COO @ Kurogo | We Create Thought Leaders Through Personal Branding | x2 TEDx speaker | Advisor, Investor & NED | Law Graduate | I talk about entrepreneurship, agency life and grief

Hey, I’m Lewis! 👋 I'm an operator, builder, and believer in doing work that matters.

For the last 4 years, I helped scale Kurogo, one of the leading personal branding agencies, as Chief Operating Officer, partnering with 300+ world-class founders, CEOs, C-Suite Execs and public figures to grow their influence and impact. I joined in September '21 and within 4 years, we scaled to a 7-figure business, with a global, remote team of 20+. We had clients across the UK, Europe, USA and MENA regions.

I have 5+ years' experience as a Non-Executive Director, particularly within the non-profit and social impact sector. At present, I continue to serve as:

- Vice Chair & Non-Executive Director, Child Action Northwest
- Non-Executive Director, Spring North

Currently, I’m travelling and building quietly behind the scenes - creating space to explore what’s next.

Lewis Alexander Baxter

It’s been a tough week.

And a harder start to 2026 than I expected.

There’s been some personal stuff going on.
Nothing I want to share publicly right now.

I’ve had to pull back on work.

Slow things down. Create a bit of space.

That hasn’t come easily. 

I've talked a lot recently about building work around life, not the other way round.

I guess this is what actually living that out looks like.

It’s been a reminder to keep the people around me close.

Not to default to busyness.
Not to disappear when things feel heavy.

And to come back to a simple, poignant message:

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

I’ve felt that this week.

From compassionate clients.
Understanding colleagues.
Friends who’ve checked in.

I’m really grateful for it.

Life can feel fragile at times.

And moments like this are an important reminder of what actually matters.

Age 18, I had no interest in a gap year or solo travelling.
 
Age 27, something had shifted.

When I step back, the thing that stands out most isn’t necessarily the places I visited. 

It’s how significant it felt to be away from home, and away from work, for nearly 3 months.

Because as a teenager, it just didn’t appeal to me then.

Not in the way it seemed to for other people.

Several friends had gap years.

They spoke about travelling constantly.

I listened, but honestly... I never felt the pull myself.

From 18 to my early 20s, I had no interest in travelling on my own.

And if I’m honest, I don’t think I even questioned that at the time.

I absolutely LOVE travelling, though.

That came from my mum, predominantly. 

My parents and I went on some great holidays, and I know how fortunate I was.

But, until last year, the idea of jetting off to the other side of the world, didn’t appeal.

Over the last year or two, following Lukas and Ellie (and others), hearing how they’d travelled, explored the world, built space into their lives, planted something.

So spending 3 months late last year across four countries, meeting strangers, having unfamiliar conversations, learning how to sit with my own thoughts…

That version of me wouldn’t have made sense to 18-year-old me.

I was an only child.
I spent a lot of time on my own.
I never had a huge group of friends (only a few close ones, and we often moved in different directions).

So stepping that far outside my comfort zone, even at 27, felt significant.

Let’s not underestimate that.

We’re quick to tell ourselves we’re “late” to things. That we should’ve done them earlier.

That having adventures somehow has an expiry date.

But even at 27, it felt like a big move.

A stretch.

And I don’t think age matters when it comes to travel.

It doesn’t matter if you do it at 18.

Or 27.
Or 46.

It still takes courage.  

In the end, it came down to saying yes. And giving myself the chance to have the trip of a lifetime.

A reminder that it isn’t as out of reach as it can feel.

--

P.S. Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something much later than you thought you would?

P.P.S. Hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I’m on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

22,000 people have chosen to follow my thoughts on work, life and whatever else I end up thinking out loud here.

So, thank you. 🙏 

I’m not entirely sure why I celebrate follower milestones.

But I do. So… here we are.

Since Jan 1st, this little corner of LinkedIn has grown by almost 2,000 people.

(This feels slightly surreal, given I’ve been on here for 9+ years and for a long time it was mostly me, my dad, a few friends, and the occasional recruiter checking in!)

This recent growth has come from the hiring posts I’ve been sharing. 

Each week, I share a roundup of genuinely good agency roles across marketing, social and communications. Roles I’d actually send to a friend.

Last week, an amazing copywriter saw one of those posts, applied, and now has an interview lined up. This alone made the whole thing feel worth it!

The goal of my content? 

To provide as much value as I can, share what I’m learning about scaling agencies and operations, and connect great people with companies doing interesting work. 

--

So, if you’re new here, hello! 👋

Probably a good moment to reintroduce myself.

I’m Lewis. Age 27.

A northerner now living in London.
A law graduate turned agency operator.
A believer in doing work that actually matters.

👉 Until Oct '25, I was COO at a leading personal branding agency, helping scale it into a seven-figure, fully remote business working with founders, CEOs and senior leaders globally. Learnt so much!

👉 I love travel (and was lucky enough to spend late last year in Australia, Fiji, Bali and New Zealand).

👉 I’m hugely passionate about the charity sector, and currently sit on two charity boards. 

👉 After my own battles with mental health, and losing my mum aged 21, I talk openly about grief and human leadership (and encourage others to do the same)

Right now, I’m building a few things:👇 

- An operations consultancy, working with agencies on ops, finance & hiring
- FUNC, an online marketplace for functional drinks and better-for-you products
- A new agency in a space I genuinely love (more on that soon!)

And this year, I’m designing work around life, not the other way around. 

More travel, more gym, more life, more 'me time'. 

If you’re here for hiring, leadership, building from 0-1, or the more human side of work - welcome. 

And if you’ve been here a while… thanks for sticking around. 🙏

One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2025:

Under-communication creates more problems than you ever anticipate.

In October, I shared a post announcing I was stepping away from a business to go travelling.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

In my head, the plan was clear.

I was still supporting one of our consultancy clients after leaving.

The team knew that.

I knew that.

But the client didn’t.

They saw the LinkedIn post before hearing anything privately, and their first reaction was:

“Lewis has left. Who’s my point of contact now?”

From my perspective, nothing had changed.
From theirs, their point of contact had suddenly disappeared.

Their knowledge gap came down to one thing:

I hadn’t given them the courtesy of a heads-up.

People rarely struggle with your decisions. They struggle with not knowing them.

This year, I'll operate by a few simple rules:

- Send the courtesy message.
- Share context early, not reactively.
- Keep people informed, so they’re not left guessing.

Over-communicating isn’t a weakness. It’s how trust actually gets built, especially as things grow.

When people don’t have clarity, they fill in the gaps themselves.

And it’s usually not the version you had in mind.

So, if you're a leader, manager, project lead or freelancer...

Remember,

Clear communication isn’t optional.

It’s part of the job.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

I’ve been using the phrase “designing work around life, not the other way round” a lot recently.

Partly because it captures something I’m trying to be more intentional about.

And partly because I’m still figuring out what it actually means for me.

It doesn’t necessarily mean working less.
Or escaping responsibility.
Or building some perfectly balanced, always-calm life... (I don’t think that exists).

What it does mean, I think, is starting from a different place.

Instead of asking: “What does my work demand of me?”

I’m trying to ask: “What kind of life do I actually want to live, and how does work support that?”

It’s a small shift, but I’ve noticed it changes how I think about most decisions.

For me, this isn’t a binary thing.

It’s not something you “achieve” and tick off.

It’s a mindset.

A process.

A way of noticing when work is taking over more space than it deserves, and deciding, consciously, whether that’s a trade-off I’m happy to make right now.

Some weeks, work will come first. 

Other weeks, life might take the front seat. For some family time and space to think.

Designing work around life, for me, is about being intentional in those choices - rather than defaulting to work winning every time.

These are a few of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately, and maybe they’re useful for you too:

- What am I optimising for right now (travel, energy, learning, money)?
- If nothing changed for the next three years, would that be okay?
- What parts of my work give me energy (and which drain it)?
- What does a “good” week actually feel like?
- Where am I saying yes out of habit?
- What am I protecting time for?

I don’t have crystal clears answers to all of these.

Some of them shift depending on what life looks like at the time. But asking them has already shifted how I approach my work, and how much space I'll allow it to take up.

It feels less about getting it right, and more about paying attention as things change.

Curious, what does designing work around life look like for you, in practice?

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

5 awesome agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Account Director 
Raptor 
Salary: £55K - £65K (DOE) 
Location: London

Raptor is a culture-led, youth-first marketing agency working across brand, social, experiential and real-world engagement. In this role, you’ll lead 2–3 key client accounts end-to-end, owning integrated campaigns, managing budgets, driving account growth, and leading a team of up to 6 in a fast-paced environment.

--

2/ Content Manager (Executive Thought Leadership) 
Triangle 
Salary: £30K - £35K (DOE) (+ bonus) 
Location: UK-based 

Triangle are a thought leadership and personal branding agency working with an exclusive group of leading CEOs as well as C-Suite executives at billion-dollar companies who want to leverage their own personal voice to transform their business. In this role, you’ll turn podcast-style executive interviews into high-performing LinkedIn posts and long-form content, combining writing, research, content strategy, and strong client communication.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (PR) 
Citizen Relations 
Salary: £31K - £34K 
Location: London

Citizen are a global PR agency focused on building authentic connections between brands and communities. In this role, you’ll take ownership of client programmes, managing timelines, developing media materials, pitching press and talent, supporting crisis comms, and presenting campaign results, while mentoring junior team members. A great opportunity to grow your career in PR.

--

4/ Senior Social Media Executive
Plus 1 Communications
Salary: £30K (DOE)
Location: Windsor

Plus 1 Communications are a global creative and communications agency working across consumer, lifestyle and culture-led brands. In this role, you’ll lead end-to-end social campaigns, creating high-impact content, running paid social, and optimising performance across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and X - helping shift social from reactive posting to strategically led, high-production work that matches the agency’s award-winning creative standard.

--

5/ Podcast Producer (Personal Brand)
7xContent
Salary: £25K-£35K
Location: Remote-first

7X are a specialist video-first podcast agency helping world-leading creators and brands turn conversations into high-impact content engines. In this role, you’ll own the strategy and production of Creator Playbooks - leading the founder’s podcast end-to-end, while also driving the marketing engine behind Callum’s personal brand and 7X’s content funnel across YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and email.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown.

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

A lot of people go back to work tomorrow.

The inbox. Client calls. Team meetings. The familiar pace returning.

Before that kicks off, I’ve been thinking about a slightly different question.

Not simply 'what do I want to achieve this year'?
But 'how do I want to live while I’m doing the work'?

There’s something appealing about resolutions. They sound good in theory.

I’ve never been great with resolutions 
(and this will be the second year I haven't set any).  

They're pretty unforgiving. 

Binary. 

You’re either “on track” or you’re not.

And once you fall off, it’s easy to write the whole thing off (and just wait until the next year when you can set them again...)

Values feel more forgiving.

And, I think, more useful.

They’re not a checklist. Rather, they're a way of showing up.

Yesterday, I shared that in 2026 I’m intentionally designing work around life.

That isn’t a goal with a finish line.

It’s a lens I’m trying to come back to.

It shapes:

- how often I spend time with my family
- how present I am in my closest relationships
- how I treat the gym, health and my diet this year 
- how I think about travel (not as a break from work/life, but part of it)
- how I protect space, energy, and attention when everything feels busy

None of that looks especially impressive on paper.

But it changes how the days, the weeks and the months feel.

And maybe that’s the point.

So before work starts pulling at you tomorrow, maybe take a moment today. 

To decide what deserves protecting this year, even when work tries to crowd it out.

What do you want more of outside of work?

And what values will guide your decisions when things inevitably get busy?

No one’s going to ask you those questions.

You have to ask them yourself.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters.

5 agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Senior Account Executive - Publicity (Film & TV) 🎬
Substance Global
Salary: £30K - £34K (DOE)
Location: London (Hybrid)

Substance Global are an independent, insights-led digital marketing agency working across Film, TV and entertainment, with teams in London and globally. Known for their collaborative culture and creative ambition, they deliver high-profile campaigns blending strategy, publicity and innovation. In this role, you’ll support Film & TV publicity campaigns, working on media liaison, client relationships, screenings, premieres and events. A fast-paced role for someone organised, confident and plugged into Film & TV culture.

--

2/ In-House Content Creator
HonestBrands
Salary: £40K - £50K (+ bonuses) 
Location: Remote (UK / Barcelona preferred)

HonestBrands run a beginner-to-advanced e-commerce training community helping people build real brands across Amazon, TikTok and Shopify. Content sits at the centre of growth. Your job is simple: create a high volume of high-quality content that drives demand. You’ll work closely with the founders on organic, paid and long-form content that builds trust, attracts the right audience and scales repeatable content systems.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (Public Relations)
Group42
Salary: £28K - £30K (DOE) 
Location: London

42 Bruton, part of Group42, are a high-growth boutique PR agency working with ambitious scale-ups and challenger brands across the UK and US. Known for sharp positioning and clean execution, they deliver storytelling that drives real audience and investor engagement. You’ll support PR and digital campaigns across lifestyle, FMCG, travel and tech, working on media relations, content and client comms.

--

4/ Account Executive
adam&eveTBWA
Salary: £30K (+ bonuses)
Location: London

adam&eve\TBWA are a global creative agency built on the belief that emotion drives business growth. As the European hub for one of TBWA/Omnicom’s longest-standing global clients, the London team delivers fully integrated campaigns across ATL, digital, social, CRM, POS and internal comms. You’ll support the day-to-day delivery of international campaigns alongside senior account, creative and partner teams.

--

5/ Marketing Assistant
Signal Group
Salary: £26.6K - £26.8K
Location: Watford

Signal Group are a growing, people-focused marketing organisation delivering collaborative, detail-driven campaigns for a range of clients. They place strong emphasis on developing talent and long-term growth. In this role, you’ll support campaign delivery, brand consistency, research, performance tracking and reporting. A strong entry-level opportunity to gain hands-on experience across marketing.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown. 

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

PS. Check out my comments section for links to every role.👇

We’re very good at being busy.

But, we don’t check in nearly enough on our energy.

Meetings.
To-do lists.
Deliverables.

Important, yes. But only part of the picture.

Some of the things that matter most aren’t obvious while you’re in the middle of it.

Energy. Presence. How you feel at the end of the day, when the laptop closes.

I’ve been paying more attention to that lately.

Not simply what I’m working on, but how the work leaves me feeling.

Energised. Or, drained.

Because you can be doing all the “right” things, ticking off tasks from your to-do list, and still finish most days feeling depleted.

Intentional life design, I’m realising, starts in these small moments.

In patterns you notice early, before they harden into defaults.

What consistently gives you energy.
What slowly takes it away.
What you’ve normalised, simply because it’s familiar.

So if there’s one thing worth paying attention to this week, maybe it’s this:

At the end of each day, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Did today’s work give me energy, or take it away?

Answer this honestly.

You could even treat it like a simple energy audit - 'red, amber, green' your tasks, or loosely score them based on how much energy they gave you.
 
(I might write more on this separately).

Because how your work feels, day after day, matters more than we often admit.

Curious, when you think about your last few working days: what’s been giving you energy lately?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

Today reminded me how much depth can exist in a short conversation.

Even with someone you’ve never actually met.

Earlier today, I chatted with George for 30 mins.

We’d been connected on LinkedIn for about six years.

But until today, we’d never actually spoken.

And as it turns out, I first reached out back in 2019.

Today was the first real conversation.

We started with work.

Marketing. Social media. Creative careers. Where things are heading. The challenges and the opportunities for companies and those looking for new opportunities. 

Then, quite naturally, it shifted.

Mental health and wellbeing - particularly for men.

Grief and loss. Identity.

Family. Relationships. The stuff beneath the surface.

All with someone who, until today, was effectively a stranger.

What struck me most was how easy it felt once we moved past the polite first few minutes.

Many of these topics can feel hard to talk about - especially as men, and especially with people we don’t really know yet. 

There’s often a sense you should keep things light and 'professional'. 

(especially when you've connected originally on LinkedIn)

But when there’s openness on both sides, it doesn’t feel forced.

It feels human.

It was a rich, thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. 

The kind that reminds you how much depth can fit into a short window of time (if you let it).

One more thing that feels worth sharing:👇 

George has a book coming out next week.

"Be A Man About It: Building a Healthier Idea of Masculinity" (22nd January) (more details in comments) 

After the conversation we had, I’m genuinely looking forward to buying it and sitting with it properly.

Stephen Fry described it like this:

‘An absolutely fascinating enquiry into the nature of masculinity, coming at a time when it's really needed."

If the book carries even a fraction of the openness, depth and honesty that came through in our call, it’ll be an important one.

So, thank you, George. I’m really glad we finally connected properly.

Today made me realise how much we often leave unsaid, and how powerful it is when we don’t.

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

Most people don’t have a time problem.

They have a thinking problem.

Or more accurately, they’re trying to think and execute at the same time.

This rarely works.

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is separating strategy time from execution time.

Intentionally. 

Because when everything is 'execution mode', you default to reacting.

Emails. Slack. Tasks. Requests. WhatsApp messages.

And when thinking time is squeezed into the 5- or 10- minute gaps between meetings, it never really gets the space it needs.

There are a few ways I’ve seen this work well:

1/ A dedicated strategy day each week (I'm trialling next week!)
2/ Every morning (for ~2 hours) as locked-in thinking time
3/ Or, weaving smaller “thinking blocks” into each day

There’s no single right way. Do what feels right for YOU. 

And if anyone tells you that their way is the 'best way'...

Don't listen to them...

I was listening to a podcast clip with Leila Hormozi, and I wanted to share one line with you:

“If your week isn’t planned by Sunday, you have already lost the week.”

And for me, this makes perfect sense.

Not because Sunday planning magically solves all your problems. But because unplanned weeks get dictated by everyone else’s priorities.

Strategy time is where you decide:

- What actually matters this week
- What doesn’t need doing at all
- What can wait

Execution time is where you do the work.

Mix them together, and both will suffer.

So if things have felt busy but oddly unproductive lately, maybe this is the place to look.

Not “how can I do more?”

But: "When is my thinking time?"

--

♻️ Repost to share this message. 

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

The LinkedIn Authority Accelerator is Open! | Founder @ Mentoria Digitals. | Top 20 LinkedIn Branding Worldwide

Most LinkedIn “strategies” are built for creators chasing engagement, not founders closing serious deals.

That’s the trap:

• Post daily
• Build an audience
• Hope attention turns into revenue

I call it the Creator Funnel Fantasy.

It looks productive.
It feels busy.
And it keeps founders optimising for visibility instead of trust.

Because LinkedIn isn’t a content platform.

It’s a signal-rich revenue environment where the right message, seen by the right buyer, creates momentum long before a conversation begins.

That’s where I come in.

I design Signal-Led LinkedIn Growth Systems™ for B2B founders who:

• Run real businesses (£200k–£5m+ ARR)
• Don’t want to perform for the algorithm
• Need positioning that converts into pipeline - quietly and consistently

What this actually looks like:

1. Signal Compression
→ Clarifying positioning, proof, and narrative so high-trust buyers immediately recognise relevance

2. Profile Conversion Architecture
→ Turning your profile into a decision surface, not a biography that moves silent readers to action

3. Warm Demand Flow
→ Creating inbound conversations without chasing, convincing, or public selling

How we work together depends on your leverage point:

• Advisory & Coaching - for founders who want to own the system and think at a higher strategic level
• Consulting - for teams who want structure, clarity, and execution guidance
• Done-For-You - for leaders who want the system built, positioned, and operated on their behalf

In all cases, the outcome is the same.

LinkedIn stops being a résumé.

It becomes a revenue-aligned growth system - one that attracts the right buyers, filters out the wrong ones, and converts attention into commercial outcomes.

I don’t optimise for virality.
I don’t build audiences for vanity.

If you’re done chasing likes and ready to engineer signal - you’ll know what to do next.

📩 Book a private discovery call via my Featured section.

Learn more here: https://www.mentoriadigitals.com/

Ayesha Ameer

How to build a LinkedIn strategy that actually works in 2026

(5 steps most people skip)

Most people don’t need better content on LinkedIn.

They need a clear strategy.

In 2025, almost everyone I spoke to had already “done LinkedIn” in some form:

– posted inconsistently
– updated their profile
– tried outreach
– maybe even hired help

And almost all of them said the same thing:

“I know LinkedIn matters. I just can’t get it to turn into real opportunities.”

That’s not because LinkedIn is confusing.
It’s because most people build it backwards.

Here’s the order that works in 2026.

1. Decide what LinkedIn must produce (not “growth”)

Answer this in one sentence:

What should LinkedIn make easier for you this year?

Examples:
– warm inbound from the right people
– higher reply rates to outreach
– faster trust before a sales conversation

If this isn’t clear, LinkedIn becomes a habit, not a strategy.

-----

2. Fix your positioning so the right people “get it” fast

This is where momentum quietly leaks.

Your positioning should immediately answer:
– who this is for
– what problem you help with
– why someone should talk to you

If someone has to think “Is this relevant to me?”
You’ve already lost them.

-----

3. Turn your profile into a conversion surface

Your profile has one job:

Make starting a conversation feel obvious and low-risk.

That means:
– proof shows up early
– outcomes are clear
– the next step is easy

If your profile looks good but doesn’t generate messages, it’s not working.

-----

4. Use content to remove hesitation

Content isn’t there to impress peers or chase likes.

In 2026, strong LinkedIn content does one thing:
It removes friction before someone reaches out.

Every post should make a reader think:
– they understand my situation
– they see the problem the way I do
– this would be an easy conversation

Posting consistently without this won’t help.

-----

5. Add outreach only once the signal is clear

Outreach works when LinkedIn has already done the heavy lifting.

When positioning, profile, and content align:
– messages feel relevant
– replies increase
– conversations move faster

When they don’t, people assume “outreach doesn’t work”.

-----

If you want help setting this up properly, I’m opening a small number of calls for people who want a straight answer to one question:

Can LinkedIn realistically become a strong opportunity channel for me in 2026?

On the call, we’ll look at what’s missing, where people drop off, and what would need to change for LinkedIn to work this year.

Book here: https://lnkd.in/ePCS-YVK

LinkedIn Signal-Led Growth Systems™ for Founders and Execs | Founder @ Mentoria Digitals. | Top 20 LinkedIn Branding Worldwide

This pretty much sums up what I’m seeing heading into 2026.

People are trying way too hard here on LinkedIn.

Everything’s polished.
Everything’s framed.
Everything sounds like it went through 3 rewrites and a Canva carousel.

What actually seems to be working?

Talking about what you’re doing.
Sharing opinions before they’re perfect.
Hanging out in smaller, niche pockets instead of shouting to everyone.

You don’t need to master copywriting.

Pick up the basics then stop overthinking and write like yourself.

Post a few times a week.
DM people.
Try to sell something.
Feel awkward.

The cringe fades quicker than you think.

When everyone’s desperate to look impressive, being a little more real builds trust fast.

Not loud real. Not oversharing real.

Just human enough that someone thinks: “Yeah. I’d reply to that.”

January is when founders decide what's actually worth investing in.

Not quick wins. Not short-term fixes. 

But things that will still be paying off in 6, 12, 18 months.

Some founders will:

- invest in tactics that feel productive
- invest in tools
- invest in ads

Others will quietly invest in infrastructure.

And that's where the gap starts to show.

Because as the year goes on, you'll see people growing on LinkedIn. 

Getting conversations. 
Building authority.
Turning visibility into pipeline.

And I know you want that too.

Not for ego. Not for likes. 

But because LinkedIn can:

- 2 - 3× pipeline
- shorten sales cycles
- make inbound feel predictable instead of random

Here's the part most people miss:

The founders who get results aren't doing MORE on LinkedIn.

They've simply answered 3 questions most people never stop to answer:

1. What is the natural next step once interest exists?
2. Who exactly should LinkedIn be sending me conversations from?
3. What should someone believe about me after 60 seconds on my profile?

Most founders skip this part.

So they post. They tweak. They stay visible.

And LinkedIn becomes something they maintain instead of something that compounds.

The founders who win treat LinkedIn as a system:

- outbound as acceleration
- content as reinforcement
- positioning first
- profile second

Everything else is noise.

January is when that decision gets made.

Not: "Should I post more?"

But: "Am I finally going to set this up in a way that pays me back?"

Over the next few weeks, I'll be breaking down how I think about LinkedIn as a long-term acquisition asset.

If you want deeper thinking on building LinkedIn as a system, join here: https://lnkd.in/ehRDaK24

If my LinkedIn content delivered zero results today, here’s what I’d fix immediately.

(Save this ♻️ if you care about outcomes, not optics.)

1. I’d stop publishing “value posts” that go nowhere.

No more:

- Generic tips that sound smart but sell nothing
- Posting for the algorithm instead of the buyer
- Polished content that earns likes, not leads

I’d create content that moves the business forward.
Not content that just looks good in the feed.

2. I’d get ruthless about ONE thing I’m known for.

Not 5 things.
Not “helping people grow.”

One clear outcome.

For example:
→ Building LinkedIn pipeline for B2B founders
→ Turning LinkedIn into a predictable revenue channel

This is how you become the obvious choice without shouting.

3. I’d prioritise long-term conversations over quick wins.

- Depth over reach
- Relationships that compound
- Fewer viral posts, better-fit clients

The best clients don’t come from a single post.
They come from consistent positioning and earned trust.

4. I’d check fit before sending a single DM.

No spray and pray.
No automated messages that feel hollow.

I’d look at:

- Whether my offer actually solves their problem
- What their profile and business signal
- Alignment on budget, timing, and intent

Quality over quantity. 

5. I’d track what actually matters.

Not likes.
Not comments.
Not compliments.

I’d measure:

- Revenue closed
- Pipeline generated
- Calls booked from LinkedIn

If my content isn’t driving 2–3× pipeline, I’d change it.

6. I’d create content that compounds.

- Clear positioning that builds authority over time
- Educational posts that stay relevant for months
- Content that works even when I’m offline

Not daily posts that disappear in 24 hours.

-----

Most people don’t need more content ideas.

They need clearer positioning and better signal.

If you’d like a second set of eyes on how your LinkedIn currently shows up, and whether it’s actually set up to convert, you’re welcome to book a call here: https://lnkd.in/ePCS-YVK

The last 2 weeks taught me something I didn't expect...

Here's what happened: 

My family came over from Norway.

Which meant...

• Pancakes at times I'd usually be checking notifications
• Long conversations with no start or end time
• Shared breakfasts
• Slow mornings
• Cinema trips

It was genuinely lovely.

But it also gave me DISTANCE.

And distance does something powerful to your judgment.

When you're inside your usual routine, everything feels important.

• Every habit feels justified.
• Every decision feels right.
• Every task feels necessary.

You don't really see your work. 
You just maintain it.

Stepping out of that rhythm creates contrast.

And contrast is revealing.

I started noticing things that had been invisible before:

• Things I was doing out of habit, not intention.
• Things that felt productive but weren't moving anything forward.
• Decisions I'd been making on autopilot because I hadn't slowed down enough to question them.

It reminded me of something I see all the time with LinkedIn.

When people say:

"Content feels harder than it should."
"My positioning feels fuzzy, even though I know what I do."
"I'm doing everything right, but it's not really landing."

The issue is rarely effort. 
It's PROXIMITY.

You're too close to your own work to judge it clearly.

One simple reset I'm carrying forward now:

Before adding anything new, I remove first.

I ask myself what I'm continuing just because I haven't paused long enough to question it.

And what would actually improve if I stripped 20 - 30% away.

Almost every time, the signal gets clearer.

Not because I worked harder.

But because I finally gave myself enough space to think properly.

-----

P.S. When was the last time your routine got disrupted in a way that actually improved your thinking?

(Also - pancakes before emails might be onto something!)

Your ICP is on LinkedIn right now.

Here’s why they can’t find you.

I speak to founders every week who say:

“I know my ideal clients are here.
I see them posting.
I just can’t get in front of them.”

What’s actually happening:

LinkedIn shows your content to your existing network first.

And for most people, that network looks like this:

- 40% old colleagues
- 20% random connections from years ago
- 20% people selling to you
- 10% loosely relevant
- 10% actual potential clients

That 10% sees maybe 1 in 10 of your posts.

So you post consistently…
And your ICP barely notices.

Meanwhile, they’re scrolling LinkedIn right now.

They’re engaging with:

- clearer narratives
- simpler decision frames
- familiar names

Not because those people are better.

But because they’re in the feed when decisions are forming.

How to fix it in 4 steps (without posting more):

1. Define who must see you

Not “founders” or “decision-makers.”

Be specific:

- role
- seniority and industry
- the problem they’re actively solving

If you can’t describe them clearly, LinkedIn can’t surface you to them.

----------

2. Shrink your audience on purpose

Stop creating content for everyone you’re connected to.

Create content that:

- speaks to one decision-maker
- names their problem directly
- makes them think, “this is about me”

----------

3. Place signals where decisions are forming

You’re not waiting to be discovered.

You’re intentionally placing your best thinking in front of:

- the roles you want
- the companies you want
- the conversations they already care about

Repeated exposure builds familiarity.
Familiarity reduces risk.

----------

4. Earn the right to the conversation

Trust on LinkedIn isn’t built through viral posts.

It’s built when someone has:

- seen your ideas
- agreed silently over time
- recognised your name

At that point, the DM doesn’t feel cold.

----------

Your ICP doesn’t need more content from you.

They need to see you consistently and intentionally.

That’s the difference between posting on LinkedIn and building a system that actually brings clients.

If you want help setting this up properly, let's chat: https://lnkd.in/ePCS-YVK

If I had to rebuild my business today, I’d do 1 thing differently.

I’d build systems that don’t require burnout to work.

For a long time, everything looked right from the outside.

The business was growing.
Clients were coming in.
Momentum was there.

But behind the scenes, I was tired in a way rest didn’t fix.

Still ambitious. 
Still driven.
Yet something felt off.

I realised I was building a life that didn’t leave much space for me.

- Work bled into everything.
- Meals became functional.
- Movement became optional.
- Time with family barely existed. 

That realisation changed how I built.

Not because I wanted less growth.

But because I wanted growth that didn’t cost me my health, my faith, or my presence.

Now this is what I see constantly with founders I work with.

Founders doing well.
£500K to multi-seven figures.
Past survival. Past panic.

And yet:

• carrying the business everywhere
• constant background pressure
• guilt when switching off
• always mentally “on”

At this stage, the problem isn’t motivation.

It’s mental load.

The business works but only because you’re holding it together.

I learned this the hard way:

If your business only works when you’re exhausted,

It’s not a growth issue.
It’s a structure issue.

So I build differently now.

Still ambitious.
Still serious about outcomes.
But with systems that protect energy and a life that actually feels lived.

That’s exactly why I build LinkedIn systems that are sustainable, save time, and leave room for what actually matters outside the business.

It’s simple. And that’s the point.

If you’re reading this, build systems that work without you being exhausted.

It’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

Most think LinkedIn growth comes from doing more.

More posts. More visibility. More outreach.

That’s why they burn out and still don’t close consistently.

Because the real driver of clients on LinkedIn isn’t volume.

It’s positioning.

Not aesthetics.
Not trendy hooks.

Positioning as in: why choosing you makes immediate sense over every other option.

When that’s clear, something interesting happens:

- Fees stop being questioned
- Negotiations shorten (or disappear)
- Conversations move faster

Not because you’re better at selling.
But because you’re no longer being compared.

When positioning is unclear, one of two things always shows up:

→ You blend in

So buyers default to price. And price-led decisions never favor the strongest option.

→ Or you overcomplicate the message

You explain what you care about - not what helps the buyer decide.

And when people don’t instantly “get it,” they don’t engage.

They scroll.

This is the quiet reason LinkedIn feels noisy but ineffective for so many capable founders.

The content isn’t the issue.
The effort isn’t the issue.

The frame is.

That’s why I work with Signal-Led Positioning™️.

Not to make clients louder on LinkedIn but to make them distinct.

When the signal is right, results follow quickly:

- One client generated 8 qualified inbound leads in under 5 days without increasing posting frequency
- Another secured 20+ sales-ready conversations in under a month from people already aware of their value
- Another landed a high-value deal directly attributed to LinkedIn, with zero negotiation on fees

Same platform.
Same effort.

Different positioning.

Because when your profile, content, and conversations all point to the same conclusion:

“This is the person I should speak to.”

In 2026, the advantage isn’t posting more.

It’s being the easiest to choose.

----------

If you want help applying Signal-Led Positioning™️ so your LinkedIn starts driving qualified conversations (not just visibility), book a call here: https://lnkd.in/ePCS-YVK

If you’ve paid £3k/month for LinkedIn content before and thought: "Wait… what did I actually get?"

It's not just you.

I see this constantly with founders who spend £2 - 5k/month on "LinkedIn content" and walk away with:

- decent impressions
- polite engagement
- zero pipeline

Here's why that happens.

The real issue isn't the agency. It's the model.

Most founders are sold generic authority content.

It sounds good on paper:

- "Trust compounds over time"
- "Build thought leadership"
- "Share value"

So what happens?

1. You sign the retainer expecting inbound demand
2. Posts go live consistently
3. Your network engages (peers, old colleagues, other founders)
4. Months pass
5. You’re told: “You just need more reach”

But reach was never the problem.

The flaw in generic authority content:

It never answers the two questions your ICP subconsciously asks:

- Why do I need this?
- Why you specifically?

So they think: "Smart founder. Interesting posts. Not sure where this fits into my buying decision."

And they scroll.

You don't become memorable. 
You become interchangeable.

That's the quiet killer of founder-led LinkedIn.

What actually works (and what I run with clients):

We don't post more. 
We build signal.

Inside my LinkedIn Signal-Led Growth™️ system, everything starts with one thing:

Making the right buyer feel called out, not impressed.

That means:

1. Precision problem content

Not "insights". Not trends. But posts that surface uncomfortable, specific problems your ICP already feels and recognises as expensive.

2. Signal compression

Every post reinforces:
- why your approach is different
- what decision it connects to
- who it's for

3. Demand paths (not vibes)

Content doesn't "build awareness". It creates momentum → profile → offer → conversation.

This is how founders stop being consumed as content creators and start being evaluated as buyers' shortlists.

If your LinkedIn feels busy but not profitable, it's usually not a consistency problem.

It's a signal problem.

And no amount of posting fixes unclear positioning.

If you're a founder who wants LinkedIn to drive actual demand, not just engagement, book a call with me here and I will help you: https://lnkd.in/ePCS-YVK

Employee content isn’t about posting more.

It’s about building trust through alignment.

I was reminded of this when I saw a post about ClickUp.

They have around 15 employees actively creating content on LinkedIn.

That number, on its own, isn’t the point.
What it signals is.

Because when multiple people from the same company show up publicly, something happens:

Your point of view becomes visible.

Not through a logo.
Through PEOPLE.

When teams are aligned, you start to notice a few things:

→ Trust adds across individuals, not just the brand
→ The message sharpens naturally across different voices
→ Familiarity builds faster because the signal is consistent

Not because everyone is saying the same thing.

But because they’re seeing the problem the same way.

That’s where employee content REALLY works.

The leverage doesn’t come from volume.
It comes from coherence.

Buyers don’t scroll LinkedIn thinking:

“Wow, lots of employees are posting.”

They think:

“I keep coming across the same belief, expressed from different angles.”

That repetition creates confidence.
And confidence creates authority.

This is also where LinkedIn has been quietly heading.

Not toward louder brands.
Not toward more output.

But toward organisations where reputation is carried collectively, through people who are aligned, not scripted.

P.S. If someone read your team's posts back-to-back, would they recognise a clear point of view - or just individual activity?

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The Battle

Lewis Alexander Baxter

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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);}Lewis Alexander Baxter's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreLewis Alexander Baxter's LinkedIn Performance