Graduate corporate life for entrepreneurial freedom — without jeopardizing your income or family 💚 | Pod: UncageYourself.FM 🎧

Directors. VPs. Executives.
Ready to go Corporate → Founder in ONE Year?

This is the smart path out — without blowing up your life.

We help corporate veterans turn their employer into an investor, compress their job by 50%, and launch a 1-of-1 premium business.

Corporate becomes a short-term asset — not a lifelong trap.

The system is called Corporate Graduation™.
And it works.

You’ve built a strong corporate life. But you’re likely facing 2+ of these:

1) Your time isn’t yours.
2) Work consumes everything.
3) Family & health get leftovers.
4) You’re just going through motions.
5) You know you’re meant for more — but have no idea what.

It’s costing you — emotionally, physically, financially.
You feel stuck. Fading.

That was me.
Divorced. Burnt out.
Later — remarried, rebuilt, and free.

I made my employer my investor.
Cut hours in half.
Launched a business around my genius.
Graduated corporate life — forever.

Now I help others do the same.

Corporate Graduation™ is the system.
165+ have used it to:

✅ Compress their job into 20 hours/week
✅ Exit with runway, not regret
✅ Build a premium service business that reflects who they are
✅ Create leverage through proprietary IP, not more hours

This is how you build your founder future — without burning bridges.

This isn’t about dabbling.
It’s about reclaiming your life.
For your family. Your future self. Those you’re meant to serve.

No “passive income” BS.
Just active transformation — with revenue, clarity, and agency.

Ready to graduate?

👉 DM me “GRADUATE.”

Matt Doan

I left corporate 4 years ago.

Here’s what actually changed:

1) Mondays have energy again.
I wake up early because I want to. Not out of discipline or obligation, but out of genuine excitement for the week ahead. That feeling was gone for years in corporate. Now it’s normal.

2) The Sunday dread disappeared.
That quiet weight that used to settle in by Sunday afternoon — the sense of re-entering a system that didn’t fit — lifted once I started building something I actually owned.

3) My wife became my partner — in a new way.
Cecilia and I now talk about clients, strategy, and impact together. We’re building something side by side. Corporate never could have offered that, and it’s deepened our marriage in ways I didn’t anticipate.

4) My kids see a different version of me.
They see energy instead of depletion. Engagement instead of exhaustion. They’re watching what it looks like to build something you care about... not just talk about it.

5) My health followed my work.
When work creates energy instead of consuming it, everything else responds. Sleep improved. Stress dropped. At 41, I have more capacity than I did at 35.

6) I’m building skills that compound.
Psychology. Sales. Marketing. Persuasion. Category design. These aren’t corporate skills. They’re human skills. They don’t expire when roles or markets change.

7) I finally understand who I am.
Not my title. Not my employer. Me. The founder path forced me to confront things I could avoid for years in corporate. On the other side was clarity I never found climbing the ladder.

This isn’t about hating corporate.

Corporate gave me my Career Capital:
judgment, pattern recognition, credibility.

But it couldn’t give me ownership.

That required a different structure.

---

For those who've outgrown their container.
Jan 19 → https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

I messed up a lot in 2025.

9 mistakes shaping everything in 2026:

It's been four years since I left BCG. Four years building Corporate Graduation™. This year made one thing clear: being a founder isn't a career — it's a complete reconstruction of how you live.

Here's my honest accounting:

IDENTITY MISTAKES

1) Positioning to be the authority instead of being it.
I kept "getting ready." Waiting for permission that was never coming. Authority isn't granted — it's declared. In 2026, I'm done preparing. I AM the authority in my space.

2) Tolerating small stages and obscurity.
I've been playing too small. Nothing remarkable is done alone — I need multiplier partners. Stages that reach millions, not hundreds. I've talked about "going big" but haven't truly lived it. Obscurity isn't noble — it's a bottleneck.


FOCUS & ENERGY MISTAKES

3) Saying yes to too many things.
Scattered focus = scattered results. I know this. I teach this. I still violated it. Every diluted yes was a no to what actually mattered.

4) Being distracted around my family.
My wife and four kids deserve my presence, not just my proximity. Too often I was physically there, mentally elsewhere. Unfinished tasks follow you into the evening. In 2026: fewer priorities, cleaner endings, real presence.


RESOURCE MISTAKES

5) Not asking enough of my team, coaches, mentors.
I invested tens of thousands in people who could help me — but didn't nearly extract the full value. I made too many excuses to myself.

6) Over-investing but under-implementing.
I was a collector of insights instead of an executor. The gap between what I know and what I do became too wide. In 2026, implementation is what matters.

7) Being too ad hoc with AI.
Random prompts. No system. I treated AI like a convenience instead of infrastructure. This year, I'm architecting it into how I think, create, and operate.


LEADERSHIP MISTAKES

8) Not pushing my clients hard enough.
They didn't join the Corporate Graduation™ program for slow and incremental. They came to compress a decade into a year. My job is to install new fire — and make them feel the cost of not showing up powerfully.

9) Not being bold enough in what I said.
I softened hard truths. Hedged when I should have declared. Here's what I held back: The work world is being restructured. AI is here. The old playbook is dead. Corporate is a burning platform. I'm done holding that back.

---

These mistakes cost me time, money, energy, presence.

But they gave me clarity.

My "hard lines" for 2026: 
Stop preparing. Start declaring.
Stop tolerating small. Start building big.
Stop over-investing. Start implementing.
Stop holding back. Start saying what must be said.

Which mistake hits home for you?

---

PS - Corporate → Founder this year? 
matthewdoan.com/2026

Monday, your Career Capital starts compounding.

Or it doesn't.

One-time, special event:
https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

Here's what most people miss about workshops like this:

It's not information.
It's decision-making.

You slow down and show up.
You become a captive audience — to yourself.
You stop scrolling. Stop reacting. Stop drifting.

And for the first time in months (maybe years), 
you do the actual work:

1) You stop making excuses for your delay
2) You uncover your Career Capital
3) You decide how to deploy it
4) You see what's possible beyond the role
5) You start forging a path no employer could match

That's not just inspiration.
That's the compound effect, taking hold.

Imagine where you'll be 90 days from now.

Not just "thinking about it."
Not merely "planning to start."

Actually in motion.

Energy returning.
Clarity sharpening.
Your family feels the new you.

This is what Corporate Graduation™ looks like.

Those who've already committed to Monday aren't hoping for answers. They're giving themselves permission to move.

One decision.
One workshop.
A new trajectory.

The Career Capitalist™
Monday, January 19
$50: Live + Recording + Assets

One time only.
See you inside.

https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

---

PS - Registrants get the IP Builder GPT, Corporate Graduation Readiness Scorecard, category design tools, case studies, and a private 1:1 Founder Game Plan call. Recording included.

Vision isn't just what you see.

It's how you live.

Back in my corporate days, I climbed the ladder on autopilot.

One rung. Then another.
Trusting that's how it worked.

But there was no real vision.
Just a bigger title and the promise of becoming my boss's boss.

Then I looked up.

And realized I didn't want their life.
It looked awful.

That was the wake-up call.

I had sight.
I could see the next step.
But I had no vision for where I was actually going.

So I built one.

I wrote about it. Journaled about it.
Got coached on it. Talked about it.
Surrounded myself with people walking the same scary path toward something that felt impossible.

Vision isn't a destination you arrive at.

It's something you embody.
Every. Single. Day.

You might have sight.
You might see the next rung.

But if that's all you're chasing?

You'll wake up one day full of regret.

What's your vision beyond the next step?

The moment I knew corporate couldn’t hold me.

5 lessons it took too long to learn:

For a long time, I couldn’t name what was wrong.

I was progressing.
Respected.
Trusted.

But every time my thinking stretched a little too far — every time I tried to hold a bigger picture — it was quietly contained.

Not shut down.
Just… redirected.

That’s when the tension started.
Not dramatic.
Just constant.

Here’s what I eventually learned.

---

1) Big thinking can be praised and still be unwelcome.

I’d offer a strategic view and hear, “That sounds good.”

Then came the quiet clause:
“But we’re not taking that outside.”

I wasn’t wrong.
My imagination just didn’t fit the system’s design.

---

2) Being valued doesn’t mean being usable.

I was told my work mattered.

But my judgment had nowhere real to land.

When your best thinking can’t move anything, it doesn’t disappear. It withers.

---

3) Side outlets are signals, not solutions.

Publishing in HBR.
MIT Sloan.
The Atlantic.
Think tanks. External channels.

Those weren’t mistakes. They were proof I was trying to breathe outside the box.

What I didn’t see at the time:
External validation was a symptom, not a cure.

Every byline was evidence of capacity the system couldn’t absorb. I kept finding outlets because the main channel was blocked.

Useful moves.
Never satisfying.

---

4) Breakthroughs aren’t about talent. They’re about ownership of environment.

Everything clicked when I sat in a room full of founders.

They had Career Capital too. Decades of it.

The difference was simple:
They didn’t need permission to create.

They built conditions where judgment could compound.
They said yes to themselves.

---

5) Staying longer has quiet, compounding costs.

The financial ceiling was obvious.

The real toll was energy.
Family.
Self-trust.

Saying yes to work that wasn’t me.
Knowing I could be far more impactful — and accepting I wasn’t.

---

That’s when I stopped asking how to optimize my role.

And started asking a harder question:

Where does my Career Capital actually belong?

That question led me out of corporate.

Four years later, I’m a founder.
Still answering it.
On my own terms.

---

PS - If you’re standing at the edge of that question, don't miss what's unfolding here: https://lnkd.in/eDEkDVb2

If corporate feels a bit "too small" lately, 
you're not imagining it.

That feeling usually shows up when your Career Capital has outgrown the container it's in.

Most people respond the same way.

They start with business logic.
Offer. Niche. Monetization.

Or they quietly reach for passive income.

Passive income won't solve under-leverage.
Only owned Career Capital does.

That's why so many smart exits stall.

The real issue isn't effort.
It's missing conditions.

You can't access, package, and deploy Career Capital into founder leverage if you don't first create:

Space.
Then Self.
Then System.

A recent client — VP in ops — followed this sequence. It changed everything:

1) Compressed his corporate load by ~50%
No drama. No bridges burned. No reputational cost.

2) Reclaimed control of time
Now works 3–4 focused hours/day. Deliberate. Surgical.

3) Restored personal leverage
Energy returned. Health improved. Relationships at home strengthened.

Only then did the founder work begin.

He codified his Career Capital into language, frameworks, and IP.
He clarified category direction.
He ran his first program and delivered real results.

Corporate became optional because leverage was no longer trapped inside the role.

That's real Corporate Graduation.
Not escape. Not dependency.

Leverage.

---

If you want to do this work in the right order, I'm running a live, private, one-time workshop:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁™
Monday, January 19
$50 (Live + Recording + Assets)

Included with registration:

• IP Builder GPT (to structure your Career Capital)
• Corporate Graduation™ Readiness Scorecard
• Category-claiming exercises you can reuse
• Case study pack + common traps guide
• Private 1:1 Founder Game Plan call

See you on the inside:
https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

Has work stopped creating energy for you?
This isn’t burnout.
It’s worse.

Most senior pros describe something quieter.

Disinterest. Going through the motions. Sitting in meetings you've sat in a hundred times, solving problems you solved three years ago. Doing "good work" without feeling engaged by any of it.

(After 15 years, this is how I felt about cybersecurity.)

Work used to create energy. It used to sharpen you. Stretch you. Feed the rest of your life.

At some point, that flipped.

Now it drains energy — and nothing meaningful is replacing it.

That state is not neutral.

When work consumes energy instead of creating it, the deficit shows up everywhere. In patience at home. In health. In imagination. In your sense of building toward a future that's actually yours.

What's really happening underneath is simpler (and more damaging) than most people want to admit:

Your Career Capital — years of judgment, experience, pattern recognition, and hard-earned capability — is going undeployed.

Not unused. Undeployed.

You're applying a fraction of what you've built inside a system that can't fully use it. And when Career Capital isn't exercised meaningfully, it doesn't just sit idle.

It decays.

The most dangerous response here is waiting. Waiting for a reorg. Waiting for renewed motivation. Waiting for something external to force clarity.

Energy doesn't come back on its own.

If work no longer creates it, you have a responsibility to create conditions where it can.

That doesn't require a drastic leap. 

But it does require an environment where your thinking actually matters again — and people who understand what you're navigating.

I'm hosting a private workshop next week for people who recognize this moment and want to think clearly about what to do with the Career Capital they've built.

Details: https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

The cost of waiting is quiet. 
But it compounds quickly.

I didn’t know how valuable I was until I stepped outside the corporate system.

Not because I lacked confidence inside.

But because the environment couldn’t show me.

That’s why I built The Career Capitalist™:
https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

Happening Monday. A live, private workshop designed to surface, package, and deploy your Career Capital into founder leverage.

Inside corporate, your value gets filtered.

Your judgment gets diluted by consensus.
Your instincts get buried in approval chains.
Your best ideas get spent in meetings that go nowhere.

You’re performing.
Contributing.
Delivering.

But not seeing the full picture of what you’ve built.

It took stepping outside for me to realize:

Every story I lived through → raw material
Every pattern I recognized → deployable insight
Every hard-won lesson → Career Capital to be claimed

And it’s why I hear this constantly from clients once the conditions change:

“Corporate feels simple now. Almost optional.”
“I finally feel in control of my days.”
“I didn’t know I had this much to offer.”

That last one makes me so proud.

Because most people don’t lack value.
They lack the conditions to see it clearly.

Corporate systems are too constraining to reveal what you’ve actually accumulated.

You have to put yourself in founder conditions.
Where your thinking is deployed on your terms.

That’s when Career Capital stops being theoretical.

And starts compounding.

---

Details for The Career Capitalist™
Monday, January 19
$50 (Live + Recording)

Included:
• IP Builder GPT
• Corporate Graduation™ Readiness Scorecard
• Category-claiming exercises
• Case study pack + common traps guide
• Private 1:1 Founder Game Plan call

https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

This is a one-time, private event for people who are done playing small inside a big system.

Burnout isn't the real problem.

You've reached a structural mismatch.

After years in the arena, you've built something substantial.

Pattern recognition.
Lived experience.
Relationships.
Reputation.
Judgment.
Talent.

Taken together, this is your Career Capital.

It's stacked. It's real. And it's valuable.

The problem is that the system you're in can only use a tiny fraction of it.

Not because you're capped.
Because the environment is.

Corporate systems are designed for efficiency, predictability, and control. They define a role, reward you for staying inside the lines, and call it success.

Over time, that role becomes a box.
And then a box within a box.

No matter how much Career Capital you accumulate, the system can't meaningfully expand to meet it.

Even changing teams.
Even changing companies.
Even "one more promotion."

The system is the system.

So while your Career Capital keeps compounding, its expression gets constrained.

Your best ideas die in approval chains.
You're solving problems you solved three years ago.
Work that energized you now = going through motions.

That's when the tension starts.

Not because you're ungrateful.
Not because you've lost motivation.
And certainly not from a lack of ambition.

But because you've outgrown the container—which will never change enough to hold who you're becoming.

This might be your first quiet signal that something else is required.

Not a better role.
But a different relationship with corporate altogether.

And a deliberate decision about where your Career Capital will compound.

---

PS - I'm writing deeply about Career Capital this month. The first long-form essay drops on Substack this Saturday — it's about the hidden tax you pay by staying put and what happens when you stop tolerating it.

Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/eDEkDVb2

Career Capital doesn’t sit idle.

It either compounds — or quietly decays.

Inside corporate, decay is the default.

Not because you’re underperforming.
Because the system is designed to consume judgment, not multiply it.

Your experience gets spent in meetings.
Your insight gets diluted by consensus.
Your best instincts get buried under endless “alignment.”

Over time, something subtle but costly happens.

You’re still “successful,” but your optionality shrinks.
Your leverage flattens.
The work takes more energy and gives less back.

That’s not burnout.

That’s Career Capital being used up instead of built on.

Here’s the distinction most people never make:

Most professionals let their Career Capital decay inside systems they don’t own.

Founders decide — deliberately — where it compounds.

Not louder.
Not riskier.
More intentional.

They choose where their judgment is deployed — and who benefits from it.

At some point, the question stops being:
“How do I make this role better?”

And becomes:
“Where does my Career Capital actually belong?”

That question changes everything.

---

PS - I’m writing deeply about Career Capital this month. Saturday’s Corporate Graduation essay breaks down the hidden math of staying put — and what most pros never calculate.

https://lnkd.in/eDEkDVb2

The quiet frustration you feel isn't burnout.

It's trapped leverage.

Your career capital is decaying right now.

Not because you're losing skill.
Because you're not deploying it.

Yesterday I ran The Career Capitalist™ workshop.

Here are the five ideas that hit hardest.


1) Career capital is stored energy.

Years of judgment, pressure, and decision-making accumulate as untapped power. But stored energy doesn't stay neutral. If it isn't released into the right environment, it implodes.

Career capital needs motion, leverage, and somewhere to be used (hint: someone else's system won't do.)


2) Career capital must become a compounding asset.

Your career capital can only compound when converted into something you own. Left unconverted, they get spent linearly through effort.

Ownership is the difference between earning repeatedly and compounding over time.


3) Labels suffocate career capital.

SVP. Director. Consultant. Coach. Speaker.

These are pre-priced containers with fixed ceilings. The market decides what they're worth.

Labels come with limits. Founders build the room.


4) Career capital has a window.

Experience is sharpest when it's recent, relevant, and energized. Delay too long, and it decays.

Not from lack of ability. But from missing your window of opportunity.


5) You must intentionally package and deploy it.

Unpackaged career capital goes to waste. If you don't turn it into assets — frameworks, language, IP, owned systems — it never compounds.

It just leaks out through time, effort, and obligation.

---

This is what I wish I understood five years ago.

Career capital isn't something you simply have.

It's something you either convert and compound.
Or you quietly lose it.

---

PS - If this resonates, doors are open for the February cohort of our Corporate Graduation™ program. DM me "LEVERAGE" for details.

Your career capital has a shelf life.

If you don’t claim it, it dies.

Most people assume experience compounds automatically and forever.

That once you’ve earned judgment, pattern recognition, and credibility, it stays available, waiting patiently for whenever you’re “ready.”

That’s not how it works.

Career Capital behaves like any other form of capital.

If it isn’t surfaced, packaged, and deployed while the window is open, it decays.

Corporate environments are very good at using your best thinking. They are terrible at helping you own it.

So the decay is quiet.

Your instincts sharpen, but only inside meetings.
Your judgment matures, but stays behind the logo.
Your leverage increases, but never sees daylight.

Over time, a dangerous gap opens.

You are highly capable.
And increasingly under-deployed.

Directors, VPs, and executives feel this most.

Not because they lack opportunity.
But because they’ve outgrown permissioned contribution and haven’t yet claimed authority.

The people who notice this early make a different move.

They don’t rush.
They don’t panic.
They don’t freelance their way out.

They slow down long enough to extract what they’ve actually earned.

They turn experience into language.
Judgment into frameworks.
Reputation into owned direction.

They understand one simple truth.

Capital that isn’t claimed gets spent by someone else.

That’s why I built The Career Capitalist™.

A one-time, live workshop for Directors, VPs, and execs who know they’re sitting on real leverage and refuse to let it expire unused.

This isn’t about quitting faster.
It’s about learning how to own what you already have before the window closes.

The Career Capitalist™
Private workshop + recording + working tools
Monday, January 19

Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/esvq8nuY

This experience is built to create motion, not inspiration.

---

If this resonates, trust the signal.

Hidden Career Capital doesn’t unleash itself.
It gets claimed — or it withers.

Lucas Bean

CEO @ Social Proof | Leader, Ai, Adtech, Analytics, AiO, Fintech, Games, Entertainment, Web3, Creator Economy | ex Atari, Sony, Experian, Deloitte | User Acquisition Expert | speaker, advisor, ENTP

I’m a seasoned tech executive with deep entrepreneurial experience ready to help you build, scale and win.

I'm top 3 globally in:
• User acquisition
• Retention
• Community building
• UX optimization

20+ years in marketing, data science and product leadership
Author of Community Market Fit - Published April 2025 
Ex-Atari, Sony Pictures, Experian, Deloitte
Founder, CEO, GM, CMO, COO, SVP of Marketing & Ops

I specialize in scaling businesses fast through:
• User acquisition & retention strategy
• Data-driven marketing
• Product development
• P&L management
• Advanced automation
• Consumer experience design
• Growth operations

Proven wins:
✔️ Helped raise over $50M in venture capital
✔️ Built & exited a solo venture at $500K+/year
✔️ Took an adtech company public (founded in 2008, IPO in 2017)
✔️ Executive roles at 3 companies that exited for $1.4B+ combined

Marketing expertise:
• Copywriting
• SEO
• Email marketing
• Content creation
• Influencer strategy
• Video & display ads
• Marketing automation
• Flywheel effects
• Full-stack paid media (desktop/mobile)

Industry experience:
Fintech, Adtech, Gaming, Entertainment, Dating, Web3, Creator Economy, Social E-commerce

Leadership style:
I’ve built scrappy teams from scratch and turned underperforming teams into high-output machines.

I believe complex systems can be distilled into simple, marketable messages that resonate deeply with customers, fans, and stakeholders.

Now? I’m focused on helping others build fast, scale smart and stand out.
Open to clients, partnerships, and strategic opportunities.

GM & Head of Product 

Strategic Consulting to startups, founders, executive management of fortune 1,000 companies. Providing expert advice and execution on Web3, NFT, Operations, General Management, digital marketing efforts, Web3 onboarding, core operational issues, Data Analysis, Strategy, P&L Management, Product Development, Product Innovation, User Experience, User Acquisition & Retention. 

I help turn new and existing businesses into finely tuned digital powerhouses by auditing current 
 internal processes. I then use analytics, acquisition, retention, mentoring & media management to determine KPI's and hyper improve performance metrics with precise strategic tactics. 

Channels Leveraged: Analytics, Influence Marketing, Community Building, Social, Display, Search Paid + Natural, email, mobile.

Current Business fields of expertise (no one is an expert, always learning):
NFTs
Web3 (P2E Gaming, Metaverse etc.)
Gaming and esports 
Mobile Gaming
Fintech
Influence Marketing
e-commerce (social selling)
Entertainment 
Mobile Apps
Digital Products
Digital & IRL Events

Increase your luck surface area by showing up

90% of success is literally just showing up.

So create your own luck 

How many:

days
weeks
months
decades

were they showing up consistently? 

They showed up everyday and you call it luck?

It only takes that one time to land an opportunity of a lifetime or to miss it. 

Be consistent.


Follow me Lucas Bean for more

Lucas Bean 

20 years Marketing, Data Science & Product Executive | Author of Community Market Fit | ex Atari, Sony, Experian, Deloitte | User Acquisition & Retention Expert | consultant, speaker, advisor, Ai Automation Expert

10 things to ask in your next Job Interview,
(And what NOT say):

Interviews are like any first meetings,
Awkward and uncomfortable.

They only give you 60 minutes to:

✅ See if you’re a fit.
✅ Sell your strengths.
✅ Show your enthusiasm.

To do your research is to be prepared
Practice what you'll say and how you'll say it

Avoid saying these 10 things:
(And what to say instead)

1/ "I don't have any questions."
↳ Why: Shows zero preparation or interest
↳ Instead: Ask specific questions about the team's current projects or culture

2/ "I’ll take any job right now."
↳ Why: Signals desperation, kills your negotiating power
↳ Instead: Highlight skills that match specific role

3/ "I don't like taking direction."
↳ Why: Makes you seem un-coachable
↳ Instead: Share how you've grown from feedback

4/ "I don’t have any weaknesses."
↳ Why: Sounds unrealistic and arrogant
↳ Instead: Share a real weakness and how you're improving

5/ "I hate my current boss."
↳ Why: Raises red flags about professionalism
↳ Instead: Focus on your career growth goals

6/ "I'll figure it out as I go."
↳ Why: Suggests you don’t prepare
↳ Instead: Emphasize your (proven) ability to learn quickly

7/ "This is a stepping stone for me."
↳ Why: Companies don't want to invest in short-term employees
↳ Instead: Share your interest in growing with the company

8/ "What's your work-from-home policy?" (too early)
↳ Why: Makes work flexibility seem like your top priority
↳ Instead: First discuss role, fit and get them interested

9/ "What time do people leave?"
↳ Why: Implies you're just watching the clock
↳ Instead: Ask about daily workflows and responsibilities

10/ "I don't handle stress well."
↳ Why: Suggests you'll crack under pressure
↳ Instead: Describe how you organize work to manage deadlines

Remember:
Be Prepared and be positive, they go a long way.


P.S. What's your #1 interview tip? 👇



♻  Repost toinspire your network 
🔔  Follow me (Lucas Bean) for more like this.

No alternative text description for this image

I’ve decided in 2026 to not to hold people 
hostage to who 

they used to be.

We all carry outdated versions of ourselves: 

mistakes we’ve made
ignorance we’ve acted on 
pain caused before we knew better 

I’ve seen how one bad chapters can become someone’s whole story in the eyes of others 

But people grow
They stumble
They learn 

They often try to make things right. 

We all have regrets
but that doesn’t mean we can’t begin again.
I’ve watched friends become softer,
more grounded. 

Change isn’t always dramatic
it’s often slow and quiet. 


But it’s real. 


When we dismiss someone for who they were
we miss who they’ve worked to become.

No one should be forever judged
by a version they’ve outgrown.

If we offer ourselves grace
we should offer it to others too.

in 2026 let's all try to do a better job at this. 

♻️ Share this with someone who inspires you 
🔔 Follow me Lucas Bean for more

This is why most people quit.

When
it takes
more work
than we thought
it would.

It’s way easier to:

- quit
- make excuses
- get discouraged
- go watch Netflix
- grab a bottle of booze
- go and smoke weed and zone out 


Instead, set yourself up to win by:

- setting time blocks
- setting expectations
- setting up exact tactics
- setting up a realistic timeline


Our aspirations are always greater
then the reality of how much work it is.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 > 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Don’t let 2026 get away from you 


share this to help others in your community 
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We miss you Mr. Obama

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Be brave enough to suck at something new 


Scared to:

→ write that article 
→ publish that video
→ post that comment 
→ send that DM to someone
→ Just do it and figure it out later


Your goals should be that of action:

→ have a sense of urgency
→ take action instead of overthinking
→ Focus on the future, not on the past 
→ plan 20% and execute 80% of the time

A ship does not sail on yesterday's wind. 

________________________________

♻️ share to help others take the leap

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Hard truth: every relationship is transactional
(here's how to make it work for you)
 
Every connection runs on exchange.
Some trade trust, others trade time or attention
The flow is always there.


Work is clear.
You get paid. You perform.
The deal is direct and defined.

Friendship is quieter.
No terms, but the contract exists.
Support, loyalty and time are traded.


Scarcity mindset
When you meet someone for gain,
you think short term.
You ask before you give.
Trust fades before it grows.


Growth mindset
See people as long term partners.
Invest first. Listen first. Give first.
That is how trust compounds.


Here are 8 ways to build social capital:

1. Play long term games
↳ Act like every bond will last decades.

2. Build before you need
↳ Offer help early, without a return.

3. Make introductions
↳ One link can create years of value.

4. Stay in touch
↳ Send notes. Celebrate wins. Show up.

5. Invest in depth
↳ Spend real time when it matters most.

6. Earn reputation
↳ Do work that speaks when you are silent.

7. Be patient with asks
↳ Quick favors reveal short term thinking.

8. Think in decades
↳ What if this person stayed for 40 years?


Charisma can open doors fast.
But trust keeps them open.
Short term charm fades.
Consistency endures.


Strong relationships are built slowly.
They outlast opportunity.


P.S. Do you agree? 

P.P.S. which is is your favorite? 


♻ Share if you believe real trust compounds.
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9 ways to keep great employees for good: 
(without having to worry)

Your team is your greatest asset.
They keep the machine running.

To earn their loyalty they need to be:

1. Paid Well
↳ A well-compensated team is a motivated team.
↳ Make sure your pay rates are competitive.


2. Mentored
↳ Mentoring helps them learn and evolve.
↳ Invest in their professional development.


3. Challenged
↳ Stagnation causes boredom. Keep them challenged!
↳ Level up their tasks to keep them engaged.


4. Promoted
↳ No one likes to be stuck. Promote deserving employees!
↳ Use this to show you value their contributions.


5. Involved
↳ Transparency is key. Involve them in decision-making.
↳ Use this to create a sense of ownership.


6. Appreciated
↳ Recognition fuels motivation. Show them they're appreciated
↳ Celebrate their achievements, big or small.


7. Trusted
↳ Trust fosters loyalty. It makes them feel valued.
↳ Delegate tasks and show faith in their abilities.


8. Empowered
↳ Empowerment leads to innovation.
↳ Encourage them to take on new projects.


9. Valued
↳ Everyone wants to be valued. Show them they matter!
↳ Valuing them creates a productive environment.

____

Remember, It's not just about keeping your crew.
It's about helping them grow. 

Leadership is not about being in charge. 
It's about taking care of those in your charge. 


Which one of these is your favorite? 


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Here is a list of things that are not doing the thing:

“Preparing to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Scheduling time to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Making a to-do list for the thing isn't doing the thing.

Telling people you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Messaging friends who may or may not be doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Writing a banger tweet about how you're going to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on yourself for not doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on other people who have done the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Fantasizing about all of the adoration you'll receive once you do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how other people did the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading this essay isn't doing the thing.

The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.” 

— Strangest Loop

Now go do the thing

7 Simple Rules to Live an Amazing Life: 
(number 2 is my favorite) 

1. Let it go
↳Don't take yourself too serious 
↳ Don'r ruin a good day by thinking about a bad day

2. Ignore them 
↳ Don't listen to what other people think of you
↳ People want you to succeed but not more than them

3. Give it time
↳ Give it time, time heals all 
↳ People act out of emotions, don't let them affect you

4. Don't compare 
↳ Don't compare you act 1 to another act 13
↳ The people you compare yourself to are only human

5. Stay Calm
↳ Stay calm, its ok to not have everything figured out
↳ It's a super power to be calm when others are are upset 

6. It's on you
↳ You are 100% responsible for your life 
↳ Harsh truth, no one is coming to save you

7. Smile 
↳ You will never be as young as you are now
↳Life is short, enjoy the moment, this time right now


Which is your favorite? 
Tell me below  ↓ 



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7 simple rules for an amazing life 

9 biases that derail your decision making: 
(Stop sabotaging yourself)

A bias can destroy your ability to make logical decisions. 

Here are 9 biases that destroy your decision making:

1. Confirmation Bias
 Seeking info that confirms existing beliefs.
 ↳ Why Bad: Blocks objectivity, reinforces bias.
 ↳ Ex: Only reading positive reviews you agree with.
 ↳ Fix: Actively seek and weigh opposing views.

2. Anchoring Bias
 Relying too much on the first info you hear.
 ↳ Why Bad: Skews choices, even if the info is weak.
 ↳ Ex: Price feels fair only after a higher price is shown.
 ↳ Fix: Anchor to value, not the first number shown. 

3. Overconfidence Bias
 Overrating your skills or knowledge.
 ↳ Why Bad: Creates risk, underplays challenges.
 ↳ Ex: Thinking you can text and drive safely.
 ↳ Fix: Check assumptions, plan conservatively.

4. Projection Bias
 Assuming others think or act like you.
 ↳ Why Bad: Causes errors when people don’t think like you.
 ↳ Ex: Expecting friends to react like you would.
 ↳ Fix: Respect differences, avoid assumptions.

5. Hindsight Bias
 Believing past events were predictable.
 ↳ Why Bad: Warps learning, builds false confidence.
 ↳ Ex: “I knew that team would win all along.”
 ↳ Fix: Track predictions, review accuracy later.

6. Bandwagon Effect
 Following what’s popular without review.
 ↳ Why Bad: Promotes blind conformity.
 ↳ Ex: Joining viral trends without research.
 ↳ Fix: Evaluate choices with evidence first.

7. Loss Aversion
 Fearing losses more than wanting gains.
 ↳ Why Bad: Creates caution, limits opportunity.
 ↳ Ex: Skipping a good investment out of fear.
 ↳ Fix: Reframe risks by focusing on possible gains.

8. Status Quo Bias
 Favoring the familiar over change.
 ↳ Why Bad: Stops progress, blocks innovation.
 ↳ Ex: Using outdated tools just for comfort.
 ↳ Fix: Reassess often, weigh new options fairly.

9. Sunk Cost Fallacy
 Clinging to past investments or effort.
 ↳ Why Bad: Deepens loss, blocks fresh choices.
 ↳ Ex: Sticking with a failing project due to past investment. 
 ↳ Fix: Decide on future value, not past cost.


Which Bias do you struggle with?
Tell me below ↓ ↓

♻️ Share this with your friends to prevent biases
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9 human biases that lead to bad decisions 

5 Stoic Principles to live a better life:
(And how to apply them daily)


Simple mindset shifts can create powerful changes in your life.


Marcus Aurelius, Rome’s most powerful man, used these principles to stay calm, clear, and in control. 

Now you can use them to: 


1. Control your thoughts
↳ Negative thoughts distort reality and fuel suffering.
↳ Say: “This is temporary. I’m in control of how I view it.”


2. Control your reactions
↳ You can’t control events, only your response.
↳ Say: “I choose how I react—calmly and with perspective.”


3. Appreciate beauty
↳ Overthinking blinds you to joy.
↳ Say: “This moment is enough. Look up, breathe, be here.”


4. Separate facts from meaning
↳ Most things are just opinions, not truth.
↳ Say: “Let me verify before I react or assume.”


5. Don’t seek revenge
↳ Wasting energy on payback keeps you stuck.
↳ Say: “Living well is the only revenge that matters.”


Mastering these five will help you stay unshaken in a chaotic world.


♻️ Repost to help someone in your community. 
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Five tips for a better life Stoic principles

How to respond to criticism at work:
(and what NOT to say in response)

Most people shut down when they’re criticized.

The truth?
That reaction kills your credibility.

You know what works? Owning it and asking for clarity.

I used to react badly to criticism.

Even when it wasn’t personal:
↳ Yeah, it’s terrible
 ↳ I was wrong
 ↳ I blew it

🚩 Taking criticism poorly hurts growth.

Here’s how high performers handle criticism and stay respected:

Presentation Criticized
 ❌ Yeah, it’s terrible
 ✅ What can I improve?

Decision Questioned
 ❌ I was wrong
 ✅ Explain your concerns?

Work Criticized
 ❌ I failed badly
 ✅ What does good look like?

Missed Deadline
 ❌ I blew it
 ✅ Let’s set a more realistic deadline

Strategy Challenged
 ❌ The plan was flawed
 ✅ Let me walk you through it

Unprepared
 ❌ I’m not ready
 ✅ I don’t know right now, let me get that answer for you

Numbers Are Wrong
 ❌ I’m not wrong
 ✅ I’ll review the numbers and get back to you

Idea Rejected
 ❌ I guess my idea sucks
 ✅ What does a good idea look like to you?

Going Off‑Track
 ❌ I’m lost
 ✅ Let’s get back on track shall we?

Bad Communication
 ❌ I’m awful
 ✅ Let me explain this more clearly

Overstepping
 ❌ My bad, that’s just me
 ✅ Let’s be clear about boundaries up front

Priorities
 ❌ No idea
 ✅ Let’s confirm what’s most important

Your words have meaning.
Your response shapes how you are perceived.
Choose your words wisely.

Take nothing personal even when it was meant that way

P.S. Which one of these will you use in your next tough conversation?

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You're never too important to be kind
(weakness or a strength)

I used to think:
Do good work and it will speak for itself
That being too kind was a weakness
Show weakness and you get hurt

that kindness had to be earned
never given freely.

But here’s the truth:

The strongest leaders...
Heck the strongest people I’ve seen?

They lead with kindness.
↳ Its not weakness.
↳ It's not people-pleasing.
↳ Just real kindness.

They set standards ➟ without shame.
 They give tough feedback ➟ without cruelty.
 They inspire ➟ without ego.

Here’s what I’ve come to know  ↓ 

→ Kindness is strength.
 → Fear doesn't buy loyalty.
 → You can can still win without being feared. 

Now I lead with 5 daily rules:

1. Being kind won’t make everyone like you
 ↳ But it will make people feel safe around you.

2. Being kind is infectious 
 ↳ People will start following your lead 

3. Empathy isn't weakness 
 ↳ It unites your team in understanding

4. Kindness doesn’t lower expectations
 ↳ It raises people to meet them.

5. Respect isn’t optional
 ↳ It’s the foundation of true leadership.


💬 Know a leader like this?

 Tag them below 👇

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(Shout out to Luke Tobin for the essential message and image)

Two things that hold most people back:

1. Fear of failure.
2. Fear of embarrassment. 

Everyone has to climb cringe mountain 
to make it to the land of cool. 
Easy to say right?

The only true way to beat the thing
is by doing the thing. 

So just start doing it.

don't think about doing it
don't write about doing it 
don't say you're gonna do it tomorrow
don't tell someone else you're doing it 

just do the thing. 

when you find one path that doesn't work
take another path.

You're aloud to change course 
anytime you want to, 
as many times as you want. 

who cares what anyone thinks. 


When I ran marketing for a fortune 500 brand
I had major restrictions on me

→ My job
→ My boss
→ The optics 
→ The company I worked for

You're not aloud to be an online person
when you worked at a fortune 500 company
and anytime you're speaking anywhere
you are speaking for that brand

today, its different. 

brands are looking for:

→ people that have audiences already. 
→ that can articulate and communicate well. 
→ That aren't scared to talk to people or the camera. 
→ That think fast on their feet. 

Today you have access to the biggest stage in the world
You don't need a Tedtalk

You need your smart phone and thick skin. 

Thats it. 

Use that smart phone
Develop that thick skin 
or you'll always fear
going for it.

♻️ Share this with some one who needs to hear it 
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What’s Michael Phelps secret to success? 
 It’s these 3 things:


1.  Show up everyday 


2.  Especially on the days you don’t 
want to, put in the work anyway. 


3.  Do this for 5 years without missing a day. 


This is what it takes to be successful.


Is today is today the day you start? 



Share this with your community ♻️ 


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I am speaking at Stanford on Monday
How did this happen?

It wasn't just expertise 
It was by accident 
I didn't get lucky

It was deliberately putting myself out there

I kept showing up everyday. 
I kept making connections. 
I kept helping people. 
I made myself visible.

Keep showing up, 
keep putting yourself out there. 

in the famous words of John Kraski 
"Trust me on this one."

What People Think Marketing Is:

→ Cold emails
→ Pop-up ads
→ PR headlines
→ Trendy logos
→ Funny TikToks
→ Clever taglines
→ TV or radio spots
→ Weekly newsletters

What Marketing Really Is:

 → Split testing
 → Earning trust
 → Crafting offers
 → Guiding prospects
 → Tracking data + ROI
 → Mapping experiences
 → Building communities
 → Knowing buyer behavior

And that’s just the start.
Most assume marketing is about being loud, catchy or viral.

But real marketing isn’t surface-level.

It’s about creating trust,
guiding decisions,
and building relationships that last.

♻ Repost if you agree 
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Post inspiration from Tom Pestridge give him a follow

How to 500% your focus starting right now:


𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

The biggest distractions in life:

- Porn
- Drugs
- movies
- Alcohol 
- YouTube
- TV Shows
- twitter (with no plan)
- social media (with no plan) 

Remove these distractions by working somewhere outside of your home and get sh*t done.


𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

It will never be perfect.

- If you just start writing
- If you just started podcasting
- If you just started making videos

Mastery doesn't mean perfect it means you show up anyway. 


Know you are working to something greater than perfection. 

Mastery.


𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲

Things most people do:

• Watch TikTok
• Watch tons of YouTube
• Obsess over cooking videos
• Binge watch Netflix seasons
• Scroll endlessly on Instagram


Things most people don't do:

• Build
• Create
• Share

Do things most people don't do.


𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿

Make sure your purpose is something greater than you 

in service of something that's bigger than you, 

something worth fighting for:

Your team 
Your family
Your company 
You employees

This will destroy distraction and help you get it done.


TLDR:
- Remove distraction
- Mastery over perfection
- Create more > Consume less
- Have a purpose bigger than yourself


♻️ S𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 to someone who needs to hear it
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P.S.
We miss you, Mr. President.

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Matt Doan

Lucas Bean

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