Connector of Talent and Success 💼 | Empowering Businesses to Thrive through People | Culture Growth Strategist | Coach | Writer | HR leader | #1 LinkedIn Belgium | Top #150 LinkedIn 🌍

Who I help: Ambitious introverts and people-first companies

Problems: Visibility without burnout, quiet leadership, culture that enables deep work

Outcomes: Promotions, role transitions, retention, high-trust cultures

STRATEGIC HR LEADER AND COACH WITH HANDS-ON APPROACH AIMING FOR THE BEST EMPLOYEE/BUSINESS EXPERIENCE - INTROVERT ADVOCATE

International HR Executive passionate about the link between employee experience and business dynamics. Combining a strong focus on strategic thinking and planning with a structured and factual hands-on approach. A positive well connected team coach with a natural sense of empowering team members in a spirit of challenge, learning and mutual recognition. Sound decision making capabilities based on critical reflections within companies focusing on innovation, change, digital transformation and learning.

A. Group HR Director Alter Pharma (200 FTE - BE/IRL/US) – private equity backed firm defining & implementing HR strategy (from strategy to operations) including definition of mission/vision/strategy & values.
B. Global HR Business Partner BU Kerley international/Tessenderlo Group (+/-300 employees - 11 countries) developing/transforming key HR processes (talent resource planning, talent acquisition, performance management, competency management, learning, reward,..) - HR project lead new factory Rouen, France. 
C. Global HR Executive SWIFT (+/- 3.000 employees in +25 countries) transforming/coaching business and HR into new ways of (digital) working/thinking to improve the employee and business experience 
D. Global Head of Reward Tessenderlo Group (+/- 5.000 employees in +25 countries) - strategic development/transformation reward strategy
E. Development new holistic performance management framework for Tessenderlo Group, including full implementation recognition stream.
F. HR Project Manager : move of the Chiquita EME Headquarters from Belgium to Switzerland (social plan negotiations, c&b setup, recruitment, mobility, new policy/process design,...)

Professional coaching certification Better Minds at Work               2018 - 2019
Centre for Creative Leadership - senior leadership program           Q1-2 2018
Management Development Programme Vlerick (17 days)		  2010 - 2011
Strategic Compensation & Benefits Management, Vlerick 		  2007      
Master degree in Law&Taxation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven    1997 - 1998

Steven Claes

She had the highest retention in the company.
They passed her over twice.

The feedback? "Needs more presence in leadership meetings."

But when I dug deeper:
→ Her teams stayed longer than anyone else's
→ Her projects delivered early, consistently
→ Her cross-functional relationships were the strongest in the division

She wasn't lacking presence. The organization hadn't learned to recognize her kind of leadership yet.

I've watched this play out for 20 years as a CHRO.

The quiet leader gets labeled "not a team player." The thoughtful contributor gets told to "speak up more." The one who needs processing time gets dinged for lacking executive presence.

Meanwhile, they're the ones noticing what everyone else missed. Thinking three steps ahead while others are still talking through step one. Building relationships that actually matter instead of collecting business cards.

We're not shy. We're not stuck up.
We're listening. Observing. Taking it in before we speak.

And if an introvert opens up to you? Know that trust was carefully given.

Your way of showing up isn't wrong. It's just different, and often exactly what your team needs.

📩 Daily success as an introvert? These are the techniques I swear by: 
https://lnkd.in/eSdKpkMs

🔁 Know an underrated introvert? Repost this to remind them they’re not alone.

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CHRO | Introvert Advocate | Career Growth for Ambitious Introverts | HR Leadership Coach | Writer | Newsletter: The A+ Introvert (60% Open Rate)

Your workplace was not designed for you.

Not if you're an introvert.
And no one wants to talk about it.

You have no idea what storms people are walking through. But for introverts, the workplace often adds to the storm instead of offering shelter.

Every day you're fighting a quiet battle.
Meetings that drain you.
Open plans that scatter your focus.
The constant pressure to "be more visible."

You just want to do good work without exhausting yourself.

The truth is most introverts are walking through storms alone. And no one sees it.
➟ They deliver excellent work, then watch someone louder get the credit
➟ Back-to-back meetings leave zero time to recover
➟ They hear "speak up more" when their strength is thoughtful contribution

Ping pong tables and pizza Fridays?
Nice. But they do not fix what's actually draining you.

"Be more visible" and "network more"?
That advice ignores how introverts actually build influence.

What introverts need to do their best work:
✅ Leaders who value depth over volume
✅ Recognition for written work, not just who speaks loudest in meetings
✅ Meeting-free blocks for actual focus time
✅ Permission to recharge without feeling guilty about it
✅ Career paths that do not require constant performance
✅ Time for thoughtful processing before decisions
✅ Cultures where reflection counts as much as quick reaction

This is what makes introverts want to stay.
A workplace that honours different strengths.
That recognises quiet confidence.
Where people succeed without burning out by Tuesday.

What is ONE thing your workplace does (or does not do) that makes the biggest difference for you?

🔁 Repost this if you want to support introverts in your network.
📩 My weekly A+Introvert Newsletter → see profile 👆 or featured section

They said I was too much.
Turns out they were too limited.

A brilliant CHRO told me recently: "Steven, I've spent 15 years toning down my opinions, holding back, pretending shallow conversations were enough when depth is all I've ever craved."

I understood immediately.

I've lived it too.

Softened my directness to seem "diplomatic."
Smoothed my edges to appear "approachable."
Pretended small talk satisfied me when I was hungry for real connection.

And I ended up feeling like an outsider.

Because I WAS an outsider in places where I'd shrunk myself just to belong.

The pond people have labeled me:

→ Too quiet (meaning: you're hard to read, and that unsettles me)
→ Too direct (meaning: you skip the performance, and I can't handle that)
→ Too intense (meaning: you make me think, and I'd rather not)
→ Too ambitious the "wrong way" (meaning: you chase impact, not just visibility)

But two decades as a CHRO taught me this: Every time you shrink yourself, you train people to expect less from you.

When you're constantly making yourself smaller:
→ You attract relationships that require you to stay small
→ You master the art of being less than you are
→ You construct a career that fits everyone but you

I once believed the introvert advantage meant networking like an extrovert. Speaking louder. Being more visible.

I was wrong.

The true advantage? Recognizing that your need for substance IS your value.

When I stopped apologizing for choosing depth over surface, everything shifted.

1️⃣ You stop dimming your light so others feel comfortable in their mediocrity.

2️⃣ You surround yourself with people who see your intensity as integrity.

3️⃣ You discover your tribe. The ones who view thoughtfulness as strength, not a flaw to fix.

The teams needing someone to navigate complexity? They relied on me.
The cultures hungry for authentic leadership? They found me.

But only because I showed up fully. Not the diluted version.

Not everyone can handle you at full strength.
That's not yours to fix.

The people meant for you? They'll swim out to meet you in deep water, even if it scares them.

The rest will stay on shore, insisting the ocean is "too much."

Let them.

If you're an ocean, stop shrinking yourself into a pond.

If you're built for depth, you don't have a career problem.
You have a boundary problem.

The moment you address that, everything transforms.

As 2026 starts: Which boundary will you finally protect in the year ahead?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share if you're an ocean refusing to become a pond

📩 Join Weekly depth in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

Years ago, I watched HR let someone go for being "too quiet."
I was once that quiet person too.

The official reasoning?
"Lacks energy."
"Not aligned with our culture."

But after twenty years leading teams, I've learned what genuine enthusiasm actually looks like:

Arrives prepared.
Delivers excellent work.
Communicates with clarity.
Elevates others.

That's what deserves recognition.

Yet too many organizations still reward:
• Volume over substance
• Reaction over reflection
• Perception over results

I've been in those performance conversations.
I've read the carefully worded feedback.
I've watched exceptional people walk away because they weren't loud enough.

Excellence doesn't require a spotlight.
Impact doesn't demand a stage.
Results outweigh small talk every time.

We get it wrong when we:
• Label quiet as a weakness
• Treat extroversion as the culture standard
• Mistake personality for capability

Genuine enthusiasm shows up as:
✓ Reliability
✓ Craftsmanship
✓ Steady presence
✓ Measurable impact

The strongest teams don't pick between energy and depth.
They embrace both.

They need you. Whether quiet or loud.

Stop penalizing quiet excellence.
Start tracking what actually matters.

As we step into 2026: What will you measure differently this year?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share if you believe quiet work deserves loud recognition

📩 Weekly insights for ambitious introverts in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

"Don't fall in love with success. Fall in love with the habits that bring success."

That would've saved me years.

Twenty years ago, I was the ambitious introvert.
Crushing tasks. Exceeding targets. Getting nowhere.

Then my mentor pulled me aside.
"You're winning battles. But you're losing the war."

I was working harder than anyone else in the room.
But I was still invisible.

Success is borrowed. Habits are owned.

The project you deliver? That's success.
The deep work that made it brilliant? That's a habit.

The recognition you earn? Success.
The daily rituals that keep you going? Habit.

Chase success without habits, and you're building a career on sand.
Build the right habits, and success has no choice but to follow.

Quiet leaders who last do not fall in love with the spotlight.
They fall in love with:

⏰ Morning routines that protect their energy
🚫 Calendar blocks that make space for focused work
🤔 Time for reflection that sharpens judgment
📚 Reading habits that widen perspective
🛡️Boundaries that preserve their sanity

Promotions can be delayed.
Bonuses can be cut.
Recognition can be missed.

But habits?
They compound.
They decide who you become.

The introvert's edge isn't volume.
It's systems that keep working when the noise fades.
__________
Repost if you're done proving yourself and ready to build yourself

I built some tools for Introverts around exactly this. https://lnkd.in/eSdKpkMs

Mohit Valecha 🧢

They told me to fix my introversion.
I redesigned my environment instead.

As one year ends and another begins, this feels worth repeating:

We're introverts. Not broken. Just wired differently.

I spent two decades as a CHRO watching the same cycle repeat.
The loudest voices got attention while the deepest thinkers got overlooked.

Quick reactions earned praise. Thoughtful strategies got buried in the noise.

That's when it clicked.

We don't compete on volume. We compete on depth.

We form fewer bonds but stronger ones.
Not because we struggle to connect widely, but because we choose connection intentionally.

We restore in stillness.
We discover power in pause.

This isn't weakness. It's strategy.

We're not hiding or hesitant.
We're preserving our energy for what truly matters.

The data confirms what we've always sensed:

• Introverted leaders achieve significantly higher team retention because we listen more than we speak
• We excel in complex problem-solving because we reflect before we act
• Our deep work generates far more innovation because we prioritize substance over speed

Depth outperforms width. Always.

What I want you to understand:

➡️ Your need for constant stimulation isn't our burden.
➡️ Your discomfort with silence isn't our crisis.
➡️ And your definition of success isn't our roadmap.

If we let you in, you've earned it.

Not through persistence or pressure,
but through respect.
Through substance.
Through recognizing that our boundaries aren't walls. They're filters.

➡️ We're not antisocial. We're selectively social.
➡️ We're not slow. We're thorough.
➡️ We're not cold. We're intentional.

In a world drowning in noise, that's not a limitation.

That's an edge.

Stop trying to fix us. We were never broken.

As you step into 2026: What boundary will you protect to honor your energy this year?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it if you're proudly wired differently

📩 Start the new year with one insight per week in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

Networking like an extrovert nearly cost me everything.

More events.
More coffee chats.
More small talk with people I'd never see again.

I thought more connections meant more opportunities.

I was wrong.

What I actually built was exhaustion.
And a contact list full of people I barely remembered.

When I finally dropped that belief, everything changed.

I stopped chasing quantity.
Started protecting my energy.
Invested in fewer people, went way deeper with each one.

The networking events I skipped?
Cost me nothing.

The shallow connections I let go?
Made room for the ones I actually need.

After 20 years as a CHRO, I've watched too many introverts burn out trying to play the extrovert game.

The ones who thrive?

They stop forcing what drains them.
They build their network around how they actually work best.

This weekend, try this:

→ Text one person who genuinely energises you. No agenda. Just checking in.
→ Say no to one thing you were going to push yourself through.
→ Spend 10 minutes in stillness. Introverts don't recharge in crowds. They recharge in quiet.

Letting go of the wrong approach is not giving up.
It's making space for the right one.

What's one thing you're letting go of this weekend?

💚 Happy Friday, friends.

♻️ Repost if you believe success should never require self-erasure.

💌 I write the A+ Introvert Newsletter. Weekly insights for introverts who lead quietly and build deeply. No fluff, ever.→https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

The fastest way to lose your best people?
Oversee every decision they make.

You didn't bring in talented minds to monitor them.
You brought them in to lead, solve, and deliver.

But the moment trust disappears:
→ Motivation drops
→ Creativity freezes
→ They quietly start exploring options

🚨 Micromanagement damages more than output.

It corrodes culture from the inside.

What it actually does to your team:

• Drives your strongest performers toward the exit
• Creates resentment simmering under the surface
• Shuts down creativity before it starts
• Produces stress, then exhaustion
• Delays every single decision
• Swaps clarity for anxiety
• Fractures trust
• Kills loyalty
• Breeds fear

Now flip the approach.

When you choose trust over control:

✅ Energy rises
✅ Ideas start flowing
✅ Teams gain momentum
✅ Ownership begins to multiply
✅ Your culture becomes a magnet for talent
✅ Collaboration happens naturally and consistently

Great leadership isn't about oversight.
It's about belief.

Hire well.
Point the direction.
Then get out of the way.

As we head into 2026, a reflection worth carrying into the new year.

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with a leader who could use the reminder

📩 Weekly leadership insights in The A+Introvert Newsletter: see link in my profile

Stop trying to fix introverts.

In 20 years as an HR leader, I’ve seen companies burn millions trying to turn quiet leaders into loud ones.

It doesn’t work. It pushes your best people out the door.

What introverts need is not what most managers think.

⬇️ Swipe through to see the difference.

💾 Save/Share this before your next 1:1.

📩 Join the Free A+Introvert Newsletter for weekly bite-sized career tips → https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

What Workplaces Think Introverts Need (vs What We Need)

Kind leaders aren't weak.
They're strategic.

After 20+ years in HR, here's what the data actually shows about leading with kindness. And where most leaders miss the mark.

1. Balanced Care
✅ Caring for yourself to better care for others
❌ Self-sacrificing until you're drained
→ Well-rested leaders build teams with far less burnout.

2. Presence
✅ Creating safety through focused attention
❌ Avoiding hard conversations to stay "nice"
→ When people feel seen, oxytocin rises. Trust rewires.

3. Smart Support
✅ Challenging people to grow
❌ Solving their problems for them
→ Support without stretch weakens resilience on both sides.

4. Real Understanding
✅ Leading through shared experience
❌ Preaching from a pedestal
→ Empathy builds trust at a neurological level.

5. True Giving
✅ Acting from genuine generosity
❌ Helping out of guilt or pressure
→ Authentic kindness creates far deeper engagement than obligation.

6. Energy Boundaries
✅ Saying no to protect your yes
❌ Burning out through constant availability
→ Clear limits amplify leadership effectiveness.

7. Simple Truths
✅ Building trust through small, daily actions
❌ Relying on big gestures to fix gaps
→ Consistency compounds into culture.

8. Brain Chemistry
✅ Driving positive reactions through follow-through
❌ Using "kind" words without action
→ Kindness reshapes stress, performance, and trust.

The bottom line:
Kindness isn't softness.
It's a performance multiplier.

Which one made you rethink how you lead?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with a leader who needs to see this

Introverts don't need fixing.
Your workplace culture does.

For 20 years, I watched companies try to "improve" their introverted employees.

They sent them to presentation skills workshops.
They placed them in open office layouts.
They nudged them toward noisy networking events.

But they missed what really needed changing.

Meeting norms that reward the loudest voice.
Brainstorms that drown out deep thinkers.
"Collaboration" that looks more like constant interruption.

When I was 32, a VP pulled me aside.
"You're too quiet. That'll hurt your career."

So I tried to become louder.
More visible.
More like everyone else.

Eventually I realized something important.

I wasn't the problem.
The environment was.

Today I'm a CHRO.
Still quiet.
Still thriving.

Not because I changed who I am,
but because I focused on changing the system.

If you're doing this:
❌ Telling introverts to speak up more
❌ Requiring constant collaboration
❌ Assuming quiet means disengaged
❌ Defining culture through happy hours
❌ Rewarding visibility over value

Try this instead:
✅ Send agendas in advance so they can prepare
✅ Start meetings with quiet time for written input
✅ Offer multiple ways to contribute, not just talking
✅ Create quiet zones for focused work
✅ Recognize the impact, not just who talks the most

The most innovative companies don't try to fix introverts.
They build environments where introverts can shine.

Quiet-friendly cultures boost productivity.
Written brainstorming surfaces better ideas.
And your next big idea might be sitting silently in the corner.

The companies losing top talent right now?
They're still trying to make introverts louder.

The ones winning?
They're creating spaces where every style can thrive.

If someone seems too quiet,
maybe the system is too noisy.

Stop trying to change them.
Start changing what's actually not working.

Because a culture that works for introverts
works better for everyone.

💬 What's one small change that could make your workplace more inclusive for quieter thinkers?

♻️ Share if you believe quiet leadership deserves more respect

📩 Join 100K+ ambitious introverts who get free weekly career tips: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

Introverts aren't broken.
They're built differently.

This isn't opinion.
It's neuroscience.

Swipe through the data:
10 slides. 1 perspective shift. 👇

What resonates most?

Mine is Slide 5.
(The leadership stat changed everything for me.)

What's yours?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with an introvert who needs to see the science

📩 Want more like this? Subscribe to The A+Introvert newsletter (link in profile)

Your Brain On Introvert Mode (the shocking truth)

Burnout isn't about working too hard.
It's about pretending too much.

For introverts, the real crisis is not the workload.
It's performing extroversion 40 hours a week.

7 signs you're burning out from the performance:

1️⃣ Hiding in your car between meetings. 
→ This is not odd. It's survival mode.

2️⃣ "I'm fine!" when you're clearly not. 
→ The mask stays on. Always.

3️⃣ Your best work happens after everyone leaves. 
→ Because finally, you can stop performing.

4️⃣ Sunday night dread about people, not tasks. 
→ Your nervous system already knows what Monday brings.

5️⃣ Social battery dies by Tuesday. 
→ You're not weak. You're drained from acting all day.

6️⃣ Calls drain you more than the actual work. 
→ It's not the content. It's the constant "on" that kills you.

7️⃣ Recovery takes the whole weekend. 
→ Two days to recover from five is not a sustainable equation.

After 20 years in HR, I've watched this pattern destroy talented people.
Not because they weren't strong.
Because they were never given permission to stop pretending.

What helps (for you):
→ Block 10 minutes between meetings. Non-negotiable.
→ Replace one call with async. Protect your voice.
→ Batch high-contact tasks on specific days. Guard one deep-work block.
→ Stop apologizing for needing quiet to think.

What workplaces need to change:
→ Create meeting-free blocks for real work.
→ Default one weekly update to async instead of live.
→ Train managers to lead introverts: advance agendas, written input options.
→ Design offices with actual quiet spaces, not just open-plan buzz.

Your energy is real.
Your limits are legitimate.
Your need for space is not weakness.
It's wiring.

Which sign hit closest to home?

♻️ Repost to help introverts burning out in silence.

💌 Want to thrive without burning out: https://lnkd.in/eSdKpkMs

Being "always available" destroyed my best work.

My sharpest thinking happened at 6am before anyone could reach me.
My worst decisions came from back-to-back calls with no space to process.

For years I wore it like a badge of honor.
Responding within minutes.
Never missing a meeting.
Always on.

As a CHRO, I thought that's what leadership looked like.

I was wrong.

7 truths about introvert productivity:

🔋 90 uninterrupted minutes beat all-day availability
Research shows it takes 23 minutes to regain focus after an interruption.
This is where real work happens.
Not in constant collaboration.

🔋 Transition time is not optional
15 minutes between meetings to reset is not luxury.
It's how your brain works.

🔋 Alone time is strategic
Your brain recharges in quiet, not chaos.
Biology, not antisocial behavior.

🔋 Saying no is a productivity strategy
Three meetings with real substance beat twelve status updates.

🔋 Email beats video calls for most things
Async communication protects time for work that actually matters.

🔋 Morning energy is sacred
Give your peak hours to hard thinking.
Not admin.

🔋 Your calendar should reflect your nervous system
Not everyone else's expectations.

Productivity is not about doing more.
It's about protecting your energy for what actually matters.

♻️ Repost for the introvert doing real work after everyone leaves
📩 Weekly introvert career insights → https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

Stop forcing yourself to be "on" all day.

Your boss sees quiet.
Your close team sees hilarious.

Your network sees reserved.
Your best friend? Sees you acting like an extrovert.

And here's the thing.
Everyone holds a different version of you.
That is not broken. That is strategic.

➡️ When you are around people who give you energy, you show up fully. 
➡️ When you are around strangers or high-stakes rooms, your battery drains faster than you'd like.

This is not two people.
This is one person with limited energy making intentional choices about where to spend it.

Most introverts sabotage themselves trying to be the same everywhere.

So they either:
➡️ Exhaust themselves performing for everyone
➡️ Hide completely and wonder why nobody knows what they can do

Here is the breakthrough:

➡️ Stop trying to be consistent.
➡️ Start being intentional.

You are not broken because you go quiet at a conference.
➠ You are smart because you know the return on your energy investment.

You are not unfriendly because you skip happy hour.
➠ You are protecting your ability to show up fully in the meetings that actually matter.

You do not need to be the same version in every room.
You need to decide which rooms deserve your full energy.

What is one event or meeting you are going to skip this week, guilt-free?

♻️ Repost this for the introvert who needs permission to stop performing

Quiet leaders rarely get the spotlight.
But research from Harvard shows they lift team performance by 28% when their people take initiative.

As an introverted CHRO, I've witnessed what calm, focused leadership can achieve.

🔴 When introverts feel forced to act loud:
❌ Chasing visibility over substance
❌ Rushing decisions to appear confident
❌ Talking more, absorbing less
❌ Building wide networks without real connection
❌ Reacting quickly and missing the deeper point
❌ Filling silence because it feels uncomfortable
❌ Offering fast answers to seem sharp
❌ Prioritizing attention over understanding
❌ Overlooking signals from the team
❌ Burning out from playing a character

The cost adds up.
Leaders lose their sharpness.
Innovation stalls.
Morale fades.

That's not leadership. That's performance.

🟢 When introverts lead on their own terms:
✅ Staying grounded and leading with presence
✅ Deciding with clarity, not speed
✅ Listening before responding
✅ Cultivating deep trust
✅ Thinking first, acting second
✅ Leveraging silence strategically
✅ Making room for others to contribute
✅ Catching what others miss
✅ Remaining steady when pressure rises

This approach works.
Teams flourish.
Voices emerge.
Outcomes improve.

Extroverts bring momentum.
Introverts bring depth.
Both are essential.
But quiet leadership still gets undervalued.

I've led this way for two decades.
It works because it's real.

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it to remind others that quiet leaders belong at the table

📩 One introvert career insight per week in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

We promote the loudest voice.
Then wonder why teams burn out.

I've spent 20 years in leadership.
And I've watched brilliant introverts get overlooked again and again.

They didn't fall short.
They quietly pulled ahead.

Harvard and Wharton research tells us something most companies ignore. Introverted leaders drive:
➜ 28% higher productivity
➜ 84% more engagement
➜ 50% lower turnover

So why do we still mistake quiet for weak?

Because we've built systems that reward volume over value.
Visibility over results.
Performance over substance.

This carousel breaks down:
➜ What the data really says
➜ Why introverts make elite leaders
➜ How to lead with quiet confidence

The quiet ones in your meeting today?

They're not disengaged.
They're processing at a level most leaders never reach.

💾 Save this for your next leadership conversation.
♻️ Share if your culture still mistakes noise for leadership.

Your Team Thinks Quiet Means Weak (The Data Disagrees)

I stayed quiet in meetings for years.

Then one CEO told me:
"When you speak, I know it matters."

I'd spent years thinking my silence was a liability.
Turns out it was my edge.

Most communication advice for introverts?
"Just speak up more."

But more communication does not equal better communication.

⬇️ Swipe to learn how introverts turn quiet into influence.

💾 Save & repost this before your next meeting.
📩 Get my newsletter The A+ Introvert → link in carousel last page

Stop Apologizing For Not Speaking Up Immediately (Really)

Last year I collapsed on December 26th.
This year? I said no to three Christmas gatherings.

For years, I treated December like a survival marathon:
Every party. Every dinner. Every "quick drink" that drained three hours of energy.

I was everywhere. Present nowhere.

This year, I'm doing something radical for an introvert who spent 20 years performing "fine."

I'm protecting my energy like it actually matters.

—

What I'm DOUBLING DOWN on:

→ Strategic presence over constant visibility
2 gatherings. Inner circle only.
3-hour windows with recovery time. Not 6 events in 4 days.

→ Micro-recharge moments
Even during events, I step out.
10 minutes. Fresh air. Reset.

→ Saying no without guilt
"I'd love to, but I'm protecting my energy so I can show up fully where it matters."

—

What I'm STOPPING:

→ Showing up just to be seen
Exhaustion isn't a love language. Presence is.

→ Socializing out of obligation
If it's a "should," it's a no.

→ The myth of the holiday hero
They don't need me everywhere.
They need me present. Not performing.

—

Your energy isn't infinite.
Protecting it isn't selfish.
It's strategic.

What's one event you're skipping to protect your peace this season?

♻️ Share this with an introvert who needs this reminder.
🎄 Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating.

Happy New Year to the ones who did not make a highlight reel.

The ones who didn't launch the side hustle.
The ones who skipped the grind to protect their peace.
The ones who chose silence over sprints.

After 20 years in HR, I saw the same pattern every January 1.

Loud success gets rewarded.
Quiet progress gets overlooked.

If you didn't broadcast your wins, they didn't count.
If you took your time, you were "slow."

But here is what performance reviews still don't measure:

↳ The anxiety you carried into every meeting.
↳ The boundaries that protected your energy.
↳ The one hard conversation you finally had.
↳ The quiet leadership that changed someone's year.

If you ended 2025 exhausted instead of celebrated, this is for you.

You don't need a "New Year, New You."
You need more you.

↳ More aligned decisions.
↳ More intentional no's.
↳ More places that fit your nervous system.

In 2026, the goal is not to be louder.
It is to be truer.

You are not behind.
You are playing a game that was never built for you.

This year, build your own.

Happy New Year.

You as you are is enough to build on.

♻️ Know an introvert who needs this? Pass it on.

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. 🚀

The deals that hurt the most...

are the ones that looked healthy.

The pipeline wasn’t red.
The rep wasn’t nervous.
The forecast didn’t raise alarms.

Until it did.
And suddenly the quarter is gone
and everyone’s asking
“How did we miss this?”

What you missed wasn’t data.
It was hesitation.

CRMs track activity.
❌ They don’t capture confidence.
❌ They don’t surface doubt.
❌ They don’t flag quiet fear.

So reps fill the gaps the only way they know how.
They round optimism up.
They smooth uncertainty over.
They delay bad news.

Not to lie.
To stay credible.

To avoid being wrong too early.
That’s human behavior, not bad selling.

But the result is the same every time.
You learn the truth too late.
Forecasts snap.
Deals stall without warning.
And leadership absorbs the fallout.

Quarters don’t fall apart because deals fail.
They fall apart because reality shows up late.

SalesSage closes that gap with a simple pulse.
No grilling reps.
No awkward pipeline reviews.
No performative confidence.

You get signals before silence.
Drift before delay.
Risk before excuses.

And once truth shows up earlier,
everything changes.

Forecasts stabilize.
Conversations get cleaner.
Your team stops managing perception
and starts managing reality.

Less chaos.
Fewer surprises.
More control over the number.

If you’re done finding out too late,
start a free 14-day trial:
👉 https://salessage.co/

See what your team feels before it turns into a missed quarter.

P.S. What’s the deal you wish you’d known the truth about sooner?

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

It's that you don't have psychological safety.

You can’t innovate when your nervous system feels unsafe.
Most people think creativity comes from pressure.

👀 Deadlines. 
👀 Urgency. 
👀 Stakes.

Neuroscience says the opposite.
When your brain senses threat,
the amygdala takes the wheel.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows.

You default to what’s familiar and proven.

That’s great for survival.
Terrible for innovation.

Creativity lives in the prefrontal cortex.
That part of the brain only comes online
when your nervous system believes it’s safe to explore.

No safety, no curiosity.
No curiosity, no new ideas.

Its why teams under constant pressure stop experimenting.

Why “high standards” without safety
quietly kill original thinking.

Why people with brilliant ideas keep them to themselves.

Psychological safety's about giving the brain permission
to take intelligent risks.

When people feel safe enough to be wrong,
their brains stay open.
✅ They connect more dots.
✅ They challenge assumptions.
✅ They see possibilities instead of threats.

Every breakthrough you admire
came from a nervous system
that wasn’t bracing for impact.

If you want creativity,
you have to design for safety first.

PS: Where do you notice creativity shutting down?

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
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(before it blows up your number)
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It’s not that you’ve lost your holiday creativity...

It’s that your brain is overloaded.

End-of-year deadlines.
Family logistics.
Financial pressure.
Social expectations.

Your nervous system doesn’t see “festive.”
It sees threat + noise.

When the brain is overstimulated,
it shifts into management mode.
The amygdala prioritizes control.
Cognitive bandwidth shrinks.
Novel thinking gets postponed.

You don’t brainstorm.
You cope.

That’s why your best ideas don’t show up
when you’re rushing through airports,
closing Q4,
or juggling ten obligations at once.

Creativity doesn’t emerge from hustle.
It emerges from spaciousness.

The prefrontal cortex needs slack.
Moments of quiet.

A sense that nothing bad will happen
if you pause.

That’s why ideas surface in the shower.
On slow walks.

While staring at holiday lights.
When the brain finally exhales.

This season isn’t killing your creativity.
It’s waiting for you to give it room.

Less urgency.
More margin.
More permission to wander.

Creativity comes back
the moment your nervous system
feels like it doesn’t have to brace.

PS: Where do you notice your best ideas showing up this time of year?

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
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Creativity has less to do with talent...

And more to do with a bored brain.

People think creativity comes from inspiration.
It doesn’t.
It comes from boredom.

Your brain needs open space
🧠 to connect ideas
🧠 to solve problems
🧠 to spark something new.

But most adults never get bored anymore.
Their mind is always occupied.
❌ Scrolling.
❌ Responding.
❌ Consuming.
❌ Reacting.

A busy brain can execute.
A bored brain can invent.
When your mind wanders your default mode network activates.
That’s the part of your brain
that blends memory, imagination, and insight.
It creates the stuff you call intuition.
It forms the ideas that feel like they “came out of nowhere.”

But they didn’t.
Your brain just needed quiet
long enough to hear itself think.

You don’t unlock creativity by trying harder.
You unlock it by giving your mind room to roam.

Sit still.
Walk without a podcast.

Take a shower without rushing.
Let your brain get a little bored.

That’s when the breakthroughs show up.
Not because you forced them
but because you finally made space for them.

P.S. When’s the last time you let your mind wander
without pulling out your phone?

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud (before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

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♻️ Share to remind someone that boredom is a feature, not a flaw

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
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Video Credit: Unknown
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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

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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
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♻️ 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
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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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♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” deal that fell apart

Your pipeline isn’t lying. 

Your reps just don’t feel safe telling you the truth.

Managers think they know what’s in their pipeline.
But they only know what the CRM tells them.
And the CRM only tells them what reps feel safe enough to share.

You’re managing numbers you can’t trust.
Your pipeline looks clean.
Your reps sound confident.
Your CRM says things are “on track.”
But something feels off.

Deals stall quietly.
Momentum fades.
Forecasts slip.
And you don’t see it until it's too late.

Reps aren’t dishonest.
They’re human.
They soften risk.
They hide uncertainty.
They overstate momentum
because nobody wants to look unsure.

So you get blindsided.
Not by deals.
But by the emotional truth your CRM can’t capture.

This creates a silent threat inside every sales org.
You miss red flags early.
You lose weeks of runway.
You carry the blame for information
you never got soon enough.

The cost isn’t just deals.
It’s trust.
It’s team performance.
It’s the reputational hit when your forecast misses again.

SalesSage uncovers what’s really going on
Underneath the numbers.

It reads emotional signals your CRM can’t track.
It surfaces hesitation before it becomes a stall.
It identifies low conviction before it becomes a lost deal.
It reveals drift before it becomes a blown quarter.

No pressure on reps.
No interrogation.
Just a 10 minute pulse
that shows you the truth behind the pipeline.

If you want your pipeline to tell you what’s real
not what’s hopeful

Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

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7 ways to protect yourself during a toxic boss attack

and how to stay sharp in the heat of the moment.

When your boss triggers uncertainty or criticism,
your brain reads it as threat, not feedback.

Amygdala activates.
Prefrontal cortex goes offline.
You react instead of choose.

That’s biology, not weakness.
Here’s how you protect yourself from a toxic boss

1/ Map triggers through the body
 Your nervous system reacts before your mind does.
 Early signals give you control back.
 Do this: scan jaw, chest, and breath before speaking.
 Do this: label the sensation silently.

2/ Widen awareness
 Threat narrows attention and locks you in.
 Expansion tells the brain you’re safe.
 Do this: soften your gaze to include room edges.
 Do this: notice three objects around you.

3/ Create psychological distance
 Emotion collapses perspective under stress.
 Distance restores clarity and choice.
 Do this: observe the interaction like a case study.
 Do this: imagine you’re watching it on mute.

4/ Reclaim your energy
 Stress transfers through empathy circuits.
 Awareness breaks emotional absorption.
 Do this: remind yourself “this isn’t mine.”
 Do this: feel your feet on the ground.

5/ Transmute stress into fuel
 Stress is mobilized energy, not damage.
 Direction determines the outcome.
 Do this: stand tall and open your chest.
 Do this: slow your breathing by one count.

6/ Interrupt mental time loops
 Threat traps the brain in replay.
 Time perspective restores agency.
 Do this: ask how this matters in six months.
 Do this: name one lesson you’re gaining.

7/ Regulate before responding
 Words land differently from a calm body.
 Regulation is the real boundary.
 Do this: exhale longer than you inhale.
 Do this: pause two seconds before speaking.

Same boss.
Same environment.
Different outcome.
That’s immunity.

P.S. How many of you have had a toxic boss?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
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♻️ Repost if someone you know needs this now.

How to Protect Yourself from a toxic boss

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
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Get on the waitlist for FREE
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OR
DM Me "Toxic Audit" for your own quick check

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♻️ Repost if someone you know is always “on.”

 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

You don't need a cute dog to beat the Seattle Freeze

You just need to get out of your head.

I live in Seattle.
It’s known for the Seattle Freeze.

People are kind.
They’re just… guarded.

But this isn’t a Seattle problem.
It’s a nervous system problem.

Modern life keeps us in our heads.
Thinking. Optimizing. Performing.
And connection doesn’t happen there.

Connection happens in the body.
That’s why people connect so easily with animals.

Animals pull us out of our head and into our heart.
No agenda.
No self-monitoring.
Just presence.

Your nervous system softens.
Oxytocin releases.
You feel human again.

Here’s the good news:
you don’t need a dog to create that effect.
You just need to create present-moment safety.

1/ Presence is the fastest way to melt the freeze
When you’re fully here, other nervous systems feel it.
Eye contact. A relaxed face. A slower pace.
The amygdala stands down.
The body says, “I’m safe.”
That’s the doorway to connection.

2/ Small human moments rewire the social brain
A smile.
Holding a door.
Letting someone go first.
A dumb dad joke.
These aren’t trivial.
They create micro-bursts of oxytocin and dopamine.
Tiny signals.
Big biological impact.

3/ Lock eyes and smile, just for a beat
Say the kind thought instead of keeping it inside
Tell the bad joke
Acknowledge the human, not the role
Move slower than the moment demands

You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to be more interesting.
You just need to be here.

In a world full of guarded nervous systems,
presence is the warmest thing you can offer.

P.S. What’s one small, human moment you’ll create today?
P.P.S. Merry Christmas!

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
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Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

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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

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

You’re not “too much.” 

You just think faster than most people can keep up.

I swear I’m going to be distracted forever.

I built Reboot Your Brain.
I built SalesSage.
And now look what I can do in ChatGPT.

I typed one idea…
and an entire app appeared.

No code.
No setup.
No figuring anything out.

Just Replit, build me an app and boom. 
Done.

This is dangerous for people like me
who can’t stop creating.
Because now creation is instant.
Your ideas don’t sit in Google Docs anymore.
They turn into something real right inside ChatGPT.

You describe what you want.
Replit builds it.
A live preview pops up.
You tweak it with another message.

It feels like cheating.
It feels like having a dev team
wired straight into your brain.

And yes… 
I’m already thinking about my next 5 apps.

If you’ve ever said
“I wish someone could just build this for me”
you can literally do it now.
(Sorry Devs)

Type “Replit…” in ChatGPT
and watch your idea come alive.
You’re not distracted. 
Now, you’re finally dangerous.

YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I disappear, I’m probably in a Replit Rabbit Hole.
P.P.S. How many ideas are waiting in your google doc?

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

The way to get clients on Linkedin is this...

Understand the inner thoughts of your ICP

Most people study their ICP on the surface.
Top sellers study how their ICP thinks.

If you want to sell on LinkedIn,
you have to know what your ICP is actually worried about,
not what they pretend to care about.

Here are 8 steps to uncover the real subtext 
of your ICP on LinkedIn:

1. Audit Their LinkedIn Profiles
Look at what they emphasize.
Tension shows up in their headcount, KPIs, and team priorities.
Their top headaches are usually hiding in plain sight.

2. Study Their Event Activity
Search for events they attend.
Then check the attendee list.
The themes they show up for
tell you what’s keeping them up at night.

3. Watch Them in Comment Sections
Look at your ICP commenting on competitors’ posts.
Their questions reveal fears.
Their reactions reveal pressure points.

4. Analyze Comments Under Hand-Raising Posts
Creators often say “comment for more info.”
Those comments are gold.
They show exactly what your ICP thinks they need
and what they wish someone would help them solve.

5. Read Your Own Comments Differently
Your commenters are micro-versions of your ICP.
Study their language, frustrations, and patterns.
Your future offer refinement is already hiding there.

6. Track What They Subscribe To
Newsletters, creators, and series they follow
tell you what they’re actively trying to improve.
Subscription signals = priority signals.

7. Act Like Your ICP For a Day
Ask yourself:
If I were them, what problems would I think about at 10 a.m.?
Budget. Productivity. Risk. Politics. Efficiency.
Not “culture” or “soft skills.”
Speak to the internal pressure they feel,
not the topic you want to teach.

8. Go One Layer Deeper Than Logic
Once you find the logical problem,
double punch it.
What’s the emotional layer?
Fear of missing targets?
Fear of looking incompetent?
Fear of wasting budget?
Fear of taking a risk and being wrong?
This is the real subtext.

If you understand your ICP’s subtext,
you won’t sound like their 10th vendor.
You’ll sound like the only person
who actually gets how they think.

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
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/

P.S. What is the number 1 problem your ICP cares about?

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales and insight
♻️ Share to help someone see what their buyers really mean

"We don't stop playing because we grow old;

 we grow old because we stop playing."

-George Bernard Shaw

I think about this quote a lot.
Probably because play shaped more of my life
than people realize.

I had a chat with Cammanex 
About my story and how play shaped me
Full feature story here: https://lnkd.in/gTKuuQ5g

I didn’t grow up in a way that told me to stay inside the lines.
I grew up following sparks, testing ideas,
and chasing whatever lit up my brain.

Neuroscience shows that play isn’t childish.
 It’s cognitive fuel.
 It builds flexibility.
 It boosts creativity.
 It strengthens neural pathways.

Adults don’t stop playing because they mature.
They stop playing because they start performing.

They trade curiosity for correctness.
They trade imagination for efficiency.

Your brain feels that loss instantly.
When play goes down,
problem solving goes down with it.

But when you bring play back
your prefrontal cortex lights up
and suddenly everything becomes easier.

That’s how I operate even now.
SalesSage started from play.
Reboot Your Brain started from play.
Countless other endeavors over the years

Play is not a distraction.
It’s a strategy.
It keeps your brain young, sharp,
and brave enough to build the life you want.

P.S. When’s the last time you played?

One of my toys:
Sales Sage: Uncover the truth gap with your sales reps
https://salessage.co/
Get a free 14 day trial

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➕ Follow Shannon for brain based growth and creativity
♻️ Share to remind someone that play keeps the mind alive

Challenges don't happen TO you...

They happen FOR you.

Resilience doesn’t come from comfort.
It comes from contact with difficulty.

Most people think resilience is something
you either have or you don’t.
👀 Tough childhood.
👀 Hard jobs.
👀 Big failures.

When you face manageable adversity, 
your brain adapts.

Stress-response systems recalibrate.
The nervous system learns,
“I survived that.”

Each challenge becomes data.
Not trauma.
Training.

The amygdala stops overreacting.
The prefrontal cortex gets better at regulating emotion.

You think clearer under pressure.
You recover faster.
You don’t break.
You build.

That’s why people who’ve faced some adversity
often handle future stress better than those who’ve faced none.

It’s why setbacks sharpen judgment.
Why failure builds emotional range.
Why hard seasons quietly increase capacity.

Adversity isn’t the enemy.
Unprocessed adversity is.

When difficulty is integrated,
it turns into resilience.

And resilience changes how bad things land.
Less collapse.
More choice.
More perspective.

Every strong nervous system you admire
was shaped by something it didn’t choose.

If you’re going through something hard,
there’s a future version of you
that’s gaining strength right now.

PS: What challenge in your life might be training you, not punishing you?

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

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

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

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

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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The Battle

Steven Claes

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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

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