Pioneering the future of human connections through self-expression.

studying Nike and sharing everything I learn to help you turn your LinkedIn profile into a profitable business.

It’s okay to chase followers.

It’s okay to chase likes.

It’s okay to chase comments.

In a world where good and bad exist, advantages and disadvantages exist, it’s impossible to have one side of the coin.

If there are wrong reasons for chasing followers, there must also be good reasons for chasing followers.

→Don’t just subscribe to the idea that likes don’t pay.
→Don’t just subscribe to the idea that virality is bad.

Always question everything.

That’s the only way to find an alternative that works for you.

→People who make money on LinkedIn have gone viral a couple of times.
→People who make money on LinkedIn have a decent number of likes.

They love it because every human has a biological desire for status.

→Some show it, and some are good at staying calm. 

Regardless of the reaction, that doesn’t eliminate their biological desire to seek status or to be recognized based on status.

80% of brands won’t work with you or trust you just because of your following and engagement

Therefore, it’s a disservice to yourself to stop focusing on followers just because somebody said likes don’t pay or followers don’t matter.

You have to look at the other side of the coin:
→Pay attention to followers because it means building a community.
→Pay attention to likes because they mean reactions.
→Pay attention to comments because they mean engagement.

Those are the data points you use to build a successful brand.

Ignore them, and you’re putting yourself in a box, which goes against the rule of standing out.

→Seek your truth and express yourself.

Unless something has been proven, it’s not our duty to oblige, it’s our responsibility to question.

If you don’t call a spade a spade, you’ll be wrong for calling it a spoon.

Gustaff Ndalo

Gustaff Ndalo

Currently studying philosophy while building businesses.

I also help personal brands and businesses create attention grabbing, persuasive and unique content.

it's okay to chase followers

You are your advantage.

Most people on LinkedIn are trying to build their brand the “right” way.

But the truth is, there is no “right” way.

→There is only your way.

The rules everyone follows?
→They are just someone else’s story.
→Someone else’s style.
→Someone else’s strengths.

If you want to stand out, then you have to forget about the concept of right and wrong.

→You have to find your way of building.
→What comes naturally to you
→What allows you to use the little that you have
→What ensures you don’t fake anything, but instead make the little you have look cool.
→What turns your story of hardship into a story of inspiration

When you figure out what you are genuinely good at, you gain an advantage no one can copy.

→Your work becomes unique.
→Your voice becomes authentic.
→Your presence becomes magnetic.

While you learn from others, it’s your responsibility to dissect everything you’ve learned so you can find your unique angle.

That is what gives you the power to express yourself in a different way.

→When you express yourself differently, you stand out.

When you stand out, you get known, you get trusted, and you build genuine human connections.

Gustaff Ndalo

find your way

There are only two types of games you can play on LinkedIn:

→The status game or the wealth game.

If you find yourself competing against someone, you’re playing the status game.

→Most people pick the status game unknowingly by niching down.

This puts you in a box where you have to share information or concepts that fit a certain topic.

→The problem is, you’re not the only one playing that game.

You’re competing against thousands, if not millions, of people who want to be seen as authorities or experts in the same field.

The bad news is, there will always be someone better than you, and some people will always choose your competitors over you.

→The wealth game is different.

In the wealth game, you are the niche.

You’re free to combine different topics and interests with the goal of creating a unique solution.

That path makes you one of one because of your experiences, your stories, your nature, and your approach.

It also gives you creative freedom and the ability to express your ideologies.
This approach builds a character that attracts genuine human connections.

A person with genuine human connections gets opportunities even when they are not searching.

You become a magnet, and even those who play the status game come to you for unique perspectives and solutions to beat their competitors.

Gustaff Ndalo

choose your game

Authentic content is not created.

In the business world, there are many things you can create, but content isn’t one of them.

→You create products.
→You create strategies.
→You create systems.
→You create frameworks.

Authentic content is documented.

It’s the result of self-expression, something that only happens when you have an experience, a lesson, or a discovery to share.

→First, you need a purpose.

Purpose pushes you to pursue something in life. It could be a curiosity or a challenge you’re trying to solve.

In that pursuit, you’ll learn something, discover something, or encounter an experience.

→That becomes the valuable information people are interested in.

And when you decide to express yourself and document it online, it becomes authentic content.

Gustaff Ndalo

document

You have a bigger opportunity than your father and mother ever had.

If they retired living paycheck to paycheck, you don’t have to.
 
If they had to struggle every day to make ends meet, you don’t have to.

→You have the internet.

One post, one connection, one DM can change your life.

→You can make your parents proud and take care of your family.

All it takes is the courage to pursue your curiosity and document your journey online.

Gustaff Ndalo

the internet

You can get anyone’s attention.

→Just don’t tell them what to do.

According to psychology, the human brain naturally resists commands.

When you tell someone what to do, their sense of autonomy and freedom often feels threatened.

That triggers psychological reactance, which is a defensive state where the brain shuts down, resists, or pulls away.

Over time, this activates the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector, and reduces trust.

If you want to build a genuine human connection, do this instead:
→Remind them.
→Inspire them.
→Empower them.

When you inspire rather than instruct, the brain releases dopamine, the chemical responsible for motivation, curiosity, and the pursuit of goals.

→Dopamine makes people more open, more trusting, and more engaged.

It creates emotional resonance, which forms real, lasting human connections.

→The best way to remind someone is through self-expression.
→The best way to inspire someone is through self-expression.
→The best way to empower someone is through self-expression.

Gustaff Ndalo

don't tell people what to do

Rejection is not what they made us to believe.

In fact, it is an opportunity.

→It's a new chance.
→It's a new beginning.

In 1962, when the founder of Nike told his friend Carter it was time to leave Shangri-La and continue with the journey, Carter frowned and stroked his chin.

→He did not want to leave because he had met a girl. 

This was a "no" and the founder of Nike had to make a decision and come up with a new plan.

→Either go back home, get a normal job, or continue with the journey alone.

As their traveling together ended, it was time to make a new decision.

Phil Knight chose to continue with the journey to Japan in search of shoe manufacturers.

→As a creator, you will be told "no" multiple times.

Either by clients, partners, or other brands.

That shouldn't be the end of your journey but the beginning of a new one.

→If content does not perform better, study it and create new content.
→If clients say no, find out why and DM new clients.

We are on a journey, only those who do not stop are the ones who get to the destination.


Gustaff Ndalo

rejection

Your LinkedIn post is not what you think it is.

→It’s not just an idea.
→It’s not just your thoughts.
→It’s not just what you know.

It’s a symbol of your status in society.

Just like people judge you by how you dress, they judge you by what you post because dressing and sharing are both forms of self-expression

How you express yourself in a society, in this case, the internet, determines the type of people you attract.

If you’re not attracting high-paying clients, it’s because you’re not speaking their language.

Intentionally act like the person you want to become and you will attract people in that bracket.

→This has nothing to do with “fake it till you make it.”

It’s about finding a purpose, pursuing it, and documenting your journey toward becoming.

That is the source of true self-expression.

Gustaff Ndalo

your posts

If you want to make money on LinkedIn, stop treating LinkedIn as a platform.

It is a replica of the society we live in.

→Those making millions from the platform are the upper class.
→Those making a couple of thousand from the platform are the middle class.
→Those who are struggling to make ends meet are the lower class.

As bad as it might sound, that is the truth because just like any other social media platform, it was created with metrics that target human desire for social approval and status.

→Likes, comments, and engagements are symbols of social approval.
→Followers are a symbol of status.

At the end of the day, you are rewarded for that.

If you provide unique value, you are valued by the LinkedIn community.

Not widely known, but that raises your status and gives you access to opportunities such as collaborations, invitations to events, a rank on Favikon, and many more.

Just like in real society, someone can move from one class to another.

→Your ticket for going from the lower class to the upper class is content.

When packaged right, content draws attention, influences people, and changes their perspective about you.

That is the weapon used by the upper class on LinkedIn.

They don’t just write posts.

→They package ideas and express them unapologetically.

If you want to shift classes and build genuine human connections, focus on self-expression.

Gustaff Ndalo

LinkedIn citizen

You don’t have to chase opportunities to get them.

→In fact, chasing opportunities is the worst thing you can ever do.

Unfortunately, it took me years to realize that.

First, you have to adjust or make changes to fit that opportunity.

By default, you end up changing parts of yourself or fabricating information just to fit the opportunity.

→That’s the easiest way to suppress your own potential.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs.

But how can you love what you’re doing if you’ve put yourself in a box?

Instead of chasing opportunities, present yourself.

Instead of chasing opportunities, attract them.

→Be unapologetically you.

Express yourself, share your ideas, and never hold back what you believe or your way of doing things.

Through self-expression, you attract the right opportunities.

Through self-expression, you present yourself as the best candidate.

Gustaff Ndalo

attract opportunities

You can turn your LinkedIn profile into a source of income once you understand the relationship between ideas and businesses.

→Ideas exist in our imagination.
→Businesses exist in reality.

To get paid, earn money, or build revenue, you have to blur the line between the two.

→You have to merge them.

Your idea must become so real that it finds its place in the physical world.

→The only way to do that is through self-expression.

That’s how you bring your ideas into reality, and people willingly give you money because it represents something they needed but were unable to create.

→Some express themselves through content.
→Some through art.
→Some through music.

We express ourselves differently based on the paths we choose, but at the end of the day, everyone achieves the same results.

Something unique that generates money or makes us grow.

Gustaff Ndalo

blur the line

Everything around you represents someone.

→The businesses.
→The houses.
→The buildings.
→The platforms.

They’re all owned by someone.

→Someone like you.

Someone like the founder of Nike, who started with just $50.

In 1962, the founder of Nike decided to pursue his idea of selling shoes, despite having two degrees from top universities.

→He wasn’t a millionaire.
→He had no investors.

He traveled to Japan, found a shoe distributor, and asked his father to send him $50 to pay for the first 12 sample pairs.

60 years later, Nike is one of the biggest brands in the world.

→It all started with an idea.
→Now, its a legacy

Just like everything around you represents someone’s legacy.

You can build your own.

Don’t just build a brand, build a legacy.

Gustaff Ndalo

your idea

If you're building a brand, copy what the founder of Nike did.

→Whether you are a coach.
→Whether you are a consultant.
→Whether you are a freelancer.

The path to finding answers is never different.

At 24, Phil Knight had a wild idea to sell Japanese shoes in America.

→He didn’t know if it would work.
→He didn’t even know who he was yet.

So he chased something deeper: curiosity.

He booked a one-way ticket and traveled the world.
→In Bangkok, he questioned everything.
→In Cairo, he studied culture.
→In London, something clicked.

He realized what he wanted to stand for: Victory.

→That became Nike’s entire identity.

But it didn’t start with certainty.

It started with a question: “Who am I, and what do I stand for?”

You don’t have to fly across the world. But you do have to chase your curiosity.

How?
Through building, researching, asking, failing, and trying again.

→Nike has a following of 300+ million people across different platforms.

They follow the brand because of what it stands for.

So, follow your curiosity, and it will lead you to your purpose. 

Then build your brand based on your purpose because that's what attracts your target audience.

The easiest way to do that is by building a brand strategy.

Here is a Nike inspired guide to build a strategy based on your purpose and curiosities : https://lnkd.in/eYR3Y3F5

Gustaff Ndalo

the nike way

Everything around you is a result of self-expression.

→Good content.
→Successful businesses.
→Good music.
→Beautiful houses.

They all started as an idea, became an obsession, and someone chose to bring them to life.

Good content is the self-expression of your thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.

Successful businesses are the self-expression of a founder’s vision, values, and ambition.

Good music is the self-expression of an artist’s emotions, experiences, and soul.

Beautiful houses are the self-expression of an owner’s taste, lifestyle, and dreams.

Never be afraid to express yourself because it’s the foundation of everything you want to build.

Gustaff Ndalo

express yourself

Attention will no longer save your brand.

→We are slowly shifting away from the attention economy.

For years, social media has been about who could capture the most attention.

But AI and level one creators are about to disrupt any business or brand that relies solely on attention.

→Level one creators are those who create for virality.
→They have mastered the art of trend jacking.

Soon, you will start seeing a flood of content that all looks and feels the same.

→Content engineered with hooks to capture your attention.

The rise of brain rot content that triggers dopamine will flood social media platforms, and eventually, people will start begging and searching for meaning.

→That will usher in the era of meaningful content.

Nike spends billions on research and development, not only to build products but to find better ways to provide meaning to their audience.

The company embeds itself in culture because people are defined by their way of life.

Nike has built communities around interests because people find meaning in their hobbies and passions.

That is the meaning economy.

The future of branding propelled by stories.

→Stories make you known.
→Stories make you remembered.
→Stories make you trusted.

In a world where AI can do everything, your story is the only thing that will make you different.

Gustaff Ndalo

linkedin

Nike gained millions of customers loyalty by doing one thing.

They perfectly designed it that strangers became brand ambassadors unknowingly.

I included.

Surprisingly, they started even before most of us were born.
→In 1988 they used Just Do It slogan
→In 2013 they used Find Your Greatness tagline
→In 2018 they used Dream Crazy tagline
→In 2019 they used Dare to dream tagline
→In 2020 they used You can’t stop us tagline

While many might see them as just “marketing campaigns,” in reality, these were "cultural interventions."

A strategic move that Nike uses to boldly align with real issues, which wins loyalty from purpose-driven consumers.

If you want to build customer loyalty, align your brand with what your consumers care about.

Never be afraid to express yourself.

You can be the next Nike. 

Here is a guide to get you started, with every step documented based on what I have learned from Nike over the past 11 months: https://lnkd.in/eYR3Y3F5


Gustaff Ndalo

build like nike

Nothing is actually changing in the social media space.

→LinkedIn is still the same as it was in 2002.

A digital community where like-minded individuals connect.

The concept of the algorithm shifting is just a narrative used by those who understand how society works.

→What is actually changing is the human behavior, the human taste, and the human span of attention.

Those are the factors that determine how many likes you get, how many people follow you, and how many clients you get.

When those attributes change per person, they influence the algorithm.

Meaning the algorithm is still serving the same purpose it was meant to serve, which is to understand human behavior and make the right predictions and suggestions.

→To build a business on LinkedIn, you don’t need to study the algorithm.

You need to study human behavior and understand the art of persuasion.

It’s impossible to be ignored when you give people what they want.

Gustaff Ndalo

LinkedIn is not changing

LinkedIn would be much easier if we went back to the basics.

→Stop creating content.

That is the one advice I would share after reading 816 pages of Nike's story.

Nike does not create content, they document.

Creating is when you sit down and try to come up with something from scratch
→A concept.
→An idea.
→A campaign.

It’s imaginative and expressive.

Perfectly works when building products and services because it brings a new perspective.

Documenting is when you capture and share what’s already happening
→Your grind
→Your journey
→Your experiences.
→The culture around you
→The day to day life behind building the brand.

Perfectly works for content because it's relatable.

If you’re struggling to come up with content, it’s not because you’re uncreative.

It’s because you’re trying to invent, instead of reflect. 

Invention happens when you are inspired and that is why you find it hard to create without inspiration.

You don’t need more ideas to come up with content.

You need to trust your story.

You’ve already lived the content others need.

→Start documenting.
 
That’s what Nike does. 

Result:
→300 million people have followed the brand, they pay attention and buy from the brand.

Build Like Nike.

Gustaff Ndalo

You already have the three most important things you need to change any situation:

→Your ability to express yourself
→Your ability to learn
→The internet

If you’re courageous enough to express yourself, you can connect with anyone.

If you’re willing to learn, you can solve any problem.

If you’re curious enough to explore the internet, you’ll find opportunities everywhere.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Gustaff Ndalo

you've got what you need

If you enjoy making friends, you already have the biggest advantage in business.

Most people aren’t failing because of their pricing, their skills, or their product.

→They’re failing because nobody actually likes them or relates to them.

People will happily give you money if they trust you, and trust doesn’t come from hacks, tricks, or fancy funnels.

→It comes from being human.

It comes from expressing yourself so clearly that people feel like they already know you.

Business deals don’t fall apart because of competition.

They fall apart because there’s no connection.

→It’s never about the product.
→It’s never about the service.
→It’s never about where you’re from.

It’s about whether people have a connection with you because in the end, business is just friendship with invoices.

Gustaff Ndalo

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