Ryan R. Sullivan

Podcast Strategy for Finance, Law & Coaching 🎙️ The Podcast Pipeline | DJ → Rapper → Marketer

You’re an advisor, not a full-time marketer.

Referrals are great…but they’re inconsistent. 

In the meantime, a financial "coach" on TikTok is getting millions of views pushing dangerous advice. 

But you don't have a content problem. 

You have a system problem:

→ Random posts
→ The occasional YouTube video
→ Compliance saying "we'll get back to you."

Let's change that. 

We'll build a repeatable, compliance-friendly, team-run content system with a simple cadence:

One 90-minute recording session per month → 3–4 segments + 15–30 clips

Then we turn that into a weekly rhythm across LinkedIn, email, YouTube, and your podcast.

We helped a client generate 150+ life insurance clients with one podcast.
Built 100+ podcast strategies for finance, CPA's, banks, and law firms. 

If you want a credible, relationship-driven growth system your team can sustain:

📅 Book a Discovery call: https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

I'll see you there! 

-Ryan R. Sullivan

Founder

We help people launch top-1% podcasts with 0 paid promotion using a proven launch strategy tailored specifically to turn audience members into podcast fans.

Here are what some of our podcasters are saying: 

Mikhail Myzgin, VP of Marketing at Slice 

"Ryan is an excellent resource for anything about podcasting. His advice was spot-on, and his expertise helped us solve a problem we didn't know how to go about."

Calum Johnson, Marketing Manager at Public

"I reached out to Ryan because I wanted to start my own podcast & get some pointers from someone who had experience & expertise launching podcasts. The consultation call with Ryan was 100% worth it, Ryan has started a lot of podcasts & gave me great advice that would be difficult to find anywhere else."

Malik Handoush, Strategic Business Develop Coach

"As someone searching for guidance & direction on beginning a podcast, I decided to reach out to Podcast Principles for a consultation. Ryan surpasses any expectations you may have as he brilliantly identifies and assesses where you are and what you're trying to accomplish. His true superpower is in his listening skills where he will help you simplify and reach a point of clarity."

Ready to humanize your business or brand? 30 mins of free advice is cool too :) 

Let's talk - https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

We got 12 inches of snow, then lost power and internet. 
My hot girlfriend, now freezing, turns to me.
And says,

"At least we can do our self-care." 

So apparently, these golden eye things are helping?

Thank god the power came back on. I was dreading what day 3 of no-power-self-care was going to look like. 

Back to work! 

PS: Did you get any snow?

Podcast-Style Content for Advisors & RIAs | 15m views, 500k+ Downloads and 1000+ Inbound Leads for Clients | Referrals are not a strategy. Stop waiting and start attracting.

My financial advisor said,
"Starbucks is keeping you poor."
So he made me switch to black coffee.

It's disgusting, sure.

But hey, at least now I can take that $2239 a year I saved and invest that into my Roth IRA. 

By the time I'm 65, that $2239 per year will get me at least another $357,569 to offset the cost of assisted living when I'm 75! 

He said it's all about optimizing for when you're really old and can't enjoy life. 

#financialadvising  

PS: Dave Ramsey is my financial advisor.

Bill Fanter brought us in to create videos.

12 months later: 

• 300,000+ views
• 5,000 subscribers
• 100 short-form videos

These are great metrics, but they don't tell the full story. 

Bill was already making videos, and that's the problem. 

Instead of sitting down to record a podcast or turning his phone camera on, we do one 90-minute recording per month.

No more editing.  
No more fancy cameras.
No more marketers or salespeople. 

Bill is one of the most successful options traders. He left a 25+ year career in banking to trade. Turning him into a "creator" is not the best use of his time when he runs a master class of 200 students. 

He's extremely candid about his wins and losses. 

And teaches his community how to do the same. 

He shouldn't be a video editor, and neither should you. 

#podcasting 

PS: Will you record video content this year?

Yesterday I went back to high school to teach kids about careers in media. It made me more emotional than I expected. 

I haven't spent a lot of time processing how I got here. I've been running so fast that I haven't reflected for myself: 

"How did I get here?"
"Did I think I was going into media?"
"What job did I think I would have in 2026?"

I remember thinking about the 2020's in 2016. 

How one day I would be 25 years old.

What would I be doing? 

Yesterday I went back home. Got to spend an hour with incredible students who are already creating content for themselves and their fellow classmates.  I saw my old teachers, stopped at my old job to see my boss and back home at my dads house to sit on the porch. 

Back by 3 PM, then off to a networking event at 6. I almost couldn't go because I was reflecting so much. 

It's weird because I know how I got here. 

But I don't know every reason 𝘸𝘩𝘺 I got here.

There can't be just one. 

My grandfather prayed for me every single day. My other grandfather made sure I was making money no matter what. My dad instilled a work ethic that can't be trained. 

It's working. We have clients. I work with my best friend. I live with the love of my life. We dreamed for years of even getting to this point. And man, does it feel good to be doing this. 

This life is crazy. And as my girlfriend often says, 

"Just stop, take it in, and look what you've built."

Thanks for reading, but this post was for me. 

I'm starting to think a lot of them are. 

#appreciation  

PS: What makes you stop and look back? Spending an hour with students did it for me.

When I was 14, my grandpa asked me a question that would change my entire life. 

"Are you making money?"

Luckily, I was. 

Just got my first job at a gas station. 

My dad was happy I was working.
My mom was scared of the customers. 
My soccer coach got real, "I'll let you do both for now..."

My grandpa, Jim, learned the stock market in his 70's. He was tired of replacing tile floors for landlords on the weekend, so he became one.  

Financial advisors, like many of us, don't understand that the impact of the work isn't reflected in the numbers. 

Knowing I would get that question every time I saw grandpa Jim forced me to want to make money. He became my advisor by asking one question every time I saw him. 

That question was more impactful than any other money lesson until I read Rich Dad Poor Dad when I was 19. 

But that's a story for another day. 

#advisors

PS: Who impacted your money habits as a kid?

There are 2 types of founders.
Which one are you? 

🗣️ The Top-of-the-Funnel Founder 

These founders love to advertise. 

They can rake in thousands of likes and comments but struggle to move prospects through the funnel. They often hit a wall when trying to connect marketing with sales.

💰 The Bottom-of-the-Funnel Founder

These founders love closing deals. 

They’re great at converting leads but struggle with attracting the right prospects in the first place. They often miss the mark in reaching people who will eventually face the problem they solve.

👇

Here’s the deal:

Do founders really fall into just 2 categories? 

Of course not.

The goal of this exercise is to help you think in binary terms. This makes it easier to say, "yeah, I might need help with [x] piece of my funnel." We can't fix your marketing if we can't fix you. 

Self-awareness > tips and tricks 

#MarketingStrategy 

PS: Which type of founder are you? Sales, or marketing?

Financial advisors are making LinkedIn way harder than it has to be, and that’s why other people are taking your clients faster than you can say, "401k."

https://lnkd.in/eNQSeK5X

Not because they’re smarter.
Not because they’re “better at content.”

Because they have a system.

Most advisors are doing random acts of content:

* a post for other advisors (the client repellent)
* a market update (prospects don't care)
* a broker-dealer graphic that puts us to sleep 😴

Then they wonder why nothing converts.

In this episode, I break down the 6-step system I’d use if I wanted to get clients (and yeah, it works for CPAs + law too).

Here’s what you’ll get:

✅ The first change I’d make to your targeting 
✅ How to turn your profile into a “pre-sell” page
✅ The minimum weekly posting cadence
✅ What to do daily so you’re not relying on hope
✅ The exact path from DM → call → client 

9 minutes to add as many clients as you want.

Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eNQSeK5X

Or don't and keep "networking."

#financialadvisors 

PS: If you’re still waiting for people to DM you first… you’ll either love or hate this episode.

Open video: LinkedIn for Advisors: How We Turn Posts Into Clients (Simple + Easy) on youtu.be

LinkedIn for Advisors: How We Turn Posts Into Clients (Simple + Easy)

Jason Vana

Marketing Director

Attract the RIGHT customers to your business | Brand & content strategist | Founder at SHFT | Known as #sassyjason

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁2𝐁 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.Not because their service isn’t good. Because nobody can tell the difference between them and the 100s of other options on Google.Selling on referrals. Starting every sales call from scratch. Struggling to articulate what makes your business different all leads to the same place: competing on price, taking on bad-fit clients, and wondering why growth has stalled.That's not a sales problem. That's a brand operations problem.I fix that.𝐈 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐮𝐩: How you sell, who you target, what you charge, and how clients experience you.When we get this right, everything changes:→ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬. Fewer tire-kickers. More ideal-fit clients who already understand your value before the first call.→ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. At higher prices. Without discounting.→ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤. Your brand does the heavy lifting, so you're not "saving" every deal at 9pm.→ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬. Clients have a clear reason to buy from you, and do.This is what I call Onlyness: owning an uncopyable position in your market that makes you the obvious choice for the clients you actually want.Here's how we get you there:1. Uncover your Onlyness: through deep research, workshops, and competitive analysis2. Build your brand operations: strategy, messaging, positioning, marketing, and design that work together3. Deploy it: a 12-month, step-by-step roadmap you own and execute𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞 75–200% 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. Not because we gave them a prettier logo or new website, but because they finally know what makes them uncopyable, and so does every prospect they talk to.Ready to stop competing on price and start owning your market?Book a call: shft.agency/discovery

Founder & CEO

We transform B2B service companies into the ONLY choice for their ideal customers. Our clients see a 20%+ increase in revenue with our brand and content strategies. 

Here's how we help:

◼️ Brand Strategy (customers, uniqueness, messaging, touchpoints, story)
◼️ Brand Design (logos, colors, fonts, collateral)
◼️ Content Strategy (demand gen, content creation)
◼️ LinkedIn (strategy, content, profile audits)

Interested in learning more? DM me or book a discovery call below.

I ignore the LinkedIn experts.

Those who sell LinkedIn services, courses, and coaching.

Here's why ↓

NONE 👏🏼 OF 👏🏼 THEM 👏🏼 SELL👏🏼 TO 👏🏼 MY 👏🏼 IDEAL 👏🏼 CUSTOMERS 👏🏼 

Their tactics, post hooks, and advice work for attracting:

- solopreneurs
- who make under 7-figures
- sell coaching, courses, or communities
- and do not have the resources to truly stand out

The exact people I do NOT work with.

My ideal customers:

- make 7-9-figures
- are experts in their field
- have developed something unique
- already have processes and teams in place
- sell 6-to 7-figure offers

And the tactics those LinkedIn "experts" push:

- hook templates
- vulnerable posts
- engagement pods
- posting selfies

Do not work for them.

I have yet to see a LinkedIn "expert" mention their 9-figure, industrial client who landed a 7-figure client using their LinkedIn framework.

🙄

We have industrial clients who have made $1M+ from LinkedIn...
...while generating only 5 likes per post.

Because my ideal customers don't care about going viral.

They want revenue.

Something the so-called LinkedIn "experts" suck at.

Don't listen to "experts" who don't sell to your ideal customers.

Their tactics will ruin your position.
And repel the very people you're trying to attract.

Gross.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

I'd rather gouge my eyeballs out with a spoon than read the AI-generated slop some of you pass off as content.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

My LinkedIn reach dropped by 81%.

But I'm attracting larger, higher-paying clients.

- like a $47M ARR manufacturer
- or a $62M ARR SaaS company
- or a $127M ARR automation builder

That's right.

Shft is starting to attract 9-figure leads through my content alone.
Not DMs. Not networking. Not conversations.

They've consumed my content.
And booked a call on our website.

And I struggle to get more than 50 likes on my posts.
(when I used to get 200-500 likes per post)

Here's the secret to my success ↓

1. I know my ideal customers.

I take time every week to study my ideal customers. Zoom chats. Interviews. Documenting their questions and struggles. I have over 600 post ideas just from talking to my ideal customers.

2. Every post is written for them.

I don't try to game the algorithm or focus on getting more likes. I choose to give actionable, practical advice that solves the problems of people who are likely to give me money.

3. I repeat the same message every day.

Repetition is key to being seen as an expert. So I rarely post about my personal life, topics outside of branding, or share selfies. Shft's ideal customers want to work with experts, not algorithm chasers.

4. I push them deeper into my ecosystem.

Most won't see my posts regularly in their feed (per the DMs I get daily), so I push everyone to my weekly email. More actionable. More practical. More resources. It's my best content (link in comments if you want it.

Now, don't get me wrong.

I do send DMs.
I do engage regularly.
I do have a strategy I follow.

But the 8-9 figure leads I attracted last month...
...and will soon be closing with...

All saw my content.
Jumped to Shft's website.
And booked a call.

That's the power of branded content.

Fewer impressions.
Fewer likes.
More money.

I'll take that any day.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Confession: I made a cardinal brand strategy mistake.

2025 was a tough year for Shft.

- Revenue was down 50%
- Pipeline was (mostly) dry
- I couldn't close to save my life
- Shft wasn't really a priority

Mama Vana had a lot of health issues.
And they took my time, energy, and focus.

Leaving me struggling to find clients.

So, I did what most business owners do in that situation:

Launched new offers to fit what prospects wanted.

- 1:1 coaching instead of strategy creation
- Slack channel only to ask any questions you have
- Low-level designs (fliers, brochures)

I even started building my own paid community.

🤦🏻‍♂️

I get the need for revenue.

I'm not one of these strategy purists who don't know what it takes to run a business.

But creating offers that don't match...

- your differentiation
- your strengths
- your passions

Will make revenue generation HARDER.

Last month, I cut all of those distractions.
And am focusing on what Shft does best.

Create and install brand operating systems that position you as the ONLY choice.

Revenue is already up.
Our pipeline is flooding.
And we're set to make double our most successful year.

Focus. It really does pay off.

Imagine that.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Here's how to get AI to sound like you: 

I'm building an AI blog writer for Shft. 

SEO is part of our new marketing strategy. 

And while I used to love writing long-form content... 
(my professors in college docked me for going OVER page limits) 

I don't really have the patience for it anymore. 

I'm running a business. 
Writing blog posts is the lowest priority item on my list. 

But using AI to write my content? 
When I'm a brand strategist and know that tone of voice matters?
And I hate everything AI writes?

🤮 

I've spent the last 2 months developing a system to get AI to write like me.

Here's how ↓ 

→ Step 1: Create Project & Upload Documents
I created a project in Claude and uploaded my brand strategy, messaging, ideal customer profile, and 7+ years' worth of content.

→ Step 2: Create AI Tone of Voice Guide
I told Claude to read all of my content and create a tone of voice guide with:
- Standard tone of voice chart
- Word choices and language preferences
- Formatting and punctuation
- Phrase preferences

→ Step 3: Analyze SEO
I had Claude perform keyword research on my and my competitors' websites. Verified this with my own research in SEMrush.

→ Step 4: Create a Hub & Spoke Strategy
Using everything above, I had Claude create a hub and spoke strategy. 5 hubs, each with 5 spoke posts to create.

→ Step 5: Create Post Outline
I picked one post and had Claude create an extensive outline that I edited and approved.

→ Step 6: Write a Rough Draft
I told Claude to use my existing content, my ICP, tone of voice guide, and the outline to draft a post.

→ Step 7: Ruthlessly Edit
I ruthlessly edited (and in some cases rewrote) the post. This step is KEY.

→ Step 8: Rework Tone of Voice Guide
I fed my edited post into Claude and told it to compare the posts and update the tone of voice guide to write more like me.

Rinse and repeat. 

I anticipate it will take 20-30 blog posts before I don't have to ruthlessly edit. 

Content is a long-term play. 
Not a "dump 100 blog posts today that sound like sh*t" game. 

The key to making this work: 

- 7 years' worth of content to give Claude 
- Extensive ICP document with customer quotes 
- Tone of voice guide based on existing content 
- SEO analysis of ours and our competitors' websites 
- Blog post strategy to follow 

And the biggest key: 

- Reworking the post and updating the tone of voice guide 

Train AI on your expertise and writing style. 

It'll be far more useful to repurpose your content. 

✌🏼 #shftyourbrand 

PS - Want the full breakdown? I'm sharing it with complete prompts in this Saturday's Brand Shft email. Link in comments to subscribe ↓

undefined undefined

Hey there!

Stoked to hear you're looking to find your unique brand differentiator!

Here's the link to download my B2B ‘Just Be Authentic’ Playbook:

https://findyourdifferentiation.com/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_campaign=launch_dm

I've spent weeks working on this resource, and I honestly think you'll find it super valuable.

Let me know if you have any questions as you go through it, and enjoy!

-Jason

Content Driven By Brand Strategy

📌 The best content is driven by a solid brand strategy.

- know your ideal customers
- know what makes your offer unique
- know your position in the market
- know the right tone and voice

Then create content that intersects all three.

You'll never create content your ideal customers love if you don't know who they are.

Want your content to generate real revenue?

DM me today or visit https://shft.agency/content 

Offer -> Brand Strategy

📌 The right offer matters.

No amount of marketing, content, or personal branding will help you sell a sh*t offer long-term.

And it certainly won't be something people pay a premium price for.

Nailing your offer is a core step in creating a profitable brand.

Need help with that?

DM me or visit https://shft.agency/services/brand-strategy to get started.

Clarity Call: Offer

📌 Productizing your strategy or service offer makes it much easier to sell.

Think of it like hiding your strategy behind a core deliverable. 

You sell the deliverable.
And your service/strategy is HOW you create the deliverable.

Need help with that?

We can nail it down in a 1-hour Clarity Call.

DM me or book a call directly at https://shft.agency/clarity 

Go Up Market

📌  You won't be able to successfully stumble up-market.

You need a solid brand strategy to help determine:

- your new ICP
- your new position
- your new price points
- your new differentiation
- your new brand personality

Getting that nailed down will make your transition up-market far more successful.

And by successful, I mean profitable.
For you.

Want to move up-market successfully?

I've helped 125+ businesses reposition their brand for maximum profitability.

DM me for more or visit https://shft.agency/services/brand-strategy 

Brand Strategy

📌 I'm not saying all is lost when you don't start with a brand strategy.

But, starting with one makes revenue generation far easier and faster than just 'testing' what works.

The need to 'test' is often the result of not having the right foundation for your business.

Get that foundation in place and you'll be able to move faster and make far more money.

Need help with that?

I might know a #SassyStrategist who can help.

DM me or visit https://shft.agency/services/brand-strategy to get started today.

Become the only choice | I build brand operating systems that attract higher-paying clients for 7-9 figure B2B service companies | Founder/CEO at Shft.Agency | Known as #SassyJason

One tactic most B2B founders sleep on:

Creating a sales staircase.

Making it easy to go from prospect to lead to client.

I install this tactic for just about every client.

Here's how it works:

- Free lead magnet
A framework or template pulled from your main offer.

- Low cost digital product
A DIY solution for those not ready to invest into a high-ticket offer yet.

- Low-ticket offer
The absolute core of what you do. No add-ons or extras.

- High-ticket offer
Your low-ticket offer with add-ons and extras.

- Retainer offer
Ongoing maintenance and implementation work.

All of it builds from your high-ticket offer.

Take Shft's new sales staircase:
(officially relaunching in March/April)

- Lead Magnet: Find Your Differentiation (existing)
Shows we know how to extract your uncopyable IP.

- Digital Product: Brand Vault (new)
DIY frameworks, templates, and lessons to extract and own your uncopyable IP.

- Low Tier: Brand Launchpad (new)
Minimum viable brand strategy to own a unique position in the market.

- High Tier: Brand OS (new)
Brand Launchpad + marketing + content + design. It's a full brand operating system your team can follow to become the only choice.

- Retainer: Brand Accelerator (new)
Lessons, frameworks, and templates to implement your strategy across content, marketing, sales, and operations, plus 1-2 monthly consults with me.

Each builds on the previous step.
Each upsells the next step.

All to pull prospects closer to the Brand Accelerator.

We've already had clients purchase the Brand OS...
...after going through the lead magnet
...and buying the old version of the digital product

Because a staircase let's them engage with our offers at any level.

And makes the next step clear.

Implement one yourself.
Or let me and my team do it for you.

Our clients have downsized their sales team.
While making 2x-3x what they used to make.

All because they made buying from them easier.

Imagine that.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

-----
PS - the Brand Launchpad and Brand OS are live on our website. Check the comments for the link to learn more.

Branding is agnostic.

It doesn't matter:

- what you're selling
- who you're selling to
- what industry you're in

The principles of branding don't change.

- Find something you DO that's different
- Build a position and message around it
- Create an identity that matches it
- Craft an experience for customers to feel it

And stick to those things for YEARS.

Case in point:

Shft has created unique and profitable positioning strategies for:

- food processing manufacturers
- vacuum pump remanufacturers
- IoT remote monitoring system creators
- energy & sustainability SaaS companies
- custom website and MVP developers
- custom software developers
- communications agencies
- generative AI developers
- relationship coaches
- IaC system creators
- content creators

Those are as different as you can get.

But the same principles applied.

You don't need a strategist who has worked in your industry.
Or who has created designs for your competitors.

You need a strategist who understands the fundamentals of branding.
And can apply them to any industry.

That will get you the most creative and effective ideas.

All to make you a sh*t ton of money.

If that's something you actually want.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Your CEO's personal brand isn't going to save:

- sh*t positioning
- sh*t experience
- sh*t marketing
- sh*t offer

Create a brand strategy first.
A corporate brand second.
Then, build a personal brand for your CEO.

Or don't be surprised when your CEO's shiny new personal brand doesn't produce revenue for the business.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Your brand is built by every interaction with your business.

- every email
- every call
- every ad
- every post
- every proposal
- every support call
- every website visit
- every price point
- every sales pitch

It all creates the gut feeling in people that we call a brand.

Meaning your brand is NOT a marketing tactic.

And it's NOT something to do later.

- when you have the time
- when you have the money
- when you've magically gotten PMF
- when you've sold enough to know your customers

Your brand is a whole company initiative. 

That you should have a strategy for from DAY ONE.

Because while you're waiting to get PMF...
Or waiting to hopefully land a few clients to test your offer...
Or choose to run some Google ads to see if this thing is viable...

YOU'RE 👏🏼 CREATING 👏🏼 THE 👏🏼 WRONG 👏🏼 BRAND 👏🏼 

One that will take extra time and money to fix.

Because that first impression?

It means everything.
And is incredibly hard to change.

So, go the typical route.

Hold off on building your brand and push your ideal customers away.

Or start today with a brand strategy.

You'll get PMF and revenue much, much faster.

If you're into that sort of thing.

Some of you clearly aren't.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Most businesses amplify confusion and call it a brand.

I chatted with the CEO and CMO of an 8-figure business last week.

They provide IT and verification services for enterprise SaaS companies.

I asked the question I ask of every prospect:

What do you DO that your competitors can't or won't?

Their answer: 15 minutes of the fluffiest differentiators I ever heard.

- We provide the best quality of service
- We care about our customers
- We're the industry leader

And my favorite:

- We can do everything they need

Followed by a breakdown of their 20 services.

🤦🏻‍♂️

A brand amplifies what's already there.

If you aren't aligned on the unique value you bring...
And have 20 offers across 10 industries, each serving a different ICP...

YOU 👏🏼 ARE 👏🏼 CONFUSING 👏🏼 YOUR 👏🏼 PROSPECTS 👏🏼 

Take our IT example.

Their message: Industry-Leading IT Services for Enterprise SaaS
Their content: Buy our industry-leading IT services
Their customer acquisition: all outbound sales

And their competitors? Also, industry-leading IT services

Look, you might be able to get to 8-figures with outbound sales alone.

But breaking into 9-figures?
Scaling the business?
Attracting better clients?
Reducing your sales team?

That takes clarity.

Internally with your team.
Externally in your messaging and marketing.

If you can't explain what makes you different in 1 sentence...

Your messaging will be off.
Your marketing will be off.
Your experience will be off.
Your sales will be off.

And revenue?

It will NEVER hit the levels you want.

Stop amplifying confusion.

Gain clarity around your differentiation.
Wrap your entire strategy around it.
Create an identity that displays it.

And watch as your revenue climbs.

If you're into that sort of thing, that is.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Your brand needs a villain.

Someone or something to fight against.

And, no, I don't mean your competitors.

It's basic psychology.

We often connect over what we hate.

→ that coworker you all can't stand
→ that neighbor who keeps everyone up til 1am
→ that politician who spits on everything you hold dear

Can you guess #SassyJason's villain?

*cough*ThoseDamnFluffyBranders*cough*

Like it or not, villains connect us.

Use that in your brand.

Align yourself to fight the same villain as your ideal customers.

→ branding that is all design but no substance (my real villain)
→ IOT vendors who don't help make sense of your data
→ manufacturers who push equipment, not solutions
→ marketing agencies that produce sh*t content

Every great story has a villain.

Find something that pisses off your ideal customers.
And aligns with what you sell.

Then beat the living sh*t out of it.

(metaphorically speaking, of course)

Your ideal customers will connect with you in a deeper way.

And see you as the hero they've been looking for.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

------
PS - Drop your villain below. I'll roast your choice and give you suggestions on how to fight it. 👇🏼

Your corporate brand should be an operating system.

Taking your uncopyable IP and turning it into:

Messaging, marketing, content, sales, operations, offers, and HR directives.

On repeat.
For decades.

Logo, fonts, colors.
Adjectives and archetypes.
Purpose, mission, vision, values.

All great stuff.
But none of it will drive business decisions.

Or tell you if that new marketing campaign will generate ROI.

BRANDING IS NOT FLUFF

If it's not driving business decisions...
If it's not operationalizing your efforts...
If it's not driving revenue growth...

You don't have a REAL brand strategy.

You have a fluff document that looks good, but doesn't actually help.

Get a brand system.

Not adjectives.
Not a new logo.
Not a list of values.

A system that helps you:

- create a unique position
- craft an attractive brand identity
- drive your marketing efforts
- create resonating content
- nurture and convert prospects

All so you can attract and convert your ideal customers.

We call it a Brand OS.

And it's driven $40M+ for our clients.

With fewer salespeople, lower marketing budgets, and streamlined offers.

As a brand should do.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

Branding = building operating systems

Most founders and marketers see branding as identity work.

- who you are
- how you sound
- the way you look
- the values you hold

That's only a fraction of branding.

Real branding takes your identity...
your differentiation...
your value...

And turns it into repeatable systems your team can use.

Like these systems we create for our clients:

Many that incorporate AI, templates, and tools to do the heavy lifting for you.

→ Content systems
Turning your expertise into content that your ideal customers want

→ Marketing systems
Generating high-intent, ideal leads across multiple channels

→ Offer systems
Tiered offer structure that upsells clients into larger deals

→ Sales systems
Sales stack that turns leads into customers and customers into clients

→ Team systems
Recruiting and hiring the right team members to optimize your other systems

→ Design systems
Templates, prompts, and guidelines to stay consistent with your design

Systems build businesses.
And your brand SHOULD expand your business.

If that brander you hired is not creating systems...

RUN

You don't have a brander.
You have an identity creator who doesn't know how to drive real business results. 

And that, my friend, is a complete waste of money.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

The main reason your 6-8-figure offer isn't selling:

I've spent the last 10+ years diagnosing revenue issues.

- Why businesses aren't attracting ideal customers
- Why prospects ghost after seeing a proposal
- Why sales can't seem to close a deal
- Why revenue keeps hitting a ceiling

Across 30 industries.
For 7-9-figure businesses.
Selling 6-8 figure offers.

The underlying reason for revenue stagnation is always the same:

Lack of clarity on their unique value.

No prospect I've talked with was able to clearly communicate why their ideal customers choose their offers.

And that lack of clarity impacts everything:

- messaging that doesn't resonate
- sales process that doesn't work
- marketing that falls flat
- experience customers don't like
- design that annoys prospects
- website copy that sounds like competitors
- content that lacks a resonating, unique POV
- offers that solve mild annoyances rather than real pains

Looking to move from 6 to 7, 7 to 8, or 8 to 9-figures of revenue?

Stop "testing" new tactics.
Get clarity on why ideal customers ACTUALLY choose you.
Beyond the things every competitor says.

Then build everything around it.

You'll attract more high-paying, long-lasting clients.

The type of clients that push you into a new level of revenue.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

Stop treating AI like a trusted advisor.

It's an entry-level intern at best.

Here's why ↓

I'm building an AI blog writing system.

Taking my 7+ years' worth of content...
A hub and spoke blog strategy...
SEO keyword research...

And having it create blog posts in my voice with my expertise.

Most people just ask AI to write a blog post for them.

That's not near enough context to get the results you want.

Here's what I've created to tell AI what to do:

1️⃣ AI Tone of Voice Guide
This is far more than a brand tone of voice. My 10-page document includes:
- typical tone of voice descriptions
- formatting instructions
- layout instructions
- phrase choices
- word choices

2️⃣ SEO Keyword Guide
I created a 19-page guide on proper SEO tactics, including:
- keyword clustering guidelines
- keyword research process
- keyword difficulty rules
- keyword quality filters
- search volume rules
- keyword templates

3️⃣ SEO Blog Guide
I wrote a 23-page blog writing guide, including:
- CTA guidelines with potential links
- incorporating keyword guidelines
- layout and formatting guidelines
- graphic placement guidelines
- blog intro guidelines
- subtitle guidelines
- header guidelines
- meta guidelines
- title guidelines

4️⃣ Repurposing Guide
I wrote a 10-page guide on repurposing content, including:
- turning video transcripts into a blog post
- turning LinkedIn posts into a blog post
- turning brand guides into a blog post
- turning courses into a blog post

All of that treats AI like an intern.

Telling it exactly what to do.
What I expect.
What is acceptable.
What is unacceptable.
And how to think. 

Prompts are not enough.

You need to give AI context to deliver what you want.

Or don't be surprised when it gives you a sh*tty output.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

90% of Shft's revenue comes from content.

My LinkedIn, the Brand Shft email, our essays, and our YouTube channel.

None of that happened by accident.

And it sure as hell didn't happen from:

- vulnerable content
- engagement pods
- endless selfies
- being myself

How has our content been so successful?

I stopped thinking in funnels.
And started thinking in buyer awareness.

These six levels of awareness, to be exact:

- Unaware: oblivious to the problem
- Problem Aware: knows the problem
- Solution Aware: actively seeking solutions
- Service Aware: knows about your solution
- Most Aware: ready to buy
- Advocate: purchased and referring clients

Creating content for those levels of awareness ensures:

- I'm meeting prospects where they are
- with the content that matters to them
- and pulls them closer to working with me

No selfies, pods, or fake "living in my car" stories needed.

Your content is an extension of your brand.

If you aren't creating a content mix that draws prospects closer to you...

...you're just creating noise
...that no one wants
...and will never convert

Map your content to those 6 levels of awareness.

And watch prospects start seeing you as the ONLY solution for them.

I shared more in a previous Brand Shft email.

Including examples of content for each level.

You can access the link in the comments.

Or keep posting selfie-riddled nonsense.

I'm sure that will work, too.

NOT

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

B2B companies: "We're the industry-leading..."

Also B2B companies: Why aren't we attracting higher-paying clients?

Maybe stop with the sh*tty, generic, overused messaging.

But what do I know?

I've only helped B2B companies generate $40M+ in new revenue.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

How I helped a client achieve a 100% close rate.

(and generate $90k within 2 months of our strategy work)

Spinlab came to Shft with a sales problem.

They had a successful offer.
Already had clients.

But something shifted, and they struggled to close deals.

- Weeks of discovery
- Countless meetings
- Lots of testing
- Days created proposals

All for a prospect to ghost them.
Or say they changed their mind.

🤦🏻‍♂️

Spinlab didn't have a sales problem.
They had a positioning problem.

Here's what we did:

- repositioned them as tech experience builders (not just developers)
- crafted messaging that resonated with their ideal customers
- uncovered their differentiating factor
- rewrote their website copy

But the biggest change came from one thing:

- turning their discovery process into a low-cost offer

Instead of doing months of work for free.
We turned that work into an offer.

4 weeks.
4 workshops.
1 week of testing.

All to give you a report with the MVP, website, and tech stack you need, along with costs and timelines.

That's a month of building trust 1:1.
To get a report of what you actually need.

And a proposal to have Spinlab build it for you.

The result:

Every client who purchased the Spinguide was upsold into a full development project.

One offer that solved their "sales" problem.

That's the power of a brand strategy.

Want to create a Paid Discovery Offer for your business?

Check the comments for my course.

Or DM me to build one for you.

I'm taking on 2 more clients from now until June.

Let's uncover your real business issues.

And create a strategy to level up your revenue.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

The secret to being seen as an expert:

- repetition
- repetition
- repetition

(see what I did there?)

Psychological studies show us that people need to hear the same message:

- 3-5 times to recognize it
- 5-7 times to remember it
- 8-13 times to associate you with it

Meaning, the more you talk about ONE thing...

...in your content
...on your profile
...on your website
...in your sales cycle
...in your conversations

The more people will see YOU as the expert for it.

That's why I attract 7- to 9-figure businesses as leads through my content.

I've talked about brand strategy
Given actionable advice
Every weekday
For 6 years

I rarely talk about my personal life. 
(my ICP doesn't give a flying crap about that)

I don't talk about topics outside of brand.
(even though everything really is brand)

I rarely post selfies.
(LinkedIn thinks I'm an uggo anyway)

ONE topic.
ONE message.
ONE main point of view.

On repeat for 6+ years.

That's how you get seen as an expert.
And have a line of people around the block wanting to work with you.

REPETITION.

It's psychology. In action.

Give it a try. For years. And watch what happens.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

One tool to find and engage with your ideal customers on LinkedIn:

Sales Navigator

I use it every day to:

- find ideal customers
- segment by buying intent
- connect with my ideal customers
- start conversations with them
- engage with their content
- land them as clients

I wouldn't use LinkedIn without it.
Especially when I'm trying to attract 8- and 9-figure clients.

You can even create a custom feed with just the people you want to engage with.

BRILLIANT

I created a mini-course to teach my clients how to use Sales Navigator.

It's part of our new Brand Accelerator — a platform with how-to lessons, frameworks, and templates to implement your brand strategy.

But I pulled it out.
Made it a stand-alone course.

And have just made it live.

Want to find and engage with your ideal customers on LinkedIn?

Grab the Sales Navigator Tutorial today → https://lnkd.in/gYvjN8vQ

It'll make starting conversations with ideal customers much faster and easier than on LinkedIn alone.

Something every founder, CEO, and marketing leader should want.

Unless pipeline and revenue aren't important.

Then, by all means, scroll past.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

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