Senior Partner Manager at Hootsuite | Enterprise Alliances with MarTech SaaS | Head of Sales & Marketing at MyRisk | Board Director | Author of "Connect & Act - Systematic Social Selling"

The world is working in a hybrid mode - many continue to commute to their workplace while others work from home. How to find technology to enable and manage this new way of working?

The Australian ICT industry is unique: it is an ideal test market for new technologies and services. I moved to Sydney in 2016 to apply my 20 years of European ICT industry experience to the Aussie cloud and software business combining sales and marketing activities, mostly with partner companies.

Since I came to Sydney, I developed myself as a strategic networker bringing people together face to face and online using Social Selling techniques. I became an educator sharing this passion especially while serving the channel in Australia and Asia Pacific in the Software-as-a-Service industry.

I am passionate about the transformation of modern workplaces to embrace new ways of collaboration. Cloud based tools, mobility and Artificial Intelligence enable these trends. I consult and guide my audience as a trusted advisor along the change journey, to prepare for a connected tomorrow.

In addition to modern IT trends I care about heritage architecture, enjoy cultural activities and write about travel. As a published author of 22 books including two hotel guides, I combine these streams together.

Adapting my subject matter expertise and leadership experience to the next level, I serve as Board Director of my favourite hotel in Sydney.

Gunnar Habitz

Fun to be in the sales profession if you see these photos from yesterday‘s LiveHaus  event!
🥂
But not all have reasons to be happy as 42% of salesreps don‘t make quota and 91% in APAC report burnout (highest in the world).

Where to find out what to do with it?

Yesterday‘s SalesHaus event at The Commons in Sydney was the place where Australia‘s top #B2Bsales people came together.

Joe Hindmarsh MBA from Highspot set the scene with shocking facts line those reported above - but shows how #salesenablement platforms can improve the revenue impact (especially through partners).

Here are my key takeaways from some of the panelists, well moderated by 🚀 Saurabh Kaura: 

- Ricky Pearl: The best performing salesreps didn‘t change their approach radically from AI

- Steve Tolen: People still buy from people, we can‘t automate the relationship building process

- Adem Manderovic: Quota-hitting teams don‘t try harder, they engineer certainty in an GTM architecture approach (launching his book in 2026!)

My two cents: Authencity as sellers - also through #partnership - is key to win client trust. Using AI-powered tech tools is a short cut to be more efficient and creative - but not a replacement for the power of human connection.

What‘s your tip to remain connected in the sales profession?

Helping boutique marketing agencies scale through human connection, automation & AI-powered workflows | Agency Ecosystem Lead @ ActiveCampaign (APAC)

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Connect Content

I help coaches, consultants, founders, and executives turn their expertise into a personal brand that works 24/7.

I work closely with people who are already great at what they do, but want to be seen more clearly by the right people, online, through their networks, and in the room. 

Through my Brand360 program, we work together in three key stages:

📍Define
We get clear on what you want to be known for and how to express it. That means refining your positioning, shaping your message, and identifying the audience that matters most.

📍Evolve
We turn that strategy into real-world assets. I rewrite your LinkedIn profile and bios, develop your brand voice, and create messaging that reflects your tone, values and goals.

📍Amplify
 We build a practical structure that helps you stay visible and top of mind. That includes ongoing support with content ideas, visibility planning, light-touch accountability and making sure your presence stays consistent across platforms and conversations.

The people I work with aren’t looking for reinvention. They’re looking for a way to show up with purpose, without the pressure. If that sounds like you, please get in touch.

📩 tom@connectcontent.com.au
📅 calendly.com/tometh/linkedin-15

Founder & LinkedIn Personal Brand Strategist

Pacific Magazines

From product reviews to news stories, I created content for several of Pacific Magazines' leading titles on a contract basis. I also consulted on and wrote advertorial articles for large brands wanting to create stories that engaged their potential customers.

Content Creator

Freelance Self-Employed

I developed and wrote content for magazines ranging from TV Week to Men’s Health, and websites that include Kidspot and ninemsn’s men’s lifestyle and motoring channels. I was also part of the team of online editors on SBS’s football website The World Game.

Writer, Editor and Copywriter

Bauer Media

Working my way up from Associate Editor to Editor, I worked across various lifestyle titles and launched special projects in both the UK and Australia. My remit was to help Bauer’s media brands stay relevant and profitable, constantly generating ideas and content to keep readers coming back for more.

Editor

EMAP

I was approached to work on weekly magazine Closer when it was still in the development stages. I devised the entire 16-page TV section and was responsible for commissioning, writing and forward-planning features, interviews and specials. Closer was EMAP’s most successful launch and exceeded all sales forecasts.

TV Editor

The London Standard

I wrote TV reviews on this daily newspaper and covered for the TV Editor in his absence. I developed skills in forward-planning and wrote features and TV news items for both the main paper and Metro Life magazine, ensuring the content appealed to a broad cross-section of readers.

Deputy TV Editor, London Evening Standard

Why build a personal brand now?

Because in an AI world, trust has never mattered more. 

When trust is low, the people who stand out are those with a clear, authentic, visible presence.

Maybe you’ve been relying on word-of-mouth, but it’s slowing down and you know there are bigger opportunities out there. 

Or you’re launching a new product or service, stepping into consulting, board roles or speaking, and you’re ready to be more visible. 

Over the past decade, I’ve helped CEOs land new roles, positioned founders as the go-to experts in their field, and supported coaches and consultants in building reputations that open doors.

These people were already great at what they do, but wanted to be seen more clearly by the right people: online, through their networks, and in the room. 

My program is called Brand360. It’s designed to help leaders, founders and consultants take control of their personal brand with clarity, structure and support.

We start with a LinkedIn Roadmap: defining what you want to be known for and how to reach the right people. 

Then we evolve your presence, rewrite your LinkedIn profile, refine your bio, and build content and messaging. 

Finally, we build a strategy to keep you visible on LinkedIn and in the places that matter.

I’m a former journalist and still use my interviewing skills with my clients. What I love most is helping people clarify their stories and feel confident about how they market themselves.

Not sure if your online presence reflects your real expertise? Click 'Book an appointment' at the top of my profile for a 20-minute audit of your online presence.

📩 tom@connectcontent.com.au

👇 Want to know what it’s like to work with me? Scroll to ‘Recommendations.’

Tom Etherington

I’ve discovered a brutal way to start the week.

Diving into the UK’s North Sea in November.

My mum and her friends do this most mornings. They’re all in their seventies and don’t even blink. I’m the one hesitating on the sand.

After that shock, the rest of my to-do list feels fairly straightforward.

Some people ease into the week (normally me). 

Others go straight for the hardest thing before their brain has time to talk them out of it.

Aka, 'Eat the Frog'.

I’m starting to think the second group might be on to something.

How do you start the week?

Personal branding for business owners & executives | Strategy, storytelling & visibility on LinkedIn and beyond | Ghostwriting

You don’t have to have a near-death experience to go viral on LinkedIn.

But it helps.

I just read a story about Lee P., a Brisbane marketer who’d been out of work for nine months after a severe medical ordeal.

He was on the way back but struggling to find work. 

One LinkedIn post later (not polished, just honest and human) and he had hundreds of likes, dozens of comments and reposts.

More importantly, he had a job offer within 24 hours.

OK, this doesn’t happen every day, but it does prove just how much connection matters on here.

LinkedIn rewards authenticity, and Lee’s experience proves that people comment, share and tag people who need to hear the story.

Is that something you're comfortable with, or do you need to keep things professional on LinkedIn?

Check out Lee’s story on his profile. And, if you’d like to tell your story (with a purpose in mind), I can help.

AI can turn you into a content machine, but it doesn't get who you are. 

And that gap is about to matter more than ever.

Yann LeCun, one of the founders of modern AI, is calling LLMs a dead end. Not because they’re useless, but because they can’t reason. They don’t understand context or nuance, and they don’t draw from lived experience. 

This is where personal branding is about to split into two groups.

1. People who let AI speak for them. Their content will blend into the noise. It will be cookie-cutter, safe and replaceable.

2. People who use AI as a tool but keep the human element, perspective and originality that only comes from lived experience. These people will stand out because clarity, insight and genuine voice can’t be copied.

Your edge is:

→ Judgement
→ Perspective
→ Lived experience
→ Emotional intelligence
→ The way you connect dots
→ How you articulate what you know
→ Being prepared to risk getting things worng

The rise of AI puts more weight on your personal brand. When most people sound the same, the people with absolute clarity stand out.

What’s your content edge? (From the list above or something else.)

Tom Etherington is presenting on LinkedIn. 

“Going on LinkedIn is like banging my head against a brick wall.”

Said a new client whose content was getting little engagement. Bang.

Their network was stagnant. Bash.

Their DM conversations went nowhere. Wallop.

So, we changed the strategy from trying to be all things to all people to focusing our efforts on one specific target market.

Of course, they worried that a focused strategy would bypass the rest of their potential clients. 

But that won’t happen if you build a campaign that resonates with one specific audience, and doesn’t alienate the rest. 

- Connect with ideal clients who see you as an expert in that space.

- Enhance credibility, trust, and engagement through educational, entertaining posts.

- Open niche-specific conversations with purpose that lead to opportunities.

In other words, lean into your niche with your activity, NOT your core messaging. 

No more headaches.

What’s your biggest frustration on LinkedIn? 

--

P.S. I create non-boring LinkedIn profiles, campaigns and content for people who’d rather be doing something else. Click ‘Visit my website’ above for more.

An image of a LinkedIn profile with a brick wall background.

taplio

The Battle

Gunnar Habitz

Tom Etherington

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreGunnar Habitz's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTom Etherington's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Gunnar Habitz

Tom Etherington

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);}Gunnar Habitz's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTom Etherington's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreGunnar Habitz's LinkedIn Performance