Dina Calakovic

I help you attract & convert clients through Power Writing. | Ranked No.37 LinkedIn Creator in the world & No.1 woman for Personal Branding. | Brand → Content → Copy

Imagine waking up to a business you love.

You work with the clients you choose, on terms you set.

You sell without outbound DMs, sales calls, or custom proposals.

Your clients always make the first move.

You take month-long vacations every summer, work from anywhere in the world, all while coaching people without having to put pants on.

Client delivery is reduced to 4-10 hrs/week max, leaving you with 30+ hrs to work on your business, rather than responding to other people's requests.

Sounds pretty good?

It is.

And despite how things look right now, it isn’t some unattainable dream reserved for big names with even bigger followings.

In fact, you have something they don’t.

The opportunity to build a scalable coaching business from day 1.

Because everything's built around simple systems & processes.

Giving you the time & energy needed to get clients results, and build a business with 90%+ profit margins without doubling your workload.

It’s a simple model with plenty of profit & room to grow.

But it requires a shift.

Because even though it's simple in theory, execution’s a nightmare.

I lived that life for a decade, made every mistake in the book, and learnt how to hit consistent $10k months the hard way.

And that’s a headache you don’t want to deal with.

Which is where the Authority Club comes in.

It’s a community for professionals who understand that results come from applying proven methods day in, day out.

Here’s how it works:

Phase 1, we design your Offer Staircase based on your BIG 3 (Problem + Ideal Client + Uniqueness). Establishing you as an expert who solves a specific problem for a specific person better than anyone else. 

Phase 2, we install the Offer Onion & Workshop Funnel into your business so you can break through the earning cap, 3x your profits & generate fast cash on demand. 

And once this strategy gets you to $10k+/months, Phase 3 begins. We plug in a semi-automated system that continues to make money even when you hit the brakes — so you can enjoy the ride with no exit plan in mind.

This is the part in the action movie where you walk away from an explosion in slow motion.

By joining the Club, you get Office Hours with Stevan and myself 2x/week, where you can ask us anything & get live support.

We also run live Workshops on the topics you request & need, so we can overcome the big bottlenecks on your journey. 
 
You’ll never get stuck, as you have weekly sessions with both of us & a community full of legends just like yourself you can rely on.

Sounds good?

Great.

DM me “$10K," and I’ll send you the full deets.

Co-Founder

Nobody cares about you.

This is the first, and the most important marketing lesson you should learn.

People only care about WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM.

Regardless of your Industry, level of expertise, or company size - until people believe you can actually SOLVE their problems, you're just a number.

One more SaaS business. One more freelancer. Whatever.

Not an expert they'd ask for advice, listen to what you have to say, or someone they'd BUY FROM.

And that's costing you money. Big time.

Despite of all of your marketing efforts, you're still stuck in the same place - 

struggling with sales, having no idea which words to say to hook your Target Audience, or how to communicate all the benefits your business offers.

Your Brand Authority is WEAK.

The thing is — when you manage to build your Brand Authority, not only do you attract clients, but you attract the RIGHT ones, get paid what you deserve, and do things AS YOU BELIEVE they should be done.

You become the DEFAULT option for your Target Audience.

The question is - how to get there?

Leave it to us.


Here's what we'll do for you:

▪️AUTHORITY WRITING (We do all the heavy lifting for you by writing persuasive LinkedIn Profiles, Sales Pages, and Landing Pages. Ideal for funded startups & SMBs that don’t have a marketing team.)

▪️LINKEDIN AUTHORITY COACHING (Teaching you the same strategy that got me from 700 to 12k followers in 12 months, while averaging 5 Business Inquiries PER DAY, step-by-step. Ideal for up-and-coming online creators.)

▪️BRAND AUTHORITY ACCELERATOR (The Brand Kit for building Authority, i.e. Templates, Cheatsheets & Frameworks for communicating your Brand's Value on all channels. Ideal for marketing teams & up-and-coming online creators.)


Are you ready to master your messaging, take control of your Brand, and become the FIRST option in your Target Audience's mind?

👉🏼 Shoot me a DM, or head over to my Featured section & check out our Offer.

See you on the other side.

These two photos were taken one day apart.

On the left, I’m dressed up, full of energy, coming off a packed week of work and my friend’s 20-year marriage anniversary that turned into a proper celebration.

On the right, it’s the next day.

And I’m completely out.

No energy. Zero desire to be productive. Just done.

If you only saw the first photo, you’d probably assume everything runs like clockwork.

That this is what building a business looks like.

What you don’t see is the part that comes right after.

Also known as “the crash".

The moment your body collects the bill for everything you pushed through the days before.

And this is where a lot of people get it wrong.

Especially the hustle bros.

Their advice always sounds clean.

But it skips over the part where you’re human.

Where a big push is followed by a slower day.

Where showing up at a high level actually takes something out of you.

This isn’t a flaw, and there’s no need to avoid it.

Days like this are simply part of the game.

One that gets edited out before anyone hits "post".

But the truth is, the life on the left doesn’t exist without the reality on the right.

Dina Town

Helping you grow a back-to-back $10k/month coaching business built around 1 core offer, minimal moving parts, and 90%+ profit margins. → Click “View my newsletter” below to steal my system.

I’ve always been labelled “the hater.”

At university, I couldn’t stand the crowd.

Different values. Different ambitions. Different conversations.

I stopped going to half the lectures because I just didn’t want to sit in rooms that drained me.

Same story with my student jobs.

Paycheck was bad. People weren’t much better.

Even now, my friends joke that I need to see someone’s CV before I agree to grab a coffee.

And they’re not completely wrong.

I’m picky about who I choose to spend time with.

Which is why it’s kind of wild how much I love my clients.

After our last session, I just sat there thinking about it.

They’re brilliant at what they do. Super sharp.

But more importantly, they’re amazing human beings.

No ego. No games. No weird energy.

Just thoughtful, principled people building serious things.

I admire them.

And it’s not random.

My content repels as much as it attracts. Meaning, by the time someone becomes a client, the alignment is already there.

But why am I telling you all of this?

Because if Dina the “hater” can end up working with people she absolutely loves,

You can too.

Start writing today, and let the right people self-select into your life.

A good name does 3 things fast:

- Makes the outcome clear.
- Makes it feel desirable.
- Makes it easy to remember.

That’s why people click, ask, and buy before you even explain the details.

People say that undercharging is a reflection of low self-confidence.

But I'd argue it's a wise marketing strategy.

The key is not to undercharge in every offer.

I like to slash prices at the first point of contact with every client.

For example, I charge $3k for a service that brought clients $100k+ in sales.

Some say I’m naive, but they're missing out on an important point;

The idea is to close the sale, then massively overdeliver.

Before you know it, this client is coming back.

Only this time, they're not asking about the price.

Being a solopreneur is crazy hard.

Yeah, it's easier to get started today:

- The sum of human knowledge is at your fingertips.
- You can reach anyone, anywhere, without leaving your house.
- The answers to every question you can think of, and more? 2 clicks away.

But it's also easier to get confused:

- Who do you listen to?
- Which strategy should you adopt?
- How do you stand out from the other guy selling the same thing?

And a thousand other questions that lead you away from your end goal.

The harsh truth:

You can't afford to get confused.

The solution?

→ Stop reading how-to guides.
→ Stop following the latest trend.
→ Start looking for someone who's already where you want to be.
→ Start following in their footsteps by adapting their systems to your business.

I may not be the right person for you to emulate.

But for AG, I was.

That's how, in only 1.5 years, he:

1. Scaled his business to six figures.
2. Bought an apartment in Italy.
3. Is well on his way to doubling his business again in 2026.

My point?

Someone out there has been where you are right now, and has already figured out the system needed to get you to where you want to be.

You just gotta find them, and follow in their footsteps.


P.S. Where did February go?! I’m still catching up with December 2023.

Let me know if this sounds familiar:
 
You see a story about a solopreneur closing one 4-figure deal per week, and think, "This could totally be me."
 
It doesn't take long for your mind to start spending your imaginary income, so you begin to think about how to make it happen. Only instead of finding answers, you discover more questions;
 
- How do I communicate my offer clearly?
- If I want to tell people about something new I’m selling, how should I do it?
- How do I keep my audience interested?
- What do I put in my headline?
- I can get clients results. But how do I make them see it?
 
A few minutes ago, you were spending your summers yachting in the Bahamas and living the life. Now, you're starting to think that maybe a regular 9-5 and reporting to Karen isn't always that bad.
 
There's a solution to your dilemma, and its name is "take one step at a time". If you focus on solving one of those questions today, you’ll realise the whole thing is just a series of small problems waiting to be solved.

→ One clear offer.
→ One post.
→ One email.
→ One conversation with someone who needs it.

Then tomorrow, you do it again.

→ Another post.
→ Another email.
→ Another conversation.

Week after week, the questions that once felt overwhelming start answering themselves.

Your offer gets clearer. Your messaging gets sharper. People start responding.

And before you know it, the thing that once felt complicated turns into a simple rhythm:

- Talk about the problem.
- Explain the solution.
- Have conversations with people who need it.

You can figure each of these out on your own.

Or you can shorten the path by learning from someone who’s already solved those questions thousands of times.

Either way, the principle remains the same.

That’s how the solopreneurs closing one deal per week are doing it.

Not by figuring everything out at once.

But by solving one small problem today.

A sexy name can make a big difference in sales.

In fact, it can be the main differentiator between a 3, 4, or 5-figure promo campaign.

That said, below are a few of my best-performing offer names.

(The first one’s for internal use so ignore it.)

If you pay close attention, you’ll notice they:

→ Lead with a specific, tangible outcome.

 “The $2.35M LinkedIn Bundle.”

→ Signal contrast or tension.

 “Hard Value vs. Soft Value.”

→ Speak to people I intentionally want to attract.

 “Content Pillars That Monetize (Not Grow) Your Audience.”


Sexy names sell in large numbers.

Half the battle is already won in the first five words.

I’ve spent the last week going through my entire Google Drive.

Years of writing. Old offers. Old client work.

When you zoom out like that, patterns start jumping out.

Here’s what I noticed:

✔️ What you’re doing now is your best content.

Every single time I closed a client, it was because I was writing from experience.

- Trends I figured out.
- Strategies that brought results.
- Where I went wrong. (and what to do instead)

There’s something oddly powerful about building in public.

Almost as though it’s irresistible to the reader.

But it makes total sense.

When you talk about the problems you’re solving in real time—

Everything naturally relates back to your ideal clients.


✔️ Case studies are your path to profit.

Chances are, you already have more proof, momentum, and case studies than you think.

You just haven’t been documenting them properly.

I realised that from a single 60-min Masterclass I ran back in 2023:

→ Carlo got 3 leads worth between $45k-$150k in total.
→ Sonia got 2 high-ticket clients on retainer. (I didn’t even write down the numbers.)
→ Dior got her first one-off client and 1 retainer client. (After she wanted to give up on her business.)
→ Darren got his first retainer client at $800/month.

Each of these results is a case study, and each case study is one step away from making an extra $5,000+ a month.

Because the easiest way to attract new clients is by talking about the work you’ve done with past clients.

So sit down, map out 2-3 client transformations, and post about them.

This is how you turn 1 client result into a line of ideal clients knocking at your door.


✔️ Your learning speed is determined by your willingness to look stupid.

Going through years of my own work made that painfully obvious.

Every day, I'm getting over myself.

What I said in the last client session. What I posted 2 years ago. And not to mention the level of cringe when I read a sales page I wrote back in 2020.

But the faster you’re willing to be wrong, the faster you’ll be right.

When you leave your ego at the door, progress follows, and so does the profit.

So back into the trenches we go.

May the cringe be with you. 🤝

In 2020, no one had any idea who I was.

- They didn't know what I did.
- They didn't know what I stood for.
- And they definitely didn't want to hear me talk.

Fast forward to 2026:

- The VP of Brand Marketing at a $2B company
- 6-figure Consultants
- Senior Fortune 500 lawyers turned Coaches
- Justin Timberlake’s former Social Media Manager

All joined the Authority Club.

What happened in between?

Nothing magical. The path is pretty straightforward.
(and stupidly repeatable):

Pick a profitable problem your clients need solving now.
Identify who is willing to pay you to solve it for them.
Then build the rest of your business around that one thing.
And talk about it daily.

Here’s how.

So far this year, I’ve run 16 group sessions inside the Authority Club.

In those sessions alone, I solved 100+ real business problems.

Positioning. Offers. Funnels. Copy. Sales flow. Messaging.

The screenshot below is what we covered in a single session.

This is the real leverage of a group program.

Every week, your clients bring live problems.
You solve them on the spot.
They implement.
They win.

And you build authority in public while doing it.

That’s how you create momentum for them – while signalling to the future clients watching.

It’s a simple business with plenty of profit, and plenty of room to grow.

And the best part is, this model is possible for everyone in the coaching & consulting industry.

Including you :)

Even people who grow big brands get stuck when they go solo.

My recent client JW is a great example.

She worked as a brand & social media manager for BIG names like:

🔥 Home Depot
🔥 Bob Proctor
🔥 Justin Timberlake

And many more.

But when it came to marketing her own solo consultancy, she was stuck.

So how is it possible that the same person who helped the big guys generate millions in sales… struggled to sell her own $5k packages?

Simple.

When you run a solo business, a few things change:

1. You’re not a household name.
2. You’re not backed by a massive marketing budget.
3. You don’t have a team executing every piece for you.

So now it’s all on you.

Your positioning.
Your copy.
Your offers.
Your content.

And that’s where things usually break.

Because knowing how to market a brand…

And knowing how to sell yourself…

are two very different games.

That’s why going solo feels harder than it should.

Not because you lack skill.

But because you’re too close to your own work.

There’s no distance or outside perspective.

And that’s exactly where another expert comes in.

Banner → Remind the reader of their pain.

Headline → Show how you make it go away.

This is how you ensure the first thing prospects see when they land on your profile isn’t their last.

Giving them a strong reason to read on is the name of the game :)

My Write-To-Profit Formula:

***What You're Doing Now + Templates & Swipe File***

Extract topics from what you're working on, then pull out your swipe file & proven templates to turn those topics into profitable content.

Take this week as an example:

- I went through my old G Drive and wrote 2 case studies from client wins I’d forgotten about.
- I mapped out my plan to scale to consistent $30K months, and posted about it.
- 3 clients got 3 big results. (Created 1 post, saved the other 2 for next week.)
- Identified a follow-up that consistently closed high-ticket deals, then wrote an email about it.
- Got a great testimonial, published it.
- Simon started rewriting his LinkedIn profile. (Saved the idea for a future newsletter.)
- Wrote this post outlining the above.

Plugged them all into prewritten templates, so I could write fast.

And just like that, I had ten days of targeted content, all while building in public.

2 years ago, I launched my group coaching program, the Authority Club.

It’s one of the best models I’ve run.

But also one of the easiest to underestimate.

Here are the pros & cons.

PROS:

➕ Recurring revenue. Predictable income gives you peace of mind and takes the pressure off every single month.
➕ Leverage. You deliver once and help many people at the same time.
➕ Built-in social proof. Wins stack fast, so you constantly have results to share.
➕ Scalability. You can grow without your workload increasing at the same rate.
➕ Better thinking. Questions you’d never get in 1:1 sharpen your frameworks.
➕ The people inside are a BIG value add. The shared learning inside the group is phenomenal.

CONS:

➖ Energy management is real. You’re not just coaching, you’re holding the room together.
➖ Not everyone gets equal attention. Some people will always need more than the format allows.
➖ You need serious structure. You can’t “wing it” like in 1:1.
➖ Harder to personalise. Advice has to land for multiple people at once.
➖ Churn hits differently. When people leave, you feel it.
➖ Community doesn’t build itself. Building & marketing a community isn’t for the faint-hearted.

What else do you want to know about group coaching?

👇 Ask below, and I’ll share how it works behind the scenes.

Simple promises sell.

"I'll take your SaaS from 6 to 7 figures without funding."

Is much stronger than:

"Financially fearless, impactful SaaS no one can ignore."

And the reason is obvious.

Simple promises signal you’re confident to deliver.

So next time you're writing, aim for simple.

This is where your clients' doubts go to die.

Here’s my plan to scale to consistent $30K months as a solopreneur.

And create a resilient, more profitable business.👇

→ Step 1. Build Once, Sell Twice.

Currently, I’m wrapping up the Authority Club & working closely with a few 1:1 clients.

The idea is to create space to optimise all of my existing materials, and use them with 1:1 clients to maximise their results.

Then, plug those upgraded materials straight into group coaching and DIY offers.

This is how you ensure that one asset fuels 1,000 sales.


→ Step 2. Scale Without Hiring.

As a solopreneur, you only have so much time in the day.

A few 1:1s, a couple of group sessions, and you’re already running at capacity.

This is why I’m adding one layer that’s infinitely scalable, generates recurring revenue, and acts as the backbone of your solo operation.

All without adding extra work to your plate, or hiring more people.


→ Step 3. Sell On Autopilot.

I recently stopped running my “Set & Forget” email funnel while restructuring parts of my business.

As a result:

- Revenue has become inconsistent.
- Income now comes from 1 source instead of 3, making the business less resilient.
- Leads are tied to hustle. As soon as I stop writing, enquiries slow down.

An email funnel that runs in the background solves all of these problems.

It stabilises your revenue, sells different offers that appeal to different audience problems & spending power, ​​and keeps bringing in sales while you focus on other things.

This is how you write once, sell forever, and keep compounding over time. 

That’s why my main focus now is to keep building systems that protect my time, make my business harder to break, and easier to run.

All while getting paid handsomely in return.


→ Main Challenges:

- Learning new skills needed to support this growth. (main one: paid ads)
- OCDina getting stuck in endless polishing. (set deadlines & ship)
- Prioritising actions that directly drive revenue. (at least 70% of the time)

👇 Back to you. What’s on your radar these days? Drop it in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to bounce some ideas around.

If you want to scale as a solopreneur, structure beats hustle.

Here’s the fastest way to go from selling hours to selling systems👇

→ Step 1.
Do 1:1 work until you find a repeatable process that solves 80% of your clients' problems. (Not there yet? Keep working.)

→ Step 2.
Map out the process. Look at the exact steps you take clients through to get them results they want.

→ Step 3.
Turn the steps into small offers. Break the BIG problem you solve into smaller steps that link into each other.

Think live workshops, masterclasses, bundles, short programs. Each one solves a specific part of the bigger problem.

→ Step 4.
Offer the full process. Once someone solves the first problem with you, the next one appears.

That’s when you offer the full process through group coaching.
Now you’re upselling in bulk instead of one client at a time.

→ Step 5.
Offer more access. Clients who work with you, see how you think and get results will naturally want more access.

That’s where 1:1, intensives, and DFY offers come in.

To sum up:

- 1 process.
- 1 core offer.
- Multiple supporting offers.

That’s how you outsmart the clock and turn your expertise into a system that sells your offers in sequence.

This one question helped me close deals faster:

“When do you need [THING] up and running?”

It sounds simple, but it forces a timeline.

Now the prospect is picturing the outcome… with a date attached to it.

And that’s when things move.


P.S.

If you like this post, you might like my free newsletter, where I go deeper for thousands of curious coaches just like yourself.

Click “View my newsletter” above ⬆️ and jump straight in. The water’s still warm.

If you’re scared about letting go of a bad business model, just remember the 9x9.

I’ve made my share of pivots in the past few years, and the 9x9 has saved me from doubling down on a broken business.

Finding a model that works for you is a balance between making big money, and investing big time.

Here’s how to use it:

1.  Place your current model inside the box based on its max earning potential & time commitment.
2.  Read the definitions of each box (below) & see if that’s the business you want.
3.  Repeat with the model you’re thinking of switching to.

→ Slave Wage: Pretty simple, these models have you working long hours for low pay & need to be kicked out immediately. They’re for those taking their 1st steps into running a business while gaining experience. (High time, low price)

→ Custom DFY: These models can make decent money, but rely on you working long hours to please clients. You’ll pay the bills, but you won’t have free time to do much else. (High time, medium price)

→ Big or Bust: This one has tons of potential. It’s for top experts who work with big companies on 1-time projects. When the going is good, it’s great. But when that project ends, you’d better have some savings while you find the next one. (High time, high price)

→ Little & Often: This model is all about working fast & charging low. You’re good enough to be in high demand, but still scared of charging your worth. Be prepared to jump models before you burn out. (Medium time, low price)

→ Average Joe: This one's neither super profitable nor time-intensive. It’s where most people say “good enough” & stop looking for improvements. To grow, you need to identify what’s missing in your life, and choose a model that gets it for you. (Medium time, medium price)

→ High Earners: This is for those high-level experts who’ve beaten the feast or famine cycle. You take on 1 or 2 massive projects/year & always have another lined up. On paper, you’ve made it, but there’s still room for growth if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone. (Medium time, high price)

→ Automaster: You’ve mastered the art of low-ticket. Selling $100-$500 offers on autopilot with minimal time investment. To get here, you’ve taken the steps to create an Evergreen Funnel, filled it with hungry subscribers & now the whole thing runs in the background. (Low time, low price)

→ Community Coach: Congratulations, you’ve risen through the ranks & now stand in the Top 1% of the 1% Coaches. This one's about solving client problems at scale, with multiple offer layers ensuring that you get paid what your time is worth. (Low time, medium price)

→ ConsulKing: You’re the cream of the crop. All those years spent handling expensive problems for big-name brands have paid off. Now, instead of spending 6 months doing everything yourself, they pay you the big bucks for a couple of hours of your time. (Low time, big price)


Are you happy with your current model, and if not, what’s stopping you from switching it?

🚀 How to launch your digital product in 3 simple steps:
(Save this for your next launch.)

→ Step 1. Generate Demand.

You’re already doing this.

Talk about pains, fears, wants, and results your audience cares about. From different angles. Every week.

And the longer you do it, the easier it is to sell.

Because when you become the go-to voice on a topic, people don’t need much convincing. They’re already in.

→ Step 2. Build Hype.

Start talking about your launch before it happens.

Focus on what buyers get. The outcome and the transformation.

Important: Don’t mention the price just yet.

Timeline: 10–14 days before launch.

How to do it:

Write your usual posts.

Add a short P.S. at the end.

Example:

P.S. I’m launching a weekly Newsletter that delivers the most actionable, tactical & persuasive writing tips you could possibly find on the internet. Want in? Sign up starts Monday.

→ Step 3. Spike Curiosity & Sell.

Now you switch gears.

This is your promo phase.

And this is where pricing + FOMO do the heavy lifting.

A few ways to structure it:

1/ Price increases.

Example:

Launch day: $100 (position it as 50% off)
Day 2: $150 (still time to save $50)
Final day: $200

2/ Fast action bonus.

First X buyers get something extra.

A resource, a call, access. Something you could charge for.

3/ Free preview.

Give them Module 1 for free. Let the product sell itself.

4/ Money-back guarantee.

Removes risk. Works well if you’re new.

5/ Subscription model.

Weekly billing. “Stay if it works, leave if it doesn’t.”

These 3 steps combined are how you ensure your next launch is a success.

To recap:

- Define what problem your digital product solves.
- Decide on a pricing + FOMO strategy.
- Create content that builds demand, sets up the offer, and does most of the selling before you even pitch it.

You got this 💪

P.S.

If this helped, you might find my free newsletter handy.

That’s where I unpack everything in more detail.

Click “View my newsletter” above ⬆️ and join thousands of sales-savvy solopreneurs today.

A client of mine is using this exact sales page to sell out his $1,170/seat event.

Here’s the framework behind it 👇

[Benefit-Oriented Headline]

[Event Specifics]

DAY 1: 

[Objective]

[What You’ll Do Together]

[What Your Client Leaves With]

→ Repeat for each DAY/PHASE.

✅ ADD:

- 3-7 Bonuses.
- FAQs.
- Testimonials.
- Urgency + CTA.

Want to see how it looks in action?

Subscriber perk 🥳 I’m sharing the ENTIRE sales page with my email list tomorrow so you can see exactly how this framework works in real life. (and steal it for yourself)

👉 Hit “View my newsletter” above, subscribe, and you’ll get it delivered straight to your inbox, 100% free.

After 8 years of being out of the hospitality industry, I walked into a travel agency to the exclamation, "Hey! You're the Bingo Guy!" An email marketing campaign to drive sales from 8 years prior confirmed three things: 

•	The Power of Storytelling
•	The Power of Personal Branding
•	I Needed a Cooler Nickname

If you're looking to:

•	Develop creative paths to success
•	Find opportunities hiding in plain sight
•	Communicate strategic alternatives

Then let's chat!

In a world spinning with possibilities, I believe it's the genuine relationships we forge that make it go round.  And when you apply a bespoke touch to business – tailoring your sales, marketing, and personal brand to resonate with each individual – that's where the magic happens. 

Things I love talking shop about:

•	Customer service that's relationship-focused
•	Critical thinking & problem solving that gets to the root of the problem
•	Storytelling - Ask me about that bingo contest
•	Digital marketing & social media - CHDM certified!
•	Creative ideas & content development

Away from work I love spending time with my family, creating art, playing golf, and rooting for the Cubs and Bears. Additionally, I support the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Association. Please message me if you’d like to share your story or need help in reaching your goals.

Don Barnett

To my fellow DOSMs,

Many of you are going to get this.

The title is Director of Sales AND Marketing. But it often feels like that "M" in Marketing should be lowercase.

It's not that DOSMs don't care about marketing. It's that the job is sometimes like a game of Jenga where every block has a quirk. And the table you're playing on is on fire.

You walk into Monday like, "I have ideas!"

By 9am: Review contract clauses, do a business review, a site visit, and someone's called off.

Marketing never stood a chance. So what happens? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 90/10 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵.

Spending 90% of your time on Sales and 10% of your time on Marketing isn't a personal failure. It's a structural one.

These days, we all do more with less. But here's the thing with hospitality, it's a small world and a great community. Some of us are even certified hospitality digital marketers via HSMAI.

The industry runs on relationships, let's actually use them to share ideas, best practices, or horror stories.

I'm always open to talking shop!

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Director of Sales & Marketing at LondonHouse Chicago | Founder, Aesop Creative - Social Media Strategy for Hospitality Companies | Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer

Some people seem to have all the luck.

They're offered dream jobs. 
They meet the right people. 
They find a $20 bill in an old coat pocket.

Meanwhile, you find an old cough drop and a CVS receipt from 2022.

But here’s the secret, luck isn’t always random. In fact, I believe there are four types of luck. And one of them is wildly underrated.

☘ Dumb Luck - The “oops, I just won the lottery” luck. Completely random. No skill involved. Like finding a parking spot right in front of the store when it’s raining.

☘ Diligent Luck - The kind you hustle for. You put in the work, take the swings, and eventually get a hit. 

☘ Observant Luck - The ability to see things others miss. Like spotting an investment opportunity before it explodes. Or realizing before anyone else that cargo shorts were a terrible idea.

But the best kind of luck?

☘ Signature Luck - The luck you create by building a brand (corporate or personal). 

The reputation that makes people think of you first when opportunity knocks. 

It's putting in the work.
Staying visible.
Building trust.

Over time, this stops feeling like "luck" and starts feeling like momentum.

The second people start forming opinions about you, the business of 𝘺𝘰𝘶 is established.

Your reputation.
Your consistency.
Your trustworthiness.

You don't get to opt out.
Your business is out there.

But on LinkedIn, most have a profile with all the charm of a tax form.

That profile that is a copy and paste of your resume also applies to 40 million other people.

Meanwhile your actual personality (the one that makes people want to work with you, refer you, and remember you) is nowhere to be found.
 
People don't do business with resumes. They do business with people they feel like they already know.
 
And LinkedIn is 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 with people building that feeling at scale.

You don't have to go viral.
You just have to be marginally more interesting than a tax form.
 
The bar is on the floor. Step over it.

Ever had a meeting planner check your availability 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 blasting the RFP out to everyone else?

That’s not a sick fantasy.
That’s 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Somewhere along the way you became known as the team that:
• responds quickly • sends clear proposals • 
• actually follows up • doesn’t vanish after the site •

And once that reputation kicks in, something heavenly happens:
𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺.

Instead of fighting through the RFP Hunger Games, you see more:
• direct leads • referrals • first dibs •

Be responsive. Be easy to work with. Follow up.

Do that long enough and your reputation starts doing some of the selling for you.

Director of Sales & Marketing at LondonHouse Chicago | Founder, Aesop Creative - Social Media Strategy for Hospitality Vendors | Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer

Have you had the "𝙉𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙𝙄𝙣 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝"? It goes like this (queue music)...

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, you finally say **** it and post something thoughtful and genuine on LinkedIn.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, most of your inner circle of immediate colleagues, friends and/or family roll their eyes at you.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, you discover that those outside of that circle in the LinkedIn community support and applaud your efforts. 

Maybe even hear your message loud and clear. In the movie (spoiler alert), he gets his buddy elected as Class President.

In real life, you gain new friends, allies, referrals, bookings, job offers, speaking engagements, and on and on...

Am I saying your wildest dreams will come true? 
You'll never know if you don't try.
Be willing to stand out in a sea of sameness my friends.

Hotel vendors, I say this with love.
 
I sit on the buying side of this equation every day.
 
And what I see makes me want to close my laptop and stare at the wall.
 
Here are 5 things that make hotel buyers mentally check out before you've finished your first sentence:
 
𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. Reality check, we're not waking up excited about your product. We wake up stressed about a client event going sideways. Start there.
 
𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 "𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻." Give me a reason to respond and I will. A relevant insight, a new idea, a timely question. Any of these work better than a bump in my inbox.
 
𝟯. 𝗔𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟮. When a buyer looks you up (and we do) your online presence is doing part of the selling for you. Make sure it's saying something worth hearing.
 
𝟰. 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆. A 2,000-room convention hotel and a 90-room boutique are not the same buyer. The vendors who recognize that difference stand out immediately.

𝟱. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Your reputation moves through a property faster than you think. Every interaction --> at every level <-- is part of the pitch.

The vendors I remember (and refer) show up consistently, communicate like humans, and make me feel like they actually understand my world.
 
That gap between "vendor I forgot" and "vendor I recommend" is smaller than you think.
 
Vendors, curious what your brand looks like from this side of the table? My DMs are open.

You've heard of goat yoga,
but have you tried Yorkie meditation?

It's where you meditate for 5 seconds before the most impatient dog on Earth jumps on your face.

1 star, do not recommend.

𝟳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘀 
(𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲)

1. Reposting tagged Stories
2. Turning FAQ DMs into content
3. Weekly guest favorite highlight
4. Behind-the-scenes meal prep reels
5. Replying to DMs within 60 minutes
6. Tips on local favorites from the team
7. Creating a “Stay Highlights” Story for each room type
   
The smallest social media shift can create big momentum. What moves are you making?

Booked an influencer at your hotel?
Asking yourself, "Now what?"

Here are 5 things to do next:

✨ Give them a great room. If they’re staying overnight, make sure it’s one of your best rooms (per your agreement). They’re capturing your hotel for the world to see, so skip the “partial view of the dumpster” suite.

✨ Flag the reservation. Add any key details. Favorite drink? Allergies? Put it in the notes.

✨ Prep your team. Send a staff-wide email 24 to 48 hours before arrival. Include: 
• Influencer name + headshot
• Dates staying and arrival time if you have it
• What’s comped
• Special requests

✨ Send a welcome note & amenity. Even better? Research what they actually like. Did they cry over matcha in a recent Reel? That’s your cue. Custom touches = memorable content.

✨ Follow them on social media! It shows support 𝘢𝘯𝘥 lets you check out what they're posting in real time.

Hosting an influencer is your shot at showcasing your hotel in a way that’s real, relatable, and ready to go viral.

Speed wins. 
In sales. In sports.
When kicking a muffin into the air before it hits the floor...

If you're in group sales, let’s talk about response time.

According to Cvent, the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 to respond to RFPs.

Eight hours.

Are we submitting RFPs... or walking to Mordor?

Amadeus’ MeetingBroker data shows that 72% of first responders win the business.

That's not a small edge.
That's structural advantage.

But here's the part people miss:

Speed gets you noticed.
Follow-up get you awarded.

Winning teams don't just respond fast.
They:

• Prioritize RFP responses
• Set clear next steps
• Follow a structured cadence
• Stay persistent (without being annoying)
 
Speed gets you in the game.  Follow-up closes it.

What’s your average response time?

And more importantly, what happens after you hit send?

If you could travel 20 years into the past to impart some wisdom to yourself, what would you say? 
 
For me: 
 
🔹 Worrying is wasted energy and won't change any outcome whether good or bad. 
🔹 Nothing is more valuable than time. Invest it in quality people, places and things. 
🔹 Tremendous freedom is gained when you stop caring what people think. 
🔹 Create small daily goals that are impossible not to complete. 
🔹 Embrace the concept of leverage. 
🔹 Stop talking and start doing.  

⚠️ Don't shave your entire head to the lowest clipper setting, you will regret it.
 
What would you say to your younger self?

A big influencer can get you seen.
But a micro-influencer can get you booked.

If you've ever worked in Sales at a hotel with only one ballroom, you've likely told a client, "You'll be a big fish in a small pond."

Working with a micro-influencer is like that!

A creator with a massive following can put your hotel, restaurant, or experience in front of a ton of people. But that ocean is diluted.

A strategically aligned micro-influencer puts you in front of the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 people and makes it feel like an actual recommendation.

Here are some key differences:

Big following influencer:

• big reach
• broad awareness
• polished content
• everyone sees it

Micro-influencer:

• stronger trust
• better engagement
• more niche audience
• content that feels believable
 
When trust and attention are at a premium, that matters. 
That’s where micro-influencers win.
 
Less “paid partnership energy.”  More “I went, I loved it, and you will too."

DM me if you want to talk shop!

Did you know there's a formula to monetizing your personal brand?

And none of it involves going viral.
(the germaphobe in me just said, "Thank God")

The people seeing opportunities are running this playbook:

✅ Specific Knowledge
→ Be dangerously good at something people actually care about. Generic advice doesn’t pay.

✅ Value First, Always
→ Give before you ask. Do you like ads in your feed? Me neither. Provide something people can use.

✅ Networking (Like It’s Your F***** Job)
→ Build relationships, not just a following. Opportunities come from people, not likes.

✅ Leverage
→ Utilize platforms, systems, and connections that amplify your reach. Smarter, not harder.

✅ Personality and Storytelling
→ Show up as YOU and tell stories. Facts tell, but stories sell.

✅ Consistency and Patience
→ This platform provides you the opportunity to stay top of mind with your network as often as you choose to show up.

✅ Thick Skin
→ First they'll roll their eyes and ask why you're doing it. Then they'll ask how you did it.

If you run this formula long enough, you won’t have to chase opportunities.

They’ll be chasing you.

What’s one part of this formula you’re focusing on right now?

Have an influencer wanting to work with you?
Here are a few red flags to tell if they're a disaster with a ring light...

⚠ Their content has nothing to do with your brand. You have a full-service hotel, they break into abandoned malls
⚠ Their engagement rate is lower than my motivation to go to a gym
⚠ They have a history of controversial or offensive behavior
⚠ They don't respond to your messages or are difficult to work with
⚠ They promote anything and everything. If they promoted a zoo followed by herbal laxatives, they're either inconsistent or listing the ingredients in Malort 

Sometimes the "eye-test" alone will help you find your answer. An influencer should share their social media handles with you right out of the gate, and when you see that 90% of their content consists of ASMR of them brushing their teeth, you'll know it's time for a friendly turndown.

There's a saying, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now.

Reese Falter is planting that tree.

With LinkedIn being undersaturated with quality content creators, this video demonstrates exactly how you can differentiate yourself in a sea of sameness.

Content Creator Turning Ideas Into Impact | Hospitality, Sales, & Marketing @ SDSU | Ecom, Lifestyle & Brand Strategy | Sales & Marketing for Digital Brands | Health & Wellness Enthusiast

Put me in, Omni San Diego Hotel at the Ballpark 
I’m ready to play. 

Thanks for considering me.

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