James Sweeney

AE @ Jargon Group 🧑‍💻 Founder of Sweeney’s Blogs 💬 Changemaker for The Youth Group 👐 Digital Storyteller 📚

Wondered what it feels like to jump out of a plane at 12,000 feet? 🪂

I’m James Sweeney, it’s lovely to meet you! 

Growing up in the Swansea valleys, I’m incredibly passionate about people - whether it’s our culture, background, passions or the ways in which we process and understand the world around us, it’s something that absolutely fascinates me 🌍

Having gone through life as somebody with a stutter, in addition to facing troubles with my physical and mental health, one of my biggest aspirations in life is to help shape a community in which I can help as many people as possible. 

I’m a very keen writer, starting my own blog page in 2018, called Sweeney’s Blogs, where I shine a spotlight on the topics that genuinely mean something to each and every one of us as people. The page has become a key part of my life, and is one of the reasons how I found out about LinkedIn too, as it goes ✍️

I run a weekly series here called Sweeney’s Song of the Week. For these posts, I shout out some incredible people, mixing in my love for music and making the world a better place at the same time. 

In October 2018, I jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet raising over £900 for The Alzheimer’s Society, which has to be one of the best (and scariest!) experiences of my life 🪂

Do you want to join me on my journey! Be sure to drop me a request and a message, I’d love a chat. 

Thanks for checking out my profile and I hope you have a cracking day 👋

Changemaker

A Sweeney in Gloucester...

Last weekend, 25 of us from the undefinable community travelled over to Gloucester for our Winter 2026 Retreat ☃️

Wonderfully organised by Cat, Jamie and Robert, this trip was focused on our shared value of Emotional Bravery. 

Here are some of my highlights from the trip ⤵️

🎧 Dan and Sanya ran us through a fab session all about music, and how it can trigger emotions that a lot of people aren't even conscious of at first. 

😊 Running the Saturday evening activity, all about the emotion of joy, with my fantastic co-host Emanuele Maccotta. 

Bringing people together and being intentional in talking about what brings us genuine happiness in life was so much fun to do - it's definitely something I'll be doing a lot more moving forward!

👐 Seeing the range of emotions covered was fascinating to me, with sessions on surprise, fear, sadness, joy, anger, love and a whole load more. 

Plus, seeing how everyone made space for one another, regardless of how they were feeling, was so wonderful to see. 

Emotional bravery, for me, is all about embracing conversations and experiences with honesty, connection and growth, even when staying guarded or perfectly polished may seem easier.

This was my ninth retreat with the Undefinables, and boy, what a journey these last three years have been. I wouldn't have it any other way 🩵

As Head of the Cleaning team too, very happy with how everyone got stuck in and helped out. Solid work team 🫡

Let's see what retreat number ten has in store, then! 

What does emotional bravery mean to you?

How's your week going so far?

I'd love to hear what you think 😁

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!

PR and Comms Professional 🧑‍💻 Founder of Sweeney’s Blogs 💬 Mentor at One Million Mentors 👐 Digital Storyteller 📚

Want to know one of the most underrated parts of LinkedIn?

Connecting with and getting to know people from all over the world 🌍

I've been posting triweekly here for around seven years now, and in that time, I've had the pleasure of speaking to people from so many countries. 

Whether it's:

🇺🇸 Aidan, Carson, Manny, Sarah, and so many more from the US of A
🇩🇰 andreas and the Shield team out in Denmark
🇳🇿 Hamish, Lachie and the guys over in New Zealand

This is without even mentioning people originally from the UK who have moved overseas, like Ashley and Zack (Dubai), Joe (Thailand), Karla (Bali), and Joe (Florida). 

I could add way more names to the list, but I think you get where I'm coming from here 😂

Every person has their own stories, perspectives and cultures, and every conversation teaches you something new.

Content creation isn’t just about broadcasting your thoughts out into the world. It’s the listening, learning, and understanding experiences beyond your own that helps you become a better storyteller 🤝

One post from a small village in South Wales can reach people in Auckland, Copenhagen and even Texas.

It's crazy when you think about it 🤯

I get to be in the position where I can travel the world, and because of LinkedIn, meet up with so many fantastic people - it's such a cool thing to do. 

I am forever incredibly grateful for all the amazing people I have met and will go on to meet through this platform. 

Here's to loads more meet-ups, conversations and good times to come 😎

Who’s someone you’ve met through LinkedIn that you never would have crossed paths with otherwise?

I'd love to hear your thoughts 😊

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!

What we say, and how we say it, matters more than we realise. 

Yesterday morning, Jessie Yendel appeared on Good Morning Britain to raise awareness of stammering, and to call for better support for people who stutter across the UK 🙏

If you haven't heard of Jessie before, she's a Welsh influencer who shares about her life and journey of living with a stutter online. 

After her appearance, the GMB team uploaded a video of her segment to their socials, which I've seen shared by numerous sources across socials. 

Reading some of the comments really disheartened me, and, to be honest, they were pretty frustrating to read at first.

While many people commented on how much they related to Jessie’s story, others took the opportunity to mock her stutter, question whether it was real, and dismiss her experience altogether.

As someone with a stutter, I genuinely thought it was brilliant to see Jessie go on national TV again and continue to raise awareness of the condition.

Having her speak to Ed Balls, who himself has a stutter, was a bonus 😎

Think of the difference their speaking can make to so many people who stutter, especially those who might not yet feel like they have a voice.

Let's use this as a good reminder for all of us to pause before hitting “post”, "comment," or “send”.

To think about the person on the other side of the screen 🤝

And remember that for some people, being visible, speaking up, or sharing their story already takes an enormous amount of courage.

Who's one person who's helped you find your voice in life? 

How's your week going so far?

I'd love to hear your thoughts ⤵️

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!

When you wake up knowing it's Pancake Day... 🥞

Time for Sweeney’s Song of the Week 🎵 🎶 

Every week, I pick a “Song of the Week”, which I feel perfectly reflects the news and events of the last seven days.

This week’s song: You’re Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins

What’s in this week’s Sweeney Summary?

👉 Alex announced the rebrand of his business, from Truenorth to Rumbo - it’s been fab following along with this journey for you so far, Alex, can’t wait to see what’s coming next 🕺🏼 

👉 Chi announced that she has joined beehiiv as a Global Social Lead - huge congratulations Chi, hope you’re settling in okay 💃

👉 Freddie shared that he and the team at Ingrained Digital have just signed on their first fixed HQ in London. 

This sounds like a super exciting time for you all, Freddie!! Congratulations🥳

👉 I had a lovely introductory call with Matthew this week - so good to get a chat in Matt, here’s to loads more to come 🤝 
 
👉 Jack and the Tank team helped run a session, encouraging students at Nottingham to enter into a career in PR. 

Watching how this industry is evolving and how we can help improve the entryways for future generations is such a fascinating thing to chat about to me 🙌

Comms/ PR Tip of the Week: When working with freelancers, particularly remotely, how we phrase emails (on both sides!) really matters.

It’s easy for tone to get lost — whether that’s around a brief, constructive feedback, or a quick question that’s been typed in a rush. 

Taking a moment to reread a message and think, “How else could this land?” can make a huge difference to morale and trust. Thanks a lot to James for getting me thinking about this! 

Quote of the Week: “Don’t worry about the failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t try” - Jack Canfield

How’s your week been? What’s your song of the week? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts ⤵️

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!

Ever felt like you’re doing everything right in your career, but still on the edge of burnout?

Yeah, me too.

I’m Nia. I'm a creator and speaker helping young professionals build fulfilling, sustainable careers without losing themselves in the process.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve worked across the marketing world, from managing high-profile personal brands agency-side to shaping content strategies in-house. That experience taught me a lot about ambition, burnout, and the messy middle we don’t talk about enough.

So I started sharing it.

In 2022, I began posting on LinkedIn. Not as an expert, but as someone figuring it out in real time.
And somewhere along the way, 20,000+ people decided to come along for the ride.

Since then, I’ve been:

🏆 Awarded Best Breakthrough Marketer (2024) by Passionfruit
✨ Named one of Alt Marketing School’s Top 100 Marketers To Watch (2024)
💬 Featured by Girls In Marketing as a Top Marketer To Follow and as a course contributor (Laying The Foundations for Career & Marketing Success)

Now I help my audience:

→ create habits that actually last
→ rethink success beyond hustle and burnout
→ build careers that align with who they are, not just what they do

If you’re a brand looking to reach ambitious Gen Z professionals, or you're searching for an authentic, relatable voice on career growth and mindset, let’s talk.

📩 Email: niapatel1999@hotmail.com

For speaking opportunities → SPEAKING ENQUIRY
For brand partnerships → PARTNERSHIP ENQUIRY

Because the best career advice comes from someone still figuring it out 💭

Nia Patel

Confidence didn’t arrive for me once I had proof I was “good enough”.

It showed up much earlier than that. In much smaller, less glamorous moments.

I could give you the neat answer. The one about unlearning childhood beliefs. Or journalling your way to self-belief. And there is truth in those things.

But what I’ve realised recently is that confidence is actually built inside discomfort.

Take me as an example.

I find self-doubt tends to sneak in early in the morning or late at night.

When I’m brushing my teeth, showering, getting dressed.

The house is quiet. My mind isn’t distracted. And suddenly there’s space for all the “what ifs” to pipe up.

What if I fail?
What if I’m not cut out for this?
What if I can’t handle what’s coming?

In those moments, I don’t try to banish the feeling. I let it pass through. And then I gently choose to replace the thought.

“What if I fail?” becomes “What if I succeed?”
“I’m so overwhelmed” becomes “No matter what happens, I can handle it.”

Not in a toxic positivity way. Just in a grounded, steadying one.

Confidence isn’t something you can sit down and do for an hour and tick off your to-do list.

It’s something you practise in real time.

In the quiet moments. In the in-between spaces.

When fear inevitably shows up, and you decide not to let it drive, that’s confidence 💖

Creator & Speaker | Simplifying habits, productivity and personal branding so you can thrive in your career 🧠✨

I’ve spent more time in the gym this month than I have in the past two years.

I’m not even exaggerating.

A new gym opened in my hometown and, in the spirit of actually getting out more in 2026, I signed up.

It’s now quietly become my favourite post-work ritual.

Not because I’m chasing aesthetic goals or smashing PBs, but because it helps me switch off.

After work, my brain usually wants to replay conversations, plan tomorrow, spiral slightly. At the gym, all that fades into the background.

I can de-stress.
Shake off nervous energy.
Focus on something physical and present.

And that’s rare.

Now, gyms aren’t for everyone. Some people freeze at the sight of gym bros treating machines like competitive sport. For others, memberships just aren’t financially viable.

But the lesson isn’t “go to the gym.”

It’s that movement works because it brings you back into your body.

Walking. Stretching. Swimming. Dancing in your room.

Whatever does that for you, do more of it.

Sometimes the most effective “self-care” isn’t another productivity hack.

It’s giving your nervous system somewhere to exhale ✨

I don’t believe you owe the internet your entire life story.

Especially not in the name of being “authentic”.

Everyone has different boundaries when it comes to what they share publicly and what they keep to themselves. And that line will look different for each of us, and probably change over time too.

For me, it comes down to one simple question: do I feel grounded sharing this, or do I feel exposed?

You can be open.
You can be honest.
You can share the journey as it’s unfolding.

And still choose to keep certain parts just for you.

There’s a difference between transparency and total access. Between letting people in and handing everything over.

We’re allowed to have corners of our lives that stay offline.
We’re allowed to process things privately before (or instead of) sharing them publicly.

That doesn’t make your content less real. If anything, it makes it more intentional.

You get to decide where the line is.

And you’re allowed to move it ✨

There’s a very particular feeling that tends to creep in once you’ve done everything you were supposed to do.

You got the grades.
You went to university.
You landed the job.
You’re progressing.

On paper, things look good. But something feels slightly off.

I don’t think it’s because people are ungrateful or overly ambitious. I think it’s because many of us were never really encouraged to think beyond the structure of a career.

When I was at school, the focus was on the next step. GCSEs led to A-Levels. A-Levels led to university. University led to a job. And once you were “in”, the assumption was that you’d work your way up until retirement.

What I don’t remember being asked is:

How do you want work to feel?
What would make the hard days feel worth it?
What kind of energy do you want to come home with?

That way of thinking just wasn’t part of the conversation back then. Mental health wasn’t something we openly talked about. Fulfilment wasn’t considered a career metric. Stability and progression were the goal, and for good reason.

So we follow the path that’s laid out for us.

We reach the milestone we were aiming for.

And then, quietly, we wonder if this is all there is.

I’m reading Career Comedown by Stefanie Sword-Williams FRSA at the moment, and she captures this feeling perfectly: that emotional drop that comes after achieving something you thought would make you feel complete.

Maybe that dissatisfaction isn’t a failure.

Maybe it’s just the moment you start asking better questions than the ones you were given 🧐

If I relied purely on creativity to build my personal brand, it would be chaos.

And it would show in my posts.

Because honestly…I’m not the most creative person in the world.

I can crunch numbers. I’m good at mental maths. I’ve been a STEM girlie since high school.

But I’m not someone who can magically pull post ideas out of thin air.

So how have I grown a personal brand over the years?

It comes down to the word you’re probably sick of hearing by now: consistency.

I showed up. I wrote something. I gave it a glow-up. I posted it.

And I made time to reply to the humans kind enough to read and comment on my ramblings.

Relying on creativity alone will get you nowhere. It spikes and dips far too much. Consistency is what carries you on the days when motivation is low, ideas feel flat, and your inner critic is loud.

So show up anyway.

Even when it feels hard.
Even when your thoughts feel messy.
Even when you’re convinced “this post isn’t that good”.

Because those are often the posts people connect with most.

And they’ll take your personal brand further than creativity ever could ⚡️

I’ve realised I tend to read in eras.

Some weeks it’s fiction-heavy.
Other times it’s psychology.

This year? It’s career.

Almost everything on my bedside table at the moment links back to work in some way: ambition, identity, fulfilment, burnout, building something meaningful.

This year, career is a huge focus for me. So naturally, my reading is orbiting around it.

I’ll still pick up a novel. Or something completely unrelated. Otherwise it all starts to feel a bit intense. But having a loose theme has made reading feel more intentional: less random, more supportive.

I think when you’re starting out with non-fiction especially, it can feel overwhelming. There’s so much out there. So many “must-reads”.

Sometimes it helps to narrow the lens.

What are you currently trying to figure out?
What feels slightly messy or unclear in your life?

Start there.

You don’t need to read everything. Just the things that meet you where you are.

Reading doesn’t have to be about consuming more. Sometimes it’s just about going deeper in one direction for a while 📚

taplio

The Battle

James Sweeney

Nia Patel

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJames Sweeney's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreNia Patel's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

James Sweeney

Nia Patel

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);}James Sweeney's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreNia Patel's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJames Sweeney's LinkedIn Performance