Hot and fresh industry-specific content creation, delivered to your destination of choice.

Be it written, audio or video, the Brian Hastie Content Truck™ will be at your door when you need it most.

Brian Hastie

Everyone digests information in different ways. That’s why over-indexing on one type of content can be a mistake for founders creating a personal brand:

Helping busy CEOs create all their short-form content from a monthly 1 hr interview. -> Demandii.com + podcaster and writer about all things tech and pop culture

I was in the middle of a content creation session with a SaaS founder. We were looking over his metrics. His image post impressions were higher than his video ones.

“Why should we bother with videos?” he asked. 
“Images clearly do better, man. We should just lean into that and forget everything else.”

Sure, the data suggested it would be a good idea.

But views, comments and likes aren’t the only indicator that their content was working.

There’s also the human aspect.

So I asked him this:
“When you get on calls with prospects, what do they bring up?”

He thought for a moment and said:
“They tell me they saw my videos on LinkedIn.”

Here’s the actual insight:
Impressions don’t equal impact.

Don’t drop a type of content from your rotation just because the numbers look low.

Only drop it if your customers never bring it up.

No alternative text description for this image

Most marketing advisors will tell you to "humanize" your brand by following viral trends and create content around that.

They want you to be the dancing bear.

They tell you to point at text bubbles, jump into TikTok dances, and use trending audio to "hack" the algorithm.

This is the fastest way to kill your authority.

At Demandii, I work with talented founders and CEOs who spend their lives speaking on major stages. They are brilliant, technical, and respected in their field. Then they get online and try to become entertainers.

The result? A massive "authority gap."

When a prospect sees you on a stage giving a keynote, then sees you online doing a viral dance, the continuity is broken. They don't think you are relatable. They think you are desperate for attention.

Stop trying to be an entertainer. Start being an operator.

Great founder-led content is just a Micro-TED Talk. It is a 60-second window into your methodology.

I have seen this play out dozens of times. The founders who win do not have the most views. They have the most "earned perspective." They show up in the feed exactly how they show up on stage.

If it does not convert, it is just noise.

The ideal content strategy for founders isn’t just about consistency in posting. It’s also about knowing when to go broad vs. niche with your pieces.

Evergreen vs. topical content: Which type should founders be creating for their personal brand?

How can founders get their new enterprise reps to close deals faster?

I've spoken to many owners who realize that their "Founder’s Brain" is the bottleneck that stops their best insights from reaching the new hires who need them most.

Luckily, slashing ramp-up time is simple if you know where to start. And unlike traditional sales trainers, this won’t cost you $50,000 in consulting fees.

Instead, use this dead-simple Content-to-Onboarding Flywheel for faster revenue.

Step 1: Record and transcribe
Capture every video, podcast, or internal briefing where you explain the "why" behind your product. 
Use a tool like Otter or Descript to turn these into searchable text so your team can study the exact phrasing that resonates with a C-suite buyer. 
Tip: Don't overthink the production quality; the raw insight is more valuable to a new hire than a polished studio video.

Step 2: Create "Verbal Brand" Scripts
Take those transcriptions and highlight the specific metaphors or analogies you use to simplify complex enterprise problems. 
Give these to your new reps and tell them to "make them their own" while keeping the core logic intact. 
Mistake to avoid: Do not force them to memorize a rigid script word-for-word, as they will sound like a robot during high-stakes negotiations.

Step 3: Deploy for Continuity
Share these content-based scripts across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success to ensure the promise made in the first meeting matches the delivery in the final one. 
When everyone uses the same "verbal brand," the buyer feels a sense of security that your company actually knows what it's doing. 
Quick example: If your CEO calls your security feature "The Digital Moat" in a video, every rep and account manager should use that exact phrase.

The big benefit is that your new hires will sound like 10-year veterans in their very first week.

We saw this work wonders at Demandii. Originally, our founder Matt was the only one who could explain our unique edge to prospects. 

We started transcribing his videos and handing them to the team as playbooks for our verbal brand

Now, our entire team speaks with the same voice, ensuring that what Matt promises during a sales call is exactly what we deliver when we work with a client. 

It turned our employee onboarding process from a game of "telephone" into a repeatable system for happy customers.

Founders: Want your content to hit the right audience? Then there’s two things you need to do to make that happen:

Founders and CEOs: Feel like your content isn’t connecting with your audience? It may not actually be a messaging problem. Find out what you should do about this:

Founders: Here’s why your LinkedIn content shouldn’t just live and die on the platform (and how to get more out of each asset you create):

Founders: Virality is a vanity metric that’s costing you enterprise deals.

Your marketing team is happy because the "engagement" graph is up. The emojis are flowing. The comments are "Great post!" 

But... your CRM is silent.

Your pipeline's not moving.

Your prospects aren't advancing.

Here is the hard truth: 
Exciting content attracts the masses. Relevant content attracts the buyer.

In the Mid-Market and Enterprise world, your prospect isn't looking for a "quick cut" video or a "B-roll explosion." They are looking for a reason to trust you with a six-figure problem.

When you chase virality, you aren't building authority. 

You’re building a circus.

The shift (based on having worked with dozens of founders and CEOs who have been able to close more sales with their content): Stop trying to be "interesting" to everyone. Start being indispensable to the person who can actually sign the check.

The "boring" truth: Consistency in your methodology beats a one-hit-wonder viral video every time.

If your content is getting likes but no discovery calls, it’s time to audit the intent.

If founders approached growing their audience on LinkedIn with the same focus they bring to product, they’d see movement fast. (It's hard to hear... but true.)

Many founders post and hope the right people notice.
That isn’t distribution, though. 

It’s just a fancy way of guessing if what you're saying will hit.

Most people on LinkedIn aren’t actually connected to their ideal buyers.

They’re connected to colleagues, peers, friends, family.

Some guy they met at a conference like 10 years ago.

Maybe an old classmate they hadn’t thought of since adding them in 2017.

LinkedIn's algorithm is simple.
It shows your content to your first connections first.

So being connected to prospective buyers is the gateway to getting better content/audience fit.

If you’re serious about founder-led content, do this:

Set aside ten minutes a day.
Add twenty people who fit your buyer profile.
CEOs. RevOps leads. Sales directors. HR founders. Whoever you sell to.

Do it every day, not only when you feel like it.

(You also have to pair this with LinkedIn ads to guarantee an audience, but that’s a discussion for another day…)

After a month, you’ll notice the people in your feed change along with the conversations you attract.

This is one of the simplest ways to grow here.

My life has played out in ways I never expected. A small-town boy from Prince Edward Island in Eastern Canada, I somehow ended up building bridges between Western businesses and far flung Asian factories, first as an entrepreneur who needed those connections, then as someone who helps others do the same.

My China story started in the early 2000s when I lived and studied there while the country was building around me: roads, factories, entire cities rising from the ground. I'm now fluent in Chinese and have been involved in sourcing for over 20 years and eCommerce/retail for 15. That deep experience gives me a unique perspective on how Asia's manufacturing ecosystem really works. 

I didn't just learn sourcing from the factory side. In 2017, with just $8,000, I launched a home storage brand while juggling a full-time job and a young family. By 2020, that small investment had grown into a multi-million dollar international operation with no outside investment. Smart sourcing gave me the margins I needed to compete and grow.

Now, I'm applying everything I've learned to help two types of businesses source smarter:

Through China Product Pros I help eCommerce and D2C brands at every stage: from early startups to mature operations source products and packaging that drive 5-star reviews at the actual best pricing. We handle the complexity so you can focus on what you're good at: growing your brand.

Through Cost Hero Sourcing, I help organizations slash costs by bypassing the 3-4 markup layers in domestic distributor pricing. We deliver a turnkey factory-direct service for products you're already buying. Major cost savings, delivered right to your door.

Outside of work, I'm a proud father of three who enjoys weightlifting, skiing, learning languages, music, baking, reading, writing, and connecting with like-minded professionals and entrepreneurs in different industries.

Have sourcing challenges? Whether you're launching a new product, tired of inconsistent quality, or feel like you're overpaying, let's chat. Send me a message today.

John Kyle Beaton

Who's actually driving your China side operations? 🐶 

If your sourcing partner is sniffing around your inbox every day with 10 questions, something's off. Good partners aren't constantly pawing at you for answers or chasing their tail on basic production stuff.
​
They handle the midnight factory calls, the material negotiations, the production hiccups. 

They coordinate with factories so you don't have to. 

You get scheduled check-ins, not a game of fetch where you're throwing them answers all day.
​
Because you're busy running your business. Speed to market matters. Costs matter. But so does your time.

So what does real control look like? Someone you can trust to leverage their expertise and team. But ultimately, someone who's got both paws on the wheel. 

#productsourcing #costherosourcing #chinaproductpros #sourcingagency

Cut 30-40% from product & supply costs / I help brands and organizations source factory-direct from Asia / 20+ years experience / Millions sold / E-commerce strategist

Mike Petter, P.Eng, PMP and I have been talking to a lot of universities lately, running factory-direct quotes on their swag at Cost Hero Sourcing. 

This work feels very close to home because I spent years in student recruitment myself, working in departments just like the ones we're connecting with now.

It’s interesting to see the shift from the other side. You realize how many schools are rethinking their procurement now and looking for ways to do more with their budgets.​

#UniversityMarketing #CostHeroSourcing #StudentRecruitment #SchoolSwag

Good morning! Who's ready to buy a Chinese EV?

Friday delivered the real deal in Beijing. Here's exactly what got decided between Canada and China. 

THE EV-FOR-CANOLA TRADE

Canadian Market Opens to Chinese EVs:

• 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles can enter Canada per year at 6.1% tariff (down from 106.1%).

• This is about 3% of Canada's total new car market.

• By year five, the quota increases to 70,000 vehicles.

• Within three years, Chinese companies are expected to establish joint ventures with Canadian partners to build EVs in Canada.

• In five years, over 50% of these vehicles must be affordable EVs priced under $35,000.

CHINA SLASHES CANOLA TARIFFS 

• By March 1, 2026, China will cut canola seed tariffs from 85% to approximately 15%.

• Canadian canola meal, lobster, crab, and peas get zero tariffs from March through end of 2026.

• This unlocks nearly $3 billion in export orders for Canadian agriculture.

• China is a $4 billion market for Canadian canola producers.


STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK

Energy and Clean Technology: 

• New MOU on energy cooperation between two "energy superpowers."
• Focus on batteries, solar, wind, and energy storage with Chinese investment in Canada.
• Two-way energy cooperation to reduce emissions and scale up clean tech.


INVESTMENT TARGETS 

• Canada set a goal to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030.

Priority sectors: clean energy, technology, agri-food, wood products.

• Trade Barrier Removal
• Resolution of long-term obstacles for beef and pet food exports.
• MOUs signed on cultural exchanges, wood products, animal and plant health.


THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER

• Total two-way trade between Canada and China: $118.9 billion in 2024.
• Canadian exports to China: $30 billion.
• Canadian imports from China: $88.9 billion.
• China is Canada's second-largest single-country trading partner. Guess who number 1 is? 

What this actually means: 

• The 49,000 EV quota restores Chinese imports to pre-tariff war levels (2023-2024).

• It's designed to push Chinese automakers to build in Canada, not just export finished cars.

• The canola deal ends retaliatory tariffs China imposed during the trade freeze.

• March 1 deadline gives both sides 6 weeks to implement tariff cuts.

This is a framework for expanding trade by 50% over four years and bringing Chinese manufacturing investment into Canada.

What do you think? Are you ready to buy a Chinese EV? 

#CanadaChina #EVs #CostHeroSourcing #ChinaProductPros

Chinese New Year is coming and the factory delays are already upon us. Here are some things to know. 

Chinese New Year this year falls on Feb 17, 2026 and all factories will slow down or shut down completely around that time.

What that means for your orders:

⬤ Slower replies
⬤ Fewer or no production slots

Longer lead times (2–4+ weeks of disruption, including shutdown + ramp-up)

If you have orders planned for Feb–Apr, now’s the time to lock in:

⬤ Final specs + artwork
⬤ Deposit + production slot
⬤ “Last ship date” in writing

Don’t let CNY sneak up on your lead times.

How are you planning around Chinese New Year this year?

#chinaproductpros #chinesefactories #productsourcing #sourcingagency

If you don’t control specs, vendors control your budget.
 
Here’s a common trap:

You send out a product request with vague specs. 

Three suppliers come back with three totally different quotes and now you're comparing apples, oranges, and pineapples.

Why?

Because when your specs aren’t clear, vendors fill in the gaps their own way.

Some add padding, others cut corners, and suddenly your budget is at their mercy.

Simple fix: define your must-haves vs nice-to-haves before you request quotes.

This way, everyone’s quoting on the same target, and you get real cost clarity.

Over time, having a clear, repeatable spec template can:

⬤ Reduce back-and-forth
⬤ Make vendor comparisons easy
⬤ Lower your cost variability
⬤ Help you scale without confusion

Do you use a standard spec template for recurring purchases or is it case by case?

#costherosourcing #factorycommunication #productsourcing #sourcingagency

taplio

The Battle

Brian Hastie

John Kyle Beaton

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreBrian Hastie's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJohn Kyle Beaton's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Brian Hastie

John Kyle Beaton

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);}Brian Hastie's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJohn Kyle Beaton's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreBrian Hastie's LinkedIn Performance