Eric Melillo

Over the last two decades, I’ve led partnerships with 250+ brands, driven $100M+ in revenue, and built systems that scale businesses.Then in 2021, I hit a breaking point.So I walked away from the agency I built —forced to start over from nothing.And I had a revelation.Financial freedom isn’t just for the lucky few.With the right systems, founders and coaches can turn their knowledge into income —without wasting years figuring it out.So I built the frameworks I wish I had.And it changed everything.That’s when I went all in —proving that building predictable client income isn’t just a dream, but a system founders and coaches can follow.Now I help founders and coaches build predictable client income and profitable, system-driven businesses—without wasting years guessing.My Results:→ $100M+ revenue across 250+ brand partnerships→ 20+ years building revenue systems for Fortune 500s→ 1,000+ systems, 2,000+ automations, 5,000+ AI prompts deployed→ Helped founders and coaches build predictable income from their expertiseAI Creator Accelerator is launching soon — join the waitlist:→ www.ericmelillo.com/courses/entrepreneur-osThe Modern Creator (newsletter):Every Saturday, I share 1 exclusive growth system, automation, or AI prompt you won’t find anywhere else:→ www.ericmelillo.com/newsletterhello@ericmelillo.comX: @EricMelillo_

Founder & CEO

ProScale OS helps scale your business smarter with proven automation systems & 10x productivity.

If you’re easily offended, sales ain’t for you.

The distinction is simple:

Sales asks: “Will this solve their problem and are they willing to pay?”

Politeness asks: “Did I offend anyone?”

Sales defines results.
Politeness defines comfort.

Most people confuse being “nice” with being effective:

Hesitate to ask for the sale

Avoid tough conversations

Sugarcoat objections

Give away advice or solutions for free

Ask them for money? Crickets.
Push back when they resist? Awkward silence.

That’s not sales. That’s wishful thinking.

Real sales example:
“I can help you save 10 hours a week with this system. If it’s not a fit, no worries—but if it is, we can start this week.”

Direct. Clear. Honest.

That’s how you close without being pushy.

The process supports it:

Identify the problem your customer actually wants solved

Lead with value, not features

Ask for the sale early and often

Listen, adjust, repeat

When you master this:
✓ Deals close faster
✓ Customers respect you
✓ You grow predictably
✓ You stop leaving money on the table

Ignore it, and you’ll stay small:
❌ Avoid tough conversations
❌ Wait for the “perfect moment”
❌ Give away your time and expertise for free
❌ Wonder why growth is slow

The uncomfortable truth:
The people willing to sell will always win.
The people too polite to ask, fall behind.

Stop overthinking niceness.
Start mastering sales.

Sales chooses your growth.
Courage wins it.

---

Doing the work but nothing’s changing yet?
I made a free 2026 LinkedIn Growth Guide.

You’ll learn:
- 6-figure frameworks
- How to turn skills into income
- How to automate growth with systems

It’s free when you join the newsletter.

Get it here → ericmelillo.com/newsletter

One-person business builder | Helping experts turn their knowledge into income | Powered by systems, automation, and AI

The real flex isn’t grinding 16-hour days.

It’s setting up systems that keep your work moving
even when you’re drained.

Most solopreneurs rely on luck.

Memory.
Willpower.
“Maybe I’ll do it later.”

That breaks fast.

Here’s what actually works for solo founders:

• One place for everything. Not Slack. Not notes. Not DMs.
• Tasks written as actions (send, review, publish, reply).
• Daily work capped at 3–5 tasks. Everything else scheduled.
• Repeating tasks automated or templated.
• Follow-ups auto-reminded so nothing lives in your head.
• A “done → next step” rule for every task.

Before this, my days as a solo founder were chaotic.

After this:

• No wondering what to start first.
• No switching between 5 apps every hour.
• No end-of-day panic over what slipped through.

If your system relies on motivation, it’s not a system.
Good systems run on autopilot, low energy, or chaos.

Less friction.
More output.
Zero burnout.

For solopreneurs, that’s how you win without burning out.
And here’s the truth: your freedom is only as strong as the system you build.

That’s the real flex.

You don’t need a team to make real progress.

I’ve learned this the hard way. 

Early on, I tried doing everything with a “team mindset” by myself—thinking I needed perfect systems, perfect tools, perfect timing. 

It was slow. Exhausting. Frustrating.

Then I realized: one person with clear systems can outpace a team with no direction.

For me, that meant:
• A simple task list I actually follow
• A repeatable way to ship work
• Clear priorities, not endless to-dos

Suddenly, progress felt different. I was moving faster than before, even without anyone else involved.

Start where you are. Build brick by brick.

Write down what works.
Repeat it.
Cut what slows you down.
Automate what repeats itself.

Don’t wait for the perfect team, the perfect tools, or the perfect moment.
Clarity + action beats headcount every time.

Solo doesn’t mean small.
It means focused.
And focus, over time, compounds into momentum you can’t buy.

So today, pick one thing that matters. 

Ship it. 

Document it. 

Then do it again tomorrow. 

That’s how I keep making progress, and it works every time.

I help founders and coaches turn LinkedIn into a client machine | Powered by AI and systems | Ex Fortune 500 systems builder

3 audience growth myths that keep driven professionals overlooked online.

You post consistently.
You engage daily.
You follow all the "rules."

Still invisible.

Here's what I learned after building three different audiences:

Stop chasing numbers.
Start tracking signals.

Same content.
Completely different reach.

With vanity metrics? You're guessing.

Follower counts mean nothing.
Likes don't convert.
You're building in the dark.

With real signals? You're intentional.

One quality connection matters.
Engagement compounds.
Growth without gimmicks.

I spent two years posting into the void.

Then I tracked three simple metrics that actually predict growth.

The result?

Smaller audience.
3x the opportunities.
Zero algorithm anxiety.

Here's what to track instead:

1. Reply rate, not reach

Stop obsessing over impressions.

Track who responds.
Who starts conversations.
Who remembers your name.

That's your real audience.

2. Save rate over like count

Saves signal value.

Someone wants to return.
Reference your work.
Share it privately.

Likes are passive.
Saves are intentional.

3. DM quality, not quantity

One thoughtful message beats a hundred emojis.

Are people asking real questions?
Sharing their challenges?
Requesting your help?

That's traction.

Your audience isn't too small.

Your measurement is.

Track signals that predict real opportunities, not vanity metrics that feed your ego.

You'll grow slower but land faster.



If this helped:

Track one new signal this week. 🤙

 Myth

The truth about building in public:

Most people won’t understand your process.
They won’t see the point of sharing your work.
They won’t relate to the risks you’re taking.

And that’s normal.

The people who do get it?
They’re building too.
They’re experimenting, failing, adjusting.
They recognize the effort behind the progress.

Everyone else is just watching.
Reacting from the outside.
Waiting for a final result before forming an opinion.

You don’t need their approval.
You don’t need to explain yourself.

Your only job:

Keep building.
Keep showing the work.
Keep moving forward.

Because when it finally clicks,
they’ll call it “overnight” —
and you’ll know how long it really took.

undefined undefined

Helping Enterprise Companies Scale & Crush Competitors with HubSpot

I ignored LinkedIn for 10 years.

Quietly disrespected the platform.
Built audiences everywhere else.
Thought I was too smart for "professional" content.

Then I checked my booking data.

Every single prospect was coming from LinkedIn.
Not Twitter. Not Instagram. Not my newsletter.
LinkedIn.

6 months ago I went all-in.
0 to approaching 10,000 followers.
3x my inbound.

Here's what actually worked while building in public:

🎯 Post in-progress work, not polished lessons
People don't want your finished results.
They want the messy middle.
The thinking behind the decisions.

🎯 Write like a human, not a brand
Simple sentences beat smart-sounding ones.
If it feels boring to write, it's probably clear to read.

🎯 Solve one problem per post
Most content feels busy but audiences don't grow.
Because you're teaching everything at once.
Pick one thing. Go deep.

🎯 Reuse ideas that already work
Your best content isn't your newest content.
It's your clearest content.
Say the same thing better, not different.

🎯 Spend more time in comments than Canva
Engagement beats aesthetics.
Every single time.

The truth most people ignore:

Audience growth isn't about posting more.
It's about being useful.
Being visible.
Being consistent.

Same room. Every day.

No hacks.
No viral tricks.
Just clear thinking + daily reps.

Full breakdown in the carousel.
Pick one. Apply it today. 👇

___

💾 Save this
♻️ Repost to help someone in your network.
➕ Follow Eric Melillo​ for more personal brand insights.

LinkedIn Audience Growth

I said yes to work that consumed an entire weekend.

Missed my son's soccer game where he scored his first goal.

Still think about it.

Most businesses struggle the same way…

Not because the product is bad.
Not because the team isn't skilled.
Not because customers are impossible.

I'm talking about businesses that:

• Agree with every client request
• Avoid saying no, even when it hurts the team
• Hide behind "the customer is always right"

They think "pleasing everyone" is a business strategy.

It's not.

It's a burnout strategy.

Because the strongest businesses aren't the ones that say yes, they're the ones that guide, challenge, and set boundaries.

They'll:

• Give advice instead of blind agreement
• Set clear expectations without fear of conflict
• Focus on results instead of endless "yes"

And they win.

Here's the truth most people ignore:

• Every extra revision adds stress, not value
• Every "yes" that doesn't make sense costs time and money
• Every unclear boundary leads to missed deadlines

I learned this the hard way.

Said yes to 5 change requests from one client.
Worked nights. Worked weekends. 

Their feedback? "We didn't feel like you worked hard enough."

That's when it hit me:

No amount of accommodation will satisfy some people.
But it will drain you completely.

The market doesn't reward "always right."
It rewards clarity, guidance, and results.

So I made two changes:

𝗡𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 (𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆)

The result?

Better clients who respect my time.
Clearer projects with fewer surprises.
Stronger relationships built on mutual respect.

And I haven't missed another soccer game.

Your competition isn't smarter.
They're just better at managing expectations.

What's one boundary you need to set this week?

The best productivity method is the one that works for you.

Not the one your favorite creator swears by.
Not the one that looks good in Notion screenshots.
Not the one that worked for you during a completely different phase of life.

Your energy isn’t the same every day.
Your focus isn’t either.

Some days you can deep work for hours.
Other days, getting the basics done is the win.

That’s normal.

Listen to your body.
Notice when you’re sharp.
Notice when you’re drained.

Then test.

Short sprints. Longer breaks. Morning work. Late-night focus.

Keep what helps. 
Drop what doesn’t.

Over time, you’ll stop chasing “perfect productivity”
and start building a system that actually fits your life.

And that’s when work feels lighter.

Building your personal brand doesn’t need to be hard.

It’s actually quite simple.

And it comes down to one word.

You.

🎯 Write from what you already do
If you worked today, you have content.

A decision you made

A mistake you noticed

A shortcut you learned

A conversation that changed your thinking

Turn that into one post. No backstory. Just the lesson.

🎯 Share one opinion per post
Don’t explain everything.

Pick one belief and stand by it.

Example:
“I don’t think consistency builds a brand. Clarity does.”

That’s enough to start a conversation.

🎯 Use your real words
If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it.

Simple sentences > smart-sounding ones.

If it feels boring to write, it’s probably clear to read.

🎯 Repeat the same ideas
This is where most people mess up.

You don’t need new ideas.
You need the same 3–5 ideas explained from different angles.

Repetition builds recognition.

🎯 Post, then engage
Posting is only half the job.

Spend 15 minutes:

Replying to comments

Leaving thoughtful comments on others’ posts

That’s how your brand actually spreads.

No hacks.
No aesthetics.
No pressure to be “unique.”

Just show your thinking.
Again and again.

That’s the whole system.

Hiring is one of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship.

Not because talent doesn’t exist.
But because expectations are broken.

Everyone wants:
Big salaries.
Senior titles.
“Work-life balance.”

Few want:
Ownership.
Consistency.
Learning before earning.

Early on, I thought the problem was me.

Maybe I wasn’t a good leader.
Maybe I needed better systems.
Maybe I needed to “motivate” people more.

Then I noticed a pattern.

People who cared about the work?
They didn’t need chasing.
They didn’t need micromanagement.
They didn’t disappear after payday.

People who only cared about the paycheck?
No process ever fixed that.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You can’t manage motivation into someone.
You can’t train hunger.
You can’t systemize responsibility.

Skills can be taught.
Experience can be built.
Work ethic? That’s already there - or it’s not.

Now I hire differently.

I look for:
✔️ People who show up before being asked
✔️ People who ask better questions than they give excuses
✔️ People who treat the work like theirs, not “the company’s”

Here’s how I actually test this:

I don’t start with long interviews.
I start with small responsibility.

A paid trial.
A clear outcome.
No hand-holding.

If they need reminders, they’re not ready.
If they over-communicate, they usually care.
If they improve without being told, that’s the signal.

Titles don’t impress me anymore.
Resumes don’t predict execution.

Behavior does.

The fastest way to spot the right people?
Watch what they do when no one is watching.

That’s who you build with.

You're not stuck because you're afraid to fail.

You're stuck because you're addicted to certainty.

I spent 3 years knowing I wanted to leave my agency.
3 years scrolling LinkedIn during lunch.
3 years telling myself "next year."

The issue wasn't capability.
It wasn't even fear of failing.

It was the comfort of knowing.

Knowing what every Tuesday looked like.
Knowing when the paycheck hit.
Knowing what level of miserable I'd be by Thursday afternoon.

It was predictable.
Predictable feels safe.

Even when it's slowly draining you.

Your brain is wired to avoid uncertainty more than it avoids pain.

That's why people stay in jobs they hate.
That's why "someday" never comes.
That's why you'll plan for years but never start.

The shift happened when I realized something:

I wasn't choosing between success and failure.
I was choosing between two types of risk.

The risk of trying and not knowing what happens.
Or the risk of not trying and knowing exactly what happens.

Both are risky.
One just feels safer.

I didn't leave because I had it figured out.
I left because I couldn't stomach another year of predictable misery.

Here's what I wish I knew:

You'll never feel ready.
The certainty you're waiting for doesn't exist.
It shows up after you start, not before.

The people who escape aren't fearless.
They just decided uncertain possibility beats predictable misery.

I break down how to actually make the transition in my free newsletter.

Real systems. Real frameworks. Not just mindset.

Get it here: ericmelillo.com/newsletter

___

♻️ Save & Repost to help someone in your network get unstuck.
➕ Follow Eric Melillo​ for more personal brand insights.

uncertainty carousel

Most of the work you’re doing every day shouldn’t exist.

I know because I was doing it too.

Most people think automation is complicated.
But that’s not why they avoid it.

They’re too buried in daily tasks
to notice which ones are quietly stealing their time.

Not the lack of tools.
Not technical skill.
Not budget.

The real problem is manually doing work that doesn’t require thinking.

I set one rule:
If I did the same task twice in a week, it got documented and automated.

That changed everything.

I see business owners stuck in things like:
- Chasing invoices and payment reminders
- Sending the same emails over and over
- Copying data between tools

So they stay busy.
They feel productive.
They burn out.

Meanwhile, others grow faster with less effort.

Not because they work harder.
Because they automated repetition first.

Here are 3 workflows that freed up hours in my week:

Client onboarding  
New client signs → contract sent → invoice generated → welcome email delivered.  
I built this after slow onboarding caused a few clients to second-guess their decision.

Content repurposing  
Newsletter published → auto-posted to LinkedIn → saved to a content library.  
No tabs. No copying.

Payment follow-ups  
Invoice overdue → reminder sent → escalation sequence triggered.  
No awkward chasing.

Each workflow took about 30 minutes to set up.
Each saves me 2–3 hours every week.

That time now goes to strategy, content, and growth.

Automation isn’t about replacing yourself.
It’s about removing friction so you can focus on what actually moves the business.

---

Still manually doing work that should run itself?
I'll show you how to fix it inside my free newsletter.

You’ll learn:
- 6-figure frameworks
- How to turn skills into income
- How to automate growth with systems

It’s free when you join the newsletter.

Get it here → ericmelillo.com/newsletter

People make purchasing decisions in a split second.

They land on your page.
They scroll for a few seconds.
And in that tiny window, one thought decides everything:

“Can I trust this?”

If the answer isn’t yes — they’re gone.

Not because your offer is bad.
Not because your price is wrong.
But because trust didn’t land fast enough.

That’s why social proof matters so much.

• testimonials
• client results
• case studies
• screenshots
• before → after stories
• real conversations

These aren’t “nice to have.”

They speed up trust.

They tell your audience:

“People like you took the leap — and it worked.”

And suddenly…

warm traffic turns into real leads.
Interest turns into action.
Curiosity turns into confidence.

Not because you shouted louder.

But because you proved it.

So if you want more conversions?

Don’t just explain your offer.
Show the receipts.

People don’t buy the promise.
They buy the proof.

Most entrepreneurs think success comes from learning.

It comes from pressure.

I used to believe the "right course" would unlock everything.

Spent over $20,000+ on programs.
Read every business book on my shelf.
Studied frameworks until I could teach them myself.

Then I launched my first business.

And something odd happened:

None of it prepared me for the real thing.

When cash flow dried up.
When a client threatened to leave.
When I had to choose between paying myself or my team.

Meanwhile, I kept watching entrepreneurs who seemed to have no advantages.

No connections.
No safety net.
No backup plan.

Yet they were building 6-figure businesses.

Working flexible hours.
Actually sleeping at night.

What did they know that I didn't?

They understood that entrepreneurship doesn't teach you comfort.

It teaches you who you are under pressure.

They weren't chasing perfect plans.
They were taking messy action.

They weren't waiting for confidence.
They were building it through reps.

They weren't avoiding failure.
They were using it as feedback.

Every hard conversation.
Every moment of doubt.
Every time they chose to stay.

It all built character that no course could teach.

I stopped waiting for perfect.
Started embracing pressure.
Learned more in 6 months than 6 years of programs.

And built a business that didn't just make money, but made me into someone who could handle anything.

Now I teach others to do the same.

Because entrepreneurship isn't learned.

It's lived.

___

♻️ Repost to help an entrepreneur in your network.
➕ Follow Eric Melillo​ for more personal brand insights.

One of the big side effects of being a solopreneur is sacrificing your mental health and family time. 
 
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget what really matters. 
 
Burnout is real. 
Working nonstop can wear you down. Isolation can creep in, and you might start feeling lonely. 
 Skipping family dinners or missing events can hurt your relationships. 
 
I remember focusing so much on my work that I missed quality time with my family. 
It hit me hard. 
Those moments with family are irreplaceable. 
 Since then, I’ve made it a point to prioritize family time. 
 
 It has helped my happiness and productivity. 
 
Your mental health and family are your greatest assets. 
 
Make sure to take care of them.

90% of solo operators confuse activity with progress.
The other 10% build systems and move calmly ahead.

Which one are you?

The difference is simple:

Productivity asks: “Why does this work exist?”
Tasks ask: “What should I do next?”

Productivity creates leverage.
Tasks create busyness.

Productivity stays stable.
Tasks change daily.

I’ve seen too many solo founders drowning in:

To-do lists
Daily planners
Time-blocking calendars
Productivity apps

But ask them how work flows?

Silence.

Or worse:
“I just try to stay disciplined.”

That’s not productivity.
That’s willpower with a deadline.

Here’s a real productivity system example:

“Every task enters one inbox, gets prioritized once, executed with templates, and reviewed weekly.”

That’s clarity.
That’s repeatability.
That’s saying no to chaos.

Then the execution supports it:

Daily: Capture → Decide → Do
Weekly: Review → Improve
Monthly: Simplify → Automate

See the difference?

Systems are your theory of how work gets done.
Tasks are just today’s actions.

When you build systems first:
✓ Less decision fatigue
✓ Faster execution
✓ Fewer dropped balls
✓ More mental space

When you skip systems and chase hacks:
❌ Constant overwhelm
❌ Fake productivity
❌ Burnout cycles
❌ Busy days, slow progress

Hard truth:

Solo operators with systems are outpacing you quietly.

While you optimize to-do lists,
they’re compounding output.

Stop managing tasks.
Start designing systems.

Systems choose how you work.
Tasks simply follow.

That’s how solo ops scales.

I use this system to drive a 1,900% increase in impressions.
It works when you treat it like a system, not content.
Consistency and sequence do the rest.

I help you (actually) use AI for content.

When I started on LinkedIn, I was lost.

My posts used to die at 400 impressions.

I didn't know how to write hooks.
I didn't know how to structure content.
I didn't know AI could do 80% of the heavy lifting.

I just kept posting and hoping.

Now I scroll LinkedIn every day.

And I see the same pattern everywhere:

- People with valuable insights.
- People with real expertise.
- People with brilliant ideas.

Stuck at 500 impressions.

Not because their content is bad.

Because of fixable mistakes:
↳ Weak hooks that don't stop the scroll
↳ No structure, so readers bounce
↳ No systems, so they burn out

A few tweaks and they'd be flying.

That's why I built The AI Creators Club.

What members have done in 30 days:

☑︎ 100k impressions in 28 days
☑︎ 5k followers in four weeks
☑︎ Three new clients closed

What's inside:

✦ Templates behind 40M+ views
✦ ~10 hours of pre-recorded training
✦ AI systems and prompts I use daily
✦ Daily feedback on your actual content
✦ Weekly live coaching with me and Fatima
✦ Private community + quarterly London meetups

To put it in perspective:

60 minutes with me costs £500.
3 months inside the Club costs £495.

Doors are officially closed.

Join waitlist: https://lnkd.in/eXtBeCA4

The AI Creators Club - Doors Close Tomorrow

Stephen Stanberry

Helping Brands Build Trust and Authority with Engaging Stories | Driving Sales with Persuasive Copy | Podcast Host🎙 | Helping Leaders Stand out with Video Content | Tips for Freelancers

There’s a version of your story that makes people say,
“Ohhh… now I get it.”
Let’s find that version.

Hi, I’m Stephen 👋🏾
And I help entrepreneurs tell better stories—
On video, on social, in writing.

But first, a little backstory…

I started as a sports journalist in Jamaica.
Quit my 9–5 in 2017 to freelance full-time.
Landed two remote roles while building my own thing.
Got fired from both.

In between?

I tried everything.
Dropshipping. Content creation. Tiny offers.
Some worked. Most didn’t.

But one thing always brought me back to life:
📖 Storytelling.

Telling mine.
Helping others tell theirs.
And realizing that the right story told the right way—
builds trust, clients, and confidence.

So that’s what I do now.

→ I coach founders through story clarity
→ I write conversion-led content and scripts
→ I teach the frameworks I wish I had 5 years ago

And I do it all while raising 3 kids, homeschooling twins,
and rebuilding my brand from scratch.

Here’s how I can help:

✔️ Done-for-you storytelling: ghostwriting, video scripts, launch copy
✔️ 1:1 clarity coaching: story-first positioning and messaging
✔️ Free content: follow me for sharp, story-led tips that convert

Building a business takes guts.
Telling your story takes heart.
I help you do both.

Professional Freelancer

A professional voice talent, writer and editor.

For the last 3 days I taught my 5 year old son to say this:
“I don’t see problems. I see solutions.”

Here’s what happened.

He was building with blocks.
They kept falling.
He got frustrated and looked at me.

Normally, that’s where quitting starts.

Instead, he paused.
Said the sentence.
And rebuilt.

That’s the same pattern I see with founders.

Two people hit the same obstacle.
One interprets it as proof it’s broken.
The other sees information.

The difference isn’t intelligence.
It’s the story running in their head.

This is why storytelling matters outside of content.

It shapes decisions.
It controls momentum.
It determines resilience.

If your internal story is broken, execution follows.

Fix the story.
The building continues.

What’s the sentence you repeat when things get hard?

Story Strategist | Ghostwriter for SaaS & B2B founders who refuse to sound generic | Turning data into stories that close deals and build authority | Built between school runs | Host - Business Behind the Story Podcast

Some of the hardest lessons I had to learn…

Weren’t about skills.

They were about how I showed up.

→ Speaking too cautiously in meetings
→ Thinking “politeness” meant saying yes to everything
→ Not knowing how to hold boundaries with clients
→ Being unclear or overly formal in emails
→ Downplaying my wins out of fear of sounding proud

These weren’t mistakes.
They were habits I picked up trying to be "respectful" or “humble” growing up.
But in global workplaces, they quietly hold people back.

That’s why I’m excited to be speaking at the Global Compass Virtual Summit hosted by Chiyedza (Chi- yed- za) Nyahuye 

My session:
Cultural Nuances & Workplace Behaviour
How to unlearn limiting habits, communicate confidently, and build trust across borders.

If you’re a:
• Pan-African student or recent grad
• Skilled but under-employed professional
• Freelancer struggling with global traction
• Diaspora African navigating remote work

This session is built for you.

By the end, you’ll walk away with:
✔️ Practical ways to improve professional communication
✔️ Cultural awareness that increases global trust
✔️ A blueprint for positioning your skills with confidence
✔️ Clearer boundaries that protect your energy and image

You don’t have to guess what global clients and employers want.

You just need the right lens, language, and structure.

I’ll show you how.

🧭 Join me and a powerhouse lineup at the Global Compass Summit:
https://lnkd.in/e7haDd7c

She left the courtroom to share air fryer tips.
Now her blog feeds her family, literally and financially.

This is Tanya Harris.
Founder of My Forking Life.

And she’s one of the most quietly effective digital operators online.

If you don’t know her story, here’s the short version.

Tanya didn’t start with a master plan.
She started with recipes.
After work.
In her kitchen.
While raising a family.

At the time, she was still practicing law.

No flashy launch.
No “build in public” threads.
No personal brand hype.

Just useful food, written clearly, for people who needed it.

Over time, that consistency stacked.

Here’s what that turned into:

→ A food blog generating reliable six‑figure income
→ An email list of 71,000+ subscribers
→ Content that ranks, converts, and compounds
→ A business that replaced her lawyer salary
→ A brand built on trust, not trends

What makes Tanya different isn’t the niche.

It’s the system.

She didn’t chase virality.
She built utility.

She listened to readers.
Segmented her list.
Optimized recipes based on feedback.
Sent emails people actually opened.
Treated content like service, not performance.

While others were chasing hacks, she was answering questions.

That’s the part most people miss.

Sustainable businesses don’t come from louder content.
They come from clearer content.

Tanya proves something important:

You don’t need to be everywhere.
You don’t need to overshare.
You don’t need a personal brand persona.

You need relevance.
You need repetition.
You need trust.

Recipes were the entry point.
Consistency was the engine.
Story was the glue.

This isn’t “food blogging success.”

It’s a case study in how calm, useful storytelling wins long‑term.

Quietly.
Reliably.
On purpose.

✌🏾

P.S. If you think your niche is “too simple” to scale, you’re probably underestimating what clarity plus consistency can build.

I was writing every day and getting nowhere.

Then one post, a simple story,doubled my DMs in 24 hours.

That’s when I realized:

Your story is your greatest asset.
Not a metaphor. A multiplier.

In the attention economy, stories aren’t decoration.
They’re distribution.

Before I positioned myself through storytelling, I was just another voice in the content crowd.

I knew my craft. I did the work.
But it didn’t move.

Then I changed one thing:
I stopped leading with offers.
I started leading with story.

Here’s what happened:

→ Engagement tripled
→ People started quoting my posts in discovery calls
→ My DMs turned into revenue
→ My content became searchable, shareable, sticky
→ Clients came in warmer, because they already knew what I stood for

But here’s what most people miss…

This wasn’t about being a better writer.
It was about understanding how story multiplies signal.

Facts alone don’t travel.
Stories do.

Your ideas might be brilliant.
But if they’re wrapped in boring, they don’t spread.

The shift wasn’t accidental. It was intentional.

I stopped obsessing over what I wanted to say 
And started thinking about what people would remember.

Storytelling gave me leverage.

But here’s what the science and real-world data say:

→ Research shows stories activate more brain regions than facts alone, including sensory, emotional, and motor areas.
→ Narrative formats improve memory recall and emotional engagement (Harvard + Stanford research).
→ In one study, 63% of executives said storytelling helped them see value faster than data alone (source: content marketing surveys aggregated by Content Science Review).

Here’s the framework I use:
1. Anchor your message in a single emotional truth
2. Add a narrative twist that makes people feel
3. Share your lesson, not your lecture
4. Repeat it consistently stories compound

Because here’s the truth:

Most people post information and hope it sticks.

But people don’t remember data.
They remember how you made them feel.

Your expertise isn’t what makes you stand out.

Your story is.

And if you don’t tell it someone else’s voice gets the attention.

So the real question is:

Are you going to let silence shape your reputation?
Or are you going to turn your story into your strategy?

I’ve built my brand while changing diapers and pitching clients.

If you told me this was the path back in 2017, I’d laugh.

Because that version of me was burned out.
Fresh out of journalism.
Trying to figure out what working online even meant.
No kids. No niche. No idea what I was doing.

But fast forward to now?

My days look like this:

1am writing when the house is a sleep

School runs with three kids under five

Client strategy calls between Lego explosions

Podcast interviews squeezed in during nap windows

No quiet office. No perfect system.
But momentum anyway.

Because I stopped waiting for the “right” conditions.
And I started doing the work in real life.

The turning point?

I posted a personal story that felt too honest.
Not polished. Not perfect.
But it hit.

DMs rolled in. Clients quoted my content back to me.
People said, “That story made me trust you.”

That’s when I realized:
My story wasn’t a distraction. It was the brand.

Since then:

→ I’ve signed clients through a story-led funnel
→ Turned parenting chaos into relatable authority
→ Built a personal brand on honesty, not hype
→ Launched a podcast while raising a household
→ Created a storytelling offer that runs on lived experience

All while juggling three kids and a growing business.

Here’s the truth:

→ You don’t need a fancy setup to get started
→ You don’t need 40 hours a week to grow
→ You don’t need to hide your real life to build a brand

You need clarity. A sharp story. And the guts to show up as you are.

What would happen if you stopped hiding the messy parts of your story?

One of the worst ways to introduce your product is by leading with what it does.

I see this every single day on LinkedIn.

And every time I see it, I know that founder just lost 90% of their potential customers.

Here's what I mean:

"Introducing [Product], a platform designed for [benefit]. Limited access. Join waitlist."

Zero story. Zero context. Zero reason to care.

Just features thrown at strangers who are scrolling their feed at 7am on a Tuesday morning.

Here's the problem:

- You're not launching to people who already care.
- You're interrupting their scroll.
- And interruptions require story, not a product spec sheet.

The structure that actually works:

1. The moment you saw the problem
Not "there's a gap in the market."
The specific day you watched someone struggle.

2. What that struggle cost them
Time. Money. Sanity.
Make it real, not theoretical.

3. What you built to solve it
Now they understand why it exists.
Now they're ready to hear about it.

4. How it actually works
One sentence. Plain language. No jargon.
What does it do?

5. One clear next step
Not "read the article and join the waitlist."
Pick one action. One door.

Here's the difference:

- Feature dump:
"Introducing [Product], a no-code platform for AI workflows. Design, deploy, and scale in minutes. Limited access. Join waitlist."

-Story first:
"I watched a startup burn $25K connecting 6 AI tools. Took 3 months. Tools couldn't talk. Team was stuck. So I built [Product], connects them without code. 10 minutes instead of 3 months. Opening 50 spots. DM 'ACCESS.'"

Same product.
Different entry point.

The first one makes you scroll.
The second one makes you care.

My equation:
Lead with features = lose attention.
Lead with the problem = earn trust.

So keep leading with "Introducing [Product], a platform designed for [benefit]."

Please do.

The rest of us will keep opening with the $25K mistake, the 3-month delay, the frustrated team.

And watch the DMs roll in.

This is what I help founders understand:

Every product launch is a story.

Problem → Cost → Solution → How → Next.

Skip the story and you're asking people to care about features they don't understand yet.

Lead with story and the features finally make sense.

Your launch isn't a press release.

It's the story of why the problem mattered enough to solve.

If you're sitting on a product launch and your messaging sounds like a spec sheet, DM me "STORY."

I'll help you rewrite it so people actually care.

p.s. if you're one of those founders who leads with features and it's working for you, ignore everything i just said. but if it's not working... ya know where to find me :)

I quit writing 5 years ago.

Biggest satisfying mistake of my career.

I thought writing/storytelling was too basic. 
Too boring. Not "real" work.

So I chased everything that looked harder:
Web design. Graphic design. Video editing. Dropshipping. 
4 ventures. 4 failures. 0 traction.

Imposter syndrome slapped me silly every single time.

Here's what nobody told me:
 • Web designers write concepts first.
 • Graphic designers write messages first.
 • Video editors write scripts first.
  
Every skill I chased started with the skill I abandoned.

WRITING!!!!

That realization cost me 5 years and thousands of dollars.
But circling back changed everything:

Built a storytelling consultancy from zero
Ranked #3 Jamaican creator on LinkedIn (Favikon 2025)
Launched a podcast with founder interviews
Newsletter generating $300/month in ad revenue
Helping B2B founders turn stories into signed deals

The "boring" skill became the entire business.

Here's the truth most people miss:
→ Your natural talent feels too easy
→ So you chase things that feel harder
→ But easy for you is valuable to others

Stop running from your gift.
It might be worth 5 figures.

I help founders find the stories hiding in their business.

DM me "STORY" if you want to stop blending in.

Sunday. 7:27pm. My 5 year old got up from the table mid-meal.

"Stefan, where are you going?"

"To the bathroom, daddy."

I watched him walk straight past me.

Past his mother.

Past his two younger siblings.

Right up to the server.

"Excuse me, where's the rest room?"

She pointed. He nodded. Walked off like he'd done it a thousand times.

I just sat there. SHOCKED!!!

No hesitation. No looking back for permission. No waiting for daddy to handle it.
He spotted a problem. Found the person with the answer. Asked directly.

At FIVE!!!

That moment stayed with me the whole drive home.

Because i've spoken to tons of founders, CEOs, Execs.

And i see the same thing every single week:
 1. Brilliant people with real stories.
 2. Stories that would connect. Stories that would convert.
 3. Sitting in drafts. Collecting dust.


Last month a founder told me he'd been sitting on his story for 11 months.

"I'm waiting until i have more traction," he said.

His competitor with half the results?
Posted every week. Built an audience. Closed deals.
Same industry. Same offer. Different outcome.

The difference wasn't talent.
It wasn't connections.
It wasn't even the story itself.
It was movement.

One moved. One waited.

I think about this constantly.

The founders who win aren't the ones with the best stories.

They're the ones who actually tell them.
Before they feel ready.
Before it's polished.
Before anyone gives them permission.

Stefan didn't rehearse his question.
Didn't ask me to review it first.
Didn't wait for a better moment.

He had a problem. He opened his mouth. 4 seconds later, problem solved.

That's it. That's the whole strategy.

What a 5 year old understands that most founders don't:

→ Clarity beats confidence
→ Action beats preparation
→ Asking beats assuming
→ Done beats perfect
→ 4 seconds beats 11 months

Your story is ready.

You're the one who's not. (I'm sorry, I had to say it 😁)

I help founders find the stories hiding in their business and turn them into content that converts.

Sometimes the best business lesson comes from a kid who just needed to pee.

p.s. he came back, sat down, finished his food like nothing happened. King behavior. 

p.p.s. what's the longest you've sat on a draft before posting? i won't judge. mine was 6 months. embarrassing but true.

♻️ Repost for someone who needs some motivation today.

Office vending machine coffee. You know the kind.
Bitter. Bland. Forgettable.
You drink it because it’s there, not because you want it.

That’s how most content reads.
And that’s exactly why it gets scrolled past.

📊 80% of people decide in 2 seconds whether to keep reading or scroll.
Your story has less time than a TikTok swipe to earn trust.

Shiloh . and I were on a call yesterday talking shop.
17 minutes in, she said something that stopped me cold:
“Every post is a transaction.”

I wrote it down mid-sentence.
Not money for a product.
Attention for payoff.
And it made something click.

Your reader is standing at your counter thinking:
“Is this worth my 8 seconds?”
You don’t have minutes. You have moments.

And most creators blow it.
They write like it’s a brochure.
They list everything. Solve everything.
Then wonder why nobody DMs.

The best storytellers?
They serve content like a barista serves their signature cup.

→ The hook is the smell that pulls you in
→ The body is the warmth between your hands
→ The close is the aftertaste that makes you come back

Miss one? They bounce.

I know because I did this for years.
I solved every problem in one post.
Gave away everything. Got nothing back.
No comment. No DM. No deal.
Turns out, I was serving instant coffee. And expecting a tip.

The fix?
→ Leave a gap
→ Build tension
→ Let your reader finish the story in the comments

That’s the transaction.
The moment you stop chasing engagement and start earning it?
That’s when your audience starts chasing you.

Shiloh . and I have tested this for ourselves.
We’ve turned words into work.
And content into clients.

But there’s one piece we kept behind the counter
The multiplier that turns a scroll into a signed deal.

Comment “MATCHA” or DM either of us for:
→ Our 3-part framework to turn story into signups
(The one we use to land dream clients weekly)

p.s. Shiloh just served up a cup of "LATTE" better than Starbucks. I added it in the comments

UNPOPULAR OPINION: The digital economy will save the Caribbean. Not tourism.

I said what I said.

Every time a crisis hits, COVID, hurricane season, airline disruption, our region scrambles.

But while governments fight to fill hotel rooms…

Thousands of Caribbean nationals are quietly earning USD online:
→ Virtual assistants in St. Lucia
→ Designers in Jamaica
→ Developers in Trinidad
→ Copywriters in Barbados
→ Online coaches in Grenada

No visas. No migration.
Just Wi-Fi and skill.

This isn’t a future idea.
It’s already happening.

But here’s where we fall short:
→ There’s no national plan to scale it
→ No campaigns to spread awareness
→ Education still trains for cubicles, not contracts

And yet…
→ Caribbean literacy rates average 94%+
→ English is our native language
→ Our time zones align with major markets
→ Our Gen Z is already building online

So why aren’t we investing in that?

Every Caribbean country should have a national export plan for digital skills:
• Train 10,000 nationals in remote-first jobs
• Plug them into global teams
• Raise household income no flights needed

We’re already excellent at exporting music, sport, and culture.

Now it’s time to export skill.

Resilience won’t come from cruise ships.
It’ll come from keyboards.

What’s one barrier you see, infrastructure, policy, or mindset that stops Caribbean talent from earning USD online?

taplio

The Battle

Eric Melillo

Stephen Stanberry

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreEric Melillo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreStephen Stanberry's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Eric Melillo

Stephen Stanberry

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);}Eric Melillo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreStephen Stanberry's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreEric Melillo's LinkedIn Performance