Former Green Beret & Airborne Ranger now CEO of Rising Wealth Club & CFO/COO of GrowthLine Capital

After 22 years in the alternative asset management industry, I founded Jedburgh Advisors as a hedge fund that is focused on providing attractive risk-adjusted returns. We are a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business with a goal to have at least 50% of the employees as U.S. Military veterans. We currently have three funds on our platform: Fund 1 (algo & AI driven fund), Fund 2 (volatility relative value) and Fund 3 (disruptive innovation). We are always looking for new Portfolio Managers to join us.  If you are a talented PM or analyst and want to launch a fund on our platform, please contact us. We are operationally efficient, so small launches are welcome.

David Walker

Nice. The world is moving very rapidly...move with it.

Former Green Beret & Airborne Ranger. CIO, COO, CFO, investor, and author.

Chief Investment Officer & Member of the Executive Committee at Syz Group ¦ 260,000+ followers

View Charles-Henry Monchau, CFA, CMT, CAIA’s profile

A Bloomberg Terminal costs $24,000 a year.
Someone just recreated one using Perplexity Computer for $200 a month...
Could it be a real threat to Bloomberg? 

Bloomberg’s moat has never been the data.
Data is becoming a commodity.
The real moat is the interface:
 • Thousands of keyboard shortcuts
 • Proprietary screens
 • Years of muscle memory burned into finance professionals

The switching cost wasn’t price.
It was retraining.

AI agents collapse that moat.
If an agent can replicate the interface and pull equivalent data from public and licensed sources, the lock-in disappears.

What’s left?
Two things:
1) The chat network — a social product
2) Real-time market feeds — a licensing negotiation
Neither is a technological moat.

The lesson isn’t about Bloomberg.
It’s about every product whose advantage depends on users memorizing complexity.
AI doesn’t learn your system.
It replaces it.

Source: Subodh WarekarSubodh Warekar

20% of the world's oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz.  Now is the time to prevent that from being in jeopardy.

Everyone asks: “Can’t oil just go another way if Hormuz closes?”
@jack pradelli on X did the math

The Strait of Hormuz moves 18.6 million barrels of oil per day.

Now the alternatives:
→ Suez Canal: 4.6M b/d
→ Bab al‑Mandab Strait: 3.1M b/d
→ East–West Pipeline: limited capacity
→ Jask Oil Terminal: still unfinished

Even if you combine Suez + Bab al-Mandab:
7.7M b/d

That’s only 41% of Hormuz capacity.

The other 59%? There is no backup route.

Pipelines help, but they can’t scale fast enough to replace maritime flows. They’re built for specific routes, not global emergency rerouting.

And every “alternative” has its own risk:
• Suez and Bab al-Mandab are chokepoints too
• Pipelines are fixed infrastructure
• Overland routes add cost and geopolitical dependency
• Red Sea routes carry their own security risks

So if Hormuz is disrupted, the system doesn’t reroute smoothly.

It cascades through bottlenecks.

Diversification matters.

But diversification isn’t resilience if the combined alternatives can’t replace the original artery...

Themes are great, but better to pick individual opportunities.

Founder, The Global Investment Letter | 30+ Years Managing Global Equity Portfolios | Navigating Trend Changes in Global Markets

The Investment Theme of Every Decade: What History Says About What Comes Next

 From European stocks to American megacaps, every market cycle crowns a new leader, until the next one takes its place.

Every decade tells a different investment story. The chart above, sourced from MSIM, Bloomberg, FactSet, and Haver, illustrates how global leadership in markets has shifted dramatically from one era to the next.

In the 1950s, European equities led as postwar reconstruction fuelled growth. The 1960s brought the “Nifty Fifty,” a handful of high-quality U.S. growth stocks that investors believed could justify any valuation. The 1970s rewarded commodities and emerging markets as inflation surged and the dollar weakened. The 1980s crowned Japan, whose stock market seemed unstoppable until its spectacular collapse. The 1990s saw the rise of American technology. The 2000s returned to emerging markets and raw materials. And the 2010s and 20s have belonged to U.S. “mega caps.”

Each of these episodes shared a common process: conviction turned to concentration, and concentration eventually led to vulnerability. By the time investors became fully committed to one theme, the conditions that had driven its success were already eroding.

Today, markets once again appear clustered around a dominant narrative—the supremacy of U.S. technology giants. The FAANG (Magnificent 7) cohort and their peers have delivered exceptional results due to the transformative promise of artificial intelligence. Yet history reminds us that no leadership lasts forever. Whether through valuation excess, policy shifts, or structural change, markets inevitably rotate to new sources of return.

Investor sentiment, too, follows a familiar pattern. When optimism becomes universal, diversification feels unnecessary. That was true of Japanese equities in 1989, of tech stocks in 1999, and of commodities in 2007. In each case, investors mistook a structural trend for a perpetual one.

The lesson is not that today’s leaders are doomed to fail, but that market dominance tends to sow the seeds of its own undoing.

 The baton may once again pass to regions or sectors currently out of favour. A world of fiscal expansion, tariffs, geopolitical fragmentation, and resource competition could revive the case for tangible assets and select emerging markets. Investors should recall that the greatest opportunities rarely lie where everyone is already looking.

Each Tuesday, I share observations on the investment landscape, framing the risks, behaviours, and events via email. It’s free and designed to provide readers with valuable perspectives and information.

 We share deeper analysis and actionable investment ideas in our premium service, the Global Investment Letter. Sign up for the free weekly commentary and access sample issues of the premium service here: https://lnkd.in/g2mBz8fJ

Another DeepSeek moment for Tech and US equities???
China Pulse: "We are very close to the launch of the latest Chinese AI model, DeepSeek-V4. There is much speculation and some unconfirmed leaks about the efficiency of the upcoming model compared to the American models ChatGPT and Cloud. According to the leaks, the cost of input via DeepSeek's API will be $0.27 per million tokens. If this is true, it will be more than 50 times cheaper than its competitors, whose models cost $15 per million tokens.
Of course, the cost varies due to the different operating mechanisms of the models.
It is not only the tech community that is eagerly awaiting the release of the new model, but also the markets. The emergence of a model that offers competitive efficiency at such low prices will put significant pressure on American AI companies.
The model is scheduled to launch this month, and there are speculations that it will be released in the coming days, coinciding with the start of the Chinese New Year".

Source: China pulse 🇨🇳
@Eng_china5

Remember what CL futures did when Russia invaded Ukraine.

BlackRock Global Chief Investment Strategist

Oil futures in steep backwardation through this week - near term prices well above longer dated contracts (chart) - a signal that markets see supply disruption as temporary.

And those with the means will move to another country.  Look at European history - Centers of Capitalism move when a country falls into collapse.

Precious Metals Analyst📈 | Featured: investing.com, FXStreet | Join 1,000+ weekly readers at the Gold Edge Report

Politicians promise solutions, but the math says America is running on borrowed time.

When Ray Dalio talks about debt, he does not frame it as opinion. He frames it as pattern recognition. After studying centuries of market history, he is describing what tends to happen when nations reach this stage, not guessing what might happen next.

-Debt has surged past 38 trillion dollars and continues climbing
-New borrowing is being used to pay interest on existing borrowing
-This is the late stage pattern seen repeatedly in historical reserve currencies
-Interest payments in the United States are now exceeding what is spent on national defence.

The loss of purchasing power is not theoretical, it is already happening quietly through currency debasement.

History shows these cycles rarely end with a clean reset. They are resolved through some combination of inflation, currency weakness, and a restructuring of the financial order. The shift feels gradual while it is happening, but the long term impact is anything but.

History suggests these shifts happen slowly, then suddenly. Are you positioning for that possibility or assuming this time is different?

Contagion?  Remember the old saying, "If you lived through one financial crisis, you've lived through one financial crisis."  They are all different:  dot.com, GFC, Covid, etc.

From the Financial Times:

"Shares of the biggest private investment managers on Wall Street tumbled on Thursday after Blue Owl permanently restricted investors from exiting a debt fund for retail investors, sending shivers through the industry."

#markets #privatecredit #blueowl #investing #investors

🤖 Top 10 most visited AI websites in the world (December 2025)

1.🇺🇸 chatgpt. com (US) – 5,212,821,273 visits
2.🇺🇸 gemini. google. com (US) – 679,929,570 visits
3.🇺🇸 openai. com (US) – 573,485,401 visits
4.🇨🇳 deepseek. com (CN) – 305,810,342 visits
5.🇨🇳 chat.deepseek. com (CN) – 233,026,658 visits
6.🇺🇸 perplexity. ai (US) – 221,992,170 visits
7.🇺🇸 claude. ai (US) – 178,315,660 visits
8.🇩🇪 deepl. com (DE) – 158,248,746 visits
9.🇺🇸 character. ai (US) – 153,196,102 visits
10.🇺🇸 copilot. microsoft. com (US) – 96,587,855 visits

Source: Tech Informer (December 2025)

Source: Cata Paul 🃏‍‍‍
@CataPaul2

I think the graph should be on a logarithmic scale.

Independent Macro Strategist | Financial Markets Commentator | • Historical • Macro Trends • Metals • Energy • Equities • Bonds • Real Estate • Crypto • Systemic Risk | Author of “Beyond The Headlines”

🟠 ₿ITCOIN: THE MEGAPHONE OF MAYHEM 📣

There may only be a whimper coming out of the Bitcoin raging bull quarter right now… but what’s shrieking out loud and clear through THE MEGAPHONE OF MAYHEM is simple:
💥 Bitcoin could crash to $28K in 2026.

🩸 BLOOD ON THE TRACKS?
The chart shows Bitcoin’s megaphone technical pattern that emerged in 2017. To me, it perfectly matches the brouhaha from Bitcoin bulls, with their promises of:
💰 Getting rich quick
🧍‍♂️ Becoming financially independent
⛓️‍💥 Operating outside the system

🔺 Upper Trend Line—“Line of Death”
Connects Bitcoin’s 4-year halving cycle peaks:
📈 2017: $19K
📈 2021: $69K
📈 2025: $126K

🔻 Lower Trend Line—“Line of Life”
Connects Bitcoin’s 4-year halving cycle troughs:
📉 2018: $3K
📉 2022: $15K
📉 2026: $28K (Projected)

🌀 TANGLED UP IN BLUE
Back in January 2025, when Bitcoin was trading at $98K, I sounded a warning:
🚨 The lessons of history say Bitcoin could crash to $30K by 2026.
🤷‍♂️ Many said I “didn’t understand crypto.”
 
💡 The truth? Crypto is surprisingly simple:
✅ High correlation to leveraged tech stocks
✅ Repeating 4-year halving cycles
✅ Blindingly obvious technical patterns

🌊 SURE IS GONNA BE ROUGH
Bitcoin rose from $98K in Jan 2025 to $126K by Oct 2025… then recently fell to $60K. Now? Bitcoin appears to be mid-bear market, primed for a total 78% drop from $126K to $28K.

🌃 IN THE SPOTLIGHT SO CLEAR
Bitcoin’s deteriorating performance is concerning:
🐂 2018-21: +2,200% gains
🐂 2022-25: +740% gains (66% lower compared to 2018-21)

🧠 A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
The next bull cycle (2026-29) may only see 250% gains ($28K to $98K). Bitcoin could fail to take out its 2025 high of $126K, locking itself into a long-term secular bear market downtrend.

🔜 REVOLUTION IN THE AIR?
1️⃣ A major secular capital rotation took place in 2025 from risk-on to risk-off assets (S&P 500-to-gold ratio breaking below critical 10-year average).
2️⃣ Since 2012, ‘Risk-on’ Bitcoin has a 94% correlation to the 3X Leveraged NASDAQ.
🤔 If Bitcoin thrived in a risk-on secular bull market since 2009, why wouldn’t it suffer in a risk-on secular bear market?
 
🪓 ONE DAY THE AXE WILL FALL
Legendary investor Michael Burry warns:
🕳️ At $50K Bitcoin, miners would go bankrupt, selling reserves, and tokenised metals futures would collapse into a black hole with no buyers.

💧 RAIN FALLING ON YOUR SHOES…..
Crypto faces a dark future, especially if my prediction of a severe U.S. recession in 2026-28 holds true. Bitcoin has NEVER experienced a major downturn when risk-on assets usually get crushed.

🎶 FINAL THOUGHT
The megaphone noise of Bitcoin is still reverberating—but take a leaf out of Michael Burry’s book: put on your headphones, crank up some Dylan, and let the music drown out the siren calls!

📩 FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
👉 https://lnkd.in/eS9HPvh2

💬 FYI—Richard Keskküla, Charles Najjar, Michiel ₿runet de Roche₿rune, Marco Crotta, Ravi Sidhu, Nasib Fathi, Jake Barber, Jamie Coutts CMT, CFTe

Another quote that might soon come into play, "Sell it all, today!"

"The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." It is probably because "When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you've got to get up and dance." — Chuck Prince, former Citigroup CEO (2007) ( highlights the tendency to ignore risks and repeat dangerous behaviors during a boom and assume that investors know when to cash out!).

Not saying “always buy the dips”, but wanted to share this chart from Ed Yardeni.  The y-axis, appropriately, is logarithmic so that ratio moves look the same at each level.  
Note: in my career there have been more than 13 bear markets and two drawdowns of 50%, a level most investors can’t handle.  What’s interesting to me is that what these drops have most in common is levels of extreme overvaluation preceding them.  What punctures the balloon changes over time, and may not be the headline-grabbing geopolitical events of the day.

This chart clearly spooked markets, but how much of it is actually new?

What has NOT CHANGED:
➡️ We knew companies with balance sheet strength were going to spend and spend to defend position in a fast-evolving, winner-takes-all/most race;
➡️ We knew this spend was going to eat into free cash flow before it generates revenue, as model labs are expected to stay cash negative for years;
➡️ And we knew we were never going to know the payoff quickly.

What has CHANGED:
➡️ Sentiment flipped from buildout hope to adoption fear, from productivity return to disruption risk; 
➡️ Focus consequently turned to terminal value debates with some broad brushing assumptions, from earnings which have not materially deteriorated, let’s see tomorrow’s nvidia report changes that. 

But even against a backdrop that feels more fear than hope right now, this chart of rising compute demand unambiguously supports semiconductors, hardware and energy suppliers. Importantly it shows conviction in ai is rising, not falling.

Chief Helpfulness Officer at Xocial Gong LLC | LinkedIn Strategist | Community-Driven Brand Builder

What is a Personal Link(Ed)In Net(Work)ER?

Let’s break it down:
Link(Ed) = education, connection, access
Net(Work)ER = doing the work, increasing your net, becoming the responder who moves relationships forward

It’s a philosophy, a strategy, and the title of my upcoming book. (A free course is in the works, too. Stay tuned 📚👀.)

I started as a personal trainer with no marketing budget and no visibility. Before I even named my company Iron Dog Fitness, I had a tough realization: no one knew who I was. That sparked a journey of self-education and strategic experimentation.

I learned that Facebook creates awareness, LinkedIn builds trust, and newsletters keep you top of mind. I built my brand around these pillars, eventually growing from unknown to in-demand — and along the way, I helped others do the same.

As I volunteered with chambers of commerce and nonprofits, I used my newsletter and outreach to revive participation and drive real engagement. One councilmember even asked for my help on his mayoral campaign based on the transformation I sparked in his local chamber. That’s when I knew I wasn’t just promoting myself — I was building a repeatable system.

Today, I run Xocial Gong LLC, a LinkedIn-focused marketing agency for small business owners, startups, and freelancers — people like me, who wear too many hats and have too little time or budget.

Most of my clients don’t need to advertise on LinkedIn. They just need to optimize their profile, apply the right etiquette, and use proven outreach methods to get in the door with decision-makers.

That’s where we come in.

Xocial Gong is the “Link” and “Ed” educator that helps you get “In” with your ideal customers. We increase your “Net” profits by doing the “Work” for you on LinkedIn — using “ER” (Effective, Responsive) strategies to fill your calendar with quality leads who are already interested in what you offer.

Let’s connect if you’re ready to turn LinkedIn into your #1 relationship-building tool.
📲 Text me directly: 323-690-1659

Damien Orozco

From former cholo (gang member) → to Personal Trainer Entrepreneur → LAPD Head Strength Coach → Covid took it all → Multi-gig grinder → Now I help B2B pros generate leads on LinkedIn. 💰

I went from being a gang member...

to personal trainer Entrepreneur 

to training the LAPD's football team as their Head Strength Coach 

Yeah. Read that again.

I rebuilt my entire life as a personal trainer.

Then Covid hit.

And I lost everything. Again. But worse than the 2008 economic collapse 

So I did what I had to do.

Uber. DoorDash. Amazon Flex. Uber Eats. Other gigs. 

Sometimes 16-20-hour days.

And I learned something.

Every penny I earned came from my own grind.

That kept me sane. That kept me proud 😃

But while I was grinding, I noticed something.

I'd been doing marketing for free for years.

by volunteering in various communities and organizations to help them get their message out.

So I thought 🤔  Why not make this a business? 🙃

But here's the thing.

Every marketer says the same stuff.

"We do social. We do ads. We do everything."

Nobody in my local network specialized in one thing.

So I went all in on LinkedIn.

Not "I also do LinkedIn."

THE LinkedIn person. 🙃

Four reinventions later, I'm still here.

And if I've learned anything...

It's that you don't need to do everything.

You need to be the best at one thing.

Every reinvention taught me the same lesson: specialize or blend in.

If you're in the messy middle right now, keep going. The grind is the story. 💪

#LinkedInTips #ReinventYourself #B2BMarketing #EntrepreneurJourney #StanSocialSprint

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Alignable event and account invite

Want my free "The 3-1-1 Client Formula: Book Your Calendar with Qualified B2B Leads in Just 5 Minutes a Day on LinkedIn"? Comment 👉🏾 5 a Day Workbook in the comments

LinkedIn 5 a Day Workbook Lead Magnet

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LinkedIn Xocial Mastery Invite

Want more helpful tips. If you're based in the USA or Canada, I'd like to invite you to join my LinkedIn Xocial Mastery Community👀🗣️😃 Comment 👉🏾 "COMMUNITY and I will reach out to you with instructions on how to join for FREE!

LinkedIn Xocial Mastery Community Invite

Stan Store Affiliate Lead Magnet Link

Here is how to get leads and clients on Instagram with automation and AI👉🏾 https://join.stan.store/XocialGong

30 Minute Discover CTA Invite

Need help with a marketing strategy tailored to your specific needs? Let's have a conversation. Book A Discover Call With Us Today!👉🏾 https://calendly.com/xocialgong/30-minute-discovery-call

iron-dog-fitness

commerce-business-council

xocial-gong-llc

xocial-gong-press-release

Chief Helpfulness Officer at Xocial Gong. Your personal Link(Ed)In Net(Work)ER. We hook’m, book’m and all you do is close’m. Let’s grow your business. Find out how! 👉🏾📞🗣️💬 +1 323.690.1659

You're right if you think I use AI, and you should too. 🤖✨

I started using it to get ideas for my content, but I never used ChatGPT because, in my experience, its knowledge base is outdated. ⏳

I still use AI, but I am not totally dependent on it. 🙅♂️

Now I've changed my approach. 🔄

I write myself, ask it to check for grammar issues, and even improve it. 📝✅

Sometimes getting ideas from AI gets me past a day of brain fog or writer's block. 💡🧊

All I can say is 
You should use AI 🚀
But don't be totally dependent on it. 🛑

You've got an amazing mind and a great sense of thinking. 🧠🌟

Write what you do 🗣️

What you've experienced 🌍

Take help from AI to refine the writing. 🧰

Use it as an assistant, not the whole thing. 👥

How do you use AI? Do you prefer ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, CoPilot, or something else (no sales pitches please, they will be instantly deleted and you will be permanently blocked by my twitchy trigger finger on autopilot)❓🔒

😮 Monday Myth-Buster 👉🏾 You don't need more followers. You need the right 100.

You need 10K followers before you can get clients on LinkedIn

Everyone says you need 10K followers to make money on LinkedIn. 

That's a lie.

I've seen people with 500 followers close deals by talking to the RIGHT people.

Big audiences often mean freebie-seekers. Small, targeted audiences buy.

If you want to learn how to find buyers, not followers, comment 👉🏾 COMMUNITY
#standaretopost #marketingmythbuster #leadgeneration #marketingstrategy

I handed my entire digital life to Meta’s new AI… and it built THIS in seconds! 🤯🤖

I’ve been experimenting with Meta's new Manus AI creative features, and I honestly can’t believe the results. 

I wanted to see if it could take the "me" out of my scattered online presence and turn it into a cohesive professional home base.

The Experiment:

I gave Manus AI three simple inputs:

1️⃣ My Facebook profile (for personality/voice)
2️⃣ My LinkedIn (for professional history)
3️⃣ My Portfolio of Services (for what I actually do)

The Prompt:

"Visit my Facebook page. Extract bio, featured stories, popular posts, and product information. Build a landing page: hero section (brand story), service cards (from featured content), social proof (top comments), and contact form. Match my Facebook aesthetic style."

Because my Facebook page is protected by extra security measures, it couldn't access anything despite being public, so I gave it a link to my LinkedIn profile and my "Portfolio of Services" PDF. 🤔💭

The Result:

🤖  https://xocial-gong.com/ 👀

It captured the vibe of helping small businesses grow without the cold-calling headache.

👇 THE CHALLENGE 👇

Check out the site and tell me: Does this actually sound like me? 🧐

If you could feed your social profiles into an AI to build anything right now, what would you have it make? A portfolio? A store? A fan club for your cat? 🐈

Drop your thoughts (and honest feedback on the site!) in the comments below!
#MetaManus #AIWebsiteBuilder #ManusAI #XocialGong #LeadGeneration #FutureOfWork #AIExperiment #SmallBusinessGrowth

xocial-gong.com

Xocial Gong - LinkedIn Lead Generation & Digital Marketing

🧧 Gallop into 2026! Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧

Today (February 17, 2026) marks the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, and the energy is absolutely electric! 🐎🔥

While every Year of the Horse is known for energy and freedom, 2026 is extra special. 

It’s a Fire Horse year. A rare event that only happens once every 60 years! 

In Chinese astrology, the Horse is the 7th animal in the zodiac, and when paired with the Fire element, it creates a "cosmic double espresso" of momentum.

🌟 What does the Fire Horse signify?

Unstoppable Momentum: The Horse represents speed and success (there’s even a Chinese idiom, mǎ dào chéng gōng, meaning "instant success upon the horse’s arrival").

Bold Transformation: Fire adds passion and creativity. This is the year to stop overthinking and start doing. It’s about breaking old patterns and charging toward new horizons.

Freedom & Spirit: Horses hate to be reined in. This year encourages us to embrace our independence and find our own "gallop."

🏮 How to celebrate today:

Wear Red: To invite good fortune and balance the intense Fire energy, red is your best friend today!
Feast with Family: Dumplings (shaped like ancient gold ingots) are a must for prosperity. 🥟
Stay Active: Since the Horse loves movement, today is the perfect day to take a walk, start a new project, or just get your blood pumping!

Whether you’re a Horse, a Tiger, or a Dragon, let’s harness this fiery spirit to make 2026 a year of bold leaps and bright beginnings.
Wishing you all health, wealth, and "Horse Power" in 2026! 🐎✨
#LunarNew Year #YearOfTheHorse #FireHorse2026 #ChineseNewYear #SpringFestival #NewBeginnings

Today's Hot take 🔥: I just read an article on Entrepreneur titled "Networking Got Me Nowhere. Here's the Smarter Alternative." and I have to respectfully disagree! 🙅‍♂️🗣️

The author argues that we should ditch traditional networking in favor of building deep, genuine human connections (like being interested instead of interesting, and playing the long game).

My take? Why not both?! 🤝

Networking isn't the enemy. It's the introduction and everything you do the minute you come face to face with someone new at a networking event! 

You can absolutely go out, shake hands, and meet new people, while ALSO focusing on building authentic, human relationships with them rather than just aggressively pitching yourself (Don't be the business card 'Pusher')!

Using this combined approach of active networking + genuine connection-building has been the ultimate game-changer for my new business. 

Here is the proof:

🌱 The Short Game: I’ve gained amazing new business from people I didn't even know until very recently, all thanks to putting myself out there and networking.

🌳 The Long Game: People I met way back when I first started networking in 2008 have recently become clients! 

Why? Because networking brought them into my orbit, and genuine connection meant we kept in touch for over 15 years.

You don’t have to stop networking to build a community. Networking plants the seeds; authentic connection grows the tree!🌱🌳

What do you guys think? Do you agree with the article that networking is dead, or is it all about how you handle the relationship after the handshake? Let me know below!👇🏾

🔗 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gE5QBXC8
#Networking #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #RelationshipBuilding #CommunityBuilding #BusinessTips

entrepreneur.com

Networking Got Me Nowhere. Here's the Smarter Alternative.

Stop chasing cold leads. You're not a telemarketer from 1997. 🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♂️💨📞

So why do so many people still use LinkedIn like it's the Yellow Pages? 

Every day, you see it:

👉🏾 Copy-paste messages. 
👉🏾 Generic sales pitches. 
👉🏾 Zero context. 

Result: Igonre, Delete. Delete, Block. 🚫

Here's the ugly truth. 

Cold outreach is dead weight. Sure, spam enough people, and you might land a call. But your calendar? Packed with time-wasters who were never even interested. ⏰

My advice to you. Stop playing the numbers game. 🎲

Instead, human-first is my mode of operation for outreach, and it's changed everything. 🤝

No gimmicks. No fake "I love your profile!" lines. Just real conversations.

Here's what actually works for me:

1️⃣ I read their recent posts. Actually read. Not just skim. 👀
2️⃣ I leave a comment that shows some thought. Something only someone who paid attention would say. 💬
3️⃣ I connect with a short note, no pitch. Just, "Saw your post about XYZ, made me think (or what I loved about the post). Looking forward to learning more."
4️⃣ I keep showing up. Comment. Like. Share if it makes sense. 🔄
5️⃣ Only after a real conversation do I ask if there's a way I can help. Or if my work could solve a problem. 🤔💭

You know the result? My calendar's busy. Not with freebie-seekers or people who can't remember sending the invite. But with founders, business owners, and decision-makers who actually want to talk. 🎯

People respond to people. Not to generic scripts.

Want quality leads? Stop pushing. Start listening. 👂

If you're tired of chasing ghosts 👻👀, try human-first approach for a week. Track the difference. Thank me later. 😃

Tag someone who still thinks cold pitching works. Or drop your worst canned message below. I could use a laugh. 😂
#LinkedInTips #LeadGeneration #HumanFirst #SalesStrategy #BusinessGrowth

AI Visibility Audit — Find Out If AI Search Can Find Your Business
Is your business showing up when customers ask ChatGPT or Google AI

.......to recommend a service like yours? Most small business owners don't know, and that's costing them customers (Hint: because the customers are going to the businesses that do get mentioned).

I provide an AI Optimization (AEO) Audit that shows you exactly where your business stands in AI-generated search results, and how you compare to your competitors. If that's important to you, keep reading. If not, it's a great time to stop reading and read something else.

Here's what you get:

✅ Website Access Check — Find out if AI systems can actually crawl and read your site
✅ AI Visibility Test — See whether your business appears when AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Mode answer questions your ideal customers are asking
✅ Competitor Comparison — Discover which competitors ARE showing up in AI answers — and why
✅ Visibility Gap Report — A clear, plain-language breakdown of where you're missing out and what to do about it

Why it matters now:

Search is changing fast. Even businesses with strong traditional SEO are becoming invisible as customers shift to AI-powered discovery. This audit gives you a concrete, honest look at your AI presence today.

📍 Perfect for small business owners who want to stay ahead of the curve, understand the new rules of online visibility, and work with someone who can actually fix the gaps.

No jargon. No fluff. Just a clear, honest picture of where you stand today.

If you're curious where your business shows up — or doesn't — let's talk.

Drop a 👋 in the comments or send me a message, and I'll tell you how it works.

I just discovered why 90% of marketers are getting LinkedIn wrong in 2026. (And it's costing them millions in reach.)

Here's the thing: while everyone's still typing out thought-leadership essays, video content is quietly eating up the entire platform.

The data? Brutal:

→ Video views grew 36% YoY in 2025
→ Video creation is growing 2x faster than ANY other post type
→ Native videos get 3-7% engagement rates (vs. 1-2% for text)
→ LinkedIn users are 20x more likely to share a video

But here's what most people miss...

It's not about being "polished."
It's not about expensive production.
It's about being REAL.

LinkedIn's algorithm in 2026 actively hunts for:
✅ Original ideas
✅ Authentic voice
✅ Real expertise
✅ Human storytelling

And demotes:
❌ AI-generic content
❌ Corporate fluff
❌ Posts with zero value

The winning formula I will be testing out: 👇🏾

🎯 First 3 seconds: Bold hook (stop the scroll)
🎯 Next 60 seconds: Educational value + personality
🎯 Last 10 seconds: Strong CTA for engagement

(Of course I won't hit it second for second every time, but that is the goal)

Keep it under 90 seconds. Add captions. Upload natively. Be human.

That's it.

Video isn't the future of LinkedIn.
It's the present.

And if you're still only posting text? You're leaving 5x engagement on the table.

What's stopping YOU from hitting record?👇🏾

Let's talk about the version of entrepreneurship nobody puts on a highlight reel. 🎢 

People see the success and say, "Oh, they got lucky," or "It must be nice." 

What they didn't see was the 2 am panic attacks, the deals that fell through, the months where confidence was the only currency left in the account. 

Nobody hands you a manual that says, "Hey, this journey is going to shake you, break you, and rebuild you more times than you can count." 

They show you the trophy and skip the whole story of how it was almost never won.

The truth is, entrepreneurship isn't a straight road to the top.

Entrepreneurship is a full-blown rollercoaster with loops, drops, and moments where you're screaming and don't know if it's from fear or excitement (usually both). 😅 

Every entrepreneur you admire has a drawer full of failures they don't talk about at dinner parties. 

The struggle is real, raw, and what actually makes success mean something. 

So if you're in the middle of the ride right now, white-knuckling the safety bar, keep going. 

The view from the top hits different when you earn every single inch of it. 🙌

🚨 SEO as we know it is changing forever. Is your brand keeping up? 🚨

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s new AI Answers, you are leaving massive traffic on the table. 

The days of manual keyword guessing are out; AI visibility is IN. 🚀
Want to learn exactly how the top 1% of marketers are future-proofing their search traffic?

You need to check out Search Atlas’s AI Search Summit! 🧠🤖

It’s a 100% FREE 5-day virtual masterclass (Feb 23rd - 27th) where industry heavyweights pull back the curtain on how to get your brand recommended by the world's top AI engines—without the manual grind.

Here’s what you’ll walk away with: 

✅ Proven strategies to rank in ChatGPT, Perplexity & Google AI 
✅ "Agentic workflows" that automate the heavy lifting and save you hours 
✅ The exact framework 15,000+ companies use to dominate the new era of search

Stop guessing what works and start dominating AI search. Grab your FREE ticket before the doors close! 👇🎟️

🔗 Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gw5p69Fi
#SEO #DigitalMarketing #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #MarketingStrategy #SearchAtlas

searchatlas.com

Everything to Rank Higher, Faster. Watch the Sessions & Follow Along.

🚀 THE AI SHAKEOUT: Who is Actually Powering Your Phone in 2026📱

If you’ve felt like your smartphone got a sudden "brain transplant" recently, you aren’t imagining it. The "Big Three" (Apple, Samsung, and Google) have completely rewritten the rules of mobile AI.

Here is your 2-minute cheat sheet on who is doing what:

🍎 Apple: Siri’s New "Gemini" Heart
Apple surprised everyone by choosing Google Gemini to be the core "reasoning engine" for Siri in iOS 26.4.

What’s New: 🤔💭

Siri is finally... smart. It uses Gemini for complex tasks (like finding a specific receipt in your emails and summarizing it).
The Privacy Twist: It all runs on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, so Google never actually "sees" your data. It’s Gemini’s brain with Apple’s vault.

🌌 Samsung: The "Triple-Threat" Ecosystem
Samsung decided one AI wasn't enough, so they built a "Multi-Agent" system.

➡️ Google Gemini: Handles the heavy lifting for content creation and app automation.
➡️ Perplexity: Integrated via the Sonar API to handle real-time web searches (Just say "Hey Plex!").
➡️ Bixby: Still here! It handles your hardware settings but uses Perplexity's backend for web answers.
💎 Google Pixel: The "Home Base" Advantage

If you want the "unfiltered" AI experience, the Pixel 10 is where it’s at. Because Google builds the chip (Tensor G5), the OS, and the AI, the integration is seamless.

System-Level Agency: Unlike the others, Gemini on Pixel can actually do things for you across apps (like cleaning your inbox or organizing files) without you lifting a finger.

Magic Cue: It predicts what you need next based on your context. Talking about a flight? Your boarding pass is already waiting for you.

💡 The Bottom Line

We’ve moved past the era of "Single AI" phones. Whether you’re Team iPhone, Team Galaxy, or Team Pixel, Gemini is likely the engine under the hood, but how much "freedom" it has depends entirely on your hardware.

Which AI feature are you using the most lately? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇
#AI #TechTrends2026 #GoogleGemini #AppleIntelligence #SamsungGalaxy #SmartphoneEvolution

When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. 
That's what this storm's all about

- Haruki Murakami

🚀 Myth Buster “Posting on LinkedIn is a Waste of Time!”

The Reality: If you think your LinkedIn content is “failing” because it isn’t going viral, you’re looking at the wrong scoreboard. 

A massive new study by Semrush analyzed 325,000 AI prompts, and the results 👀🤔💭: 

LinkedIn is now the #2 cited source across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI. 

This means when people ask AI for professional advice, industry trends, or “how-to” guides, the AI is looking at LinkedIn to find the answers.

The Best Part? AI engines don’t care about vanity metrics. 

The study found that AI cites low-engagement posts just as often as viral hits. 

You don’t need 500 likes or a “broem” format to win; you just need clear structure, relevance, and providing actual value. 

While you’re worrying about your follower count, AI bots are busy indexing your expertise and serving it directly to your target audience as a trusted recommendation.

The Verdict: LinkedIn isn’t just a social network anymore 😃

LinkedIn is a high-authority database for the future of search. 

Every time you post valuable content, you aren’t just talking to your immediate feed; you’re training the world’s most powerful AI engines to recognize you as an expert. 

Stop chasing “likes” and start building authority. The visibility is taking care of itself! 🤖📈 

Want more great tips? Follow me, connect with me, and ask to join my LinkedIn Xocial Mastery Community (because it’s free, it’s for small business owners and other business professionals in B2B sales, and B2C are welcome to join too).

#linkedinstrategy #standaretopost #AIMentions

The $0 profile tweak that gets decision-makers to reply. 😃

Change this ONE thing on your LinkedIn profile and watch your reply rate double. 🥳

Rewrite ✍️ your headline from job title ("Marketing Consultant") to outcome ("I help B2B companies book 10+ qualified calls/month"). Takes 30 seconds. Costs nothing.

Want a free unbiased opinion of your LinkedIn profile 🤔💭 DM me 'profile'."
#standaretopost #marketingforfree #businessgrowth #linkedinprofileoptimization #xocialgong

The dreaded "Connect" button 🔘

The button is the digital equivalent of walking up to someone at a networking event and deciding whether to offer a firm handshake, a friendly wave, or immediately hand them a brochure for your services.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of these, and honestly, the etiquette is a hot topic.

Which camp do you fall into?

The LinkedIn Connection Dilemma: Choose Your Fighter 🥊

The "Silent Type" (Blank Request)
You click connect and hope the profile picture does the talking. It’s low-friction, but are you mysterious or just busy?

The "Thoughtful Connector" (Personalized Message) 
You mention a shared connection, a recent post, or a genuine curiosity about their work. High effort, high conversion, or is it just clutter?

 The "Aggressive Closer" (Immediate Sales Pitch) 
You’re here to work, and you don’t waste time. It’s bold, it’s efficient, and it’s usually an automatic "ignore" for 90% of the population.

The Challenge

I want to know your stance. 

Be honest:

If you see a connection request with no note, are you more or less likely to accept it?

What is the absolute worst "immediate pitch" you’ve ever received? (Keep it anonymous, of course!)

Drop your take in the comments below. Let’s settle the debate on whether personalization actually pays off or if we’re all just shouting into the void.
#standaretopost #LinkedInconnectionrequests
#marketingdebate
https://lnkd.in/gmpqijEw

instagram.com

Damien Orozco - LinkedIn B2B Specialist | The dreaded "Connect" button 🔘 The button is the digital equivalent of walking up to someone at a networking event and deciding whether to... | Instagram

Here's how you write a LinkedIn post in 5 minutes flat. ⏰

You waste too much time staring at a blank page.

Stop overthinking. 🚫

Minute one. Pick a real problem your audience actually cares about. Not some imaginary pain point from a spreadsheet. Something you know keeps them up at night.

Minute two. Write your first line. Make it punch. If your own thumb wouldn't stop the scroll, rewrite it.👍🏾

Minute three. Call out the obvious mistake. What's everyone getting wrong about this problem? Say it. Don't tiptoe. 🚩

Minute four. What works instead? Give the fix. Keep it simple. No five-step formulas, just what you'd tell a friend over coffee. ☕

Minute five. Ask something that makes people react. A spicy question. Or tell them what to do next. Don't toss in a limp "What do you think?" 🔥

Now, here's the fun part.

No editing round. No "let me tweak this for thirty minutes" nonsense.

Just post.
Move on.
Repeat tomorrow. 🔁

Most never hit publish because they want to sound perfect.
Meanwhile, the people who post every day are the ones everyone remembers. 👀

Stop sweating over commas.
Start showing up.

Who's brave enough to try this today?
Tag me when you do.
Let's see who really wants to be seen.

Every day, I meet people who feel threatened by AI 🤖

I get it. The headlines want us scared, and some so-called experts say the answer is simple, just cut your team and go all-in on AI & automation.

If that's your business plan, you shouldn't be in business.

AI shouldn't replace people. If it does, you missed the point.

The real winners? Business owners who see AI as a tool to help their teams level up 🚀

When you get your team onboard with AI, and use it right, everything changes.

That pile of work that used to take hours or days... done in minutes ⏱️

Your team moves faster. Smarter decisions happen. Professional growth takes a next level.

AI doesn't make your people less valuable. It makes them unstoppable 💪

If your goal is a smaller team, you're going to lose. The ones who use AI to empower their people will outpace everyone else, every time.

#StanDareToPost #AILeadership #FutureOfWork #TeamEmpowerment #BusinessGrowth

Entrepreneur 👉🏾 Samurai Warrior Discipline
⚔️ The Modern Shogun: Why Entrepreneurship Demands Samurai Discipline

Success isn't just about the "hustle" 👉🏾 it’s about the Code. 🏯

The most successful founders aren't just visionaries; they are warriors of discipline. The bridge between a startup and a legacy is built with the same principles that guide the Samurai.

🏮 The Pillars of the Entrepreneurial Samurai:

👉🏾 Fudoshin (Immovable Mind): When the market crashes or a launch fails, do you crumble? A warrior maintains a "calm heart" in the heat of battle. Business is 10% what happens and 90% how you remain centered.

👉🏾 Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): The sword is never finished; it is constantly refined. Discipline means showing up to sharpen your craft daily, even when no one is watching.

👉🏾 Zanshin (Lingering Awareness): Even after a victory, the Samurai remains alert. Success is a dangerous place to get comfortable. Stay vigilant, stay focused, and never lose your "edge."

👉🏾 Bushido (The Way): Integrity is your ultimate armor. In business, your reputation is your blade. If it’s dull or notched by dishonesty, you’ve already lost the war.

"The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you cut, pivot, stay, or strike, you must always be motivated by the same intention." — Miyamoto Musashi

✍️ The Takeaway:

Your business is your dojo. Your tasks are your training. Don't just work 👉🏾 cultivate.
Master your mind, and you will master your market. 🦾
#Entrepreneurship #SamuraiMindset #Discipline #Bushido #founderlife

Damien Orozco - LinkedIn B2B Specialist on Instagram: "⚔️ The Modern Shogun: Why Entrepreneurship Demands Samurai Discipline Success isn't just about the "hustle"—it’s about the Code. 🏯 The most successful founders aren't just visionaries; they are warriors of discipline. The bridge between a startup and a legacy is built with the same principles that guides the Samurai. 🏮 The Pillars of the Ent

Most people think building a brand is about logos, photos, and peak moments. 👀🤔💭😮

All surface. Right up until they discover nobody connects with the "brand" except bots and spammers. 🤖

Awkward.

I'll be blunt. You can't ghost on your network all month, post twice a year, then hope people remember you exist. 

You show up only during hype cycles? Sit back while smarter operators eat your lunch. 🍽️

Try this playbook:

You reply anyway when you'd rather lay low. 😶

Publish when you're totally out of ideas. 💡

Drop comments that start a conversation, without chasing easy wins for fake stats. 🗣️

Demanding? No. It's called being visible on purpose. 👀

Left it on autopilot? Customers will look past you. Peers too. 

I get asked why I bother building my own reputation. "Isn't it enough to help others do well?" 

Here it is: nobody hires a phantom. Especially not to manage eyeballs on LinkedIn. 🕵️♂️

Turns out, "personal brand" is just your name – popping up everywhere people in your field already look. That's the whole trick, if we're honest. 🧩

You want new clients? 

It all starts in the same place: out here, being trackable and trusted above "brand accounts." 🎯

It's not glamorous, mostly a quiet grind:

Be seen. 👋
Be someone.
Be the reason they scroll back, not past. 🔄

Pretend it's overwhelming if you want. That's comfort zone thinking. The rest know what to do. 🔥
#personalbranding #visibility #linkedinstrategy #brandbuilding #leadgeneration

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The Battle

David Walker

Damien Orozco

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Performance ScoreDavid Walker's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

David Walker

Damien Orozco

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);}David Walker's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreDavid Walker's LinkedIn Performance