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

This visual stopped me mid-scroll.

Not because it was poetic.
Because it was accurate.

For 20 years as CHRO, I sat across from introverts who apologized for being exactly this.

For needing silence after back-to-back meetings.
For choosing one real conversation over five surface-level ones.
For slipping out before the small talk started.

Last year, a senior director asked me permission to skip the team dinner.

He thought I'd mark him as "not a team player."

I told him I'd been doing the same thing for two decades.

What most people get wrong about us:

They confuse selectivity with coldness.
Solitude with sadness.
Quiet with empty.

All three are dead wrong.

What work actually taught me:

→ Selectivity is a self-management skill
Choosing fewer interactions protects your best thinking. Not coldness.

→ Solitude is a recharge, not a retreat
The best boardroom decisions? Made by someone who sat alone with the problem first.

→ Quiet is not empty. It is focused.
That depth is a career advantage most never develop because they're too busy performing.

The quiet life is not a consolation prize.
It is a chosen one.

And if you are in an introvert's inner circle, know this.
You were not a convenience.
You were a deliberate choice.

That is quiet confidence in action.

Which line on the visual hit you the hardest?

♻️ Repost to help a fellow introvert feel seen

Introversion isn't a bug. It's an operating system. I spent years apologizing for who I am.

Too quiet. Too reserved. Too much "in my head."

I tried to fix myself.
Fake energy. Forced small talk. Endless networking events that drained me by Tuesday.

Then something shifted.

I stopped treating introversion as a bug to fix.
And started seeing it as my operating system.

My quiet? It's deep listening.
My reserved? It's strategic thinking.
My "in my head"? It's where the best ideas live.

20+ years as a CHRO taught me this:
The leaders who know how they're wired outperform those who fight it.

Every time.

So I wrote this on my whiteboard.
As a reminder.
As a declaration.

I'm done apologizing.

And if you've ever felt like you needed to become someone else to succeed, I see you.

♻️ Repost for the introvert in your network who needs to hear this.

📩 These are the daily techniques that helped me stop fighting my wiring:
https://lnkd.in/eSdKpkMs

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. 🚀

I don’t believe in dream jobs. 

But I believe in healthy cultures.

Because culture is what your nervous system lives inside.

I didn’t realize how much that mattered
until my body stopped recovering.

Not from hard work.
From the environment.

Meetings felt heavy before they started.
My mind kept scanning for what I missed.
My body stayed braced after hours.

Nothing was “wrong” on paper.
The role was good.
The title was fine.

But the culture trained vigilance.
Always alert.
Always careful.
Always on.

That became my baseline.

Here’s what unhealthy cultures do quietly.

They keep threat circuits active.
When expectations shift without warning
and safety depends on reading the room,
the nervous system stays in protection mode.

Attention narrows.
Working memory shrinks.
Error correction weakens.

So capable people start making mistakes.
Not because they’re bad at the job.
Because their brain is busy protecting them.

Then a loop forms.
Stress rises.
Capacity drops.
Errors increase.
Control tightens.

Breaking the loop means working with biology.

1/ Regulate before engagement.
Exhale longer than you inhale.
Ground your feet before responding.

2/ Create predictability.
Notice recurring patterns.
Prepare for them in advance.

3/ Protect cognitive bandwidth.
Use fewer words.
Pause instead of over-explaining.

4/ Complete stress cycles daily.
Walk, stretch, breathe, or move.

5/ Rebuild internal trust.
Name one thing you handled well each day.
Healthy cultures allow recovery.

They let people think clearly.
They let capacity return.
That’s what matters.
That’s why I built
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Have you ever had a “great job”
your body never felt safe in?

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if someone you know needs a healthier culture

Creativity doesn’t arrive on command

It has to be invited.

Most people try to be creative by demanding ideas 
❌ Brainstorm now.
❌ Decide fast.
❌ Make it useful.

The brain experiences that as evaluation.
So it contracts.

When output is demanded too early,
the nervous system shifts into performance mode.

Attention narrows.
Associations shrink.
Thinking becomes literal.

The brain looks for acceptable answers,
not original ones.

That’s why creativity feels unreliable.
Because it depends on state, not effort.

Creativity requires priming.
When the nervous system feels safe,
unhurried,
and unstimulated,
the parasympathetic system activates.

The body settles.
Cortisol drops.
Neural flexibility increases.

In that state,
the brain starts making distant connections
instead of efficient ones.

Old ideas recombine.
Unrelated concepts link.
Possibility expands.

You don’t produce creativity.
You prepare the conditions for it.
Psychological safety is the primer.

It tells the brain:
 🧠 You don’t need to perform yet.
 🧠 You’re allowed to explore without payoff.
 🧠 Nothing bad happens if this goes nowhere.

Without priming, the brain defaults.
With priming, the brain experiments.

No openness, no novelty.
No novelty, no innovation.

Here’s how to prime the creative brain:
1️⃣ Lower stimulation before ideation
 Silence reduces cognitive noise.
 Creativity follows internal signal.

2️⃣ Delay usefulness
 Utility too early triggers threat.
 Play keeps pathways open.

3️⃣ Move the body gently
 Low-intensity movement increases cognitive flexibility.
 Ideas follow motion.

Creativity isn’t rare.
It’s just selective about the nervous system states
it shows up for.

PS: What helps you feel mentally spacious fastest?

Join Us here: https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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

I want to share something with you 

that I haven’t shared publicly before...

Only a small handful of my 1:1 
and small-group clients 
have seen this “Influence in the Follow Ups” 
behind the scenes…

And it’s been behind some BIG shifts for them:

Kristen went from “I don’t know what to say next” 
in the DMs to her first client in 2 weeks 
and 225% growth in 3 months.  

Joshua’s stress dropped by about 90% once 
he understood what his buyer’s brain needed 
to feel safe in a sales conversation.  

Sarah went from “sales was not my strength” 
to staying out of corporate for good and 
"actually living my dream."  

Now I’m all out of dramatic transformation words…

But I’m going to be sharing it with you on Wednesday, 
February 11 at 12 EST…

…along with a bigger announcement 
that’s going to change how a few coaches think about DMs 
and “selling” for the rest of their careers.

Before that, here’s what else I’ll be sharing on Wednesday:
✅ Why your DM convos keep stalling in polite chitchat
 even when the person clearly likes you and your content.  

✅ A you-can’t-unsee-it message map 
that shows what your buyer’s brain reads as “
threat” vs. “this feels okay to move toward a call.”  

✅ How to take a friendly back-and-forth and smoothly steer
it toward “let’s hop on a quick call” without flipping into 
awkward sales mode.  

I’m walking through it live on a small private Zoom call.

It’s a BONUS sesh for Butterhood members 
who are tired of DMs that feel nice 
but never actually go anywhere.

If you want to join us, 
just register for the session inside the Butterhood. -->
https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

If you can’t make it, there’s still a ton of resources there that will help you sell better and grow on LinkedIn

It's worth a calendar block on a Wednesday
to finally get those “almost there” conversations 
unstuck and moving toward real sales calls

P.S. After Wednesday - next time you’re 3 messages deep 
in friendly small talk, 
you’ll know EXACTLY how to guide the conversation 
toward a call without making their brain slam the brakes.

Not a pitchfest. 
Just the map that makes stalled DMs 
stop feeling like guessing and more like reading minds.

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

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

Innovation doesn’t come from adding more ideas

It comes from disrupting old ones.

Your brain is a prediction machine.

It runs patterns.
It favors familiarity.
It repeats what has worked before.

That’s efficient.
It’s not innovative.
When environments stay the same,
the brain conserves energy.

Neural pathways strengthen around habit.
Cognitive shortcuts deepen.
New signals get filtered out.

Innovation requires interruption.
When the brain encounters novelty,
dopamine increases.
Attention sharpens.
Learning circuits activate.

Prediction errors force updating.
Old maps loosen.
New associations form.

Without novelty, the brain optimizes.
With novelty, the brain reorganizes.

No disruption, no rewiring.
No rewiring, no innovation.

Here’s how to intentionally spark it:
1️⃣ Change inputs, not effort
 Read outside your field.
 Expose your brain to unfamiliar patterns.

2️⃣ Ask better constraint questions
 “What would make this impossible?”
 Constraints stretch neural flexibility.

3️⃣ Shift environments physically
 New surroundings activate orientation networks.
 Fresh context triggers fresh thought.

Innovation isn’t about trying harder.
It’s about giving the brain a reason to update.

PS: When was the last time you disrupted your own patterns?

Video Credit: Unknown

PLUS! New DM NeuroCoach here --> 
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA
(Its really, really good, try it out)

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

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

If it needs applause, it isn’t power.

It’s performance.

I’ve worked with leaders
who needed the room to feel small
so they could feel big.

Interrupting people.
Correcting publicly.
Name-dropping constantly.

Reminding everyone of their title.

It looked like authority.
It felt like insecurity.

When a leader performs dominance,
the team’s nervous systems register threat.

Amygdala activation rises.
Psychological safety drops.
Creative thinking narrows.

People stop challenging ideas.
They stop volunteering insight.
They protect themselves.

And when people protect, performance declines.
Not because talent disappeared.
Because safety did.

Real power does something different.

It regulates the room.
Calm tone.
Measured responses.
Curiosity before correction.

The prefrontal cortex stays online when people feel safe.

That’s where strategy lives.
That’s where innovation lives.
That’s where real performance lives.

If you’re leading and feel the urge to prove yourself, pause.
Ask instead:
Am I trying to influence or impress?

Influence builds trust.
Impressing demands applause.
And applause fades.
Safety compounds.

Toxic leadership performs power.
Healthy leadership stabilizes it.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Have you had have a toxic boss like this?

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve seen performance mistaken for power

Your brain doesn’t need more motivation

It needs fewer interruptions.

Every unfinished decision sits in working memory.
Every tiny inefficiency adds micro-friction.
Every small irritation raises baseline stress.

Individually, they’re nothing.
Collectively, they’re noise.
The brain burns glucose managing loose ends.
Cognitive load rises.
Creativity drops.
Long-term thinking gets crowded out.

When small drains disappear, energy reallocates.
The nervous system relaxes.
Prefrontal bandwidth expands.
The brain shifts from maintenance to imagination.
That’s when ideas surface.

Not because you pushed harder.
Because you stopped leaking energy.
Small structural shifts
create disproportionate mental relief.

Here’s how to reclaim space:
1️⃣ Batch low-value decisions
 Group admin tasks together.
 Fewer context switches preserve cognitive momentum.

2️⃣ Automate what repeats
 Templates, shortcuts, saved responses.
 The brain shouldn’t redo what it already solved.

3️⃣ Create a “capture system”
 Write down ideas immediately.
 External storage frees working memory.

You need fewer mental tabs open.
Clear the small drains.
The big thinking will follow.

PS: What’s one mental tab you can close today?

March 9, 11-1 LIVE DM Workshop
DM Me for Details

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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

Today is your one and only chance...

to transform your stuck DMs into clients 

Courtesy of my 1:1 guidance (at no cost)

Most people freeze when their DMs are answered.
Or they play it safe.
Friendly.
Surface-level.

And that’s exactly where DM conversations go to die.
Not because you’re doing anything wrong…
but because there’s no direction.

No signal-reading.
No moment where you know, 
“Okay, it’s time to move this forward.”
The people booking calls from their DMs aren’t smoother.

They’re simply watching for the moments when 
the buyer’s brain is ready to talk business… 
and guiding the conversation naturally.

That’s what I’m teaching live today.
🕑 Wednesday, February 11 at 9AM/12PM EST
📍 Join inside Butterhood → 
https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Bring your stalled DMs.
I’ll show you how to 
✅ read the signals
✅ steer the chat
✅ and know exactly what to say next.

P.S. You'll see the moment their brain is ready to move.
It won’t feel like guessing anymore.
More like reading minds.

P.P.S. No replay. 
You’ve got to be there live.
However, there are a lot of cool resources in the Butterhood if you can't make it. 
Still worth the trip.

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

If you don't have this one thing...

then you don't have a deal. 

Everyone thinks they have a messaging problem.
Most people actually have a prediction problem.

The brain only takes action
when it can predict the next few steps
with low risk.

If the path feels unpredictable,
the brain pauses.

If the outcome feels foggy,
the brain delays.

If the interaction feels ambiguous,
the brain protects.

You can have the perfect offer,
the warmest lead,
the clearest value…
and still lose the sale
if your buyer’s brain can’t map
what happens next.

The nervous system hates uncertainty.
But the cortex hates unpredictability.

And unpredictability is everywhere in sales.

Too many options.
Too many variables.
Too many “let me know what works for you.”
Too many unclear next steps.

This creates
👀 micro-anxiety
👀 decision fatigue
👀 stalled momentum

The buyer isn’t rejecting you.
Their brain simply can’t model the future.

And when prediction fails, action collapses.

Here’s what shifts everything:

1️⃣ Define the next step clearly
The brain relaxes when it knows what to expect.

2️⃣ Reduce cognitive branches
Fewer choices → faster yes.

3️⃣ Make the process feel familiar
The brain says yes to what feels predictable.

Buyers don’t need more persuasion.
They need a path their brain can follow.

Inside Butterhood, we make sales easier
by training you to structure conversations
your buyer’s brain can actually process
so decisions happen faster
and deals close cleaner.

If you want a sales system that removes friction
instead of adding pressure…
this is where you start.

Join us → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: What’s the most unpredictable part of your sales process right now?

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

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed sales and clarity
♻️ Share this if you want people to understand the real blockers

The most dangerous boss isn’t loud. 

It’s the one who says nothing.

He never yelled.
He never corrected me publicly.

He never led.
He just withheld.

No direction.
No feedback.
No expectations stated clearly.

Clients loved me.

They renewed.
They referred.
They sent emails praising the work.

Internally, I heard nothing.

No “here’s what great looks like.”
No “here’s what to improve.”
No clear metric for success.

Just silence.
And silence from a leader creates invisible expectations.
The brain hates uncertainty.
When expectations are unclear,
the amygdala reads the gap as threat.

So I filled it in.
Worked harder.
Overdelivered.
Second-guessed everything.

Every meeting felt like a test with no answer key.
Under uncertainty, attention narrows.

Working memory shrinks.
Self-monitoring increases.

You don’t perform freely.
You perform cautiously.

Then one day rumors started.
I was told there would be a reorg.
Shortly after, I was reorged out.

No prior correction.
No defined miss.
No roadmap offered.

Just a structural shift.
Here’s what was really happening.

Chronic ambiguity keeps threat circuits active.
Threat consumes cognitive bandwidth.
Bandwidth loss looks like underperformance.

Not because ability vanished.
Because clarity never existed.

Here’s what I wish I had done sooner.

Action one
Force clarity early.
Ask, “What does exceptional look like here?”
Make them define it.

Action two
Create visible expectations.
Summarize agreements in writing.
Confirm metrics.

Action three
Track proof of performance.
Document client outcomes and feedback.
Evidence protects your internal baseline.

Leadership without feedback creates fear-based performance.
Invisible expectations are still expectations.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve ever been evaluated on rules you were never given

The most dangerous boss isn't loud. 

Little handy tools...

Make big room for your brain. 

Small things create big upgrades
Because the brain is sensitive to friction.

When tiny annoyances disappear,
the nervous system relaxes.

Less scanning.
Less correcting.
Less background stress.

That frees up cognitive bandwidth.

Working memory opens.
Attention steadies.
The brain stops managing noise
and starts thinking forward.

This is why small comforts matter.
A smoother routine.
A lighter step.
A tool that just works.

They reduce neural load.
When the brain isn’t busy compensating,
it has space for:
 • creativity
 • insight
 • better decisions

Big ideas don’t come from force.
They come from environments
that quietly support the brain
instead of taxing it.

Tiny upgrades.
Major mental returns.

PS: What’s one small thing that makes your day feel easier?

Join us Wednesday Feb 11, 9am PST LIVE DM WORKSHOP 

Bring your stalled DMs, the messages stuck in polite-small-talk-hell or the messages you just don’t know where to take next.

I’ll give Real time feedback on your DM’s. This is a live workshop, there will be no recording.

https://lnkd.in/gJ4uFyCM

Video Credit: Unknown

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

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

If I saw people viewing my profile 

but not replying to my DMs…Here’s EXACTLY what I’d do:

I wouldn’t send 50 more messages.
I wouldn’t copy a new template.
I wouldn’t “circle back” again.

I’d change the stimulus.

Because here’s what most people miss:
Activity isn’t attraction.
Volume isn’t influence.

The longer your message…
The more polished your pitch…
The more “value bullets” you stack…
The more cognitive load you create.

And when cognitive load goes up?
The brain conserves energy.
Ignore.
Delay.
“I’ll respond later.”
(They won’t.)

But when a message feels specific?
When it mirrors their internal tension?
Dopamine spikes.
Relevance.
Recognition.
Response.

That’s the difference between being left on read
and starting a real sales conversation.

On March 9, I’m hosting a LIVE 2-hour DM Workshop

No scripts to memorize.
No spam tactics.
We’re engineering your DM system on the call.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

→ LIVE ICP breakdowns for attendees
→ The 4 DM fundamentals that drive reply rates
→ We’ll workshop your stuck threads in real time
→ Hidden pockets where your ICP is already engaging
→ Access to my Custom Neuro-GPT DM Coach (client-only tool)

You won’t leave with hope.
You’ll leave with a system that creates momentum
on demand.

If your inbox looks busy but your calendar looks empty…
March 9. 

Shift the stimulus.
Change the response.
Move the pipeline.

Comment “DM” and I’ll send the details.
PLUS! New DM NeuroCoach here -->
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

(It’s sharp. Test it.)

P.S. How many stuck DMs do you have?

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

♻️ Share if you’ve been left on read
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based sales insights

Mental space isn’t created by doing more

It’s created by removing friction.

Your brain runs a constant background process.
Tracking.
Adjusting.
Remembering unfinished loops.

Each small irritation quietly drains cognitive energy.

When friction accumulates,
the nervous system stays slightly activated.

Attention fragments.
Patience thins.
Creative capacity shrinks.

When friction is reduced, the brain exhales.

Working memory frees up.
Focus stabilizes.
Thinking lifts to a higher level.

This is why small changes feel outsized.
They don’t motivate the brain.
They relieve it.
Less load = more capacity

Here are three ways to make room in your brain:
1️⃣ Close open loops
 Finish, schedule, or discard one lingering task.
 Unresolved items tax working memory.

2️⃣ Standardize one decision
 Same breakfast. Same route. Same outfit rule.
 Fewer choices lower daily cognitive load.

3️⃣ Reduce sensory noise
 Lower visual clutter or notification volume.
 Calmer inputs support clearer thinking.

You need fewer drains on attention.
Create ease in the small places,
and the brain naturally redirects its energy
toward bigger, better ideas.

PS: Where does your mental energy leak most right now?
Free resources on how to convert your DMs to clients -->
https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

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

10 neural blocks killing your sales

(and the science-backed fixes)

Your sales anxiety peaks higher
BEFORE the call than during rejection.
Your brain's anticipation loop is sabotaging you

10 neural blocks killing your sales
(+ the science-backed fixes) 🧠
Learn more in my app 
https://lnkd.in/g2MB3ttY

1️⃣ Discovery Call Paralysis
Don't Say: "Let me tell you about my coaching..."
Do Say: "What made you reach out today?"
Science: Anterior insula activates reward prediction when others speak first

2️⃣ Price Presentation Fear
Don't Say: "My program costs..."
Do Say: "Your investment in transformation is..."
Science: Nucleus accumbens fires 3x stronger on value-first language

3️⃣ Objection Response
Don't Say: "But my program is worth it"
Do Say: "I hear your concern about investment"
Science: Mirror neurons sync when empathy precedes logic

4️⃣ Follow-up Timing
Don't Say: "Just checking in..."
Do Say: "I noticed you mentioned [specific pain point]"
Science: Hippocampus strengthens memory traces through specific recall

5️⃣ Value Proposition
Don't Say: "I can help you..."
Do Say: "Clients like you have achieved..."
Science: Social proof activates ventral striatum's trust response

6️⃣ Urgency Creation
Don't Say: "Spaces are limited"
Do Say: "Based on your timeline of [their goal]..."
Science: Contextual urgency triggers natural dopamine response

7️⃣ Qualification Process
Don't Say: "Can you afford this?"
Do Say: "What would make this investment worth it?"
Science: Open questions activate prefrontal planning centers

8️⃣ Close Attempt
Don't Say: "Would you like to sign up?"
Do Say: "Shall we start your transformation Tuesday or Thursday?"
Science: Binary choice reduces amygdala activation by 60%

9️⃣ Mindset Shift
Don't Say: "I need this sale"
Do Say: "I'm here to serve if we're a fit"
Science: Abundance mindset decreases cortisol by 50%

🔟 Post-Call Action
Don't Say: "I'll send you some information"
Do Say: "I'll craft your personal action plan by 2pm tomorrow"
Science: Specific commitments activate implementation intentions in PFC

Your sales language rewires both
your brain AND your client's brain.

March 9th LIVE DM Workshop 11am - 1pm
DM me and I will give you the details

P.S. Which one stuck out to you?

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

♻️ Share with a coach who needs this neural upgrade
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for more brain-based growth science

Technology is stealing the joy from your life. 

Your brain is crying for help and the science is shocking.

-----> In Person > Texting
--------> Nature > Social Media
------> Real Life > Technology Today

Very cool images by @matterneuroscience
See how technology is impacting your brain
Here is the scary science behind it:

1/ Human Touch Magic
↳ Real connection crushes depression
↳ Screens weaken your empathy networks

DO THIS:
• Trade one Zoom for real coffee
• Give 3 long hugs today (20 seconds each)

2/ Nature's Brain Boost
↳ Green time powers up problem solving
↳ Indoor lights dim your creativity

DO THIS:
• Walk and talk your next call
• Find a window spot for 2 hours

3/ Real Connection Magic
↳ Your brain syncs rhythms during real talks
↳ Eye contact activates deep emotional centers

DO THIS:
• Share a meal with someone you miss
• Listen fully (no phones, just presence)

4/ The Giving Superpower
↳ Real giving builds instant trust
↳ Digital gifts miss the magic

DO THIS:
• Hand-deliver help to someone today
• Volunteer where you see impact

5/ Present Moment Power
↳ Nature time grows your brain
↳ Phone checks shrink memory power

DO THIS:
• 24-hour break from your top app
• 12 minutes in nature, just breathe

Your brain needs real life.
Not just likes.

The most successful people aren't reading this.
They're out there, living.

P.S. What's your tech crutch? Mine is reddit. 
Let me know in the comments ⬇️

➡️ Learn more about your brain here -->
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

♻️ Share to spread the word
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for more brainy insights

Technology is Killing Your Brain

Most people don’t have a DM problem.

They have an ICP clarity problem.

And they don’t know it.

One of my clients messaged me 
after just over a week working together.

He said he’d made more progress in that week
than in the previous two months.

Not because we “worked harder.”
Because we got precise.

He finally understood his ICP.
Not surface-level demographics.
Not vague job titles.

But where they actually spend time.
What they’re quietly stressed about.
What they’re thinking but not posting.

Once that clicked, everything shifted.
He knew where to find them.
His outreach stopped feeling random.
His content stopped feeling broad.

And then something new happened.
Inbound leads.

From actual ICPs.
Not random connection requests.
Not time-wasters.

The right people.
This is what happens when you:
Stop spraying DMs.
Stop guessing at positioning.
Stop talking to “everyone.”
And start engineering relevance.

Most people think results come from:
More posts.
More hustle.
More messages.
But the brain doesn’t respond to volume.

When someone reads your message and thinks,
“That’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with.”
That’s when the nervous system relaxes.
That’s when curiosity opens.
That’s when conversations move.

→ Giving you access to my Neuro-GPT DM Coach
Check it out here ->>https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

If you want random activity, keep doing what you’re doing.
If you want progress in one week
that outpaces the last two months…join me
March 9 Event is FULL
The next one is TBD

Clarity changes everything.
Comment “DM” and I’ll send the details.
PLUS – Try the DM NeuroCoach here:
https://lnkd.in/gk_NSrcA

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

♻️ Share if you’re ready for aligned inbound
➕ Follow Shannon for more brain based sales insights

Being ignored at work isn’t peace.

It’s punishment.

One of my first consulting projects,
I was a relatively new staff.

Eager.
Prepared.
Ready to learn.

And then Hawk showed up.
His last name was Hawkins,
so everyone called him Hawk.

He didn’t coach.
He didn’t collaborate.
He didn’t even talk.

No “what do you think?”
No “walk me through your approach.”
No “here’s what success looks like.”

He’d take the work, disappear,
and come back with the finished version.

He said maybe ten words to me the entire time.

Then he’d hand me his output
and expect me to turn it in
like it was my own.

Like my job was to be a human delivery system.
Not a consultant.

Here’s what that does to your brain:
The nervous system reads exclusion as threat.
So your body goes into scanning mode.
You get hyper-aware.
Hyper-vigilant.
Trying to predict the next moment you’ll be sidelined.

Your thinking narrows.
Your voice gets quieter.
Your confidence drains.

Not because you’re incompetent.
Because you’re being denied the one thing 
that builds competence.

Feedback.

Trust forms through evidence.
Small reps.
Clear expectations.
Fast loops.

Silence kills the loop.
And the brain fills the gap with fear.

If you’re dealing with a Hawk, armor yourself like this.
1/ Force clarity with a paper trail
The moment you get an assignment, send:
“Confirming the goal, success criteria, and owner.
Here’s my plan and what I’ll deliver by Friday.
If you want changes, please reply with edits by Wednesday at noon.”
Now the silence has a timestamp.
Now takeover is visible.

2/ Convert takeover into transfer of ownership
When they hand you finished work, say:
“Thanks. I want to own this end-to-end.
Can you walk me through your thinking in 3 bullets
so I can run the next version without rework?”
Then add:
“For the next one, I’ll send you a one-page outline first.
If you want to take it back, tell me at the outline stage.”
Either you own it, or they do.
No more pretending.

3/ Protect your identity with accuracy
If they want you to submit their work as yours:
“I can submit this. Do you want it attributed to you or the team?”
Or:
“I’ll submit it noting you provided the final version,
so we’re accurate.”
Accuracy is armor.

4/ Recover after the hit
Silent control creates delayed stress.
Your body stays braced long after the moment passes.

Two-minute reset:
Long exhale.
Drop your shoulders.
Unclench your jaw.
Walk for 90 seconds.

You’re telling your nervous system:
I’m safe now.

Hawk didn’t build trust.
He built dependency.

And that is one of the quietest forms of toxic leadership.

Get free tools and resources for your toxic boss -->
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

P.S. Have you ever worked for someone like Hawk?

App is now LIVE courtesy of Replit.

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools for toxic bosses
♻️ Repost if you’ve lived through silent control at work

taplio

The Battle

Steven Claes

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreSteven Claes's LinkedIn Performance

Performance Score🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Steven Claes

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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

Performance Score🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSteven Claes's LinkedIn Performance