After 20+ years in Silicon Valley, where I led global teams at Lucent, Altera, and LSI and ran a $400 million sales and marketing organisation, I went on to grow a Silicon Valley startup to over $100 million in global revenue.I founded Primotech, a London-based advisory and growth partner, to bridge a clear gap in how cutting-edge technology companies enter and expand in the UK and European markets.Primotech helps high-potential cybersecurity, fintech, AI, and quantum firms win major enterprise projects, secure flagship logos, and build long-term relationships across financial services, telco, and data-centre sectors.We’ve achieved major wins with leading organisations including JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, Bloomberg, NYSE/ICE, LSEG, Vodafone, BT, Morgan Stanley, and BAE Systems, helping over 20 emerging vendors establish reference customers, channel partnerships, and seven-figure pipelines.Since 2023, I also run Cyber &amp; Beats, an invite-only roundtable series in London for CISOs and CTOs. The format provides early access to game-changing technologies, credible peer insights, and meaningful conversations under Chatham House rules. Senior leaders explore topics such as AI in security, regulatory change, human risk, and real-world enterprise strategy.For CISOs and CTOs:I offer early access to emerging technologies before mainstream adoption. Whether you want to benchmark, explore new ideas, or stay ahead of the curve, I connect you with credible insights and trusted peers — without sales pressure.For Founders and Growth Teams:I help you break into complex enterprise environments, secure strategic pilots, navigate long sales cycles, and close high-value deals with the right senior sponsors.With deep networks across the UK, Europe, the US, and China, I bring together the right leaders, ideas, and opportunities — enabling innovation to scale faster and more effectively.

Steve Dodsworth

It’s important to rethink how we protect our digital society after experiencing an unprecedentedly chaotic 2025 with numerous large-scale AI driven cyber attacks.

It became apparent that cybersecurity must be viewed not only from an IT standpoint, but also as a public safety issue given the impact these attacks had on critical sectors such as healthcare and food distribution.

Moving forward, organisations will need to focus on building and maintaining their resilience, as opposed to merely achieving compliance.

See more here: https://heyor.ca/nq8b1K

#DigitalSociety #CyberSecurity #AIThreats #PublicSafety

Advisor and Business Partner — Driving Innovation & Growth | Silicon Valley Veteran | Helping CEOs, CISOs & CTOs in Fintech, Cyber, AI | Co-founder Cyber&Beats Roundtable | * Award-Winning Film Producer

Open article: Cybersecurity lessons from 2025 we cannot ignore in 2026 – Intelligent CISO by intelligentciso.com

Cybersecurity lessons from 2025 we cannot ignore in 2026 – Intelligent CISO

*40 LinkedIn Top Voices in Tech for 2025*|Consulting Engineer working with CISOs, CIOs and their teams to scope and solution workloads in Cloud, Cloud Security, Cybersecurity and AIsecurity|Tech Analyst| USAF Vet|

📌 Q: What is a non human identity (NHI)

A: a Non-Human Identity (NHI) refers to a digital credential assigned to a machine, application, or automated process rather than a human user. NHIs act as an "invisible workforce," outnumbering human identities in enterprise environments by ratios typically between 17:1 and 50:1. 

Core Characteristics

🔑Automation-Focused: They are designed to operate 24/7 without manual intervention, such as a script querying a database at 3 AM.

🔑 Programmatic Authentication: Unlike humans who use passwords or biometrics, NHIs authenticate using API keys, tokens, certificates, or cryptographic keys.

🔑 High Privilege & Scale: They often possess elevated permissions to execute backend tasks and proliferate rapidly through automated deployment pipelines. 

Common Types of NHIs

🧩 Service Accounts: Accounts used by applications or background services to perform routine tasks like data backups.

🧩 API Keys & Tokens: Short or long-lived strings that allow programmatic access between different software services.

🧩 Machine Identities: Credentials used to authenticate physical devices, virtual machines (VMs), containers, or IoT sensors.

🧩 Cloud & Workload Identities: Automatically generated roles or principals (e.g., AWS IAM Roles or Azure Managed Identities) that authorize cloud-based resources.

🧩 AI Agents: An emerging class of NHIs where autonomous AI systems use ephemeral, context-based credentials to interact with other systems. 

v/ JumpCloud 

Cc: Stan Lowe | Brad Moldenhauer | Derek Bush 

#AIDefense

As cybersecurity enters the year 2026, cybersecurity professionals will be facing a new set of challenges characterised by AI-generated threats and highly sophisticated attacks requiring advanced defenses.

AI security observation tools will allow organisations to effectively monitor end-user devices and identify anomalies in real time to help reduce opportunities for a breach to occur.

While the use of AI for increased threat detection and improved efficiency is beneficial to cybersecurity, organisations need to recognise the continuing importance of skilled cyber professionals.

Read more in this article: https://heyor.ca/AfdS0p

#CyberSecurity2026 #AIThreats #AdvancedDefenses #AISecurityTools

Open article: AI-Powered Security Observability Becomes the Backbone of Cyber Defence by techerati.com

AI-Powered Security Observability Becomes the Backbone of Cyber Defence

As stated in the recent Marsh Cybersecurity Report, two-thirds of global organisations will be increasing their cybersecurity budgets by 2026 and more than one-quarter plan to increase their spending by more than 25%.

The main areas where organisations are focusing their increased spend are security technology, incident response, and an increase in the workforce; all represent a proactive strategy for improving the security of customer data and improving an organisation's ability to respond to incidents that may occur.

With the increased number of third-party risks, as well as the recent attacks on several high-profile companies in the UK, companies should be strengthening their vendor security programs and making investments in cyber resilience at the board level.

Find out more in this article: https://heyor.ca/J9ksBc

#Cybersecurity2026 #CyberBudgetIncrease #SecurityTechnology #IncidentResponse

Open article: Majority of global firms plan to boost cyber spending in 2026 by cybersecuritydive.com

Majority of global firms plan to boost cyber spending in 2026

2026 will continue to change the cybersecurity landscape as the use of AI-driven attacks and defences will completely transform how organisations think about threats and how they respond to them.

These changes include an increased use of AI-based malware and an increase in 'predictive' security operations centres (SOCs), which focus on proactively anticipating threats rather than just responding to alerts.

The emergence of deepfakes will require a major change in the way that we can verify trustworthiness, while operational systems such as ERP and OT will be increasingly targeted by cybercriminals.

See more here: https://heyor.ca/3dT8Va

#CyberSecurity2026 #AIDrivenAttacks #PredictiveSOCs #DeepfakeChallenges

Open article: 5 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026: An Industry Insider’s Analysis by heyor.ca

5 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026: An Industry Insider’s Analysis

According to Deloitte's "Tech Trends 2026" report, the enterprise landscape is rapidly changing as more organisations use AI. As a result, companies are using technology to improve their operations and competitiveness, in addition to creating greater value from the products and services they provide.

Examples of current trends include the development of physical AI and robotics along with agent-based workforce strategies, as well as the need for organisations to develop optimised AI infrastructure to achieve greater efficiencies and innovation.

While AI creates opportunities for businesses to improve operations, it may also create security risks for them; thus, businesses should think strategically about how to leverage AI's advantages, while also protecting against potential security issues.

Find out more in this article: https://heyor.ca/X5DLiD

#TechTrends2026 #AIInBusiness #EnterpriseInnovation #AIInfrastructure

Open article: Tech Trends 2026: AI Comes of Age - WSJ by deloitte.wsj.com

With AI's rapid advancements driving cyber attacks to be more automated and adaptive than ever, organisations must prioritise cyber resilience as they evolve their cybersecurity strategy.

To overcome the increasing use of automation in cyber attacks and defend against continuously evolving cyber threats, organisations should strengthen their foundational security, including adopting Zero Trust principles and practising proactive governance.

In addition, as organisations develop offensive and defensive strategies for cyber defence, they will need to create cyber risk frameworks that include considerations of cyber resilience.

Learn more here: https://heyor.ca/edb8V9

#CyberResilience #CyberSecurityStrategy #ZeroTrustPrinciples #ProactiveGovernance

Open article: Cyber resilience in an era of AI-enabled offense by heyor.ca

Cyber resilience in an era of AI-enabled offense

In the United Kingdom, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is designed to provide protection against cyber threats by enhancing regulations and offering greater powers to regulators.

The Bill will cover three areas that will help to develop an effective environment for cybersecurity within the UK.

As a result, the legislation will provide additional layers of protection to critical sectors such as healthcare and energy, by requiring that these industries comply with minimum cybersecurity requirements and that incidents be reported quickly so that their supply chains are secure.

For more information, click here: https://heyor.ca/4ZrvZU

#CyberSecurity #UnitedKingdom #ResilienceBill #CyberThreats

Open article: What are the key areas of focus of government's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill? by techuk.org

What are the key areas of focus of government's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill?

This mirrors what CISOs say to me. AppSec noise keeps rising.  Teams drown in findings while real, exploitable risk waits quietly. Kodem cuts through noise by anchoring decisions in runtime evidence. That focus changes outcomes.
#AppSec #CISO #CyberSecurity #RuntimeSecurity

Chief Information Security Officer "CISO" (Fintech / Private Equity / Tech) | BCS Author

It was great spending time with Aviv Mussinger, the founder of Kodem Security, at our recent Cyber & Beats night.  Kodem is doing genuinely cutting-edge work in the application security space—focused on helping security teams reduce real risk without slowing developers down.
If AppSec is on your roadmap, it’s well worth reaching out to them for a conversation. Steve Dodsworth

Cybersecurity in 2026 will increasingly involve the interplay of global tensions and cyber terrorism from state actors such as Russia, China, and Iran, and their respective use of cyber warfare tactics to compromise areas of increasing importance, such as semiconductors.

At the same time, the growth of AI will provide new opportunities for malicious users to launch attacks in an advanced manner via techniques including, but not limited to, AI voice cloning, prompt injection, and automated botnets, which can be used for malicious activities.

AI will also provide organisations with tools to improve their ability to identify, analyse and respond to threats, in addition to creating a need for organisations to change quickly to help mitigate risk and protect critical infrastructure. This is as cyber warfare extends into the realm of outer space as a result of GPS systems now being used as an attack vector for disrupting GPS signals.

Read more in this article: https://heyor.ca/vX77Qt

#Cybersecurity2026 #CyberTerrorism #StateActors #CyberWarfare

Open article: 2026 cyber forecast: AI attacks and rising political tensions by heyor.ca

2026 cyber forecast: AI attacks and rising political tensions

According to a recent report from Genetec, as cyber and physical security converge in 2026, collaboration between security teams will become a focus area.

The trend is towards integrated technology versus using separated physical security systems.

Organisations will use data more efficiently and have greater operational efficiency with integrated technology and contribute to continued business.

For more information, click here: https://heyor.ca/A1iGcC

#CyberSecurity2026 #PhysicalSecurity #SecurityConvergence #IntegratedTechnology

Open article: With physical and IT security merging, collaboration will be a 2026 priority: Genetec by heyor.ca

With physical and IT security merging, collaboration will be a 2026 priority: Genetec

I’m at TechEx Global 2026 on 5 February at Olympia London. If you’re around, join me for a coffee and a quick catch-up.

40+ Linkedin Money-Making-Influence Resources I Toxic Boss Immunity I Frequency of INFLUENCE: ETHICAL PERSUASION I $20k Brain-Based Sales System | HarvardX Neuroscience Research I Keynote 🎤 I X-Microsoft I Captain ⛵

$20k Monthly Brain Based Sales System Without Chasing the "Yes"

You know the feeling:
😳 Your brain lights up with “What if they think I’m pushy?” the second you open a DM.
😬 You’d rather post and pray the right people find you than risk being ghosted.
😅 You tell yourself that if you were really good, clients would just show up.

You don’t want to fake connection just to pitch.
You want sales that feels human. Real conversations, not pressure tactics.

You’re not bad at sales.
Your brain is just protecting you.

The amygdala flags rejection as danger.
Your prefrontal cortex freezes.
And boom hesitation, overthinking, silence.

That’s where my work comes in.
I teach the Neuroscience of No-Pressure Sales so you can sell with calm confidence instead of fear.

No scripts. No manipulation.
Just science, psychology, and simple tools to retrain your nervous system so selling feels natural again.

When your brain is relaxed, your authenticity returns.
You stop pitching and start connecting.
Outreach stops feeling like an intrusion and starts feeling like service.

This is sales made easy for coaches who hate selling.

✨ Ways to get started with me:

✅ If you're a coach DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a business owner DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a sales leader DM me "Butter"
✅ Attend my next workshop for FREE BRAIN BASED SALES SECRETS. https://forms.gle/HvTRDEZEuu7bgQEF8
✅ Subscribe to the Be Like Butter Bugle: Weekly brain hacks for resilience and influence. https://synaptic-solutions.kit.com/newsletter

Personal interests: 
- Captain ⛵️ 
- Recovering Sugar Addict 🍭 
- Trash TV consumer 🗑️

Sales Coach | Toxic Boss Coach | Neuroscience Coach | Executive Coach | Master Behavioral Strategist | Speaker | Advisor | Expert | 7 figures | Virtual Speaking | Sales Performance Brain Hacker | Mindset Coach I Corporate Trainer I Influence I Key Note Speaker

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Stop chasing success alone.

Every innovator who built something great had 1 thing in common

Connection
It’s not that creativity happens alone…
It’s that the brain creates better in connection.

The brain evolved to think with other brains.
When connection is present, threat detection quiets.

The amygdala relaxes.
The prefrontal cortex stays online.
That’s where creativity lives.

Connection increases neural synchrony.
Brains begin to align.
Ideas move faster.
Patterns emerge you can’t see solo.

Isolation does the opposite.
Thinking loops.
Risk tolerance drops.
Novelty dries up.

Creativity isn’t just about safety.
It’s about belonging.
Here’s how :

1️⃣ Think out loud with others
 Speaking activates more neural networks than silent thought.
 Shared dialogue creates neural synchrony,
 helping the brain integrate patterns it can’t access alone.
 Half-formed ideas are fuel, not flaws.

2️⃣ Build before you judge
 Evaluation triggers the amygdala.
 Threat shuts down the prefrontal cortex.
 Sequence matters: expand first, critique later.
 Flow requires a brain that isn’t defending itself.

3️⃣ Create spaces to explore, not perform
 Performance activates social threat circuitry.
 Play lowers cortisol and increases cognitive flexibility.
 A relaxed nervous system makes wider, more novel connections.

Innovation doesn’t come from brilliance.
It comes from brains that feel safe thinking together.

PS: Who do you think best with?

Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

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👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

New ideas don’t land when the mind is closed

They land when the brain feels receptive.

Most people try to improve thinking
by defending what they already know.

❌ Proving they’re right.
❌ Protecting past decisions.
❌ Filtering out disconfirming information.

The brain reads that as threat.
So it resists.
When certainty feels required,
the nervous system shifts into protection mode.

Attention filters aggressively.
Contradictory data gets rejected.
Novel information never makes it in.

The brain prioritizes consistency, not accuracy.
That’s why growth stalls
when identity gets attached to being right.

Receptivity requires a different state.
When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,
the body settles.
Heart rate slows.
Breath deepens.
Defensiveness drops.

In that state, the brain becomes plastic again
instead of rigid.

Prediction errors are tolerated.
New inputs are explored.
Old models get updated.

You don’t fight new information.
You metabolize it.
Psychological safety is what allows this shift.

It tells the brain:
🧠 You won’t lose status for reconsidering.
🧠 You’re allowed to change your mind.
🧠 You can hold uncertainty without danger.

Without safety, the brain defends.
With safety, the brain learns.
No openness, no updating.
No updating, no evolution.

Here’s how to become more receptive:
1️⃣ Regulate before you evaluate
A calm nervous system tolerates contradiction.
Learning follows regulation.

2️⃣ Separate identity from ideas
Threat drops when beliefs aren’t tied to self-worth.
Flexibility increases.

3️⃣ Slow down first reactions
Pausing interrupts reflexive rejection.
Curiosity has time to emerge.

The next level isn’t hidden.
It’s already available once the brain feels safe enough.

PS: What kind of info do you resist first?

Join us for psych safety --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

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👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

This feels illegal.

I built a mobile app while sailing.

Out there, things get quiet.
No notifications fighting for attention.
No noise telling you who to be.

Just wind, water, and time to notice what’s inside.

That’s where the idea came from.

Not everyone can disappear onto a boat.
But everyone needs a way to reconnect with themselves
In a loud world that never shuts up.

So I opened Replit
and described an app idea I’d already been researching. 

How to connect with yourself in a tech heavy world using…
Guess what…yes, neuroscience. 
You guessed it. 

Replit turned that idea into a real mobile app.

A live phone preview appeared.
I played with it and iterated between tacks. 
A few messages later, the app matched the intention.

Calm.
Minimal.
Human.

No mobile frameworks.
No complicated setup.
No build headaches.

Replit handled the mobile stack…
the preview
and the path to publishing.

I focused on the part that mattered:
creating space for real connection.

That’s the point.

You don’t need to escape your life to feel grounded.
You can build tools that bring you back to yourself.
Right where you are.
Even in a noisy world.

If you’ve ever wanted to create an app without needing a team
(or a computer) 
NOW you can. 

Get the Replit app and build from anywhere.
YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I vanish for a few hours I’m probably publishing a new app between tacks. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based peace and app building
♻️ Share to inspire someone who needs dev help without headache

It's not that you aren't creative...

It's that your brain doesn't get enough breathing room

When outcomes matter too much,
the nervous system shifts into protection.

Certainty over curiosity.
Efficiency over exploration.

The amygdala scans for mistakes.
The prefrontal cortex goes quiet.
Thinking narrows to what’s already proven.

That feels like a creativity problem.
It’s actually a safety problem.

Innovation doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from widening the mental field.

Creative insight requires a brain
that isn’t bracing for consequences.

One that feels free to test, miss, and iterate
without immediate judgment.

That’s why pressure-heavy environments
produce more output…
and fewer breakthroughs.

Creativity is a state, not a talent.
Change the state and ideas follow.

Here’s how to heighten creativity on demand:

1/ Slow the body before you think
Creativity follows regulation.
Lengthen your exhale for 60 seconds before ideating.
A calmer nervous system reopens cognitive range.

2/ Create “low-stakes” thinking space
Tell your brain nothing here has to be right.
Set a 10-minute window for bad ideas only.
Permission removes the fear that blocks novelty.

3/ Shift environments, not effort
New inputs disrupt rigid patterns.
Walk. Change rooms. Look farther into the distance.
Movement and visual expansion spark new connections.

When the brain feels safe enough to explore,
it starts to play.
And play is where innovation lives.

PS: Which of these would change how you think the fastest?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

Video Credit: Unknown
---------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Your best ideas don’t show up when you’re busy

They show up when your nervous system settles.

Most people chase creativity by adding pressure.
More urgency.
More stakes.
More noise.

The brain responds by tightening.
Sympathetic activation rises.
Attention narrows.
Thinking becomes reactive.

It’s biology doing its job.
Insight comes from a different state.
When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,
💖The body slows.
💖Breath deepens.
💖Perception widens.

In that state, the prefrontal cortex regains flexibility.
The default mode network comes online.
Problems stop looking fixed and start looking solvable.

This is why breakthroughs arrive in the shower.
On walks.
After you stop trying.

Psychological safety is what allows this shift to happen.
When the brain doesn’t feel rushed or judged,
 
💡It explores.
💡It reframes.
💡It sees options that pressure hides.

No safety, no space.
No space, no insight.

Here’s how to design for it:
1️⃣ Slow the body before thinking
 Regulation opens cognitive range.
 Insight follows physiological calm.

2️⃣ Reduce perceived consequences
 Lower stakes keep the prefrontal cortex online.
 Safety precedes creativity.

3️⃣ Create margin in your schedule
 White space invites recombination.
 Ideas need room to collide.

Innovation doesn’t come from force.
It comes from a nervous system that’s allowed
to settle and see differently.

PS: Where do your best ideas tend to appear?

Join us to learn how to use your brain for your benefit
---> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

-----------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder

It comes from feeling safer.

When the brain senses pressure, it prepares to defend.
 
Attention narrows.
Options collapse.
The mind looks for certainty.

That state is efficient.
It’s not creative.

Innovation requires uncertainty tolerance.
That tolerance lives in the nervous system,
not the intellect.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,

✅ The body slows.
✅ The threat response stands down.
✅ The brain regains flexibility.

This is when perception widens.
Old assumptions loosen.

Problems reorganize themselves.
New pathways become visible.
Psychological safety is what allows this shift.

It tells the brain nothing bad will happen
if you explore a different angle.

Without safety, the brain repeats.
With safety, the brain imagines.

No regulation, no reframing.
No reframing, no innovation.

Here’s how to design for it:
1️⃣ Regulate before you reason
 Slowing the breath reduces neural noise.
 Clear thinking follows bodily calm.

2️⃣ Delay decisions during ideation
 Premature judgment triggers threat circuits.
 Time preserves creative flexibility.

3️⃣ Create private space to think freely
 Privacy lowers social evaluation.
 Safety expands possibility.

Breakthroughs come from a nervous system 
that feels safe enough
to see the problem differently.

PS: What helps your body settle fastest?

Join us for innovation --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

-------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

You’re not broken.

You're just not connected...

...in a way no one taught you to recognize.

We have more connection technology than ever.
Group chats. Slack threads. Social feeds.
Standing meetings. Faces everywhere.

You can be busy, productive, and surrounded by people
And still feel unseen, unfelt, and unsupported.

Modern life keeps the nervous system overstimulated.
Your brain is flooded with input, decisions,
and performance cues.

When that happens, the social brain goes offline.
You don’t lose the desire for connection.
You lose access to it.

So you adapt.

You stay functional instead of present.
You keep conversations light instead of real.
You handle things alone because it feels safer.
You tell yourself you’re “fine”
while feeling disconnected from yourself.

Over time, that state becomes your baseline.
And the most painful part?

You start to believe this is just how life is.
It’s not.

Disconnection isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a nervous system state.
And nervous system states can change.

Here’s what neuroscience shows actually helps.

1/ regulation comes before connection.
 When your system is overloaded,
 bonding chemistry can’t do its job.
 You don’t need better words.
 You need your body to feel safe enough
 to be real.

2/ small moments matter more
 than deep conversations.
 Eye contact that lasts a beat longer.
 A pause instead of rushing away.
 Naming what you notice
 instead of what sounds impressive.

3/ connection accelerates in the right environment.
Trying to heal disconnection alone
 keeps the brain in protection mode.
 Being around others doing hard inner work
 creates co-regulation.

Your nervous system learns:
“I don’t have to carry this by myself.”
That’s why community matters.

Not noisy.
Not performative.
Not networking.

But a grounded space of people 
reconnecting with themselves
and with others.

This is what I’m building.
A community for capable, thoughtful people
doing hard things
who don’t want to do them alone.

A place to regulate, reflect, and be real
without fixing yourself
or pretending you’re fine.

If you’ve felt alone in a world full of people,
it’s not because something is wrong with you.
It’s because your nervous system
hasn’t had the right conditions yet.

And you don’t have to create those alone.
If this resonated, the community is open
for people ready to reconnect with themselves and with others.

P.S. Where do you feel most disconnected right now?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

------------------------------------------------------------
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based connection
♻️ Share this with someone who might feel alone but never say it

It’s not that your team doesn't have new ideas…

It’s that they don’t feel safe enough to share them with you.

When people sense evaluation,
their nervous systems switch to self-protection.

😶‍🌫️ They edit.
😶‍🌫️ They hedge.
😶‍🌫️ They stick to what’s already approved.

That looks like alignment.
It’s actually inhibition.

Innovation requires exposure.
New ideas are, by definition, unproven.
And the brain treats being wrong like a social threat.

So the amygdala gets loud.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows to what won’t get you in trouble.

That’s why teams with “high standards”
but low psychological safety
produce execution…
not breakthroughs.

Psychological safety isn’t about being nice.
It’s about creating conditions
where the prefrontal cortex stays online.

When people believe they won’t be punished
for experimenting,
their brains stay open.

They challenge assumptions.
They connect unlikely dots.
They surface problems early.

No safety, no innovation.
No innovation, no future edge.

If you want better ideas, don’t ask for more creativity.
Design environments where
people don’t have to protect themselves first.

PS: Where do you notice people holding back on your team?

Join the Butterhood Connect
- Get free resources and training on DMs
- Figure out your sales style
- Jumpstart your sales!
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs
You don't have to do this ALONE
https://lnkd.in/gbpNMdU6

Video Credit: Unknown

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♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Your CRM shows ACTIVITY.

It doesn't show REALITY.

Most managers think they understand their pipeline.
But they’re only seeing the version their reps feel comfortable sharing.

The CRM shows progress.
The reps show confidence.
The pipeline shows movement.

But underneath all of that
there’s hesitation, uncertainty, and doubt
that never makes it into the forecast.

And that’s the part that costs you.

Reps aren’t trying to mislead you.
They’re trying to look competent.
So they hold back the early warning signs.
They soften how shaky a deal feels.
They overstate buyer momentum.

They wait until a problem becomes undeniable
and by then
your quarter is already in danger.

That’s why so many leaders get blindsided.
Not because the deals are bad
but because the real signals were never visible.

A CRM tracks activity.
It doesn’t track conviction.
It doesn’t track buyer emotions.
It doesn’t track rep confidence.
It doesn’t track the energy of the deal
which is the part that collapses first.

SalesSage exposes that hidden layer.
It reveals where reps feel unsure.
It highlights deals that look fine on paper
but feel unstable underneath.
It identifies slipping belief before it becomes slipping revenue.
It gives you truth early
so you can fix the problem while there’s still time.

Leaders don’t need more data.
They need the truth behind the data.
That’s the gap SalesSage closes.

If you want to see what’s really happening
beneath the surface of your pipeline sign up
14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. How was your Q4?

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➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” deal that fell apart

You can’t fix a quarter your team’s afraid to talk about.

Your biggest revenue leak isn’t pipeline. It’s silence.

The worst part of running a sales team
is thinking you’re safe right before the quarter blows up.

Your CRM says you’re good.
Your reps say deals are “strong”.
Forecast looks clean.
You breathe for two seconds.

Then the quarter flips
and you’re standing there like
what the hell just happened?

Here’s the truth nobody wants to say:
Reps aren’t lying.
Their brains are.

People say things are fine when they’re overwhelmed.
They overestimate deals when they’re stressed.
They downplay risk when they don’t want to look behind.

So you get the truth only after it hits your number.
Sales Sage catches it earlier.

It spots confidence dips.
Avoidance patterns.
Dead deals dressed up as healthy ones.
Execution cracks that never show in a CRM.

Stuff reps don’t say out loud but absolutely tank a quarter.
If you’re tired of getting blindsided
by “everything looks good” data

P.S. What's your best closing line?

See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

---------------------------------------------------------------

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a surprise miss
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales insights

Stop telling yourself that you're too busy to DM.

Stop telling yourself DMs are too pushy. 

DMs close sales. Period. 

Most people think outreach stalls
because they don’t know what to say.
That’s rarely true.

What’s actually happening is identity protection.
Your brain isn’t avoiding DMs to save time.
It’s protecting how you see yourself.

So you stay visible.
You post.
You wait.

And the conversations that move revenue never start.

When the nervous system flags selling as risk,
avoidance looks like strategy.

Weeks pass.
Opportunities decay.
Revenue becomes unpredictable.
That delay has a real cost.

Avoiding just 3–5 high-value messages a week
can quietly leave $15K–$100K per quarter on the table.

Not because you lack ability.
Because “selling” feels unsafe.

This is why scripts don’t stick.
Knowledge ≠ movement.

Insight shows up first.
Behavior only follows when the underlying pattern shifts.

That’s what Butterhood is for.
Not more information.
Not performance.
Not pressure.

It’s a place to notice friction in real time
and make small, deliberate moves
that change momentum.

Inside, we work on:
Why certain conversations stall even when you say the right thing
What makes outreach feel heavy and how to remove that friction
How to move conversations forward without forcing or performing
Installing a sales rhythm that feels stable instead of stressful

They’re ordered intentionally.
Each layer stabilizes the nervous system for the next.

If you’ve ever thought, “This makes sense…
so why am I not doing it yet?”

That’s the signal.
GET IN THE DMS.
Still resisting?
GET INTO THE BUTTERHOOD.

If you want influence that moves like butter 🧈
Join Butterhood → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

BONUS: Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: Where do your conversations stall right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based sales insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help someone move again

Why do you have that stupid look on your face?

A C-level executive asked me on my first day

I was sitting across his desk of my first big girl job
(Talk about an executive onboarding)
I was just 20 years old.

I remember freezing.
Not answering.
Just blinking.

I laughed it off and swallowed my pride. 

Meeting over.
But my body stayed locked.

Jaw tight.
Chest and body buzzing.
Mind replaying every word.

Later that day a coworker asked if I was okay.

I said yes.
I wasn’t lying on purpose.
I just didn’t know what “okay” even meant anymore.

That’s the problem with stress.
It normalizes.
Your nervous system adapts.
Your baseline quietly shifts.

You think its no big deal. 
I’m fine. 

Your body knows that you’re not.
For years, I relied on vibes.
Am I handling it or barely holding it together?

No data.
No baseline.
Just guessing.

That’s why I built a these resources
✅ An entire toxic boss armor system
✅ 25-question nervous system audit
✅ An app that helps you each step of the way

Not a personality quiz.
Not mindset fluff.

Actual signals of load, recovery,
and how close you are to the edge.

The site and app give you a real baseline.
Clear data.
Practical next steps.

You don’t need thicker skin.
You need awareness and a hand up. 

PS What's your worst toxic boss story?

https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

--------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools 
♻️ Repost if someone you know is guessing too.

Why do you have that stupid look on your face

Everyone wants AI magic.

Few want to invest in the foundation.

People light up when they talk about AI lead gen.

AI outreach.
AI follow up.
AI prospecting.
The promise of more output with less effort...
It's intoxicating.

But effectiveness still comes from the human brain.
The seller’s state.
The buyer’s state.
The interaction between the two.

If your nervous system is overloaded, 
your messages won’t land.

If your prospect’s nervous system is tense,
your tools won’t move them.

If your clarity wobbles,
your AI will wobble with it.

Tools can accelerate your behavior.
They can’t upgrade your regulation.
They can’t deepen your presence.
They can’t create safety for a buyer who isn’t sure yet.

So you can very quickly send a bad message to 
a lot of people (and I see this a lot).
Super efficient. 
Effective?
Not so much. 

You would have been better off 
not to send anything at all. 

You create
👀 noise.
👀 hesitation.
👀 stall points.

Before you automate anything,
your nervous system has to support the interaction.
Your messaging has to speak to the real pressure points.
Your awareness has to read what the buyer is actually signaling.

Here are the pieces that shift everything:
1️⃣ A regulated internal state
A steady system writes messages people lean into.

2️⃣ Understanding buyer pressure
Not their demographics.
Their actual cognitive load.

3️⃣ Signal-based communication
Warmth, recency, micro-openings, lowered stakes.

Without this foundation in place, AI becomes clutter.
😶‍🌫️ Damages your brand.
😶‍🌫️ Irritates your people. 
😶‍🌫️ Loses your clients.

Inside Butterhood, this is the core work.
The human layer that makes every tool
more powerful, more accurate, and more profitable.
EFFECTIVE.

Join us → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: What AI promise are people chasing the hardest right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for brain-backed sales and clarity
♻️ Share this to help someone build the foundation that sells

7 signs you're tough enough for your toxic boss...

without quitting your job.

Your nervous system has a baseline.
That baseline shapes how pressure lands.

Here are 7 signs you're tough enough:

1/ Your baseline state
 A system that rarely rests stays closer to threat.
 From that state, stress hits faster and harder.
 Do this: notice how you feel when you first wake up.
 Do this: schedule one daily pause with no objective.

2/ Continuous motion
 Moving task to task keeps activation high.
 The body never completes a stress cycle.
 Do this: insert a 2-minute pause between blocks.
 Do this: stand still and breathe before switching tasks.

3/ Mental load during “rest”
 A busy mind keeps the system activated.
 Physical stillness alone doesn’t equal recovery.
 Do this: notice if your mind stays busy at rest.
 Do this: gently bring attention to body sensations.

4/ Guilt around slowing down
 Guilt keeps the nervous system alert.
 Safety requires permission to stop.
 Do this: notice the urge to justify rest.
 Do this: remind yourself recovery supports performance.

5/ Morning and evening carryover
 Tension on waking signals unresolved load.
 Evening stress blocks downshifting.
 Do this: check your body before checking your phone.
 Do this: create a short shutdown ritual at night.

6/ Recovery timing
 Waiting for exhaustion delays regulation.
 Late recovery takes longer to work.
 Do this: rest before you feel depleted.
 Do this: add small resets throughout the day.

7/ Social threat sensitivity
 Overloaded systems struggle with power dynamics.
 Emotional range narrows under pressure.
 Do this: regulate before interactions, not after.
 Do this: widen awareness when tension rises.

This comes before any boss strategy.
Awareness of starting state is the first layer of immunity.

PS Which point showed you something you hadn’t noticed before?

Toxic Boss Immunity - 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa
OR
DM Me "Toxic Audit" for your own quick check

----------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools to stay regulated in toxic places
♻️ Repost if someone you know is always “on.”

 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

Don't just pray for a job.

Pray for a leader, not a toxic boss. 

They say you leave your manager, not your job.
So. True. 

Culture lives in nervous systems.
Leaders set the baseline every day.
Teams regulate around that signal automatically.

Here are 5 signs of a great leader:

1/ Self-regulation
 A great leader notices their own stress.
 They slow down before they speak.
 The room settles when they enter.

A toxic leader brings unprocessed stress.
The room tightens immediately.

2/ Clarity under pressure
 A great leader keeps priorities stable.
 Expectations stay clear during chaos.
 Brains relax when rules do not shift.

A toxic leader changes direction emotionally.
The team scans moods instead of work.

3/ Pressure flows upward
 A great leader absorbs pressure from above.
 They filter noise before it hits the team.
 Focus stays intact.

A toxic leader pushes pressure downward.
Urgency spreads through the group.

4/ Recovery is allowed
 A great leader respects human limits.
 Pauses are normal and safe.
 Energy and thinking stay strong.

A toxic leader rewards constant output.
Rest feels risky or earned.

5/ Response over reaction
 A great leader pauses in conflict.
 Their nervous system stays online.
 Hard talks feel contained.

A toxic leader reacts emotionally.
Others mirror the instability.
Trust erodes quietly.

Leadership is not control.
It is regulation.

PS Which one of these have you felt?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa

-----------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based leadership tools.
♻️ Repost if a leader you know needs this lens.

Behind every “I’m not qualified”

Is a future you haven’t met yet. 

I’m not technical.
I’ve never wanted to be “the code person.”
And honestly, that used to stop me.

Because most AI coding hype assumes
you already know what you’re doing.
Repos.
Installs.
Setup before you even start.

That’s where Replit felt different.
I stayed in the browser.
I described what I wanted in plain words.
And I watched a real app come to life.
Live.

I wasn’t struggling to learn syntax.
I was refining an idea using my own language. 

You grow by doing things you aren’t qualified to do yet.
Most people don’t fail because they can’t.

They stop because they tell themselves
“I’m not technical enough.”

I didn’t suddenly become technical.
The barrier just disappeared.

Replit handled the setup, hosting, and deployment.
I focused on what the app should feel like.
That’s the unlock.

If you already code,
pairing Replit with Claude Code accelerates shipping.
If you don’t,
Replit still lets you build something real.

No identity change required.

You don’t need permission.
You don’t need a team.
You don’t need to be “qualified” yet.
You just need to start.

P.S. What have you been waiting to build?

💡 $10 credit for Replit Core users —>
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.P.S. If you’ve been telling yourself “I’m not ready for that yet,”
THIS IS YOUR SIGN

------------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based performance
♻️ Share to inspire someone who’s doubting their fire

If you can’t regulate...

You can’t close.

Sales exposes you.
You meet yourself in every conversation.

Your patterns.
Your pressure points.
Your nervous system.
And there are truths you can’t bypass.

You can only face them and train your brain to handle them.
Here are the fifteen brutal truths that shape every 
👀 coach
👀 solopreneur
👀 salesperson

Skinny to long.
Short to heavy.

Exactly how they hit in real life.

1. Pain shows.
2. Hope lies.
3. Buyers drift.
4. Silence grows teeth.
5. Confidence is unstable.
6. Urgency fades overnight.
7. Your tone leaks your pressure.
8. Your pipeline mirrors your mind.
9. Hard calls get pushed tomorrow.
10. Deals die from emotional overload.
11. You cling to maybes to avoid rejection.
12. You chase when your nervous system spikes.
13. You fill your calendar instead of your forecast.
14. You talk more when your brain feels threatened.
15. You lose more deals from dysregulation than bad skills.

The people who win aren’t the hardest closers.
They’re the ones who can think when the noise hits.

They regulate faster.
They recover quicker.
They protect their cognitive bandwidth.

If you want a system that reduces noise, 
increases yeses..
and keeps you out of chasing mode
Let's Talk here --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS. Which truth hit the hardest today?

---------------------------------------------------------------

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a brutal truth
➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales insights

Don’t be afraid to start all over again.

You might like your new story better.

Most people don’t stay with toxic bosses
because they love the job.

They stay because starting over feels risky.

You already invested time.
You already proved yourself.
You already survived this much.

So you tell yourself to push through.
But toxic environments don’t just drain energy.
They slowly rewrite who you think you are.

Confidence narrows.
Vision shrinks.
Your nervous system learns to expect threat.

Starting over isn’t failure.
It’s interruption.
And sometimes, leaving isn’t possible yet.
That’s where people get stuck.

Here’s how to regain agency
even if you can’t leave right now.

Three pillars.
Practical. Grounded. Usable.

1/ Establish your baseline
You need to know your starting state.
Stress feels normal when it’s chronic.
Without data, you guess how you’re doing.
Do this: assess how activated you feel most days.
Do this: track sleep, tension, and recovery honestly.
Baseline awareness tells you whether you’re already 
overloaded before the boss even enters the picture.

2/ Predict instead of brace
Toxic bosses are patterned.
The same situations trigger the same behavior.
Surprise is what spikes threat.
Do this: list the moments they escalate.
Do this: plan your response before it happens.
Prediction gives your nervous system what it desperately wants.
Certainty.

3/Plan recovery like it’s required
Stress doesn’t end when the meeting ends.
Unreleased activation carries forward.
That’s how burnout accumulates.
Do this: schedule recovery after interactions.
Do this: close the stress cycle deliberately.
Recovery restores clarity, confidence, and choice.

This is how you protect yourself
while you decide what comes next.

And if there truly is no exit right now,
you still don’t have to white-knuckle it.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It gives you a baseline.
Helps you predict patterns.
Builds plans that keep your nervous system intact.

Starting over doesn’t always mean leaving tomorrow.
Sometimes it means reclaiming yourself first.

PS If you could rewrite your work story, 
what would you want to feel differently?

Free resources
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

-----------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools to stay clear at work.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is afraid to start again.

Micromanagement breeds compliance.

Not commitment.

When every move is monitored,
every decision is corrected,
and every mistake is highlighted,
the brain stops optimizing for growth.

It starts optimizing for safety.
Micromanagement increases uncertainty.
Uncertainty activates the amygdala.
Threat signaling rises.
The prefrontal cortex goes partially offline.

That’s the biology of it.
The prefrontal cortex is where initiative lives,
creativity lives, and ownership lives.

When threat is present, those functions are deprioritized.
So the nervous system adapts.
People do what’s asked.

They stop offering ideas.
They wait for instructions.
They avoid visibility.

From the outside, it looks like control is working.
From the inside, commitment is already gone.

Chronic micromanagement also keeps the stress axis activated.
Cortisol stays elevated.
Recovery shortens.
Motivation drops.
Burnout becomes inevitable.

This is nervous system load.
Leaders often assume disengagement = people don’t care.

More often, it means their nervous system 
doesn’t feel safe enough to invest.

And if you’re on the receiving end of this,
you don’t need thicker skin.

You need regulation, data, and strategy.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It helps you understand your nervous system baseline,
predict toxic patterns,
and protect your clarity and confidence
even when leadership doesn’t change.

Compliance is a warning sign.
Commitment only emerges when the brain feels safe.

PS Are you barely hanging on by a thread? 
Get some relief --> https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

-------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for surviving a toxic boss.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is stuck under a micromanager.

The answer doesn’t show up when you chase it

It shows up when you stop gripping.

Most people try to solve problems by applying more force.

❌ More analysis.
❌ More urgency.
❌ More mental effort.

The brain hears that as threat.
So it tightens.

When pressure rises,
the nervous system shifts into control mode.

Attention narrows.
Thinking becomes repetitive.

The brain looks for the least risky answer,
not the most interesting one.

That’s why clarity feels elusive when you need it most.
Insight lives in a quieter state.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,
the body settles.

Heart rate slows.
Breath deepens.
Internal noise drops.

In that state, the brain starts integrating 
instead of defending.

Patterns rearrange.
Meaning surfaces.
You don’t force the answer.
You notice it.

Psychological safety is what gives the nervous system
permission to loosen its grip.

It tells the brain:
🧠 You’re allowed to pause.
🧠 You’re allowed to wonder.
🧠 You’re allowed to see this differently.

Without safety, the brain loops.
With safety, the brain listens.

No calm, no coherence.
No coherence, no insight.

Here’s how to invite clarity back in:
1️⃣ Soften the body first
Longer exhales reduce neural noise.
The mind follows the body into calm.

2️⃣ Remove time pressure from thinking
Urgency activates threat circuits.
Space restores perspective.

3️⃣ Be alone long enough to hear yourself
Solitude lowers social evaluation.
The quiet reveals what you already know.

The answer isn’t missing.
It’s waiting for peace to rise high enough
for you to hear it.

PS: Where do your clearest insights tend to appear?

Join us for psych safety --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

-------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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