Grow Your Career 1% Daily - I’ll Show You How | Follow for Tips on Learning, Professional Development, and Productivity | Professor | MBA + JD

Is this the part where I talk about brand voice, distribution, and storytelling across the funnel? Or say we “help companies scale content that converts”?

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.

But what we really do is write content your team doesn’t have to worry about, so you can stay focused on strategy, not sentence structure.

𝗛𝗲𝘆, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻. 👋

And my path here hasn’t exactly followed a playbook:
Banking → Law School → Teaching → L&D → Content

(Yeah… it’s been a ride.)

Today, I run a B2B content agency with my wife. We keep it lean and personal — just the two of us, plus our kids and a couple barky mini schnauzers. 

At Damn Smart Marketing, we give marketers writing they can trust and results they can stand behind.

✓ Content that sounds like you (not a template, not bland AI)
✓ Full support from idea to publication
✓ A partner who gets content
✓ Zero fluff, zero hand-holding
✓ More time to focus on what matters

In other words: you get to 🚀 while we handle the ✍️.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿? 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸:

1️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗿-𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.
Blogs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, case studies. If it’s got words, we’ll write it. You get to run the show without sweating every sentence.

2️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.
We’ve built an AI-assisted workflow that makes posting easy, effective, and actually worth reading.

If you're curious, DM me. 

No cold, hard pitch, I promise. Just a real convo about where you’re headed and whether some damn smart content can help.

Stephen 😀

Stephen Mostrom

How my wife and I work together without losing our minds (or our marriage)...

9 years ago, Donna and I started Damn Smart Marketing.
4 years ago, we niched down to B2B content writing. 
24 months ago, I joined full-time. 

It's been a wild ride. 
Full of ups and downs. 

And, when we share our story with others, the same question comes up every time.

"How do you work with your partner 24/7 without killing each other?"

Here's our formula: 

1 - Love your differences (really!)
2 - Create a clear division of duties
3 - Remove pressure whenever possible
4 - Talk about everything
5 - Leave your ego at the door

Interested in learning more about how we make it work?

👉 https://lnkd.in/gtPzBpME

Writer for B2B Tech & Finance ✍️ | Running a content agency with my wife (and yes, still married) | Human words, AI workflows | JD & MBA

I've got one resolution for '26. 
KEEP. IT. REAL. 

Real talk
- Words I’d say out loud, not empty-calorie buzzwords
- Taking a stance, not performative "thought leadership"
- Posting for people, not the algorithm

Real content
- Heart-first drafts, not perfect-first outputs
- A voice with fingerprints, not generic AI fluff
- Photos that feel lived-in, not perfectly staged

Real-ationships
- Showing up first, not keeping score
- Chats that run long, not calendar Tetris
- Conversations with pauses, not pitches

LinkedIn.
The business world.
The internet.
Honestly, the whole globe.

It’s getting more synthetic by the second.

Time to swim against the current. 

Real only. 
No exceptions. 

You in?

LinkedIn friends: Can you help me get the word out?

I’ve got *a lot* of thoughts on writing, creativity, AI (and where to avoid it), and B2B marketing. 

(Also the last season of Stranger Things… but that’s a separate thread)

I’m looking to connect with smart folks who care about these topics and want to have no-fluff conversations around them.

If you know anyone I should meet, I’d appreciate a tag or a DM:

- Podcast hosts
- Conference organizers
- Speaking opportunities
- Or adjacent worlds I should be paying attention to

And if you just want to talk about The Upside Down or how Steve + Dustin are an elite duo, I’m here for that too!

Thanks in advance. 🙏

I assume every LinkedIn post will flop (yes, even after 1M+ impressions). So, I run mine through this 10-point checklist before hitting publish.👇

The result?

10k+ followers
Viral client posts
Countless connections

Here's the checklist: 

1. Did I start with the good stuff?
Weak hook, no go. I’ll tweak it 100x to get it right.

2. Does this post sound like me? (Or like AI?)
Beep boop. No thanks, I’ll stick to Stephen writing. 

3. Did I make it easy to read?
No one’s reading bland blocks of text during their coffee break.

4. Did I paint the picture?
Feelings, stakes, pain. That makes a story real. 

5. Will I remember this tomorrow?
If it’s forgettable to me, it’s forgettable to them.

6. Am I talking to one person, or broadcasting to everyone?
Generic tone = generic results. I write to one reader and one reader only.

7. Did I edit out the filler?
Adverbs, clichés, throat-clearing intros. I cut them with a chainsaw.

8. Did I anchor it in lived experience?
Real stories beat abstract advice every day (twice on Sundays).

9. What’s the one thing I want someone to remember?
If my post has 6 points, it has no point.

10. Did I enjoy writing it?
If it felt like a chore, it’ll probably read like one too.

Your go-to?

Who in their right mind adds 25 pounds to their morning walk?

Umm....

Last year, I started wearing a weighted vest. Unless it's 110° or more, most mornings you'll find me with three dogs walking a mile loop around Chandler. 

Shoulders strained. 
Core (hopefully) engaged. 
CCR probably on repeat. 

It's the funny bit about exercise...

To get stronger, you have to intentionally do hard things. Lift heavy stuff, run when nothing's chasing you, or strap extra weight to your body. 

The reward?
Growth. 

Problem is, when I look at the mental side of work, all I see are shortcuts. AI wasn't the first, but boy is it the loudest. 

"Write 100 LinkedIn posts in 30 seconds!"
"Turn one idea into a week of content!"
"Hit publish without ever breaking a sweat!"

There’s absolutely a time and place for speed, efficiency, and productivity.

But if everything gets easier…
When do we actually get stronger?

This isn't theoretical. 

Darja Djordjevic (Columbia Univ) on AI: 
“Here is a machine that is always available, endlessly enthusiastic, and seemingly competent in every domain. That creates a powerful feedback loop. You skip the discomfort of starting from scratch and get rewarded in seconds.”

Great for the short-term. 
Hazardous for the long. 

That's why I'm personally putting on weighted vests at work, too. 

Writing the first draft from scratch.
Sitting with the mess before cleaning it up.
Thinking before prompting.

Do I use AI? Of course.
But it’s the spotter, not the lifter.

Because the discomfort *is* the workout.

Maybe I'm not in my right mind. 
Maybe that's okay... as long as I'm growing. 🤷

Last year, I ghostwrote on LinkedIn for a dozen execs. 12M+ impressions, 20k+ followers. Here are 4 post types that delivered (and why): 

1. Scar stories

Easily our top-performer. 

What were the bottom-rung moments in a career (fumbles, toxic peers, etc)? And, most importantly, what did you learn from them?

One six-figure impression post from last year started with, “When I left the boardroom, I thought I was fired.” 

These posts counter the perfect upward path so often embedded in thought leadership content. 

They take courage to post. 
And that’s why they work. 

2. Non-obvious + niche trends

Market trend posts work when you’ve got a one-of-one view. 
And genuine thought leaders do. 

The key is making sure the trends don’t sound like an economics report. 

They need to cut deep for your target audience. 
Show you’re in the trenches. 

Not “5 [industry] trends,” but “5 patterns showing up across every [industry] conversation I’m in.”

3. Have you seen?

This is the small-scale side of the trends conversation. 
Commenting on news happening right now, this minute. 

- Major shakeup in your industry
- Big, bold stance by leadership
- Real-time data that informs decisions

In one move, you bring your readership into the fold (“have you seen?”), then lay out your angle (“here’s how I see it”). 

Timely and opinionated. 

4. I used to think X, now I think Y

Growth is interesting. 

People love to map the trajectory a leader’s taken. They want to see the nitty-gritty thoughts that shape million-dollar (billion-dollar?) leadership. 

One post that caught fire last year…
 
It broke down the people side of a data-heavy business. “I used to think the numbers mattered most, now I think it’s those small hallway conversations.”

Growth. And how it happens. 
Your readers can easily take notes. 




What do these posts have in common?

- Specific to YOU, not just anyone
- Getting real with your struggles and journey
- Putting the “thought” in thought leadership

That’s what separates the leaders people sync with…
From content that gets scrolled past and forgotten.

This might be my favorite January reading stack ever ↓

📚 How fear shaped history, politics, society, and more 
📚 One man's journey to consume the entire encyclopedia britannica
📚 The economist behind "Capital" takes on current events
📚 AI's impact on human writing (hint: it's not good)
📚 A globetrotting journey via classic works of fiction

What are you reading?
(Recommendations, please! I'm building my list for next month)

I'm tired of reading LinkedIn posts stuffed with fluff. 

Too many words. Too little payoff. A waste of everyone's time...

The result:
Writer – Annoyed that their message isn't resonating. 😡 
Reader – Annoyed that their attention isn't respected. 😤 

Who's this working for?
Answer: no one.

Time to get back to an old writing rule I swear by, "Every word not working for you... is working against you." 

Time to ditch words that add nothing. 

↓↓↓
These are the 4 worst offenders I see every single day: 

1. Buzzword Bingo
“Leverage”
“Synergy”
“Thought leadership”
“Game-changing”

2. The Warm-Up Lap
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately…”
“I wanted to share a quick thought…”
“This might resonate with some of you…”
“Just some reflections…”

3. Captain Generic
“Bet on yourself.”
“Show up.”
“Do the work.”
"Success isn't linear."

4. Say It Again, But Louder
“In other words…”
“Put simply…”
“Let me explain…”
“To clarify…”

Instead of fluff, do this...

Get to the point. 
Respect your reader. 
Mic drop and move on. 

Yeah?

Buffer crunched 2M+ data points to answer the question: How often should you post on LinkedIn to maximize reach? ↓

2-5 times per week. 

Doesn’t have to be every day. 
Doesn’t have to destroy your calendar. 

But moving from “whenever I have time” or once a month to this range yields serious results. 

+1,182 more impressions per post
0.23 percentage point lift in engagement rate

Buffer calls it “flipping a switch.”

That’s why, when we work with busy execs and founders at Damn Smart Marketing, we use a simple 3 / 30 approach: 

3 → publish three posts per week (minus holidays)
30 → one 30-minute weekly brainstorm to generate raw ideas

(Huge shoutout to Devin Reed, who runs this process to perfection. His breakdown is worth a look: https://lnkd.in/gcghEk5R)

That’s it. 

The difference between fading into the background and showing up in the feed of the people you want to reach. 

Questions?
Drop them below or DM me.

It's official: most folks DO NOT want to read AI. 

I've suspected as much. Seen loads of spiky posts about it on LinkedIn. But this is 4,484 people casting their vote, and you can see...

Only 16% keep reading, no problem. 
Whoa. 🤯 

My thoughts: 

1 - This topic is emotional quicksand. 4k+ people voting on a LinkedIn poll... that crazy, and a signal that people REALLY care. 

This isn't a shoulder shrug.  
It's a raging fire we need to pay attention to. 

2 - How do you know something was written by AI? Short answer: you don't. Instead, we're all judging in seconds. 

Is it flat, lifeless? Could anyone have written it? 
Does it have an em dash or too many rule of threes?

There's no rulebook. 
Just people making assumptions. 

As writers, marketers, and content folks...
We have to know this. Understand it. Adapt to it. 

3 - Content is about making bets. Bets that something you create will resonate and lead to a conversation, trust-building, etc. 

Idk about you...

But I don't want to bet on 16% odds. The chance folks MIGHT ignore the AI of it all and keep reading anyway... even if ChatGPT can generate 1M words in 3 seconds.

The smarter bet? 
Write for people. Write what resonates. 

And at least according to this (pretty big) poll, that isn't AI. 



Ok, enough of my ramblings...
What do you think? 

P.S. Shoutout to Mel Barfield for doing the work.

This LinkedIn post should have been a snoozefest. ↓

Instead, it's one of the best examples of writing voice I've ever seen. 


We've all seen the new furry friend angle.
Usually it's “I got a pup! 🐶” and 5 likes.

But not Lauren. 

Check it…

1 - She pulls you right into the storyworld

“middle of the workday” → busy CEO
“puppy with bad eyes” → awwww
“definitely don’t need another dog” → tension
“skin of our gahdayum teeth” → relatability
“ohmygaaaahhhh” → human emotion
“drive four hours” → commitment

And then there’s her backstory:
“lost… one year ago this week”
😭😭😭

2 - She uses (gasp) humor

Pile of laundry?
Mitch McConnell? 

I won’t explain the funny here cause that ruins it. 
But c’mon. This is standup level. 

3 - She sounds so human

Running around at 1 million miles per hour. 
Making heartfelt decisions. 
Talking pup names with her husband. 
Reflecting on the past and looking to the future. 

All in 115 words. 



I’ve never met Lauren. 
Never seen her content on LinkedIn before. 
But you can bet I smashed that “like” button fast. 

And last I checked, 1000+ others had too. 

Wow. Great writing. 
Who knew?

“Have AI write the first draft, then edit.” 

I know smart folks who write this way. It works for them. Real talk, though, it's not how I do my best writing.

Here's why: 

1 - The 1000-pound anchor. 

Once words are on the screen, they’re hard to ignore. You start reacting to what’s there instead of imagining what could be.

That usually means less human judgment. Less original thinking.

You either have to edit hard and fast and often. 
Or you quietly settle.

2 - It’s painfully predictable.

AI leans on the same phrases, rhythms, and structures. Even when you tell it to mix things up.

So I’m left with two bad options:
- Everything I write starts to sound the same
- I spend time hacking and rearranging instead of thinking

Both feel like fighting the work instead of doing it.

3 - I want my creative muscles strong.

I plan to write tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that.

When I'm on a client call, I want ideas flowing straight from my brain (not from a prompt I used last week). 

That only happens with reps.

Staring down the blank page like it's a roaring dragon spitting flames. And coming out the other side untouched. 

---

My process instead: 

- I write the first draft, messy and human. 
- I get feedback from trusted peers and my co-founder. 
- I use AI for grammar, polish, and the occasional word swap.

That balance works for me. 
It protects originality without sacrificing speed or quality.

Curious how others do it.

AI-written first drafts?
Or human-first?

When execs and founders ask me how to win on LinkedIn, I give the same advice every time: Hook your reader. Here are 5 hook-writing tips👇

1. Know the fundamentals

Your hook = what shows before “see more.”
You’ve got about 200 characters to earn the click.
Make it count.

2. Use specific, emotionally charged words

Generic is boring. Stats are boring. I’ve seen enough posts start with a bland sentence + stat to fill a stadium.

Don’t aim for the head. Aim for the heart.

And use the words that speak to them...

Think:
– Burnout, not low engagement
– Ghosted, not no response
– Nightmare spreadsheet, not manual process

3. Inject your POV

There’s way too much “you should” on here. Try “I did” instead.

Personal stories beat generic advice every day of the week.

Simple formula:
Do interesting things. Talk about them.

4. Signal value early

If you’re sharing 5 tips, say that up front. Please don’t make people guess what they’re getting.

Clarity builds trust... fast.

5. Benefits, benefits, benefits

Assumption is a dangerous game on LinkedIn. The audience is too wide, too diverse.

So spell it out:
- Why should someone care? (benefit)
- What’s it going to help them do? (benefit)
- What’s the end result? (benefit)

If the value’s not obvious, they’ll scroll. Every time.


---
Your turn: What's your go-to tip for writing a standout hook?

Donna Mostrom calls our LLM “Cathy.”

Because we use ChatGPT.

Chatty Cathy.
Well played. 🫡

Helping International Students Live Their American Dream

I work with universities to strengthen international student systems, and with students navigating those systems at critical points.

For more than eight years, I’ve supported international students and institutions across CPT, OPT, STEM OPT, H-1B, and permanent residency—often in situations where the margin for error was thin and clarity mattered more than speed. Along the way, I’ve seen how ambiguity in policy and process creates unnecessary stress for students and unnecessary risk for institutions.

My work focuses on building clarity where uncertainty tends to live.

For Universities
I partner with institutions that want audit-ready, durable international student systems without adding complexity or exhausting staff.

Schools bring me in to:

Align SEVIS policies with real-world practice

Reduce gray areas in CPT and OPT processes

Strengthen advising consistency across teams

Build simple, repeatable frameworks that hold up under scrutiny

The work is quiet, practical, and preventative. When systems are clear, teams operate with confidence and risk drops naturally.

For International Students
In parallel, I lead a DSO-led community designed to support students through the parts of the process that rarely fit into advising appointments—understanding policy, planning ahead, and making informed decisions before situations become urgent.

The focus is not generic advice or recycled content.
It’s practical guidance, real-time context, and structured roadmaps shaped by the same standards institutions rely on.

What Guides My Work
Immigration should not feel chaotic.
Student success should not depend on who happens to answer an email.
And good systems should make the right decision the obvious one.

When institutions and students operate from clarity instead of urgency, outcomes become far more predictable.

How I Support This Work
• Universities: Institutional assessments, SEVIS policy alignment, advisor training, and scalable student-support systems built from first principles.
• International Students: Community-based guidance, structured roadmaps, live mentorship, and practical tools for navigating immigration and career decisions.

If you’re a university leader thinking carefully about international student systems—or a student navigating a high-stakes decision point—I’m always open to a thoughtful conversation.

Josh Schoonover

Seeing headlines about a visa pause?

Here’s the key point:
F-1 and J-1 students are NOT affected.

This announcement does not apply to nonimmigrant visas.

Student mobility and enrollment operations continue as normal.

Headlines move fast. Policy moves slower.

Always check the actual guidance before assuming impact.

Save this for clarity—not panic.

Dr. Josh Schoonover

Principal DSO | International Education, Compliance & Institutional Stewardship

Headlines can move faster than policy.

The recent news about a pause in visa issuance for 75 countries has understandably raised questions across campuses. What matters most in moments like this is separating signal from noise.

The announcement explicitly excludes nonimmigrant visa categories, including F-1 and J-1. At this time, international student and exchange visitor operations may continue as normal.

This is a good reminder of something many of us have learned the hard way:
 early headlines often create urgency before there is operational impact.

The institutions that navigate these moments best are the ones that pause, verify primary guidance, and communicate calmly—especially with students and partners who may already feel uncertain.

As always, I’m watching developments closely. If guidance changes, the response should be measured, timely, and grounded in what actually affects students—not speculation.

Steady leadership matters most when the news feels loud.

taplio

The Battle

Stephen Mostrom

Josh Schoonover

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreStephen Mostrom's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJosh Schoonover's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Stephen Mostrom

Josh Schoonover

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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

Performance ScoreJosh Schoonover's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreStephen Mostrom's LinkedIn Performance