Hi! I'm Stephanie! I'm passionate about building impactful partnerships, enabling businesses to grow, and making sure the social impact community thrives. With over a decade of consistently generating seven and eight figure annual revenue for companies, I understand what it takes to drive success.

Over the last 15 years working with non-profit, government and for profit businesses, I've developed a unique process for building community and generating revenue through a partnership growth mindset. I've been fortunate to develop programs and partnerships that have touched lives across the globe, from India to the United States and beyond. I've created thousands of ecosystems and opportunities that unite governments, educators, employers, and donors to make tangible change.

I believe that together we can achieve great things and am committed to paving the way for a more inclusive, impactful future.

Stephanie Wilson

This weekend I’m spending time at the ISET National Gathering, and I want to name how meaningful it is to be here.

Being in this space is a reminder that workforce development is not just about programs, funding, or outcomes on paper. It’s about people, place, and self-determination. Indigenous communities have been doing this work for generations, building pathways rooted in culture, community knowledge, and lived experience.

What stands out most is the care and intentionality behind the conversations. 

Listening comes first. 
Relationships come before solutions. 
Progress is measured not just by numbers, but by trust, relevance, and long-term impact.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn, to listen, and to be present in a space led by Indigenous voices and priorities. 

Moments like this quietly reshape how you think about the work and how you show up when you return home.

#ISETNationalGathering #ISETGathering2026 #Indigenous #WorkforceDevelopment #Community

Thanks to Jelly Academy for organizing such a collaborative space and to Digital Moment | Moment numérique for the opportunity.

Cross-Sector Growth Strategist | $100M+ in Government & Partner Funding Secured | Nonprofit • Tech • Education • SaaS | Founder – The Uplift Collective

The last five days have been full.

Full in the sense of listening carefully, asking questions, and sitting in rooms where people are genuinely trying to figure out how we do this work better.

Across different events, sectors, and conversations, the thread has been consistent.

How do we build systems that actually serve people, not just programs?

How do we prepare for the future of work without losing sight of the humans navigating it right now?

How do we move past performative solutions and into ones that are grounded, inclusive, and durable?

There’s also a reality I’m hearing more clearly now than ever.

Funding is tight. Budgets have been cut. Teams that once sent three or four people to conferences are now sending one. Many are attending virtually, not by choice, but by necessity.

I’m genuinely grateful to conferences and organizers who make that possible. Access matters. So does recognizing that for many organizations, showing up at all right now takes intention and sacrifice.

What that’s changed is the weight of being in the room.

More people are carrying insights back to their teams. 

More responsibility to listen well, synthesize, and translate what matters into action. Fewer spectators. More stewards.

The conversations I’ve been part of haven’t been about trends for the sake of trends. They’ve been about tradeoffs. Priorities. What we protect when resources are constrained.

Spending this time with practitioners, funders, educators, Indigenous leaders, and workforce builders has been a reminder of why this work matters to me.

Not because the answers are easy.

But because when conditions are tight, clarity matters even more.

It was so great to reconnect, meet new people and learn from so many amazing individuals! Until next time friends!
Wendy Baker Darian Kovacs ♾️ Allain Lauzon Mary Stack, BA, CPHR Jasmeen Sidhu, Ph.D. Allan Govender Virginia Gluska Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia Eleanor Hawkins Nausheen Ali Fatima Saadeddine, MBA,PMP,CHRP,ESPT  Jade (Jadelyn) Psutka Allison Bear BComm Barbara Wilson,🍁CCDP® Lisa Stephenson-MBA, CRSP Kelly Johnson

It was unfortunate that so many people had travel cancelled so they couldn't attend after all - I see you!

#Cannexus2026 #ISETGathering2026 #Community #NonProfit #EmploymentServices #Indigenous #Learning

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The Uplift Collective

https://www.upliftcollective.ca/the-partnership-blueprint-five-proven-steps-for-forging-successful-partnerships

the-uplift-collective

I grew up in a small town in rural eastern Ontario.

When I finished high school, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I just knew one thing very clearly. I did not like school the way it was structured. Sitting still. Being talked at. Memorizing instead of doing.

So I took a year off after high school to try to find my way.

It felt uncomfortable. Most of my friends knew exactly what they wanted to do. Everyone was heading off to university. I felt behind. A little lost. Like I had missed some memo everyone else received.

After that year, I still did not know what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” But I did know I needed some form of post secondary education. I needed skills. I needed momentum.

I chose college and enrolled in executive administration.

It was hands on. Practical. I learned a lot. I worked three jobs to cover rent and school. I learned how to manage money because I had to. Those years shaped my work ethic and my sense of responsibility in ways I still carry with me.

After graduating, I got a job working for a municipal councillor. What started as a role turned into six formative years. It exposed me to government, policy, community, and how decisions actually get made. That path eventually led me into the nonprofit world, where I found my purpose. That part of the story is for another day.

For a long time, I was embarrassed to say I did not have a university degree.

I was screened out of jobs automatically because it was mandatory. I questioned myself more times than I can count.

Do I regret not going to university?

Yes and no.

No, because I do not think I would have thrived there at that point in my life.

Yes, because there were real opportunities I never got access to because I did not have that piece of paper.

Both things can be true.

I am sharing this because I see so many people feeling pressure to follow a single definition of success. A single path. A single timeline.

Education matters. Credentials matter. But lived experience matters too.

Learning by doing counts. Working your way through school counts. Taking a longer or different route counts.

There is no one right way to build a career.

Chart your own path. Pay attention to what energizes you, not just what looks good on paper. 

Choose the pathway that works for how you learn, how you move, and who you are becoming.

#CareerPath #Employment #FindYourOwnPath #NonProfit #Education

Photo is me from 2008, still trying to figure things out.

We have a beautiful owl that lives in the trees near our driveway. Usually across the way. Easy to admire from a distance.

Last night, I went out to grab wood for the stove before bed and nearly jumped out of my skin. 

He was sitting right on the front porch railing. Completely still. Just watching. Probably hunting. Definitely unbothered by me.

I froze. Slowly backed into the house. Turned off the lights.

Then I stood in the dining room, in the dark, and watched him for a while.
No noise. 

Just this quiet, unexpected moment of sharing space with something wild and calm and entirely unconcerned with my plans for the evening.

It was incredible.

Sometimes the best moments are the ones that do not mean anything more than exactly what they are.

#Wildlife #NotAPhotographer #CountryLife 

Alyx Parks and Stephanie Martin - I thought of both of you immediately after it happened.

Some of the most valuable parts of my work live in the things I no longer consciously think about.

After years of building, reviewing, defending, and negotiating government budgets, so much of what I do has become instinctive. 

You stop noticing the hundreds of small decisions you make because you have internalized how funders think, where flexibility actually lives, and which details quietly matter most.

Recently, I had the chance to sit with that experience and write it all down. 

Not the big frameworks or the obvious rules, but the small things you only learn by doing the work. 

The wording choices that reduce scrutiny. 

The assumptions that do not need to be over engineered. 

The places where people think they are locked in, but are not.

There was something unexpectedly grounding about translating years of lived experience into something clear and usable for a client. 

Not to impress. 
Not to overcomplicate. 
Just to make the work easier and less stressful for the people doing it.

This kind of work reminds me why I enjoy what I do. 

Helping smart teams feel more confident, more capable, and less constrained by rules that often feel heavier than they actually are.

If you have ever felt weighed down by process or rules that seemed immovable, I promise there is often more room to breathe than it appears.

#BudgetDevelopment #ProposalDevelopment #NonProfit #GovernmentFunding

One thing I think everyone should try at least once is learning someone else’s job.

Not the polished version. The real, day to day work. The setup. The decisions no one talks about. The small things that keep everything moving quietly in the background.

When you work in teams, so much of that effort becomes invisible. Systems run. Tools connect. Processes exist. You rarely stop to think about how much experience and judgment it takes to make things feel that seamless.

Until those people are not there.

And you have to do one small piece yourself.

You realize how many choices live inside what once looked simple.

Lately, I am spending an absurd amount of time learning tools.
Not the exciting kind. The tiny, fiddly ones. Payment systems. Tool connections. Settings I did not even know existed.

Learning to do something you have never done before, or something that was always someone else’s role, builds more than skills.

It builds appreciation.

It changes how you show up the next time.

#ProfessionalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Entrepreneurship

I really hate getting a no.

Not because I expect everything to work out, but because I put a lot into the work. Time. Thought. Energy. And more than that, belief. I care deeply about what I do and about the teams and ideas behind every proposal. That makes the no’s land harder than people realize.

Early on, I took them personally. Every declined submission felt like a judgment, not just of the work, but of the care behind it. And honestly, I still feel that sometimes. Loving the work makes you more exposed, not less.

What changed over time was not the feeling. It was what I did with it.

I started sitting with the no’s longer. Looking for patterns. Paying attention to what funders questioned, what they ignored, and what clarity actually meant in practice. Every no taught me something I could not have learned any other way.

That learning adds up. Today, more than 40 percent of what I work on gets approved. Not because the no’s stopped hurting, but because I stayed curious instead of shutting down.

Lately, there have been a lot of yes’s for clients. And I feel genuinely excited for them every single time. 

I also know the no’s will come again. They always do.

When they do, I will feel them. And then I will learn from them.

Because caring about the work is not a weakness. It is the reason the yes’s mean so much when they arrive.

#GovernmentFunding #BusinessDevelopment #ProposalDevelopment

I’ve learned that authenticity isn’t about having a fixed identity. It’s about staying honest as things shift.

I have spent years being the reliable one. 

The person who could hold a lot, absorb uncertainty, and keep moving anyway.

That works. Until it does not.

Because eventually you realize how much energy it takes to live up to a version of yourself that was built for other people’s expectations.

Letting go of who you think you are supposed to be does not mean losing drive or ambition. It means releasing the pressure to look a certain way while you are building something real.

Authenticity is not a reveal or a brand decision.

It is a daily choice to show up aligned, even when that alignment keeps evolving.

And that choice changes everything.

#BeTrueToYourself #Authenticity #Leadership #NonProfit #StartUp

One of the best parts of a panel on AI and the next generation at the AI Policy Conference yesterday was that it did not try to wrap anything up neatly.
Instead, it named the complexity.

AI is already embedded in education, work, and daily life. Young people are forming relationships with systems that shape how they think, learn, and see themselves. Institutions are trying to respond in real time, often without data, shared frameworks, or room to pause.

At the same time, many of the loudest predictions about jobs and disruption have not fully materialized. Change is happening, but unevenly. Slowly in some places. Abruptly in others.

What emerged was a quieter but more useful set of questions.

How do we equip young people to be creators, not just users?

How do we protect without pretending we can stop what is already here?

How do we build literacy, judgment, and human skills that remain valuable no matter how tools evolve?

There was no single answer, and that felt right.

This is long-term work. It requires humility, collaboration across disciplines, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty without defaulting to fear or hype.

If there was a through-line, it was this: the future will be shaped less by the tools themselves and more by how thoughtfully we choose to integrate them.

Panel participants:
Justin Hendrix, Tech Policy Press
Shingai Manjengwa, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Namir Anani, P.Eng., ICTC-CTIC
Laurent Charlin, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
André Côté, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University 

Thankful to Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute for access to the AI Policy Conference and for putting together such a great event!

#AIPolicy #YouthAndAI #Talent #GovernmentofCanada

Creativity is my word for 2026.

Creativity in how I approach work, rest, and everything in between.

Creative problem solving.
Creative contracting.
Creative time off.
Creative experiences.

Creativity is what lets you ask better questions instead of accepting the default answer. It is how you find options where others see constraints. It is how you design work and life in ways that actually fit.

In 2026, the only box is that there is no box.

More room to experiment.

More permission to rethink how things are done.

More trust in the idea that there is almost always another way.

Here is to a year of curiosity, flexibility, and building something that feels as good as it works.

#Focus #GrowthMindset #HeresTo2026

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur.

In fact, quite the opposite. I was convinced I did not have the “it” that founders and leaders are supposed to have. 

I wanted stability. The person who imagined working for others my whole life and being perfectly content doing that.

And for a long time, that made sense.

What I did not realize then is that entrepreneurship does not always look like taking big risks. Sometimes it looks like taking responsibility. For your values. For your time. For the kind of work you want to put into the world.

I did not wake up one day wanting to start something of my own. I arrived here slowly, through experience, through necessity, and through a growing understanding of what I needed in order to feel grounded and aligned.

Entrepreneurship was not a goal. It was a response.

And maybe that is the part we do not talk about enough. Not everyone sets out to build something. 

Some of us end up here because staying the same stopped being an option.

Did you ever picture yourself doing what you are doing now?

#Entrepreneuship #CareerFocus

Woke up to a weirdly satisfying thing this morning.

I’ve had a watch since July that tracks something called body battery. 

I’ve seen it end the day at five more times than I’d like to admit.

Today I woke up at one hundred. First time ever.

That’s it. That’s the post.

#WeekendVibes #QuietWins #SlowDown

READ THE QUOTE IN THE IMAGE!

Now read it again!

Who. You. TRULY. Are

NOT the version that feels easiest to explain.

NOT the version that keeps everyone comfortable.

NOT the version that fits neatly into a role you learned to play well.

Being yourself is not about being loud or visible all the time.
It is about being honest. With your values. With your limits. With what actually matters to you now, not who you were five years ago.

I have learned that the more energy you spend trying to meet expectations that are not yours, the dimmer everything feels. The work. The relationships. Even the wins.

The moments where things start to open up again usually come from a small shift. 

Saying no when you would normally say yes. Choosing alignment over approval. 

Letting yourself evolve without needing to justify it.

Your light is not something you manufacture.
It is something that shows up naturally when you stop hiding parts of yourself to fit the room.

And the right rooms do not require you to dim it in the first place.

#BeYourself #BeAuthentic #ISeeYou #Leadership #Teamwork #BetterTogether

One thing I keep coming back to in conversations lately is timing.

A lot of organizations are doing the right work. Strong ideas. Capable teams. Real demand. And still, things are not moving the way they expected.

Not because they are doing something wrong.

Because the system itself is in motion.

Calls are delayed or quietly reworked.
Programs get folded into other initiatives.
Priorities shift before anything ever reaches a public intake.

From the outside, it can feel confusing. Like you misread the landscape or missed a signal. In reality, the rules are still being rewritten.

This is where patience becomes strategic.

Not passive patience. Active patience. The kind where you keep preparing, strengthening, and paying attention while resisting the urge to force momentum.

A lot of the work right now is helping teams sit with that uncertainty without spiraling. Adjusting plans without abandoning them. Staying ready without trying to rush a system that is not ready yet.

Sometimes the smartest move is not to push harder, but to hold steady until the timing catches up to the work.

#FundingStrategy #GovernmentFunding #NonprofitLeadership
 #StrategicPlanning #SystemsThinking

Join an upcoming FREE workshops to better prepare for what's coming!  https://lnkd.in/e_KQt4jg

Stop beating yourself up!!!

Don’t think you do that?
Here’s what it actually looks like in real life:
- Replaying a conversation on the drive home.
- Second-guessing a decision you already made with the information you had.
 - Assuming a mistake says something about who you are, not just what happened.
 - Feeling like you should have known better, been faster, clearer, stronger.

Sound familiar?

We’ve been taught that self-criticism equals accountability.
That if we’re hard on ourselves, we’ll improve faster.
That pressure produces excellence.

But more often, it just produces exhaustion.

Beating yourself up usually shows up when expectations are high, outcomes are uncertain, and you’re carrying more responsibility than anyone sees.

It’s a signal.
The problem is that self-criticism rarely makes us better.
It just makes us smaller.

So how do you stop when you catch yourself doing it?

1️⃣  Name what’s actually happening.
 Instead of “I screwed this up,” try “This didn’t go the way I hoped.”
 Facts calm the nervous system. Stories inflame it.

2️⃣ Separate intent from outcome.
You can have good intentions and imperfect results at the same time.
Both can be true. Only one needs fixing.

3️⃣  Ask one forward-looking question.
Not “What’s wrong with me?”
But “What’s the next small adjustment I’d make if this came up again?”
That’s it. No spiral required.

If you’re trying to be a good person and you try to do the right thing, that's all that matters.

Growth doesn’t require punishment.

It requires honesty, rest, and the willingness to keep going.

And if you’re reading this thinking, “This sounds like me” then it probably is.
You’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.
Be a little kinder to yourself today.

#BeKind #PersonalGrowth #FallingNotFailing #SelfImprovement #Leadership #Teamwork

You may not control the events that happen to you
 but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

That choice is one I see leaders, founders, and builders struggle with more than almost anything else.

Because a setback can quietly turn into a story about who you are.
A hard moment can shrink your confidence if you let it.
One decision, one missed opportunity, one tough season can start to feel permanent.

But it isn’t.

You’re allowed to be impacted without being defined.

You can acknowledge what hurt without letting it harden you.

You can learn from something without carrying it as proof that you’re not enough.

Resilience isn’t pretending things didn’t affect you.

It’s choosing not to let them take more than they already have.

If you’re in the middle of something heavy right now, this is your reminder

You’re still standing.
You’re still growing.

And YOU get to decide what this chapter means next.

#NonProfit #Leadership #StartUp #GrowthMindset #Resilience #NonProfitLeadership

I watched a video and could not stop thinking about how early we learn to edit ourselves.

Kids start out loud, curious, unapologetic. They ask strange questions. They take up space. They are fully themselves without checking the room first. And then, slowly, they learn when to quiet down. When to blend in. When to stop standing out.

What stayed with me is how familiar that feels in the professional world.

At some point, many of us learn the same lesson.

Tone it down.

Stick to the playbook.

Do not be the odd one out.

Over time, that sparkle does not disappear. It just gets managed. Contained. Brought out only when it feels safe or appropriate.

And yet, the work that actually moves things forward is almost always shaped by people who think differently. 

The ones who question defaults. 

The ones who see patterns others miss. 

The ones willing to sound a little strange before they sound right.

If you have ever felt yourself shrinking to fit a role, a title, or an industry norm, consider this a reminder. 

That part of you is still there. It has just been waiting for space.

BRING BACK THE SPARKLE!!

Step off the well worn path.

Nothing meaningful has ever been built by people who only followed the herd.

https://lnkd.in/emWvkws2 
His Youtube Channel to give him a follow: https://lnkd.in/ehb-AESd [I couldn't find the above video on the channel]

#BringBackTheSparkle #BeYourself #BeAuthentic

If you have ever hit a word limit halfway through answering a funder’s question, this is for you.

One of the hardest parts of writing proposals is answering every part of a funder’s question while staying inside a tight word or character limit.

Especially when appendices or extra attachments are not allowed.

You cannot skip components. You also cannot explain everything.

So when space is tight, here is a rule that helps.

Every sentence must do more than one job. Ideally three.

A strong sentence should:

 1 describe what you are actually going to do

 2 signal eligibility and alignment to the funder’s priorities

 3 imply milestones, outcomes, or credibility

If a sentence only does one of those things, it is a candidate for removal or compression.

This is how you stay compliant and persuasive without running out of room.

It is not about writing less.

It is about making every sentence work harder.

If you have ever hit a word limit and wondered what to cut, start here.

#ProposalDevelopment #GovernmentFunding #NonProfit #Charity

Growth is what you do with what happens.

That is how better decisions get made over time.

#WednesdayWisdom #GrowthMindset

One thing I wish more people understood about funded projects is how messy they usually are behind the scenes.

From the outside, a successful contribution agreement looks clean.

A defined plan. 
A neat timeline. 

It gives the impression that everything is stable and predictable.

That is almost NEVER the case.

Most funded projects are delivered while markets are shifting. 
Project timelines wobble. 
Plans get pulled forward or pushed back. 
Teams make trade offs in real time, often without the luxury of perfect information.

What funders are really assessing in those moments is not whether risk exists. It is how it is understood and managed.

Strong applications and delivery organizations are not the ones pretending everything is fine. 

They are the ones that show judgment.
An ability to adapt without overreacting. 
A plan that can flex while still holding together.

There is a skill in knowing what to surface and what to hold steady. 
In demonstrating resilience without amplifying uncertainty. 
In showing that the work will continue even when conditions are not ideal.

Funding success is rarely about having a flawless story.
It is about proving you can keep moving when the story changes.

#Resilience #NonProfit #GrowthMindset #StartUp #GovernmentFunding

4K→53K Followers & $1M+ Media Value (50M+ Impressions) in 8 Months | Apply for My Elite Growth Society

I help leaders and brands grow influence through clarity, narrative, and systems that scale.

My work reaches millions monthly and fuels conversations that shape leadership and culture.

I created The Signal to help founders, executives, and creators communicate with precision and lead with impact.

Named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Men of 2025 and featured in Favikon’s Who’s Who, I’ve become one of the fastest-growing leadership creators online. My work breaks down how influence is built, earned, and sustained in a world crowded with shortcuts and recycled advice.

WHAT I DO

I work with leaders who want clarity and measurable results.

• The Signal Audit
A 60-minute deep dive that reveals what's working, what's missing, and what will move the needle fast.
Delivered with a personalized 90-day roadmap.

• Signal Sessions
Six structured 1:1 sessions for leaders who want visibility, authority, and influence built on strategy, not hustle.
Just clarity that compounds.

WHO I WORK WITH

• Founders sharpening their message
• Executives building influence
• Creators growing without gimmicks

WHY IT WORKS

I bring 20+ years of executive experience leading global brands, building teams, and shaping culture.
My approach blends leadership, communication, and modern influence — grounded in real-world systems that scale.

START HERE

Join The Signal, my weekly newsletter for leaders, founders, and creators who want to grow with clarity.
👉 leonardofreixas.com

Leonardo Freixas

Starting over at 44 isn't risky.

Spending 20 more years in a job you've outgrown is.

I know because I did both. 👇

I worked my fingers to the bone for two decades in corporate life.
Climbed fast. Collected titles, bonuses, and the big house.
The watches. The cars. The salary.
All proof it was worth it.

Until I was defending my job at dinner parties instead of enjoying my life.
Until Sunday nights felt like dread instead of rest.
Until "someday" became my favorite lie.

So at 44, I walked away.
No safety net. No guarantees.

My income disintegrated.
My certainty disappeared.
And honestly? It was terrifying.
But my peace came back.

Freedom doesn't always look rich at first.
But it feels like truth.

And the data backs up what my heart already knew:
→ 50% of professionals change careers at least once
→ Career changers after 35 report 27% higher satisfaction
→ 73% regret waiting too long to make the leap
→ Reinvention pays: 15% salary increase within 3 years

I wish I'd known these numbers when I was still stuck defending my golden handcuffs.

Your past isn't a prison. It's your platform.

The reinvention roadmap:
(The exact steps that saved me from 20 more years of golden handcuffs)
1️⃣ Inventory your superpowers (you have more than you think)
2️⃣ Talk to people doing what excites you
3️⃣ Build skills nights and weekends
4️⃣ Test with small projects first
5️⃣ Save your safety net before you jump

Starting over isn't starting from zero.
It's starting from wisdom.
And wisdom is worth more than any title I ever had.

What job title are you trading your peace for?

♻️ Repost if someone needs to read this today
📌 Subscribe to The Signal → leonardofreixas.com
🧭 Follow Leonardo Freixas for leadership that breaks limitations

Top 100 Most Influential Men 2025 | Creator of The Signal | Guiding leaders and brands to grow influence and attract premium opportunities

51% of your A-players are job hunting right now.

(This is why)👇

Not for better pay.
For better leadership.
(Gallup – Oct 2025: highest level of active job seekers in a decade)

The Truth About Protection:
Your #1 job isn't hitting KPIs.
It's being your team's armor.

Real Leadership Looks Like:
↳ "That timeline is insane. I'll push back - trust me"
↳ "You're maxed out. We protect quality here"
↳ "That toxic behavior ends now. I'm your shield"
↳ "Take time to learn. I've got your back"
↳ "Mistakes are growth fuel. Let's navigate together"

🎯 The Hidden Math:
Protected teams = 3.2x innovation boost
Unprotected teams = Mass exodus

Remember: Great leaders don't just set boundaries.
They create more leaders.

What toxic leadership behavior crushed your spirit?
Share your story ⬇️

—

♻️ Repost if this hits home.
📌 Subscribe to The Signal → leonardofreixas.com
🧭 Follow Leonardo Freixas for leadership that scales trust.

The second highest honor across all company functions awarded to Florida region sales department.

Most Valuable Player

The highest honor across all company functions was awarded to the Florida region sales department.

President’s Cup

Awarded for facilitating the successful sale of Glenfiddich 50 years at Christie's auction in 2009, resulting in a record-breaking $38,000 sale price.

https://cdn.winespectator.com/articles/rare-whiskies-rarified-prices-41557

National Value Award

Broker's License To Represent A Distillery, Winery Or Importer

Honored Listee

Wine And/Or Distilled Spirits Importer's License

Inbound Marketing

Sales Enablement

NIQ Byzzer Case Study

Transformative Strategies for Driving Growth & Innovation | Empowering Brands to Reach New Heights 🟡

I am a 4th-generation professional in the alcohol beverage industry and the founder of Maravedi Advisors. My journey is deeply rooted in my family’s rich heritage, from Havana’s sugar cane fields to shaping the global spirits market.

As a licensed importer, broker, consultant, and fractional C-suite executive, I specialize in market entry strategy, distributor relations, and retail strategy. I help forward-thinking entrepreneurs and brands unlock their full potential. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, I’ve mastered blending tradition with bold innovation, enabling brands to expand market share and build strong distributor and retailer relationships.

I’ve turned ideas into thriving brands. At Lafayette Imports, I spearheaded initiatives that increased distribution points by over 90%, streamlined operations, and drove a 98% increase in sales revenue. I also negotiated contracts that reduced costs by 35% and improved inventory turnover by 30%.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽:

I partner with innovative spirits, wine, and non-alcoholic beverage brands seeking to:

➡️ Break into new markets with confidence.

➡️ Build robust distributor networks and foster strong distributor relations.

➡️ Secure strategic retail placements with a focus on retail strategy.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽:

Through Maravedi Advisors, I deliver customized strategies focusing on your brand’s unique strengths and untapped growth potential. I guide brands to thrive in the competitive beverage industry, whether it’s market entry planning, distributor development, or bold retail strategies.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁:

I’m passionate about helping others succeed and always eager to meet like-minded innovators in the industry. Let’s grab a coffee (virtually or in person) and explore how we can work together.

📧 Email: leonardofreixas@gmail.com 🌐 Website: themaravedi.com

30 Minute Consultation - Leonardo Freixas

The $600,000 Leadership Mistake I'll Never Forget:

I promoted our top performer to lead a team. 

6 months later:
He was burned out.
The team? Broken.

Lost: 4 top performers
Turnover costs: $600,000
Harder cost: The trust we broke

Not his fault.
He was brilliant; just couldn't let go.

The signs were there:
➤ Needed to see every email
➤ Made every decision
➤ Owned every project

At first, the team loved it.
A hands-on leader.

Then it cracked:
↘ Projects slowed
↘ Morale tanked
↘ Initiative died
↘ People left

The truth?
Holding on isn't leadership.
It's fear in disguise.

Fear that whispers:
★ "Only I can do this right"
★ "Letting go means losing control"
★ "If they don't need me, I don't matter"

Real leadership multiplies.

3 shifts that changed everything:

✅ Ask: "Who can grow from this?"
❌ Not: "How can I do this better?"

✅Say: "I coach for capability"
❌Not: "I check everything"

✅Believe: "It's stronger if they own it"
❌Not: "It's faster if I do it"

The key?
Delegation isn’t escape. 
It’s empowerment.

Let go. Here's what happens:
✓ You gain time
✓ The team gains confidence
✓ Problems solve faster
✓ Innovation thrives

If everything runs through you, you're not leading.
You're bottlenecking.

Great leaders don't do it all.
They build people who can.

🎯 Your move:
Pick one project you're clinging to.

Ask: Who grows if I step back?
Drop it in the comments. ⬇️ 

—

♻️ Repost to level up leadership
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The most powerful actions need
no words or recognition 👇

Quick story that hit differently

A flooded street.
A stranger's truck.
Pure humanity in action.

Watch this moment

No words spoken.
No credit claimed.
Just action.

This is leadership embodied:

↳ See the need
↳ Fill the gap
↳ Show up fully human

Weekend reminder:
The most powerful moments
aren't planned, promoted, or perfect.

They just happen.
In the middle of crisis.
Between strangers.
Through action.

When's the last time you saw
leadership in its purest form?
Share your story below ⬇️

♻️ Repost if this reminded you of humanity's quiet power
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I watched someone fail on purpose yesterday.

And it was perfect leadership.

A man steps over barrier tape.
Smooth. Clean. One motion.

A child follows.

Gets tangled instantly.
Arms trapped.
Legs caught.
Frustration rising.

The man turns back.
Sees the struggle.
Moves closer.

Then stops.

He doesn't untangle.
Doesn't give instructions.
Doesn't rescue.

He waits.

The child twists. Pulls. Fights the tape.
Gets more tangled.
Then breaks through.

Stands up.
Dusts off.
Walks forward with confidence earned, not given.

Your team doesn't need you to solve their problems.
They need you to believe they can solve them.

Great leaders don't untangle the tape.
They trust you to find your own way through.

The question isn't whether you can help.
It's whether you should.

♻️ Repost this if someone on your team needs to read it.
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Andrew Scott's work stopped me cold.
A figure halfway out of the frame.
Hands through the glass.
Body still inside.

I know that moment.
I lived it.

I shared the work early.
Let people inside the frame.
Believed shared vision meant protection.

Wrong.

They took what they needed.
Strategy.
Connections.
Momentum.

Left me with the outline.

That cost me leverage.
Cost me time.
Cost me the belief that proximity equals loyalty.

The enemy wasn't trust.
It was trust without boundaries.

Being open isn't the risk.
Being undefined is.

Clarity protects.
Edges matter.
Frames exist for a reason.

Break the frame deliberately.
Never for everyone.

Choose who gets close.
Or choose to be replaceable.

♻️ Repost if this hit closer than expected
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The dark side of "success"

This high achiever's wake-up call 👇

I was always labeled a "high performer."
I now call it corporate Stockholm syndrome.

Reality Check:
↳ My kid's birth? During mandatory calls
↳ Paternity leave: 1 day
(This is what "winning" looked like)

I was their perfect soldier:
↳ 120% of every target
↳ Perfect performance reviews
↳ Playing by their toxic playbook
(While my soul was dying)

The Breaking Point:
↳ Another firedrill on a holiday
↳ Another missed birthday
↳ Another "non-negotiable" deadline
(The cost was too damn high)

Then it hit me:
High achievement ≠ True success

The Real Transformation:
↳ Started trusting my gut over their rules
↳ Built real connections, not just networks

What Actually Changed:
1. 50M+ LinkedIn impressions in 2025
2. 80K+ people who finally feel heard

The Truth About Achievement:
↳ Your authenticity is your superpower
↳ Your path won't look like their playbook

Reality Check:
Being their "good soldier"
costs you everything that matters:
your voice, your health,
your family, your soul.

When did you break free from toxic success?
Share your wake-up call below ⬇️

—

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You say the right words.

They still don't move.

The room is quiet.
The deal stalls.
Everyone nods. Nothing shifts.

I'm watching it happen right now.

I've lost deals I was right about.
Lost time.
Lost momentum.

Because I thought being right was enough.

The invisible enemy is certainty disguised as professionalism.

We reach for the answer.
They're still weighing us.

Before the slide.
Before the pitch.
Before the logic.

People don't decide on the argument first.
They decide on you.

The difference isn't what you know.
It's what they trust you with.

Perfect the pitch.
Or earn the permission to solve.

♻️ Repost if you've been the wrong kind of right
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Why Great People Really Stay:

It is never the perks. 👇

It is rarely the projects.
It is always the leadership.

94% of employees would stay longer at companies that invest in their growth. (LinkedIn Learning)

The teams who thrive are:

✅ Paid Their Worth. True recognition, not just market rate.
✅ Actually Heard. Ideas implemented, not just noted.
✅ Genuinely Trusted. Real autonomy, no micromanagement.
✅ Properly Challenged. Meaningful growth, not just busy work.
✅ Actively Developed. Clear paths forward, real investment made.
✅ Truly Appreciated. Seen as whole humans, not just metrics.
✅ Fully Empowered. Ownership given, not just tasks assigned.
✅ Deeply Included. Part of the vision, not just the labor.
✅ Visibly Advancing. Progress earned, not just promised.
✅ Authentically Respected. Valued for who they are, not what they produce.

In 2026, I’m building a retention system most leaders wish they had.

A living system that runs weekly, not a static deck that gets ignored.

That's where Notion Agent comes in. It does the work:

→ Pulls feedback from reviews, surveys, Slack, and notes
→ Builds retention frameworks directly inside Notion
→ Updates databases and action plans without manual cleanup

The truth about retention?
You cannot convince people to stay.
You can only create a place they never want to leave.

Your culture is revealed by their choices every day.

Leaders: Which of these strengths does your team experience today? Where can you improve?

P.S. Share one thing that made you stay longer at your best job 👇

—

♻️ Repost to help leaders build better cultures.

📌 Want to build systems that make staying the obvious choice?
→Try Notion Agent for free: https://lnkd.in/eUt6SXAc

This post is sponsored by Notion.

#NotionPartner #NotionNewYear

Creativity doesn't die because the ideas stop.
It dies when you learn your ideas aren't welcome.
And you start shrinking yourself.
Not rejected.
Not debated.
Just quietly minimized.
Softened.
Repackaged by people who call themselves the brilliant ones.

I spent years in rooms like that.
Places where vision was a threat.
Where people praised thinking big while shrinking anyone who actually did.

You learn to make your ideas smaller.
Then safer.
Then silent.

That's how creativity dies.
Not in an explosion.
In a slow, polite suffocation.

And then one day the world that tried to box you in spits you out.
You think the creativity is gone.
But it's not.
It's just waiting for air.

My life looks different now.
Not because I changed.
Because the room did.

I create what I want.
Say what I believe.
Build without permission.
And the ideas that once made people nervous now build momentum instead of resentment.

So if your creativity feels dim, here's the truth no one tells you:

You're not out of ideas.
You're in the wrong room.

Find where your voice isn't a problem.
Where your ideas aren't treated like accidents.
Where you aren't asked to shrink so someone else can feel tall.

The creativity will come back.
It always does when it can breathe.

🎨 Artwork: "Squeeze" by Andrew Scott (@apsketch)

♻️ Repost if you've outgrown the room you were told to fit
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The hardest truth to accept:

Staying isn’t strength. It’s self-betrayal.

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do
is walk away.

I once stayed in a situation that drained me,
hoping effort would fix what respect no longer could.

But staying didn't heal it.
It hollowed me.

Relief didn't come when things changed.
It came when I did.

Your emotional intelligence isn't just reading the room.
It's reading yourself.

Those Sunday night knots in your stomach?
That's not anxiety.
That's information.

5 signs it's time to go:
→ You defend it more than you enjoy it
→ Your energy's gone, not replenished
→ You don't recognize who you've become
→ Every conversation feels like tiptoeing
→ You give 100%, get breadcrumbs back

Toxic doesn't discriminate.
Jobs. Friendships. Relationships.
It all burns the same.

Your body knows before your brain admits it.
That tension? Truth.
That exhaustion? Evidence.

I used to think leaving meant quitting.
Now I know it's course correction.

Staying too long doesn't make you loyal.
It makes you unavailable for what's next.

Walking away isn't weakness.
It's wisdom.
It's self-respect with boundaries attached.

Every door you close creates space for your becoming.

What door did you close? ⬇️ 

♻️ Repost if someone in your network is staying too long
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Ruth Ashford

10 Mental Health Secrets Your Doctor Skips

(But Might Save Your Life)

1. Your Brain Speaks Through Emotions
↳ Anxiety isn't noise - it's data your body needs you to hear
↳ Write what stings - patterns point to fixes.

2. Dopamine Is Your Secret Driver
↳ Social media hits feel good but steal your real joy
↳ Check your phone after achievements, not before challenges

3. Connection Beats Chemistry
↳ Loneliness hurts like physical pain in your brain
↳ Call someone who gets you - texts can't carry tone.

4. Sleep Isn't Luxury - It's Survival
↳ One bad night costs you three good ones
↳ Your brain repairs trauma between 10PM-2AM. Honor that.

5. Movement Medicates the Mind
↳ Walking 10 minutes resets stress hormones faster than pills
↳ Nature walks double the healing - take your worries outside

6. Your Focus Has a Battery Life
↳ 90 minutes working, 15 minutes recharging
↳ Break before burnout - your mind will thank you tomorrow

7. Hydration Powers Your Thoughts
↳ Even 2% dehydration drops your mental clarity by 13%
↳ Keep water visible - what you see, you sip

8. Morning Light Sets Your Soul
↳ Sun before 10AM rewires low moods
↳ Step outside before emails - nature knows the way

9. Silence Is Your Superpower
↳ Noise taxes your brain - 40% of your power, gone.
↳ Find 5 minutes of pure quiet - watch your mind reset

10. Your Diet Designs Your Mind
↳ Processed food processes your thoughts
↳ Feed your brain like it’s building something rare.

Your mind is a garden.
But water’s not enough.
It needs sun, stillness, and someone to grow with.

Which one hit hardest? 
Drop your number 👇

—

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🎥 Video credit: Homemade Science

The most "successful" person in your company probably cries in their car.
Tears they'd never show in a meeting.

I've seen it firsthand.
The dashboard glow.
Hands gripping the wheel.

Bonuses.
Stock options.
Everyone's respect.
But no peace.

Success without significance is just expensive loneliness.

The people who leave a mark?
They don't build empires. They build people.

→ The boss who promotes people past their own level
→ The mentor who celebrates when you outgrow them
→ The colleague who makes you brilliant in meetings

That's leadership.
Quiet. Generous. Uncelebrated.

While others chase ladders,
they plant forests.

Real success isn't about being remembered.
It's about who keeps growing because you were here.
That's legacy.

♻️ Repost if you've seen what "winning" really costs
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Rebekka Koehl

Your best employee just quit.
You had six months to stop it.
You didn't.

Personal truth: Every time I've resigned, the counteroffer came.
By then I was already gone mentally. Too late.

Lose one good employee, lose six months of progress.
And most companies still bleed talent for reasons they could fix by Monday.

Here's what actually makes people stay:

1. 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹
→ Pay reflects impact, not tenure
→ No secrets, no guessing
→ Compensation equals respect

2. 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱
→ Leaders who make time
→ Growth with direction
→ Feedback that develops, not deflates

3. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱
→ Skills over politics
→ Internal first, external last
→ Effort gets noticed early

4. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼
→ Ideas don't die in meetings
→ Feedback flows both ways
→ Your voice shapes the work

5. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱
→ Boredom is career death
→ Stretch that builds muscle
→ Problems worth solving

6. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱
→ Credit goes where it's earned
→ Wins celebrated loud
→ Recognition happens fast

7. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
→ Seat at tables that matter
→ Trust to make calls
→ Ownership over oversight

The truth:
You don't lose talent by accident.
You lose it by neglect.

Free snacks don't build loyalty.
Respect does.

The cost of caring is zero.
The cost of not caring?
Everything.

What's your workplace getting right?

♻ Repost to remind leaders what actually builds loyalty
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Oleksii Plyska

Trust isn't gradual.
It doesn't scale.
It doesn't hedge.
It doesn't reverse.

Real trust is a decision.

In this race, one person runs blind.
The other gives up the chance to win alone.

They move as one.
Same pace.
Same risk.
Same finish.

That tether isn't symbolic.
It's final.

Once it's on, there's no bargaining.
No second-guessing.
No solo breakout.

Most people miss this.

The lesson isn't "trust everyone."
It's choosing carefully who earns it.

Because when trust is real,
you don't keep distance.
You don't keep leverage.
You don't keep an exit.

You run together.
Or you don't run at all.

♻️ Repost if you know trust isn't a feeling, it's a commitment
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We can't grow if we keep grieving who we used to be.

That version of you:

↳ Stayed too long in the wrong room
↳ Kept peace by staying silent
↳ Feared failure more than regret
↳ Waited for permission to live

That version got you here.
But it can't take you further.

Here's the truth:
You can't carry the future if your hands are full of ghosts.

Let go of:
• The job that drained you
• The friend who vanished when it got hard
• The failure that rewrote your worth
• The identity built on survival

Let in:
• Energy
• Courage
• Peace
• A blank page

Letting go isn't weakness.
It's wisdom with boundaries.

You're not starting over.
You're starting wiser.

—

♻️ Repost if you’re done carrying what isn’t yours
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A TOXIC BOSS STABS YOU IN THE BACK.
A SELFISH ONE HOLDS YOU BACK.
A GREAT ONE HAS YOUR BACK. 👇

This isn't just a quote.
It's shaping millions of careers right now.

1. Toxic Leaders 🗡️
→ Take credit for your wins
→ Blame you for their failures
→ Use fear as fuel
Stat: 70% of toxic employees learned it from their boss

2. Selfish Leaders 🛑
→ Hoard opportunities
→ Block promotions to "keep you safe"
→ Mentor only when it benefits them
Reality: They fear your growth threatens their control

3. Great Leaders 🌟
→ Celebrate your wins publicly
→ Take accountability privately
→ Create opportunities before you ask
Result: Teams led by multipliers are 2.3x more likely to innovate

🔥 The truth?
Average bosses build empires.
Great leaders build legacies by lifting others.

Your leadership defines your legacy.
Which one are you building? Drop it below.

—

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Hard Truth: 79% of people don't feel excited about work.

Why? They're not given the chance:

(Source: Gallup Global Workplace Report, 2024)

→ Their ideas go unheard.
→ They're micromanaged.
→ They're given no room to grow.

7 ways to truly empower your team:

1. Delegate Real Responsibility
→ Give meaningful tasks that show genuine trust.

2. Promote Open Dialogue
→ Build a space where ideas are welcomed, not judged.

3. Act on Feedback
→ Asking for input but ignoring it kills morale faster than silence.

4. Recognize the Wins
→ Celebrate progress, big or small.

5. Invest in Development
→ Training, mentorship, and challenges spark growth.

6. Offer Leadership Moments
→ Let others take the lead and learn.

7. Share the Spotlight
→ Lifting others up only raises you higher.

Bonus: This works for parents and partners too.
 → Don’t hover.
 → Let people take smart risks and grow.

💭 What's the most effective way someone empowered you in your career? Share your story below 👇

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Sanchita Attawar

Your jar isn't full.

It's filled with the wrong things.

I watched my daughter pour coffee into a jar packed tight with rocks and sand.
The coffee found every gap.
Filled every space.
Not a drop spilled.

Life works the same way.

You say there's no room for what matters.
Yet somehow there's always time for:

→ Meetings where nothing gets decided
→ Proving you're busy to people who don't care
→ Scrolling past midnight while exhausted
→ Saying yes to dodge two seconds of awkwardness
→ Carrying problems that were never yours

The jar lesson isn't about fitting more in.
It's about emptying the sand first.

Most won't.
They'd rather drown than disappoint.
They'd rather complain than cut.

Here's the uncomfortable truth:
You already have time for what matters.
You just won't defend it.

Stop adding.
Start subtracting.

Pick one thing today that steals hours from what you claim matters most.

Remove it completely.

The space was always there.
You buried it.

♻️ Repost if you're ready to empty the jar first
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90% of Jobs Are Teachable

(Hire for potential over experience)

We keep chasing experience.
But it’s not the best predictor of success.

Here's the truth:
Most learning happens after the offer letter.

So when we fixate on resumes, we miss real potential.

The best hires?
Not the smoothest talkers.
The fastest learners.

Here are 7 traits to hire for instead of just experience:

Quick Thinker
→ Makes decisions fast under pressure
→ Flexible beats flawless

Eager to Learn
→ Curiosity > credentials
→ Ask: Do they want to grow?

Feedback-Ready
→ Doesn’t get defensive
→ Uses critique as jet fuel

Comfortable with Change
→ Change is the job
→ Look for people who adapt, not freeze

Customer-First Mindset
→ Emotional intelligence is a superpower
→ Service over ego

Calm Under Pressure
→ Can they handle the storm?
→ Grit > gloss

Builder’s Instinct
→ Have they started something from scratch?
→ Initiative > title

Experience might get them in the door.
Potential is what makes them irreplaceable.

What would you add to the list?
Drop it in the comments. ⬇️ 

—

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