Amazon

Continuous Improvement Manager

Area Manager

Site Manager

Junior Site Manager

Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark

Junior Research Assistant

Kverneland Group Kerteminde A/S

Master Thesis Project

ForeFlight

Data Consultant

Odense University Hospital

Semester Project

Follow for daily posts about Lean, CI & Innovation | Continuous Improvement Manager @ Amazon

Hi!👋 Ivan here

I'm an industrial engineer with 7+ years of experience in Operations Management and Continuous Improvement.

I serve two main groups of people:

	• Business owners and executives who want to turn their broken processes into brilliant ones (and save so much damn money) through Kaizen and Innovation

	• Founders and consulting firm owners within CI, Lean or Innovation who want to promote their businesses and make LinkedIn a legit revenue channel

(DM me for the details) 


I started writing on LinkedIn in October 2023. 

Since then, I have been sharing actionable, educational, and entertaining content to support LinkedIn community members in their continuous improvement journey. This helped me grow my audience from 9,000 to 100,000 followers in a year.

Join my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ddQncJM5

Ivan Carillo

26 Kaizen Leadership Mantras

Here are the 4 principles that I believe are most powerful (and why):

1/ Gemba never lies; go and see for yourself.

I've seen leaders make terrible decisions because they trusted Excel sheets over their own eyes. The problems that cost us millions are often visible on the shopfloor, but nobody bother to look. Reports tell you what people want you to know. Gemba tells you what's actually happening. I think the moment you stop walking the floor is the moment you lose touch with reality. Your operators won't lie to you if you show up regularly, ask good questions, and actually listen to their answers.

2/ Without psychological safety, Kaizen dies.

I've watched brilliant Kaizen programs collapse because people were terrified to speak up. Companies that blame individuals for systemic problems get exactly what they deserve. Silence. Workers hide defects, skip reporting near-misses, and watch waste happen rather than risk looking stupid or getting punished. I think this is why most Kaizen initiatives fail within a year. You can't improve what people won't talk about, and people won't talk about problems in a culture of fear.

3/ The person doing the work knows it best.

I learned this the hard way early in my career when I implemented a Kaizen idea. The operators supported it, then immediately went back to their old method the moment I left. Every time I've ignored frontline expertise, I've wasted time and money solving the wrong problem. I think we underestimate how much knowledge lives in the hands and muscle memory of people who do the same task hundreds of times daily.

4/ Kaizen culture doesn't support strategy. Kaizen culture is strategy.

I spent years thinking CI was something that helped execute our "real" strategy. I was wrong. Companies with a strong Kaizen culture adapt faster, survive disruptions better, and outperform competitors with superior strategic plans. I think this is the principle most executives miss. Your competitors can copy your products in months, but they can't copy a culture where thousands of people solve problems every single day.

P.S. What's your fav one in the list?

Founder of Gemba Walk AI — I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Brutal truth: most Kaizen implementations fail within 6 months.

Here's why (and how to fix it):

Common failure pattern..

↓ Launch with great enthusiasm 
↓ Form improvement teams 
↓ Run some workshops 
↓ See initial results 
↓ Get distracted by other priorities 
 ↳ Kaizen activities fade away

The missing ingredient? 
Systems thinking.

Successful Kaizen requires these systems working together:

1/ Total Quality Management

+Customer focus throughout organization
+Process-oriented improvement mindset

2/ Just-In-Time Production

+Elimination of waste in all forms
+Flow-based operations

3/ Total Productive Maintenance

+Equipment reliability and efficiency
+Operator involvement in maintenance

4/ Policy Deployment

+Clear targets cascading from top to bottom
+Aligned improvement efforts

5/ Suggestion Systems

+Employee engagement in daily improvement
+Recognition of participation

6/ Small Group Activities

+Quality circles and improvement teams
+Collaborative problem-solving
 
Most companies try to implement Kaizen 
…without these foundations. 

Remember:

Success requires patience.

+Start with one system
+Build it thoroughly
+Connect it to others gradually

…and never stop improving!

Founder of Gemba Walk AI • I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Most companies create fantastic value stream maps.

Then file them away. (I've seen it dozens of times) 

Video credit to Krish Sengottaiyan. Give him a follow

Teams spend weeks mapping their current state. 

They identify waste. 
They draft the future state

Then ...nothing changes.

You know why?

No one is responsible for the customer experience.

Traditional organizations are function-based.

→ Finance reports to CFO 
→ Operations reports to COO 
→ Sales reports to CRO

Each leader knows their department.
But nobody understands how value flows end-to-end.

No single leader owns value stream performance.

"Everyone" is responsible = No one is responsible

VSM needs an owner with authority. 
One leader who can make decisions across silos.

CEO could, but they operate too high to manage CI.

So it's key to assign executive-level VSM ownership. 

Before you map your next value stream, answer this:

Who owns the complete customer journey?

If you can't name them...
save yourself the effort.

P.S. Does anyone in your organization have E2E accountability for value delivery?

Create Authentic Content With AI (👇) | Helped >600 Entrepreneurs Build Personal Brands

Struggling to turn LinkedIn into real business growth? You’re not alone - most entrepreneurs are. 

In 18 months, I went from 3k to 395k followers, generated 320M+ views, and built a mid-6-figures bootstrapped business with zero CAC.

Now I help committed entrepreneurs & CXOs grow their businesses on LinkedIn.

Before posting on LinkedIn, I thought social media was a total waste of time. 

My journey: 

- 2015–2020: Investment Banking & Private Equity (Goldman Sachs, Vitruvian Partners) 
- 2020–2022: Business school - still convinced social media was all fluff 
- 2023: Built a VC-backed crypto startup and watched competitors skyrocket using social media 
- 2024: Started posting myself → grew from 3k to 395k followers (fastest-growing new LinkedIn account in the world), generated 300M+ views, built a 7-figure bootstrapped business with zero CAC (Saywhat[dot]ai) 

Since then, I’ve worked with 600+ entrepreneurs to grow their brands and businesses on LinkedIn. 

How I can help you: 

1️⃣ For solopreneurs, coaches, and consultants 

Check out Saywhat[dot]ai - our software platform & community helping 600+ entrepreneurs. 

Median user posting 5x/week sees +130% views in 90 days. 
Average user sees 800% more views in 90 days. 

For more case studies, check out the website.

2️⃣ For Founders/CXOs 

I’ll run and grow your LinkedIn end-to-end: strategy, content creation, and audience building to grow your business. 

I work exclusively with Series A+ startups or $10M+ ARR who are: 
- Committed to LinkedIn as a serious, long-term growth channel 
- Willing to invest significantly in brand building (not “testing the waters”) 

If that’s you, send me a DM to learn more.

3️⃣ For free weekly tips Subscribe to my Level Up Newsletter for LinkedIn growth tactics.

And get 120 free LinkedIn post ideas + my AI writing prompts here: https://levelupnewsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe

4️⃣ For a bit of motivation and some tactical business building advice - just give me a follow!

Excited to support you on your journey however I can!

Will McTighe

Messy Career? Read this: 👇


When we look at our LinkedIn feed, 
Everyone's career looks perfect. 
A straight line to success.

But there is so much that we're all hiding:
• The failed projects. 
• The career U-turns. 
• The "what was I thinking?" moments.

Truth is, we're all figuring it out. 
And in 2025, that's just normal. 
Embracing it is even an advantage.

Why? 
Because the most interesting opportunities come from unexpected places. 
The skills you think are "irrelevant" today might be your edge tomorrow.

But we still: 
• Hide our failures 
• Delete old job titles 
• Pretend each move was "strategic"

Stop.

And remember: 
• Every pivot adds to your toolkit. 
• Every failure makes you stronger. 
• Every "mess" teaches you resilience.

The people winning right now aren't doing everything perfectly.

They're learning from every turn. 

They're building while others doubt. 

They're connecting the dots others miss.

Your messy career isn't a bug. 
It's a feature.

Own it.

One of my craziest career decisions? 
Posting on LinkedIn.

Want to do the same? 
Here are 120 post ideas to get started: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻️ Repost if you're proud of your non-linear path

P.S. What did your messiest career moment teach you? 
Share below 👇

LinkedIn & B2B Marketing Whisperer | Helped 600+ Founders & Execs Build Influence

Feeling stuck? 
Read this:

We've all had those moments.

When we hesitate and doubt.

It's the fear creeping in:
→ Fear of being judged
→ Fear of missing out
→ Fear of failing

And what makes it harder is that the fears are completely valid.

We will be judged.
We will fail at times.
We will miss out on things.

And you're going to realize that it doesn't matter.
It's just part of the journey.

Every great person has felt those, 
"am I crazy to start over" feelings:

✅ Ray Croc bought McDonald's at 56
✅ Martha Stewart wrote her first book at 41
✅ Charles Flint co-founded IBM at 61

But they did it anyway. 
And you can too.

Here are three ways to start over,
with an unfair advantage:

1/ Start building an audience online.
↳ Share what you've learned.
↳ Create content that helps your ideal customers avoid your mistakes.

2/ Learn from those 2 steps ahead.
↳ Find mentors who've made the leap
↳ Study their frameworks and systems

3/ Build up a financial safety net.
↳ Test your new thing while employed
↳ Cut unnecessary expenses now

Remember: Your experience isn't a weakness, it's your edge.

One thing I wish I started earlier was my personal brand.

📌 Here is your playbook
(With 120 post ideas + my AI writing prompts): https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

—

♻ Repost to help your network overcoming the fear of starting over.

➕ Want more? Follow me Will McTighe

Henry Ford's first company failed by Will McTighe

Most people expect AI to read their mind. It's like asking a chef to cook "a nice dessert" without mentioning you hate chocolate.

Then they blame it when it fails.

Of course it won't do everything right without knowing more about you.

It needs to know your background, and how you think.

When you train it right, it starts thinking with you.

Here's how to train it properly:

1/ Turn On Memory
• Make ChatGPT remember what matters across chats.
• Tell it who you are, who you help, and what tone you prefer.

2/ Define Your Working Style
• Pick a tone that matches how you think - cynical, forward thinking, etc.
• Ask it to challenge your ideas or simplify complex ones.

3/ Set Up Custom Instructions
• Fill out your "About You" and "How to Respond" fields properly.
• That's how it stops sounding generic.

4/ Connect Your Tools
• Don't copy-paste everything into chats.
• Connect your Drive, Notion, and Slack and let AI pull what it needs.

5/ Build Your Workflow
• Have one 'project' for each client or task.
• Upload files, templates, and make it part of your daily process.

Most people give up because AI seems too hard.
"It's not for me."

But it's not about intelligence, it's about setup.

Remember: The more you use it, the smarter it gets.

📌 Want to use AI to build your personal brand?
Here's my free 8-day email course: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

♻️ Repost to help your network use AI properly.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

How to make ChatGPT do 80% of your work by Will McTighe

Spend 60 minutes to fix your LinkedIn today.

10x your results all year.

Most people overcomplicate LinkedIn:

• Starting from scratch every single time
• Publishing content without a clear strategy
• Creating content that speaks to everyone and no-one

No wonder it feels exhausting.

That's why they quit after 3 months - it's not sustainable.

I get it.

I used to think doing everything manually made me a hard worker.
I still struggle with that sometimes.

But in reality, not everything is a good use of your time.

LinkedIn isn't hard because the work is impossible.
It's hard because most people are doing it without leverage.

Here's how this 11 step workflow will help you build leverage:

• Spot the gaps that costs you opportunities
• Create reusable visual templates that look great
• Have 30 days of content ideas ready in minutes
• Mix awareness, trust, and sales posts

Build systems that become your foundation and go from there.

📌 Want my free playbook that made it happen for me?
Find it here: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network create a better system.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

How to fix your linkedin with AI by Will McTighe

Stop doubting yourself. 
Growth happens when you do things you're not 'qualified' for.

The excuses all sound reasonable:
• "I don't have enough time right now." 
• "I'll wait until I have more experience." 
• "What if I look stupid? It could ruin my reputation"

We wait to feel confident before we take action.

But this misses the point:
You don't have confidence at the start! 
It's the result of doing so much work it would be unreasonable to not believe in yourself.

So next time doubt shows up, instead of letting it take control, do the opposite of what it wants.

Here are 3 things I do when self-doubt takes over:

1/ Start before you're ready

When I first started posting online, I had no idea what I was doing. I was laughed at and now nearly 2 years later, those haters ask me for help.

Action builds confidence, not the other way around.

2/ Lower the stakes

I've posted >500 LinkedIn posts - I've had more flops than most but I just try to make the next better than the last.

Stop treating every next step like it's the performance of your life - treat it like practice instead.

3/ Surround yourself with doers

I've built a small circle of entrepreneurs I talk to regularly - Nader Alnajjar, Chris Donnelly, Peter Shallard. 

Confidence really is contagious, so make it a point to be around people who are actually doing the work.

Confidence doesn't show up first. 
It follows the work you put in.

Take the risk. 
Apply for the job. 
Start your side hustle - now is the time.

Want to surround yourself with doers?
Find your own tribe by posting online: 
📌 Here's my playbook: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

♻️ Repost to help your network overcome self-doubt.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

What if I Fail Vs. What If I Don't by Will McTighe

7 Bitter Pills to Swallow:
(10 years of painful career lessons in 60 seconds)

In 10 years, I've pivoted across 3 industries.
Only 14 months ago, I was coldcalling chemical distributors.

Each pivot forced me to confront hard truths.
They started with the person in the mirror -

The one making excuses.
The one avoiding conversations I needed to have with myself.

Here are 7 truths I had to confront along the way:

1/ Your identity is built on outdated stories.
↳ "I'm an angry guy" because you lost your temper as teenager.
↳ Childhood labels aren't our adult identity. Outgrow them.

2/ Nobody cares about your potential.
↳ The world only cares about what you actually do.
↳ “I could have” is worthless until we turn it into results.

3/ Rock bottom isn't the enemy. The comfortable middle is.
↳ Comfort is more dangerous than crisis - it kills our hunger and leaves us with regret.
↳ One day, you'll reminisce about your hard, tough moments.

4/ 'Someday' actually means 'never'.
↳ We all have a graveyard of dreams we'll "get to later”.
↳ Stop waiting for the perfect moment, it is not coming.

5/ Your excuses sound ridiculous to everyone but you.
↳ Behind every excuse is a fear we haven’t acknowledged.
↳ Every "I'm not ready" is really "I'm too scared".

6/ If no one knows you, you don't exist. Build your brand.
↳ Talent means nothing if you're invisible.
↳ Your voice is powerful - use it until they can't ignore you.

7/ Your habits got you here. Change them to change your life.
↳ Your habits are either building your future or repeating your past.
↳ Small choices compound into life sentences - or legacies. You decide.

Start confronting reality and turn it into your dreams.

Agree? Disagree?
Let me know in the comments. ⬇️

📌 The biggest risk I've taken in the past year?
Building my personal brand.

Want to do it too? 
Here's my free playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost this to help your network face reality.

7 bitter pills to swallow by Will McTighe

60 mins a day to optimize your LinkedIn content strategy.

10x growth all year:

Most people log into LinkedIn and get sucked into the vortex.
It's so easy to let hours go by!

The best people I've coached do things a bit differently...

• They create a system that make showing up easier.
• They use checklists to write, edit and proofread content (especially at the start)

Stop missing opportunities and turning off leads.

Here’s the playbook I used,
To go from 3k followers to >388k followers in 17 months:

1/ Write Your Post (15 mins)
• Define a problem, create urgency, offer a solution.
• Keep it real and actionable. No fluff.

2/ Pre-Post Engagement (15 mins)
• Engage thoughtfully with peers, big accounts, and dream clients.
• Ask questions. Build relationships before you need them.

3/ Reply Window (10 mins)
• Respond to every comment in the first hour.
• Don’t just say “thanks”- keep the dialog going. Ask a follow up.

4/ Strategic Outreach (20 mins)
• Connect with 10 ideal clients a day. Keep it personal, under 50 words.
• Follow up with profile viewers (Premium) within 2 hours.
• This part is so important and often forgotten.

Most people think they need to be experts,
To start writing online.
They're wrong.

📌 Want a high res pdf of this sheet?
Get it here: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻ Repost to help your network build their LinkedIn business.

Organic reach is down 65% on LinkedIn.

And the feed gets more crowded every day.

More people posting, more ads and a new algorithm.

Despite the headwinds, some creators are still crushing it... because the fundamentals of good writing haven't changed.

Here’s how they’re making it work:

1/ Create an “Aha” Moment
An insight that makes the reader go, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

2/ Make People Feel Seen
Make the readers think, “that’s so true”, or “I can’t believe she said that out loud!”

3/ Lead with Personal Experience
Real experience and authority hooks earn trust right off the bat.

4/ Begin with a Negative
People care more about avoiding pain than improving.

5/ Make Your Reposters Look Good
People share content that makes them look smart, kind, or virtuous.

6/ Show Before–After Transformation
Show where you started AND where you are now.

7/ Use More White Space
Keep 2–3 lines per paragraph - and let your ideas breathe.

The algorithm keeps changing but principles like being clear, speaking with authority and talking to emotions always work.

Learn why your content works because when you do, you never run out of ideas.

📌 Start posting. Here is your free playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network win on LinkedIn.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

7 laws of addictive content by Will McTighe

RIP PowerPoint.
It's nearly 2026. Use this instead:

Most people waste hours every week doing things that look productive.
I am sometimes at fault for doing this, too.

Think about it, we’ve all:
• Taken notes that no one read
• Made decks no one cared about
• Copy and pasted data between tools because “it’s faster”

Busy work feels safe - it gives the illusion of progress.

You think automating these tasks takes hours - “It’s just quicker if I do it myself.”

That used to be me.

Then, last week, I built an AI workflow that turns meeting notes into ready-to-share slides in under 10 minutes.

Here’s the step-by-step playbook:

Step 1: Open zapier(.)com(/)apps → Search for Gamma
• This is where you’ll set up the automation.

Step 2: Tell Gamma where to pull content from.
• Pick from the 8,000 tools like Notion, Fireflies, and Google Sheets here: https://lnkd.in/gYjv_Gnx

Example: Fireflies(.).ai → Gamma (to turn meeting notes into decks).

Step 3: Choose when it runs.
• Set it up like: “New meeting summary → Create presentation.”

Step 4: Connect both apps and test.
• Link both tools up to Zapier.

Step 5: Decide what goes into your slides
• Decide whether you want timestamps, speaker names, or summaries.

Step 6: Turn On the Workflow
• This links your workspace, no manual upload or copy-pasting needed.

Step 7: Go Live
• Now every time a new meeting ends → Gamma auto-generates your slides.
• Pick one task you can automate this week.

That’s how you buy back your time - for the work that actually matters.

📌 Want to create an AI Agents that automates decks after every meeting?

Try Gamma x Zapier yourself - no coding needed.

♻️ Share this with your network save time at work.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

#gammapartner #zapierpartner

How to create presentations on autopilot by Will McTighe

Everyone wants success.

Few want to pay the price.

I see it everywhere.

The creator who stops posting after 6 months of slow growth.
The entrepreneur who shuts down after 11 months.
The job seeker who gives up after 50 rejections.

They were so close.
But they never knew it.

Success has a price.
Everyone wants it. Few will pay it.

They want 100K followers.
Not 1,000 days of consistent posting.

They want the 6-figure business.
Not 5,000 hours of building it.

They want the dream job.
Not 500 applications and 20 interviews.

What does the price look like?
Showing up when:
→ Your content gets 3 likes (again)
→ Your inbox stays empty for weeks
→ Your friends question your choices
→ Motivation is nowhere to be found

The real problem comes from people relying on motivation instead of systems.

They create when inspired.
Not because it's 6am and that's their time.

They network when they need something.
Not because Tuesday is coffee chat day.

They practice their skills when they feel like it.
Not because consistent effort beats perfect timing.

None of this is glamorous. It's not easy. But it is necessary.

The price never goes down.
But the results compound over time.

Most people won't pay it.
Will you? 

Want my system for building your personal brand? 
Get the free playbook: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻️ Repost to help your network chase their dreams.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

The Price Of What You Want By Will McTighe

How to create beautiful infographics in under 5 minutes:

No design skills required.

Infographics are incredibly powerful - 
They've helped me gain hundreds of thousands of followers but dear lord they are painful to make.

And I've heard the same pains over and over again from other creators:
• Spending 3 hours wrestling with Canva templates that still look "off"
• Ending up with something that looks nothing like what you imagined
• Paying a designer $200+ and wait days for revisions
• Watching your brand colors get butchered

The worst part is that you repeat this painful process EVERY time you need an infographic.

But as of yesterday, here's the better way:

1. Open Saywhat(.)ai → head to infographics

2. Save your brand colors
• Go to "Themes" → Create a "New Palette" 

3. Add templates you like
• Select "Upload Templates"
• Add your old infographics or pick from other top-performing content

4. Add a simple prompt:
• Select "New Infographic." → Give it a simple prompt like:
"Create an infographic on [Topic] using [Color Theme] in [Template]."

OR 

Give it a more detailed infographic outline from ChatGPT

5. Let Your Inner Designer Out
• Once the first draft is ready, edit using the "Edit" button and adding a new prompt. Change titles. Swap icons. Adjust layout

That's it.

No fiddling with tools and moving boxes around. 
What used to take 2 hours can now take under 5 minutes.

Yesterday we opened 100 early-access spots this week.
Today we have 68 left. 
After that, access closes until the next cohort.

Start your free trial and see for yourself. 
I promise you, you will be blown away by it.

Select the Exec plan to get started: https://lnkd.in/gbe7PQqF

♻️ Repost to help others design better content.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

How to create beautiful infographics by Will McTighe

The biggest risk isn't failure.
It's looking back in 10 years and realizing you never tried.

That idea you keep pushing off?
That change you're waiting to make?
That leap you know you need to take?

Your mind fills with excuses:
"What if it fails?"
"What if people judge?"
"What if I'm not ready?"

The funny thing?
Before you're successful, literally no one is paying attention.

Everyone is too consumed in their own lives.
You have all the time in the world to experiment before anyone pays attention

It's only once you've made it that people get curious.
Think about it:

→ YouTube started as a dating site
→ Twitter began as a podcast platform
→ Instagram was originally a check-in app called Burbn

But most people don’t know that because they see their success today.

The reality?
These weren't failures - they were necessary experiments.
Those things you're afraid of?

• The "amateur" early attempts
• The "embarrassing" first posts
• The "mistakes" that keep you stuck

They're all just experiments on your path.
No one gets what they want out of life,
Without going through the messy phase first.

So next time you're hesitating:
Start the business
Share the idea
Take the leap

Because the difference between you right now and where you want to be?
It isn't talent.
It's the willingness to look foolish in public.

Want to know the craziest part?
16 months ago, I was terrified to post online.
But it completely changed my life.

Here's your playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network be take the leap.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

taplio

The Battle

Ivan Carillo

Will McTighe

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreIvan Carillo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreWill McTighe's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Ivan Carillo

Will McTighe

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);}Ivan Carillo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreWill McTighe's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreIvan Carillo's LinkedIn Performance