Creative Entrepreneur & Marketer 🍗 Social media: 94,500+ followers 🍗 MD of Chubbiverse: spreading giggles through rainbow farts + meme culture (6.2 billion giphy views)

From a KFC checkout chick to an award-winning marketer and digital entrepreneur - my journey proves that messy action beats perfect inaction every time.

Here's my story (the short version):

I started as an interior designer but the 9-5 wasn't for me. Switched to being a street artist (that's how I became "String") - won grants, created art, and was broke. Everyone said to give up, but I kept moving forward.

Then, people started asking me about marketing and social media. I went all in on LinkedIn, creating content that cut through the noise. Built a social following of 100,000+, became a LinkedIn Top Voice for 4 years straight, and discovered my sweet spot: helping smart people build their personal brand through strategic + authentic content.

Today, I run The Trusted Voice (TTV), where we help entrepreneurs, founders, and professionals transform from invisible experts into powerful online authorities. 

Our PACE Framework has helped members 3X their visibility and consistently land opportunities through LinkedIn.

What I'm known for:
🍗 Building engaged product and communities that drive real business results
🍗 Turning expertise into influence through strategic content
🍗 Creating frameworks that simplify complex marketing and sales concepts
🍗 Helping professionals find their voice and own their space

Want weekly insights on building authority and scaling your influence? Join smart professionals in my newsletter where I share actionable strategies on personal branding and digital marketing.

→ Subscribe here: https://stringstory.co/newsletter/

Open to: Speaking opportunities, podcast interviews, and collaborations

My product + service include: 
1. Consulting on marketing or business (see my featured section to book a paid session, 
2. Want coaching on how to level up your personal branding for marketing or sales? Consider joining TTV coaching membership - DM me directly to discuss if you're a good fit.

String Nguyen

There was a time I stayed quiet.
In meetings, I’d bite my tongue.
Online, I’d overthink and never hit publish.

I thought my voice didn’t matter.
That someone else was already saying it better.

But here’s what I’ve learned since:

🍗 Your voice isn’t meant to sound like everyone else’s.

🍗 People don’t just connect to information, they connect to perspective.

🍗 Silence doesn’t build trust, but sharing, even imperfectly, does.

Now I rock up and show up.
Not because I have it all figured out.
But because every time I share my story, someone else feels seen.

✨ And that’s the real power of showing up…

Your voice can be the spark that makes someone else believe theirs matters too.

Digital Entrepreneur & Marketing Coach 🍗 Social media: 100K followers 🍗 Helping smart people with easy marketing and content tips

2025 taught me a few things.
Not loudly. Not dramatically. But clearly.

Here they are 👇

1️⃣ Motherhood rewired how I work
I didn’t “balance” work and life. I faced reality. Energy became the constraint, not time.

2️⃣ Alignment became a strategy
Forcing outcomes created stress. Alignment and simplicity worked better.

3️⃣ Energy > productivity hacks
Decision fatigue mattered more than hours worked. Protecting energy became the real leverage.

4️⃣ I shifted into operator mode
TTV stopped being creator-led and became system-led. Direction and structure beat doing everything myself.

5️⃣ Systems replaced hustle
If it couldn’t move without me, it wasn’t a business.

6️⃣ Working with people unlocked scale
Coaches, facilitators, support... progress sped up when I stopped being the bottleneck.

7️⃣ AI became infrastructure, not a trend
Used well, AI reduced cognitive load and protected energy. It didn’t replace my voice — it amplified it.

8️⃣ Clarity beat cleverness with AI
The winners weren’t louder. They were clearer.

9️⃣ Relationships beat reach
Fewer posts. More conversations. 
Recognisable names > anonymous metrics.

🔟 Sustainable growth is built, not chased
Reach gets you seen. Relationships get you remembered.

1️⃣1️⃣ I integrated identities instead of reinventing myself
Founder. Operator. Mum. No dramatic rebrand required.

1️⃣2️⃣ Subtraction created momentum
Letting go made room for better systems.

1️⃣3️⃣ Conviction replaced opinion-collecting
Less reacting. More deciding.

1️⃣4️⃣ Durability became the metric
Not virality. Not speed. What holds up over time.

2025 wasn’t about doing more.
It was about building things that last.
If this resonates, you’re probably playing the long game too.

📸 Photograph by Ksenia Belova 📸

People remember brands for the weirdest reasons.

For me?
It’s fried chicken 🍗

Not because I planned it.
Not because of strategy.

But because memorable brands have a talking trigger.

If you’re building a personal brand and feel invisible online, this is usually what’s missing:

🍗 Something human.
🍗 Something specific.
🍗 Something people can’t unsee.

You don’t need to be louder.
You need to be more you.

Save this if you’re working on your personal brand.
Follow for content + brand building tips.

You're good at what you do. Really good.

Years mastering your craft. Clients love your work once they find you.

But being brilliant isn't enough if people can't find you.

The loudest voices online aren't always the most experienced. They're just better at positioning themselves as the go-to choice.

Here's what works: 𝗣.𝗔.𝗖.𝗘.

🍗 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Can someone describe what you do in one sentence? If not, you have a positioning problem.

🍗 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 – Are you speaking to everyone? That's speaking to no one.

🍗 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Are you showing up where your people actually are?

🍗 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Are you building relationships, or just hoping people notice?

Most experts assume their work speaks for itself. 
The people winning aren't necessarily better, they're just positioned better. More clearer.

Where are you stuck?

Reply with P, A, C, or E and I'll send you a quick fix for that step.

I was invisible for years and I was good at my job.

I'd have ideas. Good ones. 

But I'd sit there, heart racing, saying nothing
I told myself my work would speak for itself.

It didn't.

When I quit my 9-5, I had no choice. 
No boss to vouch for me. No team to hide behind.

I had to be seen or fail.

So I did a content challenge. 
Post every day. 
Face the fear. 

Deal with the imposter syndrome head-on.
And something unexpected happened.
I actually enjoyed it.

Now I work with hundreds of experts and entrepreneurs who remind me of past me. 

Brilliant at what they do. 
Terrible at talking about it.

And here's what I've noticed: AI hasn't fixed this. 

If anything, it's made the inner crisis louder. 
More comparison. More "everyone's doing it better."

That's why I built The Trusted Voice.

Not to help people post more. 
To help them find the inner voice that makes posting easier.

Because visibility isn't about volume. 
It's about finally letting yourself be seen.

If this is something you need help with, follow me for more tips on content and branding.

Are you using Claude Code? OMG I'm a fan.

So I was on a road trip, thinking I will chill over the December break, but I ended up becoming besties with Claude Code.

No bootcamp. No CS degree. No developer on call.

Just me, Claude Code, and a baby who doesn't care about my shipping schedule.

Three weeks later? 8+ internal tools built.

Here's what I learned:
🍗 You don't need to write code.
🍗 You need to clearly describe what you want.
🍗 That's the skill. That's the unlock.

I wrote the full story...
What I built, what broke, and 5 tips for non-developers who want to try this.

You can read it more here: https://lnkd.in/gcU2Ccrt

I didn’t find confidence in business.
I found it on a climbing wall.

I started bouldering as an adult.
No ropes. No safety net. Just grip… or fall.

At first, I overthought every move.
The wall felt higher when people were watching.
I’d hesitate, second-guess, stall.

Then something clicked.

You don’t climb by waiting to feel ready.
You climb by committing to the next imperfect move.

Sometimes you fall.
Sometimes you surprise yourself.
Either way, you learn fast.

That changed how I build everything now:
🍗 how I post
🍗 how I test ideas
🍗 how I use AI
🍗 how I ship before things feel “done”

Most people think confidence comes before action.

It doesn’t.

Confidence shows up after you move.

That’s why I’m big on messy action.
Not as a mindset.
As a practice.

The version of you who’s doing the thing already exists.

They just don’t wait anymore.

Most experts don’t have a content problem.
They have a clarity problem.

They post tips.
They post “value.”
They post consistently.

And still… nothing lands.

No saves.
No DMs.
No “hey, I saw your post.”

That’s because people don’t remember tips.
They remember who something is for.

This video breaks down:
• why being helpful isn’t enough
• how to stop sounding generic
• one small shift that helps people recognise you

No hacks.
No trends.
Just a repeatable way to stop being invisible and start being referred.

If you’re building a personal brand and want it to actually work, this one’s for you. 🍗

Comment PACE if you want the framework I use.

Your content sounds junior
So, you post consistently. You share insights. You know your stuff.

But nothing. Silence. Zzz.

Here's what's happening: Smart doesn't convert. Relatable + Clearness does. (Hint: ugly selfie works)

Most experts post like they're writing a textbook. 
Meanwhile, their audience is thinking: "Why should I care?"

Your content talks AT people, not TO them.

It's like tuning a radio. If you're not on the right frequency, all they hear is static no matter how good your message is.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆:

1. Reflect their pain.

❌ "I help businesses grow their online presence."
✅ "You post content and nothing happens — despite your experience."

2. Show life after.

❌ "I'll fix your content strategy."
✅ "Leads slide into your DMs from yesterday's post."

3. Name what they're losing.

❌ "You need better content."
✅ "Your thinking is sharp. But your content makes you look junior."

Does that make sense?

You don't need more content tips. 
You need a system that makes your content connect.

Helping Founders Become Thought Leaders | Founder of Cue Studios

You’re already sitting on a goldmine (your personal brand). Let’s unlock it.

I never set out to "build a personal brand." I just started sharing what I knew.

And then, something unexpected happened. Opportunities started coming my way. Clients. Speaking invites. Partnerships.

That was my first “aha” moment. This isn’t just posting online. It’s a growth engine.

Most founders ignore their personal brand. Here’s why that’s a mistake.

Right now, you’re running a business. You’re solving problems. You’re having conversations every day that could be turned into valuable content.

But instead:

• You don’t know what to talk about
• You’re not sure how you want to come across
• You’re not leveraging your experience to attract the right people

What if I told you you don’t have to do anything extra?

Your daily insights are already content. You just need the right strategy to get it in front of the right people.

This is where I come in.

I help founders turn their expertise into authority without wasting time or chasing vanity metrics.

What I do:

• Define your personal brand. Who you are, what you stand for, and how you should show up online
• Create the right content for the right audience so you attract clients, investors, or opportunities
• Develop a system so your brand runs without taking over your life

And here’s what happens when we get it right:

• Speaking engagements on top-tier stages
• Inbound leads and investment opportunities
• Industry recognition that makes you the go-to name in your field
• A network of high-value relationships that drive your business forward

I’ve helped tech founders, Web3 builders, and executives grow their influence and I can help you do the same.

So, what’s your next move?

You can keep letting others control the narrative about who you are.

Or you can start shaping it yourself and attract the kind of opportunities that change everything.

DM me or book a call. Let’s make your brand work for you.

Byron Grealy

I hit 10k followers.

Eight days later than planned.

I know it’s just a number.
I also know people with 2k followers who make more money than people with 100k.

So no, it’s not an objective measure of success.

But to me, it means something else.

It means I’m slowly building a network of smart, capable people who are at least mildly interested in what I put out.
It means conversations, pushback, support, and the odd disagreement that forces me to think properly.

Putting your thoughts out there does two things:

• It broadens the surface area for opportunity.
• It keeps you honest by pressure testing your ideas in public.

2025 brought a lot of change for me.
I expect 2026 to do the same.

Thanks to everyone who’s been following, engaging, agreeing, disagreeing, and sticking around.

On to the next milestone.

I spent a lot of my early career second-guessing my decisions.

Waiting for certainty would have kept me stuck.

I finished university without a clear plan and took a role at a startup as the only employee. 
I learned a lot, then realised it was heading in a direction I didn’t agree with, so I moved on.

Still no plan. 

At that point, the only thing I was sure about was that I wanted to live and work abroad. 

With a fairly weak passport, that narrowed my options, so I worked backwards.
Teaching English opened the door, I applied to anywhere that would take me, and I ended up in Hong Kong.

From there, a pattern formed. 

Periods of comfort followed by the urge to stretch myself, step into discomfort, and grow. 
Each move added something, even when it didn’t feel that way at the time.

I met my wife there, and she’s pushed me at every stage since. 
When I felt drawn towards something new, I committed properly. 
Not everything lasted, but I always stayed long enough to learn before deciding what was next.

Looking back, that approach mattered more than having a perfect plan.

Most people early in their careers wait for certainty. 
They research, compare themselves to others, and look for reassurance that rarely arrives.

I was the same.

Some research helps. 
Too much of it keeps you stuck.

Clarity comes from movement, taking action. 
Experience compounds when you make the call, learn quickly, and adjust.

You don’t need all the answers upfront. 
You need action, and then you need to keep the momentum.

What's the "riskiest" career decision that you've made?

Ever notice how some things feel effortless...

While others feel like you’re constantly pushing uphill?

You can have the same ambition, the same goals, and still get completely different results depending on where you place yourself.

When progress feels hard, most people assume they are the problem and try to force change through effort alone. 

In my experience, that’s not the only solution.

What makes progress feel easier isn’t just willpower. 
It’s being pulled in the right direction.

And that's because of proximity.

If you surround yourself with people who train daily, compete, and care about performance, certain behaviours stop feeling optional. 
Skipping a workout feels strange. 
Training twice a day feels normal. 
You’re not pushing yourself, you’re matching the standard around you.

Earning works the same way.

In some countries (like where I'm from), earning $5k a month puts you well ahead of the average person. 
Life feels comfortable and stable. 

But place yourself in a room where people earn $200k a month, and your perspective completely changes. 
Your ceiling breaks, and your thinking changes without conscious effort.

Nothing about you changed. 
Your environment did.

This is why pushing can work long-term, but changing your surroundings works faster.

It’s also why I moved to Dubai. 
It completely shifted how I think about business and what I believe is possible.

If you want growth to feel less forced, don’t push harder. 
Put yourself somewhere that pulls you forward.

It doesn't have to be moving country, but it does mean actively finding your tribe. 

What change in proximity had the biggest impact on you?

Founders are starting to realise that the only real moat left is you.

It's about how people connect with you before they ever touch your product.
With your personality and how you think.

And the only way to build that connection at scale is content.

The mistake most founders make is thinking content means starting from scratch every time.
A new post. A new idea. Expending lots of energy for each platform.

That’s why it feels exhausting.
And why so many founders give up.

In reality, you only need one source of truth.
One piece of content where you do the heavy lifting once.

That could be:

• A podcast episode
• A YouTube video
• A long-form article

You’ve already done the work, so letting it live once and disappear makes no sense.

That single piece can become multiple:

• LinkedIn posts
• X posts
• Shorts, Instagram or TikTok videos
• A blog
• A newsletter

Same idea. Different formats.

There are plenty of ways to break it down, but the principle is simple.
When you have a system, the effort is front-loaded.
The thinking happens once, and everything else gets easier.

Do the heavy lifting once.
And use it to connect with people at scale.

Perception isn’t about tricking people into thinking you’re someone you’re not.

It’s about becoming the person you say you are.

I see a lot of people doing content like it’s a chore. 
Doing the bare minimum with their posts.
Leaving low-effort AI comments.

Yes, you’re “showing up”, but the signal you’re sending isn’t competence or credibility.

It’s laziness.

And that’s a problem, because the whole point of building a personal brand is to create better opportunities, not repel them.

Perception doesn’t change because you say the right things.
It changes when your behaviour does.

When you actually take the time.
When the effort is obvious.
When you give a shit.

You don’t fake your way into a better reputation.
You earn it by becoming the person you want to be seen as.

Most founders say they don’t post because they don’t have time.

The real cost is not time.
It’s not starting.

Here’s what waiting actually does:

1. You postpone connection.
People don't connect with finished brands as much as they connect with people figuring things out.

2. You hide the part that builds trust.
The building is the proof. People don't expect polished outcomes anymore. 
The process is what earns belief.

3. You let others define the space.
While you wait to be “ready,” someone else becomes the familiar voice in your market.

4. You misunderstand what a brand really is.
A brand is not visuals or messaging. It's repeated exposure to how you think.

5. You delay your only real moat.
Products are now easy to copy with AI and markets shift. 
But your point of view compounds.

Building a business is never perfect.
Everyone already knows that.

The sooner you start posting, the sooner people can grow with you.

What are you waiting for?

Most of the lessons that actually shape you can’t be taught.

They have to be lived.

Chris Williamson wrote an essay on unteachable lessons, and it’s the reason I’m writing this.

It made me reflect on how my relationship with advice has changed over time.
Both receiving it and giving it.

When you’re late teens or early 20s, you think you know everything.
Advice gets brushed off because you assume you’re different.
Your situation is always the exception.
So you learn the hard way anyway.

I was exactly like that.

I got plenty of good advice and ignored most of it.
Then years later, I learned the same lessons through experience and realised they were right all along.

That’s changed how I give advice now.

When I speak to people in that age bracket, I don’t expect them to listen just because I’ve been there.
It's obvious now that unteachable lessons don’t land through words.
They have to land through action, failure, and consequence.

So instead of trying to convince them, I’m experimenting with a different approach:

• Call out inaction
• Push them to take the first step
• If they're ready, hold them accountable
• Let them learn by doing
• Encourage faster failure
• Shorten the feedback loop

The goal isn’t to be right.
It’s to help them reach the lesson sooner.

Learning by doing and failing has become a core part of my life.
I just wish I embraced it earlier.

I’ll drop Chris’s essay in the comments.

taplio

The Battle

String Nguyen

Byron Grealy

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance ScoreString Nguyen's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreByron Grealy's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

String Nguyen

Byron Grealy

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);}String Nguyen's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreByron Grealy's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreString Nguyen's LinkedIn Performance