Luke Matthews

Co-Founder | Lifestyle Blogger |  Content Marketer | Storyteller 

I teach you how to write with AI (and win LinkedIn)

Building in public on LinkedIn™ is risky for you. 

You aren't a 20-something Instagram model or a 33-year-old drop shipping bro bragging about 6 figures from Bali. 

You have a real business and a real reputation to uphold. 

You want to take advantage of more opportunities through visibility on social media, but you know there are privacy risks that come with that.... 

Most AI models take your data and sell it. 
Most social media platforms take your data and sell it.
Most marketers don't understand this, which can expose your company.

That's where I come in. 

I've been marketing for over 10 years on social media, built over 250k followers across all platforms, and I've ghostwritten for some of the biggest personal brands in the world. 

But beyond that, I value privacy and staying hidden. 

It takes skill to build a personal brand that not only generates revenue for your company but also remains secure and private. 

I help you build on social media and maintain your privacy using secure AI systems and world-class ghostwriting. 

Sound interesting?

Don't message here on LinkedIn.

Email me instead and use subject "𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆"

luke@wizardofoddmarketing.com

--

Want to learn how to use AI safely?

Follow me and subscribe to my email list to learn how to use AI tools safely and securely without exposing your data and private life to the world. You can subscribe by clicking any link in my profile as they all go to my newsletter on Substack.

Founder - Lead Wizard & Ghostwriter

Linkedin & Twitter Ghostwriting Services for CEOs, Influencers, and Tech companies. 
Reach your audience with a sprinkle of magic, the power of explosive copywriting, and let the WIZARD OF odd MARKETING help make your biz a LOT  less boring.

I have been banned over 10x on LinkedIn. 

The brutal truth is the system ain’t fair…

In business and in life those willing to cater to the system (and exploit you) end up profiting from it. 

Social media has made this reality worse. 

It’s not about how skilled you are.
It’s about how skilled you can talk. 

(& it’s about who u know aka how good you are at kissing up to leaders and using errr befriending them on your climb to a seat at the table)

I decided this rat race wasn’t for me. 

So I’m playing a different game now. 

Rebuilding in the shadows. 
Learning new skills. 
Making new friends…

Friends that are hackers, rebels and the anonymous geniuses defending digital freedom…

Because look, complaining about broken systems accomplished nothing…

Action wins. 

PS Hi LinkedIn. Who’s still here?

2 posts in a week whoa 🤓

Luke M

I used to spend 8 hours a day engaging on LinkedIn. 

In 2025 I spent less than 30 minutes a day... 

So why change?

Well for starters I shut down a lot of things this year. I ghosted the platform for months, I shut down my old businesses and went into the shadows to consider a rebuild. 

But last year a lot changed on the platform.

Commenting alone is now far less effective for growth.

There are too many AI comments.
There are too many thought leader ads.
There are too many virtual assistants focused on ROI.

The odds of your comment alone being seen, considered and replied to simply went down a lot. 

So here's what I have been doing in Q4:

I comment for 15 minutes a day.
I make sure each comment is interesting.
I follow up the comment with a simple DM. 

(oh and yes I remove all my comments, posts and footprint 30-60 days after with a pretty cool AI tool.... DM if your curious why I do this!) 

No you wont get a ton of reach or follower growth this way!

But you will start conversations....

PS Have you changed your strategy in 2025?

It's easy to get 1000 likes a post (like I used too)

Here's how to be a LinkedIn influencer: 

1. Talk about LinkedIn. 
2. Be good looking and post pictures.
3. Write short, broad content. 
4. Spend all day commenting. 
5. Do this for 90 days. 

OR 

69. Pay a team to do it all for you. 

But here's the truth about this blueprint. 

You missed the window when this was possible for anyone. It's too late now on LinkedIn to do this organically. The market has changed, agencies don't work as well, organic is dying and this actually isn't the best strategy unless you want to pretend the old system still works. 

The better way? 

Cut the dopamine. Pick a niche. Speak to that niche. 
Accept less reach. Accept slower growth. 

But reach a very targetd audience. 

In summary...

You need a real skill and a real niche to focus on.

The generic LinkedIn growth expert is playing an old game to take your hard earned money by fooling you with cheap dopamine. 

You will never become them. 

You don't need a personal brand.

You just need to be an expert with a real skill and a specific niche.

PS Who bought cool AI tools for Black Friday?

I now separate work and my personal life.

But not for balance... I do it for privacy.

If you wanna work 16 hours a day and find joy in that then I see no reason at all to say that's unhealthy. 

So this post isn't about encouraging balance.

I mean, I'm the guy who posted 3x a day and spent 8 hours+ a day commenting and connecting on LinkedIn for years who now has a cartoon profile pic, posts 1x a week and barely comments...

I enjoy the unhinged and unbalanced life.

More fun. More purpose. More stories.

And yet I've worked hard to seperate personal and business in 2025.

That's meant shutting down a lot of social media accounts, AI tools, services, clients and ways that I show up on the internet. 

I use Linux for personal stuff.
But Windows for work. 

I use a rebuilt android OS for personal stuff.
And only use an IPhone hardened for work.

I still post on LinkedIn for work. 
But I removed all pics and stories connected to my life.

I could go on and on...

But for me, seperating work and my personal life hasn't been about balance. It's been about privacy and being more intentional with my time, my words and my efforts... 

I believe the internet is no longer a place for authenticity. 

It's simply a place to do commerce. 

So look, do you but if your password is the same for your bank and your LinkedIn account....

Maybe it's time for an audit of yourself eh peasant? 

🧙‍♂️

I only log in to LinkedIn on Windows. 

I use Linux for my personal data and files...

Running more than one operating system on your computer is called multi-booting. 

This summer as I began to purge myself of big tech I realized that I couldn't full exit the system yet... 

Even though I concluded that:

Using Google search is a privacy risk.

Using ChatGPT is a privacy risk.

Using Cloud AI is a risk...

Publishing content connected to your full name, actual face, phone number and home IP address is also a privacy risk…

I also realized I couldn't cut the last 1% of these data stealing big tech tools and programs...

This is where taking back your privacy requires effort.

So I decided to learn how to sandbox my work/private life online environments.

Sandboxing is when you run apps/programs in a secure, isolated framework to restrict those tools access to the rest of your systems files and resources.

Basically I wanted to figure out how to isolate tools like LinkedIn so they don't have access to my other files and life.

This takes some skill, but deleting 100% of everything just wasn't possible for me yet. 

It's a constant game of learning but I think it's worth learning how to shield your personal data and sandbox your work life, personal life and daily life environments from each other.

Otherwise you are at the mercy of data leaks, hackers, corrupt big tech and government policies…

Personally I think it’s worth the effort to learn and seperate tools, systems and resources.

What about u?

PS Yes I know Windows is getting worse... But Mac? EW

Do you share your live location with social media apps? 

I do not. Here's a quick why/why not list... 

✅ Positives to location sharing:

It's convenient (easy to meet up & connect)
It's social proof (events, hotspots, clout)
It gives you steak recommendations. 

✖️ Negatives to location sharing: 

It creates movement patterns for 1000s to study.
It allows your data to be harvested more easily.
It establishes a physical digital footprint.

I have always been careful to not share my live location.

I analyze every photo or post written and consider what kind of footprint I'm leaving behind. 

Am I paranoid? 

Perhaps... But this elder-millennial is gonna keep walking the line between using tech and disappearing into the shadows..

PS Sharing any photos adds to your risk. 

This photo has clues in it. 

Where do you think this photo was taken?

The gatekeepers are losing their grip.

For years, "world-class" meant big budgets, big teams, and exclusive tools. You had to be part of the club.

That era is over.

AI has kicked the door down. A new report from Artlist, based on insights from 6,500 creators, calls this "The third wave of democratization."

What does that mean?

It means anyone with a laptop can now produce studio-quality work. It means a couple of skilled individuals can take on companies in the hundreds. It means the playing field is wide open for anyone willing to learn.

Of course, when anyone can make anything look perfect, the game changes.

It's no longer just about technical skill. It's about taste. Vision. Strategic thinking.

As the report says, direction now matters more than ever. AI handles the production, but only you can choose the ideas that move people. Your choices are what set you apart.

This is why I find AI so appealing. It's not about replacing humans; it's about empowering the ones that choose to accept the new game. It is the great redistributing. An opportunity for anyone willing to learn, not just those with deep pockets.

The little guy has a chance. The rebel. The creator with a dream. The expert with a real skill.....

I think that's pretty cool.

PS if you want to read more about the state of AI check out the AI Trend Report 2026 from Artlist (who sponsored this post).

https://lnkd.in/gf7e8aXE

Brand partnership • Scale your business privately with AI.

How to pay $0 with 9 private AI tools.

(I replaced my tech stack with these brands)

This summer I quit using most AI tools that required overpriced monthly subscriptions/credits and stored my data in their clouds. 

So I had to replace 99% of my tools. 

From $500 to less than $25 a month.

Here's my list:

Notion >Crypt(.)ee for note taking and ideas.
Airtable > AppFlowy for content management.
G-Suite > Proton for secure email and file hosting.
ChatGPT > Okara for private open source AI. 
Loom > Cap so I can record my screen with video.
Perplexity > DeepSeek with Ollama for research.
Canva > Penpot for self hosting creative assets.
Manus > Venice for AI research purposes.
Slack > Signal cz I don't need all the fluff.

So yeah this list is a lot longer.

But I know your attention span is short.

I'm still getting used to some of these new tools.

(and I paid for Proton Premium too btw)

The truth is, it's inconvenient. 
I was used to my tool stack. 

Learning new software and setups is a challenge.

But avoiding subscriptions the best I can and maintaining max control of my data is my decision maker.

PS Yes I left out the self-hosting tools and process...

(I gotta make you follow for more somehow right?)

Timothy Peterson

Speir Digital Inc.

Speir has developed a unique and advanced technology platform that is transforming the music and entertainment audio/video streaming industry. 

The technology allows artists, labels, and venues from around the world to increase revenue when events are sold out or at excess capacity. The Speir Live Streaming Platform is a dedicated music and live performance platform which plans to have millions of members following a release later this year,  comprised of exclusive audio and video content streaming from across the globe. 

Speir is the only platform that is providing its viewers with live streaming from the most exclusive music and entertainment events globally.

But Speir is about more than music and entertainment.

Speir has expanded from it's foundation in music to movies, books, news and all types of entertainment -- and will expand from there to gaming, sports, and a variety of other cultural and educational experiences with 24/7 live streaming independent channels.

My role is wide-ranging -- a thrill ride!  Bottom line, as Speir puts it, my goal is to help:  "Build a beautiful company."

President and Chief Operating Officer

RobRoySW

RobRoySW is about art and fashion, appealing to a diverse audience, and unifying people.   To this end, we are creating a line of clothing for She/They/He/Fluid.  A line where -- however you identify -- you can create a fabulous look. 

Gender Fluid Clothes

Not Girl Clothes

Not Boy Clothes

Your Clothes

Not gender neutral, not gender free.  Rather, feminine and masculine at once.  RobRoySW's clothing will push these boundaries and allow everyone in the Fluid community to express themselves in new and fun ways.  But RobRoySW will not be limited to the Gender Fluid community, either.

It's fashion for everyone.

Contact me:
timothy@robroysw.com

Trellis Commerce

My co-host Isaiah Bollinger, CEO of Trellis Commerce, and I are approaching episode 200.  Find us on Spotify, iTunes, or anywhere you find your podcasts!  We examine everything B2B eCommerce.  B2B makes up the lion’s share of eCommerce potential revenue, even though it is quite often overlooked by many businesses.  This podcast aims to bridge the knowledge gap and help businesses of all shapes and sizes recognize the vast eCommerce potential that exists today.

https://open.spotify.com/show/0eEhAydRiBeSKWfYlGIieC

Contact me:
timothy.peterson@yahoo.com

Co-Host The Hard Truth About B2B Ecommerce Podcast

Data Glam

I started Data Glam about 17 years ago as an Ecommerce consulting practice.  It arose out of another crisis, the economic meltdown of 2008.  Prior businesses of mine go all the way back to the 80s.  I have kept Data Glam going for independent projects around all my other roles -- as a President, COO, CMO, CDO, Chief Client Officer, VP of Marketing, VP of Digital, VP of Ecommerce, and many more.

Today, Data Glam has a focus on Digital Transformation, and Startup Launches and Reboots.  Traditional areas remain:  Marketing plan review and creation; and Comprehensive business plans.  

I am here to help.

Contact me:
timothy@dataglam.com

President

VayaConnect

VAYA:  ABOUT US
Vaya is a strategic consultancy and business intelligence solution enabling end-to-end customer experience measurement and performance optimization.  Leveraging the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, we help some of the world’s most respected brands drive performance, innovation, and stakeholder ROI.  Vaya helps achieve, predict, and optimize performance. 

THE ROADMAP PROCESS
Our Roadmap process defines a strategy plan to reshape customer value propositions using technology to inspire engagement and loyalty while building innovation and revenue.  We focus on asking the questions that matter most.  We evaluate a 360 degree view of current operations with a focus on near-term return and long-term impact.  We evaluate opportunities for top-line growth and bottom line efficiency.  We work with you to define, implement, measure, optimize, and innovate throughout the journey.

Together, our VayaConnect Performance Hub, Roadmap Process, and Consultants work to drive the measurable value that drives valuations.

AGENCY PARTNERS
Our agency partners bring the services needed to take your roadmap into action including Traditional and Digital Marketing, Public Relations, and Experiential Marketing.

PLATFORM PARTNERS
Our platform and systems-integration partners include the leading solutions for global, enterprise, and mid-market ecommerce, omni-channel operations, customer care, and logistics. Through our platform partners, Vaya seamlessly ties roadmap insights to your existing end-to-end customer journey with rapid time to market.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS
At Vaya we know that experience matters. Get the insights you need to make the decisions that build your business with the help of our team.

GET IN TOUCH with VAYA
Phone: (513) 645-9862
Cincinnati • NYC • Kyiv

Contact me:
timothy@vayaconnect.com

Chief Client Officer, Managing Principal Consultant, Interim President

SportsBiz

Sports Marketing  |  Reinvented

Harnessing the Power of AI and Advanced Analytics to Help Brands Maximize Sports Marketing and Sponsorship Investments

What We Do
SPORTSBIZ is Disrupting the $300B Global Business of Sports:
We deploy transformative solutions to remedy the vast financial inefficiencies that plague the business of sport. Our team supports brands to most effectively engage with athletes, teams, leagues, associations, venues, and events in marketing and sponsorship partnerships.

The Problem
Brands misspend 50% of all corporate sponsorship dollars as a result of:
Driving decisions based on personal preferences
Employing no proven systems to quantify sponsorship value
Depending solely on the strategic guidance of rights owners and agencies, as well as lacking empirical methods when allocating budgets

Our Solution
SPORTSBIZ's end-to-end suite of products empowers brands to:
Discover and target their optimal sports assets
Design and execute superior marketing strategies
Measure and analyze the value generated by their past and future investments

Our Team (at the time I was there)
SPORTSBIZ brings together accomplished experts from technology, business, sports and creative industries to ensure a product that is tailored to brand needs and set the new industry standard.

Steve Feuerstein
Founder &
Chief Strategy Officer

Jeffrey Rudnick
Chairman of the Board

Gene Curtis
Chief Technology Officer

Charles Boyle
Chief Analytics / AI Officer

Timothy Peterson
Chief Marketing / Digital Officer

Richard Veltre
Chief Financial Officer

Jeffrey Siddiqi
Chief Revenue Officer

Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Digital Officer

EcommerceConsulting.com | Tellus | Vaya

Data Glam is my consulting firm, I still take on projects (see other entry for more information on Data Glam).  In fact, demand is so high in these extraordinary times, I am focused on Business Transformation, Startup Launches and Reboots, Omnichannel.

I also still take on consulting projects though a variety of other relationships, but group those under Data Glam as well.  I have consulted through Ecommerce Consulting, Tellus, and Vaya (prior to working there), among many others.  Projects include business transformation, digital upgrades, startup launches, pivots, and reboots, omnichannel marketing and Ecommerce strategy, DTC, site evaluations, Ecommerce re-platforming, and UX, UI, and UAT.  Over the last decade or so, I have specialized in Ecommerce and digital marketing, but I have vast experience in retail, data, and business intelligence.  I have been involved in all aspects of Ecommerce since 1999.  Yes, that's 26 years now!

Contact me through my consulting site, Dataglam.com, or here through LinkedIn.

Consultant

The CHR Group

The CHR Group is a major advertising and marketing services holding company.  Headquartered in New York City, there are offices across the US and Canada.

My role was focused on meeting all the Digital needs of clients, upgrading their experiences and their ROI using the latest platforms, tools -- and my expertise.  Further, I ensured that we onboarded new clients in a consciously integrated way.  The big picture matters.

Vice President, Digital

EC Labs | Dharcy | LocFree

EC Labs, standing for Ecommerce Labs, was a launchpad for start-ups.  LocFree was a combo flash sale, deal, and review site.  Dharcy is a player in visual commerce and retail tourism, and seeking major retail partners.  I am a co-founder of these companies, among others.

Co-founder, CMO

Panor Corp. / Maxxima LED Lighting

Panor Corporation is the manufacturer and supplier of Maxxima LED Lighting products.  Working to revolutionize the LED lighting industry, they have a large and growing product line and a dedicated team of professional staff and engineers.

As the first dedicated Ecommerce Marketing and Sales Director for the MaxximaStyle product line, I headed the fast-growing Ecommerce division, driving double-digit online sales growth, while determining well-defined marketing and commerce strategies.  Further, I made strategic short- and long-term recommendations to maximize traffic, and drive enhanced site performance and navigation for desktop and mobile use, all focusing on ROI.

I was a leader, developing and maintaining strong internal and external business relationships, investigating new market channels, encouraging creative product marketing concepts, and driving the creation of regular, narrative content through the launch of blog.

Ecommerce Director

President and COO at Speir Digital Inc. / President and COO at RobRoySW / CMO / CDO / Fractional C-Level Leader / Board Member / Startup Advisor / Podcast Host / Ecommerce / Digital Marketing / Transformation Projects

Marketing, Ecommerce, and Operational Expertise, Delivered with Personality, Style, and Showmanship!

FOCUS:  Bringing on the Roaring 20s version 2.0!

FOCUS:  Marketing / Pivoting Your Business Quickly and Decisively

FOCUS:  Planning and Growth

FOCUS:  Working with Investors, Vetting Funding Proposals, Writing Business and Marketing Plans, "Fixer"

C-Level, Senior Executive, and Managerial roles in Marketing, E-commerce, Operations, Business Intelligence, Sales, Account Management, Database Operations, Retail, Transformation, and more.

Expertise:
 
- Operations, COO, President, P&L responsibility;
- Marketing, online and offline, CMO, CDO, VP, Director;
- Sales, Account Management, Chief Client Officer;
- E-Commerce, 3-time VP, Director;
- Retail, all channels, including time as a brick-and-mortar multi-unit Store Director, Store Manager, Manager;
- Data, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Analytics, Operations, SaaS, technical leader of a co-op database, leader of an analytics re-platforming and integration, Business Intelligence;
- Consulting, independently, through agencies, and as client services leader. Front-end and back-end digital work, innovation processes start-up plans and funding;
- Implementations, solution selection for marketing databases, business intelligence platforms, Websites, and E-Commerce platforms, and;
- Start-ups, multiple, including a founder and CMO for a deal and review site and business development for an early dot-com era venture. A mobile app start-up, retail/ecommerce hybrid in "live commerce." Founded two other businesses while in college.  More.  Startup advisor.

Specialties: E-commerce, digital marketing, omnichannel strategy, operations, leadership, product development, merchandising, operations, mobile, social, revenue generation, business development, sales, account management, data quality, data privacy, data security, crisis management, Business Intelligence, SaaS, project management, CRM, reporting and analytics, budgeting and forecasting, transformation, P/L, SEO, SEM, affiliate networks, CSE, catalog, print marketing, databases, lead generation, customer acquisition, reactivation and optimization, team-building, motivation.

COO, CMO, CDO, CCO, PRESIDENT, FOUNDER, CO-FOUNDER, BOARD MEMBER / LEADER IN DIGITAL MARKETING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/AI, SAAS, INNOVATION, MEDIA, SERVICES, ECOMMERCE, CONSULTING, STRATEGY, TACTICS, OMNICHANNEL RETAIL, INVESTORS, STARTUPS

My co-host Isaiah Bollinger, CEO of Trellis Commerce, and I are approaching episode 100.  Find us on Spotify, iTunes, or anywhere you find your podcasts!  We examine everything B2B eCommerce.  B2B makes up the lion’s share of eCommerce potential revenue, even though it is quite often overlooked by many businesses.  This podcast aims to bridge the knowledge gap and help businesses of all shapes and sizes recognize the vast eCommerce potential that exists today.

https://open.spotify.com/show/0eEhAydRiBeSKWfYlGIieC

Contact me:
timothy@trellis.co

taplio

The Battle

Luke Matthews

Timothy Peterson

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taplio

The Battle

Luke Matthews

Timothy Peterson

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Luke Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

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