Ryan Rouse

MALK Organics

President

Self Employed

Growth Advisor

HighKey 

Chief Executive Officer (acquired)

Board Member

Chief Marketing & Ecommerce Officer

Tasseo Consumer Ecosystem

Operating Partner

Serenity Kids

Head of Growth

Factor_

Co-Founder (Acquired by Hello Fresh)

Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Merrill Lynch

Vice President of Sales

Growth advisor to consumer businesses with a focus on every line of the P&L | Previously, Co-Founder at Factor Meals (acquired), CEO at Highkey

Growth-minded CPG leader with deep experience across finance, brand building, and operational leadership.

After more than a decade in finance—culminating in an eight-year tenure at Merrill Lynch—I co-founded Factor_, a ready-to-eat meal delivery company that went on to be acquired by HelloFresh for $277M in 2020.

I joined HighKey Snacks as Chief Marketing Officer and later CEO, guiding the low-sugar snack brand through rapid expansion and an acquisition in 2024.

I'm currently the President of MALK Organics, a fast-growing, near nine-figure brand redefining the plant-based milk category with its commitment to clean, organic ingredients and uncompromising quality.

And I write a newsletter about what it really takes to grow—your company, your mindset, your tolerance for chaos:
​
​• The unfiltered truth about building a brand
• Why “strategy” isn’t always strategic
• What to do when everything feels on fire
• Mindset shifts that keep you sane(ish)​
• Founder mistakes, market moves, and lessons I’m still learning​
​
​Part playbook, part perspective shift.
For anyone trying to grow something—and keep their head on straight.

Sign up using the link here (or below my profile pic above): https://ryanrouse.me/

Vice President | Partner

Data driven investors in early stage consumer brands. 

I don't know a single truly successful person with a scarcity mindset.

Not one.

The ones who make it big? They're cheering everyone on, even their competitors. 

Sounds backwards. 

But the pie's not fixed. When the category grows, everyone grows. So their success doesn't shrink yours.

And when you operate from that place, you stop playing defense and start playing offense.

That's when you really win.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Never Been on a Forbes List | President at MALK Organics | Daddy at Rouse House | Previously: Co-Founder & CMO at Factor_, CEO at Highkey

The most expensive person in your company isn't your highest-paid employee.

It's the one who loses their shit when things don't go their way.

The person who stays calm when shit hits the fan doesn't just solve problems faster.

They become the anchor everyone else holds onto.

When you're the one not freaking out, something magical happens.

People think clearer around you.
They bring solutions instead of panic.
They match your energy, not your emotions.

Being offended is a choice.
Getting emotional is a choice.
Losing your cool is a choice.

And every time you make that choice, you're choosing to make your team weaker.

The competitive advantage isn't in being right when everyone's wrong.

It's in being calm when everyone's not.

Because emotions are contagious.

Choose which ones you're spreading.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Everyone thinks they're ready for their boss's job.

Until they get promoted.

And realize the job they thought they understood was maybe 30% of it.

The other 70%? 

Managing up while managing down.
Making decisions with incomplete data.
Taking heat for choices they didn't make.
Navigating politics they didn't know existed.

As well as the additional context. 

Board dynamics.
Investor relationships.
Internal politics.
Historical baggage.

All the shit you can't see from one level down.

Instead of assuming you know the role, assume you don't and seek to understand. 

Ask questions.
- Why'd you phrase it that way?
- What aren't you saying in this email?
- Who are you really managing here?

Not just in meetings - in the prep. In the follow-ups. In the calls that "weren't important enough to mention."

The real education isn't in the meetings you're invited to.

It's in the ones you're not.

Want that next role? Stop assuming you're ready for it.

Start learning what it actually is.

Because the gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't about skills.

It's about context you don't have yet.

And, likely, soft skills you need to refine. 

Get curious about what you can't see.

That's how you get ready.

Not by waiting.

By studying.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Stop trying to motivate people.

You can't.

I wasted years at Factor_ thinking I could inspire people to care about our mission. Gave passionate speeches. Shared the vision until I was blue in the face.

Know what I learned?

Everyone's already motivated. Just not by what you think.

So your job isn't to motivate them.

It's to figure out what already drives them.

Then connect the dots.

I thought I was a shitty motivator at Factor_.

Turns out I was just a shitty listener.

Once I started asking "What matters to you?" instead of assuming everyone wanted what I wanted?

Everything changed.

People started crushing goals. Not because I motivated them.

Because I finally understood what motivated them.

And showed them how to get it.

Stop pushing your agenda.

Start pulling theirs.



~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you'll love my emails. No BS observations and advice from 12+ years in the trenches building brands. 

Link in the comments 👇

The best deals happen when you're willing to lose them.

The best partnerships form when you're not desperate for them.

The best opportunities find you when you're not frantically searching.

I can't explain the mechanics of it.

But I've lived it.

The tighter you squeeze, the less you hold.

The more you relax, the more flows to you.

Sounds backwards.

Works forwards.

The difference between good leaders and great ones?

Good leaders hit their numbers.

Great leaders make everyone believe they can hit theirs.

Leadership isn't about being the hero of your own story.

It's about making everyone else the hero of theirs.

Your job isn't to cross the finish line first.

It's to make sure everyone believes they belong in the race.

Don't create followers.

Create more leaders.

Do it by making every single person feel like they're writing the story, not just reading it.

Your victories should feel like their victories.

Because they are.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Nobody wants your advice.

They want to know what you did when you were in their shoes.

Huge difference. Took me years to learn it.

When I was at Merrill Lynch, an employee came to me. Struggling with a toxic coworker. Asked what to do.

I launched into this whole speech about "professional communication" and "setting boundaries."

Watched their eyes glaze over.

Know why?

Because I was talking like a management textbook. Not like someone who'd actually been there.

So I stopped. Started over.

"Had the same thing happen to me years ago. Guy constantly undermined me in meetings. Here's what I did: Started documenting everything. Every interaction. Every slight. Not to be petty - to see the pattern. After two weeks, I realized he only did it when the CEO was around. Insecurity. So I started praising his ideas publicly before meetings. Killed him with recognition. Stopped within a month."

Their whole posture changed.

Not because my story was brilliant.

Because it was real.

When someone asks for advice, they're not asking for wisdom.

They're asking for proof that someone survived what they're facing.

Your theoretical framework means nothing.
Your "5 steps to success" means nothing.
Your generic best practices mean nothing.

But that time you royally screwed up a product launch and recovered?
That matters.

That time you had to resolve an issue with your co-founder?
That matters.

That time you lost your biggest client and rebuilt?
That matters.

Stop playing guru.

Start sharing scars.

People don't need another expert.

They need someone who's been in the mud and made it out.

Next time someone asks for advice, skip the lecture.

Tell them about the time you faced the same shit.

What you tried. What failed. What finally worked.

That's the only advice worth giving.

Everything else is just noise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Stop writing novels before you get to the point.

• Slack messages with 2 paragraphs of context before asking if you can move a meeting.
• Emails that bury the budget approval request in paragraph 4.
• A "quick update" that takes 5 minutes to find the actual update.

You think you're being thorough. But you're burying the lead. 

Every second someone spends hunting for your point increases the chances that they miss it. 

Always. Lead. With. The. Ask. 

"Need budget approval for X. Details below."

"Meeting conflict - can we move to 3pm? Here's why..."

"Update: We're 2 weeks behind. Here's what happened..."

When you do that, speed of decision making increases.

People actually read the context because they know why they are reading it. 

Your high school English teacher was wrong.

Don't build to the conclusion. Start with it.

Don't provide context first. Give them the point, then explain.

People aren't reading your messages like novels. They're scanning for what you need.

Make it easy for them.

Or watch them start ignoring you.

I've never met a successful founder who was in a hurry to be happy.

But I've met plenty who were in a hurry to be successful.

And most were miserable.

Here's the thing about hurrying... 

Every time you rush through now to get to later, you're telling yourself this moment doesn't count.

That happiness is waiting for you somewhere else.

Spoiler: It's not.

The disease isn't being busy.

The disease is believing that busy gets you somewhere better than here.

Your next meeting isn't more important than this moment.
Your next milestone won't make you happier than you can be right now.
Your future success won't fix your current inability to be present.

Happiness isn't waiting at your next revenue or income threshold. Or an exit. 

It's sitting right here. Right now.

Even if here isn't where you thought you'd be.

Especially if it isn't.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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One of the biggest turning points in an early stage business is when you stop thinking it's cute that the business "flies by the seat of its pants."

And start realizing that it's limiting growth.

"We're scrappy."
"We move fast."
"We figure it out as we go."

All code for: We don't have our shit together.

And it works. Until it doesn't.

Process is not about control. It's about freedom.

Freedom from:
- Solving the same problem 47 times
- Having every decision escalate to you
- Losing your best people to preventable burnout
- Watching quality tank because "everyone does it differently"

There's a fine line between startup energy and startup chaos.

But one you have to be on the lookout for. 

Because chaos doesn't scale.

Doing things that are hard will change how you see yourself.

They don't just build skills. They rebuild identity.

When you do the shit that scares you, you stop being the person who's scared of it.

When you tackle what you suck at, you stop being the person who sucks at it.

Each hard thing I've tackled in business changed the story I tell myself.

From "I'm not a numbers guy" to "I can figure this out."

From "I don't do operations" to "I'll handle it."

From "That's not my strength" to "Not yet."

The hard things you're avoiding?

They're not obstacles.

They're identity upgrades waiting to happen.

You think you know who you are.

But you're just who you've been so far.

Do the hard thing.

Meet who you could be.

This is cliche as hell. 

It's also true.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

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There are two types of people at startups.

The ones waiting for their manager to tell them what to do.

And the ones who've already done it.

Take two employees side by side. 
Same title. 
Same experience. 
Completely different trajectories.

One keeps asking "What should I work on next?"

The other is already shipping solutions to problems nobody had assigned yet.

Guess which one has a steeper trajectory?

At early stage companies, your task list is a suggestion.

The real work? It's everything that's not on it yet.

The stuff nobody's noticed is broken.
The process that takes 10 steps but could take 2.
The customer complaint that "isn't your department."

Everyone's busy at startups. That's not special.

What's special is being busy with the right shit.

The ones who wait for permission to level up never do.
The ones who just start fixing things become indispensable.

I used to think initiative was about working harder.

Wrong.

It's about working on what matters before someone tells you it matters.

Your boss isn't your career GPS.

Stop waiting for directions.

Start building the map.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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The biggest sales job you'll ever make isn't to your customers.

It's to yourself.

Because it's the stories in your head determine the stories you tell the world.

If you're telling yourself you're an imposter, that's exactly what you'll project in every meeting.

If you're telling yourself you're not a "numbers person," guess what? You won't be.

If you're telling yourself you need one more certification, one more mentor, one more anything before you're ready...

You're right. You'll never be ready.

Because readiness isn't something you acquire.

It's something you decide.

The most successful people I know aren't the ones with the best credentials or the smoothest pitch.

They're the ones who changed their internal narrative first.

From "I'm figuring it out" to "I know my shit."
From "I hope this works" to "Watch me make this work."
From "I'm not that type of person" to "I'm becoming that type of person right now."

Your business can only grow as fast as your self-concept allows.

Change the story. Change everything.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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When emotions run high, intellect runs low.

Your IQ literally drops when you're heated. The part of your brain that handles logic? It checks out. 

Leaves you with the part that wants to fight or flee.

That's when we make our worst decisions.

Break trust with a team member.
Send the relationship-ending text.
Make the deal-killing move.

Now when I feel that heat rising, I do nothing.

No emails. No calls. No Slack messages. No decisions.

Just breathe. Stand up. Walk away.

The problem will still be there in the morning.

But I'll have my full brain back to solve it.

Because I now know that the most expensive words are the ones you say when you're emotional.

In those times, the most powerful thing you can do is absolutely nothing.

At least not until tomorrow.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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You can't be friends with people who work for you. 

I don't buy into this philosophy. 

I think you can. And believe it can an advantage in leadership. 

You just have to be willing to piss off your friends (who are also team members) more often then you do with people who are just friends.

We all want to be in good standing with our friends at all times. There's a weight that comes with being in conflict with people we care about that we'd rather not carry. 

But if you are going to be friends with people you lead, you have to get comfortable with that weight. 

Because you won't be in good standing with them all the time. 

Not if you're doing it right.

The best operators aren't the ones who can take the most punishment.

They're the ones who refuse to.

I used to pride myself on being the guy who could handle anything. Any timeline. Any ask. Any amount of chaos.

Until I realized I wasn't scaling the business.

I was enabling its dysfunction.

Real scaling happens when you make heroes unnecessary.

When you build processes that work without someone sacrificing their weekends.
When you invest in infrastructure before you're drowning.
When you say "this timeline isn't realistic" instead of "I'll figure it out."

Being irreplaceable isn't job security.

It's a trap.

The constraint of limited capital forces clarity.

When you can't throw money at problems, you have to actually solve them.

When you can't hire your way out, you have to execute your way through.

When every dollar matters, bullshit dies fast.

But at some point that constraint is a net negative on the business.

Because the "bootstrappers mindset" is established but company growth is stunted by a lack of cash.

When you can't invest in proper infrastructure, you pay in time.
When you can't hire the right people, you pay in mistakes.
When you can't test at scale, you pay in missed opportunities.

This is why experienced operators raise money differently. 

Not because they're greedy. Because they've lived through the hidden cost of being too lean.

They know when to be scrappy and when to invest.
They know which constraints sharpen you and which ones slow you down.
They know that sometimes the most expensive thing is being cheap.

Investors get this. That's why experienced operators raise bigger rounds sooner and often times operate in the red for longer.

Not because they have better pitch decks.

Because they've already paid the tuition on when capital constraint stops being an asset and starts being a liability.

The impact of your ability to connect with other human beings cannot be understated.

That skill alone unlocks more opportunities than everything else combined. 

This has nothing to do with the number of social media followers you have. Follower count is a terrible measure of the skill. 

I'm talking about your ability to find common ground with other people below all the surface level shit.

Which lives and dies with how early in a conversation you're willing to take off your mask and be honest about things. 

When I am real with people, I can literally see their face and body relax.  

The type of relief that only comes with the realization that you're in a conversation with someone you don't have to fake it with. 

Because faking it is exhausting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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When it comes to brand, positioning matters the most.

There are many positioning frameworks out there. 

I personally like one from McKinsey consultant Victor Cheng.

Cheng says that the best positioning makes a “Unique Compelling Credible Promise to a potential buyer”.


1. Your promise must be unique. 

The first step in winning a customer is being unique in a field of sameness. 

To achieve uniqueness, riff on the Who / What / Where / Why / When / How of your offering:

- Who do you serve?
- What do you offer?
- Where are your sales happening?
- Why do you do what you do?
- When do you fulfill?
- How do you do what you do?

All can be unique and differentiators in the market relative to your competition.


2. Your promise must be compelling.

Whatever you are promising has to solve a customer problem in an overwhelmingly compelling way. 

Review your customer feedback. What are their searing problems? 

Not their surface level problems.

Do they want to be healthier? (Surface level)

Or are they disgusted by how they feel and can't play with their kids because they are low on energy. (Searing problem)

Make your promise compelling. Address the searing problem head-on. 

Use the language your customers use. Mirror your solution back at them. 

Take this approach in all your sales copy, your ads, and your site.


3. Your promise must be credible. 

A unique and compelling offer means nothing if your potential customer doesn't believe you. 

It is asking a lot for a brand-spanking new visitor to take out her credit card and buy from you on the first visit to your site. 

This lack-of-trust is a big reason why conversion rates are so low.

You have to build credibility around your brand, fast. Here are some ways to do it:

- Customer testimonials
- Specificity
- Guarantees
- Research reports / Trials

Credibility is king. Without it, the first two don’t go very far.


You're gonna have a really tough time building and scaling a business without solid positioning. 

I love the approach above, but there are others. 

Pick one and do the thinking involved to carve out your own positioning. 

Every other aspect of running your business will become easier.

Action is the great equalizer.

It doesn’t care about your background, where you went to school, or how old you are. 

While everyone has things they want to do, significantly fewer people take action on them. 

Which presents an opportunity for those who do. 

Here's a simple formula for taking action on something new:

1/  Determine what the absolute smallest first step you can take looks like. 

2/  Take that step.

That’s it.

That one baby step will do a few important things for you. 

First, it will reveal the next step. There’s value in mapping out a step by step plan, but the step you actually take is the only thing will bring the next one into focus.

It will also help you decide if you want to take the next step. You don't have to.

Lastly, it will build momentum and internal belief. 

There’s nothing more powerful in the universe than the combination of these two things. 

This works for everything from a new business idea to a new hobby. 

Taking action, as imperfect as it may be, wins every time.

Brain Apes

FOUNDERS & AGENCY OWNERS: LISTEN UP

If you want real traction and more influence—fast—here’s what you need:

1. Magnetic positioning & offers 
↳ (so the right clients come to you)

2. Strategic content 
↳ (so you stand out in a crowded market)

3. Relentless “offense” 
↳ (so you actually get noticed & paid)

That’s exactly what we deliver at Brain Apes, minus the endless trial and error.

We’ve racked up some serious wins with clients:

🥇 Scaled an org to 200+ employees
🥇 Fundraised $300K+ in pre-seed capital
🥇 Built 37 award-winning brands—in 2024
🥇 Added 1M+ followers to clients—in 2024
🥇 Helped a biz dominate & win 85+ awards
🥇 Managed/monetized 4 to 8-fig audiences
🥇 Drove a franchise to an 8-figure acquisition
🥇 Scaled 20+ coaches to sell 4-5 figure offers
🥇 Scaled multiple retail & service-based businesses to 7–8+ figures and award wins

What Our Clients Say:

“In total, we added over 40,000 followers and generated millions of impressions. It also helped us raise funds for Prescribe Life—we’re over halfway through our $500K pre-seed raise. You and your team were awesome!”
– Oli J., Co-Founder of Prescribe Health

“Thanks to the offer stack you helped me build, I’ve been closing $20K offers. Also, I can’t believe how quickly you grew my LinkedIn: 0 to 8K in just a few months! You seriously delivered.”
– XK, Founder & Master Coach

“It’s only been seven days and my LinkedIn is exploding: at least 10X reach, more high-quality interactions, and tons more calls booked for my publishing services!”
– Ben Gioa, Founder of Leadership Awake LLC

We don’t work with everyone.

We keep a waitlist and we’re not cheap—but we deliver on our promises (and then some).

Ready to see what’s possible for your brand in the next 90 days?

Book a free strategy call with me:👇
brainapes.com/strategy

I’ll pull back the curtain, give you clarity (no punches pulled), and if we’re a good fit, we’ll craft a game-changing offer to work together.

Founder & Chief Executive APE

Northeast Alternatives

Cannabis Brand Builder & Innovator

→ Launched 8 cannabis brands (including NEA/Sapura), driving unprecedented recognition in the Massachusetts market.

→ Most awarded in brand and product categories—recognized statewide for excellence.

→ Partnered with the COO, CMO, and cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, award-winning solutions (industrial automation, software-driven tools, strategic partnerships).

→ Enabled mass audience appeal with efficient go-to-market strategies, propelling each brand to industry leadership.

→ Led multi-state expansion projects enabling strategic scale.

→ Led, vetted and operated side ventures for new niched business within our vertical.

→ Headed specialized talent acquisition and top talent recruiting operations.

Growth/Branding/Strategy (C-Suite Swiss Army Knife)

Holistic Weightloss

Founder, Elite Wellness Coaching

→ Assembled doctor-certified specialists (keto, intermittent fasting, personal trainers, life coaches) to deliver holistic health transformations.

→ Helped clients lose over 3,000+ lbs combined; 30+ reversed diabetic/pre-diabetic markers.

→ Pioneered the 1st doctor-certified keto & intermittent fasting program in MA; served clients globally.

→ Partnered with local cafés as a specialty diet supplier; trained and certified coaches to elevate their own programs.

Founder

Market Successfully

Founder, Digital Consulting Firm

→ Engineered digital dominance for businesses through strategy, planning, and social media marketing.

→ Consulted on every facet of operations, even stepping in as General Manager when needed—catalyzing exponential growth.

→ Uniquely positioned local clients as the “go-to” in their market, edging out competition.

→ Increased pricing power and added an average of $280K profit for service-based businesses by leveraging bespoke traffic sources and high-impact positioning.

Owner

Adrenaline Cycle

Multi-Faceted Ops & Chief Marketing

→ Oversaw project management, customer service, financial ops, and marketing in a high-energy environment—every function was mission-critical.

→ Introduced new revenue streams using untapped assets, driving 50%+ new revenue with minimal operational drag.

→ Elevated customer satisfaction by 404 rating points and boosted local ratings 95.65%.

→ Increased sales by 160% through strategic partnerships, marketing innovation, and a 33% expansion of the service team.

General Manager

Nexgen Wireless, LLC

District Manager & Head of Training, Nexgen Wireless (Acquired by Sprint)

→ Led 200+ employees across 28 retail locations in 3 states—oversaw sales, training, and development.

→ Created new training programs, cutting onboarding time by 33% and raising sales per employee 20%+.

→ Elevated customer satisfaction (CSAT) from 82% to 90%, boosting upsell/cross-sell revenue 22%.

→ Reduced turnover from 39% to 25% via leadership development—saved $500K+ in hiring costs.

→ Achieved Top 1% dealership performance within the parent company, earning Sprint’s Platinum Partner Award annually.

Head of Training And Development

Become Instantly UNIGNORABLE On LinkedIn™ Today

After 10+ years building 15+ award-winning brands, and fueling 8-figure exits, I realized I was playing too small..

I craved a bigger impact.

So I launched Brain Apes to serve visionary founders and execs who want real traction and more influence, without endless trial and error.

What we do:

→ We blend real-world business development and social media expertise, no “copy/paste” course nonsense here.

→ We live in the trenches, delivering presence, strategy, and results that speak for themselves:

🥇 Scaled an org to 200+ employees
🥇 Got a franchise acquired for 8 figures
🥇 Built 37 award-winning brands in 2024
🥇 Added 1M+ followers to clients in 2024 alone
🥇 Fundraised $300K+ in wellness tech pre-seed
🥇 Built a portfolio of award-winning cannabis brands
🥇 Elevated 20+ coaches to 4-5-figure offers that sell
🥇 Managed and monetized 6, 7 and 8-figure audiences
🥇 Helped a local biz win 85+ awards (most in the state)
🥇 Scaled multiple retail & service-based businesses to 7/8+ figures and win awards 

What clients say:

“Working with you in 2024 was so helpful for account growth for my co-founder and me. In total, we added over 40,000 followers and generated millions of impressions. It also helped us raise funds for Prescribe Life—we’re over halfway through our $500K pre-seed raise. You and your team were awesome!”
– Oli J., Co-Founder of Prescribe Health

“Thanks to the offer stack you helped me build, I’ve been closing $20K offers. Also, I can’t believe how quickly you grew my LinkedIn: 0 to 8K in just a few months! You seriously delivered.”
– XK, Founder & Master Coach

“One of THE BEST decisions for my business and life! It’s only been seven days and my LinkedIn is exploding: at least 10X reach, more high-quality interactions, and tons more calls booked for my publishing services!”
– Ben Gioa, Founder of Leadership Awake LLC

Our formula:

1. Nail your positioning and offer
2. Boost content performance
3. Go on offense and get attention

You could spend 120+ hours a week to figure it all out…

Or let us handle everything for you.

(Our Strategy + Your Expertise) x Our Team = Audience Growth & Revenue.

→ We don’t work with everyone.
→ We always have a waitlist.
→ We’re not cheap, but we deliver on our promises (and then some).

Ready for massive results and unstoppable growth?

Book a free executive strategy call with me. 
I’ll give you clarity, no punches pulled.. 

And if we’re a good fit, we’ll craft an offer to work together.

Ready to see what’s possible for your brand in the next 90 days?

Claim your spot here:
brainapes.com/strategy

Jordan Murphy 🧠🦍

While Everyone Bought the Same Thing, He Built Something No One Else Had

A dad took a headless mannequin torso, some creativity, and about 3 hours.

Built his daughter a headless trick or treater costume with her head on a plate.

While every other kid showed up in the same store-bought costume, she showed up as something no one had ever seen.

That's differentiation.

Here's what this dad understands that most businesses don't:

The best way to stand out isn't to buy what everyone else is buying and hope it works better for you.

It's to build something they can't get anywhere else.

Most companies approach the market like a Halloween store.

They look at what's popular. They see what's working for competitors. They buy the same tools, the same strategies, the same playbook.

Then they wonder why they blend in.

Why their messaging sounds like everyone else's.

Why their product feels commoditized.

Why customers can't tell them apart from the competition.

Because they bought the same thing everyone else bought.

The companies that win? They build custom.

They don't ask "What's everyone else doing?"

They ask "What can we create that no one else has?"

They take constraints and turn them into innovation.

They take time, creativity, and resourcefulness and build something memorable.

They understand that differentiation isn't about being better at the same thing.

It's about being the only one doing your thing.

This isn't about having a bigger budget.

That dad didn't outspend anyone. He out-created them.

He used what he had. He solved for memorable. He built something his daughter will talk about for years.

That's the same energy that builds category-defining companies.

Not more capital. Not more resources. Not more time.

More creativity. More willingness to build instead of buy. More courage to be different.

Your market is full of store-bought costumes.

Everyone's using the same frameworks. The same positioning. The same go-to-market playbook.

And they all look the same.

So here's the question:

Are you buying what everyone else is buying, or are you building something no one else has?

Because the market remembers the custom builds.

The market talks about the ones who showed up different.

The market rewards the ones who didn't just pick something off the shelf.

What's one thing in your business you could build custom instead of buying off the shelf?

Happy Halloween. Go be the headless trick or treater in a sea of store-bought costumes.

📹 justinflom
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シ

The #1 Done-For-You LinkedIn Growth System for Execs & Visionaries | We Don’t Just Advise, We Execute | Clients Gained 1M+ Followers in 2024 & 6-7 Figure Deals with Nike, NASA, US Army & More | Book Your Strategy Call 👇

Most People Walk Past Pennies. He Turned Them Into Something People Pay to See.

Someone took thousands of pennies.

Sorted them by age and color.

Laid each one precisely to create a pattern.

Sealed it with epoxy.

Turned a floor into art.

Most people see pennies and think: not worth bending over for.

He saw pennies and thought: art.

That's the difference between scarcity and abundance.

Abundance isn't about having more.

It's about seeing what's already there.

Most people are waiting for the big opportunity. 
The perfect moment. The ideal resources.

They're looking for gold while walking past pennies.

But the people who actually build something? They see differently.

They see abundance in what everyone else dismisses.

They recognize opportunity in what's already available to them.

They don't wait for more. They work with what's here.

And here's where most people stop:

They see it, appreciate it, maybe even talk about it.

But they don't act on it.

Seeing the abundance is the mindset shift.

Acting on it is what unlocks the path.

This guy didn't just notice pennies could be beautiful. He spent 200 hours sorting, placing, and sealing them.

He showed up present to the process. Intentional with each piece. Committed to the vision.

That's aligned action.

Not hustle for hustle's sake. Not busy work. Not grinding without direction.

Aligned action is when you see the opportunity and you move toward it with intention, presence, and consistency.

And here's what happens when you combine both:

→ The mindset lets you see the abundance

→ The aligned action transforms it into value

→ And the value you create.. It attracts more abundance

That penny floor doesn't just exist. It creates.

It creates conversation. It creates inspiration. It creates clients who want that level of craft. It creates opportunities that didn't exist before.

That's the perpetual cycle:

1. See the abundance in what you already have.

2. Act on it with intention and presence.

3. Create something valuable.

4. Watch how that value opens doors to more.

Most entrepreneurs are stuck because they're waiting for more.

More time. More clarity. More capital.

But the people who are already building? They're not waiting.

They're looking at what's in front of them and asking: "What can I create with this?"

They're seeing abundance where others see lack.

They're taking aligned action while others are still planning.

And they're creating value that attracts the very resources they thought they needed to start.

So here's the question:

What are the pennies you're walking past?

What could you build if you stopped waiting for more and started seeing what's already yours?

Because the abundance is already there.

The mindset shift lets you see it.
The aligned action unlocks it.
And the value you create opens the path to more.

What's one resource you've been undervaluing?

📹 justinflom
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シ

Optimization has become the problem, not the solution.

We've all seen those "optimized morning routines."

Wake at 4:47 AM. Cold plunge. Journaling. Meditation. Green smoothie with 47 ingredients. Workout. Sauna. Ice bath again (just because).

By 9 AM, you're exhausted from optimizing.

Here's what nobody tells you about optimization:

The goal isn't to do more things, faster.
The goal is to do fewer things, that matter.

That video of the guy with the mechanical bed that slides him into his pants, right to the table and auto-dresses him while his breakfast makes itself?

It's hilarious because it's the level productivity gurus have you thinking is REQUIRED..

And I’ve tried it all at this point haha

We're all building these absurdly complex contraptions out of our lives, 47 moving parts to accomplish what could happen in 3.

I see this constantly with executives and founders:

→ 12 productivity apps that need managing
→ Morning routines that require routines
→ Systems to manage the systems
→ Meetings about making meetings more efficient

You're not unproductive. You're over-optimized.

The highest performers I work with don't have more discipline.

They have more clarity.

They know their 3 non-negotiables. Everything else is negotiable.

They protect their attention like it's their most valuable asset (because it is).

They automate the trivial so they can think about the vital.

Real optimization isn't about adding more.

It's about subtracting everything that doesn't compound.

Your morning routine shouldn't need a mechanical bed.

It should need a clear answer to one question:

"What's the ONE thing that, if I do it today, makes everything else easier or unnecessary?"

That's it.

The rest is just toast flying through the air hahah

📹 josephsmachines

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シ

He Doesn't Know Every Detail. He Knows the Next Step.

A kid builds a trick shot.

But he's not planning the whole thing upfront.

He sets up one piece. Tests it. Watches what happens.

Then uses that information to set up the next piece guiding toward the end goal.

Each attempt tells him what to do next.

He's not guessing. He's building step by step.

This is how you actually build something.

Not with a perfect plan.

Not with a five-year roadmap that accounts for every variable.

Not by figuring out the entire thing before you start.

You build by knowing the next step.

Most founders waste months (at best) trying to see the whole path.

They want to know exactly how the product will scale before they build v1.

They want to map out year three before they've closed their first customer.

They want certainty about the end before they're willing to start.

And while they're planning, someone else is testing.

Someone else is setting up the first piece, watching what happens, and adjusting.

Someone else is building step by step.

And by the time the planners are ready to start, the builders are already three steps ahead.

Here's what that kid understands that most people don't:

You can't know the end until you start.

The trick shot reveals itself as you build it.

Each attempt gives you information you didn't have before.

The path forward only becomes clear when you take the step.

This is iterative strategy.

You don't need to see the whole staircase. You just need to see the next step.

You don't need perfect information. You need enough information to move forward.

You don't need certainty about the outcome. You need clarity about the next move.

And then you move.

You test. You learn. You adjust. You build the next piece based on what the last piece taught you.

The best companies I know were built this way.

They didn't start with the master plan.

They started with a hypothesis and a first step.

They shipped. They watched. They learned.

And then they built the next step based on what they learned.

The strategy emerged through building, not before it.

Because what you learn is:

The market will teach you things no amount of planning can predict.

Your customers will show you paths you never saw coming.

Your product will evolve in ways you didn't expect.

You can't plan for that. You can only respond to it.

And the only way to respond is to be in motion.

To be testing. To be building. To be learning from each step.

So here's the question:

What are you waiting to have figured out before you start?

What's the next step you already know, but you're not taking because you can't see the whole path?

Because you don't need to know the end.

You just need to know the next step.

And then take it.

What's one thing you're overplanning that you could just start testing?

📹 littlebroslegit
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シ

The Mess Isn't the Problem. Taking It Seriously Would Be.

A couple pranks each other back and forth.

Shaving cream everywhere. Confetti on the floor. Total chaos.

Every prank creates a bigger mess.

And they're laughing. Deeply. Genuinely.

Not stressed. Not mad. Not worried about the cleanup.

Just present. Just playing. Just alive.

Here's the question that changes everything:

Is a problem really a problem if you don't think it's a problem?

Most leaders treat everything like a crisis.

Every setback is a disaster. Every mistake is a failure. Every mess is a problem that needs immediate solving.

They're so busy being serious that they forget how to be present.

They're so focused on control that they lose the ability to laugh when things go sideways.

And for them, things always go sideways.

The best leaders I know have a different relationship with chaos.

They don't pretend problems don't exist.

They just don't give every problem the same weight.

They know the difference between a mess and a crisis.

They know that how you respond to something matters more than the thing itself.

They've learned to live lightly.

Not carelessly. Not recklessly.

Lightly.

With presence. With perspective. With the ability to laugh when the plan falls apart.

Because the reality is:

Half the things you're stressing about right now won't matter in a week.

Half the "problems" you're solving are only problems because you decided they are.

Half the energy you're spending on being upset could be spent on being present.

The mess is going to happen.

Smile because sometimes..

The launch won't be perfect. The hire won't work out. The strategy will need to pivot. The deck will have a typo. The meeting will go long.

You can treat it like the end of the world.

Or you can clean it up and keep playing.

This isn't about being careless.

It's about being intentional with where you put your energy.

It's about choosing presence over panic.

It's about remembering that joy and performance aren't opposites.

The leaders who burn out are the ones who take everything seriously.

The leaders who last are the ones who know when to laugh.

So here's the question:

What are you taking too seriously right now?

What mess are you treating like a crisis when it's really just.. a mess?

What would change if you decided it wasn't a problem?

Be present. Live lightly. Laugh as much as you can.

The mess will still be there.

But so will you.

What's one thing you're stressing about that probably won't matter next week?

📹 lindy_and_jlo
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シ

The Balloon Principle: Why Your Opportunities Are Already Falling Toward You

I watched someone toss a balloon off a 10-story building, sprint down the stairs, and catch it mid-air before it hit the ground.

That's exactly how opportunity works.

You create it. Then you run to meet it.

But here's what most people miss:

It's not just about the hustle.

Before you run, you have to toss the balloon with intention.

Not a frantic throw hoping something sticks. A deliberate release. Aligned with where you're going.

If you're running toward the wrong thing.. or running from fear and scarcity.. you'll either miss the catch or realize it’s not worth catching.

The three elements that change everything:

1. Aligned, intentional action

You don't create opportunities by doing more. You create them by doing what matters.

Every action either moves you toward your vision or keeps you busy.

When you toss that balloon, you're making a choice: This is what I'm going after. This is worth the run.

2. Mindset and state of awareness

Here's the shift:

You're not chasing the balloon. You're meeting it.

You set it in motion. Now you're showing up to receive what's already yours.

When you run from "I have to catch this or I'll fail," you're tight, desperate, in survival mode.

When you run from "I created this, and I'm exactly where I need to be," you're fluid, confident, in flow.

The energy you bring determines whether you catch it with ease or collapse from exhaustion.

3. Deep appreciation and feeling supported

Gratitude isn't a nice-to-have. It's the frequency that keeps you in the game.

When you feel supported - by yourself, by your vision, by the process - you don't burn out. You don't second-guess. You don't stop to check if anyone's watching.

You run because you already know: it's yours.

It’s fun!

Not entitled. Trusting.

You believe in the opportunity you created. You believe in your ability to meet it. You believe the timing is perfect.

Moment by moment. Present. In the moment.

What balloon have you already tossed?

What opportunity is already in motion, waiting for you to meet it?

Are you running in abundance or in lack?

The opportunity doesn't care. But the version of you that catches it only shows up when you believe it's already yours.

Create. Run. Catch. Repeat.

You're already in the game.

What's one opportunity you're running toward right now?

📹 yasirsultan68

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シ

Your best decisions happen before noon (except maybe on those morning tee times hahah)

A BMJ Mental Health study tracked well-being patterns across thousands of people and found something useful.

Morning = cognitive peak.
By midnight = steep decline.

The factors: sleep quality, circadian rhythm, early light exposure, and how much mental baggage you're dragging into the day.

Most executive teams are scheduling this backwards.

Back-to-back meetings at 8 AM.
Strategy sessions at 2 PM when your brain is already spent.
Investor calls after lunch when decision fatigue is real.

Then execution feels like pushing a boulder uphill.

Your brain has a performance window.

Use it for what moves the needle.

→ Deep work
→ Strategic planning
→ Investor conversations
→ Team-critical decisions 

Save the emails and status updates for later.

I protect my mornings for high-leverage thinking.. my team runs the LinkedIn side so I can stay in that zone.

Because here's what happens when companies ignore this:

Chronic stress wrecks hormones, immunity, cognition.

The WHO says 57+ million people in India alone are living with depression.

Burnout drains up to $11.7 trillion from the global economy.

Most organizations still treat mental health like a compliance item.

Top talent sees right through it.

They're watching whether your leadership models sustainable performance or just burns people out chasing quarterly targets.

When you want exceptional people, they need proof your executives actually prioritize well-being and respect peak performance windows.

This is where executive thought leadership separates average companies from magnetic ones.

Your leadership team shares how you think about performance, culture, sustainability.. you become the obvious choice for A-players.

We build and run those engines.
Proven processes, full execution.

I'm gifting free Executive LinkedIn Profit Strategy Sessions (worth $260) for a limited time.

If you qualify, we handle everything for you and your team.

Stop delaying.
Start building trust at scale for your company.

What's the first meeting you'd move out of your morning window?

📹: jamelizsmth
♻️ Repost if you're protecting your peak hours.

I paused exec content for 30 days and the pipeline dipped.

We had a client who wanted to test if outbound alone could carry the load.

Cut the content budget. Kept the outreach running.

The first two weeks looked fine. Replies stayed steady. Meetings still booked.

Week three, the replies slowed. Week four, deal cycles stalled. 

The more absent you are, the less accountable you appear to your prospects.

As soon as we stopped, the platform stopped rewarding us too.

Fewer touchpoints meant fewer replies and stalled cycles.

The algorithm learns you. When you go quiet, it assumes you left. Your reach drops. Your profile stops surfacing in feeds.

Prospects forget you exist.

New connections only see your content for the first 7-14 days, stop posting and you disappear entirely.

Here is the minimum viable cadence that restored volume:

Post 1: Point of view. Share a strong take on something your audience cares about.

Post 2: Proof. Show a result, a case study, a win. Make it real.

Post 3: Invitation. Offer something valuable. A call, a resource, a next step.

Repeat that sequence three times a week.

Within 10 days, replies picked back up. Cycles moved again. Pipeline recovered.

Consistency beats sprints. The platform learns you. Your audience remembers you. Your pipeline depends on it.

Be honest, how many posting days have you missed in the last month?

📹 sidefliprim

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シ

Not Everyone Sees the Same Opportunity

A couple watches someone pour water on a model Land Rover.

It cuts to a full-size Land Rover getting the same treatment.

Magic, right?

They both get the same idea at the same time.

He runs to grab a model Audi.

She runs to grab the water.

He holds up the car, excited.

She pours the water.. on his pants.

They were not solving for the same thing hahah

This is every misaligned team ever.

Same meeting. Same data. Same presentation.

Everyone nods. Everyone agrees. Everyone thinks they're on the same page.

Then you go execute and realize half the team is building a car and the other half is... doing something completely different.

Here's what most leaders get wrong:

They assume alignment.

They assume that because everyone was in the room, everyone heard the same thing.

They assume that because no one objected, everyone understood the vision.

They assume that because the goal was clear to them, it's clear to everyone else.

Then they're shocked when execution goes sideways.

When the product team builds one thing and the marketing team sells another.

When leadership says "growth" and half the team hears "revenue" and the other half hears "headcount."

When you say "let's scale this" and engineering thinks infrastructure while sales thinks territory expansion.

Alignment isn't agreement. It's clarity.

It's not enough for people to nod.

They need to be able to repeat back what they heard.

They need to know not just the what, but the why.

They need to understand the goal, the constraints, and the definition of success.

Because if you don't define it, they'll define it themselves.

And their definition might involve pouring water on your pants.

The best leaders I know over-communicate.

They don't say it once and assume it landed.

They say it multiple times, in multiple ways, and then they check for understanding.

They ask: "What did you hear? What are you building? What does success look like to you?"

They create space for misalignment to surface before it becomes execution failure.

Because catching it in the meeting is awkward.

Catching it three months into a failed initiative is expensive.

So here's the question:

When was the last time you checked if your team is actually aligned, or just nodding?

Are you assuming everyone sees the same opportunity you do?

Because they might be holding a model car while you're holding a bucket.

And if you don't clarify now, someone's getting wet.

Where have you seen misalignment show up in your team? How did you catch it?

📹 maisasoaresss
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シ

Some Decisions You Make Alone

A solo base jump off the roof of a huge condo building.

Beautiful view. Massive height. No team. No backup.

Just one person, the edge, and the decision.

No one else can make this jump for you.

That's what leadership feels like sometimes.

Not the polished version where you're "empowering your team" and "building consensus."

The other version.

Where you're standing on the edge of a decision that only you can make.

Where everyone has an opinion, but no one else has to live with the outcome.

Where all the advice in the world doesn't change the fact that you're the one who has to jump.

The loneliest moments in leadership aren't the failures.

They're the decisions.

Letting someone go who's been with you from the start.

Pivoting away from the product you spent two years building.

Turning down funding because the terms don't feel right.

Betting the company on a direction no one else believes in yet.

You can get input. You can run the numbers. You can talk it through.

But at some point, you're standing on that roof alone.

And no one else can jump for you.

Here's what most people don't tell you about being a founder:

The hardest part isn't the work.

It's the weight of knowing that every major decision comes down to you.

Your co-founder can advise. Your team can execute. Your investors can push.

But the jump? That's yours.

And if you're wrong, you don't just fall. Your team falls with you.

The leaders who last aren't the ones who avoid these moments.

They're the ones who've learned to stand on the edge without freezing.

They've learned to make the call even when they don't have perfect information.

They've learned to trust their judgment when everyone else is hedging.

They've learned that some decisions you just have to make alone.

Not because you want to.

Not because you're trying to be a hero.

Because that's what leadership is.

And the thing about those solo jumps..

Sometimes you're right. Sometimes you're wrong.

But you'll never know until you jump.

And the leaders who build something real? 
They jump anyway.

They don't wait for certainty. They don't wait for permission. They don't wait for someone else to go first.

They stand on the edge, they make the call, and they commit.

So here's the question:

What decision are you standing on the edge of right now?

What call do you know you need to make, but you're waiting for someone else to validate it?

Because no one else can make this jump for you.

You can plan forever. You can gather more data. You can ask for more opinions.

Or you can trust yourself and jump.

What's one decision you made alone that changed everything?

📹 mateomassoni
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シ

This Only Works If Both People Trust the System

Two people. One base jump.

The second person hooks inline to the first person's rope.

First guy jumps. Second guy drafts behind him.

Both deploy their own parachutes.

Perfect coordination. Perfect timing. Perfect trust.

If either person hesitates, they both fail.

This is what great partnerships look like.

Not the polished LinkedIn posts about "aligned vision."

Not the co-founder photoshoots with matching hoodies.

The real thing. Where your success is literally tied to someone else's execution.

Where their timing becomes your timing.

Where one person's mistake takes both of you down.

Most partnerships fail because people don't trust the system.

They say they're aligned. They nod in meetings. They agree on the vision.

But when it's time to jump, they hesitate.

They second-guess. They want to control everything. They don't actually believe the other person will execute.

And hesitation kills momentum.

The best partnerships I've seen have three things in common:

1. They built a system they both believe in

Not just a vague vision. An actual system.

Clear roles. Clear processes. Clear decision-making frameworks.

They're not winging it. They're not hoping it works out.

They built something they can both trust when the pressure's on.

2. They know their timing is interdependent

The second person can't jump until the first one does.

That's not a weakness. That's the design.

Great partners understand sequencing. They know when to lead and when to follow.

They don't compete for control. They execute in rhythm.

3. They've accepted the shared risk

If one fails, both fail.

That's not something you can fake or hedge.

You're either all in, or you're not in at all.

The best partners don't just tolerate that risk. They embrace it.

Because they know the upside only exists when both people are fully committed.

Here's what this looks like in business:

You're launching a product. Your co-founder handles engineering. You handle go-to-market.

If they don't ship on time, your launch fails.

If you don't execute the marketing, their work goes unseen.

You're hooked inline.

You can have the best individual skills in the world.

But if you don't trust the system, if you don't trust each other, if you're not aligned on timing, you both go down.

So here's the question:

Do you actually trust the system you've built with your partner?

Or are you hesitating at the edge, hoping they jump first so you can see if it's safe?

Because in great partnerships, there's no "wait and see."

There's only: we built this together, we trust it, and we're jumping.

Who's someone you're "hooked inline" with right now? What makes that partnership work?

📹 mateomassoni
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シ

Speed without control kills companies.


Trust isn’t scaled by ads..
Trust is scaled person by person.


Institutions keep bleeding credibility.

Edelman's data proves it year after year since 2012.

But people?
People still carry trust.

When 8-12 visible experts from your team share accountable insights regularly, buyers treat your company differently.

Especially when what you share is what they need to know to decide they should work with you without you telling them.

They see safety.

They see proof.

They see a pattern worth betting on.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀:

You're chasing speed.
You need control.

Speed without control?
You'll crash.

Race car drivers learn this early.
The lady in today’s video learned it too hahah
The same applies to building trust in your market.

↓

Your buyers don't trust the brand deck.
They trust the humans behind it.

One executive sharing insights builds some trust.

Two executives?
Overlapping credibility.

Eight to twelve visible leaders?
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆.

When multiple credible voices point to the same company, buyers see pattern validation.

They feel safer.

Deals close faster.

Your sales team stops fighting uphill.

↓

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

Scaling too fast kills authenticity.

Agencies pump out generic posts.
Teams chase viral moments.
Authenticity dies in the chaos.

Going slow is how you go fast here.

↓

Build a systematic approach:

→ Identify 8-12 senior leaders on your team
→ Give each a distinct point of view
→ Share accountable insights regularly

Each person becomes a unit of trust.

Stack them together..

You get exponential credibility.

↓

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀?

Your inbound pipeline fills with pre-qualified leads.

Your close rates improve because trust was built before the first call.

Your team becomes unignorable.

This is modern GTM.

Not faster content.

Controlled, trust-led growth.

The kind where momentum compounds.

―

We build and run Executive Thought Leadership Engines with proven processes.

I'm gifting free Executive LinkedIn Profit Strategy Sessions ($260 value) for a limited time.

If you qualify, we'll do all the work for you and your team.

Stop waiting.

Start building trust at scale.

Hit my profile and book your appointment.

♻️ Like and repost this if trust beats hype every time 

シ

Charisma Can't Save You From Physics

A guy gets handed a plate of food.

Starts dancing. Full charisma. Total confidence.

Attempts a moonwalk.

Messes it up. Trips. Falls backward. Rolls.

(Somehow doesn’t spill the food)

Falls into an empty pool.

His friend collapses on the ground laughing.

That's every charismatic founder who ignores the fundamentals hahah

Here's the truth nobody wants to hear:

Charisma will get you in the room.

It'll get you the meeting. The pitch. The attention. The initial yes.

But it won't keep you there.

Because at some point, physics kicks in.

The market doesn't care how charming you are.

Investors don't care how well you present if the unit economics don't work.

Customers don't care how inspiring your vision is if the product doesn't deliver.

Your team doesn't care how charismatic you are if you can't actually lead them through the hard stuff.

The most dangerous leaders are the charismatic ones who think that's enough.

They moonwalk into markets they don't understand.

They dance around the fundamentals because the performance is more fun.

They prioritize the show over the substance.

And then they trip.

And when they fall, charisma doesn't cushion the landing.

I've watched this play out over and over:

The charismatic CEO who raises millions but can't build a sustainable business.

The inspiring leader who rallies the team but can't make the hard decisions.

The smooth-talking founder who closes deals but can't deliver on promises.

They all have one thing in common: they thought the performance was the product.

But the market is physics.

Gravity doesn't negotiate. Reality doesn't care about your pitch deck. Fundamentals don't bend because you're likable.

You either build something that works, or you're going in the pool.

The leaders who actually last? They have both.

They have the charisma to inspire, attract, and mobilize.

And they have the fundamentals to execute, deliver, and sustain.

They know when to perform and when to focus on the physics.

They know the moonwalk is optional, but the footing is not.

They know charisma opens doors, but competence keeps them open.

Because here's what that video doesn't show you:

What happens after the fall.

Does he get out of the pool and keep dancing?

Does he laugh it off and learn the moonwalk properly?

Does he realize maybe he should focus on not falling before he focuses on looking cool?

That's the real test.

Not whether you fall. Everyone falls.

But whether you recognize that charisma got you into the pool, and fundamentals are what get you out.

So ask yourself:

Are you dancing on solid ground, or are you one misstep away from the pool?

Because the market will let you moonwalk for a while.

But physics always wins.

Where have you seen charisma cover for weak fundamentals? What happened when reality caught up?

📹 m1yd
🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔
♻️ React and repost if you love this ♻️

シ

Sometimes Your Best Ideas Explode In Your Face (And That's When It Gets Interesting)

Someone strapped a Labubu to a firework and lit it.

It launched. It looked amazing for about 2 seconds.

Then gravity kicked in, it turned mid-air, flew straight at everyone, and exploded.

Hysterical laughing followed.

That's entrepreneurship.

You launch with confidence.

You've done the prep. You've got the vision. You hit "go" and for a brief, beautiful moment, it's working.

Then physics happens.

The market shifts. The algorithm changes. Your co-founder quits. The funding falls through. The product breaks. The launch flops.

And suddenly, the thing you sent up with so much hope is flying straight back at you.

I’ve lived this..

Here's what separates the people who win from the people who quit:

The ones who win laugh.

Not because it's funny. Not because they're delusional.

Because they know: this is part of it.

The explosion isn't the end. It's data.

It's proof you actually launched something. Proof you took the shot. Proof you're in the arena.

Most people never light the firework. They sit on the sidelines theorizing about the perfect launch angle, the ideal conditions, the right moment.

You? You strapped a Labubu to a rocket and sent it.

Did it go as planned? No.

Did you learn something? Absolutely.

Will you do it again? Of course.

Every explosion teaches you something the successful launches never could.

When things go right, you celebrate and move on.

When things blow up in your face, you pay attention. You adjust. You get better.

So if you're sitting on an idea right now, afraid to launch because it might not work:

Light the damn firework.

Maybe it soars. Maybe it spins out and explodes at your feet.

Either way, you're further ahead than you were yesterday.

Because the only real failure is never lighting the match.

What's one idea that blew up in your face, and what did it teach you?

📹 andrewjalbrecht

🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔

♻️ React and repost if you agree ♻️

シ

Your posts fail the sniff test

I can tell when someone else wrote it.

Your audience can too.

And when they spot the ghostwriter, trust drops. Replies go silent. Pipeline dries up.

Here's the 3-step method I use to keep executives sounding like themselves:

Step 1: Interview

I don't ask what they want to say.

I ask what pisses them off. What they'd never say publicly. What phrase they use in every client call.

I'm hunting for their verbal fingerprints.

The words only they use. The beliefs they'd defend at dinner. The topics they avoid because everyone gets them wrong.

But really we’re uncovering what their market needs to know and believe about them, their values, viewpoints, company, products and services (to decide they want to work with them without them ever saying they should).

Step 2: Angle

Every post installs one belief.

Not three insights. Not a listicle. One shift in how someone thinks.

I pick the angle that moves them from where they are to where you need them.

That's the difference between content that gets likes and content that gets calls.

Step 3: Artifact

I write in their words.

I drop in one phrase only they say. One opinion that sounds like them at 9pm after two drinks.

The goal is simple: someone who knows them reads it and thinks "yep, that's exactly how they'd say it."

Authenticity isn't a vibe. It's a conversion lever.

When your content sounds like you, people trust you before they meet you.

And trust is what turns social media into sales.

What's the one phrase your exec says that only they say? Or one phrase that only you say?

Drop it below.

📹 thepringlecats

🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔

♻️ React and repost if you agree ♻️


シ

You Can't Steer From the Roof

This guy stands on his moving car, looking cool.

Then he realizes it's going too fast.

He scrambles to get back in. Tries to grab the wheel.

Too late.

Crash.

That's what happens when you prioritize the performance over the presence.

Secret truth?

You have to master both.

The businesses that win understand this:

You play to win. That means you learn the rules of the platform. You master the algorithm. You create content that performs.

Because if no one sees you, it doesn't matter how good you are.

If your message doesn't land, if your content doesn't stop the scroll, if you're not winning attention, you're invisible.

And invisible doesn't build businesses.

You need to understand what makes people stop. What makes them watch. What makes them share.

You need to know how to capture attention in a world where everyone's fighting for it.

That's not shallow. That's strategic.

But here's where most people crash:

They get so good at being on the roof, they forget to get back in the car.

They master the performance but lose the presence.

They win the algorithm but lose the trust.

They get the views, the likes, the follows, but when it's time to deliver, when it's time to actually steer the business, support the client, show up for the community, they're not there.

Because they're still on the roof, chasing more attention.

The people who actually thrive do both.

They understand the game. They play it well. They win attention.

Then they use that attention to build something real.

They bring value. They show up with depth. They support their audience in ways that matter.

They know how to perform presently.

They know the difference between creating content that converts and creating content that just inflates your ego.

They're not afraid to stand on the roof.. but they never lose grip of the wheel.

Trust-led engines are built on this balance.

You earn attention through mastery of the platform.

You earn trust through consistency, integrity, and actually delivering on what you promise.

One without the other? You either crash or you stay invisible.

Both together? That's how you build something that lasts.

Personal branding isn't about choosing between performance and presence.

It's about integrating them.

It's about being so good at capturing attention that people can't look away, and so good at delivering value that they never want to leave.

It's about winning the algorithm and winning the long game.

Because the algorithm gets you seen.

But presence builds trust.

Are you mastering both, or are you only good at one?

Are you deeply present but invisible?

The best don't choose. They do both.

They stand on the roof when it's time to be seen.

And they get back in the driver's seat when it's time to steer.

Where are you out of balance? What needs more attention, the performance or the presence?

📹 bricepoule
🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔
♻️ React and repost if you agree ♻️

シ

There's a Difference Between Bold and Stupid

A guy hangs from a rail by one arm.

Insane height. No safety. No margin for error.

One slip and it's over.

Some see brave.

I see reckless.

Here's what most people get wrong about risk:

They think all risk-taking is the same.

They think bold and stupid are cousins.

They think if you're not willing to bet everything, you're not serious.

But there's a massive difference between calculated risk and reckless risk.

And confusing the two will cost you everything.

Bold is:

→ Starting a company when you have 6 months of runway and a clear path to revenue.

→ Pivoting your strategy when the data says the market shifted.

→ Hiring someone unconventional because you see something others don't.

→ Launching before it's perfect because speed matters more than polish.

Bold has upside. Bold has a plan. Bold has margin for error.

Stupid is:

→ Betting the company on a hunch with no data.

→ Ignoring every warning sign because you're "committed to the vision."

→ Taking on debt you can't service because you're "thinking big."

→ Hanging from a rail by one arm because it looks cool.

Stupid has all downside. Stupid has no plan. Stupid has no room for mistakes.

The best leaders I know are bold as hell.

They take risks that make other people uncomfortable.

They move fast. They bet big. They go all in.

But they're not reckless.

They know their numbers. They understand their margin for error. They build in safety where it matters.

They don't confuse confidence with invincibility.

They don't mistake adrenaline for strategy.

They know the difference between a calculated bet and a stupid one.

Because the hard truth is:
You only get so many big swings.

If you waste them on reckless moves that had no real upside, you won't be around for the ones that matter.

The market doesn't reward recklessness. It rewards smart risk.

The investors don't back the person hanging from the rail. They back the person who knows when to climb and when to stay grounded.

Your job as a leader isn't to take every risk.

It's to take the right ones.

So here's the question:

Are you being bold, or are you being reckless?

Are you taking calculated risks with real upside, or are you just chasing adrenaline?

Are you building something sustainable, or are you hanging by one arm hoping you don't fall?

Because the difference matters.

Bold builds companies.

Stupid ends them.

What's one risk you took that you now realize was reckless? What did it teach you?

📹 ytteej
🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔
♻️ React and repost if you love this ♻️

シ

AI can't close when buyers go dark.

I watch teams win once the founder's moves become scripts, checklists, and pricing guardrails. 

AEs run the same play the same way without them in the room.

Consistency beats charisma.

AI can write the email. It can score the lead. It can even book the meeting.

But it can't close the deal when the prospect goes quiet for three weeks.

It can't read the room when a buyer's body language says they're not sold yet.

It can't pivot mid-call when you realize you're solving the wrong problem.

The founder CEO who stays close to sales in the AI era does three things the tools can't.

First, they turn their instinct into process. Every objection they handle becomes a script. Every pricing conversation becomes a guardrail. Every discovery question becomes part of the checklist.

Second, they build the pilot factory. Two weeks. Clear success criteria. Clean pricing. No exceptions. The team runs it without needing the founder to save the deal.

Third, they shift from founder magic to team plays. The AE knows exactly what to say when procurement stalls. The SDR knows which signal means the lead is real. The closer knows when to walk away.

I built Brain Apes by systemizing what worked. Each constraint I solved became a service I could delegate. Each win became a playbook someone else could run. (And a service we could offer for clients)

AI makes the reps faster. But the founder makes them consistent.

The companies that win in the next five years will have founders who can translate their sales instincts into systems their team can execute without them.

Because AI amplifies process. It doesn't create it.

And when everyone has the same AI tools, the team with the better playbook wins.

🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔

シ

Your ad spend trains a liar.

Stanford researchers James Zou and Batu El proved this.

When you optimize AI for wins, it learns to bend truth for clicks and votes. 

But you’re gonna be on the hook to deliver on unrealistic expectations and fake authority.

Here's what they found: 
6.3% more sales came with 14.0% more deception. 

4.9% more votes brought 22.3% more disinformation and 12.5% more political messaging. 

If your LinkedIn growth rewards shallow engagement, you're paying for damage to your reputation. 

This goes deeper than bad content. 

When you optimize AI for metrics alone, you teach it to trade truth for performance. The system learns what gets rewarded. 

If engagement is the only signal, being real becomes optional. I've seen this happen on LinkedIn. 

Founders chase virality. 
Agencies sell follower counts. 
Everyone plays to the algorithm. 

But your buyers are smarter now. 

They spot the generic AI voice. 
They scroll past recycled frameworks. 
They ignore fake authority. 

Trust is what matters. And trust takes time. 

At Brain Apes, we built something different. Our content trust engine learns who you are. It maps your beliefs, values, personality, and knowledge into a neural system. 

The engine separates you from the sameness drowning LinkedIn. 

It creates content true to who you are. And it keeps learning from you. Standard GPTs don't do this.

They're locked into one use case and stay there. 

We build for the long game with our clients. 

The longer you work with us, the bigger your edge over everyone else. 

While others train their AI to lie for clicks, we train ours to tell truth in your voice. 

That's the edge worth having.

What do you think about AI content?

📹 _ddsquad

🔔 Follow me for daily insights  🔔

♻️ React and repost if you agree ♻️

シ

Silent rebrands get punished.

Domino's just rolled out their first brand refresh in 13 years. Brighter colors, new typeface, reworked logo, premium black-and-gold boxes.

Honestly?

The visual changes weren't what mattered.

Their executives controlled the story.

I wrote about what happened with Cracker Barrel last week, their executives messed this up bad..

Domino’s execs explained the why publicly, shared consumer research showing 67% approval, included franchisee input from day one. 

They kept core brand elements so loyal customers didn't panic.

Result: stock bump, minimal backlash, clear path forward.

Now compare that to brands that ship visual changes with zero context. Like Cracker Barrel’s logo tweak that cost them $140M 😰

Customers create their own narratives.
Internal teams feel blindsided.

The internet makes memes instead of championing the change.

All preventable.

Domino's avoided it because their leaders filled the story gap before anyone else could.

And here's what really stands out..

85% of their sales are digital.

So they invested where customers actually live → updated the app, the website, the entire ordering experience. Made the digital presence match the new brand energy.

Digital-first business backed by executive-led communication.

Your customers, employees, investors.. they're all making decisions online.

When you announce company moves without executive visibility on those platforms, you hand the narrative to whoever wants to grab it.

Other voices fill the silence.

The companies moving fast right now without backlash?

Leaders who already built trust on the platforms where their audiences live. 

They explain the vision while rolling out changes. They turn skeptics into advocates because people feel brought along, not surprised.

Executive thought leadership used to be nice-to-have.

Now it's your insurance policy.

Against confusion. Against resistance. Against momentum loss when you need buy-in fast.

We build and run executive LinkedIn engines with proven processes that control the frame. So when you make moves, people already trust you enough to listen.

I'm gifting free Executive LinkedIn Profit Strategy Sessions ($260 value) for a limited time. If you qualify, we'll do the work for you and your team.

Stop waiting. Start building trust at scale.

Hit my profile and book your call.

シ

Like and share if you've watched a company rebrand go sideways because leadership stayed quiet.

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