Joanna Howes

The Change Creators 

At The Change Creators, we provide transformational services to help leaders grow and become the leader they know they can be. We focus on the mindset, skills and behaviours leaders need to step into their courageous zone, create a positive impact and deliver results.

Our services include:
 
✅Cultural shifts and transformations  

✅Leadership and team coaching and training

✅Operational excellence consultancy 

✅EDISC and Meta Dynamics profiling to increase self-awareness and self-leadership 

✅Executive 1-2-1 coaching 

If you would like to take your leadership to the next level and invest in your growth, get in contact with us today and watch your influence and performance sky rocket.

CEO and Founder of The Change Creators - Leadership Coach and Trainer 

Clemenger BBDO

- Re-invented the company ways of working to drive agility, efficiencies, and flexibility to meet all client requirements
- Built a new production offering to achieve fast effective content delivery, resulting in a new stream of revenue  
- Supported the win of large pitches by selling operations excellence

Operations Director - Executive team 

McCann London

Operations Director

-  Introduced project management into the agency which doubled the agencies productivity 
- Transformed the commercial effectiveness with systems, data, technology, and accurate tracking resulting in increased profit margin
- Lead the process with the leadership team to evolve the culture to be bold and brave to increase the quality of work

Head of Project Management

Arthur London

Operations and New Business Director

Creative Services Director / Operations Director

VCCP

Helping leaders step into their courageous zone and create positive impact, through transformative coaching & training | CEO of The Change Creators Ltd | Campaign 40 over 40 | International Coach of the Year 2020 🏆

We specialise in creating courageous leadership teams who win together.

Whether you're a newly formed team, a merged company establishing a new board, or feeling the need for a reset, we can help you create a strong aligned cohesive team. 

Courageous leaders are open, vulnerable, and committed to continuous learning, driving exceptional results for their teams and the organisation.

We help by:

• Moving from operating in silos to a collective mindset 

• Avoiding feedback to leaning into compassionate candor 

• From going around in circles to make decisions to a bias for action 

• From working as job titles to truly understanding each other as human beings 

• From all talk and no action to peer-to-peer accountability 


Our approach centers on increasing individual and team awareness, fostering a unified leadership team culture grounded in aligned principles, and promoting effective communication and accountability.

"When the business isn't performing, the first place to look is the leadership team."

👉 For coaching and training inquiries, please email: joanna.howes@thechangecreators.com

👉 For podcast and speaking engagements, please email: anna@thechangecreators.com

Let's connect and explore how we can elevate your leadership team to achieve extraordinary outcomes.


Trusted by: 
Monzo, Amazon, BBC, Troy Asset Management, Ada Ventures, Iris Worldwide, Uncommon Creative Studios, 6 Nations Rugby, ITB, PrettyGreen PR, Hue & Cry, McCann Worldwide.

What our clients have to say: 

“She's 'Life Changing'. Jo has an ability to enable a fearless focus on creating a personal and professional roadmap to success”. - Director Of Client Services at SYZYGY London

“As a coach Jo has been fantastic- full of insights, always there to listen and most of all provide practical solutions. As a team we have come out more confident and ready with practical tools to help us develop further in different areas.” - Head Of Project Management at BBC Creative


🌐  Visit: www.thechangecreators.com

I lost my dad 29 years ago
and last week I was given a photo of him I’d never seen before.

It took me a moment (and my breath away) to take it in.
He was only 50 when he died, an age I'm only 3 years away from. 

This photo captures him in his element, surrounded by food doing the work he loved.

Grief doesn’t vanish.
You don’t 'move on.'
You move with it.

Some days it sits quietly. 
Some days it taps you on the shoulder.
And then there are moments like this, when it brings someone straight back into your heart.

But this photo did something else too.
It reminded me exactly where my own fire comes from.

My dad was all graft, pride and heart.
He cared deeply about his craft.
And he cared about people.

I started working for him when I was 12.
By 15, I was running the restaurant at weekends
Leading people twice my age, learning fast, getting things wrong, figuring out how to hold a team together.

At the time it just felt like 'helping Dad.'
Now I see it for what it was: my first leadership training ground.
So much of who I am today started in that restaurant.

Courage.
Ownership.
Showing up even when you don’t feel ready.
Taking pride in your work.

Seeing this photo now, almost three decades later, has pushed me even further into my own path.

His passion was food.
Mine is helping leaders find their courage to do the work that matters.
Different passions, same spirit.
Although my second choice would have been a food critic 😀

For anyone who’s lost someone, you’ll know this:

The grief softens, but the love doesn’t.
And moments like this make you stop and ask:

👉 Are we using the time we have well?
👉  Are we doing the work that feels true to us?
👉  Are we leading with pride in our craft… or just getting through the week?

I feel incredibly grateful for the years I had with him, for what he taught me, and for the reminder this photo brought.

If you’ve had a moment like this recently, I’d love to hear what it brought up for you.

♻️Repost to remember how important the time we have left is
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Strengthening Leadership Teams to Connect, Perform & Grow Together | Courageous Leaders Podcast| Speaker | International Coach of the Year 2020 🏆 | Follow for posts about self-mastery, leadership & culture

For my birthday last week, I went to a restaurant with NO menu.
And it felt so good to let go of control.

7 courses and no idea what's coming next. 

Even when they put butter that had marmite in it!! (I'm a hater)
It was amazing and I would have never ordered it had I been given the choice.

But here's the genius bit:

Every table eating the same thing.
Only 2 sittings at 7.30pm and 8pm.
The kitchen wasn't chaos... it was calm precision.
No decisions to stress about.
Just pure focus on quality and experience.

And they were all having the BEST time, singing to the music and having the time to have banter with us and make us feel SO special. 

There is so much to learn from this in corporate business. 

What could be possible is leaders stopped trying to control every outcome.
Empowered their teams to be creative.

Stopped offering endless options.
Just do fewer things... really, really well.

What if you applied this to your next project?

Your team?

Your life?

I already have and it's amazing how you can strip things back and simplify to create a better experience.

The old saying 'less is more' is so true.

Where is one area you can apply this to?

♻️ Repost to inspire new thinking 
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The power of glitter.

A room full of women sharing.
Listening.
Supporting.
And encouraging each other to take those 'F*ck It' moments to live our potential. 

Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️ created a night I’ll remember.
Not because it was shiny (even though it was), but because it felt safe.
Safe to be honest.
Safe to be seen.
Safe to let someone else hold a bit of your story.

I’m so grateful she followed her dream. 
It’s not the easy road, but it’s one that’s helping so many women back themselves.

If you’re not already following her, go step into her world of glitter. It’s genuinely uplifting.

Amazing to get to spend the evening with incredible women including Kerry Collinge Amanda Baker Catherine Peacock Anna Cairns Justine Hendry

This wasn’t just the most special morning.
It reminded me why I started the podcast in the first place.

I never imagined how much the guests would teach me, inspire me, and shape how I see leadership today.

Here’s just a small glimpse of the impact being created by the people around this table:

🔥 Mollie Kmita & Rosie Kmita – driving transformational change in women’s football, even when faced with misogyny and resistance.

🔥 Sedge Beswick – lifting founders to believe in themselves again and drive business success.

🔥 Lee Chambers - Driving research to raise the alarm on the impact AI is having on young boys and pushing for guardrails at government level.

🔥 Ali Hanan – showing brands how inclusive marketing isn’t just the right thing to do…it delivers stronger commercial performance when you truly listen.

What was truly wonderful is how different all their worlds are and yet the thread between them is the same:

Courage.
Curiosity.
A deep desire to make things better.
And genuinely lovely kind people. 

And it made me reflect on a simple leadership question:
What change are we each quietly trying to make…
and what would happen if we backed ourselves a little more?

I honestly feel incredibly lucky to learn from these remarkable humans.
And if you’re not following them yet, I’d really recommend it.

If you want more content like this then do give me a follow Joanna Howes

This got me, BIG time!
Tissues everywhere... 

I’ve just finished a positive psychology course, and one of the exercises was to reconnect with your inner child.

I was totally unprepared for how powerful it would be.

I hadn’t realised how much I’d let slip by becoming an “adult.”

The playfulness.
The silliness.
The daftness.
The freedom.

When did we all get so serious?
And why do some of us need a glass of wine to loosen up and feel like ourselves again?

So I’m sharing this on a Friday as a gentle nudge:

Put your phone down.
Step away from the to-do list.
Go and find something that makes you laugh for no reason at all.

Your inner child is still in there.
They’re just waiting for you to come out and play.

Agree? 

♻️ Repost to inspire joy even in leadership
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It didn't go to plan and I didn't fall apart. 

Halfway through day one of PrettyGreen | The Global Fame Makers’ overnight offsite to plan 2026, I realised my afternoon content wasn't going to work.

The morning had taken us to an unexpected outcome. 

Old Jo would have panicked.
She would have ploughed ahead with her planned agenda anyway, convinced that sticking to the script was safer than admitting she didn't think it was going to work.

Instead, I stopped the room and shared that I didn't think the direction for the afternoon was going to work.

I brought the leaders into the thinking and we scrapped the original plan. 

That moment showed me how far I've come.

The hardest part of becoming a facilitator is learning to let go of the outcome. 

To trust that the right thing will emerge when you follow where the group needs to go.

For someone who likes control (guilty), this is terrifying.

But the magic happens when you're willing to not know. 
When you bring people into the uncertainty with you. 
When you trust yourself enough to say, "let's figure this out together."

So many of you have become rigid in your leadership. 
Clinging to how things are always done and your plans.

The best breakthrough moments happen when we let go of what we thought should happen and lean into what wants to happen.

In 2026, you need to become okay with not knowing exactly where you're headed.

That's where the real leadership lives.

Has this happened to you? 

♻️ Repost to help leaders let go
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If 'doing the right thing' could cost you EVERYTHING...

Would you do it?!

Zelda Perkins did.

She spoke out and fought to break her NDA with Harvey Weinstein after being silenced for years.

Her courage exposed how NDAs were being used to hide abuse and protect power.

That single act sparked Can't Buy My Silence, a global movement to end NDAs that cover up wrongdoing.

Speaking to Zelda about her story is one of the most powerful conversations I have had to date and one not to miss.

Especially if you feel currently strongly about something but are unsure or afraid of acting on it.

We went deep on:

- What happens when you speak out against power
- Why we need to go to government for support
- Recognising self-bullying
- Why speaking up needs to stop being seen as 'brave'
- The ability to keep going despite setbacks

This episode will make you question so much and start to see things in a completely different way.

Zelda had the courage to change what she saw was wrong and to keep going despite the emotional toll this took. 

She is a true inspiration. And I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the episode.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq


♻️ Repost to stop systems protecting the wrong people 

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What a brilliant night.

It's not often you see a room full of Marketeers sing the Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 miles). 😂

The most special part is knowing the event is supporting 2 incredible causes.

⭐️ The amazing The Marketing Academy Foundation creating opportunities in our industry for people from challenging backgrounds

⭐️ Under One Sky, who are working to end homelessness 

The goal is to raise £250,000 and it's not too late to take part in the auction to contribute. Check it out on this link https://lnkd.in/eKJZW7AF

And all organised by the amazing Joel Barnett and his team at Fortune Hill. 

Thanks to my brilliant quiz team including Sophie Devonshire⚡️and The event queen herself Mays Elansari

This episode will stay with me for a long time.

The energy Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita walk into a room with is infectious, but the authentic leadership story behind that energy is where the real power sits.

At 14, they lost their home.

At 17, they lost their dad

At 19, they started their own women’s football club

At 23, they became professional footballers

And today, they are Forbes 30 Under 30 and founders of The Powerhouse Project 

Two incredible women who openly spoke about the chaos, the fear, the grief and the courage it took to build a life that looks nothing like where they started.

They’re proof that your beginning doesn’t get to decide your future.

And for leaders, their story is a reminder that resilience isn’t built in comfort.

It’s built in the moments you think might break you… but don’t.

If you want a dose of inspiration going into the weekend, I can’t recommend this episode enough.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7

Check out their amazing work with The Powerhouse Project: https://lnkd.in/exAJ4v6K 

♻️ Repost to inspire leaders who want to be inspired and build their resilience

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#Leadership #WomenInFootball #ThePowerhouseProject

Resilience isn’t built in comfort - Mollie & Rosie Kmita

12 leaders.
2 days
1 company with big ambitions.
1 beautiful venue.
And a table full of brilliant human beings. 

Year two of running PrettyGreen | The Global Fame Makers’s leadership two-day planning days reminded me why this work matters so much.

When a team is willing to pause the 'busy' button and look at themselves and the business, really look, opportunities open up.

We went deep into:

 • Innovation – what it really means
 • Curiosity – how to stay open, especially under pressure
 • Values – how they evolve as you grow
 • Culture – the behaviours that build trust (and the ones that quietly break it)
 • Emotional fitness – leading with steadiness even when things feel messy
 • Feedback – the conversations that change everything 

These are the muscles every leadership team needs right now.
Especially in a market where certainty is a luxury.

A special shout-out to Jessica Hargreaves Paczek, one of the most caring and courageous CEO's I’ve met (and I’ve interviewed over 150 on the podcast).

And to 🌳 Mark Stringer, for meeting change head-on, taking feedback with grace, and having an endless energy resource.

If you’re a leadership team reading this, here’s my question for you:

When was the last time you stopped long enough to look at the way you work together… not just the work you deliver?

A huge thanks to the full team for giving everything to the 2 days, even when the wine started to show up in plastic cups!! Sarah Henderson Lucy Mart Adam Shoemark Joe Stratton Hannah Macleod Emma Carson Lucy Porter Darren Greene Samantha Hooper Gill Sereena Abbassi FRSA

And Anna Maria Brezsa Timar  and Nicholas Barnard for the organisation and support. 

♻️ Repost to inspire great leadership
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How often do you go to the other side?

Last week, the right side of my brain finally got a turn.

My whole career, I've been told I'm too left-brained.

Interesting considering I spent my whole time in the creative industry, but it was in operations : )

So I decided to give it some exercise and went to a painting class. 

I had to work quite hard at trying to let go of it being right or overthinking what to do. 

Right now, I'm seeing too many leaders rigid in their thinking, so this is my shout-out to go and do something you don't normally do.

Give your dominant brain a rest and explore the other side. 

Have fun. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who consciously exercises both sides of their brains and what they do in the comments. 

♻️ Repost for more quick bites of inspiration 
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The courage to be YOU!

That was the title of my talk at the Women in PR Christmas drinks

Because it was also the title of the event I walked into 7 years ago, that completely changed my life.

Back then, I was operating from proving, pleasing and not feeling good enough.
 
Today, I get to stand on the other side and pass on what I’ve learnt. 
That’s something I don’t take lightly.

Key things I shared:

🔥 Your 3 intelligence centres - head, heart and gut, and why alignment gives you more energy than any productivity hack ever will.

😀 Your future self - yes, it’s powerful to be present… but who are you becoming? And are your daily actions actually taking you there?

🦁 Courage before confidence - we have to stop waiting to feel “ready.” Courage and certainty come first. Confidence is just the receipt.

It was real honoured to be invited to speak, thank you Laura Perry and Jo Carr.

If you  want a dose of courage for your team to lift them up, then drop me a  DM. 

♻️ Repost to inspire more courage
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What if your resilience is actually survival mode?

That was the question running through my mind as I spoke with Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita – former pro footballers, now founders of The Powerhouse Project.

They have achieved so much:

🔥 Forbes 30 Under 30

🔥 Nike and Google partnerships

🔥 Creating real pathways for women in football

But what we talked about wasn’t the glossy stuff.

They vulnerably shared:

• The impact of losing their dad at 17 to alcoholism
• How hyper-achievement helped to hide grief 
• The guilt you feel if your not ‘busy’
• How people pleasing impacted two businesses not working
• 16 years of pushing so hard, in case it all disappeared

It is so important to recognise the difference between resilience and survival mode. 

Resilience is steady.
It helps you adapt, recover, and lead with clarity.
You can pause. You can choose. You can breathe.

Survival mode is frantic.
It’s fuelled by fear, guilt, and the belief that if you stop, everything will fall apart.

One keeps you grounded.
The other keeps you running.

The Kmita twins are now operating from resilience and realising you calm down without losing ambition.

If you lead a team, here’s the real challenge from this episode:

Don’t just ask, “How do we build resilience?”
Ask, “What are we silently rewarding – survival mode or sustainable leadership?”

Because your people are watching what you live, not what you say.

Are you in survival mode? Let me know in the comments.

🔗 If you want to hear the full story – from loss, identity crisis and burnout to building The Powerhouse Project – the episode with Mollie and Rosie is live now on the Courageous Leaders Podcast.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7 

Check out their amazing work with The Powerhouse Project: https://lnkd.in/exAJ4v6K 

♻️ Repost to inspire leaders who feel they are in survival mode

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Very excited for Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️to be putting the Glittersphere spotlight on me at 5pm today. 

I'm going to share when I first rebelled, how I found courage and so much more.

Be great to see you there - link in the events page below. 

Jo x

Putting the brilliant Joanna Howes under the spotlight and discovering more about this brilliant leader, podcaster and leadership expert. 
Join me for this exclusive sparkly conversation.

Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️, Nimmi Shah and 4 other attendees

Shhhh….

Have you ever stayed quiet when you knew you should speak up?

Maybe out of fear… or because you didn’t think your voice would make a difference?

When the Harvey Weinstein ‘story’ was about to break, Zelda Perkins broke her NDA to do the right thing. 

She told the journalist everything, hoping other women with NDAs would come forward too.

But no one did.

So, she went first.

Her story isn’t just about taking on one man… it’s about taking on a system that silenced victims.

It took passion, resilience, courage - and 7 long years of pushing for change.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to stay silent, or you’re trying to create a culture where people can speak freely, this episode will really resonate.

Zelda shares her journey, her mission to make workplaces safer and more transparent.

And why speaking up should be seen as normal - not ‘brave.’

It’s one of those conversations that will stay with me - and I hope it does with you too. 

I’d love to know what you thought of the episode.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq

 
♻️ Repost to stop systems protecting the wrong people 

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Most leaders say they care about allyship.
Very few actually practice it.

I’ve just recorded a conversation with Lee Chambers that I can’t stop thinking about, and I’m sharing this early because it’s one every leader needs on their radar.

We unpacked the everyday behaviours that decide whether people feel safe, valued, and able to be themselves at work, and the shocking data from his research with young boys and AI.

Lee has a way of holding up a mirror without making you defensive.
He names the hard truths, but he does it with compassion and clarity.

We dug into:
• What genuine allyship actually looks like
• The pressure men feel to fit outdated stereotypes
• Why culture change stalls (and how to unlock it)
• How leaders can create environments where everyone grows
• What boys are turning to when the world feels confusing or lonely — including AI companionship

Some of Lee’s research is hopeful.
Some of it is genuinely worrying.
But it’s important we don’t look away.

This episode lands on Thursday, and it’s one to make time for.

In the meantime…
What does real allyship mean to you?

Make sure you don’t miss the episode

Subscribe on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eJatPjke

♻️ Repost to get allyship on the map
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#CourageousLeadershipPodcast #CultureStereotypes #Allyship

Too many of us are self-bullying!

And we need to stop it.

In my latest episode on Courageous Leaders , Zelda, who for years has campaigned to stop bad behaviour, shared the moment when she realised how badly she’d been treating herself.

It made me stop and think.

As leaders, we talk about the importance of compassion.

But how often do we give it to ourselves?

It’s a tough role, and there’s not much thanks that comes with it.

So it’s easy to notice what we’re not doing instead of what we are.

So maybe today, just check in:  
How are you speaking to yourself?

And what would it sound like if that voice came from compassion instead?    

If this resonates, this conversation with Zelda is a powerful reminder that courage starts with how we treat ourselves.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eHGVyFSE

Or Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezYgJpEY

Check out Zelda's work here: https://lnkd.in/eZgJQJGp

Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e83YkGpq

♻️ Repost if to bring more compassion to leaders 

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Why am I making life harder for myself?

The question Mollie Kmita and Rosie Kmita are trying to answer.

And one I think we all are!

Rosie shared how the voices in her head kept saying:

“You’re not good enough.”

“You’re boring.”

“No one’s listening.”

It’s like having a toxic boss in our own heads that keeps us working hard.

We know that we perform better with encouragement, yet we are stuck in a cycle of criticism. 

My theory is that many leaders believe that if they talk nicely to themselves they won’t achieve as much?

What are your theories on this?

Let us know in the comments and hope you enjoy this great episode!

Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejGUyEhm 

Or listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp 

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZwwYhS7

♻️ Repost to a leader you think needs to talk more nicely to themselves 

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#leadership #selftalk #podcast

“I’d love an emotionally available adult.”
 — a 15-year-old boy

Just take that in.

Out of everything he could have asked for, he chose presence.
Not possessions.

Just adults who genuinely show up.

Lee Chambers shared this on the Courageous Leaders Podcast, and it’s stayed with me ever since. His research with young boys is both powerful and worrying, including the finding that a third are now turning to AI for companionship.

If teenagers are craving emotionally available adults today, what does that mean for the leaders they’ll meet in the workplace tomorrow?

Leaders are more distracted than ever.
We’re sprinting through days.
Our attention is split into a thousand tabs.
And presence, real presence, has become rare.

But this next generation is hungry for it.
And Lee’s insights make it impossible to ignore.

This is the call to action:
• Put the phone down.
• Listen with both ears.
• Make space for real conversation.
• Be the adult you wish you’d had at 15.

Emotionally available leadership isn’t soft.
It’s what builds trust.

It really is a must to understand what is going on and Lee shares the hope and the fear brilliantly in his episode. 

What’s one small shift you can make this week to be more present with the people who rely on your leadership?

Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/exw6Wc3P

Or on Apple: https://lnkd.in/edeq-Wvp

Or on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eJatPjke

Check out Lee’s work here: https://lnkd.in/eWGnSJUz

 ♻️ Repost to please make us change
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#CourageousLeadersPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #FutureLeadership

🔥 Courage in Bitesize 

How to let someone challenge you, without getting defensive 

Most of us say we want honesty.
Until someone offers it and we suddenly launch into our Greatest Hits of Justification. 

I tried this and it does make a difference. 

1. Pause - Just one beat.

2. Relax your face - Your eyebrows don’t need to panic.

3. Say - “Thanks — tell me more.”

4. Listen, don’t load your comeback.

5. Focus on the outcome you want to achieve to manage emotions 

That’s it.
Tiny moves.
Big courage. 

It’s amazing how quickly people stop tiptoeing when they realise you’re not gearing up for battle.

Any further tips please add to the comments. 

♻️ Repost to help busy leaders access tips
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Lauren Spearman

Chris Donnelly

Founder (Business Acquired by Croud)

Founder | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing & AI

Cofounder of Searchable: 

An Autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer 
Analyse, fix, & scale your website to drive customers

Work out how to master AI Search here: searchable.com

The short life story 

I decided to skip the corporate job & start a digital marketing agency at 21. Here is the journey so far: 

Age 21: Bootstrapped Adjust Media at university making websites 
Age 22: Left Uni and rebranded to Verb Brands
Age 27: Acquired DBD Media Ltd, their 20 staff & expanded to digital marketing
Age 28: Won Bugatti & recognised as leading luxury agency
Age 30: Sell entirety of Verb Brands to Croud & LDC in an 8-figure deal
Age 31: Founded Lottie Org w/ Will Donnelly (Grow revenue to 8 figures, raise $35m & hire 100 people).
Age 32: Launch my Media, Education and Investment business
Age 33: Launched the Creator Accelerator and reached 8 figures in revenue
Age 34: Co Founded Searchable

It’s been a journey. 

Through Searchable.com I help founders and marketers to grow their organic traffic on auto pilot with our autonomous Seo and Aeo tool: searchable.com

Through my investment company, we support and invest into Entrepreneurs running incredible businesses, and with our experience as operators, help them scale. 

If you are a founder of a profitable and growing company with approximately $1m+ EBITDA, and you want to see if you can grow faster, reach out. 

If you are not at that level yet, I produce resources to help you get there. 

I run a podcast called Wake Up, and produce content on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram for free.

Commercial enquiries for speaking or brand deals: enquiries@chris-donnelly.co.uk

Co-Founder

Found CRM by Lottie 

A cloud-based care home operation software, mapped and built specifically to the care and retirement industries unique customer journey and supports care homes with CRM, Occupancy, Administration and Finance

Found results in a higher conversion rate, better attribution of marketing spend, saved time and ultimately high occupancy.

100 days ago I had an idea.

An idea that I think could change marketing forever.

I have been obsessed with AI since ChatGPT came out and been obsessed with digital marketing since I was 16 when I built my first website.

I've Founded or Co Founded 5 of my own companies so far in my career.

- Two were small and faded but I learnt a lot
- Verb Brands was 10 years bootstrapped and I sold for 8 figures
- Lottie is a 9 figure business now, growing under Will Donnelly's leadership
- The Creator Accelerator generated nearly 8 figures of revenue in its 1st year

I went to work with Lovable and again just had my eyes opened even further to the possibilities of AI and technology.

Then this idea hit me and I knew I had to go all in.

100 days

I went to San Francisco and started networking. I knew I would need technical co-founders who were legitimately 0.01 engineers, who were hungry and who were passionate about the idea.

Met Sam Hogan & Arya Nagabhyru

They were both AI engineers building in the AI agent space at YC companies.

Decided to co found. Started building.

Jammed on the idea non stop and eventually landed on a massively improved version of what I had brought to them.

Day 90
- Changed the name from Clicker to Searchable
- YOLO'd it and bought searchable.com 

Day 80
- Decided that to be the company we wanted to be. We had to be in person and our culture had to compete with the fast paced cultures of San Francisco.

- Moved the guys over to the UK so we are shoulder to shoulder working every single day.

Day 70
- Tested our product with a closed list entrepreneurs
- Hired the incredible Nik Gospodinov as a founding engineer

Day 50
- Invested my own cash into the business
- Working with enterprises with our tool and supporting with white glove
- Brands receiving 200% increase in traffic from LLMs

Day 30
- Started a waitlist, reached 5000 people
- Opened a beta account and had 100 companies join
- Opened a community and had 800 people join

(the power of personal brand ay)

Day 10
- Hired a SEO expert product manager Ivan

Day... well today

I have always been a founder that has built in public.
Therefore I wanted to give it to you. Raw as we build.

Introducing Searchable 
Searchable.com

Your Autonomous SEO and AEO Growth Engineer.

It is deep analytics for AI Search.

However it isn't just analytics, it provides the actions required to drive growth. 

Automatically analyse, fix, and scale your website to drive customers.

I want your feedback, I want your thoughts. No idea is a bad one.

Use it to get your business and your products found in ChatGPT and other LLMs

To celebrate the launch, I am giving my audience free credits to use Searchable

📊 Deep Visibility & Analytics Report
⌨️ 100 prompt credits
🧹 5 site audit credits
💻 1 article credit

Plus free step-by-step guides on how to prepare for this shift.

Comment SEARCHABLE if you want to get the credits and try Searchable for free.

Spaces are limited.

Founder of Searchable.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing, Personal Brand & AI

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The more powerful AI becomes...

The more valuable you are, if you adopt the right skills.

The rise of AI has proven it to be a powerful tool. 
Specifically for performing tasks that would normally take hours.  

But even at its most powerful, it's still not human. 

AI can handle technical tasks, but it can't replace human judgement. 
It cannot replace the ability to connect with others.
And it cannot replace adaptability.

The future belongs to those who take action and improve these 8 skills: 

1. Analytical Thinking
↳ The ability to break problems down and see what drives results.

Spend 15 minutes today working out why a result happened.
Review your last three business decisions and look for patterns. 

2. Emotional Intelligence
↳ Understanding your emotions and how you respond to others.

Before your next meeting, consider how each person might feel about the topic.
End the day by asking yourself: Did I listen more than I spoke?

3. Adaptability
↳ Adjusting quickly when things don't go to plan.

Do one thing this week that forces you out of your usual routine.
When plans alter, reframe the situation with: What's still in my control?

4. Social Influence
↳ Moving people towards a shared goal. 

Before every conversation, be clear on the outcome you want.
Influence through conviction and consistency rather than pressure.

5. Decision-Making
↳ Choosing quickly and standing by the result.

Give yourself a 1-minute limit for small decisions. 
When unsure, ask: What will future me thank me for doing today?

6. Discipline
↳ Doing the work long after motivation wears off.

Start your day with one task that moves your business forward.
Remove one thing from your schedule that adds no real value.

7. Curiosity
↳ Staying open, interested, and willing to learn from anyone.

Read something today outside your industry. 
Ask "why?" more often. Especially when things are going well.

8. Self-Awareness
↳ Knowing your strengths, limits, and blind spots.

Ask someone you trust what they think you could do better.
Reflect weekly: What strength can you lean into more?

Try some of these challenges to strengthen that skill.
One small step at a time.

AI has changed the way I hire and evaluate my team. 

For founders, I encourage you to seek hires with these skills. 
Employees with these will be more prepared as AI develops. 

For job seekers, ignoring these skills and chasing shortcuts will show.

Now is the time to understand where there's room for improvement. 
 
What's one skill that AI can't replace? 
Drop it down in the comments. 

I break down lessons like this every week in my newsletter, Step By Step.

Join 200k+ founders learning how to build better:

Subscribe here: 
https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

♻️ Repost to share these skills with others in your network. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building in the age of AI.

Failed change is rarely due to resistance.

It's because a proper framework wasn't used.

And a structured roadmap wasn't put in place.

That's where the ADKAR model by Jeff Hiatt comes into play.

It provides the structure and framework for effective change management.

Which, by the way, is critical to any business.
Without change, you don't evolve, and you get left in the dust.

This is how it works:

Awareness 👋
↳ Create an understanding of the objective.

Desire ✋
↳ Cultivate a personal drive to embrace change.

Knowledge 🧠
↳ Equip your team with the necessary understanding of a new system.

Ability 💪
↳ Empower individuals and teams with the capacity to enact change.

Reinforcement 🔄
↳ Strengthen the innovation introduced by the change process.

If you read the sheet, you'll find a breakdown of each stage.

And typically, the perceived value of the model is low to begin with.

But with time, people gain knowledge, ability, and they recognise the tangible value.

These are 3 best practices for ADKAR that I've picked up:

1. Lead from the front 🙋🏻‍♂️
Change doesn't start with a process.
It starts from the leader.

2. Make progress visible 🏔️
If people can see the impact...
That's what keeps them invested.

3. Reward behaviour, not outcomes 🏆
This builds a culture of genuine progressions.
Which leads to results !

And so, if you want change in a business, consider your approach.

The wrong one can cost time, money, and even relationships.
Now, my question to you:

Where will you apply this model to first in your business?

New software implementation?
An AI/Automation project?
Customer Experience transformation?

I'm curious to hear your responses.

If you want a structured roadmap for building your personal brand...

I'm running a free live masterclass on Tuesday, 25th November at 3 pm GMT. 

I'll be breaking down the exact system that's produced 100s of the world's fastest-growing LinkedIn creators.

You'll learn:

- How to optimise your profile like a landing page
- The perfect post timing formula based on data
- The content formats driving the most growth right now
- The new comment strategy LinkedIn changed a few months ago (no one's noticed)

Plus we'll have a live Q&A for any burning questions.  

We're also officially opening doors for The Creator Accelerator 6 during the call.

And we have a few additional surprises for people who sign up ! 

Save your spot here 👇
https://lnkd.in/eZncE8sN

♻️ Repost to share this framework with your network. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more strategies like this.

Founder of Searchable.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing & AI

You can build an AI agent in 10 minutes. 

But 99% of people will never attempt it: 

I've built multiple AI agents for Searchable, 
And I'm still shocked at how easy it is.  

If you can write a basic checklist, you can build an agent. 

One that will genuinely save you 100s of hours.

Here's exactly how to build one:

1. Pick One Boring Job

Choose one painful workflow you repeat weekly.

Define success in one sentence:
"Given X, the agent should output Y so that Z happens."

2. Map The Steps Like A SOP

Turn that job into 4 to 7 clear steps.
Write it as: Input → actions → decision → output.

3. Choose Your Agent Platform

Decide where this thing lives so you're not reinventing infrastructure.

No/low code: OpenAI Agent Builder, Zapier, Make, n8n
Dev friendly: LangChain, LangGraph, OpenAI Agents SDK, CrewAI

4. Define Inputs, Outputs, And Tools

Treat the agent like an API, not a vague chatbot.

Specify inputs: what fields are required (text, file, URL, ID)
Define outputs: JSON fields or a fixed template
Attach tools: data tools, action tools or orchestration tools

5. Give The Agent A Job Description

Write the brain with a clear system prompt:

- Role: "You are a [job title] focused on [task]"
- Boundaries: what it must never do
- Style: concise, structured
- 1-2 example conversations

6. Add Memory And Context

Stop the agent forgetting everything after each message.

Three layers:

- Conversation state: pass recent messages
- Task memory: store key decisions for the current run
- Knowledge memory: connect a vector store over your docs

7. Add Guardrails And Human Checks

Mark high-risk actions that need approval. 

Add simple rules:

- Never invent logins or IDs
- Ask for clarification when the brief is ambiguous
- Log every tool call and decision

8. Wrap It In A Simple Interface

Turn the agent into something people will actually use.
Options: internal chat, button in an existing app or Slack command

9. Test On 5 Real Tasks

Catch issues at the step level, not after it breaks something.

For each example:

- Watch which tools it called and in what order
- Score correctness, steps taken, and time saved
- Tighten the prompt, tools, or rules where it failed

Businesses adopting AI now will be too far ahead to catch later.

If you want to be one of them, you need to start automating your work. 

Founders who grow fastest aren't working hardest.
They're building systems that run without them.

This is what we're doing at Searchable.

We built an AI system that handles SEO and AEO automatically. 
It analyses your site, finds opportunities and optimises content.

Learn more and get started for free: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost this to help founders in your network build smarter systems.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on AI and business growth.

Co Founder of Searchable.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing, Personal Brand & AI

SEO is not the full picture for businesses. 

In 2025, it's just a piece of the search puzzle. 

Ranking on Google is not the primary goal anymore.
The search volume inside LLMs is increasing day by day.

Which makes GEO/AEO/AIO/SXO an untapped goldmine for visibility.

I launched Searchable fully this week and hundreds of marketers have signed up.

People are already seeing incredible results, which is amazing to see.
(Like 200% increases in AI traffic in under a month)

So, if you want to dominate search in 2025 and beyond...
There's still plenty of time to be ahead of the curve.

Get going by learning these terms 👇

🧩 SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
↳ Ranking pages on Google through keywords and backlinks. 

✅ Pros: Proven traffic driver, builds long-term authority.
🚫 Cons: Competitive and slow to drive results.
🏆 Rank by targeting high-intent keywords clusters and refresh content.

🧩 GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation
↳ Optimising to be cited by AI engines like ChatGPT or Perplexity.

✅ Early-mover edge, builds trust, captures new channels.
🚫 Harder to measure a direct impact.
🏆 Rank with entity-rich content, forums, clear tables & FAQs.

🧩 AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation
↳ Optimising for zero-click answers (snippets, AI overviews).

✅ Instant authority, high CTR when clicks occur.
🚫 Fewer clicks, volatile snippet positions.
🏆 Rank by answering in 40–60 words, using schema & PAA topics.

🧩 AIO: AI Optimisation
↳ Ensuring your brand appears accurately in AI training data.

✅ Builds trust when AI tools surface your business.
🚫 Influence on training data can be limited.
🏆 Rank with structured, consistent content on trusted sources.

🧩 SXO: Search Experience Optimisation
↳ Optimising the full on-site experience so visitors convert.

✅ Turns traffic into revenue, boosts retention.
🚫 Needs CRO expertise, drops if SEO/AEO/GEO stall.
🏆 Rank with fast, mobile-friendly UX, aligned content, clear CTAs.

I've seen it firsthand. 
These determine if your brand is found or forgotten.

To have it done for you, autonomously, you need Searchable.👇
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

It's the first tool that will optimise for all 5.

Which part of the puzzle are you missing?
I'm curious to know in the comments.

♻️ Repost to help your fellow founder & CEOs.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more.

My LinkedIn profile generates millions in revenue...

Now I'm giving you my full playbook for FREE:

Comment PROFILE, and I will personally send it to you.

Most LinkedIn profiles are glorified CVs. 

They list job titles, but do nothing to convert visitors into customers.

Even top entrepreneurs are losing leads because their profiles don't sell. 

I've strategically optimised my profile to achieve three goals:

- Waitlist for Searchable
- Subscriptions to my newsletter
- Sign-ups for The Creator Accelerator.

The results have been huge:

✅ 210,000+ subscribers to my email list
✅ 5000+ people on the Searchable waitlist 
✅ 5 fully sold out Creator Accelerator cohorts (with another incoming...)

And now, I want to share exactly how I did that with you, free of charge. 

This information could potentially be worth millions...

If you implement it as soon as possible. 

These are the exact steps I used to turn 1000s of profile views into leads. 

Inside, you'll learn how to: 

✅ Write About sections that convert using the TRUST method
✅ Transform your experience into outcome-based credibility
✅ Turn your banner into a digital billboard that drives traffic
✅ Use the positioning formula that turns headlines into micro-pitches
✅ Create instant trust with your profile picture and brand consistency
✅ Follow the complete 30-day implementation roadmap with weekly milestones
✅ Implement the monthly optimisation system that prevents performance decay
✅ Build a strategic funnel flow that guides visitors from awareness to action

Your LinkedIn profile is either making or losing you money. 

There's no in-between. 

This playbook turns it into a powerful landing page.

As a bonus, everyone who grabs the playbook will get a seat for my live webinar: 

"How to go from 0-10k Followers on LinkedIn"

You'll learn when to post, the foundations of a perfect post,
And the content formats working right now.

Plus we'll have a live Q&A and 2 surprises for those who attend. 

If you're ready to turn your profile into a revenue generator,
Comment PROFILE, and I'll send you the link to the playbook.

♻️ Repost to help your network make the most of their LinkedIn presence.

A concept everyone should know about...

The Paradox Of Knowledge.

Years ago, I thought knowledge was the barometer for success.

The more I knew, the better I would become, the more I would earn.

That wasn't necessarily true.
Today, I feel like I have more to learn than ever.

That's the Paradox Of Knowledge.

When you start, everything feels simple.
But the more we learn, the less we realise we know.

From the outside, expertise can look like clarity.
But inside, it's just navigating higher-quality confusion.

These are the mindset shifts you need to adopt:
(So you don't waste time rowing in the wrong direction)

Firstly, learning isn't about collecting information.

It's about repetition, refinement, and reflection.
Learning something truly in-depth.

Secondly, expertise looks boring up close.

It's built by making the same decisions, but better each time.
99% of people chase variety. The top 1% chase precision.

Finally, stay a student even when you're a teacher.

The moment you think you've mastered something...
You stop growing.

Ultimately, mastery is a fallacy.

The sooner you learn that, the better.

Here's the thing:

You HAVE to take action without full clarity sometimes.
That's the way the world works, fair or not.

But that doesn't mean you stop being a student. 

Learning is forever !

The more you learn, the less certain you feel...
But the more capable you become.

Happy learning, folks.

Have you heard of this concept before?
If not, what do you think of it?

For more frameworks for thinking like this,
Check out my weekly newsletter, Step by Step.

Join 200k+ builders reading on a regular basis:
https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

♻️ Repost to help your network grow together.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more lessons like this.

The Paradox Of Knowledge by Chris Donnelly

Top businesses aren't just optimising for Google. 

They're already adapting to AI: 

Ranking for classic search engines used to be the goal. 

But now, answer engines (ChatGPT, Claude, etc) are on the rise... 
 
If you want your business to stay relevant, 
You need to start investing in AI-driven rankings (AEO, GEO). 

In 2025 and beyond, I'd be putting time into these 3 types of search:
(See the cheat sheet for more details 👇) 

💻 SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
↳ Ranking pages on Google. 

⚙️ How it works:

- Identify high-intent keywords
- Build backlinks and internal linking
- Optimise content, speed and mobile experience

✅ Pros:
↳ Consistent traffic driver
↳ Builds long-term authority
↳ Underpins AEO and GEO efforts

🚫 Cons:
↳ Competitive and slow to show results
↳ Vulnerable to algorithm updates
↳ Requires ongoing upkeep

📈 How to rank higher:
↳ Focus on fewer, high-intent keyword clusters
↳ Refresh content quarterly
↳ Run technical audits

🤖 AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation
↳ Optimising for zero-click answers (like voice search). 

⚙️ How it works:

- Provide concise, direct answers
- Use schema mark-up (FAQ, How-to) 
- Format content bullets and headings

✅ Pros:
↳ Instant authority and visibility
↳ Strong for mobile and voice queries
↳ High CTR when clicks happen

🚫 Cons:
↳ Some users get the answer without clicking
↳ Snippet positions change frequently
↳ Requires constant content monitoring

📈 How to rank higher:
↳ Answer questions in 40–60 words
↳ Optimise for “People Also Ask” queries
↳ Add schema markup to FAQ and How-To pages

🎯 GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation
↳ Optimising content pulled by AI-driven search engines

⚙️ How it works:

- Publish clear, well-structured content 
- Build presence on credible sources (Reddit, Quora)
- Use AI-readable formatting

✅ Pros:
↳ Early mover advantage in AI search
↳ Positions brand as a trusted source
↳ Captures future-facing traffic streams

🚫 Cons:
↳ Hard to attribute direct traffic
↳ AI citation rules are still evolving
↳ Requires off-site presence, not just on your domain

📈 How to rank higher:
↳ Use entity-rich, fact-checked content 
↳ Get cited on known AI training sources
↳ Prioritise clarity with FAQs, tables, lists

Don’t get buried by brands already adapting.

It's not about just ranking on Google anymore. 

You're content is being cited by machines people trust for knowledge. 

Have you started optimising for AI search? 
I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments. 👇 

To prepare for this massive change in how we purchase... 
I'm publicly launching a new AI business, Searchable, very soon.

It's an Autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that will analyse, fix, and scale your website to drive customers automatically.

No leg work required from you. 
Just provide context, and the tool does the work for you.

Get started for free today: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to help your network optimise their SEO.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more.

If you're not using AI on LinkedIn... you're falling behind. 

This sheet will keep you ahead of the pack:

It still surprises me that some people still actively avoid using AI on LI.

Either that or they are using it, but terribly.

Much of that comes down to confusion.
On what the tool is and what it can be used for.

AI doesn’t just help you "write content faster."
It can help you think, plan, and produce at a higher level. 

That’s why I created this sheet, 
So you can use AI to dominate LinkedIn in 2025 👇

(It's what we've taught to hundreds of Creator Accelerator students !)

1️⃣ Audience Research

👥 You are able to quickly identify your ICP using AI. 
📜 Then, create an authentic positioning statement. 
📣 Finally, use ChatGPT to nail your brand messaging. 

2️⃣ Content Ideation

☑️ Identify pain points using Collab. 
☑️ Search for relevant topics and ideas with Saywhat. 
☑️ Visualise the ideas using Saywhat's Infogrpahic Generator. 

3️⃣ Content Creation With ChatGPT

☑️ Create and train a custom content writing GPT. 
☑️ Take the ideas from Saywhat and develop them with GPT.
☑️ GPT takes you 90% there, then you tweak it.

4️⃣ Creating Your Own IP

Step 1: Turn your process into IP.
Step 2: Create 2-3 CustomGPTs for key roles.
Step 3: Give the GPTs more info to become smarter. 

5️⃣ AI Do's And Don'ts

✅ Train with your actual voice.
✅ Give AI clear context before asking anything.
✅ Edit AI output to achieve perfection.
✅ Feed AI real audience pain points.

🚫 Publish raw AI output.
🚫 Copy others' outputs blindly. 
🚫 Use vague prompts. 
🚫 Make false assumptions about understanding.

Ignoring AI for content creation at this stage would be like refusing to learn how to drive because you can ride a horse.

Get off the horse and find your car keys.

It's your most competitive advantage as a creator.

Not knowing it will be your biggest blunder.

If you're feeling lost or confused...
I have good news for you !

This Thursday, December 4th, we are hosting:

"How To Save 100+ Hours Using AI On LinkedIn"

We'll explain exactly how AI can help you: 

✅ Generate ideas and turn them into content in minutes. 
✅ Conduct audience research, positioning, and storytelling. 
✅ Create a BTS co-founder to help you build and scale without burning out. 

Sign up here to join us 👇
https://lnkd.in/egCF25-c

The webinar we ran last week had THOUSANDS of sign-ups...
We had to turn many away. So sign up soon !

Are you using AI to create content right now? 
Let's discuss in the comments. ⬇️

--

📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet:

1. Follow Chris Donnelly
2. Like the post
3. Repost to your network
4. Subscribe to: https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

SEO has changed more in the past 2 years than in the last 20.

It's an entirely new game with new rules...

And most businesses have no idea it's happening.  

Ranking on Google page 1 used to guarantee visibility.

In 2025, that's no longer enough.

Your potential customers are searching in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

If AI engines can't find and cite your content, you're invisible.

Here's what's shifting in search right now:

📺 Old SEO → Google or nothing
↳ If you didn’t rank page one, your brand didn’t exist.

💻 New SEO → AI search is here
↳ You must appear in AI answers and citations to stay discoverable.

📺 Old SEO → E-E-A-T optional
↳ Thin keyword blogs could rank.

💻 New SEO → E-E-A-T mandatory
↳ Proof, examples, and lived experience are now required.

📺 Old SEO → Keywords ran the show
↳ Stuffed headlines, tags, and paragraphs.

💻 New SEO → Intent runs the show
↳ Content must serve why the user is searching.

📺 Old SEO → Volume over depth
↳ Publish as many posts as possible.

💻 New SEO → Authority over volume
↳ Depth, interlinked clusters, and niche expertise win.

📺 Old SEO → Write for crawlers
↳ Meta tags and keyword stuffing ruled.

💻 New SEO → Write for AI engines
↳ Direct, structured answers that ChatGPT and Gemini can cite.

📺 Old SEO → Any backlink will do
↳ Even irrelevant links moved the needle.

💻 New SEO → Backlinks that count
↳ Trusted sources, PR, podcasts, and partnerships drive authority.

📺 Old SEO → Ranking was the finish line
↳ Page one meant you’d “won.”

💻 New SEO → Discovery never stops
↳ AI summaries, snippets, and citations keep visibility alive.

The rules of SEO are evolving faster than I ever imagined. 

Staying flexible, adaptable, and open to new ideas is non-negotiable. 

This is exactly why we built Searchable. 

It’s designed to:

- Show where your brand is visible (Google + AI search)
- Automatically optimise for SEO, AEO, and GEO
- Turn visibility into clicks and revenue

So you can prepare for the new era of search, without burning yourself out. 

Learn more here 👇
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

Have you started optimising for AI search? 
Let me know in the comments. 

♻️ Repost to keep your network informed of SEO updates.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on the new era of search.

Old SEO vs New SEO

"It's only 30 minutes."

The world's most dangerous excuse. 

You might think that 30 minutes is a drop in the bucket. 

But when you take the long view, it's more than you think. 

If used well, 30 minutes could change your trajectory. 

Because small habits and actions truly add up over time. 

The major differentiator between an average achiever and the top 1% is how they use their time. 

They know that real success depends on increasing their baseline level. 

So, if you work to operate at a higher level than others, 
It is guaranteed to stack up over months, years and decades. 

Think of it this way: 

30 minutes a day is 182 hours a year.
That's over 7 full days.

If you spent 7 days reading, you'd gain knowledge and motivation.  
If you spent 7 days watching Netflix, you'd be completely depleted.  

7 days of learning to use AI properly would be transformational. 
7 days of sitting around and complaining would be... awful. 

Yet, the majority of people spend (at least) 30 minutes consuming, complaining...

Or doing things that don't move them forward every day.

Truly successful people spend it differently.

They don't spend 30 minutes on:

→ Endless scrolling through social media
→ Watching content that doesn't teach them anything
→ Spending more time tucked up in bed
→ Eating junk food to simply fill the time
→ Perfectionism that delays launching

Instead, they use those 30 minutes to:

→ Read something that challenges their thinking
→ Write down their schedule/action plan for the week
→ Put in time at the gym for their health
→ Learn a skill that will pay off for years
→ Spend quality time with the family

How you use your time is everything. 

And it's entirely up to you.

Success isn't a sprint; it's a life-long pursuit. 

And those who commit to making the most of their time, 
Will be the ones who get the most out of life. 

What's one bad habit you're dropping? And what are you replacing it with? 
Drop a comment below with your thoughts.  

If you want to spend two 30 minute time periods to best serve yourself in 2026, 
I’m hosting a free LinkedIn masterclass. 

I'll show you the fastest way to reach 10K followers, 
And sustain that growth to go even further...

Click here to save your seat: 
https://lnkd.in/eZncE8sN

♻️ Repost to share this wake-up call with your network. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more insights like this.

It's just 30 minutes by Chris Donnelly.

SEO has changed more this year than in the last 10. 

This is the new glossary you need for 2025/26: 

The SEO blueprint you were taught in 2022 is already outdated. 

The terms, strategies, and metrics that matter are different now. 

You don't need to know every SEO term by heart. 

But if you want your business to be visible in 2025/26, 
You need to know these 24 terms at the very least. 

Save this glossary to stay on top of AI search: 

1. SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
Improving visibility across Google and AI-driven platforms.

2. AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation
Designing content that appears in AI-generated results.

3. GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation
Ensuring your brand appears inside AI summaries.

4. AI Visibility: 
How often your brand is cited in AI-generated responses.

5. SERP: Search Engine Results Page
Where SEO and AI Overviews now coexist.

6. Zero-Click Results: 
When users get answers directly from AI without clicking through.

7. LLMO: Large Language Model Optimisation
Optimising for models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

8. Semantic Search: 
AI's ability to understand context and intent.

9. Entity Recognition: 
How AI connects people, brands, and concepts in your content.

10. Embeddings: 
The way AI encodes meaning to determine content relevance and citations.

11. Chunking: 
Breaking content into sections AI can easily index and cite.

12. Passage Ranking: 
Google's ability to rank individual passages within a page.

(See the cheat sheet for the full list of terms 👇) 

The world is splitting between businesses who know these terms,  
And those who have no idea this shift is happening. 

It's your job to land on the right side of history...

Have you started optimising for AI search yet? 
Leave a comment below with your thoughts. 

If you want the easiest possible way to prepare for AI search, 
Searchable is the ultimate tool. 

It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that 
Analyses, fixes, and scales your website to drive customers. 

Learn more here: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to help your network master these terms. 
Follow Searchable for more practical lessons in AI search.

Yesterday we launched Searchable

The first Visibility Platform that gets your brand ranked No 1 by AI Search

Founders, SEO’s, marketing teams. The feedback has been crazy, 100s of people signing up. 

Some people even writing things like “Vibe Marketing” and “Vibe SEO” which makes me so happy ! 

So why are we launching? 

60 days ago Google changed how SEO worked forever. 

You used to see hundreds of results per page, now you only see 10. 

Search Engine Land have said over 88% of sites saw a massive drop in traffic from Google. 

ChatGPT looks like it's driving 2-4x higher purchase intent with Seer and Search Engine Land stating up to 9x higher. 

This is a huge opportunity for brands to move fast. If you move fast right now, the dividends will be enormous for you and your business. 

So how does Searchable help?!

1. Identify & Track the RIGHT prompts
Our prompt suggestions are the best in the space at giving you commercial and educational prompts for your target audience

Our prompt research will analyse your site, analytics and search console and suggest prompts to gain qualified traffic. 

2. Content & Technical Optimisation
Our content and technical audits are performed against LLMs requirements to identify which parts of your sites are being read and understood and therefore used in answers. 

We then use this information to advise you on how to fix and improve your site. 

3. Agent Co Pilot 
Your agent will be automatically trained on your brand context and you can connect your Analytics and Search Console. 

The agent is trained on the data, reports and insight of the leading AI Search Experts. 

Imagine being able to ask your agent (a few examples!): 

What are my most commercial prompts? 
What content is going to drive the most LLM traffic?
What prompts should I track and optimise for to win my customers?
What prompts are my competitors ranking for and how do I beat them?

The brands who we have been working with have seen 200-300% increase in their traffic from AI Search over the last 2 months. 

Companies like Heights, Lottie, Thrive and dozens of agency partners using Searchable for their clients. 

To celebrate the launch, I am giving my audience FREE credits to use Searchable

📊 Deep Visibility & Analytics Report
⌨️ 100 prompt credits
🧹 5 site audit credits
💻 1 article credit

Plus free step-by-step guides on how to prepare for this shift.

Comment AI SEARCH if you want to get the credits and try Searchable for free.

Spaces are limited !

Your LinkedIn profile is your landing page.

But only if you know how to set it up: 

↳ Comment “PROFILE”, and I’ll DM you The LinkedIn Conversion Playbook. 
(More details below)

LinkedIn is still the best social platform for growing your audience, 
And generating high-quality leads simultaneously... 

But only if your profile is set up to do so. 

You have about 60 seconds to make your offer and expertise clear. 
Otherwise, you'll be losing leads to competitors who do. 

I've optimised my profile to achieve three goals: 

🖥️ Customers for my AI business, Searchable.
📧 Subscriptions to my Step by Step newsletter. 
👤 Sign-ups to the waitlist for The Creator Accelerator.

The results have been huge: 

📈 250,000+ subscribers to my email list.
✅ 4,125+ people using Searchable to optimise for AEO/SEO/GEO.
📊 5 fully sold out Creator Accelerator cohorts. 

If you want a profile like mine that generates and converts leads, 
Follow these steps to turn it into a landing page:

👤 Profile Picture
↳ Make it clear, high-quality, and on-brand (400x400px works best).

🔲 Banner
↳ State your offer and direct people where you want them to go.

⛓️‍💥 Headline & Link
↳ Share what you do, what makes you different, and why people should trust you.

🖱️ Featured Section
↳ Highlight your main offer. Make it visual, clear, and actionable.

✍🏻 Content
↳ Lead with value to push people towards your profile. 

👴🏻 Experience
↳ Include your formative roles and a description to build credibility.

☄️ Skills
↳ Prioritise the top 2 skills you want to be known (or hired) for.

✅ Call to Action
↳ There's no point upgrading your profile if people aren't directed towards it.

Optimising your profile will take a few hours out of your week, 
But it will change the course of your business for good. 

Right now, you have a choice: 

Stick with a low-revenue LinkedIn profile that repels potential leads. 
Or create a highly profitable one that generates them while you sleep. 

I know which one I'd pick every time. 

What part of your profile needs the most attention? 
Drop a comment below. 

P.S. I've made a 15-page in-depth resource.
On how to turn your profile into a revenue-generating machine...

It's called The LinkedIn Conversion Playbook.

Comment “PROFILE”, and I will DM it to you. 
(If we are not connected, I will reply asking to send the keyword with the connection request) 

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network land more clients.

Utilising ChatGPT properly has made me millions on LinkedIn...

And I'm giving you 4 of my CustomGPTs for FREE:

Comment CUSTOM, and I will personally send them all to you.

Most people see AI as a time saver - an efficiency tool.
While it does help with that... it's a bit of a reductive description.

What it can really do is level up your entire content workflow.

I've spent a ton of time and resource into improving these GPTs.
They've now been responsible for 100M+ views on LinkedIn this year.

As well as a hefty amount of revenue !

The 4 GPTs are:

🪝 The Scroll Stopping Hook Generator
💡 The Viral LinkedIn Idea Generator
💰 The High-Converting Lead Gen Generator
📊 The LinkedIn Algorithm Expert

With all of these, you can essentially:

1. Generate hooks that are proven to drive incredible engagement.

2. Use less brain power to come up with viral post ideas.
(Trained on posts that have generated 100s of millions of views this year alone)

3. Come up with angles for posts that generate dozens of leads per post.

4. Ensure every single post is optimised for the latest algorithm updates.
(Based on a database of 200k+ posts in the last quarter)

You essentially have a 4-man LinkedIn content team at your dispsoal. 

Again, I repeat, for free.

Us Founders are busy, busy people. 
I couldn't stay consistent without these, that's for sure.

Start using them, I promise you won't regret it.

As a bonus, everyone who grabs the GPTs will get a seat for my live webinar:

"How To Save 100+ Hours Using AI On LinkedIn"

You'll learn how to leverage AI into your all-in-one content assistant.

Saving you hours and improving your quality of content in the process.

Plus we have a live Q&A and 2 surprises for those who attend.

So if you're ready to start using GPT properly for LinkedIn,
Comment CUSTOM and I'll send you the link to the 4 GPTs.

♻️ Repost to help your network start growing rapidly on LinkedIn.

After building an AI Startup in 2025

Anyone who says AI is “the magic bullet is lying”

AI isn’t the reason for success.

The reality is, you have to run a great business, design incredible product, have a razor focus on product led growth, run highly personalised marketing and sales, create funnels and customer funnels for acquisition and retention. 

AI will allow you to do it fastest, more efficiently, with a smaller team, at greater scale for less cost than it used to.

Take it from me, I have built and sold or exited three large businesses before from 2011 - 2024.

If I wanted to go from nothing to $1m ARR as fast as humanly possible...

These are the tools I'd use:
(And the purpose they serve)


1. Lovable 

The best tool for product prototyping. This is your breeding ground for an MVP.

2. Searchable

Shameless plug, but this is your go-to Autonomous SEO/AEO/GEO Growth Engineer.

It is now low-level analytics. It is deep analytics for AI Search that you can implement.

3. Cursor

Cursor will accelerate the speed and efficiency of your engineering team by 10x.

4. Zapier

Use Zapier for connectivity for CRM, as well as automated retention and upsell campaigns.

5. ChatGPT or Claude

Use these specifically for custom training for all team members, but also as your day-to-day brainstorming partners.

6. Clay

To enrich contact details at scale, give you the power to stitch together social media activity, marketing activity and intent. 

Therefore you can market far more accurately and efficiently. 

7. Claude Code

You can use Claude Code to plug into all operations of your business to spot trends, analyse churn, create automated communication, reporting and insight on how your customers are using your business.

You don’t need every AI tool.

The tool isn’t the answer.

Good strategy is and the tools enable speed, efficiency and scale.

Happy building folks.

Which tools are you and aren't you using?
Curious to know in the comments.

And let me know if I missed any in the comments as well.

♻️ Repost to give your network the right tools to build.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more AI startup tips.

They say: "Likes don't pay the bills."

It's much more nuanced than that...

I'm not sure where the myth of "growing slowly and authentically" started. 

You don't have to choose between growing fast and making money. 

You can do both at the same time.

I've built multiple 8-figure businesses this way.
And 100s of students in The Creator Accelerator have too.

But you must know which content grows and which content converts your audience. 

The carousel below has the full breakdown.
But here's a quick summary in the meantime: 

Content That Grows:

↳ Top-of-funnel content that gets eyes on your business. 

- Punchy hooks create intrigue.
- Lighter subjects and highly shareable. 
- Gets reach, builds an audience, and creates trust.

Content That Sells:

↳ Middle/bottom-of-funnel content that generates sales.

- The CTA can be subtle or more obvious.
- Talks directly to the audience that is warm or ready to buy.
- Highlights a pain point → offers the solution → shows proof.

One type of content builds trust and positions your brand. 

The other leverages that trust to generate demand.  

The biggest mistake would be leaning too heavily in either direction. 

Real results come from using both strategically.

TL;DR: 

☑️ Reach the right people first
☑️ Provide them with value
☑️ Give them a clear next step

And if you want to see real revenue through LinkedIn...
I’m hosting a free webinar with Nader Alnajjar. 

We'll teach you how to turn your content into clients, 
Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. 

Spots are limited, so sign up now 👇
https://lnkd.in/ezSFmcdj

It's on at 5.30 pm GMT/12.30 pm EST on Thursday 11th December. 

Have you struggled with lead gen on LinkedIn? 
Share your thoughts in the comments. 👇

♻️ Repost to help your network start earning on LinkedIn. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more strategies like this.

Content That Grows vs Content That Sells

Whether you're using GPT, Claude or Perplexity,

Weak prompts = Weak outputs 

The quality of your prompts determines your results.  

People tend to prompt each LLM the same, and that’s not always wise. 

But in case you don’t want to learn EVERY tool in detail, 
There are universal rules that can be applied to get good results.  

These will ensure 10x better results from most LLMs: 

(See the cheat sheet for more details 👇) 

1. Keep The Base Prompt Short

Pick one role, goal, or definition of success. 
The base prompt controls how the model thinks.

2. Add Context In Layers

Your prompt is the headline.
Your supporting files and data do the heavy lifting.

3. Multi-shot > One-shot

Show the model good vs bad examples.
These act like micro-training.

4. Give The Model A Thinking Path

AI doesn’t assume priorities.
Tell it the order: analyse → extract → prioritise → recommend → format.

5. Use Constraints Deliberately

Constraints reduce hallucinations, and ambiguity.
Word count, style, and format create clarity.

Context Stacking 

A modern prompt works like a modular system.
It’s almost like you’re assembling it.

Layer A: Role & Goal
Layer B: Memory
Layer C: Examples (Multi-Shot)
Layer D: Documents
Layer E: Parameters

Connectors & MCP 

This is where the next generation of prompting is going.

Use connectors to link AI to:

- Google Drive → briefs, scripts, docs
- Notion → wiki, strategy hubs
- Slack → decisions, updates, support
- AirTable → CRM data, ICP profiles

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

A technical way to tell the model:

- Which tools it can call
- What data it can fetch
- What the output format must be

If your prompts aren’t working, check for these mistakes: 

❌ Mixing tone, goals, and tasks
❌ Asking for everything at once
❌ Giving no examples
❌ Giving too many examples
❌ Forgetting constraints
❌ Zero logic or sequencing
❌ Five different prompts doing the job of one system

After months of building Searchable that uses agentic AI, 
I've learned that prompting is not just writing good instructions. 

It's about engineering a system that produces strong results, consistently. 

What's your formula for a good prompt? 
Drop it down below. 

AI is changing the way people search and discover brands. 
Searchable is the easiest way to prepare for that shift.  

It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that 
Analyses, fixes, and scales your website to drive customers. 

Learn more here: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

----

📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet:

1. Follow Chris Donnelly.
2. Like the post.
3. Repost to your network.
4. Subscribe to: https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

Excited to announce that Searchable has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding at a $40 million valuation.

For an idea we had only 4 months ago. We launched 12 days ago. 

In 12 days we have had: 
- 4,500 people signed up to try Searchable
- 1000s of trials started 
- 100s of paying customers
- Reached $39,322 MRR

Fundamentally, AI is changing marketing faster than Google did.

Now, if you're not indexing within AI search engines, you are going to lose out. 

There are 700 million monthly users on ChatGPT.
450 million on Google Gemini.
30 million for Perplexity and Claude.

This is a real consumer behavioural shift, and we're right at the beginning of it.

Even if you think Google are going to win, the interface will be different forever. 

I truly believe what we're building is the best tool on the market.

With the best team behind it to grow it into what I think could be a billion-dollar business.

I met my Co-Founders Sam Hogan and Arya Nagabhyru 4 months ago. 

They were both deep AI engineers building in the AI agent space at YC companies.

We jammed on the idea non stop and eventually landed on a massively improved version of what I had brought to them.

Since then, I've moved them to our London office, hired some more incredible talent, and hit some insane revenue figures already.

This is predicted to become a multi-billion-dollar market by 2030. The opportunity is massive.

In 2012, £10 in Facebook spend could return hundreds because no one else was doing it.

That same window exists now – for brands who learn to be visible to AI.

I've never worked with more talented people.

If you want to join us, we are hiring for:  

0.01 engineers
If you want to build and ship fast, join us. 

Sales and GTM Lead
We have incredible tooling and deep expertise and need someone to lead and own the sales process.

Check out roles here
https://lnkd.in/eeA-gBQU

We are working closer to a San Francisco company in terms of pace and hours. 

We have very competitive salaries and equity packages.

If you want to try the tool - we have just completed revamped our free visibility report and added even more value, comment SEARCHABLE AEO and I'll send you the link. 

To celebrate the launch, I am giving my audience free credits to use Searchable !

📊 Deep Visibility & Analytics Report
⌨️ 100 prompt credits
🧹 5 site audit credits
💻 1 article credit

Plus free step-by-step guides on how to prepare for this shift.

I've studied over 318,842 LinkedIn posts.  

And I'm sharing my findings for FREE: 

If you comment ALGO, I'll send you a link for 👇

The latest LinkedIn Algorithm Report for Q3 2025 

I've been active on LinkedIn for roughly 2 years now, 
And during that time I've: 

- Written and studied 1000s of posts
- Kept a close eye on top creators and algorithm changes 
- Tested and refined my strategy countless times 

Creators have never faced tougher conditions than right now. 
This is why Will McTighe and I wanted to create this ! 

Becuase it's still possible to grow, but you need to understand what's changed. 

In light of how quickly the algorithm is shifting, 
I want to share everything I've learned with you, for free...

Before things get even more challenging. 

I could charge a hefty price for this information. 
But I'd rather even the playing field for you. 

With the new Algo Report, you'll learn: 

✅ The best way to comment.
✅ How to use video properly. 
✅ The best-performing hook formats.
✅ Which visual formats are working.
✅ The most important metrics to track.
✅ Why storytelling is dominating the platform right now. 
✅ How many links to include in a post (for 236% BETTER reach).

The algorithm isn't going to stop changing, 
And it will continue to surprise us in new ways. 

That's why it's important to stay adaptable, 
And focus on the fundamentals. 

This report will help you build a strong foundation, 
And prepare for what's next. 

What's your biggest struggle with LinkedIn right now? 
Drop a comment down below. 

If you want a full break down of the entire report...

Comment ALGO and I'll send you the link. 

♻️ Repost to help your network keep winnning on LinkedIn.

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The Battle

Joanna Howes

Chris Donnelly

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Performance ScoreJoanna Howes's LinkedIn Performance

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The Battle

Joanna Howes

Chris Donnelly

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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);}Joanna Howes's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreJoanna Howes's LinkedIn Performance