Nora DiNuzzo

You’ve worked too hard for it to be this hard.

Growing up, one thing I never aspired to be was an entrepreneur. 

Running your own company was for the incredibly wealthy (Mr. Burns) or the incredibly innovative (Doc Brown). I was neither.

But what I’ve learned about entrepreneurs over the past few years is that they have one thing in common – they desperately want to fix something that drives them nuts. 

As it turns out – throughout my life and career, a lot of things drove me nuts. 

So nuts that in October 2021, I quit a VP-level job at an ad agency to start my own consultancy – Pitcher – to help small businesses grow.

Because the fact that agencies could rarely find a way to work with companies <$25mm in annual revenue drove me nuts.

Because I believe that small businesses deserve to grow, too. 

In April 2023, I got a call from a friend that I never planned for – with an offer to create something I never considered doing less than two years into being a founder.

A second company.

Because the fact that so many brilliant agencies continuously struggle to grow drove him nuts. 

As it turns out – it drives me nuts, too. 

So nuts that I said yes – and Blood Sweat & Tears was born. 

Yes, born. I have given birth to two human children – and two businesses.

There is not a damn thing women can’t do.

Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer

You’ve worked too hard for it to be this hard.

BS&T is a committed partner to ambitious agencies frustrated by inconsistent growth.

We develop and implement a custom growth strategy that meets you where you are today – whether your goal is to stabilize, sustain, scale or sell your agency.

I’m not going to be on here talking about marketing and growing businesses when citizen journalists and witnesses are being executed by our government in broad daylight.

Pay attention to what is happening in Minneapolis.

Do not be silent.
Do not look away.

GET LOUD.

My grandparents fled from the Nazis so they could be free. 

So their kids could be free.
So I can be free.
So my kids can be free.

THIS is not freedom.
THIS is tyranny.

2026 is the year I'm expanding from 1:1 into 1:many consulting. 

2025 brought some experiments in this area, but this is the year both Pitcher 🍋and Blood Sweat & Tears will be bringing products to the market to serve more people, and spread critical growth knowledge where it is needed most. 

1:1 consulting is more intensive, specific - and therefore, more expensive.

Group learning is a powerful and affordable alternative that consultants and coaches can benefit from implementing, through a cohort style approach - whether live learning, or virtually delivered. 

Drop me a note in the comments if you'd like me to send you more information about our upcoming cohorts. And tag your friends who might want to join in.

BS&T cohorts deliver growth operations best practices for independent agencies. We'll be running our next cohort in February. Email me for more info: nora@bloodsweatandtears.co

The Pitcher cohort is going to be a collaboration with the infinitely fabulous Asmara Kazmi at THE OPS ROOM. This is a cohort geared towards women entrepreneurs (and those that are founder-curious) to help them leave no dollars or crumbs on the table 💰💰💰 DM me for details and to get on our waitlist for March/April.

Thank you to those who have inspired and encouraged me to take this approach - especially Darren McKee and Misha Bleymaier-Farrish 💕

Last week was one that filled the soul and reminded me why I’m doing what I’m doing.

Not only spending time in New York (my favorite city) with clients and partners, but also receiving feedback like:

“I’m usually a skeptical prick, but actually I appreciated this session very much.”

“That was the most efficient and productive two days I’ve ever spent on strategic planning. The preparation was outstanding.”

“They are exactly what we need for this moment.” (re: a referral we made)

Adding these and more to my WIN BIN 📥 

Don’t forget to stop and celebrate your wins, big and small. And save them! I’m doing a physical win jar this year (with post-it notes) but a digital win bin of screenshots is also great.

Save all those emails, texts and Slacks. You’ll forget during the year and in the moment what an impact you are making.

If you’re ever feeling down or discouraged - revisit your wins. It will remind you why you get up every day to do what you love.

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2026 is off to an intense start.

Kind of like the musical selections at JOE & THE JUICE first thing in the morning.

(Enjoy this microdose of what it feels like to be in Ibiza 🏖️)

No matter what… keep moving, keep going!

Off on my first official trip of the year… NYC, here I come! ✈️

Seeing the same place from a different angle gives you a whole new perspective. 

And the same is true for business problems. 

New angles unlock different outcomes.

Last night, I saw ‘Anna Christie’ at St. Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO with the Grapeseed Media team.

When we exited, this was our view of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

In over 30 years of spending time in New York City, I have never seen the bridge from this angle.

And it took my breath away.

I realize that a big part of what I do as a consultant is help my clients see their world from a new angle.

Sometimes after 10, 20 or 30 years.

From the outside looking in - and then from the inside looking out, but with a new lens.

Insider x outsider perspective is the fastest path to significant growth multiples vs. small incremental gains over time.

If you want to grow fast, or grow again - you need to look at your business from a whole new angle.

Excellent advice for 2026 and always courtesy of Keegan Robbins. 

My friends are my lifeline in business and in life!  

Who are some of the people that give you the best advice?

Drop their gems in the comments and enlighten me 💎

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Delta Air Lines got the vast majority of my travel time and miles last year ❤️ 

I traveled 55 days in 2025. That's 15% of the year! 

I love flying with Delta because they really take care of their members. 

Their planes and seating are the most comfortable, and Comfort+ rates are reasonable for business travel. 

Their team members are always extremely courteous - I have never witnessed a negative encounter or heard a bad word from or directed at any of their staff. 

Their app is by far the easiest to use of all the airlines.

Status is easy to work on and achieve, if you travel frequently.

Access to the Sky Lounges makes working between flights comfortable and easy.  

Their integration with partners like American Express and Uber help you earn exponentially more miles for business travel. 

Really can't say enough good things about Delta! I made the switch over last year from Southwest (after being a longtime card member) and won't be going back.

I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business.

There are things you can do. 

10 things, in fact. 

From Stacey Abrams:
https://lnkd.in/efDSvVh3

Simplifying marketing for financial advisors I Saving you time so you can focus on your clients I Making sure you stay well connected with your clients and prospects

Hey there! So glad you stopped by!My name is Niki and I am a marketing consultant, coach, and specialist for financial advisors. Sometimes, I’m simply a sounding board. Advisors need someone to talk to also!In 2016 I got my FPQP designation because I find finance incredibly interesting. This designation and education allow me to serve you better.I help with marketing strategies, building brand awareness, thought leadership, and growing your business.Let's show the world what a great advisor you are!As a woman in the finance industry, I am a strong advocate for amplifying the voices of females in finance! People always like to know a person’s “why.”Here’s mine:Working with financial advisors has to be one of the most fulfilling things I get to do.Advisors are some of the most caring and selfless people I know. I see what they do each and every day and how much they care for their clients.If I can help you with your marketing and business growth so you can take care of your clients better, everyone wins!When not working, I am pestering my husband, learning about how to not annoy my pre-teen daughter, kissing all over our little baby boy. chasing after my dogs, and constantly taking pictures. On a quest to dive deeper into the bible and learn more about Jesus! Highly recommend the book Driven by Eternity! We live in an area surrounded by mountains, so there is a lot of time&nbsp;spent&nbsp;exploring, hiking, and searching for antiques in small, mountain towns. Hippie at heart!Specialties:⚫ Content strategy⚫ Social media marketing⚫ Campaign management ⚫ Email marketing strategy⚫ Advocate for relatable content⚫ Brand awareness and recognition⚫ Engagement and relationship managementAnd making finance fun!Follow me for marketing tips and advice.

Niki Clark, FPQP

Wow. 

Thank you everyone who has trusted me and my company to help you. 

We love getting to work with advisors and help them in any way we can and promise that we don't take your trust for granted.

Shout out to my team for helping us get here! 
Rachel Clark, Blair Kelly, Sidra A., Rachel Hanley, Jorge Javier, Irvin Briceno, and my husband William. 

And thank you the team at Kitces.com for recognizing us.

Let's go 2026!

Niki Clark, FPQP®

Non-Boring Marketing for Financial Advisors

Kitces Asset Map

Most advisors don’t need better content on LinkedIn.
They need better positioning and cleaner execution.

Here’s what’s actually working right now if you want visibility that turns into trust, conversations, and clients.

Teach first. Always.
The posts getting reach are short, direct, and useful.
One idea. One clarification. One myth corrected.

Example:
Most investors think volatility is the risk.
The real risk is reacting to it.

That kind of post gets read, saved, and shared.

Consistency beats clever every time.
Two to three posts per week. Same days. Similar times.
Then stay online and respond like a human.

LinkedIn is prioritizing conversation over content.
If you post and disappear, you are leaving reach on the table.

Your profile is not a résumé. It’s a landing page.
Headline = who you help + outcome.
Banner = visual reinforcement.
About section = proof.

Add three specific client outcomes.
Not services. Results.

What formats are winning right now
• Short text posts that simplify something people overthink
• Sub-15-second videos with one practical tip
• Educational stories pulled from real client scenarios
• Myth vs fact posts that make people pause

No sales pitch. No corporate language. No overproduction.

Timing still matters
Mid-morning, Tuesday through Thursday is a solid baseline.
But test your own data and commit to a rhythm you can maintain.

Predictability performs better than randomness.

If you look at analytics, look at the right ones
Impressions tell you if your hook works.
Engagement tells you if your message resonates.
Follower demographics tell you if the right people are paying attention.
CTR tells you who actually wants more.

Check monthly. Adjust. Repeat.

Where LinkedIn is heading
More weight on real dialogue.
More reward for clear expertise.
More visibility for posts that teach through stories.

Less tolerance for vanity posts and polished nothingness.

If LinkedIn feels “hard,” it’s usually because you’re trying to sound impressive instead of useful.

Show up like you would to coffee with a prospect.
Bring one insight. Explain it clearly. Invite the conversation.

That’s how advisors build authority now.
And it compounds faster than any algorithm trick.

What’s one topic your clients ask about constantly that you could explain in two sentences?

I'm in family mode and shall return tomorrow.

2026's word of the year is Family and making sure I stay true to that.

Did you pick a word for the year?

I bought a ring this week from Jeff Bezos and today I opened my LinkedIn to be hit with this ad. 

My ring was $15. 
Van Cleef goes for about $4k.

This seems like a drastic jump. 

Lifestyle creep to the extreme.

BUT

This ad did do something right.

It immediately stopped my scroll and I went to Google to look at their rings. Granted it was for the sake of this post but nonetheless.

And therein lies the lesson: if a piece of marketing can get you to stop and look, it has done its job.

Hey Van Cleef & Arpels, I'd be happy to represent your merch. My ring size is 7.5.

If you are using the word "thoughtful" in your content, just know, so is everyone one else on this planet.

AI unfortunately has taken that word and ran with it. Hard.

So even if you have always used it, just know, it might need to go on the backburner until AI chooses another "it" word. 

It's the Wild Wild West out here folks.

The algorithm doesn’t care how long you worked on your post.

It cares how people react to it.

Did they stop scrolling?
Did they read past the first line?
Did they stay long enough to signal interest?

That’s it.

If you want more reach on LinkedIn, your content has to do a few things fast:

1. Make it obvious why they should care
If the value isn’t clear in the first sentence, you’ve lost them.

2. Win the first 2–3 seconds
Curiosity beats clever. Lead with something that makes them pause.

3. Speak their language
Not yours. Not financial jargon. The words they already use in their head.

4. Hold attention
Scroll-stopping gets you noticed. Staying power gets you rewarded.

Every platform has the same goal: keep people on the app.

The longer your content keeps someone engaged, the more the algorithm works in your favor.

Effort doesn’t equal distribution.
Response does.

Write for humans first.
The algorithm follows.

And if you’re thinking about engagement pods, don’t.
They train the algorithm to show your content to the wrong people.

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The Battle

Nora DiNuzzo

Niki Clark, FPQP

Followers

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Performance ScoreNora DiNuzzo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreNiki Clark, FPQP's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Nora DiNuzzo

Niki Clark, FPQP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nora DiNuzzo's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreNiki Clark, FPQP's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNora DiNuzzo's LinkedIn Performance