Executive Coach | Your Copilot to a Fulfilling Life and Career Growth | Powered by the Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to See What Needs to Shift — Now

Do you feel that you are stuck in your career,
life overwhelmed with busyness, 
and you are disconnected from yourself... 
then we need to talk.

Most high achievers I coach aren’t broken — they’re just disconnected.

🚨 Disconnected from their purpose.
🚨 Disconnected from the work they once loved.
🚨 Disconnected from the life they truly want to live.

It shows up as: STUCK, FRUSTRATION, LOST.

❌ Career stagnation
❌ Constant firefighting
❌ Burnout masked as busyness
❌ Imposter syndrome despite success

I help ambitious professionals — founders, product leaders, and emerging executives — reignite clarity, rebuild courage, and create conscious impact using The Ignite Method™.

You don’t have to choose between growth and fulfilment. You can have both.

🔥 The Ignite Method™

1. Clarity Journey — Rediscover who you are and what truly matters.
2. Courage Building — Move through fear and start acting boldly.
3. Conscious Impact — Create a career and life that actually feels like success.
4. Cohesive Action — Align what you think, feel, and do every single day.

🎯 What My Clients Gain

✅ Unshakable clarity on what’s next
✅ Courage to make big, aligned decisions
✅ Confidence to lead teams or businesses with purpose
✅ Energy and ownership to thrive at work and at home

📍 A Bit About Me

- PCC Certified Coach (ICF)
- 1,200+ leaders coached in 18+ countries
- Clients from Google, Coinbase, Dropbox, Salesforce, Intel, EA Sports, Rubrik, Visa, Zynga and more
- TEDx Speaker: Can Fear Push Us to be Courageous? Google it!
- Founder, IgnitedNeurons — a platform helping build a culture of high performance, growth mindset and based in values!
- Building the IgnitedNeurons Podcast to extract lessons you and I can apply in everyday life

💼 If You’re Leading a Team or Organisation:
I also partner with founders, HR heads, and L&D leaders to design bold cultures, build values-driven teams, and humanise leadership.

📩 Ready to Take the First Step?
Take the free 5-minute Ignite Life Quiz to discover what’s holding you back.

Let’s ignite your next chapter.

Utkarsh Narang

Most career advice tells you to bounce back fast.

This story says something far more important.

At the 2026 Golden Globes, EJAE (Kim Eun Jae) accepted the award for Best Original Song for “Golden” from Netflix  Kpop Demon Hunters.
She became the first Korean-American to win at the Golden Globes.

But that’s not the part that matters most.

What matters is what came before the win.

She spent 10 years chasing one dream.
To become a K-pop idol.

She was rejected.
Told her voice wasn’t good enough.
Watched the original plan fall apart.

So she did what many of us are doing right now.

She adapted.

She leaned into what still worked.
She stayed close to her craft.
She rebuilt her identity instead of abandoning it.

And years later, she stood on that stage not as what she once wanted to be
but as something truer to who she was becoming.

Here’s why this matters if you’re:
• scared of being laid off
• already laid off
• quietly questioning your career path
• thinking about a pivot but afraid to start over

A detour is not a downgrade.
A rejection is not a verdict.
And changing direction is not failure.

Careers are not ladders anymore.
They are stories.

And the people who win long-term are not the ones who never get disrupted.
They are the ones who don’t let disruption silence their voice.

If you’re in a season of uncertainty, remember this:
Your next chapter does not need to look like your last one to be meaningful.

♻️ Repost this for someone navigating a career reset right now.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for grounded perspectives on career change, resilience, and rebuilding with confidence.

Executive Coach Helping Ambitious Professionals Breakthrough Stuck Careers & Inner Frustration | Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to Reignite Yourself

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My dad hired a tennis coach at 70.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Seventy years old.
Retired.
Comfortable.

And yet, he decided to hire a tennis coach.

Not because he wants to compete.
Not because he wants to prove anything.
Just because he wants to get better.

That one decision stayed with me.

Most people slow down with age. They protect comfort.
They say things like, “What’s the point now?”

My dad doesn’t.

He shows up to the court.
Listens. Practises. Learns.

Like a beginner.

Watching him, I realised something important about growth.

Growth is not driven by fear of falling behind.
It is driven by love for learning.

No pressure. No urgency. Just curiosity.

As a son, it inspires me.

That is what I have always prioritised. Learning. Growing. 
Always asking what more and what’s next?

I thank my dad for it. 70 years. Racket in hand. On the court.

That’s discipline.
That’s presence.
That’s a quiet kind of courage.

And most of all, that’s love, for life, for movement, for becoming a little better than yesterday.

If I ever wonder what kind of man I want to be as I grow older, I don’t have to look far.

I just look at my dad.

If this lands, don’t rush past it. Sit with it.

Growth has no expiry date.

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #personalgrowth, #bebettereveryday, #leadershiplessons, #utkarshbrainspark, and #leadershipcoaching

During one of the worst layoff periods at a global cryptocurrency company, I was coaching their senior leaders.

The market had turned. 
Pressure was relentless. 
Decisions were being made fast, often without the space to process the human cost.

The instinct was predictable.
“We need to rebuild fast.”
“Let’s hire stronger people.”
“Let’s bring in fresh energy.”

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The people being let go weren’t weak.
They weren’t uncommitted.
They weren’t unrealistic.

They were exhausted from uncertainty, confused by shifting priorities,
and slowly losing trust in how decisions were being made behind closed doors.

What finally changed things wasn’t a new hiring plan.

It was a harder, quieter set of conversations.

Leaders started asking different questions.
Not “How do we replace them?”
But “What made staying feel impossible?”

Layoffs don’t just reduce headcount.
They expose culture.

They amplify how safe it feels to speak up,
how clearly people understand the future,
and whether leaders default to control or clarity when things get uncomfortable.

If people keep leaving, hiring faster only treats the symptom.

The real work is understanding what your culture is teaching people about loyalty, growth, and honesty when the pressure is on.

Because the truth is simple and inconvenient: people don’t quit companies at scale, they quit environments where staying starts to feel like self-betrayal.

Before you open the next role, make sure the work environment you’re hiring into is one people would actually choose to stay in.

♻️If this resonated, repost it so someone else sees it today.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more thinking on growth, resilience, and building momentum over time.

Did you know most people quit their goals by the second week of January?

Not because they’re incapable.
But because they’re relying on motivation instead of structure.

Motivation is unpredictable.
Systems are not.

The people who actually stick with their goals don’t “try harder.”
They design their environment to make follow-through easier.

That means:
• clear reminders
• real accountability
• visible tracking
• time protected on the calendar

If you’re feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure what to focus on next, clarity is the real starting point.

Take the Ignite Life Quiz to understand where you are right now and what deserves your energy next. 
(📌DM “Quiz” for the link)

♻️ Repost if this resonated.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for practical thinking on career growth, transitions, and building stability in uncertain times.

1 simple way to stay more consistent with your 2026 goals

Most people see pressure as a sign they are doing something wrong.

But the people who grow see it differently.

Pressure often shows up right before something meaningful changes.
Not as a threat. As a signal.

The same goes for mistakes.

Not proof of failure.
Proof of engagement.

You only get feedback when you are actually in the arena.

The real shift is this:
stop taking friction personally.

Treat it as information.
Something to study, not escape.

Curiosity does what confidence cannot.
It keeps you moving when certainty disappears.

Growth does not come from ease.
It comes from staying present through discomfort and choosing to refine instead of retreat.

If things feel heavy right now, that does not mean you are off track.

It might mean you are finally working on something that matters.

♻️If this resonated, repost it so someone else sees it today.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more thinking on growth, resilience, and building momentum over time.

You can’t change what you can’t measure.

Every January, we promise ourselves:
 “More clarity.”
 “More courage.”
 “More impact.”
 “Better habits.”

But most resolutions fade because there’s no baseline.

You don’t know:
 – where you’re clear
 – where you’re stuck
 – where you’re avoiding
 – where you’re actually making impact

And without that… change becomes guesswork.

Over years of coaching, I’ve seen this pattern repeat:
People don’t lack motivation. They lack visibility.

That’s why we built the Ignite Life Scorecard — a free tool to help you measure where you stand across:
 👉 Clarity
 👉 Courage
 👉 Action
 👉 Impact

No labels. No judgment.

Just an honest snapshot of where you are right now.

If you want 2026 to be intentional — not accidental — start by measuring.
👉 Take the free scorecard here: https://lnkd.in/gEYUvyea

Because awareness isn’t the end of growth. It’s the beginning.

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write

Open article: You Can’t Change What You Can’t Measure by Utkarsh Narang • 3 min read

You Can’t Change What You Can’t Measure

A year ago, on January 1, 2025, the IgnitedNeurons podcast had 24 subscribers. 

Not 24 thousand.
Twenty-four.

There was no launch strategy.
No momentum.
No guarantee anyone would care.

Just a decision to show up… even when it felt pointless…
to have real conversations, hit publish, and do it again the next week.

Fast forward to January 1, 2026: 873 subscribers.

Still not viral.
Still not flashy.
But undeniably built.

Here’s what changed in that year:
not my talent,
not my confidence,
not my circumstances.

What changed was that I stopped waiting to feel ready
and started acting like the life I wanted was already under construction.

Most people don’t fail because they aim too low.
They fail because they keep rehearsing a better future
instead of tolerating the boredom and doubt of building one.

One year will pass anyway.
The question is whether you’ll be able to point to something real or just another version of the same wish.

What are you quietly committing to build this year, even if no one’s watching yet?

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

I took a two-week break from work recently.

It was calm.
It was slow.
It was peaceful.

And yet, something felt uncomfortable.

Not because of money.
Not because of pressure.

I was okay on that front.

The discomfort came from somewhere else.

Freedom isn’t time off. It’s knowing what you return to.

Work gives me energy.
It gives me joy. It gives me a sense of who I am.

During the break, I realised how much I value that.

We are often told that if you truly love life, you should want to escape work.
That wanting to return means you are trapped or over-attached.

That isn’t true for me.

When I came back to work on January 5, it felt… right. Almost joyful. Not because I had to work. But because I wanted to.

That moment taught me something important.

Freedom is not about getting away from work. Freedom is about choosing work that gives you energy instead of taking it away.

If something lights you up, don’t push it aside. Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t let someone else’s definition of balance make you doubt yourself.

Hold on to it.

And if you haven’t found that yet, keep going.

Try new things.
Change direction.
Learn about yourself.

There is a place where effort feels meaningful.
Where work feels like contribution, not compromise.

When you find it, you won’t need convincing.

You’ll feel it.

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

I have learned to enjoy my own company.

This didn’t come naturally to me.

There was a time when silence felt heavy.
When being alone felt like something was missing.

So I filled the gaps. Anything to avoid sitting with myself.

Over time, I realised something uncomfortable.

If I couldn’t be alone with my own thoughts, no amount of company would fix that.

So I started small.

Early mornings.
Quiet walks.
Journaling with no agenda.

At first, it was awkward.
My mind kept wandering.
I wanted to reach for my phone.

But slowly, solitude stopped feeling empty.

It started feeling honest.

In solitude, there is no performance. No role to play. No one to impress.

Just you, as you are.

That’s where I hear myself most clearly.
That’s where I notice what excites me and what drains me.
That’s where my values show up without being forced.

Solitude is not loneliness.

It is presence.

It is choosing to sit with your life instead of escaping it.

And the more comfortable I became with my own company, the richer my relationships became. With my work, family, and with myself.

Now, I protect my solitude.

Not because I want to disconnect from the world. 

But because it helps me show up fully when I do.

The most important relationship you’ll ever build
is the one you have with yourself.

A reminder for the first week of the new year.

Stress is rarely about pressure.
It is about postponement.

❗️The email you are avoiding.
❗️The decision you keep circling.
❗️The conversation you know you need to have.

Unfinished things quietly drain more energy than hard work ever will.

This year does not need a perfect plan.
It needs movement.

✅ One small action today can release weeks of mental weight.

If 2026 is about anything, let it be this:
Do the thing you keep delaying.

Momentum follows action.

♻️Repost if this feels like the right way to start the year.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more reflections on growth, leadership, and clarity.

Getting Joshua Freedman on the IgnitedNeurons  Podcast didn’t happen because of reach, status, or a perfectly crafted pitch.

It happened because of patience.

I reached out.
Then I waited.
Then I followed up, respectfully.
Across platforms - LinkedIn. Email.
Not chasing. Not spamming. Just staying present.

And I did it with love, one of my core values.

There were long gaps with no response.
Moments where it would have been easy to assume disinterest and move on quietly.
But something told me to stay consistent.

Eventually, he said yes.

What followed wasn’t just an episode.
It became one of the most powerful conversations I’ve had on emotional intelligence - 
deep, grounded, honest, and deeply human.

That moment reminded me of something I keep relearning:

The best things in life often come not from intensity,
but from sincerity sustained over time.

Perseverance doesn’t always look loud.
Sometimes it looks like showing up again, calmly, without entitlement.

Grateful for the conversation.
Grateful for the patience it took to get there.
And grateful for what happens when values lead the way.

Leadership isn’t about your resume.
It’s about your ripple effect.

Want to be remembered?
Leave people better than you found them.

✅Speak truth.
✅Stand for something.
✅Choose compassion over ego.
✅Listen more than you talk.

That’s the real scoreboard:

→ Not your position, but your presence
→ Not your awards, but your actions
→ Not your accolades, but your attitude

Robin Sharma said it best:

“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration.”

How you lead matters.
But how you make others feel, that’s what endures.

Be someone who lifts others.
It’s the kind of wealth that multiplies.

♻️ Repost if this hit home
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more on human-centered leadership

Six months from now, you’ll either have....

six months of real progress behind you
or six months of very reasonable excuses.

I’ve learned this over the years:

You don’t grow because you’re the smartest person in the room. 

You grow because you are deliberate, intentional, and willing to sit with discomfort longer than you’d like.

Most of the time, the thing holding you back isn’t lack of ability.

It’s avoidance —
> of the hard conversation,
> the awkward decision,
> the honest admission that something in life or work is no longer working.

It’s easier to stay busy than to be brave.

Easier to explain why now isn’t the right time than to admit you are scared of what happens if you actually try.

Six months will pass whether you confront this 
or keep negotiating with yourself.
 
The question isn’t whether time will move.
It’s whether you will.

When you look back, you don’t regret moving too slowly.

You regret the periods where you knew better and chose comfort anyway.
Six months from now, you want evidence... not intention.

If this hit, you already know what you’ve been avoiding.

Save this to re-ignite that spark and follow Utkarsh Narang for more!

I need to admit something. I am being vulnerable here.

Selling does not come naturally to me.

I love deep conversations. Meaning. Reflection. Human connection.

Sales calls used to feel like a performance. I’d walk in hoping they’d like me. Hoping they’d say yes. Hoping I wouldn’t mess it up.

And every time I needed the outcome… I stopped being myself.

Then I learned a concept from Daniel Priestley that changed everything:

“With or without you” energy.

It doesn’t mean I don’t care. It doesn’t mean I’ll succeed at your expense.

It means this: I want you with me. But my success is not dependent on your approval.

The moment I started walking into conversations with that energy:
– the pressure disappeared
– the conversation deepened
– I stopped performing and started practising my craft

I was no longer trying to convince. I was trying to understand.

People don’t respond to desperation.
They respond to calm conviction.

So here’s a question for you:

👉 Where in your life or work are you needing the outcome a little too much?

Try walking in with “with or without you” energy this week. Care deeply. Release the outcome.

That’s not arrogance. That’s leadership.

Open article: With or Without You Energy by Utkarsh Narang • 3 min read

One of the most important mindset shifts I have learned over the years is this:

The question you ask determines the direction you grow.

“Why is this happening to me?”
keeps you focused on the problem.

“What is this trying to teach me?”
moves you into agency.

The moment you switch questions, you switch power.

Nothing magically becomes easier.
But you stop feeling helpless inside the situation.

In leadership, in careers, in personal growth
this shift separates people who stay stuck
from people who evolve through difficulty.

❌Growth is not about avoiding hard seasons.
✅It is about extracting wisdom from them.

That is how experience turns into maturity.

♻️If this resonates, repost it for someone navigating a hard moment.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth, leadership, and inner work.

We romanticize success.
But survival comes first.

Tesla didn’t grow in a straight line.
It stayed alive long enough to figure things out.

That’s the part most people skip.

Before scale comes stability.
Before dominance comes endurance.
Before momentum comes survival.

If you’re in a phase where the goal is simply to last,
you’re not failing.

You’re building the foundation that growth requires.

Survive first.
Refine next.
Scale later.

♻️ Repost if this reframes how you see slow or difficult seasons.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth, resilience, and long-term thinking.

Comfort rarely looks dangerous.

It looks like stability.
Familiar routines.
Staying “reasonable.”

But comfort has a quiet cost.

❌It delays hard conversations.
❌It postpones decisions you already know you need to make.
❌It keeps you busy, but not moving.

Failure, at least, gives feedback.
Comfort gives none.

Most careers don’t stall because people fail too much.
They stall because people wait too long.

If something has been on your mind for months, maybe years, it’s probably not going away on its own.

Discomfort is often the price of growth.
Avoiding it is often the reason dreams fade.

♻️ If this made you pause, repost it.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for grounded thinking on growth, career transitions, and building momentum without burning out.

Most people want business ideas.
They just don’t look in the right place.

They look outward.
Markets. Trends. Tools. Tactics.

But some of the most powerful ideas come from lived experience.

On the latest episode of the IgnitedNeurons Podcast, I sat down with Bart Merrell, an entrepreneur who believes that life’s challenges often carry the seeds of opportunity.

We spoke about:
• Why setbacks are not wasted
• How adversity can become an asset
• The “lemonade stand” mindset for entrepreneurship
• When monetization makes sense and when it doesn’t
• Why perspective matters more than strategy

This conversation is not about hustling harder.
It’s about seeing differently.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your experiences matter, this episode might shift how you think about work, business, and opportunity.

🎧 Listen on Spotify and Youtube!

♻️If this resonates, support IgnitedNeurons Podcast by sharing it with someone who’s navigating a challenge and wondering what to do next.

Your brain is not stuck.
It is trained.

And anything trained
can be retrained.

Every reaction you repeat
teaches your nervous system what to expect.

Tension becomes familiar.
Chaos feels normal.
Rest can feel unsafe.

Healing is not a personality change.
It is a pattern change.

Pausing instead of reacting.
Choosing calm on purpose.
Staying present when avoidance feels easier.

By now, the new year energy has settled.
This is when real change begins.

Not loud.
Not rushed.
But consistent.

You are not broken.
You are rewiring.

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

Most people wait for permission
before they begin.

The right title.
The right funding.
The right room.

But progress rarely starts in boardrooms.
It starts in garages.
Side projects.
Rough drafts no one applauds.

Apple did not begin fully formed.
Neither do ideas worth building.

Small starts are not a disadvantage.
They are an advantage.

They force clarity.
They reward focus.
They build resilience early.

Start smaller than you want.
Think bigger than feels reasonable.
And keep going longer than feels comfortable.

That is how most meaningful things are built.

♻️Repost if this is the reminder you needed.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth, leadership, and long-term thinking.

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. 🚀

Stop chasing success alone.

Every innovator who built something great had 1 thing in common

Connection
It’s not that creativity happens alone…
It’s that the brain creates better in connection.

The brain evolved to think with other brains.
When connection is present, threat detection quiets.

The amygdala relaxes.
The prefrontal cortex stays online.
That’s where creativity lives.

Connection increases neural synchrony.
Brains begin to align.
Ideas move faster.
Patterns emerge you can’t see solo.

Isolation does the opposite.
Thinking loops.
Risk tolerance drops.
Novelty dries up.

Creativity isn’t just about safety.
It’s about belonging.
Here’s how :

1️⃣ Think out loud with others
 Speaking activates more neural networks than silent thought.
 Shared dialogue creates neural synchrony,
 helping the brain integrate patterns it can’t access alone.
 Half-formed ideas are fuel, not flaws.

2️⃣ Build before you judge
 Evaluation triggers the amygdala.
 Threat shuts down the prefrontal cortex.
 Sequence matters: expand first, critique later.
 Flow requires a brain that isn’t defending itself.

3️⃣ Create spaces to explore, not perform
 Performance activates social threat circuitry.
 Play lowers cortisol and increases cognitive flexibility.
 A relaxed nervous system makes wider, more novel connections.

Innovation doesn’t come from brilliance.
It comes from brains that feel safe thinking together.

PS: Who do you think best with?

Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

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

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

This feels illegal.

I built a mobile app while sailing.

Out there, things get quiet.
No notifications fighting for attention.
No noise telling you who to be.

Just wind, water, and time to notice what’s inside.

That’s where the idea came from.

Not everyone can disappear onto a boat.
But everyone needs a way to reconnect with themselves
In a loud world that never shuts up.

So I opened Replit
and described an app idea I’d already been researching. 

How to connect with yourself in a tech heavy world using…
Guess what…yes, neuroscience. 
You guessed it. 

Replit turned that idea into a real mobile app.

A live phone preview appeared.
I played with it and iterated between tacks. 
A few messages later, the app matched the intention.

Calm.
Minimal.
Human.

No mobile frameworks.
No complicated setup.
No build headaches.

Replit handled the mobile stack…
the preview
and the path to publishing.

I focused on the part that mattered:
creating space for real connection.

That’s the point.

You don’t need to escape your life to feel grounded.
You can build tools that bring you back to yourself.
Right where you are.
Even in a noisy world.

If you’ve ever wanted to create an app without needing a team
(or a computer) 
NOW you can. 

Get the Replit app and build from anywhere.
YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I vanish for a few hours I’m probably publishing a new app between tacks. 

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

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based peace and app building
♻️ Share to inspire someone who needs dev help without headache

It's not that you aren't creative...

It's that your brain doesn't get enough breathing room

When outcomes matter too much,
the nervous system shifts into protection.

Certainty over curiosity.
Efficiency over exploration.

The amygdala scans for mistakes.
The prefrontal cortex goes quiet.
Thinking narrows to what’s already proven.

That feels like a creativity problem.
It’s actually a safety problem.

Innovation doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from widening the mental field.

Creative insight requires a brain
that isn’t bracing for consequences.

One that feels free to test, miss, and iterate
without immediate judgment.

That’s why pressure-heavy environments
produce more output…
and fewer breakthroughs.

Creativity is a state, not a talent.
Change the state and ideas follow.

Here’s how to heighten creativity on demand:

1/ Slow the body before you think
Creativity follows regulation.
Lengthen your exhale for 60 seconds before ideating.
A calmer nervous system reopens cognitive range.

2/ Create “low-stakes” thinking space
Tell your brain nothing here has to be right.
Set a 10-minute window for bad ideas only.
Permission removes the fear that blocks novelty.

3/ Shift environments, not effort
New inputs disrupt rigid patterns.
Walk. Change rooms. Look farther into the distance.
Movement and visual expansion spark new connections.

When the brain feels safe enough to explore,
it starts to play.
And play is where innovation lives.

PS: Which of these would change how you think the fastest?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
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Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder

It comes from feeling safer.

When the brain senses pressure, it prepares to defend.
 
Attention narrows.
Options collapse.
The mind looks for certainty.

That state is efficient.
It’s not creative.

Innovation requires uncertainty tolerance.
That tolerance lives in the nervous system,
not the intellect.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,

✅ The body slows.
✅ The threat response stands down.
✅ The brain regains flexibility.

This is when perception widens.
Old assumptions loosen.

Problems reorganize themselves.
New pathways become visible.
Psychological safety is what allows this shift.

It tells the brain nothing bad will happen
if you explore a different angle.

Without safety, the brain repeats.
With safety, the brain imagines.

No regulation, no reframing.
No reframing, no innovation.

Here’s how to design for it:
1️⃣ Regulate before you reason
 Slowing the breath reduces neural noise.
 Clear thinking follows bodily calm.

2️⃣ Delay decisions during ideation
 Premature judgment triggers threat circuits.
 Time preserves creative flexibility.

3️⃣ Create private space to think freely
 Privacy lowers social evaluation.
 Safety expands possibility.

Breakthroughs come from a nervous system 
that feels safe enough
to see the problem differently.

PS: What helps your body settle fastest?

Join us for innovation --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

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You’re not broken.

You're just not connected...

...in a way no one taught you to recognize.

We have more connection technology than ever.
Group chats. Slack threads. Social feeds.
Standing meetings. Faces everywhere.

You can be busy, productive, and surrounded by people
And still feel unseen, unfelt, and unsupported.

Modern life keeps the nervous system overstimulated.
Your brain is flooded with input, decisions,
and performance cues.

When that happens, the social brain goes offline.
You don’t lose the desire for connection.
You lose access to it.

So you adapt.

You stay functional instead of present.
You keep conversations light instead of real.
You handle things alone because it feels safer.
You tell yourself you’re “fine”
while feeling disconnected from yourself.

Over time, that state becomes your baseline.
And the most painful part?

You start to believe this is just how life is.
It’s not.

Disconnection isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a nervous system state.
And nervous system states can change.

Here’s what neuroscience shows actually helps.

1/ regulation comes before connection.
 When your system is overloaded,
 bonding chemistry can’t do its job.
 You don’t need better words.
 You need your body to feel safe enough
 to be real.

2/ small moments matter more
 than deep conversations.
 Eye contact that lasts a beat longer.
 A pause instead of rushing away.
 Naming what you notice
 instead of what sounds impressive.

3/ connection accelerates in the right environment.
Trying to heal disconnection alone
 keeps the brain in protection mode.
 Being around others doing hard inner work
 creates co-regulation.

Your nervous system learns:
“I don’t have to carry this by myself.”
That’s why community matters.

Not noisy.
Not performative.
Not networking.

But a grounded space of people 
reconnecting with themselves
and with others.

This is what I’m building.
A community for capable, thoughtful people
doing hard things
who don’t want to do them alone.

A place to regulate, reflect, and be real
without fixing yourself
or pretending you’re fine.

If you’ve felt alone in a world full of people,
it’s not because something is wrong with you.
It’s because your nervous system
hasn’t had the right conditions yet.

And you don’t have to create those alone.
If this resonated, the community is open
for people ready to reconnect with themselves and with others.

P.S. Where do you feel most disconnected right now?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

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♻️ Share this with someone who might feel alone but never say it

It’s not that your team doesn't have new ideas…

It’s that they don’t feel safe enough to share them with you.

When people sense evaluation,
their nervous systems switch to self-protection.

😶‍🌫️ They edit.
😶‍🌫️ They hedge.
😶‍🌫️ They stick to what’s already approved.

That looks like alignment.
It’s actually inhibition.

Innovation requires exposure.
New ideas are, by definition, unproven.
And the brain treats being wrong like a social threat.

So the amygdala gets loud.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows to what won’t get you in trouble.

That’s why teams with “high standards”
but low psychological safety
produce execution…
not breakthroughs.

Psychological safety isn’t about being nice.
It’s about creating conditions
where the prefrontal cortex stays online.

When people believe they won’t be punished
for experimenting,
their brains stay open.

They challenge assumptions.
They connect unlikely dots.
They surface problems early.

No safety, no innovation.
No innovation, no future edge.

If you want better ideas, don’t ask for more creativity.
Design environments where
people don’t have to protect themselves first.

PS: Where do you notice people holding back on your team?

Join the Butterhood Connect
- Get free resources and training on DMs
- Figure out your sales style
- Jumpstart your sales!
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs
You don't have to do this ALONE
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Your CRM shows ACTIVITY.

It doesn't show REALITY.

Most managers think they understand their pipeline.
But they’re only seeing the version their reps feel comfortable sharing.

The CRM shows progress.
The reps show confidence.
The pipeline shows movement.

But underneath all of that
there’s hesitation, uncertainty, and doubt
that never makes it into the forecast.

And that’s the part that costs you.

Reps aren’t trying to mislead you.
They’re trying to look competent.
So they hold back the early warning signs.
They soften how shaky a deal feels.
They overstate buyer momentum.

They wait until a problem becomes undeniable
and by then
your quarter is already in danger.

That’s why so many leaders get blindsided.
Not because the deals are bad
but because the real signals were never visible.

A CRM tracks activity.
It doesn’t track conviction.
It doesn’t track buyer emotions.
It doesn’t track rep confidence.
It doesn’t track the energy of the deal
which is the part that collapses first.

SalesSage exposes that hidden layer.
It reveals where reps feel unsure.
It highlights deals that look fine on paper
but feel unstable underneath.
It identifies slipping belief before it becomes slipping revenue.
It gives you truth early
so you can fix the problem while there’s still time.

Leaders don’t need more data.
They need the truth behind the data.
That’s the gap SalesSage closes.

If you want to see what’s really happening
beneath the surface of your pipeline sign up
14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. How was your Q4?

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♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” deal that fell apart

You can’t fix a quarter your team’s afraid to talk about.

Your biggest revenue leak isn’t pipeline. It’s silence.

The worst part of running a sales team
is thinking you’re safe right before the quarter blows up.

Your CRM says you’re good.
Your reps say deals are “strong”.
Forecast looks clean.
You breathe for two seconds.

Then the quarter flips
and you’re standing there like
what the hell just happened?

Here’s the truth nobody wants to say:
Reps aren’t lying.
Their brains are.

People say things are fine when they’re overwhelmed.
They overestimate deals when they’re stressed.
They downplay risk when they don’t want to look behind.

So you get the truth only after it hits your number.
Sales Sage catches it earlier.

It spots confidence dips.
Avoidance patterns.
Dead deals dressed up as healthy ones.
Execution cracks that never show in a CRM.

Stuff reps don’t say out loud but absolutely tank a quarter.
If you’re tired of getting blindsided
by “everything looks good” data

P.S. What's your best closing line?

See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

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

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a surprise miss
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales insights

Your pipeline isn’t lying. 

Your reps just don’t feel safe telling you the truth.

Managers think they know what’s in their pipeline.
But they only know what the CRM tells them.
And the CRM only tells them what reps feel safe enough to share.

You’re managing numbers you can’t trust.
Your pipeline looks clean.
Your reps sound confident.
Your CRM says things are “on track.”
But something feels off.

Deals stall quietly.
Momentum fades.
Forecasts slip.
And you don’t see it until it's too late.

Reps aren’t dishonest.
They’re human.
They soften risk.
They hide uncertainty.
They overstate momentum
because nobody wants to look unsure.

So you get blindsided.
Not by deals.
But by the emotional truth your CRM can’t capture.

This creates a silent threat inside every sales org.
You miss red flags early.
You lose weeks of runway.
You carry the blame for information
you never got soon enough.

The cost isn’t just deals.
It’s trust.
It’s team performance.
It’s the reputational hit when your forecast misses again.

SalesSage uncovers what’s really going on
Underneath the numbers.

It reads emotional signals your CRM can’t track.
It surfaces hesitation before it becomes a stall.
It identifies low conviction before it becomes a lost deal.
It reveals drift before it becomes a blown quarter.

No pressure on reps.
No interrogation.
Just a 10 minute pulse
that shows you the truth behind the pipeline.

If you want your pipeline to tell you what’s real
not what’s hopeful

Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

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Stop telling yourself that you're too busy to DM.

Stop telling yourself DMs are too pushy. 

DMs close sales. Period. 

Most people think outreach stalls
because they don’t know what to say.
That’s rarely true.

What’s actually happening is identity protection.
Your brain isn’t avoiding DMs to save time.
It’s protecting how you see yourself.

So you stay visible.
You post.
You wait.

And the conversations that move revenue never start.

When the nervous system flags selling as risk,
avoidance looks like strategy.

Weeks pass.
Opportunities decay.
Revenue becomes unpredictable.
That delay has a real cost.

Avoiding just 3–5 high-value messages a week
can quietly leave $15K–$100K per quarter on the table.

Not because you lack ability.
Because “selling” feels unsafe.

This is why scripts don’t stick.
Knowledge ≠ movement.

Insight shows up first.
Behavior only follows when the underlying pattern shifts.

That’s what Butterhood is for.
Not more information.
Not performance.
Not pressure.

It’s a place to notice friction in real time
and make small, deliberate moves
that change momentum.

Inside, we work on:
Why certain conversations stall even when you say the right thing
What makes outreach feel heavy and how to remove that friction
How to move conversations forward without forcing or performing
Installing a sales rhythm that feels stable instead of stressful

They’re ordered intentionally.
Each layer stabilizes the nervous system for the next.

If you’ve ever thought, “This makes sense…
so why am I not doing it yet?”

That’s the signal.
GET IN THE DMS.
Still resisting?
GET INTO THE BUTTERHOOD.

If you want influence that moves like butter 🧈
Join Butterhood → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

BONUS: Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: Where do your conversations stall right now?

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Why do you have that stupid look on your face?

A C-level executive asked me on my first day

I was sitting across his desk of my first big girl job
(Talk about an executive onboarding)
I was just 20 years old.

I remember freezing.
Not answering.
Just blinking.

I laughed it off and swallowed my pride. 

Meeting over.
But my body stayed locked.

Jaw tight.
Chest and body buzzing.
Mind replaying every word.

Later that day a coworker asked if I was okay.

I said yes.
I wasn’t lying on purpose.
I just didn’t know what “okay” even meant anymore.

That’s the problem with stress.
It normalizes.
Your nervous system adapts.
Your baseline quietly shifts.

You think its no big deal. 
I’m fine. 

Your body knows that you’re not.
For years, I relied on vibes.
Am I handling it or barely holding it together?

No data.
No baseline.
Just guessing.

That’s why I built a these resources
✅ An entire toxic boss armor system
✅ 25-question nervous system audit
✅ An app that helps you each step of the way

Not a personality quiz.
Not mindset fluff.

Actual signals of load, recovery,
and how close you are to the edge.

The site and app give you a real baseline.
Clear data.
Practical next steps.

You don’t need thicker skin.
You need awareness and a hand up. 

PS What's your worst toxic boss story?

https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools 
♻️ Repost if someone you know is guessing too.

Why do you have that stupid look on your face

Everyone wants AI magic.

Few want to invest in the foundation.

People light up when they talk about AI lead gen.

AI outreach.
AI follow up.
AI prospecting.
The promise of more output with less effort...
It's intoxicating.

But effectiveness still comes from the human brain.
The seller’s state.
The buyer’s state.
The interaction between the two.

If your nervous system is overloaded, 
your messages won’t land.

If your prospect’s nervous system is tense,
your tools won’t move them.

If your clarity wobbles,
your AI will wobble with it.

Tools can accelerate your behavior.
They can’t upgrade your regulation.
They can’t deepen your presence.
They can’t create safety for a buyer who isn’t sure yet.

So you can very quickly send a bad message to 
a lot of people (and I see this a lot).
Super efficient. 
Effective?
Not so much. 

You would have been better off 
not to send anything at all. 

You create
👀 noise.
👀 hesitation.
👀 stall points.

Before you automate anything,
your nervous system has to support the interaction.
Your messaging has to speak to the real pressure points.
Your awareness has to read what the buyer is actually signaling.

Here are the pieces that shift everything:
1️⃣ A regulated internal state
A steady system writes messages people lean into.

2️⃣ Understanding buyer pressure
Not their demographics.
Their actual cognitive load.

3️⃣ Signal-based communication
Warmth, recency, micro-openings, lowered stakes.

Without this foundation in place, AI becomes clutter.
😶‍🌫️ Damages your brand.
😶‍🌫️ Irritates your people. 
😶‍🌫️ Loses your clients.

Inside Butterhood, this is the core work.
The human layer that makes every tool
more powerful, more accurate, and more profitable.
EFFECTIVE.

Join us → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: What AI promise are people chasing the hardest right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------
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7 signs you're tough enough for your toxic boss...

without quitting your job.

Your nervous system has a baseline.
That baseline shapes how pressure lands.

Here are 7 signs you're tough enough:

1/ Your baseline state
 A system that rarely rests stays closer to threat.
 From that state, stress hits faster and harder.
 Do this: notice how you feel when you first wake up.
 Do this: schedule one daily pause with no objective.

2/ Continuous motion
 Moving task to task keeps activation high.
 The body never completes a stress cycle.
 Do this: insert a 2-minute pause between blocks.
 Do this: stand still and breathe before switching tasks.

3/ Mental load during “rest”
 A busy mind keeps the system activated.
 Physical stillness alone doesn’t equal recovery.
 Do this: notice if your mind stays busy at rest.
 Do this: gently bring attention to body sensations.

4/ Guilt around slowing down
 Guilt keeps the nervous system alert.
 Safety requires permission to stop.
 Do this: notice the urge to justify rest.
 Do this: remind yourself recovery supports performance.

5/ Morning and evening carryover
 Tension on waking signals unresolved load.
 Evening stress blocks downshifting.
 Do this: check your body before checking your phone.
 Do this: create a short shutdown ritual at night.

6/ Recovery timing
 Waiting for exhaustion delays regulation.
 Late recovery takes longer to work.
 Do this: rest before you feel depleted.
 Do this: add small resets throughout the day.

7/ Social threat sensitivity
 Overloaded systems struggle with power dynamics.
 Emotional range narrows under pressure.
 Do this: regulate before interactions, not after.
 Do this: widen awareness when tension rises.

This comes before any boss strategy.
Awareness of starting state is the first layer of immunity.

PS Which point showed you something you hadn’t noticed before?

Toxic Boss Immunity - 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa
OR
DM Me "Toxic Audit" for your own quick check

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♻️ Repost if someone you know is always “on.”

 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

Don't just pray for a job.

Pray for a leader, not a toxic boss. 

They say you leave your manager, not your job.
So. True. 

Culture lives in nervous systems.
Leaders set the baseline every day.
Teams regulate around that signal automatically.

Here are 5 signs of a great leader:

1/ Self-regulation
 A great leader notices their own stress.
 They slow down before they speak.
 The room settles when they enter.

A toxic leader brings unprocessed stress.
The room tightens immediately.

2/ Clarity under pressure
 A great leader keeps priorities stable.
 Expectations stay clear during chaos.
 Brains relax when rules do not shift.

A toxic leader changes direction emotionally.
The team scans moods instead of work.

3/ Pressure flows upward
 A great leader absorbs pressure from above.
 They filter noise before it hits the team.
 Focus stays intact.

A toxic leader pushes pressure downward.
Urgency spreads through the group.

4/ Recovery is allowed
 A great leader respects human limits.
 Pauses are normal and safe.
 Energy and thinking stay strong.

A toxic leader rewards constant output.
Rest feels risky or earned.

5/ Response over reaction
 A great leader pauses in conflict.
 Their nervous system stays online.
 Hard talks feel contained.

A toxic leader reacts emotionally.
Others mirror the instability.
Trust erodes quietly.

Leadership is not control.
It is regulation.

PS Which one of these have you felt?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa

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

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based leadership tools.
♻️ Repost if a leader you know needs this lens.

Behind every “I’m not qualified”

Is a future you haven’t met yet. 

I’m not technical.
I’ve never wanted to be “the code person.”
And honestly, that used to stop me.

Because most AI coding hype assumes
you already know what you’re doing.
Repos.
Installs.
Setup before you even start.

That’s where Replit felt different.
I stayed in the browser.
I described what I wanted in plain words.
And I watched a real app come to life.
Live.

I wasn’t struggling to learn syntax.
I was refining an idea using my own language. 

You grow by doing things you aren’t qualified to do yet.
Most people don’t fail because they can’t.

They stop because they tell themselves
“I’m not technical enough.”

I didn’t suddenly become technical.
The barrier just disappeared.

Replit handled the setup, hosting, and deployment.
I focused on what the app should feel like.
That’s the unlock.

If you already code,
pairing Replit with Claude Code accelerates shipping.
If you don’t,
Replit still lets you build something real.

No identity change required.

You don’t need permission.
You don’t need a team.
You don’t need to be “qualified” yet.
You just need to start.

P.S. What have you been waiting to build?

💡 $10 credit for Replit Core users —>
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.P.S. If you’ve been telling yourself “I’m not ready for that yet,”
THIS IS YOUR SIGN

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♻️ Share to inspire someone who’s doubting their fire

The way to get clients on Linkedin is this...

Understand the inner thoughts of your ICP

Most people study their ICP on the surface.
Top sellers study how their ICP thinks.

If you want to sell on LinkedIn,
you have to know what your ICP is actually worried about,
not what they pretend to care about.

Here are 8 steps to uncover the real subtext 
of your ICP on LinkedIn:

1. Audit Their LinkedIn Profiles
Look at what they emphasize.
Tension shows up in their headcount, KPIs, and team priorities.
Their top headaches are usually hiding in plain sight.

2. Study Their Event Activity
Search for events they attend.
Then check the attendee list.
The themes they show up for
tell you what’s keeping them up at night.

3. Watch Them in Comment Sections
Look at your ICP commenting on competitors’ posts.
Their questions reveal fears.
Their reactions reveal pressure points.

4. Analyze Comments Under Hand-Raising Posts
Creators often say “comment for more info.”
Those comments are gold.
They show exactly what your ICP thinks they need
and what they wish someone would help them solve.

5. Read Your Own Comments Differently
Your commenters are micro-versions of your ICP.
Study their language, frustrations, and patterns.
Your future offer refinement is already hiding there.

6. Track What They Subscribe To
Newsletters, creators, and series they follow
tell you what they’re actively trying to improve.
Subscription signals = priority signals.

7. Act Like Your ICP For a Day
Ask yourself:
If I were them, what problems would I think about at 10 a.m.?
Budget. Productivity. Risk. Politics. Efficiency.
Not “culture” or “soft skills.”
Speak to the internal pressure they feel,
not the topic you want to teach.

8. Go One Layer Deeper Than Logic
Once you find the logical problem,
double punch it.
What’s the emotional layer?
Fear of missing targets?
Fear of looking incompetent?
Fear of wasting budget?
Fear of taking a risk and being wrong?
This is the real subtext.

If you understand your ICP’s subtext,
you won’t sound like their 10th vendor.
You’ll sound like the only person
who actually gets how they think.

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. What is the number 1 problem your ICP cares about?

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

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If you can’t regulate...

You can’t close.

Sales exposes you.
You meet yourself in every conversation.

Your patterns.
Your pressure points.
Your nervous system.
And there are truths you can’t bypass.

You can only face them and train your brain to handle them.
Here are the fifteen brutal truths that shape every 
👀 coach
👀 solopreneur
👀 salesperson

Skinny to long.
Short to heavy.

Exactly how they hit in real life.

1. Pain shows.
2. Hope lies.
3. Buyers drift.
4. Silence grows teeth.
5. Confidence is unstable.
6. Urgency fades overnight.
7. Your tone leaks your pressure.
8. Your pipeline mirrors your mind.
9. Hard calls get pushed tomorrow.
10. Deals die from emotional overload.
11. You cling to maybes to avoid rejection.
12. You chase when your nervous system spikes.
13. You fill your calendar instead of your forecast.
14. You talk more when your brain feels threatened.
15. You lose more deals from dysregulation than bad skills.

The people who win aren’t the hardest closers.
They’re the ones who can think when the noise hits.

They regulate faster.
They recover quicker.
They protect their cognitive bandwidth.

If you want a system that reduces noise, 
increases yeses..
and keeps you out of chasing mode
Let's Talk here --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS. Which truth hit the hardest today?

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

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a brutal truth
➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales insights

Challenges don't happen TO you...

They happen FOR you.

Resilience doesn’t come from comfort.
It comes from contact with difficulty.

Most people think resilience is something
you either have or you don’t.
👀 Tough childhood.
👀 Hard jobs.
👀 Big failures.

When you face manageable adversity, 
your brain adapts.

Stress-response systems recalibrate.
The nervous system learns,
“I survived that.”

Each challenge becomes data.
Not trauma.
Training.

The amygdala stops overreacting.
The prefrontal cortex gets better at regulating emotion.

You think clearer under pressure.
You recover faster.
You don’t break.
You build.

That’s why people who’ve faced some adversity
often handle future stress better than those who’ve faced none.

It’s why setbacks sharpen judgment.
Why failure builds emotional range.
Why hard seasons quietly increase capacity.

Adversity isn’t the enemy.
Unprocessed adversity is.

When difficulty is integrated,
it turns into resilience.

And resilience changes how bad things land.
Less collapse.
More choice.
More perspective.

Every strong nervous system you admire
was shaped by something it didn’t choose.

If you’re going through something hard,
there’s a future version of you
that’s gaining strength right now.

PS: What challenge in your life might be training you, not punishing you?

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

Don’t be afraid to start all over again.

You might like your new story better.

Most people don’t stay with toxic bosses
because they love the job.

They stay because starting over feels risky.

You already invested time.
You already proved yourself.
You already survived this much.

So you tell yourself to push through.
But toxic environments don’t just drain energy.
They slowly rewrite who you think you are.

Confidence narrows.
Vision shrinks.
Your nervous system learns to expect threat.

Starting over isn’t failure.
It’s interruption.
And sometimes, leaving isn’t possible yet.
That’s where people get stuck.

Here’s how to regain agency
even if you can’t leave right now.

Three pillars.
Practical. Grounded. Usable.

1/ Establish your baseline
You need to know your starting state.
Stress feels normal when it’s chronic.
Without data, you guess how you’re doing.
Do this: assess how activated you feel most days.
Do this: track sleep, tension, and recovery honestly.
Baseline awareness tells you whether you’re already 
overloaded before the boss even enters the picture.

2/ Predict instead of brace
Toxic bosses are patterned.
The same situations trigger the same behavior.
Surprise is what spikes threat.
Do this: list the moments they escalate.
Do this: plan your response before it happens.
Prediction gives your nervous system what it desperately wants.
Certainty.

3/Plan recovery like it’s required
Stress doesn’t end when the meeting ends.
Unreleased activation carries forward.
That’s how burnout accumulates.
Do this: schedule recovery after interactions.
Do this: close the stress cycle deliberately.
Recovery restores clarity, confidence, and choice.

This is how you protect yourself
while you decide what comes next.

And if there truly is no exit right now,
you still don’t have to white-knuckle it.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It gives you a baseline.
Helps you predict patterns.
Builds plans that keep your nervous system intact.

Starting over doesn’t always mean leaving tomorrow.
Sometimes it means reclaiming yourself first.

PS If you could rewrite your work story, 
what would you want to feel differently?

Free resources
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools to stay clear at work.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is afraid to start again.

Micromanagement breeds compliance.

Not commitment.

When every move is monitored,
every decision is corrected,
and every mistake is highlighted,
the brain stops optimizing for growth.

It starts optimizing for safety.
Micromanagement increases uncertainty.
Uncertainty activates the amygdala.
Threat signaling rises.
The prefrontal cortex goes partially offline.

That’s the biology of it.
The prefrontal cortex is where initiative lives,
creativity lives, and ownership lives.

When threat is present, those functions are deprioritized.
So the nervous system adapts.
People do what’s asked.

They stop offering ideas.
They wait for instructions.
They avoid visibility.

From the outside, it looks like control is working.
From the inside, commitment is already gone.

Chronic micromanagement also keeps the stress axis activated.
Cortisol stays elevated.
Recovery shortens.
Motivation drops.
Burnout becomes inevitable.

This is nervous system load.
Leaders often assume disengagement = people don’t care.

More often, it means their nervous system 
doesn’t feel safe enough to invest.

And if you’re on the receiving end of this,
you don’t need thicker skin.

You need regulation, data, and strategy.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It helps you understand your nervous system baseline,
predict toxic patterns,
and protect your clarity and confidence
even when leadership doesn’t change.

Compliance is a warning sign.
Commitment only emerges when the brain feels safe.

PS Are you barely hanging on by a thread? 
Get some relief --> https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

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➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for surviving a toxic boss.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is stuck under a micromanager.

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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The Battle

Utkarsh Narang

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Followers

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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);}Utkarsh Narang's LinkedIn Performance

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