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

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished professionals, thought leaders, disruptors, and people who have “excited to announce” tattooed somewhere on the inside of their eyelids.

Tonight we’re here to talk about belonging.

No, sorry.

We’re here to talk about fitting in.

Brené Brown explains the difference perfectly:

Belonging is not negotiated externally. It’s belonging to yourself so deeply, you don’t betray who you are for acceptance.

Just this explains why many up here feel so disconnected (and invisible).

It is because we try to FIT IN.

Fitting in is being whoever we need to be, so we don’t get rejected.

And LinkedIn is excellent at this.
Corporate too.

So people learn to say:
- what looks like success
- sounds like “leadership”
- and “feels safe”

Because of:
- risk management
- social proof
- corporate consequence

Clear.

We all comply to some extent.
Me.
You.
The “here are 7 lessons” genre.

But here’s the problem when you create content for business.

Nobody remembers the person who fits in perfectly.

So if you’re a job-seeker, fitting in can be a survival approach.

Understood.

But if you create content for business ... 
with fitting in, you basically erode your brand.

You end up sounding like:

- “I’m humbled to share…”
- “Leadership is a journey…”
- “Here are 3 lessons from …”

If someone sees “belonging approach” as wreckles ...

I hate to create you nightmares ...

... but it is a very successful differentiation strategy in a very noisy market.

So when your content is written to avoid rejection…

…congrats. 

It’s also written to avoid any kind of impact.

______________
To get my content:
Tap double 🔔 

Or subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

For the people who think dangerously well. ​>​>​> Scaling Intellectual Authority / Thought Leadership 🌃 (Storyteller, raised on cyberpunk fiction.)

Which system scr*wed millennials the most?
Starting with:

The corporate gold star addiction.

😑 

Corporate life taught us that if you:
→ stay quiet & polite,
→ don’t take credit,
→ don’t take space,
→ don’t question anyone senior,
→ don’t have your own opinions,

you’ll be “rewarded” with …
… another job where you still can’t speak your mind.

And now you write a LinkedIn post and your entire body (including your hair) screams:

“DELETE!”

Previously to this one was:
The school system people-pleaser program.

The place that taught us, you will be punished for trying to be original.

But memorizing dead people’s opinions will give you an A+.

Then we wonder why adults freeze at the idea of publicly thinking for themselves.

Before the school system, we had the original PR firm.

The family model of “Don’t embarrass us!”

Our first audience was a kitchen full of silent judges who could smell “embarrassment” the way wolves smell fear.

And they ran the same slogan for 20 years:
“What will people think!?!?”

But the worst offender is:
The “Be small so others feel comfortable” culture.

→ quiet kid praised for being “mature”
→ loud kid shamed into becoming quiet
→ creative kid told to pick a “real” career
→ sensitive kid told they’re “too much”

And by adulthood …

You walk into rooms trying to take up the least possible space.

So when millennials say, “I’m scared to express what I think,”

OF COURSE YOU ARE!

Because expression feels like the betrayal of those invisible systems that trained us to survive by staying ornamental!

BUT.

Being and staying small doesn’t protect anyone.

__________
To get my content in your feed, please tap the double 🔔
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Writing demands two sacrifices.

First, the courage to show yourself.

Second, the strength to endure social judgment once you do.

To write with power is not to assemble sentences with AI.

It is to arrive with your whole mind and soul.

Visibly.
Or invisibly. 

Your intelligence, yes.

But also yesterday’s failure, still warm.

And the older failures, fossilized from 10 years ago, for which you never forgave yourself.

You do not leave behind
your shame,
your guilt,
or your private sense of justice.

They come with you.

They can seep into 
a single carousel.
a newsletter.
a post like this.

And suddenly you are visible as a full-color human.

Which is exactly why so many choose suffocation instead.

They make themselves small in expression to survive the gaze of those who distribute social validation.

Eww.

Approval.

Who would admit to needing it.

And yet.

Social validation is the revenue.

This is where the great collective pretending begins.

…

Emotions?

In a professional setting?

On LinkedIn?!?!?!

Disgusting.

Except for the inconvenient fact that nothing has ever moved people at scale without emotional intensity.

Awe.
Anger.
Hope.

Because emotion sets thought in motion.

But to work with emotion is an act of craft.

It requires restraint, as much, as courage.

It requires “an artist”.

An inner intelligence to measure.

A good “artist” knows ... or I would argue FEELS ... 
where to sharpen
where to withhold
and where to release the scream.

THAT is what powerful content does.

And that is why …

… good content is rare.

___________________
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or sacrifice your email here: https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

PS. Thank you, Lauren Ducrey, for your poetic inspirations, reminding me why I love what I do.

I remember being a kid, doing something stupid, and then my dad's left arm hooked me like a clamp, yanked me off the ground, my feet kicking air for half a second, and then his right hand came on my bu**cheeks.

Hard.

I cried so much my eyes blurred.

Later, in my bedroom, in front of the mirror, I was inspecting the painful part like evidence.

I remember I had to wipe my face with the back of my hand, so I could even see.

Across both cheeks, I had five fingers in bright red color.

Like a stamp.

I was 6 or 7.

For a full disclosure -
I grew up in a time and a place where hitting a child was normal discipline.

Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for my dad …
I was a creative, sensitive kid, and those things planted something.

A fire I still carry.

Because now, when someone challenges me, I don’t fold.

I plant my feet like an unhinged rooster on a pile of cowsh*t,
chest out,
eyes blazing,
utterly convinced I was built for this moment, and my whole mouth goes:

“Whaaaaat?? You talking to meee?!?!”

And then life happens and starts smacking you in ways a hand could never compete with.

It smacks you with betrayal.
Humiliation.
With loss.
With the slow drips of disappointment.

And that does something to people.

What fascinates me is how differently we live with the leftovers.

> Some people get marked by hardship and freeze.
> Some people get marked, and they build. They take the pain, the anger, the buzzing voltage of it, and they pour it into something that stands.
> Some people self-destruct.
> Some people destroy others.
> And some people walk through it like it didn’t touch them at all.

My vision on things shifted when I learned to say thank you to pain.

I stopped asking it to be fair and took it as it was.
Then I used it like fuel.

Because pain has energy in it, energy wants direction …
So I gave it direction.

And if you don’t waste it on destroying, it can actually build.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but here it is.

Happy 2026. 
I am back to work.

DISCLAIMER: Last time I hosted a LinkedIn event. It was a complete dumpster fire ... because it never happened. 😄 🙌 

(technical oopsie-daisy)

Let's go again!

Team Wellbeing:

Our host
Annika Mohlin 🌱
— Self-leadership, boundaries, sustainable ambition

Josh Perry
— High Performance Coach (creation vs survival mode)

Emily Heird, LPC/MHSP
— Licensed therapist & mental performance coach

Team Marketing:

Jenni Reher
— Marketing strategist, creator of Find Your Weird™

Sandra Macele
— Identity & positioning strategist (thought-leadership infrastructures)

Robert van Tongeren
— Content strategy that makes you look like a genius

Join us tomorrow!

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

Robert van Tongeren and 100 other attendees

You’ve all seen it: The trauma-dump with a CTA. And then you wonder: Is this brave… or ...?

This audio Live is a real-time debate between people who build attention and people who protect nervous systems.

We are answering:
- Who decides when sharing becomes “over”sharing?
- When does “vulnerability” become “emotional burden” for the audience?
- Should you post while you’re still bleeding, or after you’ve processed?

We made a panel of 3 marketers vs 3 wellbeing coaches!

Team Wellbeing:
Our host Annika Mohlin 🌱 —  Self-leadership, boundaries, sustainable ambition.
Josh Perry — High Performance Coach (creation vs survival mode)
Emily Heird, LPC/MHSP — Licensed therapist & mental performance coach 

Team Marketing:
Jenni Reher — Marketing strategist, creator of Find Your Weird™ 
Sandra Macele — Identity & positioning strategist (thought-leadership infrastructures)
Robert van Tongeren — Content strategy that makes you look like a genius

Log in tomorrow, and bring your best questions ;) muahahaha ...

Today’s event is postponed because LinkedIn requires a PhD in Interface Archaeology to host an audio conversation. 

I overestimated both my qualifications and the platform.

But ... their ongoing commitment to experimental user experience is truly one of a kind 😂 

We will regroup with the team and come back with a new date and time.

🙌

Are you looking for a digital marketing expert who can help you achieve your business goals? Look no further. As a skilled marketer with expertise in social media, Facebook and Google Ads, and video editing, I have a proven track record of delivering results for my clients.

With my social media campaigns, I have increased engagement, followers, and website traffic for numerous clients. My Facebook and Google Ads campaigns have also generated impressive results.

Additionally, my video editing skills have enabled me to create engaging and effective content that resonates with audiences and drives conversions. 

Now, let's talk about how I can help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Whether you're looking to increase brand awareness, drive conversions, or improve your overall digital presence, I am here to help. Let's connect and discuss how we can work together to take your brand to the next level.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow your business. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and let's get started.

Sheza Yazdani

Helping CEOs and Founders Grow and Monetize Their Personal Brands on LinkedIn | $100K+ Results from intentional LinkedIn Growth Strategies | Personal Branding Strategist | CEO Focus Solutions

You don’t have a weak business.

You have a positioning failure.

Your work delivers.
Clients get results.
Revenue exists.

But online, your expertise isn’t recognised and that’s costing you authority, leverage, and inbound demand.

That gap between how good you are and how clearly the market understands it is a positioning problem. And closing that gap is exactly what I do.

I have generated $1M+ in organic reach, built a 13K+ following, and helped over 200 leaders position themselves for influence. That’s what strategic authority building looks like and that’s the work I build every day.

I I help proven experts, coaches, consultants, and B2B founders build LinkedIn personal brands that attract high-quality leads and establish authority.

As a LinkedIn branding strategist and personal brand expert, I specialize in:
• LinkedIn Profile Optimization & Personal Branding
• LinkedIn Ghostwriting & Content Strategy
• Authority Building & Positioning
• Lead Generation Systems
• B2B Brand Strategy

My Approach:
Instead of content volume, I focus on clarity. I help you position your expertise so the market instantly understands your value, then structure content that converts credibility into conversations and conversations into inbound demand.

As CEO of Focus Solutions, I build authority systems that clarify your strategic narrative, position your thinking so it can’t be confused or compared, and structure content that attracts clients, media, and real opportunities. 

No hacks. 
No theatrics. 
Just a repeatable system designed to make your name the one people remember.

I have taken a coach from overlooked to a $100K closed deal after a single high-authority post with over 1M views. 

I grew my own LinkedIn presence to 10K+ followers in under 12 months organically. 

And I have helped founders and experts build positioning systems that attract, convert, and compound without cold outreach or algorithm chasing.

If you know your work is strong but your online presence doesn’t reflect it yet, your next move isn’t more content. It’s clarity.

Book a strategy call via my Featured section, and let’s make LinkedIn the proof of the authority you already have.

DM me or book a call

https://calendly.com/sheza-yazdani/new-meeting

Someone asked me yesterday: "How long until I see ROI from personal branding?"

My answer made them pretty uncomfortable. 

But it was the exact same thing I told a founder six months ago who thanked me today. 

Here is what I told them:

“At least 90 days to get clarity.

180 days to build credibility.

And 365 days to become unforgettable."

They didn’t love hearing it.

Because here’s the thing:

If you are doing this because you want 10 new leads by next Friday, you shouldn’t even start. 

I know that’s hard to hear. 

Most agencies will try to sell you a "30-day transformation" because it’s easy to sell that.

But the truth is:

Building a reputation doesn't work like a vending machine.

Real ROI doesn't show up as a neat little number on a spreadsheet right away.

It shows up months later. 

It’s the way a room goes quiet when you start talking. 

It’s how an investor already knows your story before you even show them a slide deck. 

It’s the fact that great people want to work for you because they’ve seen what you stand for online.

The reason it’s uncomfortable is because you have to give a lot before you get anything back.

You have to be willing to be "out there" while everyone else is hiding behind a corporate logo.

That founder I spoke to six months ago? 

He was frustrated at first. 

He wanted results fast. 

But he called me last week to say that everything has changed. 

He doesn't have to "sell" himself as hard anymore. 

People already trust him before he even walks into the room.

Building a brand isn't an overnight trick. 

It’s an investment in the most valuable thing you own: your name. 

If you want a quick win, pay for an ad. 

If you want a legacy that makes your job easier for years, build a brand.

Have you been sold "quick results" by agencies? 

Let's talk about reality.

You are not being overlooked your expertise just isn’t recognised yet | I help proven founders with strong delivery turn LinkedIn into a predictable authority engine | CEO, Focus Solutions

Founder reflecting on personal branding ROI timelines emphasizing patience credibility and long term trust over quick wins
Message highlights that real brand value compounds through visibility consistency and reputation over months not days

Your expertise is invisible if your positioning is off.

You can have 25 years of experience (like Scott) or deep industry knowledge (like Ahlam)...

But if decision-makers can't "categorize" your value in 3 seconds, they move on.

In my latest carousel, I break down how we took two polar-opposite profiles and turned them into lead-gen machines:

✅ From Harvard alum to 4x viral authority. 

✅ From "silent profile" to Forbes features.

The transformation didn't happen by accident. 

We overhauled their niche, rebuilt their authority, and shifted from generic posts to conversion-driven content.

Swipe through to see the exact steps we took. ➡️

Is it time to turn your profile into an inbound machine? 

📩 Message me “POSITIONING” to get started.

I help proven experts with good businesses fix unclear positioning and build authority so their expertise finally gets recognised and trusted | CEO, Focus Solutions

From Invisible to In-Demand

I’m so sick of “helpful” content that no one actually trusts. 

It’s polished. It’s professional. It gets likes.

And it gets… zero leads.

So here’s the fix I have decided to share publicly: 

Stop writing to impress, and build your Proof Layer first.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down the exact 3 things every founder needs before they post:

→ A belief no one can Google
→ A client win that actually happened
→ A raw, messy note of what you really think

No tactics. No templates. 

Just a brain dump all about you that you’ll channel to drive real business revenue. 

Read it below, and drop one unpopular belief you’ve never had the guts to post.

Let’s make your content actually do something.

View newsletter: Personal Branding in 2026

Hi, I’m Sheza. This is issue #3 of Personal Branding OS, the no-fluff guide to building a personal brand that attracts leads, partners, and hires with

Open article: Why Your Content Doesn’t Convert (And the Fix No One Talks About)
 by Sheza Yazdani • 3 min read

Why Your Content Doesn’t Convert (And the Fix No One Talks About)

I review 30+ executive LinkedIn profiles monthly at Focus Solutions.

The ones that convert to $250K+ deals have 5 psychological triggers embedded throughout:

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟭: 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁)

Your profile should answer: "What will YOU gain by knowing me?"

The psychology: When you give value upfront, prospects feel compelled to reciprocate by engaging.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟮: 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 (𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰)

"Helped hundreds of clients" ❌
"Helped 47 SaaS founders raise $180M+ collectively" ✅

Research shows personalized messages with specific social proof see 45% higher acceptance rates than generic claims.

High-ticket clients don't trust vague testimonials.

They trust:

→ Named clients (with permission)
→ Specific results with numbers
→ Industry-relevant case studies
→ Recommendations from people THEY respect

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟯: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 (𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻)

Your profile should demonstrate YOUR authority while making prospects feel recognized.

How?
→ Feature well-known brands you've worked with
→ Mention publications/podcasts where you've been featured
→ Show industry recognition (awards, speaking engagements)
→ But also: Use language that acknowledges your prospect's expertise

Example: "I work with visionary CEOs in [industry]..." positions your ideal client as the authority too.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟰: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 + 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱)

Generic profiles convert at 15%.

Contextually relevant profiles convert at 45%.

That's a 3x difference.

What this looks like:

→ Your headline addresses your prospect's current pain point
→ Your About section speaks directly to their stage of business
→ Your Featured section showcases work relevant to THEIR industry
→ Your activity shows you understand their world

At Focus Solutions, we map each executive's profile to their ideal client's buying journey.

Every section = a different stage of the journey.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟱: 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 + 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

People want what they can't easily have.

Profiles that convert don't sound "available to anyone."
They sound selective.

Language shifts:
❌ "Let's chat anytime"
✅ "I work with 3-5 clients quarterly"
❌ "Here's my calendar"
✅ "DM me to see if we're a fit"
❌ "We serve all industries"
✅ "We exclusively work with B2B SaaS scaling from $5M-$50M"

The more specific and selective you appear, the more high-ticket clients lean in.

A profile with all 5 triggers creates a psychological pull that makes prospects:

→ Remember you
→ Trust you faster
→ Reach out without being sold to
→ Pre-qualify themselves
→ Close faster when you DO talk

How many of these 5 triggers does YOUR profile have?

Drop a number 1-5 below and I'll give you one specific improvement you can make today.

Let's audit your profile together.

LinkedIn post explaining five psychological triggers used in high converting executive profiles including reciprocity social proof authority relevance and scarcity
Educational breakdown showing how specific language and positioning lead to trust faster decisions and $250K plus deal flow

The personal branding industry has a dirty secret.

Most agencies sell content creation and call it thought leadership.

But let me be clear:

Posting 3x a week about “leadership lessons” ≠ strategy.

Rewriting your About section ≠ positioning.

Having a Canva quote post ≠ authority.

At Focus Solutions, we refuse to play that game.

Here’s how we draw the line:

📌 Content creation = You sound active.

📌 Thought leadership = You sound irreplaceable.

📌 Content creation = Random tips that get likes.

📌 Thought leadership = Clear POV that earns trust (and inbound leads).

📌 Content creation = Surface-level storytelling.

📌 Thought leadership = Strategic narrative that aligns with your business model.

And the real difference?

Content gets you seen.

Thought leadership gets you chosen.

That’s why our clients don’t just look consistent.

They become the obvious choice before they ever get on a sales call.

What are you actually buying:

content or thought leadership?

Most people can’t tell.

Can you?

Message highlights how strategic narrative and clear point of view build trust inbound leads and make brands the obvious choice

The positioning book nobody talks about, but every CEO should read.

Everyone quotes Positioning by Ries & Trout.

But if you're building something innovative, here's the book that's actually useful in 2026:

👉 Obviously Awesome by April Dunford.

Most of my clients struggle with the same blind spot:

❌ They try to differentiate against competitors.

✅ But forget their biggest competition is… inertia.

In Dunford’s framework, “competitive alternatives” doesn’t mean your competitors.

It means what your customer would do if you didn’t exist.

Let that sink in.

When I applied this to Focus Solutions, here’s what changed:

We realized our real competitor wasn’t another agency.

It was the CEO thinking, “I’ll just do this myself”

Or worse: 

“We’ll figure it out later.”

So we shifted our messaging:

❌ From “Here’s how we’re better than other solutions”

✅ To “Here’s the risk of doing nothing (and why it’s costing you).”

That subtle shift?

It made our offer urgent instead of “nice to have.”

And conversion rates jumped.

Here’s how to use this today:

1. Write down what your customer does today without you.

(Manual process? Team hack? Ignoring the issue?)

2. Now rework your value prop to show why that’s no longer safe.

(Show hidden cost, wasted time, or growing risk)

3. Make that your new core messaging.

(Because buyers act to avoid pain more than to gain something new)

If your value prop isn’t landing, you don’t need “better copy.”

You need better positioning.

Start with this: Full summary of Obviously Awesome →

Have you read Obviously Awesome? If not, this is your sign.

I am 37.

I am a mother of three.

When I started my business my youngest had just been born.

No roadmap.

No certainty.

Just responsibility and the need to make it work.

I opened LinkedIn without knowing the direction.

I was building while learning.

Raising three kids while figuring out how to create financial stability.

My business is the same age as my youngest child.
We grew together.

Slowly.

Honestly.

From one person on my team to a 12 person in house team.

From surviving month to month to building real structure.

Along the way I worked with 70 plus clients.

Different industries.
Different goals.
Same pattern.

Most people do not struggle because they lack skill.

They struggle because they lack positioning.

That realization changed how I work.

And it changed how I lead my business.

Today I am less focused on doing everything.

More focused on clarity.

Positioning.

Building something intentional that lasts.

Being a mother taught me discipline.

Business taught me patience.

Consistency did the rest.

If you believe in yourself.

If you stay committed when it feels unclear.

Eventually everything starts making sense.

Happy weekend.

Follow me Sheza Yazdani.

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The Battle

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