capture system”
 Write down ideas immediately.
 External storage frees working memory.

You need fewer mental tabs open.
Clear the small drains.
The big thinking will follow.

PS: What’s one mental tab you can close today?

March 9, 11-1 LIVE DM Workshop
DM Me for Details

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Technology is stealing the joy from your life. 

Your brain is crying for help and the science is shocking.

-----> In Person > Texting
--------> Nature > Social Media
------> Real Life > Technology Today

Very cool images by @matterneuroscience
See how technology is impacting your brain
Here is the scary science behind it:

1/ Human Touch Magic
↳ Real connection crushes depression
↳ Screens weaken your empathy networks

DO THIS:
• Trade one Zoom for real coffee
• Give 3 long hugs today (20 seconds each)

2/ Nature's Brain Boost
↳ Green time powers up problem solving
↳ Indoor lights dim your creativity

DO THIS:
• Walk and talk your next call
• Find a window spot for 2 hours

3/ Real Connection Magic
↳ Your brain syncs rhythms during real talks
↳ Eye contact activates deep emotional centers

DO THIS:
• Share a meal with someone you miss
• Listen fully (no phones, just presence)

4/ The Giving Superpower
↳ Real giving builds instant trust
↳ Digital gifts miss the magic

DO THIS:
• Hand-deliver help to someone today
• Volunteer where you see impact

5/ Present Moment Power
↳ Nature time grows your brain
↳ Phone checks shrink memory power

DO THIS:
• 24-hour break from your top app
• 12 minutes in nature, just breathe

Your brain needs real life.
Not just likes.

The most successful people aren't reading this.
They're out there, living.

P.S. What's your tech crutch? Mine is reddit. 
Let me know in the comments ⬇️

➡️ Learn more about your brain here -->
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

♻️ Share to spread the word
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for more brainy insights

Technology is Killing Your Brain

Closing a client doesn't start with a perfect pitch.

It usually starts with a simple conversation.

One of my clients shared this screenshot with me.
He posted that he signed a client.
Not from a funnel.
Not from an ad.
Not from some complicated launch.

From reaching out and starting a conversation.
That’s it.

And in the comments he added something that mattered more.

He said he landed that client 
within 30 days of working together.

The brain does not move toward pressure.
It moves toward safety and relevance.

When outreach feels pushy
the nervous system closes.
When it feels human curiosity opens.

That is why most DM strategies fail.
They try to force a sale
before the brain has decided you are safe to talk to.

When we rewired his approach we focused on three things:
1️⃣ Real conversations
Not scripts. Not pitches. Questions that create space.

2️⃣ Nervous system safety
No pressure. No agenda. Just connection first.

3️⃣ Precision over volume
Talking to the right people
instead of messaging everyone.

Something interesting happens when this clicks.
DMs stop feeling awkward.
People start replying.
Opportunities show up where there used to be silence.

When someone feels understood their PFC stays active.
Active PFC brains have conversations.
Closed brains avoid them.

That small shift is what turns outreach into real business.

→ Giving you access to my Neuro-GPT DM Coach
Check it out here
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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♻️ Share if you believe conversations close clients
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for more brain based sales insights

How to lose your team in 10 seconds.

Start with ego.

The first thing Jen did on her first day
as Director was get on the phone
and gossip loudly about the team.

“I’m the Director.
I tell people what to do.”
Everyone heard it.

That was our introduction.

Not vision.
Not collaboration.
Not curiosity.

Authority.
Broadcasted.

Here’s what leaders miss.
The brain makes safety judgments in seconds.

Before strategy.
Before org charts.
Before performance reviews.

Tone decides everything.

When someone leads with dominance,
the nervous system shifts.

Amygdala activation rises.
Social threat increases.
Psychological safety drops.
People stop offering ideas.

No one pushed back.
But something changed.

Conversations got shorter.
Emails got safer.
Risk-taking disappeared.
Compliance replaced commitment.

Leadership is a nervous system event.
If your first signal is
“I tell people what to do,”
the team hears
“I’m not here to understand you.”

Trust narrows immediately.

What could she have done instead?
Start with curiosity.
Ask,
“What’s working?”
“What’s broken?”
“What do you need from me?”
Curiosity lowers threat.

Second, regulate your presence.
Slow speech.
Steady tone.
Open posture.
The brain reads these as safety cues.
Safety increases engagement.

Third, earn authority.
Influence grows when people feel seen.
Direction lands better after connection.
Leadership isn’t declared.
It’s demonstrated.

Jen may have had the title.
But culture starts with the first signal you send.

People don’t follow hierarchy.
They follow nervous system safety.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve ever watched trust disappear in seconds

How to lose your team in ten seconds. 

Your forecast isn’t wrong.

Your reps just don’t feel safe saying so. 

Leaders believe they understand their deals.
But they only understand what gets reported.
And what gets reported is filtered through
the human nervous system.

Reps don’t just update pipelines.
They manage perception.

Your dashboard looks solid.
Stages are moving.
Notes say “great call.”
Next steps are logged.

But something feels off.

Deals start drifting.
Energy fades.
Buyers go quiet.

And the slip shows up weeks later.

Reps aren’t trying to mislead you.
They’re protecting themselves.

The brain avoids social threat.
Uncertainty feels risky to admit.

So people round optimism upward.
“Still warm.”
“Positive conversation.”
“Decision soon.”

Confidence language becomes armor.
Now you’re forecasting from signals
that were softened before you ever saw them.

This creates a blind spot in almost every sales org.
Doubt hides early.
Risk signals stay buried.
Time disappears before leaders can react.

The real problem isn’t the deal.
It’s the emotional data no CRM captures.

SalesSage surfaces what the pipeline misses.

It detects hesitation before momentum collapses.
It reveals low conviction before the deal disappears.
It shows emotional drift before the quarter breaks.

No pressure on reps.
No interrogation.
Just a 10 minute pulse that exposes the truth
behind the forecast.

If you want your pipeline to reflect reality
not optimism...then let's go.

14 day free trial ->https://salessage.co/

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve had a “strong” forecast that wasn’t real

Most people don’t have a DM problem.

They have an ICP clarity problem.

And they don’t know it.

One of my clients messaged me 
after just over a week working together.

He said he’d made more progress in that week
than in the previous two months.

Not because we “worked harder.”
Because we got precise.

He finally understood his ICP.
Not surface-level demographics.
Not vague job titles.

But where they actually spend time.
What they’re quietly stressed about.
What they’re thinking but not posting.

Once that clicked, everything shifted.
He knew where to find them.
His outreach stopped feeling random.
His content stopped feeling broad.

And then something new happened.
Inbound leads.

From actual ICPs.
Not random connection requests.
Not time-wasters.

The right people.
This is what happens when you:
Stop spraying DMs.
Stop guessing at positioning.
Stop talking to “everyone.”
And start engineering relevance.

Most people think results come from:
More posts.
More hustle.
More messages.
But the brain doesn’t respond to volume.

When someone reads your message and thinks,
“That’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with.”
That’s when the nervous system relaxes.
That’s when curiosity opens.
That’s when conversations move.

→ Giving you access to my Neuro-GPT DM Coach
Check it out here ->>https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

If you want random activity, keep doing what you’re doing.
If you want progress in one week
that outpaces the last two months…join me
March 9 Event is FULL
The next one is TBD

Clarity changes everything.
Comment “DM” and I’ll send the details.
PLUS – Try the DM NeuroCoach here:
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

♻️ Share if you’re ready for aligned inbound
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based sales insights

Your DMs aren’t dying because you’re bad at sales.

They’re dying because you’re guessing.

Guessing what to say.
Guessing when to pivot.
Guessing if it’s “too soon” to move to a call.

And guessing is expensive.
Every stalled thread is hidden revenue.

That’s exactly why I built the DM NeuroCoach.
It’s not a template generator.
It analyzes tone.
It adjusts for psychological safety.
It helps you reduce threat and increase curiosity.
It sharpens your message so it feels specific, not spammy.

You drop in your draft.
It helps you tighten it.
It flags where you’re creating pressure.
It rewrites for clarity and autonomy.
And the difference is immediate.

More replies.
Better conversations.
Less overthinking.

But tools alone aren’t enough.
That’s why on March 9, I’m hosting a LIVE 2-hour DM Workshop.

We’re building your entire DM system.
You’ll learn:
→ Where your ICP is actually hiding on LinkedIn
→ How to spot psychological buying signals in a thread
→ The 4 DM fundamentals that drive response
→ We’ll fix your stuck DMs live
→ You’ll get access to the DM NeuroCoach

You won’t leave with motivation.
You’ll leave with structure.

A repeatable way to turn:
Connections into conversations into clients.
If your inbox is active but your calendar isn’t…
It’s time to engineer your DMs.

March 9. 11-1 PST
Comment “DM” and I’ll send the details.
Or test the DM NeuroCoach now:
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

♻️ Share if you’re done guessing in the DMs
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based sales insights

If your site isn't AEO ready, 

then you're already behind. 

The window to show up in ChatGPT is open right now.
Most businesses still aren’t ready.

They think they’re covered because they have content.
Blogs
Service pages
Case studies
FAQs

But content alone doesn’t make you discoverable.
AEO isn’t just about writing.

It’s about whether your site is built so AI can:
Crawl it
Understand it
Pull from it confidently
Connect it to the right topics

This is where most sites break.
The front end looks fine.
But the backend is missing things like:
✅ Schema markup
✅ Metadata
✅ Internal linking
✅ Clear site hierarchy
✅ Fast load speed
✅ Indexable pages

The content exists but the machine can’t use it.

And when those pieces are weak,
you create friction for AI.

AI is looking for signals like:
What the page is about
Who the company is
What services it provides
How pages relate to each other
Whether the content is credible
Whether the page is easy to parse

No structure = weak signals.
AEO-ready sites are technically clean.
That means:
Titles and descriptions aligned to intent
Structured headings
Schema that supports the page
Strong internal links
Clear entity signals
Crawlable, indexable content

That’s what helps AI understand your business.
And this goes way beyond Google.
People are shifting from search bars to questions.

So if your site isn’t technically ready,
you’re less likely to show up inside AI-driven answers.

That means missed visibility even if your content is good.
You can write all day long.
But if your backend is messy,
your authority is harder for machines to detect
and harder for buyers to find.

The sites that win next
won’t just publish more.They’ll send stronger signals.

If your site has content but no technical backbone,
you’re probably underperforming without realizing it.

Not because your offer is weak.
Because your backend is.

That’s a costly mistake.
If you want your site ready for AEO,
start with the technical layer.

My developer has extra bandwidth right now.
If you want to talk about getting your site
ready for AEO and AI visibility,
send me a DM "AEO."

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for the latest trends in biz
♻️ Share to help others stay ahead of the curve

If you've not heard of AEO, it may be too late

Another wave of layoffs just hit.

It looks like many more are planned.

This may be the new normal.

People are losing stability.
Not just their jobs.

Their nervous system fires into threat mode,
and once that happens, everything gets harder:

Clarity drops.
Confidence shrinks.
Creativity collapses.
Action slows.

When the brain is bracing for impact,
you can’t think long-term.

You default to survival.
And yet…
the people who bounce back fastest after layoffs
aren’t the ones with the strongest résumés.

They’re the ones who know how to create opportunities
instead of waiting for someone to hand them one.

They know how to start conversations.
How to guide them.
How to turn interest into income.
How to DM effectively
without sounding desperate or salesy
so they can build their own stability
instead of depending on corporate for it.

In a layoff-heavy economy,
your ability to open and move conversations
is more valuable than any job title.

If you can create demand through DMs,
you can create income.

You can build your own safety net.

You can get clients, collaborations, and cash flow
even when the market is shaky.

Inside Butterhood, this is exactly what we work on.

The DM systems,
the safety signals,
the buyer brain patterns
that turn “I like your content”
into real conversations
and real revenue.

If layoffs have shaken your sense of security
and you want the skill that makes you layoff-proof…

Join us March 9, 11-1pm LIVE DM WORKSHOP
DM me for deets

PS: Are you freaking out about the layoffs or AI?

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

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based direction in uncertain times
♻️ Share this to support someone navigating layoff anxiety

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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The Battle

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Chris Gee's LinkedIn Performance

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