Chris Orlob

Grew Gong from $200k to $200M+ | Online Courses for SaaS Sellers (pclub.io) | Solving Revenue Hiring (QuotaSignal)

"You can have anything you want if you master every aspect of selling." My mentor told me that over a burger when I was 22 years old. Having only $40 to my name, along with a wife and my first child to support, I took that seriously. I made a commitment to master every aspect of selling, and to earn more money than I could imagine. And I was going to do it in SaaS.

When I first became an account executive, I struggled to find repeatable, consistent success. Some months I did well. Some I missed by a mile. After reading hundreds of books (literally) and debriefing every one of my sales calls (thousands) in a journal, I started to crack the code, little by little. 

Soon, things started to go incredibly well. I started to earn multiple six figures a year, which helped me launch my first business. Not too long later (after plenty of mistakes!), I joined forces with a little company called Gong.io, while they were doing less than $200,000 a year in ARR. Figured I'd help them grow to $10M and be done.

5.5 years later, we grew from $200k to $200 million in ARR and a $7.2 billion valuation. I was fortunate enough to earn my first seven-figure income. A decade pursuit of mastering every aspect of sales had come to fruition (though I'm still not done). That felt amazing. 

I kept finding myself telling people, "You can have anything you want if you master every aspect of selling," just like my mentor had told me all those years ago. Because I experienced it first-hand.

My passion for mastering every aspect of selling started to extend to helping OTHER people do it. Soon, I started pclub.io - a business dedicated to helping B2B tech salespeople master every aspect of selling (and earn more money than they've ever dreamed of). 

Since starting, I've helped over 11,000 sales professionals and leaders. Many of which have gone on to turbo charge their sales success:

“Exceeded 245% of my target." -Christian Allen, AE at ZoomInfo

"CLOSED the most ARR in company history” -Marshall Weil, AE at Freewill

"Made 152% of my number” -Jasi Johnson, AE at Gartner

"I made it to Club One - the new program rolled out for the top 1%. -David Rosenstein, AE at LinkedIn


Many of these stories included people who started out thinking, "Maybe this is possible for other talented people, but not for me." But selling is nothing more than a series of skills. Anyone can master it, and I can teach you how.

Like I always tell people, "you can have anything you want if you master every aspect of selling."

Begin writing YOUR success story by visiting www.pclub.io

Co-Founder & CEO

pclub.io is the #1 skill transformation platform for revenue teams. We work with the top 0.01% of sales earners, practitioners, and leaders to create top-rated online courses that help you grow your sales skills to life-altering levels. Instead of spending years mastering sales through trial and error or going through stodgy ‘one size fits all’ sales training, you’ll get to the steal the playbooks, frameworks, and skills of the top 0.01% sales earners on the planet, accelerating your mastery curve, income, and revenue to unrecognizable levels.

Revenue leaders: After working with 5,000 revenue orgs, I've noticed a pattern in high performing sales teams:

Very few of them them use a "sales methodology."

The do something far more effective.

The term “sales methodology” emerged in the 1970s and 80s.

And back then, it did something transformational:

It brought structure to a profession that operated like the wild west, fueled by personality, charisma, and long, boozy lunches.

But that was 40–50 years ago.

In today’s advanced sales environment, the term doesn’t just fall short – it actually creates more harm than good.

Here's why.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

CEO at pclub.io - helped grow Gong from $200K ARR to $200M+ ARR | Advancing the revenue profession forward.

The term “sales methodology” emerged in the 1970s and 80s. And back then, it did something transformational: It brought structure to a profession that

Open article: Sales Methodologies Are Dead. Here’s What Top Revenue Leaders Are Doing Instead.  by Chris Orlob • 7 min read

Sales Methodologies Are Dead. Here’s What Top Revenue Leaders Are Doing Instead.

99% of AEs ask the wrong questions during demos.

They ask: "What questions do you have?"

Or: "Does that make sense?"

Those don't sell. 

They just fill the silence.

Here are 10 questions that actually move deals forward:

1) Before you demo a feature:

"How are you doing [X workflow] today?"

→ Creates contrast between their current state and your solution.

2) After you demo a feature:

"How does that compare to how you're doing it now?"

→ Reinforces the contrast. Locks in value.

3) Mid-demo pulse check:

"To what degree is this resonating so far?"

→ Way better than "any questions?"

4) Get them visualizing:

"To what extent do you envision this being useful in your situation?"

→ Gets them imagining themselves using your product.

5) For decision makers who don't use the product:

"How do you see your team using that?"

→ Helps them see the value even if they're not hands-on.

6) Close the loop on pain:

"To what extent do you see that solving [problem they shared earlier]?"

→ Connects pain to solution explicitly.

7) Get them to voice benefits:

"What benefits do you see showing up in your world from this?"

→ When they say it, they believe it more.

8) When you strike a chord:

"It seems like that resonated, what challenge in your business makes that hit home?"

→ Uncovers gold when you've hit a nerve.

9) When you're off track:

"It seems like this isn't resonating, where am I missing the mark?"

→ Gets you back on track fast.

10) Pattern interrupt version of "any questions":

"Where do you want to double-click with a few questions?"

→ Same intent, but sounds different than every other rep.

The difference?

The first two questions put the spotlight on you.

These 10 put the spotlight on them.

That's where selling happens.

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

undefined undefined

SaaS Discovery Masterclass

Google Analytics Individual Qualification

Advanced Google Analytics

Pragmatic Marketing

Kappa Sigma Fraternity

CEO at pclub.io - Skill Transformation for Revenue Teams. Trained 11,000+ sales professionals and leaders. MSG ME if you're looking to upskill your SaaS sales or revenue team.

Upskill Your Revenue Team and Boost Win Rates

"How to Master Every Aspect of SaaS Sales, Close More Deals, And Sell In An Economic Meltdown"

30 Deal-Closing SaaS Sales Scripts

CEO at pclub.io - helped grow Gong from $200K ARR to $200M+ ARR, now building the platform to uplevel the global revenue workforce. 50-year time horizon.

Two worst questions salespeople ask on sales demos:

"Does that make sense?"

"Do you have any questions?"

Here's three (much better) questions:

1. "How does that compare to how you solve this today?"

This is magic.

Because instead of criticizing the feature you just showed...

Now they're thinking about the sh*tty way they handle the problem today.

And you're seen in a better light.

2. "To what extent is this resonating so far?"

Life hack:

You can turn any close-end question into an open-ended question by starting it with this phrase:

"To what extent..."

3. "To what extent does that solve [x pain point they shared earlier]?"

This puts closure on a problem.

Explicitly connects the dots that your solution will solve their problem.

...assuming you did a good job.

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

We are hiring an Account Director here at pclub.io to manage, expand, and renew key customer accounts ($30k-$200k ACVs).

$200,000 OTE with retroactive comp plan accelerators that have a clear path to $250,000 to $300,000 in annual earnings.

Responsible for:
- 25-30 key accounts
- relationship orchestration & multi-threading
- renewals and strategic expansions (3 upsell levers)
- partner closely with our ProServ team

We have one spot and a growing pipeline of candidates, so this is probably "last call" for this round of hiring.

DM if interested.

Your demos aren't closing deals.

Here's why:

You're showing features without framing value.

Most AEs think: "If I show them enough cool stuff, they'll buy."

Wrong.

Buyers don't buy features. 

They buy outcomes.

Here's the demo framework that's closed over $100M in SaaS deals:

The FAVORITE Framework

(Use this for EACH capability you demo)

F - Frame the pain (10 seconds)

Before you show anything:

"A lot of sales leaders tell me they're struggling with getting new reps up to speed. Complex demos take forever to learn."

You're setting context. Creating contrast.

A - Ask a question (10 seconds)

"How are you dealing with that today?"

Now they're talking. It's a conversation, not a presentation.

V - Visualize the outcome (10 seconds)

"Imagine being able to cut your ramp time in half by getting your reps to master their demo in weeks instead of months."

Mental pictures drive behavior.

O - Orient them to the screen (30 seconds)

"Let me orient you to what you're looking at..."

Most buyers are thinking: "What the hell am I looking at?"

Don't skip this. The confused mind says no.

R - Reveal the workflow (2 minutes)

Now you actually demo the feature.

But notice: you've surrounded it with value.

I - Implant the value (10 seconds)

After the demo:

"To sum that up, this will help you stop losing deals because your reps can't demo effectively."

Don't leave value to chance.

T - Tell a story (15 seconds)

"One of our customers used this to cut ramp time from 7 months to 4 months."

Stories stick. Features don't.

E - Elicit a response (Question)

"How does that compare to how you're solving this today?"

Get them talking again.

The pattern you should see:

Value → Value → Value → Feature → Value → Story → Question

You're not just showing features.

You're wrapping every feature in a blanket of value.

Most reps do this:

Feature → Feature → Feature → "Any questions?"

Then wonder why deals stall.

Top reps do this:

Pain → Outcome → Feature → Value → Story

Then close deals others can't.

This framework takes practice.

The first time will feel choppy.

But master this, and you'll never struggle with demos again.

What's the biggest mistake you see in demos?

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

Unpopular opinion: Getting a case study in exchange for a discount is the absolute 101 bare minimum of negotiation skill. 

Yet it's talked about like it's an advanced tactic.

Yes, it's better than giving a discount with nothing in return.

But getting a promise for a case study in exchange for 30% off is not a win.

It's table stakes.

If someone teaches you this as if it's the HEIGHT of negotiation skill?

Red flag.

Most AEs do not have enough "GTFO of my pipeline" energy.

We are hiring a mid market / lower enterprise Account Manager role here at pclub.io!

This is not a CSM role. 

It's a commercial role:

• Renewal revenue
• Expansion revenue
• Power relationships
• Data-driven executive reviews
• $50k-$100k typical accounts

Must be excellent at:
• discovery 
• business acumen
• value narrative control
• complex multi-threading
• understand how revenue orgs operate

You'll partner closely with our ProServ team, who:
• Manage customer deployments
• Drive value realization

DM me if you're interested.

The promise?
• Competitive OTE
• World-class professional dev.
• Equity in a category-creating startup
• The ability to design & build, not just execute

DM if you're interested (or know someone who is).

93% of AEs can't sell to the C-Suite and it shows: Only 7% of C-Suite execs rates sales calls as valuable enough to agree to a follow up (Gartner).

Good news?

It's an easy fix.

4 tips to sell to the C-Suite like the top 7%:

1. Don't make the C-Suite your first meeting.

You’ll be tempted to go after the CXO first.

Don’t.

Unless you already have inside info:

Do your homework first.

The worst thing you can do?

Show up to the C-Suite empty-handed.

Do a few “rounds” first.

Pay your dues.

2. Start the meeting with a “What I Know” slide.

Most CXOs expect sales calls to be a waste.

They rarely agree to them.

When they do, they do it reluctantly.

But.

The top 10% of sellers earn instant credibility by starting the meeting like this:

“Ok.

"I’ve talked to 3 people in your org, read your 10K, and researched your industry.

"Let's start with a summary of what I’ve learned.”

INSTANT CREDIBILITY.

“Wow, the first time a sales call isn’t a waste,” they’ll think.

The rest is yours to lose.

3. RESEARCH-BASED Discovery Only

This is not the time for typical discovery.

You should have done that by now.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions.

But.

They better be informed.

They better be targeted.

They better share observations.

BAD EXAMPLE:

“Tell me about your function's biggest challenges.”

GOOD EXAMPLE:

“When I talked to John, he said the company was struggling to recruit engineers to get new features to market fast enough.

"His concern was hitting deadlines, but I have to imagine you have a broader view of why this issue matters.

"Assuming this is a top-of-mind issue, how about we start by getting your take on that?”

Do that.

That's how you get them listening.

4. Lean on your champion for TACTICAL next steps.

Don't try to “lock in next steps” with the CXO.

They start their day at 7am and end at 7pm.

Yes, you want to talk again.

But use your champion for 'tactical' next steps.

Reserve C-Suite next steps for strategic meetings.

Say this:

“I think Lisa and I can take next steps from here.

"I’ll keep you in the loop. The one meeting I do think we should have next will be in three weeks from now where we debrief the business case.

"Between now and then you’re off the hook, but mind if I go through your EA so that you, me, and Lisa can review this a few weeks out?”

“This person gets it,” they’ll think.

Master these 4 moves and you'll join the top 7% who actually get C-Suite follow-ups.

But here's the thing:

Selling to the C-Suite is just one part of the equation.

You also need the right questions throughout the entire deal cycle.

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

Revenue leaders: After working with 5,000 revenue orgs, I've seen 5 habits in every great revenue team.

From InsideSales, to scaling Gong, to now leading pclub, my entire career has been built around a single mission:

To understand what separates top-performing revenue teams from the rest.

Across those thousands of companies, five habits show up again and again.

These are governing laws of revenue performance. 

Not random acts of tactics.

And only elite revenue teams have all five operationalized.

Most AEs stop discovery too early.

As soon as they hear a problem:

They jump in with: "We can help with that!"

So they only uncover "little pains."

And little pains get you little deals.

Big deals come from building negative impact.

Here's the 3-step framework I use to create urgency in every discovery call:

Step 1: Summarize the business problem.

After your initial discovery, pause and recap:

"Let me see if I got this right..."

Then summarize what you've heard.

Get confirmation before moving forward.

This shows you're listening and sets up the next step perfectly.

Step 2: Ask an open-ended impact question.

This is where most reps fail.

They skip straight to pitching.

Instead, ask:

"Can you help me understand the ripple effects this challenge is having on the rest of the business?"

Notice the phrase "ripple effects", it's far more effective than "impact."

It sounds less salesy and triggers deeper thinking.

Step 3: Ask targeted impact questions.

Now that they're talking, funnel them toward specific consequences:

- "How is this affecting your cost of acquisition?"
- "To what extent is marketing impacted by this?"
- "Is your CFO concerned with this metric?"

The order matters.

Open question first, they feel in control.

Targeted questions second = you guide the conversation.

Why this works:

With greater negative impact comes three things:

→ Higher urgency

→ Bigger deal sizes

→ Access to power

Most reps think discovery is about finding problems.

Wrong.

Discovery is about exploring the *consequences* of those problems.

That's what drives emotion.

And emotion drives purchase decisions.

💡 Rule of thumb: You've hit paydirt when the problem would be discussed in an executive meeting.

No exec talks about "needing better visibility."

But they do talk about cash flow, valuation, and market share.

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

The best salespeople can quote you a $600,000 price without flinching. 

They talk about price like they're talking about the salad they're having for lunch:

Totally casual.

Zero hangups.

Pass the salt, por favor.

Less successful salespeople?

They tremble, shake, and overcompensate when price comes up.

They're not comfortable talking about big dollars and it shows.

It's as if they're apologizing for their price.

They'll go on 3 minute rants justifying why their price is the way it is, without being asked.

The turning point comes from when you realize the value you provide is a tsunami compared to the tiny $600,000 check you're asking for.

Find a way to get comfortable with money.

Otherwise you'll find yourself "throwing the game."

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

90% of AEs ask "random acts of discovery questions."

• a problem question here
• a qualification question there
• an impact question over there

The results are predictable: 

Most AEs miss their number.

The top 10% of AEs don't do random acts of questions.

They follow frameworks that choreograph the buyer's psychology.

Here's an example:

• STEP 1: Uncover a high-priority pain
• STEP 2: Quantify the current stage
• STEP 3: Identify the root causes
• STEP 4: Build negative impact
• STEP 5: Contrast with future state

Then, they ask questions that serve the model.

This isn't a checklist.

This is a mental model for problem-solving.

Don't let the tail wag the dog:

The mental model comes first.

Questions come next: 

They are your execution tool.

But don't get that backwards.

Otherwise, you're doing random acts of questioning.

Congrats Mohamed on 188% to quota.

No "sales gymnastics" required :) 

P.S. When you ask questions within the right framework, they become 2x as powerful as sales weapons. 

Here's 50 powerful sales questions that aren't random, but instead follow a model: https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

21 sales lessons I wish I knew at $200k ARR that I learned at $200M ARR:

1. Money follows pain.
Stop selling benefits.
Start selling pain relief.
You'll close more.

2. WHO matters more than WHAT.
If you're talking to the right person:
But you have bad sales technique?
You can still win.
If you're talking to the wrong person:
And have great sales technique?
You lose.

3. Don't multi-thread.
Single-thread with multiple people.
Break people out into 1:1 meetings.
Stole this from Krysten Conner.

4. Don't multi-thread too much.
Looping in the wrong people can kill your deal.
Get the blend of people just right.
No, IT doesn't always need to be involved.

5. Great cold emails don't talk about your product.
They talk about pain.
They look like a page from your buyer's diary.

6. Follow up. Fast.
Some sellers take days to follow up.
They don't want to seem desperate.
Stop it. This isn't dating.
Speed sells.

7. The secret to enterprise deals:
Pick the deals you can win; then win the deals you pick.

8. Build your business acumen.
It makes your sales techniques 2x as effective.
Without acumen, you're hollow.

9. Don't seek approval.
Seek to solve problems.
Big difference.
Don't grovel.

10. Buyers don't buy because of ROI.
ROI doesn't drive purchases.
Emotion does.
They simply need ROI to justify the purchase.

11. There are two winners in each deal:
The seller who won.
The seller who ejected from the deal early and didn't waste time.

12. "Continuity of power" is the ultimate metric.
Getting access to power is one thing.
Getting a 2nd or 3rd meeting with power is entirely different.
Only sellers with sharp acumen get the latter.

13. Great sales calls start with planning.
Don't wing it.

14. Voice tone matters.
Stop inflecting up.
Inflect down.
It sets an equal tone.

15. Become a master wordsmith.
Words trigger mental pictures.
Mental pictures trigger emotions.
Emotions trigger actions.
Actions close deals.

16. Don't negotiate price too early.
It should be the last thing you do before the deal closes.
Anything else is too early.

17. Talk about money like it's nothing.
Quote a $600,000 proposal with a straight face.
That's a super power.
The best salespeople have a casual attitude about money.
The worst salespeople freak out when they talk numbers.

18. Selling is a set of skills.
Not a personality trait.

19. Use the same words your buyer uses.
Stop paraphrasing.
Stop putting your own twist on things.
Use their words.

20. Always know the next step.
Bad news:
If you don't know what next step you'll suggest?
You're wasting that sales call.
Selling is an act of leadership.
So lead.

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

Sales leaders: 

There are two main “units of management” in your job:

- Your people’s deals
- Your people’s skills

If you are only managing one of those, you are incomplete as a revenue leader.

Deal management takes care of today.

Skill management takes care of the future.

The worst way to spend your days as a salesperson?

Chasing.

When a buyer has no problem (even after some education)?

Bad sellers try to convince them that they do.

The best salespeople never do this.

The best salespeople attract, not chase.

When a buyer doesn't have a problem, even after a fair shake?

They say things like this:

"Sounds like things are going amazingly well. If that's the case, I'm not sure we can help you. Does that check out with you, or am I missing a piece to the puzzle?"

One of two things happen:

1. Your buyer agrees.

"Yep, that's the vibe I'm getting too."

Congrats.

You just saved a lot of time and heartache.

Next.

2. Your buyer opens up.

"Actually yes, you are missing something..."

Their defenses melt.

Their sales resistance drops.

They share what's going on.

Game on.

Sales is a game of social dynamics.

Desperation kills deals.

The best salespeople sell from a place of strength.

Not neediness.

At least, that's my experience.

Is that yours too?

P.S. If you want the exact 50 questions I use to build pain, urgency, and desire in deals, grab the full list here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2giY-ab

PSA: You cannot lead people via Slack messages.

There’s a sharp divide forming among revenue leaders in 2026. For a lot of them… it’s not looking good.

I’m seeing to classes of revenue leaders emerge:

• Extractors
• Investors

Extractors live for deals.

Deals. Pipeline. This quarter. This number.

That’s their love language.

People are secondary.

They talk a big game when it comes to:
• Skill development
• Enablement
• training

But their actions make one thing clear:

It’s the furthest thing from their mind.

Don’t get it wrong:

Nothing wrong with focusing on deals.

After all, closing revenue is the job.

But then you meet the second class:

"Investors."

This class of revenue leaders separates the important from the urgent.

Yes, they care about deals.

But they understand something most don’t:

Sellers with fragile skills lose deals.

Sellers with with durable skills close deals.

So just as they manage their team's *pipeline*?

They also manage their team's *skills*.

• They measure them.
• They train them.
• They practice them.
• They reinforce them.
• And they repeat it all until they 👏 can 👏 not 👏 fail.

Because here’s the truth:

Revenue is a skill-constrained system.

Because now that we're out of the "go go" days of tech spend?

Skill is the new growth lever.

Closing deals is how you take care of today.

Building skills is how you take care of the year.

P.S. Want to measure, upgrade, and quantify your revenue team’s skills? Talk to my team here: https://www.pclub.io/

By 2029, revenue enablement will be turned on its head.

Today, most revenue enablement teams are seen as "content factory."

In three years?

They'll be respected as a *revenue risk management* team.

Here's why:

AI can quantify revenue skills you couldn't quantify before:

• Discovery
• Multi-threading
• Consensus building
• Business case development
• Mutual success plan execution

And literally 100s more skills across every GTM role.

AI can literally say things like:

"Zack is in the 67th percentile of enterprise discovery skills - here's the proof."

But here's where enablement earns their seat at the table:

Tying quantified skill improvements to revenue outcomes.

Because once you can objectively measure skills?

Now you can say things like this:

"Our team is only in the 33rd percentile of multi-threading skills, and according to our own data, that skill gap cost us $5.3 million closed-lost last quarter."

"If we grow our multi-threading skills to the 80th percentile, based on our pipeline, we project we'll close $2.1 million in incremental revenue."

That's not just power.

That's crack-cocaine for CROs, CEOs, and even boards.

This is why soon, Boards will ask for the revenue org's skill health the same way they ask for pipeline health.

Mark my words.

The revenue enablement profession will divide into winners and losers:

Winners accept revenue accountability. 
Because that's those who manage revenue risk do.

Losers deflect revenue accountability.
And wish they could hide behind a slide deck and no quota.

The choice will be yours.

But one thing will be clear:

Revenue enablement won't be able to hide from revenue accountability anymore.

And for the best of them, that's great news.

Investing in your skills is the single best demonstration of having an internal locus of control.

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. 🚀

Stop chasing success alone.

Every innovator who built something great had 1 thing in common

Connection
It’s not that creativity happens alone…
It’s that the brain creates better in connection.

The brain evolved to think with other brains.
When connection is present, threat detection quiets.

The amygdala relaxes.
The prefrontal cortex stays online.
That’s where creativity lives.

Connection increases neural synchrony.
Brains begin to align.
Ideas move faster.
Patterns emerge you can’t see solo.

Isolation does the opposite.
Thinking loops.
Risk tolerance drops.
Novelty dries up.

Creativity isn’t just about safety.
It’s about belonging.
Here’s how :

1️⃣ Think out loud with others
 Speaking activates more neural networks than silent thought.
 Shared dialogue creates neural synchrony,
 helping the brain integrate patterns it can’t access alone.
 Half-formed ideas are fuel, not flaws.

2️⃣ Build before you judge
 Evaluation triggers the amygdala.
 Threat shuts down the prefrontal cortex.
 Sequence matters: expand first, critique later.
 Flow requires a brain that isn’t defending itself.

3️⃣ Create spaces to explore, not perform
 Performance activates social threat circuitry.
 Play lowers cortisol and increases cognitive flexibility.
 A relaxed nervous system makes wider, more novel connections.

Innovation doesn’t come from brilliance.
It comes from brains that feel safe thinking together.

PS: Who do you think best with?

Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

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

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

This feels illegal.

I built a mobile app while sailing.

Out there, things get quiet.
No notifications fighting for attention.
No noise telling you who to be.

Just wind, water, and time to notice what’s inside.

That’s where the idea came from.

Not everyone can disappear onto a boat.
But everyone needs a way to reconnect with themselves
In a loud world that never shuts up.

So I opened Replit
and described an app idea I’d already been researching. 

How to connect with yourself in a tech heavy world using…
Guess what…yes, neuroscience. 
You guessed it. 

Replit turned that idea into a real mobile app.

A live phone preview appeared.
I played with it and iterated between tacks. 
A few messages later, the app matched the intention.

Calm.
Minimal.
Human.

No mobile frameworks.
No complicated setup.
No build headaches.

Replit handled the mobile stack…
the preview
and the path to publishing.

I focused on the part that mattered:
creating space for real connection.

That’s the point.

You don’t need to escape your life to feel grounded.
You can build tools that bring you back to yourself.
Right where you are.
Even in a noisy world.

If you’ve ever wanted to create an app without needing a team
(or a computer) 
NOW you can. 

Get the Replit app and build from anywhere.
YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I vanish for a few hours I’m probably publishing a new app between tacks. 

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based peace and app building
♻️ Share to inspire someone who needs dev help without headache

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

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

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

Certainty over curiosity.
Efficiency over exploration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s how to heighten creativity on demand:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder

It comes from feeling safer.

When the brain senses pressure, it prepares to defend.
 
Attention narrows.
Options collapse.
The mind looks for certainty.

That state is efficient.
It’s not creative.

Innovation requires uncertainty tolerance.
That tolerance lives in the nervous system,
not the intellect.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,

✅ The body slows.
✅ The threat response stands down.
✅ The brain regains flexibility.

This is when perception widens.
Old assumptions loosen.

Problems reorganize themselves.
New pathways become visible.
Psychological safety is what allows this shift.

It tells the brain nothing bad will happen
if you explore a different angle.

Without safety, the brain repeats.
With safety, the brain imagines.

No regulation, no reframing.
No reframing, no innovation.

Here’s how to design for it:
1️⃣ Regulate before you reason
 Slowing the breath reduces neural noise.
 Clear thinking follows bodily calm.

2️⃣ Delay decisions during ideation
 Premature judgment triggers threat circuits.
 Time preserves creative flexibility.

3️⃣ Create private space to think freely
 Privacy lowers social evaluation.
 Safety expands possibility.

Breakthroughs come from a nervous system 
that feels safe enough
to see the problem differently.

PS: What helps your body settle fastest?

Join us for innovation --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

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

You’re not broken.

You're just not connected...

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

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

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

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

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

So you adapt.

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

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

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

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

Here’s what neuroscience shows actually helps.

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

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

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

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

Not noisy.
Not performative.
Not networking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That looks like alignment.
It’s actually inhibition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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

Your CRM shows ACTIVITY.

It doesn't show REALITY.

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

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

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

And that’s the part that costs you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P.S. How was your Q4?

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

You can’t fix a quarter your team’s afraid to talk about.

Your biggest revenue leak isn’t pipeline. It’s silence.

The worst part of running a sales team
is thinking you’re safe right before the quarter blows up.

Your CRM says you’re good.
Your reps say deals are “strong”.
Forecast looks clean.
You breathe for two seconds.

Then the quarter flips
and you’re standing there like
what the hell just happened?

Here’s the truth nobody wants to say:
Reps aren’t lying.
Their brains are.

People say things are fine when they’re overwhelmed.
They overestimate deals when they’re stressed.
They downplay risk when they don’t want to look behind.

So you get the truth only after it hits your number.
Sales Sage catches it earlier.

It spots confidence dips.
Avoidance patterns.
Dead deals dressed up as healthy ones.
Execution cracks that never show in a CRM.

Stuff reps don’t say out loud but absolutely tank a quarter.
If you’re tired of getting blindsided
by “everything looks good” data

P.S. What's your best closing line?

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

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

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a surprise miss
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales insights

Your pipeline isn’t lying. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stop telling yourself that you're too busy to DM.

Stop telling yourself DMs are too pushy. 

DMs close sales. Period. 

Most people think outreach stalls
because they don’t know what to say.
That’s rarely true.

What’s actually happening is identity protection.
Your brain isn’t avoiding DMs to save time.
It’s protecting how you see yourself.

So you stay visible.
You post.
You wait.

And the conversations that move revenue never start.

When the nervous system flags selling as risk,
avoidance looks like strategy.

Weeks pass.
Opportunities decay.
Revenue becomes unpredictable.
That delay has a real cost.

Avoiding just 3–5 high-value messages a week
can quietly leave $15K–$100K per quarter on the table.

Not because you lack ability.
Because “selling” feels unsafe.

This is why scripts don’t stick.
Knowledge ≠ movement.

Insight shows up first.
Behavior only follows when the underlying pattern shifts.

That’s what Butterhood is for.
Not more information.
Not performance.
Not pressure.

It’s a place to notice friction in real time
and make small, deliberate moves
that change momentum.

Inside, we work on:
Why certain conversations stall even when you say the right thing
What makes outreach feel heavy and how to remove that friction
How to move conversations forward without forcing or performing
Installing a sales rhythm that feels stable instead of stressful

They’re ordered intentionally.
Each layer stabilizes the nervous system for the next.

If you’ve ever thought, “This makes sense…
so why am I not doing it yet?”

That’s the signal.
GET IN THE DMS.
Still resisting?
GET INTO THE BUTTERHOOD.

If you want influence that moves like butter 🧈
Join Butterhood → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

BONUS: Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: Where do your conversations stall right now?

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

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based sales insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help someone move again

Why do you have that stupid look on your face?

A C-level executive asked me on my first day

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

I remember freezing.
Not answering.
Just blinking.

I laughed it off and swallowed my pride. 

Meeting over.
But my body stayed locked.

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

Later that day a coworker asked if I was okay.

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

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

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

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

No data.
No baseline.
Just guessing.

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

Not a personality quiz.
Not mindset fluff.

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

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

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

PS What's your worst toxic boss story?

https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools 
♻️ Repost if someone you know is guessing too.

Why do you have that stupid look on your face

Everyone wants AI magic.

Few want to invest in the foundation.

People light up when they talk about AI lead gen.

AI outreach.
AI follow up.
AI prospecting.
The promise of more output with less effort...
It's intoxicating.

But effectiveness still comes from the human brain.
The seller’s state.
The buyer’s state.
The interaction between the two.

If your nervous system is overloaded, 
your messages won’t land.

If your prospect’s nervous system is tense,
your tools won’t move them.

If your clarity wobbles,
your AI will wobble with it.

Tools can accelerate your behavior.
They can’t upgrade your regulation.
They can’t deepen your presence.
They can’t create safety for a buyer who isn’t sure yet.

So you can very quickly send a bad message to 
a lot of people (and I see this a lot).
Super efficient. 
Effective?
Not so much. 

You would have been better off 
not to send anything at all. 

You create
👀 noise.
👀 hesitation.
👀 stall points.

Before you automate anything,
your nervous system has to support the interaction.
Your messaging has to speak to the real pressure points.
Your awareness has to read what the buyer is actually signaling.

Here are the pieces that shift everything:
1️⃣ A regulated internal state
A steady system writes messages people lean into.

2️⃣ Understanding buyer pressure
Not their demographics.
Their actual cognitive load.

3️⃣ Signal-based communication
Warmth, recency, micro-openings, lowered stakes.

Without this foundation in place, AI becomes clutter.
😶‍🌫️ Damages your brand.
😶‍🌫️ Irritates your people. 
😶‍🌫️ Loses your clients.

Inside Butterhood, this is the core work.
The human layer that makes every tool
more powerful, more accurate, and more profitable.
EFFECTIVE.

Join us → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: What AI promise are people chasing the hardest right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for brain-backed sales and clarity
♻️ Share this to help someone build the foundation that sells

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

without quitting your job.

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

Here are 7 signs you're tough enough:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools to stay regulated in toxic places
♻️ Repost if someone you know is always “on.”

 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

Don't just pray for a job.

Pray for a leader, not a toxic boss. 

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

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

Here are 5 signs of a great leader:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leadership is not control.
It is regulation.

PS Which one of these have you felt?

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

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based leadership tools.
♻️ Repost if a leader you know needs this lens.

Behind every “I’m not qualified”

Is a future you haven’t met yet. 

I’m not technical.
I’ve never wanted to be “the code person.”
And honestly, that used to stop me.

Because most AI coding hype assumes
you already know what you’re doing.
Repos.
Installs.
Setup before you even start.

That’s where Replit felt different.
I stayed in the browser.
I described what I wanted in plain words.
And I watched a real app come to life.
Live.

I wasn’t struggling to learn syntax.
I was refining an idea using my own language. 

You grow by doing things you aren’t qualified to do yet.
Most people don’t fail because they can’t.

They stop because they tell themselves
“I’m not technical enough.”

I didn’t suddenly become technical.
The barrier just disappeared.

Replit handled the setup, hosting, and deployment.
I focused on what the app should feel like.
That’s the unlock.

If you already code,
pairing Replit with Claude Code accelerates shipping.
If you don’t,
Replit still lets you build something real.

No identity change required.

You don’t need permission.
You don’t need a team.
You don’t need to be “qualified” yet.
You just need to start.

P.S. What have you been waiting to build?

💡 $10 credit for Replit Core users —>
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.P.S. If you’ve been telling yourself “I’m not ready for that yet,”
THIS IS YOUR SIGN

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based performance
♻️ Share to inspire someone who’s doubting their fire

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

Understand the inner thoughts of your ICP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales and insight
♻️ Share to help someone see what their buyers really mean

If you can’t regulate...

You can’t close.

Sales exposes you.
You meet yourself in every conversation.

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

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

Skinny to long.
Short to heavy.

Exactly how they hit in real life.

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

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

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

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

PS. Which truth hit the hardest today?

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

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a brutal truth
➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales insights

Don’t be afraid to start all over again.

You might like your new story better.

Most people don’t stay with toxic bosses
because they love the job.

They stay because starting over feels risky.

You already invested time.
You already proved yourself.
You already survived this much.

So you tell yourself to push through.
But toxic environments don’t just drain energy.
They slowly rewrite who you think you are.

Confidence narrows.
Vision shrinks.
Your nervous system learns to expect threat.

Starting over isn’t failure.
It’s interruption.
And sometimes, leaving isn’t possible yet.
That’s where people get stuck.

Here’s how to regain agency
even if you can’t leave right now.

Three pillars.
Practical. Grounded. Usable.

1/ Establish your baseline
You need to know your starting state.
Stress feels normal when it’s chronic.
Without data, you guess how you’re doing.
Do this: assess how activated you feel most days.
Do this: track sleep, tension, and recovery honestly.
Baseline awareness tells you whether you’re already 
overloaded before the boss even enters the picture.

2/ Predict instead of brace
Toxic bosses are patterned.
The same situations trigger the same behavior.
Surprise is what spikes threat.
Do this: list the moments they escalate.
Do this: plan your response before it happens.
Prediction gives your nervous system what it desperately wants.
Certainty.

3/Plan recovery like it’s required
Stress doesn’t end when the meeting ends.
Unreleased activation carries forward.
That’s how burnout accumulates.
Do this: schedule recovery after interactions.
Do this: close the stress cycle deliberately.
Recovery restores clarity, confidence, and choice.

This is how you protect yourself
while you decide what comes next.

And if there truly is no exit right now,
you still don’t have to white-knuckle it.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It gives you a baseline.
Helps you predict patterns.
Builds plans that keep your nervous system intact.

Starting over doesn’t always mean leaving tomorrow.
Sometimes it means reclaiming yourself first.

PS If you could rewrite your work story, 
what would you want to feel differently?

Free resources
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools to stay clear at work.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is afraid to start again.

Micromanagement breeds compliance.

Not commitment.

When every move is monitored,
every decision is corrected,
and every mistake is highlighted,
the brain stops optimizing for growth.

It starts optimizing for safety.
Micromanagement increases uncertainty.
Uncertainty activates the amygdala.
Threat signaling rises.
The prefrontal cortex goes partially offline.

That’s the biology of it.
The prefrontal cortex is where initiative lives,
creativity lives, and ownership lives.

When threat is present, those functions are deprioritized.
So the nervous system adapts.
People do what’s asked.

They stop offering ideas.
They wait for instructions.
They avoid visibility.

From the outside, it looks like control is working.
From the inside, commitment is already gone.

Chronic micromanagement also keeps the stress axis activated.
Cortisol stays elevated.
Recovery shortens.
Motivation drops.
Burnout becomes inevitable.

This is nervous system load.
Leaders often assume disengagement = people don’t care.

More often, it means their nervous system 
doesn’t feel safe enough to invest.

And if you’re on the receiving end of this,
you don’t need thicker skin.

You need regulation, data, and strategy.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It helps you understand your nervous system baseline,
predict toxic patterns,
and protect your clarity and confidence
even when leadership doesn’t change.

Compliance is a warning sign.
Commitment only emerges when the brain feels safe.

PS Are you barely hanging on by a thread? 
Get some relief --> https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for surviving a toxic boss.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is stuck under a micromanager.

The answer doesn’t show up when you chase it

It shows up when you stop gripping.

Most people try to solve problems by applying more force.

❌ More analysis.
❌ More urgency.
❌ More mental effort.

The brain hears that as threat.
So it tightens.

When pressure rises,
the nervous system shifts into control mode.

Attention narrows.
Thinking becomes repetitive.

The brain looks for the least risky answer,
not the most interesting one.

That’s why clarity feels elusive when you need it most.
Insight lives in a quieter state.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,
the body settles.

Heart rate slows.
Breath deepens.
Internal noise drops.

In that state, the brain starts integrating 
instead of defending.

Patterns rearrange.
Meaning surfaces.
You don’t force the answer.
You notice it.

Psychological safety is what gives the nervous system
permission to loosen its grip.

It tells the brain:
🧠 You’re allowed to pause.
🧠 You’re allowed to wonder.
🧠 You’re allowed to see this differently.

Without safety, the brain loops.
With safety, the brain listens.

No calm, no coherence.
No coherence, no insight.

Here’s how to invite clarity back in:
1️⃣ Soften the body first
Longer exhales reduce neural noise.
The mind follows the body into calm.

2️⃣ Remove time pressure from thinking
Urgency activates threat circuits.
Space restores perspective.

3️⃣ Be alone long enough to hear yourself
Solitude lowers social evaluation.
The quiet reveals what you already know.

The answer isn’t missing.
It’s waiting for peace to rise high enough
for you to hear it.

PS: Where do your clearest insights tend to appear?

Join us for psych safety --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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

taplio

The Battle

Chris Orlob

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreChris Orlob's LinkedIn Performance

Performance Score🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Chris Orlob

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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 Orlob's LinkedIn Performance

Performance Score🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreChris Orlob's LinkedIn Performance