Richard van der Blom

Spending hours on LinkedIn but not seeing clients? Your content getting lost in the algorithm? Your comments disappear in the void? Competing with 10,000 other "experts" saying the same things? Let me fix that for you. Send me a message or email richard@richardvanderblom.com

WHO I AM
I'm Richard van der Blom, Dutch living with my Argentinian wife and German doodle in Spain. Pearl Jam, Padel and Gin-Tonic lover.

For 15 years, I've been obsessed with one question: what actually works on LinkedIn? Not theory. Not guesses. Data-backed strategy that turns visibility into revenue.

I've trained over 350,000 professionals. I've worked with 1,000+ companies across every B2B sector. My clients closed over €10 million in deals in 2025 alone using the systems I built for them.
I don't do surface-level tips. I run ongoing LinkedIn algorithm research, analyze millions of data points, and translate that into strategies entrepreneurs can execute without living on the platform.

WHY WORK WITH ME
Most LinkedIn "experts" regurgitate the same advice. I give you what 99.9% of them can't: data-driven insights before they become common knowledge. My Algorithm Insights Report is the industry standard—used by thought leaders, sales teams, and agencies worldwide.

I've keynoted at 100+ events and been rated Best Speaker in over 80% of my engagements. But I'm not just a stage performer. I build LinkedIn systems that work in the real world—for busy entrepreneurs who need results, not busywork.

WHAT I OFFER
🎤 Keynote Speaking – Insights that shift how your team thinks about LinkedIn strategy, authority, and lead generation
🔥 The TRIBE Community – Exclusive membership where 150+ entrepreneurs get early algorithm insights, mastermind sessions, and direct guidance
🚀 The Authority Accelerator – My 4-month VIP program for established entrepreneurs building predictable LinkedIn lead generation in under 30 minutes daily
📊 Algorithm Insights Report – The most comprehensive, research-backed LinkedIn playbook, updated 2-3 times yearly
🤝 Corporate Training – LinkedIn training for mid-to-large B2B companies via Just Connecting

THE RESULT
You'll stop guessing. You'll build authority that attracts clients instead of chasing them. You'll have a LinkedIn strategy that converts profile visitors into paying customers—consistently.

My clients don't just get more engagement. They close deals. They build funnels that grow on steroids. They become recognized authorities in their industries. No automation, no spam. Pure value.

INTERESTED? LET'S TALK!
📧 richard@richardvanderblom.com

Public Speaker / Keynote Speaker

Renowned international keynote speaker, deeply passionate and knowledgeable about a range of topics including LinkedIn, Social Selling, Content Strategy, and the evolving landscape of Sales. My expertise is in delivering insights-based, engaging, and impactful keynotes.

With a track record of delivering 60+ keynotes across cosmopolitan cities such as Buenos Aires, Marrakech, Austin, Paris, Copenhagen, Athens, Vienna, and Dubai, my global experience enables me to bring unique perspectives and insights to every event.

I'm proud to have been rated as the best speaker at 80% of all events I've attended, with an impressive average rating of 9.1 out of 10. As a speaker, I am dedicated to not just sharing knowledge, but also inspiring change and action. My talks are a blend of current trends, practical strategies, and forward-thinking ideas, designed to empower professionals to thrive in today's dynamic sales environment.

Dannos Tsakalos (CEO)
Richard was one of the 10+ international speakers who took the stage at our annual Social Media & Influencer Marketing Conference (Athens October 2023). He was the last who took the stage, yet he managed to captivate the audience and received an impressive rate of 9,5/10. Why? Because, in a nutshell, he is a gifted presenter, a true expert who delivers tons of actionable insights and useful tips around LinkedIn and how to stand out on it.

Michael Geary (CEO - SMPS)
I have had the pleasure of witnessing Richard in action at our annual marketing conference, Amplify A|E|C, and I am was impressed by his ability to captivate and engage audiences. He's a true master of a stage presentation and communication skills. Richard possesses the talent for making complex ideas accessible and compelling. He has the the ability to distill intricate concepts into clear, concise messages that resonate with our audience.

Hey LinkedIn, what's going on with my feed? Where's the value?

Here's a breakdown of the first 10 posts you showed me this morning:

1️⃣ The same post I've seen for 2 months now. A CEO telling us LinkedIn Video is "da bomb." Ironically, this has been Boosted by LinkedIn for 8 weeks straight. Organic reach, right?

2️⃣ An influencer promoting a product with 100% AI-generated text. Receiving 100+ AI-generated comments. Humans optional.

3️⃣ A Promoted Post completely irrelevant to me. I get it, you need to make money.

4️⃣ Wait — another "As a Head of Social Media, I'm often asked if organic LinkedIn reach is enough" post that is... Promoted. Doesn't it get enough reach organically? The irony writes itself.

5️⃣ A life story about giving up alcohol and becoming a successful 6-figure coach. Wait, is this a template? I've seen this exact arc 47 times.

6️⃣ "7 Signs I Hit Middle Age" from Marco Andre, a LinkedIn Top Voice. Probably shown because I also hit that barrier. Thanks for the reminder.

7️⃣ Another influencer promoting a "Life Hack" AI tool to manage all your other AI tools in one place. AI-ception.

8️⃣ A Thought Leadership Ad about "an interesting job offer in Silicon Valley." Yep, no intention to leave Spain. Zero relevance.

9️⃣ A carousel titled "10 Things Successful People Do Before 5 AM" — posted at 11:47 PM. Make it make sense.

🔟 A repost of a repost of a quote from someone who died in 1965. No commentary. No insight. Just vibes.

The result?

Just 1 of the first 10 posts was from an actual connection.

One.

You call yourself a network platform.
Then why don't you show me my network?

I have multiple people reaching out lately saying "I don't see your posts anymore."
Why is that?
Who gave you permission to decide that?

What happened to "Members first"?

You built a platform on connections.
Now you're burying them under ads, influencers, and recycled AI content.

If I wanted an algorithm that ignores who I actually follow, I'd use Instagram.

Fix the feed. Or just admit what this has become.

PS: Let me know if it's just me?

LinkedIn Strategist | Algorithm Research-Backed | Helping Entrepreneurs Turn Visibility Into Revenue Without Living on the Platform | 350K+ Trained | Keynote Speaker

My Algorithm Insights Report shows 3,000+ clients made this same mistake.

They thought posting more would fix their reach problem.

It didn't.
It accelerated the decline.

Here's what the data actually shows:

Creators who increased posting frequency from 5x to 7x per week during the 2025 reach crash saw:

↳ –27% average reach per post
↳ –23% engagement rate
↳ +31% content fatigue signals (lower dwell time, fewer saves)

More posts ≠ more visibility.
More posts = weaker signals.

Meanwhile, creators who stayed within 3–5 posts per week and invested in structured engagement:

↳ Recovered reach 38–42% faster after the 360Brew rollout
↳ Generated 2.1× more saves per post
↳ Maintained a stable authority score instead of dilution

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆:

↳ 7x/week + low engagement → –41% reach per post
↳ 5x/week + weak engagement → –35% reach
↳ 3–5x/week + 30 min/day strategic engagement → +18–24% reach

Now here's the nuance most people miss:

Publishing more than once per day does increase your total weekly reach.
That part is true.

But it harms your average reach per post — especially when posts target different interest clusters.

The algorithm resets relevance signals per cluster.
When you publish multiple unrelated topics in short succession, you:

↳ Split audience affinity
↳ Reduce follow-up distribution
↳ Weaken post-to-post momentum

Result?
Higher total impressions. Lower authority. Lower compounding reach.

LinkedIn no longer rewards volume.
It rewards coherent relevance signals over time.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂:

1. Stop chasing daily frequency
Aim for 3–5 posts per week. That's the current performance sweet spot.

2. Spend 2× more time engaging than creating
For every 30 minutes writing, spend 60 minutes in meaningful conversations.

3. Optimize for saves, not likes
360Brew weights saves ~5× heavier than likes. Create content people want to return to.

"Post more" worked until mid 2025.
In 2026, it's quietly sabotaging reach.

Be honest 👇
How many posts a week do you publish?

PS: Get your copy (and all future updates) of the Algorithm Insights Report now. Check out my profile link & Featured Section. Price will go to € 199,- for the 2026 edition (+200 Pages)

Helping B2B Sales & Marketing Teams Turn LinkedIn into a Lead Generation & Business Growth Engine | Social Selling Expert | International Keynote Speaker| 4x Investor

Exciting times as a batch of data from 400,000 posts has just arrived. Preparing for the Algorithm Insights Report 2026 again.

This time Engagement will be a complete chapter

Why?

Because comments aren't a courtesy anymore. 
They're the conversion engine (human comments that is)

Here's what our data exposed:

The Algorithm's New Obsession
Comments now trigger 3 distribution mechanisms:
• Extended dwell time (people reading threads)
• Micro-thread spawning (sub-conversations)
• Interest graph training (who sees your future posts)

One well-crafted comment can outperform your last 5 posts combined.

When writing a comment, did you know that?

1. The structure of your comment actually matters?
2. There still is a Golden Window, but this is now influenced by type of posts, number of comments and the authors response (!)
3. Power Words vs. Spam Words to build your interest cluster
4. AI Comments "make them go away"
5. The number of comments you are giving (daily, weekly) that actually spark conversations

This means more commenting could actually hurt your visibility and performance, when not done right!


Stop counting comments. Start tracking:
• Reply ratio (>0.6 = strong)
• Unique voices (12-25 per key post)
• Save-to-comment ratio (≥0.4 = rediscovery potential)
• Thread longevity (multi-day = algorithm gold)

And this is just ONE section from our 50+ page update.

The new Algorithm Insights Report 2026 drops April 29th!
Including new stats, insights and tactics on reach, formats, performance boosters, Company Pages, successful content structures and strategies. It's not a report, it's your Playbook to win!

Check out the link on Top of My Profile on how to get life-time access.

No tricks. 
No bait. 
Just data.


Which comment type are you using least? 
Time to change that.

PS: Bought the Content & Algorithm Playbook 2025 already? Don't worry, you will receive the 2026 edition for free

LinkedIn didn’t change your reach by accident. It changed how it understands you. The platform no longer evaluates content..... only

It evaluates patterns.

Your profile, content, comments, and behavior are now read as one coherent signal. 

And that explains why old tactics stopped working, why random posting hurts more than silence, and why some people quietly gain trust, reach, and inbound while others stall.

In this newsletter, I break down what 360Brew actually changes behind the scenes, what the AI is really learning about you, and how this affects visibility, credibility, and business opportunities.

I also explain why I rebuilt how people can work with me, and I’m sharing a free AI event for those who want to understand how modern GTM architecture really works before copying the next tool.

If LinkedIn matters for your business in 2026, this is 5 minutes well spent.
👉 Read the newsletter below

LinkedIn changed how it decides who gets seen, and most entrepreneurs are still playing by the old rules. In this edition, I break down what 360Brew r

Open article: The Truth Behind LinkedIn's 360Brew by Richard van der Blom • 8 min read

Your LinkedIn headline has two judges. One is human. One isn't.

Most people write their headline for humans.
Problem is, humans never see it — because the algorithm rejected you first.

I've worked with over 5,000 entrepreneurs on their LinkedIn profiles (*)
86% saw a massive increase in profile visits and conversions after one change: optimizing their headline for both audiences.

Here's what most don't realize:

𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺 (𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯𝟲𝟬𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄)
It scans for keywords, clarity, and relevance signals.
It decides if you get suggested in search, "People Also Viewed," and interest-based feeds.
No keywords = invisible. Doesn't matter how clever your headline is.

𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀
They scan for "Is this person for me?" and memorability.
They want to know what you do, who you help, and why they should care.
Keyword-stuffing satisfies bots but sounds robotic to them.

The tension?
Pure creativity gets buried by the algorithm.
Pure keywords get ignored by humans.

You need both.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:
[Role] + [Who you help] + [Outcome/Impact]

Example: "CMO driving B2B revenue growth through predictable marketing campaigns"

The algorithm gets the keywords (CMO, B2B, revenue growth, marketing).
Humans get the clarity (I know exactly what this person does and for whom).

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱:
→ "Someone good at marketing" — too vague, zero positioning
→ "A leader with a track record of..." — proven to who? Where? How?
→ "24k followers, 8M views" — nice numbers, still unclear
→ "GSTRT | ITIL | WTF" — your headline is not a scrabble board

Your headline is the first filter.
Fail the algorithm, humans never find you.
Fail humans, they scroll right past.

Satisfy both, and you become discoverable AND memorable.

Which audience have you been writing for?

(*) launching my VIP Program "The Authority Accelerator" in March. Only 4 out of 10 seats left. It's a 4 month program, after that you'll have a working system to grow your business without living on the platform. More info? Drop me a DM!

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Peter Drucker
AI is not failing because the models are weak. 

AI is failing because your GTM architecture was never built for it.

That is why 95 percent of AI deployments collapse after the pilot phase. 
Not because of ambition. 
Because of structure.

On January 28, the 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 go deep on one thing most teams avoid. 

AI Native GTM Architecture. 
Not tools. 
Not prompts. 
Not hacks. 

Just real operating systems.

This 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 virtual session is about applied reality. 
Where AI fits. 
Where it breaks. 
Where it silently erodes value.

What you will see in practice. 
• Why tool first AI strategies fail at scale
• Where GTM systems fracture when agents are added
• Which operating models actually hold under growth
• How governance decides success long before performance does

Again, this is not theory. 
This is architecture under pressure.

Built with operators from Hook, Gainsight and Momentum.io 

Featuring practitioners who live inside real GTM systems, like:
Brady Bluhm, Moiz Virani, Jonathan M K., Amos Bar-Joseph, Joe Klin and Sam Champion.

If you are serious about AI in 2026, architecture is no longer optional. 
It is the product.

Register now for free:
Jan 28th
Virtual
8:30am PT / 5:30pm CET
https://lnkd.in/ezxes7_v

Most teams will keep stacking tools. 
A few will redesign the system.

My mission is to bring AI to successful sales teams in 2026

Medical Writing Coach | Business Coach for Freelance Medical Writers | Helping clinicians build freedom-focused lives through medical writing ✍🏼

Sophie Ash, BSc (Hons) founded Prospology® after her freelance medical writing business exploded, generating too many brain-picking requests for one person to handle.

Already living her dream life—travelling the world, working remotely, and leaving suffocating, depleting jobs in her rear-view mirror—Sophie set out to help other ambitious professionals achieve the same level of freedom with their own particular flavour.

With exceptionally high standards and a knack for community-building, Sophie developed The ‘Thriving & Free' Framework™, which delivers the perfect blend of business psychology, practical tools, and inspirational content to show her students what’s possible for them.

Prospology® is the leading conduit for aspiring freelance medical writers worldwide, namely because:
✦ Its signature coaching program is rooted in freedom lifestyle design to ensure burnout is a thing of the past, replaced by a fully authentic, deeply fulfilling way of life.
✦ The company goes far beyond writing technique, tackling the topics no one else is talking about—from overcoming imposter syndrome, to securing high-paying clients with ease.
✦ The Prospologers Community is highly exclusive and collaborative, allowing its students and graduates to build and grow their businesses in a safe and uplifting environment.

Prospologers are HCPs, pharmacists, scientists, academics, medical translators, and/or journalists who want to take charge of their workload, schedule, and finances and create more freedom and flexibility by becoming successful freelance medical writers. 

Most have never had a business before, or don’t feel confident with branding, marketing, sales, negotiations, networking, and all the other things that come with entrepreneurship. But, with Sophie’s support and fully customizable 1:1 coaching program, they learn!

Featured on ABC 7, ABC 13, ABC 27, FOX, and KRON News, Sophie is regularly asked to speak at international conferences, on leading podcasts, and in established writing communities on burnout recovery, lifestyle design, and authentic self-leadership.

Graduates of The 'Thriving & Free' Medical Writer Program™ describe it as:
➤ Unlike anything they’ve experienced before.
➤ Transformative and well worth the investment.
➤ Changing their whole outlook on life.
➤ Giving them the tools to run their business with confidence.
➤ Helping them become the person they always wanted to be.
➤ Life-changing for those who put in the work.
➤ A gift that keeps on giving.

For your chance to become the next Prospologer, submit an application at Prospology.com.

Sophie Ash

I always used to feel guilty that I didn't have savings, investments, pension, etc.

Then my boyfriend said this:

"But you're investing in yourself and your business, and that's far more valuable." 

It's stuck with me ever since.

I am worth investing in.
Because I'm my own biggest/best asset.

And I cannot believe how far I've come 😍.

This is one of the mindset shifts I love to instil in my students.

When was the last time you bet on yourself?

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

Sophie Ash, BSc (Hons), DipION

Freedom Lifestyle Coach | CEO @ Prospology® — Helping purpose-driven professionals launch empowering freelance medical writing businesses.

I hosted an End of Year Reflection event for my students today. Apparently everyone's spouses thought I was scamming them when they first enrolled 🤣🤣🤣 #toogoodtobetrue

Traditional career progression trains you to become RESIGNED. 

You learn to tolerate suffering, normalize sacrifice, push through depletion, and consistently deprioritize yourself in the name of “getting ahead.” 

It might look successful from the outside, but over time it almost always leads to burnout and resentment. 

Your value is measured by the speed at which you can deliver outcomes to others, even if you're running on fumes.

The alternative isn’t to work less or opt out of career progression, it’s to shift your orientation.

When you’re DREAMING, your career is built from a place of safety and autonomy, marked by creative flow and purpose-driven actions. 

Your work still matters, but it doesn’t cost you yourself. 

In fact, you can create a larger, more meaningful impact that supersedes your daily efforts when you're in an abundant state of mind.

One path extracts until there’s nothing left. 
The other creates sustainable freedom. 

The difference is whether you’re resigned to a model that burns you out, or dreaming your way into something that actually lasts.

We don’t need better coping strategies. 
We need a different orientation.

---------
I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

No alternative text description for this image

My students regularly go from "I want to launch a freelance medical writing business" to "I have too many clients and can't launch my business!" within a matter of months. 😅 I'll be writing about productivity dysmorphia in my next Substack publication, so subscribe if you haven't already!

https://lnkd.in/eTm6Zx56

If I'm not working with a coach myself, I don't feel like I'm bringing my best to my students at Prospology®.

Right now, I have three coaches that suit very different purposes.

But, even though I hired them for one thing, I quickly realized there was a whole other layer of growth opportunity that I'm excited to lean into more. 

1️⃣ Shelley Holmes is helping me create a suite of models to properly communicate the value of my coaching program. 

The hidden layer: Seeing how someone else runs and delivers coaching is an invaluable reflection of what I do and don't like in my own coaching business. 

2️⃣ Melissa Leithwood is helping me understand my human design better so I can further optimize my life and business model.

The hidden layer: Recognizing that energy regulation is far more complex than what I learned in medical and nutrition school, and opening up new healing modalities to try.

3️⃣ Molly Seabrook is helping me position my first book for self-publication in a month or so, as I didn't want it to feel hard.

The hidden layer: Witnessing how collaboration within a small company can work so incredibly well, while allowing the founder to focus on what they do best and love most.

There's always a hidden layer and it's awesome. 

The same thing happens when my students enrol at Prospology®.

They expect to learn how to choose a niche, build a portfolio, get clients, etc., and they do. 

But then they realize we cover FAR more than those surface-level things.

- Personal growth
- Self-trust & inner authority 
- Lifestyle design
- Identity & mindset shifts
- Abundance & manifestation 
- Self-love & compassion
- Energy regulation 
- Redefining success
- Authentic confidence-building

The list goes on and on. 

When was the last time you worked with a coach and what was the hidden layer of benefit that you weren't expecting?

---------
I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

My latest Substack is my most real and vulnerable yet. Check it out. https://lnkd.in/ernKQjRa

When you first get into business, it's tempting to want to play a role, put on a mask, or "perform" to get people's attention or approval. But that's the worst thing you can do.

Paradoxically, it's the things that no one expects and what make us truly different that help us stand out in medcomms and get paid for the talents we've been taking for granted our entire lives.

YES you can be paid to be you (I see it every day).
YES there are people who appreciate you out there.
YES there's a way to connect you to those people, effortlessly.

It's just going to require some deep, guided thinking, untapped creativity, and connecting to a greater sense of purpose.

Who's up for it? 😃

P.S. This is a screenshot from The Prospologers Community this afternoon. It's a perfect example of what it looks (and feels) like to bet on yourself, and how rewarding it is to win.

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

After watching hundreds of people try (and fail) to break into freelance medical writing, the pattern is always the same.

Brilliant, highly qualified professionals decide they want to go freelance.

But they attempt it using the same rules they used to get full-time roles in the past. 

➡ Job boards.
➡ Recruiters.
➡ Interviews.
➡ Writing tests.
➡ Waiting to be chosen.

When it doesn’t work, they tell themselves:
“The market is bad.”
“The timing is wrong.”
“Freelancing isn’t viable right now.”

But freelance medical writing isn't comparable to employment at all.

It’s a completely different system that has its own set of rules entirely.

To succeed, you must first develop a deep understanding of how work actually moves through the market.

That shift isn’t for everyone.

But if you already sense that:

• Applying for freelance roles like they’re full-time jobs feels "off"

• Competing in crowded arenas drains your energy and confidence

• Waiting for permission feels icky and, frankly, offensive

• There has to be a more intentional, strategic way to break into freelancing

You’re absolutely right.

The people who succeed in freelance medical writing are the ones who:

1️⃣ Unlearn what made them successful in traditional roles and 

2️⃣ Rebuild from a different foundation altogether.

Their approach is more precise.
Relational.
Strategic.
Self-directed.

And it works. 
Every single time. 

It’s why one of my students has already completed 8 paid medical writing projects with 4 clients without even launching her business.

It’s why another now receives consistent inbound messages from ideal clients without actively marketing their services anywhere.

So if you’ve ever felt quietly frustrated watching others conclude “freelancing doesn’t work,” when you can see they were playing the wrong game…

This is your confirmation.

You’re picking up on something not everyone can see.
And there’s real potential in that.

I’m fully booked right now, but I’ll be opening a limited number of spots in The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program™ toward the end of February.

If this resonates, you know what to do.

You don’t have to play the game everyone else is playing. Let’s move you straight to the front of the line 😉

---------
I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

People often look at my success and wonder where it came from. 

They ask, "Did you have fancy connections from day one?" "Did you have a privileged start?"

And the answer is no.

I emigrated to Canada in 2016 with no contacts—no family, no friends, and no professional relationships.

I worked as a Nanny & Housekeeper to make ends meet while using any spare moment to create helpful content for others (mostly blogs).

But my first business failed.
As did my second.

It was the third that took off.
Then the fourth.

Freelance medical writing was a natural fit for my skill set and background, coming from healthcare and always enjoying writing and teaching.

It enabled me to completely turn my life around, going from working 40–60 hours a week with a long commute to working half the hours, remotely, for twice the income.

I founded Prospology®, my fourth company, almost immediately after I started seeing traction in my writing business.

I wanted to share what I'd discovered with the world and help others turn their lives around, too!

Prospology® started out as general careers coaching. But I didn't know too much about careers I hadn't experienced and wasn't confident I could truly help people.

When I decided to specialize in coaching aspiring freelance medical writers, in 2020, I unlocked a whole new level of purpose and joy in my career.

Since then, I've helped 111 driven professionals launch freelance writing businesses of their own.

But, more importantly, I've transformed their work-life balance, confidence, financial status, and quality of life for the better.

As each year goes by, I delve deeper into the psychology of business, personal development, and the meaning of life, and my signature program gets better and better.

And the best thing is I haven't taken on any medical writing projects myself for 4 years—I give them all to my students and new graduates.

It brings me far more joy to give others the same head start in their freelance writing career than it does to take them myself.

But I still get to bring all of my years of healthcare, communications, and freelance experience to the table and put it to good use.

If I—a 25-year-old immigrant without a dime to her name—can design a freedom-focused lifestyle and make all my wildest dreams come true in a matter of months, you can too.

It's not a journey for the fainthearted.
I worked hard at it and made sacrifices along the way.

But it sure as hell was worth it, and I want this type of freedom for you, too.

If you're feeling intimidated by what's ahead but know freelance medical writing is the right path for you, feel free to comment or reach out and I'd be happy to pick out a couple of resources to guide you.

And if you're feeling called to bring someone along with you on the journey, we can discuss what that might look like and when I may have an opening coming up in my program.

You don't need rescuing.
You just need someone to believe in you (and some damn good training).

Surface-level niching is one of my biggest pet peeves in the medcomms industry. 

I get it—you can just choose a therapeutic area or a type of writing that you like and be done with it.

But, in my opinion, the strongest niches aren’t chosen—they’re unearthed.

And it's one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make for your business, so it's worth giving it the time and attention it deserves.

When I work with aspiring freelance medical writers, we don’t start with:
 “What should you specialize in?”

We start by going deep right away, i.e.:

 • Where you naturally do your best thinking
 • What types of problems hold your attention
 • Experiences that have shaped how you live
 • What energizes you versus what drains you

I only work with highly-intelligent, driven professionals who've already accomplished a lot in their career.

So I'm not looking for accolades, job titles, or degree names when I'm helping them with niching.

I'm encouraging them to reflect on the deeper stories, experiences, values, and personality traits behind who they are and why they are that way.

For example, an analysis I conducted with a student recently, revealed they have:

- An unusually strong ability to move projects forward
- A strategic mind that thrives in planning and synthesis
- An interesting balance of high energy and a calming presence
- A heightened sensitivity to real-world consequences of medical decisions

These insights won't magically turn into a niche overnight.

But they will become valuable inputs so we can figure out:

 • The types of projects she's best suited for
 • The way her value can be articulated to clients
 • When she can confidently say "no" to a client
 • How her business can be sustainable long-term

This is what strategic niching actually looks like in practice.

It connects who you are, how you think, and the kind of impact you’re wired to make, then translates it into language prospective clients can understand and trust whole-heartedly.

When your niche is built this way:

 • Your positioning feels right
 • Your confidence is genuine
 • Your brand evolves as you do

And, most importantly:
You don’t have to contort yourself to fit the market.

If you’ve been trying to “pick a niche” and this approach feels totally off somehow, there’s nothing wrong with you.

You might just be ready for a deeper, more sustainable way of building your business.

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

One of the reasons it's hard to form a solid "business owner" identity is because you're not sure what it actually looks or feels like in the day to day.

Entrepreneurship is just as much a self-discovery process as it is a career change.

But even as you get to know your own strengths and weaknesses more clearly, imposter syndrome is still at play.

Why? Because you don't know if you're "doing it right."

Not only is it unreasonable to expect that of yourself when you've never been a freelance medical writer before, it goes far deeper than that.

The way your business looks and feels is going to be unique to YOU (at least it ought to be—you're not playing The Imitation Game).

So, of course you don't know whether it's "right" or not—it hasn't even been defined yet!

When I'm working with aspiring freelance medical writers, I like to break the process down to make it easy to follow and enjoyable to execute.

It looks a little something like this:

1️⃣ Excavation of self (niching, branding, messaging, positioning, etc.)

2️⃣ Establishing of business (LinkedIn, content, website, portfolio, etc.)

3️⃣ Eliminating subconscious barriers to success (psychological safety)

4️⃣ Developing inner authority (strengthening their sense of agency)

5️⃣ Transitioning from "becoming" to "being" (self-assuredness)

This last phase is where it's particularly tough for the freelancer themselves to see the wood from the trees.

It's partly driven by their readiness for more (growth, challenge, taking on clients, etc.).

And partly driven by their own perception of this readiness (which is why phases 3 and 4 are so critical).

It's my job to zoom out and look at the bigger picture, then zoom back in and communicate to each budding freelancer what I see. Things like:

- How far along they are in the journey
- How many road bumps are ahead and where they are
- How legitimate their journey so far has been

Then our approach starts to gradually transition from one of establishment to one of maintenance.

It is at this point that I notice a shift in their mindset of "How do I make this work?" to "How can I stay grounded amid this shift?"

Their focus moves from gaining momentum and reassurance at any cost to solidifying their sense of self and developing frameworks they can use to stay aligned as things progress.

It's one of the most challenging and most rewarding phases of entrepreneurship, and probably the one I love the most.

Because I really start to see people emerge in ways I haven't seen before.

They have so many creative ideas, but a strong sense of discernment about which to pursue.

They see work opportunities everywhere, but start turning some of them away to make space for other, better ones.

They lean into their biggest strengths and build their entire business model around them (with my guidance).

Sustainability is key with any new business.

And the sooner you can create a sense of inner stability, the sooner you can grow sustainably.

Most professionals breaking into freelance medical writing focus on:
1️⃣ Niching down
2️⃣ Making a portfolio
3️⃣ Finding clients

They say, "I need to create a business plan so I can be successful."

That's totally fair, and these things are all important for success.

However, when we look beneath the surface, we start to see why this alone isn't enough. You need:

1️⃣ Confident positioning

This answers the question, "How can I communicate my value with clarity and conviction?"

You know you have relevant knowledge and transferrable skills. But you don't know how to package it up in a way that generates recurring revenue.

2️⃣ Sustainable freedom

At its core, this is asking, "How can my work pay for my lifestyle, reliably?"

You long for more autonomy, flexibility, and free time to spend with your family, travelling, etc. But you want to create this in a way that lasts long-term.

3️⃣ Resonant impact

Here, we're considering, "How can I make a real difference in people's lives?"

You aren't driven by money, titles, or conventional measures of success. But you haven't yet figured out what your bigger purpose or impact will be.

But this isn't all that's going on.

When we go a level deeper and truly get to the root cause of why some freelance medical writers are thriving and others can barely make ends meet, what do we see?

1️⃣ Psychological safety

They heal from past traumas that were driving their work ethic and career decisions in unhealthy, misaligned directions.

And they create a sense of inner peace and acceptance around what they do and don't do, which unlocks growth opportunities.

2️⃣ Deep-rooted pride

They don't just build a business that generates profit, keeps their clients happy, and puts food on the table.

They carve out a path for themselves that's so deeply aligned to their purpose and sense of self that they develop unshakeable pride in their achievements.

3️⃣ Restored life-force

When they let go of everything that no longer serves them, they have more energy than ever. In fact, their business fuels their growth and development.

The things they stopped doing years ago because they didn't have the time or energy become central to their lives again, and their life-force is unstoppable!

I know this all too well because I've spoken to hundreds of people in this exact situation and been through it myself.

Here's what the common thread between all of these things is:

When following someone else’s path no longer works, and you’re exhausted from keeping up appearances, you lose the ability to dream.

You can't see anything beyond what's right in front of you—how to get through the day.

But at Prospology®, we tap into all the hidden layers of growth and opportunity for each individual until our students DREAM BIG AGAIN.

This is why The 'Thriving & Free' Medical Writer Program™ exists.

To unlock new potential, create exciting visions, and reconnect with purpose.

If this is the conversation you’ve been missing, let’s chat.

This week has been a lot.

Several high-stakes things came to a head all at the same time, and my nervous system took a hit.

It wasn't that I couldn't handle it or couldn't cope with it all—I could and I did.

It's just that these weeks happen sometimes. 

Something I’ve been sitting with (and relearning, honestly) is that success doesn’t mean endless capacity.

There are seasons where you’re expanding, building, and creating momentum.

And seasons where you want to shut down entirely, even when your work is meaningful and aligned.

Overwhelm doesn’t negate competence.

Feeling stretched doesn’t cancel out skill, experience, or impact.

You can be:
• Good at what you do
• Proud of the work you’re doing
• Deeply committed to people

…And still feel tired, heavy, or overwhelmed.

That's called being a human being 😅.

I’ve spent years paying close attention to how different types of work affect me—intellectually, energetically, and emotionally. 

Some work stretches me in a way that feels revitalizing and expansive.

Some pulls on old patterns (pressure, vigilance, responsibility for outcomes) that my body remembers very clearly.

Neither is good or bad.
But they don’t "cost" the same amount, energetically.

What I’m reminded of (again and again) is that honesty and self-responsibility can coexist.

I can say:
"This is heavy for me right now" without making it anyone else’s problem.

I can acknowledge strain without questioning my competence.

I can be transparent about my limits without being unprofessional or unreliable.

And I can accept that periods of contraction can happen even when work is meaningful, chosen, and aligned.

If you’re in one of those moments where your capacity feels smaller than usual, 

You’re not failing some invisible standard you’re supposed to live up to.

You’re simply responding to a very real set of demands called 'reality.'

For me, the reminder is simple:
Awareness isn’t always something we have to “use” or act on immediately.

Sometimes it’s enough to let it exist as information, and trust that clarity will follow in its own time.

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

It's fantastic to see all of my students diving back into "business-building mode" after the holidays 😍. Are you feeling super excited to be back at work? I am 😃. #entrepreneurship #medcomms

You've always been a high achiever and have tons of transferrable skills to leverage. Then, why does breaking into freelance medical writing feel so hard?

If you're coming into medical communications from academia, healthcare, research, or another high-responsibility role, you are primed for success.

You've been trained to do excellent work.
To be thorough and meet high standards.
To follow rules and deliver great outcomes.

So, on your mission to break into medical writing, you've been applying those same rules.

Work hard.
Learn skills.
Apply for gigs.
Start posting.

But it all feels... awkward.

Forcing yourself to "put yourself out there" is not only incredibly exposing and unkind to yourself.

It also doesn't work.

Telling yourself "I need more visibility," "I just need to find clients," "More effort is required," is only making you feel exhausted.

Let me offer an alternative perspective.

One of my current students has already completed 8 paid medical writing projects with 4 clients, but she hasn't even launched her business yet.

She doesn't have a website or content strategy.
She hasn't made a single post or sent a single pitch.
In fact, she hasn't done anything except one thing.

Positioning.

Positioning is the process of taking everything you already know, everything you’ve already done, and everything you excel at and placing it somewhere specific in an industry so that prospective clients immediately understand:

✅ What you do
✅ Who you do it for
✅ Why you’re the obvious choice

So many aspiring freelance medical writers make the mistake of copying what everyone else is doing and wondering why they don't get results.

The way you position your expertise is the single most important thing you'll ever have to do when starting a new business and it can't be skipped.

Without strong positioning, you'll always be overlooked in favour of another writer.

You'll end up doing, doing, doing and never seeing any results.

And no amount of "putting yourself out there" will make you feel any less invisible.

Because positioning is built from the inside out.

It's a deep. reflective, and strategic process that's very difficult to do yourself (yes, even for high achievers).

In fact, there's not a lot of "doing" at all—it's mostly thinking.

But once you've figured it out, 90% of the work is done, and you can start enjoying the fruits of your prior labour instead of creating more labour for yourself with no fruit!

Stop chasing clients, job listings, and hiring managers.

Stop trying to become a content creator when you don't want to be one.

And stop forcing your way into something you probably don't fit into yet.

Establish your position, then let the market recognize where you already fit.

Once that clicks, everything else becomes simpler.

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

I work with a lot of people who inadvertently let their pasts get in the way of their future. If this sounds like you, give my latest Substack a read. 👇🏼

https://lnkd.in/gNyi7thn

The business owner that "wins" is the one who has the deepest knowledge about the marketplace—clients, competitors, and themselves.

Market intel is the number one differentiator between freelance medical writers who quit in their first year, and those who build lifelong ecosystems that support their lifestyle, goals, and values for decades to come.

How can you understand your ideal clients 100x better than anyone else in your niche and, thus, serve them better than anyone else could?

#medicalwriting #business #freedomlifestyle

---------
I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

When progress doesn't feel real, and what that reveals about you. 👇🏼

Open article: Productivity dysmorphia: why you're restless. by prospology.substack.com

Productivity dysmorphia: why you're restless.

Often, the simplest path is actually the best. But we're wired to think "success should be hard" so we over-complicate things and spiral until we feel we've "earned" it.

Sound familiar?

If you were rewarded for over-functioning in the past (with praise, promotions, awards, etc.), it trained you that "hard = worthy."

Over time, your effort became proof of your value, rather than the outcome you actually got or how aligned something was for you.

Now, when something is easy, your subconscious tells you something's wrong and you get suspicious of it.

So, you immediately start looking for harder ways to achieve something because it feels safer and more familiar in your body.

This is why it feels safer to over-complicate a project than it does to follow a simple, direct path with no thorns along the way.

Why? Because you've been "burned" too many times by institutions or authority figures working you too hard.

You learned not to trust anyone to protect your energy, so you used complexity as a form of control when that trust had been eroded.

The thing is, though, you can still grow without being exhausted.

You can learn new things without changing your entire identity.

And you can accomplish things without being under immense pressure.

It all depends on what you decide to trust.

You have a choice. You can either:

1️⃣ Over-prepare and over-work to avoid judgement or vulnerability.
       or
2️⃣ Decide that the simplest, easiest path is most likely to get results.

We've all heard the expression "there's no need to reinvent the wheel."

So, why do it with your writing business?

Instead of recreating the same "cage" you've been trying to get out of, where work feels endless and you can never catch up with yourself,

Set clear priorities, make a small number of well-chosen actions, and trust that decades of experience won't disappear because your environment or container has changed.

Yes, it's going to feel weird. 

It removes distraction.
It requires and rewards self-trust.
It exposes the unnecessary weight you've been carrying.
It's much quieter and far less dramatic.

But it will mean you're finally working WITH your nervous system instead of against it. And you WILL see results.

Has there been a time in your life when success has felt utterly anti-climatic because there was no chaos, adrenaline, or suffering attached to it?

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I help ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.

👩🏼‍💻 Become the next Prospologer
📧 sophie@prospology.com

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The Battle

Richard van der Blom

Sophie Ash

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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);}Richard van der Blom's LinkedIn Performance

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