Stop Milking Leads. Start Building People. I Community System Fuelled by your data >>> Check featured

We all know this section is overrated. 

If you want to find out more, let’s chat and meet.

It will be the most accurate version of both of us. 


Sandra Macele

Knowledge is information. You can copy it, screenshot it, repeat it, even turn it into a carousel. Anyone can say the same facts you say five minutes later.

If you have AI - you have knowledge.

On the other hand ... your judgement. 

Judgment is what you do when:
↳ the facts are messy, 
↳ the options all have tradeoffs, 
↳ and the consequences are real.

But this is why people follow other people. 

Folks are not looking for more information, but for a decision-making compass. 

An identity, if you wish. 
A tribe of similars.

BUT ...
... judgment requires a spine.

It means it costs you something.

To have judgment, you have to be willing to:
↳ disappoint people,
↳ to choose one path,
↳ make enemies,
↳ to say “no” to the easy answer,
↳ and to hold a standard even when it would be profitable to soften it.

Knowledge can be shared without courage.

Judgment can’t, because judgment is where your values show up when you are under pressure.


↳ 
If you like what I create up here, 
I’d appreciate one quick thing:

✦ Save > or
✦ Share > or
✦ Comment.

So LinkedIn shows it to more people. 
Then ↳ 🔔 so the new algo doesn’t bury me.

For the people who think dangerously well I Scaling Intellectual Authority I Thought Leadership I ex CMO & Creative Director 🌃 Storyteller, raised on cyberpunk fiction 🇪🇺

A liar is easy to spot. At some point, the story breaks, and you go: that doesn't add up.

Done.

But there's a different type of folks, and these ones are harder to catch.

Because they don't lie.

They say something that is PARTLY TRUE, and you kind of see yourself in that story. Maybe last Tuesday, scrolling at 11 pm, wondering why your business isn't working.

And this person shows up in your feed and says the exact stuff your brain was already half-baking.

And they say it with such certainty that it feels … like someone just handed you the answer.

And that's the trick.

I rarely see creators who are fully transparent with what can be done.

Just pump the dream, sell the stuff, brag with numbers, repeat. 

And when someone speaks to you with total certainty, you relax.

You start handing your judgment over to someone whose entire business model depends on you never developing your own.

And that's how you end up with a feed full of nice, confident little butternuggets that make you dumber.

Post by post.

I have some rules for myself.

In public:
↳ Be honest. 
The right people will see it, appreciate it ... and you have better chances for a good relationship.

In private:
↳ Always tell people what I can't do for them.

I literally tell them:
→ I am not useful here: x x x x
→ This is what I don't know x x x x
→ This is what I can't achieve x x x x
→ Here's where my thing ends and your thing begins.

And the other thing I do, which most people will never do:
↳ I tell my students to push back on my stuff.

Because I'm not going to be one more person on this green ball who trains you to shut up and nod.

Writing this, I don't have in mind any creator particularly - general observation and experience. 👀  Looking at you guys, promising transformations you can't deliver with certainty. 

Just be honest. 

It is a better "branding strategy".



↳
If you like what I create up here,
I’d appreciate one quick thing:
✦ Save > or
✦ Share > or
✦ Comment.
↳ 🔔

A lot of creators apologize constantly:
↳ Landing page not working — sorry.
↳ Double post scheduled — sorry.
↳ I was gone for 1 week — sorry.
↳ Failed launch — sorry sorry sorry.

My personal list of these has 99 bullet points at the moment.

A whole clusterfunk.

Somebody texts me:
↳ "Landing page not working" 
— (seen)

↳ "You did not answer me." 
— (seen)

↳ "You sound a bit rough." 
— (seen)

I refuse to apologise for any of it.

Actually, I am NOT sorry.

Us women like to do this particularly.

We overexplain, because our social contract requires us to do the extra emotional labour, so others can feel comfortable.

(Gotta keep the smiling up, ladies!)

😅 

But this isn't only a gender thing ...
It's a MOTIVATION thing.

People with autonomous motivation are simply more resistant to social pressure and external inputs.

Actually, one of the strongest predictors of original, sustained creative work (thought leadership) is intrinsic motivation.

Based on studies, there are 6 levels of motivation:

1. Dead battery (Amotivation)
↳ "I don't even know why I'm doing this anymore."

2. The algorithm leash (External Regulation)
↳ "If I don't post, I lose reach."
↳ You create because something outside you demands it.

3. The shame engine (Introjected Regulation)
↳ "If I mess up, people will judge me."
↳ You create to protect your ego & to prove you're good enough.

4. The strategic grind (Identified Regulation)
↳ "I don't love this today, but I know it matters."
↳ You genuinely believe the work serves a bigger goal. But you don't always enjoy it.

5. The work IS the identity (Integrated Regulation)
↳ The work is fully aligned with who you are. There's still an outcome (an audience, a business, a body of work), but it doesn't feel external anymore because the values behind it are completely yours. Failure stings less because your self-worth isn't riding on the result.

6. Pure play (Intrinsic Motivation)
↳ You create because the act of creating is the reward. You'd write at 2am with no publish button. This is the painter who paints alone and the writer who fills piles of notebooks.

We can carry more than one at a time. 
The question is which one's dominant.

When 2 and 3 run the show (algorithm anxiety and shame spirals) that's where the apology reflex lives. 

At 5 and 6, the pressure doesn't disappear. You just stop running your decisions through it.

My dominant motivation swings between 5 and 6.

I create because this is mine and I enjoy it.

Motivation at 5 and 6 makes you un-outworkable.

Because you don't need to recover from bad feedback when your motivation isn't attached to the reception.

I still have 99 problems.

😆 

P.S. If your dominant motivation sits at 1–3, I would not advise you to buy anything from me. More public visibility just means more hits to your self-worth. I talk about these things in my newsletter. Comment section.

You know what's funny about LinkedIn? You post something. You spend an hour on it. Maybe two. You hit publish ... and then you sit there waiting like it's a …(censorship).

And then the algorithm goes … nah. Not today, buttercup.

And you think it's about you. 
But it's not. 

It's about a platform that owns your audience, your data, and your reach — and can change all three while you're asleep.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

The people who subscribe to your newsletter don't accidentally scroll past you. 

They went on a page ... 
Typed their email in a box ...
And said: "You can land in my inbox, between my bank and my mother."

That's more than a follow. 
The newsletter people chose you, and they gave you their data. 

I'd argue that's more valuable than 100,000 followers who may or may not see your next post.

So if you're sitting here thinking about what platform to open next … maybe don't. Maybe look at the people who already said yes and start treating that list like what it actually is.

The most important thing you "own".

Anyway — tomorrow we're hosting Des Brown. 

He's answering questions about all of this. 
LinkedIn Live. 
Show up if you want.

Camila Gamboa Ramírez, Brian Berkenstock and 7 other connections attending

Most ideas die at checkpoint one, because social media was built to exploit brain filters. So I wanted to understand what ACTUALLY happens when a stranger sees our posts.

The brain version of the story, which is the story the social media tech is built on.

So I went into deep research.

cognitive psychology
persuasion theory
attention science

Studies from the 1920s to today.

(I was actually surprised, how much of the old stuff still applies today)

I mapped every moment between scrolling and following (I call it COMMIT in the model).

What I found: 
very precisely documented brain points (actions), and our content runs through them every single time.

Then I went one step further, and I turned each brain filter into an AI prompt you can run on your own content before you post.

That also took long. 

😅 

Hook prompts.
CTA prompts. 
Analysis prompts.

Subscribe to my newsletter: 
https://lnkd.in/eDj9GKwU

& I'll ship it your way 😉

The Attention Model

I don’t usually post during weekends - but my friend Robert van Tongeren has so much talent (he doesn’t see in himself fully yet) that I need and want to bring this forward to my feed. 

Beautiful work and you are just starting!!! Proud of you!!! 👏

Ps. He does the illustrations!

Delight clients before they’re clients | Content strategy that makes you look like a genius

I used to hate Valentines Day. Now it's a very special day to me.

I never felt we needed a special day to celebrate love (and remind single people how lonely they are). But now I have a good reason to celebrate.

Anyway, decided to write (and draw) a story about it. Read below if Valentines day put you in a romantic mood 😁

Anti Valentines Day: A Love Story

He read every post I ever wrote. Every. Single. One. 3 years of my LinkedIn - from my very first publication to yesterday. Then he said: 

"It was a mistake because I have 10,000 questions now. Enough for a full 12-episode series."

😂

So we're doing it.
But in one LinkedIn LIVE event!

Jean-Philippe Derout — Fractional COO who builds systems for businesses — is putting me on the hot seat. 

I have no idea what he will be asking me ... there are no scripts and no manufactured answers.

Raw and uncomfortable - exactly how this entire online thing is.

What happens when an operations expert reverse-engineers your entire content journey?

😅 

Well, I guess we are about to find out.

If you're posting, growing, and still can't figure out how to monetize — this is the event.

📅 TODAY | 🕕 6:30 PM Central European Time

See you!

A COO asking me the difficult questions about my business

The more you try to be liked, the less you can be believed.

Yesterday I rambled for one hour about my fails up here. Jean-Philippe Derout made a free workshop for anyone struggling to tackle the business side of offer creation. 

I highly recommend J.P. - he goes against the deceptive marketing and business practices we often see up here and he genuinely cares about people.

Which you want. People willing to go an extra mile for you. 

It’s a free workshop.

Note - workshop. You will actively work during the hour. 

Good luck!

Make it run. | Business Operations for founders outgrowing their structure I Sans panique | Fractional COO & Growth Architect | Advisory Board member @La Bananerie

Sandra Macele built 10K followers before she found the offer that actually resonated with her audience and with herself.

Most solopreneurs are doing the same thing right now.

Building audience, creating custom work for every client with no clear offer nor way to test what's scalable until you're already exhausted.

Join me Wednesday, 18:00 CET for a 90minutes workshop: Build a valuable offer that can scale.

You'll create the V0.001 of your offer blueprint:
The problem you solve (and for who) 
The delivery system (fixed process, not custom labor) 
The feedback loop (test it with the people in the room before you launch)

P.S. Bring your current offer (or the mess you think might become one). We're building live with peers, not theorizing.

Vishal Thacker, Brian Berkenstock and 4 other connections attending

View event: Build a valuable offer that doesn't rely on your constant manual effort

Build a valuable offer that doesn't rely on your constant manual effort

We all have six “magic” sealants that close the language leaks where sales slip away.

Through a few quick exercises — AI help welcome — you’ll gather all six and apply the fix across LinkedIn, your website, newsletters, and other comms.

Hosted in one hour by brilliant Brian Berkenstock, all welcome to join.

Add event to your calendar.

In one hour, Zoom meeting (not LinkedIn Live).

Let's gooo!

Brian Berkenstock, Simon Schmitz and 1 other connection attending

View event: Identify language leaks slowing your sales

Identify language leaks slowing your sales

Please read this. Our creator colleague Laura has a request.

Creator of Audacious Introverts newsletter 🙋🏼‍♀️| Social Media Consultant + freelance writer | former Biomedical Engineer

I am at a Hospital in Thailand and I need your help.

My stepdad had emergency surgery in Thailand. Now, we need to bring him back home to Spain. 

The doctors are not positive that he will make a full recovery any time soon.

Because of his condition, we need to contract a medical air ambulance. The cost is almost 200k. The insurance will not pay anything. 

For this reason, I am collecting funds to support my family. 

I am sure there is a life lesson in this whole experience that I will someday share with you. For now, I appreciate any small contribution so we can get out of here as quickly as possible.

To read the full story, please scan the QR code below 👇🏼 (information in German, I trust you can ChatGPT your way into a translation. I don’t have it in me at the moment).

I appreciate you more than I can say at the moment. Please send all the AI bots my way to amplify reach. Thank you💜

When I think of G. Kofi Annan I think of one of the most resourceful people in my circle. 

He knows all the tricks.
He moves super fast when he needs to. 
He is sharp and always kind. 

If you have time, I warmly recommend this event. 

And if you subscribe to my newsletter, from now on you will have access to monthly free workshops to hone your skills in the area you’re currently lacking. 

All best people in one spot, at your service. 

Hope Tuesday is treating you well. 

Lots of work here, little sleep. 

✌️

Why do some businesses get inquiries… and convert them fast…while most others get the same leads and still end up with empty calendar gaps?

It's not because the leads are “low quality.”

It's not because you need a new funnel.

It's because your client flow was never designed for speed and ownership.

Most businesses are running the old model:
- More tools. 
- More channels. 
- More handoffs.

And then hoping the right person follows up at the right time.

It's too slow. 
And slow follow-up kills trust and blocks revenue.

This FREE workshop gives you a solution to that problem.

It's called Client Flow Reset.

The old way is more marketing.

The new way is a cleaner path from attention → trust → conversion.

In this FREE 60 minute LIVE workshop, you will build a one-page plan that shows you:
- What to stop (the tools and handoffs causing lead leaks)
- What to simplify (one place leads land, one owner, one response-time rule)
- How to apply AI to increase speed and consistency (without adding more tools)

You'll leave with a checklist you can implement immediately.

Perfect for you if…
- You are getting inquiries but conversion is inconsistent
- Leads are spread across calls, DMs, forms, email, and “whoever saw it first”
- You want a simpler system that converts without hiring more people

Can't make it live?

Register anyway and you'll get the replay and worksheets.

To secure your spot, click the event page below. 👇

Brian Berkenstock, Sandra Macele and 1 other connection attending

View event: Cut Marketing Chaos + Get More Clients with AI - FREE Workshop

Cut Marketing Chaos + Get More Clients with AI - FREE Workshop

Andrew Bolis

Influencer (700+ Brand Collabs) 🧠 AI & Marketing Consultant 📢 Former CMO 📩 DM for Influencer Partnerships ➡️ Follow for AI & business growth tips.

⭐ Brand Partnerships & Influencer Marketing: I partner with companies to promote their products to my 464k followers across LinkedIn, X/Twitter & Email Newsletter. I've previously partnered with Notion, HubSpot, Upwork, ClickUp, Miro, Semrush, Instantly, Clay, Lemlist & Gamma.

💬 DM me "COLLAB" to learn more!

---

⭐ AI & Marketing Consulting: 

I help companies leverage AI to optimize their marketing and sales. 

● Generate more qualified leads and sales opportunities
● Close more deals and shorten your sales cycle
● Grow your revenue while cutting costs

💬 DM me "AI" to learn more!

---

⭐ My Career Highlights: 
● $210M in attributed revenue from marketing campaigns
● 15 yrs of marketing leadership experience (Mngr/Dir/CMO)
● Drove revenue growth from Series A to E stages at startups
● Built & led global teams of up to 20 people across NA & EU
● Managed global expansions (NA, EU, LATAM) & acquisitions
● Established product as a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant
● Focus: Demand Gen, Digital Mktg, Content Mktg, Sales Dev
● Verticals: SaaS, MarTech, EdTech, Supply Chain & Logistics

Fractional CMO, Marketing Consultant & AI Strategist

I help companies leverage AI to optimize their marketing and sales. 

● Generate more qualified leads and sales opportunities
● Close more deals and shorten your sales cycle
● Grow your revenue while cutting costs

💬 DM me “AI” to learn more!

Visit my website (at top of my profile) for free resources.

- - -

My previous consulting gigs and contract work:

💼 Fractional CMO & Head of Marketing at The Virtual Hub (July 2023 - September 2023)

The Virtual Hub provides virtual assistants and offshore staffing services for businesses. It's a 350-employee company that's bootstrapped and profitable. 

💼 Marketing Strategy & Growth Consultant at Upshift (March 2023 - May 2023) 

Upshift connects people with businesses in need of extra staff. Upshift is trusted by 1600+ businesses across 25+ cities for staffing hourly workers. 

Upshift customers: Compass Group, American Airlines Arena, InterContinental Hotels Group, Six Flags, Victoria's Secret, Cedar Fair, Delaware North, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hyatt, Kroger.

💼 Fractional CMO / VP of Marketing at Packback (February 2023 - April 2023)

Packback is an EdTech company that uses AI to help educators implement high-quality teaching methods at scale. 

Packback customers: Michigan State University, Maricopa Community Colleges, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, SUNY - The State University of New York, Ivy Tech Community College, FSCJ - Florida State College at Jacksonville, HACC, UNT - University of North Texas, Minnesota State, Miami Dade College.

Top 10 Free AI Courses to Upgrade Your Skills. 

Learn from Harvard, Microsoft, Google, and more.

No payment required to build skills & advance career. 

Master AI, prompting, and automation all in one place.

Save list for later (click three dots at top right → Save).

Here’s the full list with direct links below:


⚙️ AI Fundamentals & Core Concepts

1️⃣ Harvard – Introduction to AI with Python
➟ Learn the core logic behind AI using Python.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gX2_ZCq7

2️⃣ Microsoft – AI For Beginners
➟ A simple path to build a strong foundation in AI.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbyGV3Ni

3️⃣ Google – AI Courses
➟ Master core AI and ML tools with Google experts.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbSqTX8x

4️⃣ DeepLearning.AI – Generative AI for Everyone
➟ Learn how generative AI creates text, visuals, and ideas.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/d95ZQneP

5️⃣ LinkedIn – Generative AI Courses
➟ Short, practical lessons to upskill with LinkedIn learning.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gS_Kqr7u


🧩 Prompt Engineering & Applied AI

6️⃣ Vanderbilt – Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT
➟ Learn prompt design techniques for ChatGPT optimization.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gCUiZuU5

7️⃣ DeepLearning AI × OpenAI – ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers
➟ Learn advanced prompting for real-world developer projects.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/dMpn5Jb2

8️⃣ edX – AI Applications and Prompt Engineering
➟ Build hands-on AI projects using prompt-based techniques.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gmqHeQU5

9️⃣ AWS – Foundations of Prompt Engineering
➟ Master prompt writing basics using AWS AI tools.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gUPZN5B5


🌍 AI Ethics & Real-World Impact

🔟 UC Davis – Big Data, AI, and Ethics
➟ Learn the ethical side of AI and responsible data use.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gviZqRKD


Start learning AI today to future-proof your career.

📌 Learn 30 free AI tools in 30 days: https://bit.ly/48woPL4  

👉 Follow me Andrew Bolis for more and 🔄 Repost this to help others learn AI

Basic AI knowledge is essential in today’s workplace. 

Here are the top 12 AI terms you need to know. 

(remember to 🔖 save this for later) 

1. LLM: Predicts and generates human-like text.

2. Transformer: Helps AI understand context and relationships.

3. Prompt Engineering: Writing inputs that guide AI clearly.

4. Fine-Tuning: Custom training for industry-specific tasks.

5. Embedding: Turns words into numbers for comparison.

6. RAG: Pulls real info before generating answers.

7. Token: Small text units AI reads and counts.

8. Hallucination: Generates believable but false information.

9. Zero-Shot: Solves tasks without prior examples.

10. Chain-of-Thought: AI explains its reasoning step by step.

11. Context Window: Limits how much AI can process at once.

12. Temperature: Controls randomness vs. precision in output.

In the age of AI, no matter your role or function…

Knowing these terms is no longer optional.

Save it. Share it. Speak AI clearly.

📌 Learn 30 free AI tools in 30 days: https://bit.ly/48woPL4 

👉 Follow me Andrew Bolis for more and 🔄 Repost this to help others learn AI

Harvard University is offering its top courses 100% free.

No application. No fees. No prior skills required.

These 12 courses are free, online, and open to everyone:


1. Introduction to Computer Science

Learn foundational computer science concepts and programming in languages like C, Python, and JavaScript.

https://lnkd.in/g3PJt6V5

- - -

2. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

Explore AI concepts including search algorithms, machine learning, and neural networks using Python.

https://lnkd.in/gKTUCzCQ

- - -

3. Web Programming with Python and JavaScript

Build web applications using Python, JavaScript, SQL, and frameworks like Django and React.

https://lnkd.in/gfdnP_c8

- - -

4. Understanding Technology

Gain a broad understanding of how computers and the internet work, covering hardware, software, and security.

https://lnkd.in/gqmjkaC2

- - -

5. Introduction to Game Development

Learn principles of 2D and 3D game development using languages like Lua and C#, and tools like Unity.

https://lnkd.in/gTaws5EC

- - -

6. Introduction to Cybersecurity

Understand the basics of cybersecurity, including securing systems, data, and software.
 
https://lnkd.in/gG8_KdVh

- - -

7. Data Science: Machine Learning

Learn machine learning techniques to build predictive models and understand their applications.

https://lnkd.in/gaHYe8zj

- - -

8. Data Science: Productivity Tools

Master tools like Git, Unix/Linux, and RStudio to enhance data science workflows.

https://lnkd.in/gQGkTpTM

- - -

9. Leaders of Learning

Examine how people learn and how to lead learning environments effectively.

https://lnkd.in/ghAq82se

- - -

10. Introduction to Data Science with Python

Apply Python programming to analyze data and solve real-world problems.

https://lnkd.in/gn7Xzfjc

- - -

11. Introduction to Programming with Scratch

Learn programming fundamentals using Scratch, a visual programming language.

https://lnkd.in/gUQW5Zdy

- - -

12. Introduction to Databases with SQL

Understand relational databases and learn to use SQL for data management.

https://lnkd.in/gTZieFqQ


Learn in-demand skills, earn certificates, and boost your career.

📌 Learn 30 free AI tools in 30 days: https://bit.ly/48woPL4 

👉 Follow me Andrew Bolis for more and 🔄 Repost this to help others learn new skills.

All the AI buzzwords can be confusing. 

Here are simple definitions to understand AI. 

[ save 🔖 this post for later ]

Here are 28 AI terms even a kid can understand.

1. Artificial Intelligence – A computer brain that helps and learns.

2. Machine Learning – AI learns by studying examples.

3. Deep Learning – AI learns step by step in layers.

4. Neural Networks – AI parts work together to solve tasks.

5. Model Architecture – The setup for how AI learns.

6. Training Data – Info AI uses to get smarter.

7. Pretraining – AI reads first to get ready.

8. Fine-Tuning – Extra training after basics.

9. Reinforcement Learning – AI learns from rewards or mistakes.

10. Overfitting – AI memorizes too much and messes up.

11. Natural Language Processing – AI reads and talks like us.

12. Context Window – AI remembers just the recent words.

Find more terms in the infographic. 
AI doesn’t have to be complicated!

📌 Learn 30 free AI tools in 30 days: https://bit.ly/48woPL4  

👉 Follow me Andrew Bolis for more and 🔄 Repost this to help others understand AI

taplio

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Andrew Bolis

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Performance ScoreSandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance

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The Battle

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

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Performance ScoreSandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance