The Buyer Psychologist | Sell more using science (not guru B.S.) | 63,000+ marketing geeks read my free newsletter

You wanna understand why customers *really* buy, right? I can help.

Here's the skinny: I built an audience of 280,000 smart people and grew my businesses from $0 to 7-figures. And I did it without a big team or a financial safety net (and as a new mom). 

How? 

By learning buyer psychology.

When you figure out what makes people tick, click, and buy... it’s easier to:

→ Sell more stuff
→ Attract better customers
→ Make more money, more predictably
→ Look like a genius to your clients or team

I don't peddle "hacks" or "quick tricks". And I won't promise you can 10X your growth in 30 days while working 10 hours a week from the beach. (We both know that's B.S.)

But if you're ready to stop guessing and start growing...

Here's how I can help:

________

1. Join 63,000 smart people who get my weekly newsletter

Why We Buy 🧠 is the free buyer psychology newsletter. Forbes says it's one of the "top marketing newsletters"

Subscribe today for $0 (and get a surprise gift)

https://learnwhywebuy.com/wwbnews/

________

2. Uncover the "ouchy" problems buyers will pay to solve—in just 4 minutes

My AI-powered Ouchy Pain Finder bot helps you uncover the deeper, “ouchier” pains your buyers are struggling with so you can craft copy that converts.

Get the bot free:

https://learnwhywebuy.com/ouchy

________

3. Craft copy that converts using 26.5 science-backed techniques 

Wallet-Opening Words is the conversion copywriting playbook for busy people. Ditch bloated courses and learn how to make tiny copy tweaks that drive BIG sales.

Write smarter copy that converts:

https://learnwhywebuy.com/wow

________

4. Get your business in front of 280,000 smart marketing geeks

I work with a select few brands for win-win-win partnerships across my newsletter (63,000 readers), LinkedIn (87,000 followers), and X (137,000 followers).

Want more info? 

Apply here: https://learnwhywebuy.com/advertise


________

Are you still here?

Let's connect ❤️

Katelyn Bourgoin 🧠

I’ve started calling out AI comments on my posts. Not because I want to embarrass the commenter…

But because I want to save them from scorching their reputation with people they clearly want to connect with. 

Look, the gurus lied. 

(About a lot of stuff, but we’ll focus on one thing in particular now)

They told people to “spend hours commenting.”

But that’s not realistic—unlike full-time creators, most people can’t hangout on LinkedIn all day. They’ve got a business to run. 

And while using an AI tool or outsouring commenting to a VA seems like a smart move, it won’t get you clients. 

You’ll likely just attract other people who are also trying to “hack the algorithm”.

Because guess what? The people getting spammed with AI comments—we can tell they’re AI comments. 

(Yes, even the ones you think are too clever to detect. We know.)

Stop it. 

Having a large following will feed your ego. But it won’t feed your family. 

Agreed?

The Creator Economy has peaked. Everyone can create now. I believe "The Thinker Economy" comes next...

Because when creation becomes effortless, original thinkers are rare.

Scroll LinkedIn right now. 

I bet your feed is full of content that reads well, but says... nothing.

A sea of polished posts that could've been written by anyone (or anything).

Creating content used to be hard. You'd spend hours wrestling with an idea, unsure of what you really want to say, but getting closer with each revision.

Finally, you'd finish, mentally spent but satisfied.

With AI, it's now effortless.
Type a few words, get a post.

But in our race to produce more—to build more, to do more— there's a problem few people are talking about:

When we outsource thinking, our minds get lazy.

Every time something feels hard, we hand it over to AI. And that's dangerous. 

Your brain is like a muscle—stop using it and it atrophies.

Writing is thinking. And when we rely on AI to think for us, we're training ourselves NOT to think. 

Most people will take the easy path...

They'll happily let AI do the thinking for them.

Which means the ones who wrestle with ideas, challenge assumptions, and develop their own perspectives will stand out like never before.

Use AI. Just don't forget how to think.

Because in this new economy, you won't win by outworking everyone. You'll win by outthinking them.

The people who think in public will get rich.

Are you ready?

I’m reading this while waiting for a train (I’m going on my first non-work girls weekend in 6+ years!)

It’s Jonathan Goodman new book, Unhinged Habits, and there’s a simple promise on the inside cover:

“Build your rich life by mastering the art of strategic subtraction.”

And honestly? This is exactly the guidance I need in my life right now.

I’m exploring making a major change in my business. And that comes with *all the feels*

Exciting.
Scary.
Doubt.

I’m considering selling Why We Buy and going all in on Unignorable. That means giving up over $600k of fairly consistent annual revenue Why We Buy generates just from newsletter sponsors and evergreen digital product sales.

Sure, I could keep doing both. But I don’t want to. I’ve tried and it’s left me feeling scattered.

→ I want to be known for ONE thing
→ Focus on delivering ONE outcome
→ Build ONE great core product

It’s a strategic sacrifice. 

Which means I’ve found Jon’s book at the perfect time.

If you’re at a crossroads too and looking to make a change… have you considered doing… less?

undefined undefined

Heyyy!

Here's the link to join the PAINKILLER waitlist and get access to your new bestie, Sparky, the Ouchy Pain Finder bot: https://www.customercamp.co/painkiller-waitlist

This message is automated but if you reply with a question I'll answer it

Have a brainy day!

It’s my 41st birthday. Maybe it looks like I’ve got my shit together but…

Nope. I f*ck up. All the time.

And after 15 years of entrepreneurship—and more than my share of failures and wins—I’ve learned a few hard lessons:

__
Lesson 1: Do less. Better.

The common wisdom is to diversify. Build multiple revenue streams. Do more.

That B.S. has always gotten me into trouble.

Stop chasing every new project—it’s not just stealing your time, it’s stealing your chance of success.

The people pushing “do everything” and “be everywhere”?

They have 30-person teams (or get paid to sell you that advice).

When something’s working, don’t diversify. 

Double-down.

__
Lesson 2: Forget trend-chasing. Focus on what doesn’t change.

Jeff Bezos built Amazon on a simple truth: People will always want lower prices, faster delivery, and better selection.

That won’t change.

The same triggers that made people buy 100 years ago work today.

While everyone chases trends, bet on human nature:

👉 Social proof? Still works.
👉 Status seeking? Still drives actions.
👉 The desire to belong? Timeless.

Platforms change. Tools evolve. Human psychology?

That’s your constant.

__
Lesson 3: The best products don’t win—the products with the best messaging do

I’ve watched brilliant products fail while mediocre ones sell like hot-cakes.

It’s rarely about product quality. It’s the story.

Your customers aren’t endlessly comparing features.

They’re asking: “Do I trust this? Do I get this? Do I want to be part of this?”

Master your message to own your market.

|||
This next lesson is uncomfortable… but it’s so f*cking true.
|||

__
Lesson 4: The *messenger* matters MORE than the message

Who says something matters more than what is being said.

You’ve seen this play out hundreds of times…

The same pitch, delivered by different people, gets wildly different results.

We like to think we judge ideas on merit. We don’t. We judge them based on:

👉 Who’s sharing them
👉 How much we trust them
👉 Whether we want to be like them

A trusted creator can launch a simple product and make millions, while an unknown genius struggles to get noticed.

It’s not fair. But it’s reality.

So how do you become someone worth listening to?

Don’t just share ideas. Own one.

One clear, contrarian idea that people associate with you. That’s what makes the difference.

—
Have you learned any of these the hard way too? And other lessons ring true?

P.S. this is what happens when your 4 year old gets to carry the birthday cake. 

The lesson? Floor cake is still tasty.

No alternative text description for this image

This is my friend Sarah. 8 years ago when we took this, my startup had gone bankrupt. I told her a secret I’d never shared…

The secret? I was relieved.

Building that VC-backed startup, I’d realized I didn’t actually want to run that type of business. 

I’d seen what “success” looked like. It was a massive company with a huge team. Just thinking about it all felt suffocating.

Maybe I’d self-sabotaged. I don’t know.

Fast forward to last week...

I had a call with Sarah Hart ✤ . (She’s working on my visual brand for Unignorable 2.0!!!!)

And during that call, I revealed another secret—something I’d never said out loud before.

Something I’m embarrassed to admit.

The truth?

I’ve been avoiding video and speaking opportunities for years.

I have plenty to say. 
That’s not the problem.

I just don’t feel like “me” these days.

I’ve gained weight. I look tired.

I feel old compared to the 20-somethings lighting up my feed.

Somewhere between startup grind → bankruptcy → pandemic → baby → husband breaking his neck → moving across the country...

I got... frumpy.

I know social media rewards beauty.
It’s basic human psychology.

I also know that avoiding video and speaking opportunities for such a vain and silly reason will hurt my business.

Now... if one of my smart, talented friends confessed something similar to me?

I’d tell them they were being ridiculous.

I’d kindly yet firmly tell them they DESERVE to show up. The world NEEDS to hear that special message that only they can share.

And yet here I am. Hiding.

Weird, right?

Our logical brain can know something’s technical true, but that inner critic still sabotages us.

If you feel this way—especially the women reading this—you’re not alone.

Yes, do the work to get back to feeling like yourself again.

But in the meantime, show up anyway.

That’s what I plan to do.

Study human behavior (not algorithms)

Platforms change. 
Tactics get copied. 
Stuff that worked stops working.

But basic human psychology? That shifts at glacial speed.

When you understand the timeless principles of attention and trust, algorithm updates become irrelevant.

You'll always know how to adapt and win.

Deal?

How to build a “successful” biz in 2026.

4 easy steps:

—
1) Wake up early

The early bird gets the worm. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish before 8am while the rest of the world is still sleeping.

—
2) Create something valuable

Solve a real problem for real people. If you help others win, you’ll win too.

—
3) Have a massive chip on your shoulder

Get bullied as a kid. Mercilessly.

Grow up poor with a single mom who’s constantly stressed about money and on the edge of a breakdown. Pack a bag in the middle of the night and escape to a women’s shelter to hide from her psycho ex-husband.

Have your heart shattered by your first love in a way that takes years to process.

Trust no one.

Develop a nervous system that’s constantly in fight or flight.

Drown it in alcohol and drugs for a while.

Then discover a more socially acceptable addiction: work.

Build a branding agency...

Then a restaurant consulting business.

Land clients like Target and Holiday Inn. Sell the restaurant consulting business. Decide that’s not enough.

Bootstrap a tech startup. Funnel every dollar you make in your agency back into your startup. Stop taking a paycheck. Lie awake at 3am running numbers that never work. Keep going anyway.

Get featured in Forbes and Inc Magazine for building “The next LinkedIn for women.”

Run out of money.
Watch it all collapse.
Go bankrupt.

And somehow... the chip gets bigger.

Build another business. Cross $1M in revenue. Hit 100k followers. Then 200k.

People start clapping. Magazine features. Podcast invitations.

Think you’ll finally feel different.

You don’t.

The goalposts keep moving when you’re running away from something instead of toward it.

Then you become a mom. You hold your baby for the first time and feel something shift inside you.

All those numbers, all those milestones, all that proving—none of it mattered the way you thought it would.

Start therapy. Unpack why you’ve been running so hard for so long. Begin to heal.

Now you build differently. Not to prove anything to the world. But because you’re on a mission to help others make a bigger impact. 

You stop chasing what you think you’re supposed to want... and do the work to figure out what you actually want.

—
4) Build an audience
(It really is worth it)

—
Do you have a chip on your shoulder too? Use it as fuel. But don’t let it run you ragged. Remember, you get to decide what a “successful” business looks like for *you*

Did you spend weeks or months building something no one wants?

Congrats 👏

This is a rite of passage for every successful entrepreneur.

Even smart people need to get kicked in the teeth by the market before you realize how important it is to talk to customers. 

It’s not about asking them what you should build. 

They usually dont know. 

But you need to dig into their problems so you can build solutions they actually want to buy.

When you solve bigger problems, you earn bigger paydays. 

Ya feel me?

ChatGPT says I'm the #1 buyer psychology expert on LinkedIn. But I cheated...

No, I don't know some voodoo magic for ranking in ChatGPT. My "hack" is years in the making.

Honestly? It's probably the best thing I did in my business. It made everything else easier.

Here's the backstory...

When I started my Why We Buy newsletter in 2020, I had a decision to make:

How would I cateogorize it?

Technically it was about "behavioural economics"—using cognitive biases and heuristics in marketing.

Sounds science-y, right? Yeah, that was the problem.

My ideal readers weren't academics. They were marketers and founders building online businesses.

Now I could have used a sexier term: “consumer psychology”. 

But my target readers mostly ran B2B businesses. They didn't sell "consumer" products. They sold services and software.

So I took a strategic leap. I created the world's first "buyer psychology" newsletter. No other person owned that specific category, so I:

→ named it 
→ framed it
→ claimed it

This brings me to my "hack"...

If you want to be known for something specific, you can literally choose to name that thing (eg. think “boring businesses” or Storybrand). 

But making it spread isn't just about choosing the right words.

You must attach meaning to those words (aka. frame it).

The easiest way to do that is by starting with a problem your audience already feels.

In my case, that problem was chronic overwhelm. Marketers are exhausted by constant change—always chasing, never catching up. But human behavior doesn't change. It's a steady anchor in the raging sea.

So I crafted a simple mantra: Marketing changes fast. People don't. Learn buyer psychology.

I framed the problem (ie. speed of change) and offered a distinctive solution (ie. buyer psychology.)

Then to claim it? I just spread that idea everywhere. It became the dominant narrative underpinning all my content.

Not once. Not twice. But consistently across 100s of posts... for... years.

Finding my first ownable idea changed my business. It can change yours too.

So if you want to be seen as an authority in your space (and get paid like one), I've got a new mantra for you:

Don't just share ideas.
Own one.

That's the best "hack" there is.

--

P.S. Claiming a new category isn't the only type of ownable idea. It's actually one of six (and probably the hardest to pull off).

I'm breaking down all six in my new UNIGNORABLE newsletter. First issue drops next week.

Drop a 🧠 if you want in.

Most content advice only works for wannabe influencers. If you need leads—not just likes—try this instead:

—
I’ve helped 1,800+ entrepreneurs build personal brands. Many became dominant voices in their space (and their sales exploded in the process).

Yet I’ve also watched qualified experts remain painfully invisible.

I bet you’re excellent at what you do, but your content doesn’t drive pipeline.

(And, no. You don’t need to “hack the algorithm” or spend hours per day commenting.)

What you need is content that makes your expertise unignorable—so clients come to you, cash in hand.

That’s what I call ‘authority content’.

And there’s a simple equation for creating it:

—
Authority =
(Problem + POV + Promise + Proof)
× Repetition

Each element is backed by behavioral science and maps directly to your buyer’s journey.

Here’s how it all works together:

—
PROBLEM — Name their struggle

Example: “You don’t have a lead gen problem. You have a positioning problem.”

↳ The science: Problems activate survival mechanisms (fear/urgency) and when you articulate their problem better than they can, they lean in

↳ Buyer stage: Attracts new people who recognize the problem

—
➕ POV — Show your differentiated thinking

Example: “Most content advice only works for wannabe influencers. If you wanna get leads—not just likes—try this instead:” (Look familiar?)

↳ The science: Sharing your contrarian beliefs, proprietary frameworks, and ownable ideas triggers the von Restorff effect (you stand out) while challenging best practices signals status

↳ Buyer stage: Engages problem-aware people seeking fresh perspectives

—
➕ PROMISE — Tease what’s possible

Example: “I used to work 80 hours a week just to scrape by. Now I average 5 hours per day and had my best year yet. What changed?”

↳ The science: Triggers social comparison and self-efficacy while tapping into identity aspiration (we want to become who we admire)

↳ Buyer stage: Converts lurkers into believers

—
➕ PROOF — Build credibility

Example: “My client went from stuck at $200k for years to doing $600k in 9 months—same service, better positioning.”

↳ The science: Social proof and authority heuristic bypass skepticism to build trust

↳ Buyer stage: Converts believers into buyers

—
✖️ Repetition — The multiplier

Clarify your messageing and then repeat key talking points consistently.

↳ The science: repetition builds familiarity and trust. And the more we hear an idea, the more we come to like it. 

↳ Buyer stage: Reinforces recognition across the entire buying journey

🟰 Authority 

—
I’m no mathematician, but I know this:

Strategy beats volume. Every time.

Once you understand the authority equation, you’ll stop posting randomly and start building a reputation that commands premium pricing.

Your competitors might post more. But you’ll be the one clients seek out.

Does your content get ignored?
You may be *too smart* for your own good.

Many brilliant entrepreneurs I talk to have all but given up on LinkedIn.

They’ve put the time in, but it ain’t working.

Meanwhile inexperienced newbies are getting more claps and more clients... while the post you spent 2 hours writing falls flat.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

That “less qualified” person may be winning BECAUSE their expertise is limited.

It’s not like they don’t want to sound impressive. They just think their basic 101 insights are groundbreaking.

But basic is exactly what your target buyers often need.

Because your buyers aren’t experts in your topic.

They’re just people trying to solve a problem, and they need someone who can explain what’s going wrong in a way that finally clicks.

Meanwhile, you’re over here adding layer upon layer of nuance.

Caveats.
Sophistication.
Deeeeepth

Every time you draft something simple, your FOBO kicks in (aka “Fear of being Obvious”).

You add complexity because you’re worried a peer might think it’s not “expert” enough.

(I catch myself doing this constantly. I’ll write something direct, then overcomplicate it because I’m afraid it sounds too obvious.)

Real talk?

This is your status anxiety dressed up as quality control.

You’re afraid to dumb it down because you want to prove to peers that you know your shit.

But your ideal buyers don’t need to be impressed by the depth of your expertise—they need to feel like you understand their challenges and can help them.

So you have a choice...

Create content that earns nods from your peers (who will never hire you)... OR create content that attracts clients.

One feeds your ego. 
The other will feed your family.

Now I want to ask you a tough question (and you need to answer honestly):

Are you creating for peers or for your clients?

See? Dreams can come true. 
Get after yours in 2026! 💪

Most "personal brand" problems are actually messaging or offer problems in disguise

Sell something people want
Explain it so they know why they should want it
Creating unignorable content becomes much easier

I kicked off 2026 by making $113K in 4 days with a "lazy launch" strategy.


Okay, now that I've got your attention...

Flashy headlines like that grab eyeballs. But most people don't share the full story.

Let me fix that…

After getting the blessing from the team at Demand Curve, I decided to open access to the Unignorable course curriculum one last time.

I wanted to time the launch around New Year's, when people are hungry to level up.

But with the holidays coming up and my 1:1 client work at Unignorable 2.0, I'd massively overcommitted. I didn't have time for a big, flashy promotion—but I also didn't want to miss that "fresh start effect" energy.

So I asked myself, what might a “lazy” version of a launch look like?

Then we got scrappy:

→ We reused an old email course we already had to prime people for the launch
→ We reused the expiring bonuses strategy that had worked great in the past
→ We repurposed past launch emails and social posts rather than creating from scratch

All in? I personally spent about 25 hours prepping for this launch—a breeze compared to my typical 4-6 weeks of pre-launch prep.

25 hours and $113,000 in sales.

Now, before you run off to copy this strategy… not so fast.

Here’s the unsexy truth:

Years of gruelling upfront work went into making this near “passive income” possible.

I’ve been building an audience since 2019. Showing up consistently. Earning trust sloooowly.

I’ve poured 1000+ hours into creating the original Unignorable challenge. I worked 16-hour days over the Christmas holidays back in 2022 to prep for our first cohort.

We ran five cohorts of Unignorable—and after each one, we made the product better.

And because we built a good product that drives results, internet-famous alumni like Josh Lowman, Alex Smith, Sarah Hart, and Eric Partaker sing our praises. 

Showing real success stories made getting ‘yeses’ much easier this time around.

So yeah. “Lazy” launches are absolutely possible.

But they're the reward for years of front-loaded work. Not a shortcut.

The "passive income" crowd leaves that part out. And the big promises are bullshit without context.

The work you do now is the "lazy" you earn later.

Sound good?

Do you constantly feel like you’re behind on AI and marketing stuff?

Take a deeeeeep breath. 

You’re not behind. If you’re worried about this stuff, you’re probably way ahead of most folks. But you might be focused on the wrong things. 

Tech and tools change rapidly. 
People don’t.

Yes, AI can help you do work faster. But first you need to figure out what works with your target buyers.

Focus on that.

Nail your message and offer. 
Then you can figure out how to scale it.

Breathe. You’ve got this.

My client pitched using his new ownable idea for the first time. Best sales call he’s EVER had.

(And he runs a $1M+ agency)

This is the first 1:1 client project work I’ve done in 7 years. And I’ve gotta say, after cutting my teeth in the agency world, it feels damn good to be back in the saddle again.

—

P.S. I anonymized this out of respect for the client. He wants to keep his new strategic direction secret. Too many copycats around here 👀

P.P. S. Want to work with us 1:1 to find your ownable idea?

(AKA: a compelling, strategically chosen concept that becomes synonymous with you and drives your business.)

I’m opening a few more spots for clients in February. Jump on the waitlist to be notified when applications open: beunignorable.com

Owning a place in your target buyer’s mind is the ultimate marketing “hack”












(Yup. That’s the whole post.)

Most AI writing tools make everyone sound THE SAME. So I’m using Lovable  to build something different for my clients.

I’m building a brand voice diagnostic tool for our Unignorable clients. We’ll use it to build each client a custom Claude Co-writer that actually writes in *their* voice

(bye-bye, generic AI slop.)

This won’t be publicly available—it’s only for clients.

Now you might be wondering, “Katelyn, why go to all that effort to build a custom tool for just a handful of clients?”

Fair question.

Here’s my two-part answer:
1. It wasn’t that much effort. All in, it took about 2 days to build this thing with Lovable.
2. I don’t just want to satisfy our clients. I want to DELIGHT them.

Psychologically speaking, delight is different from satisfaction. Satisfaction means you met expectations. Delight means you exceeded them.

When customers experience a moment of delight, they’ll buy more and tell their friends.

And unsolicited praise from a happy client is the best dang marketing there is.

OK. So back to my new brand voice diagnostic tool…

I can’t tell you exactly how it works. (That’s my secret sauce.)

But I can tell you the problem it solves…

Most AI tools make everyone sound the same. Or worse? They mimic the voice of big influencers, which makes you sound like a copycat.

We can train AI to write like you, but first we need to define your voice profile. That’s what our tool does.

If you’d told me 3 years ago I could build a custom tool like this for our clients in a weekend—without hiring a developer or learning to code—I’d say you were crazy.

But Lovable changed the game.

I just described what I wanted, watched it get built in real-time, and kept tweaking until I got exactly what I’d envisioned.

Cool, right?

Give it a try.

When you solve problems your clients didn’t even realize they had, you both win.

They get pain relief and you (hopefully) get rich.

—
P.S. Feeling inspired to build something for YOUR clients?

Start with their problems. What friction keeps showing up? What do they struggle to do on their own? Build a mini tool that solves that.

Lovable makes it possible in days, not months. No coding required.

And it’s free to start creating. 

Sign-up here and get 20% off if you decide to upgrade: https://lnkd.in/eCrSjxCE

#sponsored #lovablepartner

I'm curious. What's one thing you changed your mind about in 2025? 

Unlearning is a superpower. 

The smartest people I know are constnatly reevaluating and rethinking their belief system. 

So what’s one thing you unlearned in 2025 that will change how you work in 2026? 

I’ll post mine in the comments too shortly 👀

Chris Piper is brilliant. (He helped Codie Sanchez scale from $2M to $10M in 12 months.) Watch as I revealed his ownable idea last week…

—
Did you watch the 38-second clip? That’s good, right?
—

Chris had been trying to figure out his positioning and messaging for months. Nothing ever sounded right.

This is the curse of expertise in action. The smarter you are, the harder it is to see yourself clearly.

When I unveiled Chris’s ownable idea—and explained the underlying strategy it’s built on—his reaction made me happy dance.

He called it “a parasympathetic sigh of relief.”

His exact words: “This is what I’ve been feeling and trying to figure out for months... this feels like me.”

That’s what finally getting unstuck sounds like.

And there’s an important lesson here for you too:

It doesn’t matter how smart you are.
You just can’t bottle your own brilliance.

If you want to get unstuck, get out of your own head.
Ask for help.

—
P.S. Want help finding your ownable idea?

I’m opening a few spots for Unignorable 2.0 in February. If you’re a big-brained expert who’s ready to start your ‘internet-famous’ era, hit me up. 

I'll share info on how to join the waitlist so you're first to know when we open applications.

Dave Kline

Become the Leader You’d Follow | Founder @ MGMT | Coach | Advisor | Speaker | Trusted by 250K+ leaders.

Hey, I’m Dave Kline.

I teach leaders how to build All-Star teams and level up their careers.

After decades of leading in pretty intense environments, from Bridgewater Associates to Moody’s Analytics, I know what it takes to be the manager your team remembers (for the right reasons).

Why I can help you is simple:

I’ve been through it.

And to prove it, here’s my background (by the numbers) ⤵️

2: Decades leading high-impact teams in asset management (Bridgewater), consulting (PwC), & financial services (Moody’s Analytics).

4: Years as an entrepreneur. My portfolio includes Skillscouter (an online course & career site), and MGMT Accelerator (a cohort-based management training course).

14: Cohorts of early-career leaders that I’ve taught at multiple companies.

100: Managers I recruited, onboarded & mentored at Bridgewater Associates.

1,000: Performance evaluations with grace and respect for stars and terminations alike.

205,000+: My community across LinkedIn & Twitter interested in management tactics & leadership lessons

385,000,000: My team’s top revenue year at Moody’s.

Now that we’ve covered the why, here’s the how:

- The MGMT Accelerator – an intensive management training course for both new and senior leaders
- MGMT Fundamentals – a course that covers all the need-to-know management basics for rookie leaders
- The MGMT Playbook – a weekly newsletter that gives practical management insights

Through our MGMT courses, my wife Marsden and I have played the assist with over 1,100 leaders so far, who’ve now learned how to:

- Practically tackle the most common leadership challenges
- Build their Management OS’s CODE (Coach, Operate, Delegate, Engage)
- Refine their individual leadership Decision-Making System

With our 30+ years of combined experience, you won’t just get our knowledge.

You’ll get to ask us questions directly and get access to coaching that’s more tailored to your own experience.

We always say – if we could do it like a dinner party, we would.

If you’re interested in leadership advice (that doesn’t just sound nice but actually works), drop me a follow – I post daily.

And if you like what you see, our MGMT courses could be just what you need to level up.

DM me if you’re interested.

Co-Founder

We created the MGMT Accelerator to help managers rapidly develop into trusted leaders by combining the art & science of management. 

This 4-week program consistents of eight 90-minute modules where I share the tactics I learned leading high-performing teams for 25 years. During each session, we tailor those insights together to build your personalized management system together. 

You'll learn alongside ~50 peers and become part of an expert community of more than 300 alums.

9 Signs Your Team Might Be Toxic

(And it's costing you more than you think)

No team is perfect.

But there's a critical difference between:
Temporary Discomfort and Permanent Dysfunction.

The ❌'s reveal the hidden damage.
The ✅'s show you what excellence looks like.

The more signs you recognize,
The faster you need to move.

Good People Leave
❌ Your best talent quits, replaced by whoever applies
✅ A-players recruit and develop other A-players

Mediocre People Stay
❌ Average becomes the accepted norm
✅ Excellence is supplied, recognized, and multiplied

Conflict Never Gets Fully Resolved
❌ Tension builds privately until it erupts publicly
✅ Problems are surfaced, discussed, and solved

The War Inside Our Walls
❌ Departments compete instead of collaborating
✅ Everyone focuses on beating external competition

Decisions Get Made and Unmade
❌ Choices get revisited endlessly, killing momentum
✅ Decisions are made, with clear owners and follow-through

Questions Are Met With Silence
❌ Information is hoarded for leverage and protection
✅ Knowledge is shared openly to strengthen everyone

Feedback is Nonexistent
❌ People guess at their performance without clarity
✅ Consistent, direct feedback accelerates growth

Tomorrow Never Comes
❌ Promises are made but never kept
✅ Commitments today become results tomorrow

Success Is Accidental
❌ Wins are downplayed, high standards feel threatening
✅ Success is analyzed, replicated, and built into systems

The opposite of a toxic environment is a high-performing one. 

Building one requires:  
✅ the right people, 
✅ the right systems, 
✅ and the right leader. 

Our MGMT Accelerator will help you become one faster. 

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFwuqzh3

See why 1,400+ leaders said it was worth 25x what they paid.

Remember:
If you're quietly tolerating a toxic team,
You're slowly becoming part of the problem.

You either shape your environment or it shapes you.
Choose to be the catalyst, not the casualty.

♻️ Please repost to help others.
✅ And follow Dave Kline for more.

9 Signs You Might Have a Toxic Team

One choice hurts more managers than any other:

The 'More People' Paradox.

Here's what it is and how to avoid it...

Most teams fall into this pattern:

❌ Problem →
❌ Add People →
❌ More Complexity →
❌ Bigger Problems →
❌ Add Even More People

In an effort to add capacity,
They drown themselves in complexity.

Here's the trap: 

Capacity grows linearly. 
Complexity grows exponentially. 

High-performing teams know this. 
They choose a different path: 

❌ Problem →
✅ Diagnose →
✅ Delete, Simplify, or Automate →
✅ Refocus & Execute →
✅ Scale

Why does this order change things? 
Pruning is required for healthy growth.

They fix the model to scale. 
They don't hope scale fixes the model. 

Ask these 3 questions before you hire:

1️⃣ What could we stop doing?
• Nice-to-have projects
• Low-impact meetings
• Redundant reports

2️⃣ What are we overcomplicating?
• Communication channels
• Project workflows
• Decision making

3️⃣ What are we avoiding?
• Technology improvements
• Difficult conversations
• Priority decisions

BONUS: What could AI handle?
• Document processing
• Standard responses
• Data aggregation
• Routine analysis

✅ Remember:
Our optimal path to greater success...
Doing half as much, twice as well.

If this post resonated with you...
🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more
♻️ Share to help others go big by thinking small

PS - We have another free AI-Enhanced Leader workshop coming up. 
"Build Your AI-Powered Leadership Coach in 30 Minutes"
Join 352 leaders already signed up: https://lnkd.in/guyyAMdN

Managing up doesn't require sucking up.

If you know how to do it right.

Managing up isn't about:
• Power
• Politics
• Persuasion

It's about building a relationship with your boss.
And making them successful while you do it.

And that starts by knowing who your manager is.

Here are 3 common manager archetypes
(and how to speak their language):

The Relentless Micromanager
• Needs to control every detail
• Constantly checks in for updates
• Language: High-velocity details before they ask

The Volatile Visionary
• Focuses on big ideas and long-term goals
• Everything is extreme: failure or excellence
• Language: Contrarian insights tied to their vision

The Disconnected Diva
• Out of touch with day-to-day operations
• Doesn't understand frontline challenges
• Language: Repeatable stories that connect dots

Once you know who you're talking to,
You can apply a range of practical tactics. 

The carousel below has one proven tactic
To overcome 10 common objections to managing up.

Swipe through and give one a try.

Make your boss's goals your goals, and three things happen:
• You get more support for your team
• You get more opportunities for growth
• You get more autonomy in your decisions

This isn't politics. 
This is partnership.

Want help applying this skill?

Join MGMT Fundamentals starting next Tuesday.

"Managing Up" is one of the 6 core skills we teach.

• One hour a day over two weeks.
• Critical Skills + Proven Systems. 
• Group coaching to unlock your challenge.

Enrollment closes in 3 days: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

Join 33 leaders looking to level up.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more leadership insights.

How to Manage Up (and get what you deserve)

Most new managers fail (nearly 60%). 

Not because they aren't capable. 

It's because they focus on the wrong things. 

Here's what I wish someone had told me:

1. Define a Clear Mission

Average teams execute tasks.
High-performing teams drive outcomes.

Your team needs to know:
• Why their work matters
• How it impacts the company
• What winning looks like

Test: Can each person explain the mission in one sentence?

2. Hire Slowly, Fire Fast

High performers want to work with high performers.

Never compromise on:
• Proven ability to deliver
• Self-direction and ownership
• Character over credentials

One A-player is worth three B-players.
One C-player destroys team standards.

3. Give Earned Autonomy

Top talent doesn't need micromanagement.

Define the outcome, not the process.

Let them:
• Set their schedule
• Choose their methods
• Make meaningful decisions

Your job: Remove obstacles, not create them.

4. Protect Their Time

Meetings are overhead, not output.

Only meet to:
• Align on priorities
• Solve blocking problems
• Make decisions

Default to async communication.
Protect their time to create value.

5. Kill Bureaucracy

High performers hate administrative waste.

Cut ruthlessly:
• Unnecessary approvals
• Redundant reporting
• Meeting theater

Ask: "Does this help us win or just look busy?"

6. Guard Their Focus

Concentration beats distraction.

Say no to:
• Random committees
• Shiny object syndrome
• Everything that's not the main thing

The best teams do half as much twice as well.

7. Track Outcomes, Not Activities

Set clear expectations.
Measure results, not hours.

Focus on:
• Results delivered
• Quality standards met
• Timeline commitments kept

Outputs matter more than inputs.

8. Remove Friction Daily

High performers solve problems relentlessly.

Will it be customer problems?
Or the ones you create?

Daily question: "What's slowing my team down?"

Then fix it immediately.

New managers succeed when talented people have:
• Clear direction
• High autonomy
• Zero friction

Want to start strong as a manager?

Get the training 85% of managers never receive.

MGMT Fundamentals starts January 27th.
10 hours over two weeks. The 80/20 skills and systems to lead effectively.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

85% of managers get reimbursed by their company. Just ask.
Bonus: Bring a colleague and you both save 20%.

Come learn how to become a leader you'd follow.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more practical management insights.

 Quick Tips for New Managers

Success isn't determined by what you know.

It's determined by how fast you move.

And how quickly you adjust based on what you learn.

But before every action, there's a decision.
And before every decision, there's indecision. 

Those who win work from data: 
• Data from experience. 
• Data from customers. 
• Data from doing.

And they know: 

The faster you decide, the faster you learn.

Here are 7 simple tips to make better decisions:

Empty Your Mind
• Write down every swirling thought
• Focus only on your top 3 factors

Flip a Coin
• Not for the result, but for your reaction
• Your gut reveals the right answer

Find a Partner
• Direct partner shares the journey with you
• Trusted advisor shows the path ahead of you

Sell Then Build
• Get one real customer to pay first
• Let revenue validate your next step

Price Your Indecision
• Calculate what waiting costs you
• Compare it to the cost of choosing wrong

Only Commit to Today
• Skip the 10-year questions
• Answer one question today

Burn the Ships
• Make a call you can't reverse
• This meeting ends with a decision

Remember:

The faster you decide, the sooner you learn.

Indecision only creates one thing: anxiety.

Stop waiting for clarity.
Start creating it.

You can almost always go back.
But not without moving forward first.

Helpful?

✅ Follow Dave Kline for more.

♻️ Share to help others get unstuck.

7 Simple Ways to Make Better Decisions 

Everyone wants accountability.

No one wants to be held accountable.

This guide makes accountability the default mode.

Accountability is not something you do.
It's the outcome of doing things the right way.

Most leaders think accountability is about confrontation:
• Creating consequences for failure
• Calling people out in meetings
• Tracking every detail

That's not accountability.
That's micromanagement.

Real accountability happens when your people want to win. 
And your systems make it hard to fail.

Here are the 5 systems that make accountability automatic:

1. Crystal Clear Outcomes
Define success before you start. Vague goals create average results. Specific targets create clear accountability.

2. Visible Progress Tracking
Make progress public. When everyone can see the scoreboard, people naturally step up their game.

3. Regular Check-In Rhythms
Weekly reviews, not quarterly surprises. Frequent small course corrections beat big dramatic overhauls.

4. Ownership Assignment
One person owns each outcome. Shared ownership means no one is responsible.

5. Outcome Clarity
Know what happens when you hit the target and what happens when you miss. No surprises, no excuses.

The result?

Teams that hold themselves accountable.
Leaders who coach instead of complain.
Results that speak for themselves.

What's your biggest accountability challenge?

Getting people to own their results?
Having the hard conversations?
Making progress visible?

Steal my step-by-step playbook from the carousel below 👇

And make Mutual Accountability your team's default mode.

And if you found this playbook helpful: 

♻️ Share to help others build success through accountability
🔔 Follow Dave Kline & Marsden Kline for more leadership systems

PS - We've got our first free Lightning Lesson for 2026 on Thursday. 
"AI-Powered Planning: Get Buy-In, Stay Agile, and Win 2026"
Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gGGcRKMp

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