Thomas Strider

Business & Corporate Financial Consultant (FP&A)

RightMessage

RightMessage helps pro creators and online businesses segment their audience and personalize their website, opt-ins, and email marketing. No code required.

Angel Investor

Entrepreneur Media

Contributing articles on the future of entrepreneurship.

Contributing Writer

Brainz Magazine

Contributing writer on the topics of entrepreneurship, marketing, and personal development.

Executive Contributor | Global 500 Award Winner

Helping solopreneurs close ideal clients | Learn to craft offers, develop sales systems & write authoritative content in my newsletter, the Laptop Lifestyle | Currently working in the nearest coffee shop ☕️

Short version: 

I help solopreneurs sell and scale with improved offers and system building frameworks.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Long version:

In 2015, I worked in a hospital as a pharmacy tech. I was underpaid, overworked, and barely scrapping by... even with a 4 year college degree.

At the end of 2015, I told myself "enough is enough."

I quit. Which was risky, given I had 0 savings and 0 plan. I started freelancing, beginning with photography, then content writing. 

From 2016 to summer 2018 I worked for myself, before burning out and returning to corporate. I need a reset, and to determine better systems for entrepreneurship moving forward.

So between the years of 2018 and 2021 I was promoted 3 different times, from advisor → senior banker → sales trainer → wealth and small business consulting.

I quit my consulting job in the banking industry in 2021 to pursue a job in financial analytics for the healthcare startup, MainStreet Family Care. During this time I also began an accelerated MBA program (graduating in August 2022).

At the time I began my career in financial analytics, I launched my consulting practice, where I help service-based businesses with financial reporting, operations, budgeting, and forecasting.

To recap, In 2021 I made some massive moves:

- Shifted to a 9-5 in financial analytics
- Launched my operations & consulting firm
- Started my MBA program (graduating in August 2022)

I still operate my consulting business helping service-based companies with financial reporting and analysis.

But I also have taken all of my skills and knowledge from entrpreneurship... and launched my latest company in 2024: Coffee Shop Nation (CSN)

CSN is an educational platform for internet business owners, helping them start and grow their online business + personal brand.

We provide tools, resources, community and courses with the goal of helping people maximize their income while designing their business around their ideal lifestyle.

If you're interested in starting or growing your internet business, check out everything we offer at CoffeeShopNation.com, including our free weekly newsletter The Laptop Lifestyle.

If you'd llike to explore working together 1:1, my profile is open to receive messages from everyone. Shoot me a message and let's chat. 

Rooting for you.

Founder

The best online education platform for solopreneurs and micro-business owners.

Get online business & content creation tips for free every Friday: https://www.coffeeshopnation.com/the-laptop-lifestyle

Helping service providers & sales teams generate new business by launching irresistible “𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬” at scale. Join 6k+ others growing their biz with lead gen tips & tactics (link below) ⬇️

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲?

You've likely heard there's two ways to generate leads:

1️⃣ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (LinkedIn outreach, email outreach)
2️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (SEO, paid ads, content marketing, referrals)

Outbound, especially LinkedIn and email outreach, is your fastest, most direct path to new business.

✅ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎:
We help B2B service-based professionals rapidly attract clients through targeted, done-for-you LinkedIn profile upgrades, LinkedIn outreach campaigns, and email outreach strategies leveraging your unique Value Offer.


✅ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒:

1️⃣ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞:
Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a resume - it's your #1 personal landing page on Google. We'll optimize your LinkedIn profile for maximum visibility, keyword relevance, and lead conversion. When your ideal prospects search for someone offering your expertise, you'll be at the top.

2️⃣ 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
We develop a laser-focused Ideal Client Profile (ICP) to clearly define and target your ideal prospects, ensuring every outreach campaign precisely matches their needs.

3️⃣ 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
We craft an irresistible "slice of your expertise" - a guide, report, masterclass, or video that attracts attention, builds authority, and generates high-quality leads.

4️⃣ 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐅𝐨𝐫-𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡:
We design, execute, and optimize highly effective LinkedIn outreach and email campaigns to position your Value Offer directly in front of thousands of targeted prospects every month.

*Or if you just want to start with a done-for-you LinkedIn Profile Upgrade, go here:
https://www.referralprogrampros.com/linkedin-profile-upgrade


✅ 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃:

-Born and raised in Stillwater, Minnesota. 
-Snowboarded (and went to college at Gonzaga) in Spokane, Washington.
-Co-founded a travel company in Florence, Italy.
-Became COO of a fintech company in Bellevue, Washington.
-Started Referral Program Pros and living my passion of helping entrepreneurs grow.

I live in Seattle, WA with my wife and two kids - the 3 people who make me the luckiest guy I know.

Thomas Ryan Oakes

"Saw you went to Ohio State!" 

Nobody cares.

I mean it.

Your prospect doesn't care that you noticed their alma mater.

Or that they like golf.

Or that they posted a vacation photo last month.

That's not personalization. That's personalization theater.

And it's costing you replies.
Most folks think personalization means proving you did research.

So they scan a LinkedIn profile for 90 seconds and drop a reference into the message.

"Hey John, Go Buckeyes! Anyway, wanted to reach out about..."

It feels forced.
Because it is.

And worse? 

It has nothing to do with why you're reaching out.

Real personalization isn't about what you noticed. 
It's about what's relevant.

There are only 3 types of personalization that actually move the needle in B2B outreach:

1. Company trigger

Something just changed at their company that creates urgency or opportunity.

Examples:
-They just raised a Series B.
-They posted 6 new job openings in the last 30 days.
-They acquired a competitor.
-They launched a new product line.

This works because it's timely. It matches the moment they're in.

Sample message:

"Saw you just opened 3 new AE roles. Most teams hit a capacity issue right here. One VP I worked with solved it by changing how they structured onboarding. Want the breakdown?"


2. Role-specific friction

You're speaking directly to a problem their role deals with constantly.

Not a generic pain point.

A specific, predictable challenge tied to their job title and company stage.

Examples:
-VPs of Sales at 50-person companies struggle with rep ramp time.
-Marketing leaders at Series A startups wrestle with attribution.
-CTOs at agencies deal with scope creep on every project.

Sample message:
"Most CMOs at your stage tell me attribution is a mess. You're running 6 channels but can't prove which ones are actually working. I put together a 2-minute video on how one team fixed this without ripping out their stack. Want me to send it?"


3. Content engagement

They posted, commented, or shared something recently that signals what's on their mind.

This is gold because they're actively thinking about it right now.

Examples:
-They posted about struggling to hire senior talent.
-They commented on a thread about outbound strategy.
-They shared an article about AI in sales.

Sample message:

"Saw your post on hiring senior AEs. You mentioned the interview process feels broken. One thing that's working for similar teams: instead of selling the role in the first call, they're leading with a working session. Filters for skill and culture fit at the same time. Happy to share how they structure it if useful."

See the difference?

None of these mention hobbies or alma maters.

They mention things that actually matter to the business problem you solve.

The test for real personalization:

If you removed the personalized line, would the rest of the message still make sense?

If yes, it's theater.
If no, it's relevant.

Everything else is noise.

Rooting for you,
Tom

Do outreach you can be proud of. We help B2B service businesses book more qualified calls using a proven Value-Offer Funnel that turns interest into clients. Join 7k+ others in GTM READY (free newsletter below)

"I've been sending 50 DMs a week. Zero clients."

That's what Marcus told me on our call last month.

He's a dad coach.

Helps millennial fathers go from surviving to thriving.

His offer is legit.

A 12-week program with group coaching, one-on-ones, and frameworks that actually work.

$5,800.

And the people who join? They love it.

But his outreach wasn't generating leads.

So we dug in...

Here's what we uncovered:

The problem wasn't the offer. It was the ask.

Marcus was trying to explain his entire program in the first message.

-The transformation.
-The commitment.
-The community.

It was too much.

Nobody books a 12-week coaching program from a cold DM.

But they will join a free workshop.

Here's what we changed:

1. We made the first ask smaller

Instead of pitching the full program, we focused on one thing:

Getting dads into his free monthly workshop.

No cost. No pressure. Just value.

The workshop becomes the filter.

If they show up and stay engaged, they're qualified.


2. We sharpened the targeting

Marcus was using Sales Nav, but his Boolean string was overly complex.

We simplified it:
-Director level and above
-10+ years of experience
-Keywords: "dad" OR "parent"

That took us from 3 million results to 190,000 highly targeted dads.

Way easier to personalize. Way higher reply rate.


3. We personalized around what matters

Marcus was sending decent messages.

But they weren't specific enough.

We shifted to a framework that only works if the message is built for one person:

-Reference something they posted (or a role-specific challenge)
-Connect it to a problem dads are facing right now
-Invite them to the workshop with a clear benefit

Example:

"Saw your post about balancing work and family time. Most dads I work with are stuck in survival mode and want to shift to thriving. I'm hosting a free workshop next week for dads looking to connect deeper with their kids. Would that be helpful?"

Short. Relevant. Human.

The takeaway:

Marcus has a strong offer.

He just needed a clearer path to get people into it.

Cold outreach doesn't start with your $5,800 program.

It starts with something free, valuable, and easy to say yes to.

Once they're in, the offer sells itself.

If you're sitting on a high-ticket offer but outreach isn't converting, ask yourself:

What's the smallest, most valuable thing I can offer first?

That's your wedge.

Everything else flows from there.

Rooting for you,
Tom

"I don't want to use AI to write. It feels inauthentic."

I get it. But here's what you're missing...

The marketing content you have is sitting inside the recorded calls and the blog posts from the past 2-3 years.

And it's doing absolutely nothing for anyone.

That's the reality for most consultants, fractional execs, and service providers I talk to.

You've got the ideas.
You've solved the problems.
You know what works.

But you're not sharing it.

Not because you don't want to.

Because you don't have time to write it all down.

And maybe because using AI to help feels... wrong somehow.

But here's the thing:

If your expertise is locked in your head (or buried in client calls), you're not helping anyone.

Not your future clients.
Not your current ones.
Not even yourself.

So let me reframe this for you...

The goal isn't to be a writer.

The goal is to spread ideas that help people.

And if AI can help you do that faster, that just means you can help more people.

Here's how I'm seeing smart operators use it:

1. Turn your client calls into content

-Record your sales and strategy calls (with permission).
-Upload the transcripts to Claude or ChatGPT.
-Ask it to pull out the key insights, frameworks, or patterns.

Now you've got the raw material for posts, emails, or case studies without starting from scratch.


2. Give AI your writing samples

-Pull together 5 to 10 posts, articles, or emails you've written that sound like you.
-Feed them into the tool.

Now when you give it ideas, it can draft in your voice, not some generic AI tone.

You're still the author. You're just not starting with a blank page.


3. Talk through your ideas, let AI organize them

-You don't need to write. Just talk.
-Record a voice memo about a lesson you learned this week.
Transcribe it.
-Ask AI to structure it into a post or newsletter.

Your ideas. Your voice. Just faster.


I get the hesitation.
Nobody wants to sound like a robot.

But AI doesn't make your content inauthentic.
Bad prompts do.

If you're just asking it to "write a post about leadership," yeah, it's going to sound generic.

But if you're feeding it your actual thinking, your real examples, your specific frameworks?

That's when it becomes a tool, not a replacement.

And honestly the people you're trying to help don't care who typed the words.

They care if the idea lands.
They care if it helps them solve a problem.
They care if it makes them better at what they do.

So if you've been sitting on insights that could help someone close a deal, fix their messaging, or rethink their strategy...

And the only reason you haven't shared them is because writing feels like a chore?

Start using AI.
Not to replace your thinking.
To amplify it.

Because the world doesn't need more polished content.
It needs more useful ideas.

And if you've got those, you owe it to people to get them out there however you can.

Rooting for you,
Tom

Most B2B lead magnets get downloaded and deleted in under 90 seconds.

So use a "Value Offer" instead...

Not a whitepaper.
Not a guide.
Not another "Ultimate Checklist" that sits in a downloads folder forever.

Here's what actually works when you're trying to break through in B2B:

1. The Competitor Stack Audit

-Show prospects exactly where they sit compared to 3-5 competitors.
-Pricing tiers. Feature gaps. Market position.
-Takes 20 minutes to build using publicly available data.
-Gets forwarded to leadership within hours.

Because nobody can resist seeing how they compare.


2. The Mini Case Study (Just For Them)

-Build 60-second versions tailored to each prospect.
-Company like theirs. 
-Challenge that mirrors theirs. 
-Outcome in one sentence.

The personalization makes it impossible to ignore.


3. The Executive Cheat Sheet

Hand them a one-page brief they can actually use in their next meeting.
-"5 Questions Your Board Will Ask About AI Adoption"
-"What Private Equity Looks For in Your Market Right Now"

When they use it - you're top of mind.


4. The Compliance Gap Finder

If your buyer operates in a regulated space, build a simple no-code scorecard.

Walk through the baseline requirements, let them self-assess, and highlight the biggest gaps.

Once they see the gap, the conversation writes itself.


5. The Benchmark Report (Hyper-Niche Edition)

"How 20 Series B SaaS Companies Are Structuring Sales Comp in 2025"
-Pull real data
-Make it narrow enough that your prospect feels like it was built for them
-Watch how fast they share it internally

Here's why these work:

They don't feel like marketing.

They feel like shortcuts.

Your prospect doesn't have to trust you yet.

They just have to find the asset useful.

And usefulness is the fastest path to a first conversation.

After you send it to them, THEN ask permission to walk through it with them on a call where you can share MORE ideas for them.

Want to talk through what this could look like for your business?

Send me a message.

Rooting for you,
Tom

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The Battle

Thomas Strider

Thomas Ryan Oakes

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The Battle

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Thomas Ryan Oakes

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