Follow for daily Insights to live a longer, healthier life

Over the past decade, I’ve scaled revenue and client success at three SaaS companies from $3M to $50M+ ARR, delivering 110%+ net revenue retention and top 10% NPS scores (65+).

Today, we help recruiting agency owners & Principals ($5M–$20M billings, 5–20 recruiters) land new clients from LinkedIn by becoming a trusted authority in their market. 

Our clients are busy business owners. They don’t want to be “content creators.” 

They want done-for-you exec content that lands new clients. That’s what we do.

In the past 12 months, we’ve generated $5M+ in client billings from LinkedIn by positioning recruiting agency owners as the go-to authorities in their markets.

Our methodology:
→ Revenue Growth Engine - a 3-step system perfected with 40+ founders & recruiting agencies
→ Content strategy that generates demand for contingent and retained searches (not just likes)
→ Strategic outreach to initiate conversations with your ideal clients
→ All requiring just 1.5 hours per week from busy Principals and owners

Our results:
→ 40+ owners and Principals served
→ $5M+ in client billings generated from inbound leads via LinkedIn
→ 8+ qualified inquiries per month within 90 days (average client result)
→ Doubling client pipelines in under 6 months
→ Clients include 7 and 8-figure recruiting agencies commanding $75K+ fees and securing multi-search mandates

And we're just getting started!

We help recruiting business owners who are:
→ Tired of building trust from scratch and ready for clients who arrive pre-sold
→ Reliant on a referral pipeline that has plateaued and feels unpredictable
→ Ready to turn decades of expertise into an inbound client pipeline

Ready to turn LinkedIn into your #1 growth channel?
→ Book a 25-minute strategy call: 

https://calendly.com/rohan-karunakaran-mbww/1-1-strategy-call

Rohan Karunakaran

One of my highlights of 2025 was spending a week in Sedona in early December.

I'd just wrapped a retreat with the Becoming the Bridge community (great humans!) and made a last min decision to extend my stay.

There’s something about the high desert, red rocks, and mountains that have been around for thousands of years that naturally invite moments of silence and stillness.

And yes — the energy vortex is real !

What was one of your highlights from 2025?

CEO at Frontier Growth Engine | Podcast host at Founder-Led 🎙️

One of my highlights from 2025 was attending a Dr. Joe Dispenza advanced retreat in Nashville. 

It was a fully immersive 7 day experience. 1,500 people. 14-hour days from 6am-8pm. Some days started at 4am. 

A few key takeaways that stayed with me:

1. Most people are living in the past:

Most people are living in a loop where today looks like yesterday. 

If we keep making a copy of a copy of a copy - like an old cassette tape - we’re becoming a cheaper, more diluted version of our true selves. 

To break the loop, we must become greater than the body, the mind, and the environment — all of which are largely conditioned by the past.

“Overcoming is the becoming process.”

The resistance we feel — to get out of bed, go to the gym, or have the hard conversations — is often the past being projected into the future.

The mind predicts an unpleasant experience so the body responds with resistance or avoidance. 

If we can overcome ourselves in those small moments, we step into possibility to a life that feels both more exciting and more peaceful. 

As I wrote in my journal: “If I can overcome myself in the morning, everyone else will be easy” HA!

2. Opening the heart:

The universe only gives us what we feel worthy of receiving. And worthiness comes from an open heart. 

Fear and frustration don’t open the heart. A constantly analytical mind doesn’t open the heart (learned that one the hard way 😄).

There’s nuance here — including practical ways I’ve found to cultivate an open heart — which probably deserves its own post.

The true masters (Jesus, Krishna, Buddha) knew the path: remove anything that stood in the way between them and an unconditionally open heart. 

3. Meditation as remembering:

The world is designed to help us forget our true selves:

• Societal conditioning
• The educational system
• The food we eat

The invisible scripts — when to buy a house, have children, what “success” is supposed to look like, etc, etc. the list is long !

The idea is not to fight against it. But to notice this old software program running and make intentional choices to update it. 

It starts with awareness. 

Meditation is the act of remembering. Of tuning out the noise so we can tune into the intelligence whispering within us.

From a neuroscience perspective, this often corresponds with shifting from high-beta analytical brainwave patterns into slower, more coherent alpha and theta states — states associated with calm focus, creativity, emotional regulation, and heart-brain coherence.

The result - the mind becomes an instrument of the heart:

• Decisions feel clean
• Work feels more easeful
• We feel more regulated, present and grounded

The ultimate goal: 

“Get so good doing it with your eyes closed, you can do it with your eyes open.” 

There were many more takeaways, including a breakthrough experience I had. 

It might be a little “woo” for LinkedIn, so let me know in the comments if you want a Part 2 👇

B2B lags B2C by ~10 years.

Had a great conversation with Will Leatherman and he said it perfectly:

"If B2C’s creator era kicked off in 2014… B2B is right on schedule"

And the playbook is already written:

2016 → B2C social goes mainstream
2019 → Personal brands disproportionately outperform corporate brands
2020s → Distribution > product

Now the same shift is hitting B2B.

Founders & CEOs are becoming the face of their products & services.

Those who start now will be 2–3 years ahead by the time everyone else catches on.

I thought I was decent at discovery calls.

Then I role-played with the author of Gap Selling.

He dismantled my process in 10 minutes.

3 takeaways that completely changed how I run discovery:

1. Product-centric vs. help-centric selling:

Most founders (myself included) jump to the pitch too quickly. 

“Aha — they mentioned a problem. Let me tell them about our solution.”

Keenan . calls this product-centric selling.

Help-centric selling is different.

It goes deep on:
→ What are you trying to do?
→ What’s preventing you from doing it today?
→ What is that costing you?
→ How long has this been going on?
→ Is it actually worth changing?

If you’re not uncovering those, and gettting them to emotionally feel and articulate the pain of their current state, the pitch — and the decision — won’t have real stakes. And will likely fall flat.

2. Get them to quantify the gap

Keenan’s rule: define everything.

“Onboarding takes too long.” How long?

“We’re losing revenue.” How much?

Most founders hear a problem and move on.

But vague problems don’t create urgency. Numbers do.

When they say “$700K is at risk”  it becomes real.

3. Not going deep on consequences

This one got me.

Keenan didn’t stop at the surface issue.

He kept asking: 
→ What happens if referrals dry up next quarter? 
→ What's it costing you to spend 20 hours a week on outbound that goes nowhere? 
→ If you're spending 5 calls just to build trust — is that the best use of your time?

By the end, "I should probably invest more in thought leadership" became a $500K pipeline gap.

He wasn't manufacturing fear. He was helping me connect what I already knew.

Selling isn't about pitching features — it's about the cost of inaction.

Founder-led sellers - Which is harder for you: finding the pain or getting the prospect to quantify it?

Agency > Intelligence.

Garry Tan (Y Combinator CEO) and Andrej Karpathy (former Tesla AI Director) are both saying it:

When AI puts world-class intelligence on tap for $20/month, the bottleneck is no longer knowing.

It's acting.

For founders building movements, this means:

Good product + great distribution > Excellent product + weak distribution.

Product still matters. But distribution is the multiplier. And there's a crowded graveyard of "technically superior" products that never found their market. 

George Mack has a framework for this - the "Jail Cell Test":

"You wake up in a 3rd world jail cell. You’re only allowed to call one person you know to get you out. Who do you call?"

You don't call the person with the the most intelligence or credentials. You call the person with agency.

The one who improvises. Who finds the gap in the fence. Who happens to life instead of waiting for life to happen to them.

I see brilliant founders failing this test every day.

They have the expertise. The track record. The intelligence.

But they're Person A in the image - stuck on the island, spelling "HELP" in the sand with sticks:

• Waiting for referrals
• Waiting to be "discovered"
• Waiting for some future moment before they share what they know

Person B used the same sticks to build a raft.

• Narrating the struggle while they build
• Recruiting before they have a finished product
• Treating distribution as a force multiplier, not a marketing chore

Same resources. Different agency. Different outcomes.

The gap in 2026 isn't knowledge. It's nerve.

High agency for your movement means turning your expertise into trusted distribution - not waiting for permission that isn't coming.

Start building the raft.

What's one move you've been over-analyzing that you could execute today?

Image credit: George Mack

Lindsay Rosenthal

Founder | Creator | Strategist | Building AI, Leaders, & Ideas That Move Markets

For sponsorships + booking + speaking: hello@cred.marketing
------
I build AI, leaders, products, and ideas that move markets.

As a founder, creator, and strategist, I’ve taken products from concept to market, scaled sales engines, built teams, and created campaigns that drive both revenue and cultural relevance. Deeply integrating AI in every step of the way. 

My experience spans SaaS, AI, B2B, and beyond, working alongside the companies and executives shaping tomorrow’s most important industries. (Would love to work with yours!)

I operate where innovation meets execution. 
Blending the reach of a creator, the precision of a strategist, and the perspective of an AI founder who has built and scaled from the ground up. 

The result: content, campaigns, AI, and go-to-market strategies that cut through the noise and position brands at the forefront of their markets.

Founder

1 month of content in 1 hour

The playbook I use to see trends early:

(my unfair advantage going into 2026)

I’ve led top brand campaigns w/ some of the coolest companies.
And right now, I’m deep in planning mode for what’s next.

A huge focus for me is spotting where trends actually start.
Then plugging campaigns into those moments.
Cutting in while people are still deciding.

Cause this messy middle (where Q’s repeat, opinions clash, community hangs) is where the real signal lives.

That’s why Reddit for Business is ranking at the top for me right now.
I use Reddit to:

- uncover golden audience insight from authentic convos
- activate audiences before they’ve made up their minds
- carry signal all the way through the funnel without losing trust

One example: I used Reddit Pro keyword tracking to spot a pattern forming across multiple communities. That signal showed up weeks before it appeared on other platforms.

We shaped the campaign around that language. Message landed immediately. Performance followed.

My 2026 system looks like this:
listen first → identify repeated intent → shape the narrative → then distribute.

The real edge now isn’t louder marketing. It’s understanding people earlier andddd meeting them while they’re already deciding.

That’s the playbook I’m building around.

Reddit is such an unfair advantage.

You can even sign up here with Reddit Ads to earn $500 in ad credit when you spend $500!!

LINK: https://lnkd.in/ghXdVeB6

everyone is asking how to win on LinkedIn in 2026.
don’t copy the wrong playbook.
copy mine here:

we’re entering the era of AI-generated sameness.
and that’s exactly why founders who sound the most human will stand out.

(thanks Audrey Chia for the great question here!!)

if your content could have been written by a model, it won’t win.
your unfair advantage is your unique, human, point of view.

background. 
lived experience. 
actual opinions from building.

so treat your LinkedIn like a media company.
don’t copy trends, but deliberately do the opposite.

you don’t even need a traditional tech background to do this.
teachers, nurses, operators, founders from any industry all have a lane.

all you have to do is find yours.

be deeply personal. 
unmistakably you.
and build media around that.

that’s how you stand out when everyone else sounds the same.

most founders say they’re “data-driven”.

so why are they still avoiding the hardest decisions?

i teamed up with Alyona Mysko to share with you our top tips for making data work for you, not the other way around. 

ultimately, the problem isn’t lack of data.
it’s lack of decision systems.

data only works when:
1. you know what decision you’re trying to make
2. you’ve set limits before emotions get involved

otherwise it’s just expensive noise.

swipe to see the full breakdown!

Top 2 Tips For Turning Data Into Decisions As a Founder

I’m revealing my 3 layer storytelling strategy:

(copy my hack for better, more human outputs!!)

AI can generate words, but it can’t automatically tell your story the way your brand does.

to get consistent, on-brand output, teach the model your narrative in 𝟯 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀:

𝟭. 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀
define the principles your brand stands for.

 • write 2-3 sentences describing your values.
 • prompt AI: “use these beliefs as the foundation for all messaging”
   example: “we believe marketing should build trust, not just clicks”

𝟮. 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀
collect stories, case studies, or examples that capture your voice.

 • list 3-5 recurring stories or wins.
 • prompt AI: “reference these examples to illustrate points naturally”
   example: “highlight how brands scale with AI while keeping human creativity central”

𝟯. 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲
document recurring phrases, terminology, and tone.

 • compile 5-10 phrases or words you always use.
 • prompt AI: “write content using this tone, language, and style consistently.”
   example: “always lowercase, concise, educational, with punchy takeaways”

𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲:

 1. feed all three layers to the model before generating content
 2. ask AI to produce the first draft
 3. review, tweak, and add new examples to refine outputs

the better you teach, the less editing you need.
and AI becomes a true storytelling partner.

Come with me for a day in the life!
Building at the center of the B2B creator economy.
(And a sneak peek of what’s next.)

1. Morning at the SF LinkedIn offices.
Unpacking what’s actually coming in 2026!

2. Back-to-back convos with teams building next gen B2B tools.
So fun to hear top insights driving 2026 roadmaps.

3. Burmese lunch between meetings 
(highly underrated, btw)

4. Filming new content, stay tuned!

5. Waymo rides across the city.
Filmed before this week’s Waymo shutdown, lol

6. Closed the day at an invite-only HubSpot for Startups dinner.
Packed with awesome SF founders and operators.

7. And of course, getting to hang w/ the one and only @Katie Wrathall

A few signals I keep hearing from leaders across LinkedIn, HubSpot, and top B2B builders:

- B2B creator economy is shifting from “influencer” to infrastructure
 Content isn’t the output anymore.
Distribution, trust, and repeatable systems are.

- Founder-led media is becoming a core GTM channel.
 Especially on LinkedIn, where credibility compounds.

- 2026 is about depth over volume
Winners go all in on what’s working.

- Lines between product, marketing, and media are collapsing
 The best teams (and creators) are building all 3 together.

Days like this remind me why I’m bullish on where B2B creators are heading next.
And why I’m investing more into behind-the-scenes access, IRL convo, and building in public.

More to come soon in 2026!!
Happy Holidays to you all!

the upgrade you need to your 2026 cold email plans:

(how to basically print meetings!!)

most cold email campaigns fail because emails never land in the inbox.

so i really had to rethink my process here for sending emails.

i switched to Maildoso and my reply rates jumped almost immediately.

here’s why it works:
1. mailboxes are built for deliverability, not just sending. 
2. 98%+ of emails land in the primary inbox (even to outlook)
3. self-healing mailboxes rotate + replace burned addresses automatically, so campaigns never stop.

they also just rolled out Google Workspace accounts. 
so you can get high-deliverability SMTP mailboxes + fully legit workspace inboxes directly inside Maildoso!
(+ they’re priced lower than anything else out there)

plus setup is effortless (no dread!!) 
hundreds of mailboxes ready in mins, domains included, no manual config needed.

and somehow the cost is 50% cheaper than gmail/outlook mailboxes??

if your outbound campaigns feel stuck, this is the playbook you need to hack reply rates at scale.

why “AI will replace jobs” is the wrong frame

(+ the reframe that will completely transform your workflows)

everyone keeps asking which jobs AI will replace.
but that’s the wrong question.
AI doesn’t replace 𝘫𝘰𝘣𝘴, it replaces 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴.

every role is a bundle of tasks.
(some routine, some creative, some relational) and AI picks off the routine ones first.

example:
a marketer might spend time writing briefs, analyzing campaigns, pitching ideas.
AI can handle the briefs and analysis.
but the pitching? still so human!!

the better question is:
which tasks in my job are predictable enough for AI to do consistently well?
because that’s where the shift starts.

the future isn’t “AI vs humans”
it’s “humans who redesign their job around AI” vs those who don’t.

taplio

The Battle

Rohan Karunakaran

Lindsay Rosenthal

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreRohan Karunakaran's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreLindsay Rosenthal's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Rohan Karunakaran

Lindsay Rosenthal

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);}Rohan Karunakaran's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreLindsay Rosenthal's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreRohan Karunakaran's LinkedIn Performance