Dan Murray-Serter 🧠

Co-Founder of Heights I Angel Investor | Over 100 Startups I Follow For Daily Posts on Health, Business & Personal growth from UK’s #1 ranked health creator (apparently)

Serial entrepreneur and Angel investor in 100+ startups with over 10 years experience starting, scaling and failing multiple startups.

Co Founder of Heights - Europe's leading brain and gut health company.

I also started and help run Foundrs - A not for profit community of the best, most ambitious and compassionate founders in UK.

I recently stepped away from Leaders Media - A media company making the top business podcasts in Europe, Secret Leaders - at the top of the charts, to focus on much more important things with my time - being a dad to 2 awesome daughters.

Angel/Advisor

Beam (www.beam.org)
ATAI Life Sciences (https://www.atai.life)
Allplants (www.allplants.com)
Humanity (https://humanity.health)
BYP (www.byp-network.com)
Goss (https://www.goss.media)
Tribe VR (www.tribevr.io)
Thrift (www.wearethrift.com)
THIS (www.this.co)
The Sports Edit (www.thesportsedit.com)
Faction (www.factionskis.com)
Runway East (http://runwayea.st/)
London Union/Dinerama (http://londonunion.com/)
Neardesk (https://www2.neardesk.com/)


Tailored.to (https://tailored.to/)
Motivii (http://motivii.com/)
Earlybird (https://earlybird.fm/)
Upshot (http://www.upshotapp.co/)
Togethera (www.togethera.com)
Repairly (www.repairly.co.uk)
Zaboo (www.zabooapp.com)
Lissom (www.lissom.com)
Bloom (www.hellobloom.io)

Dan Murray

100-year-old productivity hack. Still works. Still simple.

1918. Charles Schwab runs Bethlehem Steel. Hires productivity consultant Ivy Lee. Lee's offer: give me 15 minutes with each executive, pay me what it's worth in 3 months. 3 months later, Schwab writes a cheque for $25,000, equivalent to $400,000 today. The method was that effective.

The Ivy Lee Method. Five steps. At the end of each workday, write down the 6 most important tasks for tomorrow. Not 7, not 10, six. Rank them in order of true importance. Tomorrow morning, start with task 1, work until complete. Move to task 2, then 3, one at a time in order. Unfinished tasks move to tomorrow's list. Repeat daily.

Why 6 tasks? Forces prioritisation. With unlimited tasks, everything feels important, nothing gets done. Six is manageable, ambitious but achievable.

Why rank them? Most people work on whatever feels urgent or easy. Ranking forces you to confront true importance. Task 1 should be the thing that, if completed alone, makes tomorrow successful.

Why one task at a time? Multitasking is a myth. Task switching reduces productivity by 40%. Takes 23 minutes to regain focus after interruption. Doing one thing until complete equals deep work.

Why plan the night before? Decision fatigue compounds throughout the day. By 4pm, decision-making quality is 40% worse than 9am. Planning tonight means decisions made when not depleted. Wake up, no decision required, just execute task 1.

Six tasks, ranked, one at a time. Decide tonight, execute tomorrow.

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Follow me Dan Murray for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

The Ivy Lee Method 100-Year-Old Productivity Hack 

One thing I’ve learned after building multiple teams: the most valuable people are rarely the loudest.

They’re the ones who quietly upskill when no one’s watching.

You can’t teach that level of internal drive.
You can’t force someone to care about their growth more than the company requires.

That has to come from within.

And from a neuroscience perspective, people who self-educate build something incredibly powerful:
a plastic brain.

Every new skill, every book, every online course, it all strengthens their neural pathways for adaptability, problem - solving, and creative thinking.

Those traits compound.

They become faster learners.
Better decision-makers.
More resourceful under pressure.
And over time, they outgrow people who rely only on formal training.

When I hire, I look for curiosity.
Not credentials.
Not polished answers.
Curiosity.

Because someone who reads, experiments, builds, tinkers, or studies on their own time will eventually outpace almost everyone else.
They don’t wait to be told what to learn.
They choose it.

And that choice is what makes them dangerous, in the best way possible.

If you’re that person, keep going.
Even if no one notices right now.
Your effort is compounding quietly.
You’ll feel the gap before anyone else sees it.


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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide

https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

When Simon Squibb invested in our company we had done a thousand orders, fast forward a few years we have now done our 1 millionth order 

believed in what we was building and invested before it was obvious.

Since then, we’ve grown it into a $30M business. 

The best founders don’t stand still. They adapt.

I sat down down with Simon Squibb and break down exactly how I’d use AI to build a $30M business from scratch in 2026, and what actually matters when you’re starting from zero.

https://lnkd.in/dVh_9PKH

Gut health is everywhere right now.

Every influencer has a gut protocol. Every brand has a gut product. Everyone's talking about the microbiome like they have a PhD in it.

Some of it is real. Some of it is astrology in a lab coat.

Here's what actually holds up.

The gut-brain axis is real. Your gut produces 90% of your serotonin. The vagus nerve connects your gut to your brain. When your gut struggles, your mood often follows. This research goes back 30 years.

Probiotics for specific conditions are real. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG helps with digestive issues. Bifidobacterium longum helps with anxiety symptoms. But it's strain-specific. Random probiotics don't work the same way.

Fibre matters. Your gut bacteria feed on it. Most people need 25-30g per day. Most get around 15g. The research on this is overwhelming.

Here's what doesn't hold up.

Gut detoxes aren't real. Your liver and kidneys already do that. "Detox teas" are marketing, not medicine.

Fermented foods are healthy. But they're not the same as probiotics. The strains are different. The amounts are inconsistent. Most don't survive your stomach acid.

Leaky gut syndrome isn't a recognised diagnosis. Increased intestinal permeability is real and being studied. But selling you a cure for "leaky gut" is premature.

The pattern is simple. Real gut health science is specific. It names strains, cites studies, explains mechanisms.

Fake gut health science is vague. Buzzwords, big promises, no details.

Certainty sells. Accuracy wins long term.

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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

Gut health audit

Your gut health isn't just about digestion.

It's the reason you wake up tired. Or struggle to focus by 3pm. Or feel anxious for no clear reason.

Your gut affects how your brain works every single day.

Five stages control this. When they're working, you perform better. When even one is broken, everything gets harder.

Stage 1: Microbiome diversity. You need 1,000+ bacterial species. Low diversity means more inflammation and unstable energy. Eat 30+ different plants per week.

Stage 2: Gut barrier integrity. When it's damaged, toxins leak into your bloodstream. That's brain fog and chronic fatigue. Reduce processed foods and manage stress.

Stage 3: Serotonin production. 90% of it is made in your gut. Low serotonin means poor sleep and mood swings. Take probiotics with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.

Stage 4: SCFA production. Your gut bacteria digest fibre and produce SCFAs. They fuel your gut lining and reduce inflammation. Hit 25-30g of fibre daily.

Stage 5: Vagus nerve function. It connects your gut to your brain. Poor tone means constant stress signals. Improve it with deep breathing and cold exposure.

When all five work together, you wake up with energy, focus holds, mood stays stable, and you sleep deeply.

When even one is broken, you hit the 3pm crash, brain fog makes decisions harder, and small stress feels overwhelming.

Your gut is the foundation for how your brain functions.

Fix your gut. Perform better.

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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

Five gut health markers that predict burnout.

These aren't just digestive issues. They're warning signs your body is breaking down.

Marker 1: Chronic bloating. Poor nutrient absorption. Even if you're eating well, nutrients aren't getting into your system. Poor absorption leads to deficiency, chronic fatigue, inability to recover from stress, and burnout.

Marker 2: Irregular bowel movements. Going 3+ days without or 4+ times per day means toxin buildup. Toxins recirculate instead of leaving. This causes brain fog, poor decision-making, more stress, and burnout. Normal is 1-2 times daily.

Marker 3: Food sensitivities that appeared recently. Gut inflammation and leaky gut. Undigested food leaks into your bloodstream. Your immune system attacks it. This creates inflammation, dysregulated stress response, inability to handle normal stressors, and burnout.

Marker 4: Sugar cravings, especially mid-afternoon. Blood sugar instability from poor gut bacteria. Unhealthy bacteria drive sugar cravings and prevent stable glucose regulation. Every crash depletes stress resilience. Blood sugar crashes lead to energy crashes, inability to sustain focus, falling behind, and burnout.

Marker 5: Poor sleep even when exhausted. Gut barrier damage and inflammation. Your gut produces melatonin and regulates circadian rhythm. Poor sleep damages gut lining. Damaged gut worsens sleep. This creates chronic inflammation, inability to recover, and burnout.

When all 5 are present, you wake up exhausted, brain fog makes decisions harder, small stressors feel overwhelming, you need caffeine and sugar to function, and recovery takes longer.

This isn't laziness. This is your body telling you the foundation is broken.

Fix your gut before you burn out. Not after.

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

Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

P.S. If you want 2026 to feel different, don’t start with goals.
Start with clarity.

Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need to understand what’s been draining them and what deserves their energy.

I’ve spent years refining a simple process to help you with exactly that.

Download my short PDF guide https://lnkd.in/eniDNptW

I'll see you there.

The 5 gut health markers that predict burnout

Helping entrepreneurs use public speaking to build their brand | Public Speaking Coach | Author of Make It Count | Former COO and TEDxClapham Founder

Why is it, that some people get away with breaking every public speaking rule in the book, yet we still want to listen to what they’ve got to say? 

If there’s one thing I've learned working with some of the most successful leaders of our generation, it’s that there is a big difference between having an idea and being able to communicate it.

That is what turns big thinkers into thought leaders.

As a leader, speaking is an important part of your life. You’ve got to cast a vision, inspire your team, and influence stakeholders. Yet, so many have never paid any attention to the one tool that has the power to unlock even more. 

Your voice.

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I've spent the last 10 years helping people like you unlock the true potential of your ideas so they get the credibility and respect they deserve.

Public speaking isn't something that's come naturally to me. I've had to hard work at it and have seen first-hand the power of being able to communicate ideas well. 

I've used public speaking to build a business from 4-250 people. Then I founded TEDxClapham and the talks I've worked on since have turned those who delivered them into the go-to people for their subject matter.

⚡️ 15 million views and counting 
⚡️ £310m+ raised  
⚡️ Government legislation changed

I'm brought in by organisations like Adobe, Bloomberg, WeTransfer, Mastercard and Amazon to do the same for them.

Your work is only as good as your ability to communicate it. The earlier you can start, the more impact you'll have.

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Ways to work with me:   
🚀 Scale-up Founders (£20m+ valuation): Work with me 121
🎤 Solopreneurs, thought leaders and keynote speakers: Apply to join MicDrop
🧠 Organisations: Book me to deliver a workshop or keynote for your team

Enquire here: https://calendly.com/d/cp53-tkn-tm3

Alex Merry

Dex Hunter-Torricke said something that stopped me in my tracks this morning...👇

💬 'There's this terrible term, thought leadership. I hate it because it literally commoditises the idea about ideas.'

Coming from someone that write speeches and managed comms for Eric Schmidt, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk - it struck a nerve (mainly because he's probably going to hate my tagline 🤭).

But he's bang on 🎯.

It's being 'delegitimised and 'cheapened' by 'garbage content.' 
[Permission to pause and admire the language he used 👏]

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There is a fundamental disconnect between what most people think thought leadership is and what it actually is.

Thought leadership is not:
❌ Sharing your story/private life  
❌ Telling people what we’ve done or achieved
❌ Seeking validation (from people or algorithms)

[There's a time and place for all of these things, but let's not mistake them for thought leadership]

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In Dex's words, Thought leadership is about:
💬 "Advancing powerful ideas and getting them to resonate with people."

It requires you to:
✅ Have a clear point of view
✅ Challenge conventional wisdom
✅ Actively seek answers to important questions

It's the pursuit of furthering your field of expertise. Subject-first comms. And we have never needed it more.

Yesterday, he launched The Centre for Tomorrow, a non-profit aiming to create flourishing for societies in the age of AI.

I suspect he's going to be well worth a follow -> Dex Hunter-Torricke

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Every variation of MicDrop's tagline (and there have been a few) has contained the term 'thought leader.'

It serves as a standard bearer for our members, all of whom are creating change in their respective fields.

We've got 4 places left for our March intake, head to my bio for more info.

P.s. Bravo Jimmy McLoughlin OBE on another great episode!

This is a 46-second masterclass in how to open a podcast...👇

Especially if you're an author.

I've been a big fan of Helen Tupper's work for a long time and when I was listening to to her episode on Jimmy's Jobs of the Future she did something right at the beginning that I thought was extremely smart 🧠.

I call it problem-first positioning.

And it's the complete opposite of how most people communicate.

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When Helen was asked: 'Tell me about the premise of the book?'

She so easily could have said:

❌ "I wrote this book to help people build confidence/control of their careers/learn faster etc."
❌ "This is the book I wish I'd had when I was starting out"
❌ "I wanted to write something that would change peoples lives"

This is passion first-positioning ❤️‍🔥.
Fluffy, isn't it?

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Instead she: 

𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 💪:
↳ "Maybe before the premise, the problem."

𝟮. 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 ⚡️:
↳ "It's never been more important to learn at work because of the pace of change..."

𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 ⚖️:
↳ "There's this big tension with what we need to learn so we stay relevant and our careers are resilient, but people are finding it too hard to do."

𝟰. 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 (𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁?!) ‼️:
↳ "If we do not solve the problem of learning at work, then a lot of people are going to get left behind."

And in doing so, she's taken positioned her book as a need to have, rather than a nice to have. 

This is a 1% communication trait that anyone can master.

And if you're an author that actually wants to sell books, it's critical that you do.

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One of the reasons I started MicDrop was because there was nowhere for good communicators to become great.

Unfortunately, 'Good' doesn't get you invited back.

Our members are already experienced speakers - way beyond Toastmasters. It's why we run monthly 'Idea Labs' so they hone their craft.

We're welcoming a very small intake in March - we have 8 spaces left. Head to my bio or drop me a DM.

P.s. Great episode Jimmy McLoughlin OBE 👏👏👏

If you're giving a talk this week, remember... 👇


1. Less is more 🤐
2. Showing > telling 🪄
3. Embrace your quirks 🤪
4. It's not a memory test 🧠
5. Your time slot isn't a target ⏳
6. Be selective with your numbers 📈
7. Your personal story is not a requirement 💔
8. Lead with your words, not with your slides 🛝
9. Analogies will help you to simplify the complex 🤷
10. A title slide is a terrible first impression - remove it 🥱
11. Distil your presentation down to one single sentence ☝️
12. Start with a question that challenges your audience's beliefs 🤔
13. Allow for moments of spontaneity; they'll make it more memorable 😀
14. When you 'mess up,' you give your audience a glimpse into the real you 🫶
15. Your message is only as good as the examples and stories you use to drive them home ⚡️

You've got this 💪.

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♻️ Repost if you found this useful and follow Alex Merry for tips on how to communicate big ideas.

Let's talk about how you actually land talks at global events like Davos, SXSW and Cannes Lions...👇

Most people think there are three ways in: 

1. You're Invited 🧲
↳ Because you have the right connections and/or a name that can sell tickets.

2. You Pay 💰
↳ By becoming a sponsor - great if you've got £xx,xxx's to spare.

3. You Apply ✌️
↳ Competing against thousands of submissions, it's always going to be a low odds route.

This is how you get on the official programme.

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But what a lot of people don't realise is that these mega events also have a fringe programme.

✅ Pop-ups | ✅ Side events | ✅ Brand activations |  ✅ Parties

Full scale events run by companies like LinkedIn, Spotify, Adobe, Meta, Google, Netflix etc.

And smaller, intimate events run by smaller brands happening in hotels, bars and rented spaces.

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Which is why I'm so excited to announce that MicDrop will hosting our own event at SXSW London 2026. 

Date: 3rd June
The Venue: The Shoreditch Treehouse 🌲

The Theme: 'Shaping the Future 🔮.'
In keeping with the official programme.

A few members are already on the official lineup. But there are so many conversations happening inside the community that deserve a platform.

So we're creating our own.
After all, that's what the big brands do.

And we'll be doing it properly:

1. With our own call for speakers (exclusively for MicDrop members)
2. A live audience (obviously)
3. All the talks will be professionally filmed and photographed

Small and mighty 👍.

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When you're in the right rooms, you get access to opportunities that others don't.

MicDrop is my community for thought leaders who speak. 

We've got 5 membership spots left for our March intake. The next time our doors open, this opportunity will have passed (our call for speakers will take place in April).

P.s. Worth saying, we're curating this line-up properly - joining doesn't guarantee you a slot :-).

I used to think that product launch success = selling out in minutes...👇

Rarely does a day goes by without someone announcing a product launch success story on LinkedIn.

My problem with these posts is that they make it look deceptively easy and that can lure others into thinking that they're failing when they're not.

I can't help but think that a more interesting post would be to share the brutal reality.

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We've opened MicDrop's doors to new members 5 times in the last 3 years and 'sold out' 4/5 times. 

Most recently with our March intake. 
We hit our goal with 3 days to spare. 

Not once has a launch been easy.

Every single one has required months of work, most of which you never see. 

---

I've personally spoken with 68 prospective members to fill our 20 spaces - that's 17 hours of conversations.

Demand that's come from:

✅ Member recommendations
↳ Word of mouth is always our most powerful lever. 

✅ 15 x newsletters 
↳ Each taking a couple of hours to write (with a subscriber base I've been building for 3 years)
 
✅ ~40 LinkedIn posts
↳ Each taking 1-2 hours to write (with a following I've been building for 5 years)

The North Star? Quality over quantity - we've never turned so many away.

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Oh and then there's product development. 

The culmination of hours and hours of member interviews, reading feedback survey individually to understand what will make MicDrop their most valuable investment. 

It's why this year we're:

🎤 Running our first event at SXSW London
🎯 Curating a two day Stage at Ideas Fest
🤝 Launching hand-matched mastermind groups
📚 Rolling out a Speaker Foundations course
🤖 Investing £££££ in AI

Make no mistake about it, at times, it's been BRUTAL.

But we've hit our goal - and we've evolved more in the last 8 weeks than we have in the last 18 months.

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So this morning, I'm trying to take a moment to appreciate how far we've come while signing books for our final three members - beautiful morning for it!

Tomorrow, we welcome our new members and our attention turns to giving them the best start to their member journey's possible.

Whenever I'm suffering from a lack of confidence before a talk, I watch this video...👇

Why? Because confidence is fickle. 

Some days we have it, 
Other days we don't. 

We don't get to choose when it shows up. 
Nor do we get to keep it when it does.

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It would be easy to watch this video and think: 
"Look how confident he is."

But what I see is someone choosing courage. 
And there is a big difference.

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Confidence is belief in your ability.
Courage is action despite doubt.

One is built through repetition and success.
[And is still extremely unreliable.]

The other shows up in uncertainty and risk.
And can unlock new levels of potential.

Put another way:
Confidence is a state.
Courage is a decision.

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We can't manufacture confidence before high-stakes moments, but we can choose courage in them.

That's what Michael Pollack did.*
And this video is a little reminder that we can too. 

Footnote: 
He's since gone on to write music for Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Lizzo, Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson.

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♻️ Repost if you found this useful and follow Alex Merry for more content like this.

If you're a thought leader, what's the best way to get noticed by an event planner?

That was one of the questions I posed Lisa James in yesterday's MicDrop Masterclass. 

And she shared an extraordinary story...

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Lisa was working on an event for a corporate client who thought they needed a motivational speaker.

What Lisa helped them realise was that they actually needed an expert on finding your flow state. 

So she set out to find someone 🕵️‍♀️.

And struggled until she remembered she had a book on flow sitting on her self!

She then reached out to the author on LinkedIn who: 
a) Wasn't a speaker 
b) Lived in Asia 

They got on a chemistry call and ultimately convinced them to change their plans and fly over to the UK and deliver this talk.

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There are so many gems in this story (and from the session in general):

𝟭. 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 🧩
↳ Speakers are often just one small piece of a very large puzzle.  

𝟮. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 + 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗶𝘁 > 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 🧠
↳ Thought leaders would do well to spend more time showcasing their expertise than constantly reminding everyone that they're a speaker and hoping enquiries come their way.

𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 ✨
↳ When an event planner puts a speaker forward for a talk, they're putting their reputation on the line (so make it easy for them - see point 4)

𝟰. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 '𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝗻' 🧑‍🌾
↳ That's insider lingo for session outline - bonus points for including energy state and transition moments. (If you'd like to see one of mine, comment 'Straw man' below).

𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 😮
↳ Event planners love it when speakers say: "You know what could make this even better..."

𝟲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 🧲
↳ In this example, it was a book. She also mentioned finding speakers through LinkedIn, newsletter articles, meeting people at events and of course, recommendation.

But perhaps most important of all was the through line from our conversation. 

---

Everything we talked about was about creating magical experiences. She spoke about this at The DO Lectures last year. 

And like all good speakers, she pinned it down to a single idea: 
Collective Effervescence 🪄

Well worth a watch: https://lnkd.in/epjEx7TQ

Thanks Lisa :-)

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P.s. MicDrop members the replay is officially live... 🍿 (as are your Speaker One Pager and Straw Man templates)!

We're down to our final 3 places, so Livvy and I have started placing bets...👇

At the time of writing, we have:

5 offers on the table,
4 prospective member calls this afternoon,
5 more next week,

So the big question is... 
Who are those final spots going to?! 🥁

---

What stops most people is a niggling question in the back of their mind:
What if I don't make the most of it?

Our happiest members (the ones getting outsized results): 

1. Get the foundations in place 🧱
↳ A few hours work

2. Drop in and out 💧
↳ When they need to.

Prioritising the one or two things that have an outsized impact on their goals: 

✅ Getting direct support from me
✅ Joining a Mastermind for accountability
✅ Attending one of our live sessions to (contribute/learn) 
✅ Applying to speak at MicDrop shorts or our SXSW event

You can do that in a community. 
You can't on a course. 

---

There's a weight to unmade decisions. 

You always feel lighter when you've made one,
Whether it's a yes or a no. 

But wait too long, 
And someone else will have made it for you.

Our next wave is shaping up to be rather special.

To those who've already made the decision, only 11 days to go!

Chasing paid speaking engagements can be extremely shortsighted...👇

Don't get me wrong, being paid to speak is great, but there's a time and place.

I see a lot of people become so seduced by the idea of a big fee, that they become blinded and massively limit their potential.

---

If you're building a portfolio career, some of the most valuable, lucrative talks you'll ever do will be for free.

The skill is in:
1. Attracting the right opportunities 🧲
↳ Ones that will compound for years to come. 

2. Knowing how to make them compound 🚀
↳ Without the cringe hard sell energy (🤮_

One of the reasons so many people are against speaking for free because they've never managed to make it work for them. 

Solve for this and everything changes ✨.

---
The calibre of the opportunities you attract shifts.

You start getting messages from people you thought were completely out of your league.

✅ Clients | ✅ Publishing deals |  ✅ Advisory roles | ✅ Speaking ops | ✅ Travel

People you've looked up to for years the start treating you as a peer 😍. 

That's where some of the most interesting, random, wonderful, fulfilling opportunities begin.

---

Everything we do inside MicDrop is about turning speaking into a growth lever.

Our members speak across a variety of formats: workshops, panels, keynotes,  podcasts, masterclasses, leadership briefings. 

Our job? To support them in making them count. 

We're welcoming a very small intake in March. Another place went yesterday, so we're down to our final 7 spaces. Head to my bio or drop me a DM.
 
---

P.s. MicDroppers - see you at 12pm for our Roundtable on landing advisory roles.

If you've ever secretly wondered '𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?!' keep reading...👇

Over the last few years, it's been my job to ask this question - I've probably asked it ~500 times.

What I expected was to get answers back like:

✅ "I crafted a signature talk...
✅ "I pitched it to event organisers...
✅ "I got on agents and bureaus books...
✅ "I added 'Speaker' to my LinkedIn profile...

... and the opportunities just came rolling in 🧲."

---

If ONLY it was this straight forward - you'd follow this nice process, and then you'd start smashing it.

Contrary to what most of the 'get booked to speak gurus' are sharing on here...

That's not how this game works.

---

That the most common answer I get back (and it's not even close) is: 

⚡️ "𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱."

So wonderfully simple, but there's a catch. 

To be worth talking about, you need:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 💬
↳ Messaging and positioning matter. People can only recommend what they can describe. 

𝟮. 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 🧠
↳ A clear POV. And quirks - lean into those. So that your topic comes up, it's your name that follows.

𝟯. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 ⚡️
↳ The kind that comes from years of doing. Speaking. Writing. Results. Research. This is your body of work. 

These are the foundations that everyone focuses on, but most importantly of all, you need:  

𝟰. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 ✨
↳ You need to be surrounded by the right people, in the right rooms. That's what tips the scale.

We don't get far alone.

Last week, I woke up to find out that two MicDrop had landed TEDx talks because another member had re their names forward. 

It's a perfect example of what happens when you invest in the right relationships.

---

MicDrop is a community of 160 members navigating the messy world that is thought leadership.

Most (if they're being honest) join for the foundations, but they stay for the people.

On March 3rd we'll be welcoming a very small intake of new members - 8 spaces left. 

Head to my bio for more info or drop me a DM if you'd like to book in a call.

Behind every sought-after thought leader, is a gloriously messy, imperfect system...👇

You don't become a sought-after thought leader by following a step-by-step process - that's not how this works.

And of course it doesn't. 

Our subjects, their place in the world and our priorities are ever changing.

And I can't help but think that rather than beating ourselves up about:

😬 Never being 100% happy with our messaging
😬 Delivering 3 completely different talks in a month
😬 Falling out of love for the topic you're known for

...we could be embracing the messiness of it all a little more.

If we wanted predictable, we'd have chosen a very different path.

---

Everything we do inside MicDrop is built around an operating system that we call the Speaker Snapshot (see comments for a detailed breakdown).

And it's whole point is that it's not linear.
We want to meet you exactly where you're at.

When our members join, the very first thing we do is help them get their Speaker Foundations in place:

1. Clarity on your messaging 💬
2. Sharper positioning 🧩 
3. Enquiry systems to attract opportunities 🧲

That way, every action they take can compound.

From there, they'll score themselves on each of the 12 sections to help them identify their next high leverage move.
 
The result? A roadmap that's designed for you.

All our events, resources and support are centered around the Snapshot, so it helps you to curate your member experience.

---

MicDrop is my community for thought leaders who speak. We're down to our final 5 spaces. 2 verbally confirmed. If you'd like to join us in March, head to my bio to book a call.

P.s. The extremely talented Hannah Wilson created this image.

The Overton Window is what separates 1% communicators from everyone else...👇 

It's used by politicians to gauge how well an idea might land with the public.

Ideas that fall inside the window are considered normal and expected 🥱.
Ideas that fall outside it range from radical to unthinkable 🤯.

Simple enough.

---

Imagine a family that's never owned a pet.

Inside the window: A safe, forgettable goldfish 🐠 
Outside the window (at either end): A cat 🐈‍⬛ and a dog 🐕 

What end of the spectrum they sit on is down to personal taste 🤭.

The point is, it's all relative.

---
Any time we want to land an idea, our job is to take our audience:

1. From Expected: "I already know this."
2. To Radical/Unthinkable: "I've never thought about it that way before." 

The greater the gap between these two points, the more chance you have of breaking through the Window. 

The problem is most people play it safe. 
And it's forgettable.

Audiences want to be challenged - we'd do well to remember this.

---

When your ideas aren't landing, you have two options: 

1. Make the idea more extreme 😱
2. Find better examples to land them 🎯

One leads to outrage.
The other leads to breakthroughs. 

Unfortunately, most people resort to the former when they're fed up of being ignored. Polarisation has a lot to answer for.

---

1% communicators realise that the right example can change everything.

When they've pinned down an idea they believe in, they don't just stop at the first way of landing it (usually your personal story).

They look further: 
History 📜 | Science 🧪 | Culture 🌎 | Nature 🐅 | Technology 💾 | Data 📊 | Art 🖼️ | People 👥

Testing the same idea multiple ways 🧪.
Until they find one that gains traction 🚀.

That's how idea outliers are created.

---

This is the everyday work inside MicDrop, my community for thought leaders who speak.  

We've got 4 places left before we close our doors, head to my bio for more info.

taplio

The Battle

Dan Murray

Alex Merry

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taplio

The Battle

Dan Murray

Alex Merry

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);}Dan Murray's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAlex Merry's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreDan Murray's LinkedIn Performance