Vijaya Vardhan Panthagani

PowerSchool

Senior Director - Technical Support

Technical Support Site Leader for a 200+ team of technical support staff. Direct span of 3 senior managers and 2 Associate Directors. Indirect span of 15 managers. 

Accountable for technical support delivery, quality and customer experience for NA, EMEA and APAC regions from Bangalore site. Responsible for developing and growing India COE in partnership with India Site Leadership Team.

Director - Technical Support

SaaS Labs

As the head of our global customer support operation, I oversee a team of 40 engineers, 3 team leaders, and 2 managers responsible for customer support across the globe.

EFFICIENCY: 
• Implemented automated conversation snoozing, resulting in a 30% reduction in first response time and a 40% improvement in subsequent response times.
• Introduced response automation through an AI bot (FIN), with AI participating in 30% of chat conversations and achieving a 20% answer resolution rate.
• Streamlined our training plan, reducing the go-live time by 50% through live training sessions and a phased approach to handling initial customer chats.

SERVICE GROWTH:
• Introduced 4 support offerings aligned with our pricing packages, spanning both chat and email channels
• Implemented weekend US shift support for 10 DLC returning and new customers, as well as our priority customers.

SERVICE ENHANCEMENT:
• Significantly improved the refund and cancellation flow, resulting in a more than 50% reduction in refund approval time.
• Enhanced the SDR process, achieving a 30% reduction in response times for 70% of our lead volume.
• Improved help articles, leading to a 23% case deflection and a subsequent improvement in support capacity.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:
• Expedited customer issue, feature, and bug prioritization by 30% through a monthly Voice of Customer (VOC) report shared with the global leadership team.
• Developed and executed a Customer Support and Customer Success handoff process, leading to a 30% improvement in ticket response times and positively impacting customer retention.

PEOPLE GROWTH:
• Implemented a consistent performance and promotion criteria in partnership with the HR team, mitigating the perception of unfairness and appropriately rewarding top performers.
• Invested in technical upskilling of L1 engineers and cultivated a 6-member L2 team through a dedicated technical trainer and a 3-member lean QA team.

Director - Customer Support

Atlassian

Responsible for technical support delivery, escalation management, customer experience for our Select and Priority customers. Operations and people growth for a 14 member team of senior technical support engineers supporting our Confluence suite of products.  

Over the last 2 years, while being 100% remote,

•	Built trust with my team through regular team bonding, right feedback, removing roadblocks and being an enabler.

•	Drove team success in technical specialization moving the needle from 10% to 70% while onboarding 5 new hires in the last 2 quarters

•	Stabilized the Confluence Select team across 
  - Customer orientation (improved NPS & CSAT by 27%)
	- Internal process/tools adoption (improved by 36%)

•	Leading the hiring effort for FY22 (Jul - Jun 2022) and achieved 100% senior engineer hire calls over the last 3 quarters 
 - Enabled trust and collaboration between a 6 member Talent Acquisition team, 9 peers, 4 senior management execs and 20+ senior tech interviewers  across BLR and Amsterdam
 - Defined strategy and execution. Solved for volume forecast, operational code red situation and a sub-optimal candidate pipeline

•	Leading the weekend staffing planning and execution for EMEA region during FY21 AND FY22
 - Enabled trust and collaboration between 30 senior support engineers, 4 peers and 2 senior management execs across BLR and Amsterdam
 - Defined strategy and execution. Solved for for volume forecast, regional holidays, technology upskilling and weekend compensation policies across BLR and Amsterdam.

Enterprise Support Manager

Citrix

Responsible for technical support delivery, critical escalation management and customer experience for our Priority and Priority Plus customer program. Operations and people management of a 15 member team of senior technical specialists supporting our Virtual Apps Desktops and Citrix Cloud suite of products. 

Actively engaged in support improvement programs with global stakeholders (TRMs, Account managers and Customer Success Managers) to improve our priority customer experience:

•	Reduced Average speed of answer on the call queues by 60%
•	Cross-skilled 80% of the engineers on 70% of VAD products and 100% of Cloud technologies
•	Expanded the team by 25% to accommodate the tech support for growing priority customer base @ 20% Q-on-Q
•	Executed a Rewards & Recognition program to improve priority engineer experience and retention

Senior Manager, Priority Support Program - Virtual Apps and Desktops

Responsible for technical support delivery, escalation management and people management of a 15 member senior technical specialist team for our Virtual Apps and Desktops products.  Maintained a superior customer experience with an NPS >=75.

Technical Support Manager III

Responsible for technical support delivery, operations and people management  of an 18 member team of technical experts supporting the XenServer suite of products at Citrix. Additionally, I spearheaded the below initiatives as part of my role:

•	Net Promoter Score improvement initiative which resulted in NPS moving up from 60 to 65 within 6 months.
•	Advanced Customer handling skills interventions that reduced voice-based customer escalations by 40%

Technical Support Manager II (XenServer)

Talisma

Transforming Customer Experience to over 300 Higher Education Enterprise Customers globally, in the current role as off-shore program manager of a cost center. Leadership role in scaling up release management program to 24x7. Revenue generated from the off-shore cost center - US $ 200,000 per year. Additionally, built and managing a 24x7 technical support team, to cater to Middle East and Africa geographies.

Senior Technical Support Manager - Release Management

In this role, I managed release management delivery to 300 premier US customers across all US timezones with a team of 12 technical experts.I developed skill-gap analysis for all resources and charted a proactive technical training program in-line with new technologies in the future product versions – reduced customer escalations by 50% post new product version releases.

Technical Support Manager - Release Management

In this program, I managed a profit center having 16 premium customers having one technical Talisma on-site support consultant/expert onsite, per customer, pan India.  All the remote on-site support experts were full -time employees of Talisma reporting to me. The size of the business was INR 2 crores per year. I was responsible for customer contract renewal, annually. I also managed AMC renewals of Bangalore region customers having standard support contracts, as an additional responsibility. Achieved 100% AMC renewals. Used innovative cost savings techniques to achieve 50% profit margin.

Technical Support Manager - Expert Services

Managing Customer Experience to over 100 Talisma CRM Customers in APAC & Europe region. Responsible for 24x7 product support delivery with a team of 15 technical support experts.Additionally, planned and managed delivery of two Talisma CRM upgrade projects & one server migration project with existing resources. Overall, revenue to company was INR 10 lakhs.

Technical Support Manager - Product Support

I was the Technical Escalation SPOC for a profit center (Expert Services) having around 16 premium customers across India. Quarterly travel to customer locations to review resource/system performance with customer IT/BU heads.I also assisted with finalizing Expert Services annual support contracts for existing and new customers. Additionally, I anticipated and converted a customer’s reporting business requirement into an SOW worth USD $ 10,000 and managed delivery with an existing resource – zero additional cost to company.

Technical Lead - Expert Services

Managed a USD $30,000 SQL Server reporting services project for a marquee customer of Campus Management - Career Ed Corporation, Chicago, IL. I traveled to customer location in US for requirement gathering and project planning for 4 weeks. In a short period of 2 weeks, I formed and trained a 3 member off-shore team (including myself) to meet customer's business requirements.

Technical Lead - Reporting Services

I led a team of support escalation engineers to provide solutions for high priority product bugs and Support escalations via the Sustain Engineering Program. I influenced customer oriented decisions by liaising between Support and Development as a customer advocate.

Technical Lead - Sustain Engineering

I provided Premier Application Support and was SPOC (Single Point of Contact) for Talisma CRM implementation at Microsoft. I managed a complex Talisma application installation of 10 database servers (SQL cluster), 6 IIS servers (cluster), 4 Application servers (cluster) and 20 Windows 2003 terminal servers. Provided technical mentoring and process-orientation for a team of 5 support engineers based out of Bangalore, India.

Senior Technical Support Engineer

My job was to troubleshoot and resolve Talisma product technical support cases and ensuring high customer satisfaction rates. I also did process-orientation and technical mentoring for L1 support engineers.

Technical Support Engineer

My job was to write and execute test cases for the assigned modules in the Talisma product. I was the Feature Owner for Talisma CRM Sales Module and Offline Client. I researched on the Higher Education vertical and submitted a case study on implementing Talisma CRM in a University based setup.

Software Test Engineer

National Informatics Center

This was my first internship-cum-job straight out of college. First experience with a real time programming language and databases. Developed & supported a module in VB 6.0 and Oracle 8i as part of the Land Records Management Information System maintained by the Govt of AP. The cool thing about this project was I used language API's to be able to show the front end UI for my module in TELUGU (local language).

Software Engineer

I help managers demolish self doubt, get clarity and become promotable | Transformational Leadership Coach | Technical Support Leader

Over the last 20 years, I've built and scaled technical support teams ranging from 10 to 200+ staff across both Fortune 500 companies and startups. My speciality lies in setting vision and following it up with ruthless execution to achieve people and business outcomes. I prioritize progress over perfection and problem solving over innovation. I believe perfection and innovation are achieved through relentless focus on moving forward.

Director of Customer Support

Busy building the best customer service team on the planet. Hit me up if you are passionate about elevating customer experience through employee experience. I promise you won't regret the time spent :-)

“The Customer Whisperer” 🧠 I reveal the hidden reasons why people buy | 58,000 smart marketers read my newsletter on buyer psychology

You wanna understand why customers *really* buy, right? I can help.

Here's the skinny: I built an audience of 280,000 smart people and grew my businesses from $0 to 7-figures. And I did it without a big team or a financial safety net (and as a new mom). 

How? 

By learning buyer psychology.

When you figure out what makes people tick, click, and buy... it’s easier to:

→ Sell more stuff
→ Attract better customers
→ Make more money, more predictably
→ Look like a genius to your clients or team

I don't peddle "hacks" or "quick tricks". And I won't promise you can 10X your growth in 30 days while working 10 hours a week from the beach. (We both know that's B.S.)

But if you're ready to stop guessing and start growing...

Here's how I can help:

________

1. Join 63,000 smart people who get my weekly newsletter

Why We Buy 🧠 is the free buyer psychology newsletter. Forbes says it's one of the "top marketing newsletters"

Subscribe today for $0 (and get a surprise gift)

https://learnwhywebuy.com/wwbnews/

________

2. Uncover the "ouchy" problems buyers will pay to solve—in just 4 minutes

My AI-powered Ouchy Pain Finder bot helps you uncover the deeper, “ouchier” pains your buyers are struggling with so you can craft copy that converts.

Get the bot free:

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________

3. Craft copy that converts using 26.5 science-backed techniques 

Wallet-Opening Words is the conversion copywriting playbook for busy people. Ditch bloated courses and learn how to make tiny copy tweaks that drive BIG sales.

Write smarter copy that converts:

https://learnwhywebuy.com/wow

________

4. Get your business in front of 280,000 smart marketing geeks

I work with a select few brands for win-win-win partnerships across my newsletter (63,000 readers), LinkedIn (87,000 followers), and X (137,000 followers).

Want more info? 

Apply here: https://learnwhywebuy.com/advertise


________

Are you still here?

Let's connect ❤️

Katelyn Bourgoin

I found the most petty use for ChatGPT ever.
(Yes, I said "petty")

If you ever find yourself scrolling LinkedIn and rolling your eyes, you're gonna wanna steal this.

When I see a post I'd loooooooove to argue with—the rage bait, AI overhype, the oversimplified BS, the "just niche down" advice—I don't comment anymore.

I screenshot it. Drop it in ChatGPT. And ask:

"Tell me why this is wrong. And then tell me when it might be right."

I often get the satisfaction of eviscerating the post without the drama of internet beef. Other times, I realize I'm the one being a dumbass and I reframe my perspective.

Either way, it's a win.

Yes, it's stupid. But it works.

Try it next time someone posts rage bait that makes your eye twitch.

Katelyn Bourgoin 🧠

The Buyer Psychologist | Sell more using science (not guru B.S.) | 63,000+ marketing geeks read my free newsletter

If you would have told 18-year-old me that I’d end up here, I never would have believed you…

Today I run a seven-figure business I love. I found my calling in marketing. I’m even starting a trust fund for my son—something that still seems f*cking crazy to me.

But growing up? Life looked very different.

I grew up poor with a single mom. She tried her best, but childhood was tough.

We spent my 12th birthday living in a women’s shelter, trying to escape my mom’s abusive ex-husband. I was mercilessly bullied in elementary school. And I dealt with a string of complex childhood traumas I didn’t know how to cope with.

By 14, I was drinking every weekend. Just trying to numb my feelings. By 17, I was doing hard drugs regularly.

On top of this, I had undiagnosed ADHD. I was good at certain things in school, but other things felt impossibly hard, and I didn’t understand why.

Fast forward to today. I met an incredible man who’s been my biggest supporter. We built an amazing life together. My business is thriving. I’m building generational wealth for my family.

Even with all my “success”… the hang-ups from those early years still show up. I still battle anxiety and struggle to trust people.

I still have a little voice in my head telling me I’m not good enough. That it’s all a fluke. But I’ve gotten better at hearing that voice and acting anyway.

Our traumas don’t just vanish. But they don’t have to hold you back forever either.

Whatever you’re coming from, whatever happened in your past, it doesn’t define who you are or where you can go.

You can succeed despite it. And maybe even because of it.

So don’t let anyone tell you you’re dreams are too big or you can’t achieve tjem—especially that a**hole voice in your head. 

Ok?

No alternative text description for this image

My friend Sarah Hart ✤ casually dropped “Be the Glitch” in a LinkedIn post. She had no idea what she’d just said...

I DM’d her immediately: “THAT’S IT. That’s your ownable idea. Repeat that, again and again.”

An ownable idea isn’t just a catchy phrase. It’s your entire strategic positioning compressed into something so sticky that people repeat it, remember it, and refer you because of it.

Most people confuse a tagline with an ownable idea. They’re not the same.

Want to know if YOUR idea is actually ownable?

Run it through this 6-point checklist:

—
REVELATORY
Does it spark an “aha!” moment that reframes how people see the world?

DIRECTIVE
Does it direct people to DO something, BELIEVE something, or BECOME something?

STICKY
Is it simple, repeatable, and easy to spread?

ASPIRATIONAL
Does it offer a future identity people want to step into?

CREDIBLE
Can you defend it with proof, results, or lived expertise?

BUYABLE
Does it tie directly to your business and create revenue opportunities?

—
“Be the Glitch” checks every box.

✅ It speaks to her rebel POV and challenges the idea that brands should follow design trends (revelatory).

✅ It’s a clear directive—you know exactly what to do.

✅ It’s three memorable words (sticky).

✅ It makes you feel like a rebel. (Think: Apple’s aspirational “Think Different”—the ownable idea behind a $4T brand.)

✅ Sarah can defend her argument with behavioral science (credible).

✅ And it makes Sarah’s brilliance buyable—it elevates her services from decorative to strategic, something every designer wants but few ever accomplish.

That’s what a strong ownable idea looks like.

But here’s what made it work:

Sarah had designed her personal brand strategy through the Unignorable Challenge first. She'd done the deep positioning work. She’d clarified who she served, what problems she solved, and what made her different.

Her content was connecting and clients started chasing her.

“Be the Glitch” crystallized her strategic positioning into three words—giving everything she’d built a memorable anchor point.

—
That's the difference between a slogan and an ownable idea.

You can't just manufacture one in a brainstorming session. It emerges from doing the in-depth strategic work first—then testing different phrasing to see what sticks.

So if you're stuck? Stop brainstorming phrases. Start with positioning.

The words will come.

—
Who else do you know that has a banger ownable idea? I may feature them next…


P.S. Want help finding your first ownable idea? It all starts with building the right strategic foundation. We're currently accepting applicants for the beta of Unignorable 2.0. Hop on the waitlist to get first dibs: beunignorable.com

Most content advice is built for influencers. If you’re a consultant, copying their playbook will keep you broke. Try this:

—
I’ve helped 1,000+ entrepreneurs build personal brands. Many became dominant voices in their space (and their sales exploded in the process).

But here’s what I’ve also seen: the most qualified experts often remain painfully invisible.

You’re excellent at what you do, but your content doesn’t drive pipeline.

(And, no. You don’t need to “hack the algorithm” or spend hours per day commenting.)

What you need is content that makes your expertise unignorable—so clients come to you, cash in hand.

That’s what I call ‘authority content’.

And there’s a simple equation for creating it:

—
Authority =
(Problem + POV + Promise + Proof)
× Repetition

Each element is backed by behavioral science and maps directly to your buyer’s journey.

Here’s how it all works together:

—
Problem — Name their struggle

Example: “You don’t have a lead gen problem. You have a positioning problem.”

↳ The science: Problems activate survival mechanisms (fear/urgency) and when you articulate their problem better than they can, they lean in
↳ Buyer stage: Attracts new people who recognize the problem

—
➕ POV — Show your differentiated thinking

Example: “Most content advice is built for wannabe influencers. If you’re a consultant, copying their playbook will keep you broke.” (Look familiar?)

↳ The science: Sharing your contrarian beliefs, proprietary frameworks, and ownable ideas triggers the von Restorff effect (you stand out) while challenging best practices signals status
↳ Buyer stage: Engages problem-aware people seeking fresh perspectives

—
➕ Promise — Tease what’s possible

Example: “My client went from stuck at $200K for years to $600K in 11 months—same expertise, better packaging.”

↳ The science: Triggers social comparison and self-efficacy while tapping into identity aspiration (we want to become who we admire)
↳ Buyer stage: Converts lurkers into believers

—
➕ Proof — Build credibility

Example: “Three of my clients doubled their revenue this quarter by making this one change…”
↳ The science: Social proof and authority heuristic bypass skepticism to build trust
↳ Buyer stage: Converts believers into buyers

—
✖️ Repetition — The multiplier

Clarify your messageing and then repeat key talking points consistently.

↳ The science: repetition builds familiarity and trust. And the more we hear an idea, the more we come to like it. 
↳ Buyer stage: Reinforces recognition across the entire buying journey

🟰 Authority 

—
I’m no mathematician, but I know this:

Strategy beats volume. Every time.

Once you understand the authority equation, you’ll stop posting randomly and start building a reputation that commands premium pricing.

Your competitors might post more. But you’ll be the one clients seek out.

AI overhypers: "Agencies will be dead in six months."
Me: Launching an agency

—
Some people think I'm crazy...

I already run a successful media and education company. After years of hard work, I'm in the place where the business routinely generates $40,000-70,000 per month *without* running ads or big flashy launches.

(Look for a future post about how we're doing it).

So my goal is to step back so I can focus on building Unignorable 2.0. 

We'll pivot from a cohort-based challenge... to a personal branding studio where we'll work 1:1 with clients.

Now you might be thinking, "Katelyn, isn't that the opposite of scaling? Why build an agency when cohorts or courses can scale to the moon?"

Fair questions.

There are two reasons:

1. I believe we can get clients results working 1:1 that they'd never get through pure coaching or trying to DIY. (And I care more about getting results than just getting rich)
2. I see an opportunity others are missing

—
Smart experts can now scale done-for-you service work in ways that just weren't possible before.

We'll use AI to handle the manual work that used to make this work slow and expensive: competitive landscape analysis, market research, extracting insights from client transcripts.

As we codify our delivery process, we'll design systems that give us massive leverage.

But here's the key: 

This ONLY works because I have deep expertise in messaging and personal branding. 

You can't just hand a stack of AI tools to a junior team member and expect them to make magic happen. That's like giving a 2-year-old crayons and expecting them to paint the Mona Lisa. Not gonna happen.

Someone with good taste can recognize that the Mona Lisa is stunning, but that doesn't mean they could create something as captivating on their own.

It's not a matter of "taste"—it's about craft.

And in the hands of a true craftsman... AI is a deadly advantage. 

That's the bet I'm making.

—
So don't buy into the hype and doomsday predictions.

The agencies dying aren't being killed by AI.

They're being killed by mediocrity.

If you have true expertise, you don't need to sell $99 courses to scale your agency. (That's actually the hard way, trust me). 

You can work with fewer clients, charge premium rates, deliver exceptional work, and still have the lifestyle you want.

That's IF you're smart enough to codify your craft and train AI to work with you.

Are you teaching AI your expertise or competing with it?

–
👋 P.S. wanna build a personal brand that drives pipeline to your agency? I’m building something for you: beunignorable.com

You’re afraid to say the same thing twice.
But your audience hasn’t heard it once.

After guiding 1000+ entrepreneurs through the Unignorable Challenge, I’ve watched the same self-sabotage play out over and over.

Someone finds a message that’s clicking.
People engage.
It looks like they’re onto something.

Then they… abandon it.

*whomp whomp*

You think people notice when you replay your hits. Like they’re tracking every post.

The reality? Nobody’s paying that close attention.

This is “the spotlight effect” in action—we vastly overestimate how much people notice us.

So to avoid sounding repetitive, you keep switching messages and topics before any of them actually stick.

The result?

You talk about a lot of things.
And never become known for anything.

Stop it.

You’ve gotta learn to say the same thing 1000 different ways.

Repetition builds riches.

Here’s what actually happens in your audience’s brain when you repeat yourself:

→ Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust (mere exposure effect)

→ Hearing something over time makes it stick in memory (spacing effect)

→ Your audience starts attributing that idea to you—and referring people your way who need help with it

By the time you’re sick of sharing the same message, your audience is juuuuust starting to notice.

Commit to a few core messages and ideas. Vary the execution.

--
P.S. Are you guilty of jumping topics too frequently?

I feel your pain. As a newly diagnosed ADHD’er, I get bored easily and staying consistent can feel downright painful. But then I look at my sales dashboard and the pain kinda goes away, haha.

What’s your best one-line marketing advice?

Mine:

You need people to *feel* something if you want them to *do* something

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #growth, #marketing, #unignorable, #buyerpsychology, and #behavioralscience

3 dead giveaways you’re automating LinkedIn comments (and how to avoid getting caught)

Look I get it...

You’re told, “comments are the fastest way to grow!!” You’re told to “warm the algorithm” for 30 minutes before posting.

But you’re not a full-time creator who can spend hours on LinkedIn each day. You’re a busy entrepreneur with a business to run, so you decide to outsource commenting.

It’s perfectly normal response. But automated comments are also pretty easy to spot.

If you’re using an automation or a VA to engage on LinkedIn, here’s what makes it obvious:

—
1. Your comment summarizes the post back to the author

“Great point about X! I especially loved the part about Y.”

This pattern is a common tell. It proves you read the post, but doesn’t add anything new to the conversation.


2. You use the exact same format every single time

> Statement of agreement + emoji
> Vague observation + question
> Punchy rhetorical summary

When the structure never varies, it reveals the template. You might fool someone the first few times, but they’ll eventually catch on.


3. You comment within a few minutes of every post going live

Suspiciously consistent timing is the tell. Either you’re glued to my profile 24/7, or you’re using an app to auto-engage the second I post.

—
Here’s how to avoid getting caught:

Just stop f#cking doing it.

It’s hurting your reputation with people who matter to your business. 

—
Just because the people selling courses and coaching do it doesn’t mean it’s a smart strategy for *you* to attract clients. 

Why? The gurus are all in on the game. They know it’s just their VAs talking to each other’s VAs. They’ve usually coordinated it.

But when YOU do it while trying to attract actual clients or build relationships?

It’s an immediate turn-off.

You look like you’re either using me to get in front of my audience... or you’re too lazy to engage yourself build a real connection (and think I’m too dumb to notice).

People don’t like feeling tricked.

What works for influencers selling courses actively harms people trying to build real client relationships.

So stop automating comments. Start connecting.

Kk?

—
P.S. Ever caught someone doing this?

(2) Notifications | LinkedIn

linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7386127387308179456/

Last week, Josh Lowman 🏆 said something that made me squirm...

If you somehow don't already know Josh from around LinkedIn, you should.

His agency helped build categories for billion-dollar brands like Uber, Robinhood, and Slack.

He's also an alum from cohort 4 of Unignorable.

Josh graciously offered to help me think through category design for Unignorable 2.0.

(For context, Unignorable is evolving. Rather than running a 32-day group challenge, we'll work 1:1 with clients to help them find and share their first big 'ownable idea'.)

When someone like Josh gives you advice... you listen.

His advice: "Kate, you need to talk more about your alumni. They've become some of the top voices in their industry since Unignorable. That's proof that sets you apart. Share it."

I felt my stomach tighten.

My imposter syndrome immediately kicked in: "No, no. I can't take credit for THEIR success. They were already brilliant before Unignorable. We barely did anything."

Then I caught myself.

One of the first things we taught in the original Unignorable Challenge was how to overcome your "asshole brain"—you know, that voice that says:

→ "Everyone already knows this" 
→ "My ideas aren't original enough" 
→ "What if people think I'm a fraud?"

And here I was, letting MY asshole brain keep ME silent.

Josh is right.

I should share our alumni stories more often. It's proof that my science-backed approach to authority building and content creation works.

Here are a few of our now-LinkedIn-famous alumni:

Eric Partaker: *the* CEO coach (and one of only 183 people to break 1M followers on LinkedIn)

Sarah Hart ✤: *the* expert on visual branding psychology (and my go-to designer)

Alex Merry: *the* public speaking coach who hosts a sold-out speaker community

Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva: *the* reinvention expert trusted by Coca-Cola, L'Oréal, and Visa

Alex M H Smith: *the* guy who made "strategy" sexy (and works with sexy brands like TikTok and Heineken)

Each was already a seasoned entrepreneur with deep expertise before Unignorable.

But something shifted…

We helped them figure out what they wanted to be known for and create content that earned attention AND drives revenue.

Now they're not just successful—they're THE go-to authority in their space.

Here's the lesson:

The first step to becoming THE expert isn't having all the answers. It's accepting help.

Josh had to push me to write this post. 
These alumni had to accept help to break through their blind spots.

Even experts need help becoming *THE* expert.

That's the work we do at Unignorable.

—
P.S. We're opening 5 beta seats for Unignorable 2.0 this month. The first 3 were taken before I even announced it, so 2 spots remain. 

If you want to become THE expert in your niche (not just another voice in the noise), join the waitlist.

You'll be the first to know when we open applications.
Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/eQYiVYN6

Alex Hormozi grew from zero to 9 million followers in under 4 years.

He's also well on his way to building a billion dollar business.

These two things are related...

But not just in the obvious way.

--
Everyone wants to know Hormozi's content hack.

He has one. But I don't think it's just using AI. Or hiring ghostwriters. Or spending all day on LinkedIn commenting. (He hasn't commented in weeks).

What do I think Alex's "hack" is?

It's making time to think.

--
Over the past 4 years, Hormozi wrote 3 books and created thousands of posts documenting his entire approach for growing companies.

Those weren't just marketing. They became playbooks for his team. Mental shortcuts for decision making. The operational backbone of how he scales.

*This* is why he's building so fast.

--
Writing is thinking. And wrestling with ideas drives deeper clarity. 

When you create content yourself, you're forced to articulate what lives in your head to make it useful for others. It often reveals gaps in your thinking—which is painful in the moment but creates huge leverage later. 

And documenting your intuitive approach helps codify your process, which eases execution.

(I've experienced this firsthand—many of the frameworks I teach in my courses and content started as me trying to think more clearly about my own work.)

--
Every piece of content you create builds two assets.

1️⃣ One: your audience and pipeline.

2️⃣ Two: a deeper understanding of what works in your business and why.

Most people rush to outsource the pesky thinking part to AI tools or ghostwriters. Then wonder why scaling feels so hard.

Alex makes time to *think in public*. And it pays.

--
Still think you're "too busy" to create your own content?

I’ve been feeling stressed about some big business changes but I just had a breakthrough…

For context? 

I’m making big shifts and there are a bunch of open loops and decisions to be made.

Even when I try to relax, my brain is working in overdrive in the background. 

I haven’t slept through the night in the last 10 days. I’d just wake up in the middle of the night and, despite trying to fight it, my brain would immediately go into problem solving mode. 

So this weekend I tried something different.  

Less scrolling. No scribbling in notebooks. Just tidying. 

I reorganized 4 closets. Cleaned my kitchen cabinets. And decluttered my desk. 

Then it happened—the breakthrough. The clarity. Hallelujah!

I think Marie Kondo was onto something. Tidying up can be life-changing. 

Feeling stressed? 
Clean your closet.

Thought regurgitators: 

→ Repackage what's already viral 
→ Optimize for reach 
→ Sound like everyone else 
→ Build nothing


Thought leaders: 

→ Wrestle with ideas (often through writing)
→ Develop original POV
→ Truly stand out
→ Build real authority


The difference? 
One gets reach. And one gets rich.

Stop worrying about going viral 
Start sharing ideas worth stealing

Content isn't king
(Not anymore)

With AI, now anyone can create endless “good-enough” content.

How do you break through?

Original thinking.

I spent 16 hours on our sales pitch deck.
We sold 4 out of 5 Unignorable beta seats without ever opening it.

I haven’t done a sales call in more than 5 years.

Confession? I kinda built my entire business to avoid needing to do sales. I don’t like it.

(I know that’s dumb, but it’s honest)

When Pete Sena and I launched the Unignorable Beta, I thought we’d have to do sales calls. 

The investment is $7500 and it’s a brand new offer. So I assumed people would need “the pitch” before they’d fork over that much money.

I went overboard preparing...

I read April Dunford’s book Sales Pitch, obsessed over the conversation flow, rehearsed it over and over until I had it down cold.

I was ready for everything... except for what actually happened.

People reached out ready to work together. They’d seen me teasing Unignorable 2.0 and signed up through simple email exchanges, barely asking questions.

This is THE core promise of Unignorable: build authority the right way and you don’t chase clients—you attract people who are pre-sold on working with you.

This is literally slide 20 in my pitch deck.

The method works.
We just proved it by living it.

Feels damn good.

—
P.S. what’s holding you back from being the expert people chase down?

Most entrepreneurs are optimizing for the wrong thing on LinkedIn.

They’re spending hours on their profile…

Tweaking their headline.
Perfecting banner images.
Choose the purrrrrfect profile photo.

Meanwhile, the people actually building authority and making money?

They own ONE idea their target audience remembers.

→ Justin Welsh: “Solopreneurship is freedom”
→ Codie Sanchez: “Get rich building boring businesses”
→ Peep Laja: “Test your messaging”

These aren’t just catchy phrases. 

They’re sharp takes these people repeat relentlessly until you can’t think about their space without thinking about them.
__
Here’s the uncomfortable part:

You’re avoiding the hard work (figuring out what you actually believe) by focusing on the easy work (tweaking your profile).

I saw this a lotttttt when running the Unignorable Challenge...

Entrepreneurs would obsess over their banner image for days, then spend 10 minutes thinking about their actual point of view or problems they solve.

Why?

Because your brain is wired to swap hard problems for easier ones.

Banner images require less cognitive load than articulating what makes your thinking different.

Profile optimization feels productive. It’s tangible. You can see the changes.

It’s ok. We all do it.

But it is avoidance.
__
Stop endlessly optimizing (aka hiding)
Start thinking, preferably in public.

Some tough love: your profile doesn’t matter if you don’t have an idea worth remembering.

__
P.S. Are you guilty of this?

No shame. But now that you know it’s a problem, you’re one step closer to fixing it.

My first sale from ChatGPT felt like a fluke. But then the LinkedIn requests started rolling in: “Found you through ChatGPT.”

Then another. And another.

Getting leads from AI tools feels like magic. And I wanted more.

I never invested in SEO for Why We Buy 🧠.

I knew SEO was powerful. I’d done it in past businesses and watched it work. But in my current business? I kept putting it off.

Too impatient to wait for results. Too busy building. I told myself I’d get to it “eventually.”

Spoiler: I never did.

But while I was ignoring traditional search, something shifted...

People stopped Googling all their questions. They started asking ChatGPT. Claude. Perplexity.

And somehow, my name started coming up.

Then I started getting LinkedIn messages from people I’d never met. “Saw you recommended as a marketer to follow on ChatGPT.”

Whoa—this feels big, right?

This isn’t some future trend. It’s happening now.

Which means every time someone asks AI for help solving the problem *your* business solves—and your name doesn’t appear?

That’s a lost sale.

Traditional SEO took years to pay off. This is moving wayyyyy faster.

It’s called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

And if you want to get more high-intent traffic from AI tools, you need to move now.

(The window won’t stay open forever.)

I partnered with Search Party to see where I actually show up when people ask AI about the topics that matter to *my* business (ie. buyer psychology, messaging, and personal branding).

It tracks where you appear in AI responses, shows which sources are getting cited, and helps you improve your visibility.

Search Party isn’t just another SEO tool. It’s built for how people actually search today.

So here’s my question:

Are you showing up when people ask AI about your expertise?

You can find out today, for free.

Wanna try Search Party for 14 days risk-free: https://lnkd.in/e8HRCZ6N

—
P.S. Don’t wait on this one. The gap between early movers and everyone else is going to be brutal. But this is your chance to get in early.

#sponsored #marketing #searchparty

"That person isn't even a real expert—how are they growing on LinkedIn so much faster than me?"

I hear this complaint constantly from brilliant consultants.

They sit back and watch in disbelief as less experienced people build their audience faster.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: 

That "less qualified" person is winning BECAUSE their expertise is limited.

It’s not like they don’t want to sound impressive. They just think their Intro to 101 insights are groundbreaking.

What feels like a revelation to them—the kind of thing they can't wait to share—you know is actually pretty basic stuff.

But basic is exactly what your target buyers often need.

Because your buyers aren't experts. 

They're just people trying to solve a problem, and they need someone who can explain what's going wrong in a way that finally clicks.

Meanwhile, you're over here adding layer upon layer of nuance. Caveats. Sophistication.

You know too much to keep it simple.

Every time you draft something clear, your FOBO kicks in (aka "Fear of being Obvious »).

You add complexity because you're worried a peer might think it's not "expert" enough.

(I catch myself doing this constantly—I'll write something direct, then overcomplicate it because I'm afraid it sounds too basic.)

Real talk?

This is your status anxiety dressed up as quality control.

You're afraid to dumb it down because you want to prove to peers that you know your shit.

But your ideal buyers don't need to be impressed by the depth of your expertise—they need to feel like you understand their challenges and can help them.

So you have a choice...

Create content that earns nods from your peers (who will never hire you)... OR create content that attracts clients.

One feeds your ego. The other will feed your family.

Now I want to ask you a tough question (and you need to answer honestly):

Are you creating for peers or for your clients?

You don’t need to go viral—you need to own an idea worth spreading.

Something that makes your ideal buyers lean in (and your competitors jealous).

Want me to help you find it?

beunignorable.com

Zuckerberg: “Move fast & break things.”
Buffett: *waits years between investments*
Who’s right?

If you’re confused, you’re not alone.

You’re trying to build a business, but everywhere you turn, there’s a different “expert” telling you the complete opposite of what the last one said.

Back when I was building my tech startup, one of my mentors had a name for this feeling: “advice whiplash.”

That’s exactly what it is. Jarring. Disorienting. Painful.

So which advice should you follow?

Here’s the truth: Both can be right.

And if that sounds like a cop-out, look at these wildly successful entrepreneurs who took opposite approaches:

--
Build in public 🆚 Stealth mode:

Public: Pieter Levels - tweets his revenue, shares his code, builds entire businesses transparently

Stealth: Steve Jobs - legendary secrecy, sued employees for leaks

--
Premium 🆚 Cheap

Premium: Hermès Birkin bags - $10K+ waitlists, artificial scarcity

Undercut: Amazon - “Your margin is my opportunity,” razor-thin profits for market share

--
Bootstrap 🆚 Raise capital:

Bootstrap: Mailchimp - bootstrapped to $700M+ acquisition by Intuit

Raise: Uber - raised $25B+ to blitzscale globally

--
Niche down 🆚 Diversify:

Niche: James Clear - built entire empire on ONE topic (habits)

Diversify: Richard Branson - built record company, airlines, hotels, space tourism

--
Completely opposite strategies. Completely opposite philosophies.

They all won.

The lesson? The advice that works depends entirely on *your* context.

Moving fast works when you’re hunting for product-market fit. It becomes reckless when you’re managing billions of users’ data.

Charging premium works when you’ve built undeniable authority. It fails when you’re still proving yourself.

The business advice that works as a 20-something with few commitments falls apart as a working parent with 2 kids under 5.

I’ve lost count of how many times my instinct contradicted the popular advice, and following my gut was the right call. Not because the advice was bad, but because it wasn’t right for where I was.

The question isn’t “what’s the right advice?”

It’s “what’s right for MY business, at THIS stage, given MY goals?”

Stop taking advice from people playing a different game than you.

Have you experienced advice whiplash?

–
👋 I’m Katelyn, and I help entrepreneurs build unignorable personal brands using science (not guru B.S.)

Wanna grow your reach, reputation, and revenue? Join 63k smart people who get my Why We Buy 🧠 newsletter

The idea that could transform your business is already in your head. 
You just can't see it.

Not because you're not smart enough. Because you're too close.

I believe every big-brained expert has an ownable idea trapped in their head.

An ownable idea is a specific thing people remember you for—a revelatory insight that distills your positioning and messaging strategy into something sticky that spreads.

But here's what most people miss: it's not about brainstorming catchy phrases. 

Your ownable idea emerges from doing the deep strategic work first—clarifying who you serve, the problem you solve, what makes you different, the transformation you promise, etc.

Only then can you distill your strategy into something that spreads.

Think: 
→ "Document. Don't create." 
→ "Everything is figureoutable" 
→ "You're one funnel away"

You already know who said these because they *own* those ideas in your mind.

The right ownable idea makes you an instant authority. 

But even the smartest people struggle to find theirs.

Two reasons why:

First, you're blind to your own brilliance. 

What seems obvious to you is revolutionary to someone else. The patterns connecting your thinking are invisible because you live inside them every day.

Second, you need validation. 

Your ownable idea is a hypothesis until your audience confirms it. Gary Vee, Marie Forleo, Russell Brunson—they all let their audiences show them what resonated, then followed that signal.

This is why finding your ownable idea is nearly impossible alone.

But when you DO crack it? Everything changes.

People hear it and think: "Yes—that's it." 

→ They lean in
→ They trust you more
→ They buy from you 
→ They spread your concept while you sleep

Want to become an undisputed authority in your space?

Don't just share ideas. OWN one.

—
P.S. Want help finding your first ownable idea? It all starts with building the right strategic foundation. 

We're currently accepting applicants for the beta of Unignorable 2.0. 

Instead of a group challenge, we’ll work 1:1 with 5 clients to help them find, shape, and share their ownable idea. We sold 3 seats before officially opening applications. Two spots left.

Let me know if you're interested in applying and I'll DM you more info.

taplio

The Battle

Vijaya Vardhan Panthagani

Katelyn Bourgoin

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taplio

The Battle

Vijaya Vardhan Panthagani

Katelyn Bourgoin

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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);}Katelyn Bourgoin's LinkedIn Performance

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