Ish Verduzco’s Post

In the next generation of founders, the most innovative founders will increasingly invest in nurturing their own internal influencers. Here's what I mean (and how you can lead the way): Currently, the standard practice involves compensating creators/influencers for individual posts, referrals, or extended contracts that specify promotional efforts over a defined period. A notable example is Ridge's approach with MKBHD. They appointed him as their "Chief Creative Partner," recognizing his extensive reach, deep product knowledge, and ability to generate innovative ideas for the company. It's likely he received a combination of salary and equity. This strategy makes strategic sense. Both parties are aligned for long-term success (rather than short-term promotional bursts for cash). I anticipate more businesses adopting this model in the future, with founders increasingly focusing on cultivating their own in-house influencers. The most forward-thinking founders will understand that building their personal social media presence and fostering their team's presence is crucial. This trend is already underway. However, very few companies are effectively executing it. Summary: Encourage your team to build their social media presence. Leverage these platforms for significant company announcements. Create a supportive culture around this so that new hires can continue expanding your reach as others transition. Embrace turnover gracefully. Additionally, prioritize building your founder's social media presence. Consider: Will having 25,000-150,000 engaged followers (in your niche/your business) drive sustained success for your company? Most likely, yes. Start cultivating your audience now. "First-time founders focus on the product; second-time founders focus on distribution." - @justinkan

Struggling to Get Industry Leaders' Attention? You send out personalized connection requests to key influencers in your niche. Each message is crafted with care, highlighting common interests and expressing genuine admiration for their work. But weeks pass by, and your connection requests remain unanswered. You see these leaders engaging with others, but your messages are left on read, making you feel like an outsider in your own industry. Why is this happening? 1. Not Standing Out: → Your message might be getting lost among the dozens of requests they receive daily. 2. Lack of Immediate Value: → Influencers are busy and may prioritize messages that offer immediate value. 3. Generic Messaging: → Even personalized messages can feel generic if they don't address a specific need or pain point for the influencer. Here's the solution: 1. Add Value Immediately: → Offer a unique insight, resource, or solution that directly benefits them. This shows you’re not just another fan but someone who can provide real value. "Always speak in terms of what the other person wants."     - How to Win Friends and Influence People. 2. Be Short and Specific: → Time is precious. Keep your messages short and to the point. Highlight exactly why connecting with you will be beneficial for them. 3. Engage First: → Comment on their posts with genuine insights before sending a connection request. This way, they recognize your name and appreciate your engagement. 👉 PRO TIP: If you are very genuine in building a relationship with them, trust me, you'll end up building one. Missed anything? Cover it in the comments.

Here is the issue I have with most coaches & influencers. They started off being coaches and being coaches and influencers. That's it! What's wrong with that? They haven't spent YEARS in the trenches building businesses, putting their lives on the line, digging deep, fighting for growth, leading teams, solving business problems, experiencing explosive growth, and the list goes on and on. They started as coaches and influencers. Before I EVER picked up the camera to coach or influence, I spent 15+ years owning, operating, and/or selling 11 businesses. I spent 18 years owning advertising agencies and marketing automation businesses and built them up to $50 million + in revenue. Now I don't tell you this to brag, I tell you this because the FIRE inside of me came from YEARS of failures, challenges, setbacks and somehow, someway busting through each and coming out ahead. This FIGHT has turned into a FIRE that drives me to the next chapter in my life, where I am right now, where I am TODAY! I'm now picking up the camera and showing the world what I've learned so that I can accelerate their progress much faster than I now that I am on the other side. I am coming from a place of experience, of working with hundreds of business owners over the years and helping them achieve explosive growth in their world. What a ride it has been. Join me on this journey as I show you how it can be done! More..YES. much more to come. Facebook: facebook.com/ErikLSorenson Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gNyuKgwx YouTube: youtube.com/@eriksorenson Get a free copy of my book Commit First: CommitFirstbook.com

I'll let you in on a secret.      Your follower count does not matter as much as you think it does. You don’t need a bigger audience. You need a niche community. And I see influencers miss this opportunity every day without realizing it. They’re chasing follower counts, sponsorships, and “viral” moments. Yet they sit back, wondering: “Why do I have thousands of followers but little engagement?” “Why aren’t brands sticking around?” “Why do my content views fluctuate so much?” The answer?   People don’t feel connected. They’re not part of something. But many influencers keep pushing for more views and followers, expecting different results.  It’s insane. The flip side? Last month, I worked with an influencer who had 10K followers but was feeling stuck.  I helped them shift focus from growing followers to growing a tight-knit community.  Within one month?   Their community exploded—not in numbers, but in impact.  We saw: - Engagement levels like never before. - Followers turning into loyal fans. - Brands wanting to be part of the community, not just sponsoring posts. And it all started with creating a space for people who shared the same passions. Because when people feel seen, heard, and valued, that’s when real growth happens.  So, what’s the secret to influencer growth?   It’s not about getting more people—it’s about building the right community.

Founders, want to talk to your target audience 24/7? Stop listening to what the influencers are telling you. "Comment early on big accounts" "Always post at the same time" "Engage for X mins every day" "Warm up the algorithm" You've read this before, haven't you? Probably taken it as LinkedIn™ gospel. After all, it came from a person with 100k+ followers. Surely they can't be wrong! Right? I used to believe this, too. But I took a step back. And analyzed: Who is saying this? What's their agenda? Ever realized how most of the big influencers aren't actual industry thought leaders, but marketers? And 90% of them are selling you their services? Sure, they know what's good for making noise. ...but not for leading an actual business. Keep your eye on what matters. Here's what to do instead: 1. Look for the biggest thought leaders in YOUR space. 2. Comment on their posts. Network with others there. 3. Attend events in your space. Connect w/ attendees. 4. Get into off-LinkedIn communities (this is key). 5. Host your own industry-related events. 6. And FGS, stop engaging with irrelevant accounts. Your feed, your inbound, and your DMs will now be related to your audience and expertise at all times. You'll have won. And you'll never listen to marketers again. P.S. What's the WORST advice you've gotten here? Share it with everyone below.

2001: "We need to involve BLOGGERS in our activation. They will help drive word of mouth." 2008: "We need to involve INFLUENCERS in our activation. They will help drive word of mouth." 2018: "We need to involve CREATORS in our activation. They will help drive word of mouth." 2025: "We need to involve TASTEMAKERS in our activation. They will help drive word of mouth." Starting to hear this term more and more after 15 years of being told "We don't want gatekeepers, everyone is a gatekeeper/influencer/creator." But who can decipher taste? A lot of it is based on intuition. It's why people who can point out things not even on most people's radars will have higher value than paying attention to people because what they say happens to be popular (two very different things). In a brave new world of business conformity, those who see what others don't have the advantage. Example: see all the hot takes on DeepSeek one month after people were posting about it on December 26th. People with taste are usually early adopters, not followers who pile on as if thought leadership is a car pile up to crash your car into. Can't be authentic if you have no taste. Can't have taste if you're always selling out and sound like a used car salesperson every time you open your mouth in front of a camera talking about what everyone else is talking about. As the subprime social crisis continues to collapse many platforms we took for granted and we move toward more intimate in person and exclusive vibes, TASTE will matter again. We may see more invite only "tip-sheets" as a result of this movement toward taste. Taste builds trust. Conformity turns into a bust. #everythingisaremix

Are Engagement pods the future? Well here is the answer to this... Engagement pods have become a trend for many. From job seekers, marketers, and entrepreneurs to influencers. But many people don’t know what this really is. A lot of people mix this. Don’t think it’s about real, organic interaction. So what does this exactly mean? → It’s all about artificial boosts. → It’s all about arranged likes and comments. → It’s all about creating the illusion of engagement. And the good news here? ↳ You don’t need to use them to succeed. Remember → True engagement comes from real connections. A strong LinkedIn presence isn’t built on fake numbers. → It’s about sharing valuable content. → It’s about genuine interactions. → It’s the authentic version of your professional self. PS: Are you aiming to build real engagement on LinkedIn? I can help. Want to learn more? → DM me now

I can tell you one thing, copy it 100%! All those influencers who talk about making millions on LinkedIn reached here in years (that is 100% true). So if you have not taken that first step or you want to win quickly, it is almost a fake dream. Solopreneurship is a game changer for those who take that first step. I took it in 2020. I did not follow people, but created my own pathway to success. People ask me: How do you help your clients create their Solopreneurship roadmap? Simple: Everyone is different, I do not ask them to copy, I guide them to craft it. Simple (Craft it) I tell them: - Do not focus on influencers - Start from where you are - Pick a narrow topic - Learn to write - Do videos Build trust with conversations, I started doing that in 2020. Some of my clients followed my content for over two years before joining my program. (I tell them, "you are two years behind now") REPOST if you are ready to take the first action start it now. P.S. I am listening to you. Drop your questions, thoughts, comments. Motivation to do more should last! (next session starts in July)

Shannon (Sweeny) Curran's post this morning deserves some commentary so I am going to pull the sneaky screenshot the post vs share it in hopes of amplifying these thoughts and adding mine to it... Creators are becoming one of the most powerful drivers of demand generation today. That said, there are a few things that give me the ick with the whole thing, as someone who isn't affiliated with any brands...aside from the brand that I represent as an employee Sequel.io. 👀 Over-Commercialized Influencers: It’s easy to spot influencers who are overloaded with partnerships, and it detracts from their authenticity. When every post feels like an ad, it’s hard to trust their recommendations. 🙅♀️ Lack of Approachability: There's an emerging "celebrity culture" among influencers that feels a bit out of place. It’s almost laughable when you see people acting exclusive at industry events, like a conference happy hour. We’re not at a Hollywood hot spot with actual celebrities and it's really giving that "you can't sit with us" vibe. 👎 Brands Not Supporting Internal Creators: Companies that don’t encourage their internal subject matter experts (SMEs) and revenue professionals to build their personal brands are missing a big opportunity. Support them, incentivize them, give them resources. When employees elevate their own profiles, they naturally amplify the brand as well. 🤷♀️ These are things I’ve personally observed and experienced, and while I’m excited to see this space evolve, I’ll just say it’s starting to feel as fake as Instagram. Let’s not forget, you can add people on LinkedIn to gain followers...

Why do certain influencers get all the attention? I've been noticing that many entrepreneur business influencers—legitimate ones—on platforms like LinkedIn, who are CEOs of companies, get hundreds of likes on their posts. They share banal things that everyone already knows, such as motivational quotes or generic insights, yet they receive a lot of attention. You might think, if I do the same—become a motivational speaker or share some business insights—will I get the same response? You can, probably with time and a lot of effort. But it seems to me—and maybe I'm wrong—that these influencers get attention because they've become famous either through their jobs, being founders with successful exits, or through their network. This publicity gains momentum like a snowball over the years. So it's not that their content is exceptional, and that's why everyone likes it. It's because people like them for other reasons, and that's why their content does so well. Without any name recognition, you can't start providing a lot of content and expect to get the same attention. Potentially, it can work, but it's much less likely than if you already have some publicity and people like your content because they trust you and recognize your brand. Those are my thoughts. Might be a little controversial, but I'm eager to learn about your opinions.