A creative Solopreneur building personal brands for the top 1% entrepreneurs on LinkedIn and sharing what I learn along the way.

In December 2022, I was building my personal brand to land a UX design internship.

I didn’t expect it would turn into a business serving 80+ CEOs.

Here's my story:

I met my first client - a UX Design Agency founder who looked at my work and said,

“Your design skills are good… but your ability to position people is rare. You should build personal brands, not interfaces.”

He handed me his LinkedIn account.

I built his personal brand from scratch.

He loved it. Then he referred his brother... a co-founder whose account had been poorly managed by another agency.

I took over.

Both profiles grew. Both businesses did, too.

Then in October 2023, I started freelancing.(it didn't worked out well)

So I positioned myself as a solopreneur.

By early 2024, I was working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders across the U.S. - including Silicon Valley startups backed by top venture capital firms.

Then I launched Mikaios, a personal branding company built on one belief:

If people knew your story, they’d trust your brand.

→ 80+ CEOs and founders served globally
→ 5,400+ posts written.
→ 200+ qualified leads generated.
→ 10M+ views generated organically.

In 2025, I founded Brand By Content, a media company that helps people build authority at scale through newsletters, systems, and education.

Recognition

🏆 Ranked 28th LinkedIn Creator on Taplio’s Growth Challenge (out of 2,600+)
🏆 Ranked 12th Best Storyteller & Writer in India by Favikon

Today, I help CEOs and founders who already have the results (but not the visibility) build personal brands that attract opportunities, partnerships, and recognition.

If you’re ready to become known for what you do best, book a private strategy call with me:https://cal.com/johnnaveen/strategycall

John Naveen

Last year, I took my grandma to Sri Lanka.

It's been her dream for more than a decade.

She always wanted to visit, meet relatives there, and explore the country.

I still remember (when I was in grade 3 or 4) I told her:
"Wait a little… one day, I'll take you."

She laughed. I laughed.
But deep down, I meant it.

Last year, it finally happened.

We visited different cities, explored new places.
She enjoyed everything with the curiosity of a child.

It was one of the very few times in my life where I felt:
"Okay… this is what happiness actually looks like."

On one of the bus rides, a man sitting near us asked where I was from and what we were doing in Sri Lanka.

I told him, "I brought my grandma here. She always wanted to visit."

He paused. Looked surprised.
And then said something that stayed with me:

"This is the first time I'm seeing a grandson take his grandma on a trip."

I didn't know what to say.

It felt strange… and honestly, it hurt a little.

Because to me, it wasn't anything special.

A happy elder in your home is a blessing,
that's how I've always seen it.

But after that moment, I started noticing something:

Many people my age barely speak to their grandparents.

Some don't visit.
Some don't sit with them.
Some don't even know their stories.

I'm not judging… life gets busy, people move, routines change.

But that bus ride made me realize how rare simple love has become.

Even today, whenever I go to a new city or achieve something small, I tell my grandma first.

She doesn't understand most of the work I do (it's all tech and internet things) but she listens with full attention.

And maybe that's what life is.
Not just growth. Not just ambition.

But moments you create for the people who once created your world.

***
When was the last time you spent real time with your grandparents?

John Naveen Kennedy

CEO & Founder @ Mikaios - A personal branding company

I stood in front of 1200 students last year.

Ten years ago, I couldn't speak in front of 10.

As a kid, I loved speaking.

My audience was small: my mom, my sister, a few people at home.

I would talk, sing, shout, share whatever was in my head.

Even back then, I enjoyed standing in front of people.

Not to show off. Not to impress anyone.
Simply to share what I knew.

Then school happened.

Stage fear crept in, and insecurity followed.

"What will people think?"
"What if I mess up?"

So I stopped.

I forgot about public speaking entirely.

Last year, I made a simple decision:

I'm going to speak publicly, no matter the outcome.

If I fail, fine.
If people laugh, fine.
If someone mocks me, fine.

I wasn't attached to the result.
I was attached to the process.

I wanted to prepare.
I wanted to try.
I wanted to show up.

Soon after, I got an opportunity to speak at a college.

The first talk went well.
Students told me it helped them.

The staff appreciated the session.

Then came the second opportunity… this time, with 3x the audience.

The fear came back, briefly.

But I still went up on stage.
And once again, it worked :)

I've been writing content for three years.
I work closely with CEOs.
I help build personal brands.

But standing in front of students, sharing what I've learned, that gives me a kind of happiness nothing else matches.

It reminded me why I started in the first place.

***
What was the bravest thing you did in 2025 that turned out to be a great experience?

We recently rolled out a new internal rule at Mikaios.

Before any client post gets approved, it has to pass three checks.

No exceptions.

1. Does this post have a story?

If it's just information, tips, or opinions without a narrative — it doesn't go out.

People don't remember points.
They remember stories.

2. Is there a clear idea behind the story?

A story without an idea is just noise.

Every post must answer:
What should the reader think differently after this?

If there's no takeaway, we don't approve it.

3. Is there a supporting visual?

A photo. A carousel. A screenshot.
Something that grounds the post in reality.

On LinkedIn today, this matters more than ever.
The platform is flooded with AI-generated content.

Everyone is using AI. Even my friends tell me:
"I just give context and publish whatever it generates."

That alone isn't a differentiator anymore.

The edge now is:

A real story.
A clear idea.
A visual that proves it happened.

AI can help you write faster.
It can't replace lived experience.

So instead of fighting AI, we design around it.
This checklist is our filter.

And it's how we make sure every post feels human in a feed full of machines.

***
What's your filter for deciding whether content is worth publishing?

VentureDive

Work highlights 

- Updating Ethr Design System by adding new components and improving existing ones 
- Designed employer and admin portal experience for a UAE-based company 
- Redesigned Ethr Design System website in Framer 
- Redesigned Uptrade website 


Skills gained so far 

- No code development (Framer) 
- Design systems 
- Information architecture 
- Competitor research

UX Designer

Ever wondered how a simple design change can drastically improve user experience?

Since becoming part of VentureDive, I've been focusing on elevating user experiences through thoughtful design and innovation.


My day to day activities include:

- Failing 
- Getting lots of feedback
- Iterating 
- Failing again and iterating again 


Work highlights:

- Crafting an admin portal for a UAE-based extreme sports platform.
- Won the redesign challenge for our design system's landing page.
- Designed two web components for Ethr design system from scratch.
- Redesigned the Pakistan Railways booking flow to hone my UI skills.
- Designed a finance dashboard for loan management.
- Designed an organisational dashboard for the internal HR team.


Skills gained so far:

- Design systems
- Critical problem solving
- Presenting work 
- Information architecture
- User flows
- Wireframing & prototyping


Every project for me has been a story of exploration, lots of learning, critical feedback and chance of growth.

Let's explore where design can take me next.

Associate UX Designer

An Intern's Journey, Breaking into UX Design


Projects I worked on:

- Worked on the experience of a German telehealth mobile and web portal
- Was part of UX Audit of a UAE-based quick-commerce app, identifying key enhancements to user flow.
- Reimagined the UX for a Pakistani quick-commerce Android app, elevating the shopping experience.


Skills gained:

- Usability testing
- Prototyping
- UX audit
- User needs and research
- Customer journey map
- Competitive audits

UX Intern

Self Employed

Is my content engaging enough?
Will my audience connect with my message?
Can my words drive action?

These are the questions that keep content creators up at night.

Whether you're promoting a local startup or a global enterprise.

The impact of your content is undeniable.

- You aim for engaging narratives in your writing.
- You strive for a memorable presence through your content.
- You wish to drive conversions with meticulously crafted copy.

To achieve these, you need compelling content and an innovative strategy.

I've assisted a number of brands, enhancing their digital footprint with content that resonates. My expertise spans across:

- Crafting engaging website copies
- Developing creative product descriptions
- Strategising content to captivate and convert

So are you:

- Looking for standout website content?
- Eager to redefine your landing page?
- In need of a creative content strategy overhaul?

Drop a line with "Content Design" and let's elevate your brand together.

Content Writer

PNC Solutions 

Content Editor

Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR)

Studied about various kind of polymer and composite testing methods and performed thermo gravimetric analysis practical for finding the activation energy of polyurethane.

Research Engineer

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra

Observed overhauling of aircrafts and studied different destructive and non destructive testing methods.

Intern

Hi, friend! It means a lot that you've stopped by.


Quick version for the busy folks:

Embracing the beautiful mess of creating, failing, learning, and iterating, I make things easy to use and nice to look at in the digital world. Love to chat over coffee? Let’s talk!


Diving into the heart of what I do, here’s the scoop:

- Embracing failure as the first step to groundbreaking designs.
- Gathering insights, iterating, and evolving with every critique.
- Playing around with dark mode designs. 


Skills I am currently honing:

- Design Systems: I love making design bits that work together like best friends.
- Information Architecture: Figuring out the best way to organise information.
- Visual Design: Making things look good, especially in dark mode, because who doesn’t love that?



Cool projects I’ve worked on:

- Multiple components for Ethr Design System 
- Partner and super admin portal experience for an extreme sports startup 
- Employer and admin portal experience for a UAE-based company 
- UX Audit of a q-commerce app


If you’re into making the digital world a friendlier place, or just want to swap stories and ideas, I’m here for it. Let’s make something cool together.

taplio

The Battle

John Naveen

Muhammed Arqum

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The Battle

John Naveen

Muhammed Arqum

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);}John Naveen's LinkedIn Performance

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