Austin Belcak

I Teach People How To Land Amazing Jobs Without Applying Online // Ready To Land A Great Role In Less Time (With A $44K+ Raise)? Head To 👉 CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching

CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching // I teach people how to land jobs they love in today's market without traditional experience and without applying online.

In 2013, I graduated from college with a biology degree, terrible grades, and a job in healthcare that paid me next to nothing.

Two years later, I scored interviews at Google, Microsoft, & Twitter and I accepted an offer from Microsoft with a $70,000 raise

All without “traditional” experience and without applying online.

Today, I teach people (just like you!) how to use the same system to land their dream job without applying online.

That system has helped thousands of job seekers land offers at places like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Uber, Spotify, Deloitte, Accenture, Sequoia Capital, Tesla, SpaceX, ESPN, The NFL, & more.

The people we work with don't just land offers at great companies. They also get:

💰 Average Raise: $44,000+ 
🧭 Average Time To Offer: 3.5 Months
⭐ Satisfaction Rating: 9.52/10
🤝 End-To-End Job Search Support
✅ 3X+ ROI Guarantee

Ready to land your dream job? 

Head to 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 and book a *FREE* 30 minute Career Clarity Call.

These calls are 30 minute, one-on-one sessions with our team where you'll learn:

1. The exact reason why your current job search strategy isn't working

2. Why traditional hiring processes are broken (and what you can do instead)

3. How to overcome the biggest challenge that's preventing you from achieving your job search goals

4. How to pick and choose where you land job interviews (seriously!)

5. Exactly what you need to do to land your dream job and salary

Don't just take my word for it though. Here's what a few of our clients have to say about working with us:

“I recently left a job with nothing else lined up. My visa was tied to that job so I had 60 days to get hired and land visa sponsorship. Austin helped me land a Program Manager role at a leading tech company, a 30% raise, AND H1-B sponsorship.” - Jasleen

"I was unemployed and close to losing my house. Working with Cultivated Culture helped me land multiple interviews and two offers for senior-level roles in less than 70 days." - Karina

"I spent years struggling to take the transition from vendor to full time employee. Austin helped me land a job in Product Marketing at a Fortune 30 tech company with a $40,000+ raise." - Amyr

Learn more and book your free Career Clarity Call here 👉 CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching

Founder

I teach people how to use unconventional strategies to land jobs they love in today's market (without connections, without traditional "experience," and without applying online).

My strategies have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., Fast Company, and more. My students have landed interviews and offers at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Deloitte, Accenture, ESPN and more. 

Ready to take your career to the next level? Check out my step-by-step breakdown of the process that has helped hundreds of people like you land amazing jobs at the world's best companies (it's totally free): https://cultivatedculture.com/dreamjob/

Want to chat? Shoot me an email at austin@cultivatedculture.com

Cultivated Culture is a carbon negative business. Our contributions help remove 60+ tons of CO2Es from the atmosphere and plant over 2,000 new trees every year 🌲

7 ChatGPT Prompts (That Will Get You Better Results Than A $500 Resume Rewrite):

1. The Achievement Extractor

Most people struggle to tie measurable outcomes to their work.

Grab the content from one of your roles and ask:

“What are 10 different ways I could quantify the impact that I made in this role?”

Follow up with, “how do I get that data?” if you don’t have it.

2. The Jargon Eliminator

Jargon muddles value.

Take a bullet that feels overly complex.

Then ask ChatGPT:

“Rewrite this resume bullet for a non-technical hiring manager: [Insert Bullet]”

Alternatively, try: “Rewrite this bullet at a 5th grade reading level without losing the impact of the value: [Insert Bullet]”

3. The Skills Translator

Changing careers?

ChatGPT can help you find gold in your transferable skills.

Upload a copy of your resume, then ask ChatGPT:

“I’m switching from [Industry A] to [Industry B]. Review my resume and translate my existing skills from [Industry A] to their counterparts in [Industry B].”

4. The Action Amplifier

Language matters.

Don’t let weak verbiage dampen your value.

Instead, upload your resume to ChatGPT and ask:

‘Identify all the ”weak” verbs in my resume, then replace them with stronger verbs. For example, adjusting “Responsible for” to “Spearheaded.”’

5. The Gap Explainer

Career gaps can feel scary to explain.

ChatGPT can help. First, give it context:

“I have a 7 month gap on my resume due to layoffs. I’ve spent that time skill building via Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning.”

Then upload your resume and ask ChatGPT to reframe your gap as skill building.

6. The Role Customizer

Before applying to a new role?

Upload your resume and the role to ChatGPT and ask:

“Here is my resume along with a job I want to apply for. Rewrite my resume so it’s personalized for the skills, experience, and value the role is looking for. Share the specific changes you made.”

Now you can see the updates and make any adjustments before applying.

7. The Highlight Reel Generator

The first few lines of your resume are the most valuable real estate.

Don’t waste them.

Upload your resume, the job description, then ask ChatGPT:

“Here’s the job description for a role I’m applying to. Which bullets from my resume should I showcase in a 3–5 bullet “highlight reel” at the top?”

🎮 Robert was unemployed for months.

We helped him reframe his gaps, extract his wins, and tailor using these same prompts, he landed an Associate Manager role in gaming industry role in <90 days.

👉 Want the same blueprint? Book a free call here: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

 These 7 ChatGPT Prompts Beat A $500 Resume Rewrite:

The 5:50:5 Method Job Search Method (For More Interviews & Offers):

Consistency is a cornerstone of job search success.

But with jobs, friends, family, and all of life’s stressors?

It’s not always easy to do.

Enter the 5:50:5 Method.

It’s a simple framework to help you stay consistent with the job search so you can see better results.

Here’s how it works:

What Does 5:50:5 Stand For?

It’s simple:

5 job search tasks.

50 minutes per day.

5 days per week.

The tasks you choose are important!

Here are the ones we recommend:

Task #1: Apply To 3 Jobs

Not just any jobs.

Find ones that truly fit the criteria you’re looking for in a new role.

Then personalize your materials!

Use ResyMatch to score your resume vs. the job description and make the recommended updates.

Use ChatGPT to craft a personalized cover letter, then review and edit it.

Task #2: Network With 3 New People

Find 3 new contacts who could influence your ability to get hired at a target company.

Brainstorm a few ways you could reach out to them.

Aim to add value.

Then press “Send” on those messages and log them in your networking tracker.

Task #3: Touch Base With 3 Existing Connections

Think on the contacts you’ve already connected with.

Choose 3 of them and brainstorm ways you can follow up with value:

Mention a recent news story
Ask how a project is going
Etc.

Keeping those relationships warm is key!

Task #4: Comment On 3 LinkedIn Posts

Commenting is one of the single best ways to get visibility on LinkedIn.

Scroll through your feed until you find a post that resonates with you.

Leave a comment that’s genuinely supportive, positive in nature, and aims to add value.

Repeat two more times. 

Task #5: Comment On Target Company Posts

Did you know employers can see if you’ve comment on content from their Company page?

Review the Company pages for your target companies.

For any with recent posts?

Leave a thoughtful, value-driven comment.

Do This 5 Days / Week

Job searching isn’t a 24/7 activity.

Take the weekend off to recharge your batteries.

Then do this the other 5 days. 

That’ll net you:

15 applications
15 potential connections
15 relationships continued
15+ comments for more visibility

Every single week.

⬇️ Want to see how the 5:50:5 can help you land jobs 40% faster with a 7x raise?

 👉 Grab a free 30 min Clarity Call with our team and we'll show you how: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

 The 5-50-5 Method For More Job Offers:

8 Steps To Personalize Your Resume For Any Role (In Less Than 10 Minutes):

Personalized resumes win more job interviews.

But most job seekers don’t know how to do it quickly and effectively.

Here are 8 steps to personalize your resume for any role (in less than 10 minutes):

1. Start With A Master Resume

This is a version of your resume where you have all of the content and experience from your career.

The idea is to keep it in one place so you can easily save a new version of this doc and adjust your experience.

I recommend creating yours in ResyBuild.io for easy duplicating and editing.

2. The 10-Minute Optimization Process

When you see a new role you want to apply to:

- Save a new version of your resume
- Remove irrelevant content
- Identify and weave in keywords
- Update your Highlight Reel

Let’s break down each of these into more detail:

3. Save A New Version Of Your Resume

When you see a role you want to apply to, save a new version of your resume.

Use this naming convention for easy referencing:

[Name] Resume - Job Title - Company - Date

4. Remove Irrelevant Content

Review the job description and identify the key responsibilities and goals for the role.

Next, review your resume and remove any content that isn’t relevant to this particular role.

If you’re struggling, try uploading your resume and the JD to ChatGPT and asking it to remove irrelevant content.

5. Identify Keywords & Skills

Pull up the job description and copy the content.

Head to ResyMatch.io and scan your resume vs. the job description.

Identify the top 5–10 skills where you have a “Skill Gap.”

Keep these handy.

6. Personalize Your Content

Go through the bullets on your resume and identify areas where you can naturally weave in your target keywords.

How many should you add? 

Aim to close the “Skill Gap” from your ResyMatch scan for the top 5–10 keywords.

7a. Update Your “Highlight Reel”

Every resume should have a “Highlight Reel.”

This is a section at the top of your resume where you include the 3–5 most relevant pieces of experience.

You can (and should!) customize it for each role you apply to.

More on these at: https://lnkd.in/eUn8D4tx

7b. Update Your “Highlight Reel” (Continued)

First, update the section title to align with your target job. 

Ex: [Job Title] Summary

Next, update your bullets so you have the most relevant experience up top.

Finally, layer in any additional keywords you’re missing.

8. Run A Final ResyMatch Scan

Before you apply, run a final scan in ResyMatch.

Make any adjustments you need to get a score of 70–75+ (you don’t need to go higher).

Once you’re there, your resume is fully personalized and ready to be submitted!

🔵 Our client Jeff used our ResyMatch x Highlight Reel framework for each role he applied to. That led to a dream job offer at Amazon.

👉 Want us to apply the same resume personalization system to your search? Book a free 1:1 call: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

8 Steps To Personalize Your Resume In Under 10 Minutes:

This daily LinkedIn strategy will help you win more jobs.

The best part? It takes less than 10 minutes per day:

Context: What Is It?

This strategy revolves around comments.

Comments on LinkedIn are networking and visibility at scale.

But only if you use them the right way.

I call that way "Value Driven Commenting."

Here's how it works:

1. Value Driven Comments Are A Triple Threat

Investing in daily Value Driven Comments (VDCs) is a 3-for-1 deal.

They help you:

1. Get noticed by post authors
2. Get noticed by the author's audience
3. Find your own voice on a platform

Best of all?

They take 10-15 mins / day.

2. Map Out Your Prospect Criteria

You want to aim for a minimum of 20 contacts.

These people should meet 3 criteria:

- They work at one of your target companies
- They can influence the hiring decision for your target role
- They consistently share content on LinkedIn

3. Use LinkedIn To Find Them

Here's how:

- Go to LinkedIn
- Search for role-related keywords
- Click the "Posts" filter
- Click "All Filters" > "Author Company"
- Add target companies

Now you have a list of people at your target companies writing about your target job.

4. Bookmark Their Post Feed

It's a pain to click through individual profiles to find new posts.

Do this instead:

- Go to their LinkedIn profile
- Under "Activity," click "Show All"
- Click on "Posts"
- Bookmark the page!

(Big thanks to Justin Welsh for that tip).

5. Leave VDCs On New Posts

When a contact shares a new post?

Leave a Value Driven Comment!

Don't write, "love this" or "thanks for sharing."

Instead, try this 3 part formula:

- Tag the post author
- Reiterate their point
- Add your own unique value

Aim for 2-4 sentences.

6. VDC Example

Here's a quick example of a VDC I recently left.

The parent post was focused on 4 types of content any creator could use to build a following.

I replied with:

"Start with these and create 10 posts for each.

Share 1-2 per day.

When you're close to running out, analyze the top 10% of your posts.

What topics, styles, and deliveries did best?

Write 40 more posts incorporating those insights.

That's how you grow!"

My comment got 32 reactions and a bunch of replies.

7. Rinse & Repeat Daily

VDCs work best when performed consistently over time.

When you show up daily with positive support?

The post author recognizes that.

So does their audience.

I'd recommend planning for 2-4 weeks of consistent VDCs before you see any reciprocity.

Happy commenting!

📣 Our client Rose used VDCs and landed a $15k raise in 90 days.

This is just one of many strategies we teach our clients to help them get an edge on LinkedIn.

We'll show you the rest on a free Clarity Call: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

 One LinkedIn Strategy For More Job Offers:

7 Tips For Managing Rejection In Your Job Search:

1. Realize You’ll Hear “No” Most Of The Time

Job searching is a game of tails.

This means that you’re going to be told some form of “No” the vast majority of the time.

But the upside from getting a single “Yes” is large enough that it can outweigh hundreds of “Nos.”

Realizing this will help normalize all of the “Nos” you may be running into.

Keep your eye on the prize.

2. Set The Right Expectations

Continuing that thread, take it one step further and use data to see how many “Nos” you should expect.

Look up benchmarks for:

 - Online application reply rates
 - Networking message reply rates
 - Interview success rates
 - Etc.

That data will show you just how many “Nos” are normal before you get that coveted “Yes.”

3. Rejections As Lessons, Not Failures

When a rejection happens, reflect on what you could have done differently, or better.

Oftentimes, rejections mean we’re missing a piece of the puzzle or we need to level up in some area.

Maybe it’s how your resume conveys your value, how you’re approaching networking, etc.

If you find the lesson in each rejection, it will take you one step closer to success.

4. Track & Gamify The Process

This is what helped me overcome rejection in my search.

I started tracking every aspect of my job search (# apps, # networking messages, replies, interviews, etc).

I leveraged the data to A/B test different strategies at every stage.

That meant each “No” transitioned from a failure to a data point I could use to tangibly improve my process.

5. Find A Community Of Active Job Seekers

Oftentimes, when we’re doing hard things, we just need to know that we’re not alone.

Finding a community of like-minded job seekers can make all the difference.

It could be one you build on your own or one that you join.

But having a space to vent, share ideas, get help, and connect with others is key.

6. Take The Space You Need

You’re a human being, which means you are crazy resilient. 

But also that you have a limited capacity for handling negative emotions.

If the rejections are piling up and feel like too much?

Take a day off. Take two! Do something just for you.

All of the opportunities will be here when you jump back in.

7. Leave The Door Open

If you’re rejected during an interview process, don’t cut ties.

Instead, message everyone you engaged with, thank them for their time, wish them well with the hire, and ask to stay in touch.

This is how I landed my job at Microsoft. It’s also how many of our clients have landed offers.

Rejection isn’t permanent. It’s simply one more step in the journey.

🧠 Managing rejection is easier with the right system and community behind you.

We help peoples bounce back faster and land offers they’re excited about, while offering support along the way.

 👉 Book a free 30-min Clarity Call and let’s map it to your search: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

 7 Tips For Managing Rejection In Your Job Search:

EVOLVE Commerce Club

The EVOLVE Commerce Club is an elite, international network of senior commerce professionals, spanning 39+ market and designed for those seeking strategic partnerships and international growth.  

We are more than a community—we’re an **ecosystem**. Our mission is to champion cross-border opportunities and empower commerce leaders through education, events, and unparalleled networking.  

We connect enterprises, scale-ups, and startups with world-class talent, offering insights and solutions from **real operators in the commerce industry.  

What sets us apart?
Our business model is community-led, providing members with:  
- Expert Sessions: Exclusive access to global thought leaders.  
- Masterclasses: Deep dives into commerce innovations.  
- Curated Matchmaking: Strategic introductions that drive results.  
- In-Person Meetups & Roundtables: Building genuine connections.  
- Exclusive Opportunities: From trusted international partners.  

Whether you’re looking to build strategic partnerships, expand your international network, or gain insights from commerce trailblazers, EVOLVE delivers.  

Our ecosystem includes:
- Top fractional consultants (former leaders of world-renowned enterprises)  
- International vendors and SI’s  
- Visionary brands and retailers

We also offer private-label services, including:  
- Community Building  & Go-to-Market consulting
- Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations 

Keywords that position EVOLVE at the forefront of commerce:
Relationship Marketing | Thought Leadership | Brand Strategy | Demand Generation | International Expansion | Community Building | E-commerce Tech | Retail Tech | Partnerships | Alliances | Fintech | Networking | Content Marketing | Social Media Strategy | Eventing| Ecommerce| E-commerce| B2B Commerce| Retail

EGI GROUP

Here I act as a business mentor for EGI´s retail startups founders to support them on building a strong online presence, developing a point of view social selling, personal branding, and international expansion via a community-led approach.

EGI consists of a robust ecosystem of companies in the Digital commerce and retail space.

========

EGI BOOSTER: Vertical acceleration program created for seed and early stage ecommerce-tech and retail-tech startups. INSCRIPTIONS ARE OPEN FOR BOOSTER VI at www.egi-booster.com

EGI EXPAND: International sales acceleration services for growth and expansion stage e-commerce solution providers.

EGI VENTURES: Fundraising and private equity services for both startup and mature e-commerce solution providers.

EGI TALENT: eCommerce recruiting experts. We are your talent partner for entry-level through senior leadership.

EGI COMUNICA: Lead-oriented communication. Your services are one of a kind and so should be your communication.

Business Mentor

Clube BoraFazer

Um clube de fazedores espalhados ao redor do mundo

Ambassador

EICOM

Brand Ambassador | E-commerce Brands | Retailers

Segmentify

The E-commerce Growth Show Brand Ambassador

The Copenhagen Post

Guest Columnist

Ucommerce

Brand Builder | Ambassador | Strategic Partnerships Benelux

VTEX

I was responsible for building, developing and growing VTEX in Central and Eastern and Italy for VTEX  in Europe.
My Results include
- Spearheaded VTEX's growth in Central and Eastern Europe and Italy from 2017-2019.
- Elevated Romania to one of the most relevant regions for VTEX globally in less than 2 years
- Built a thriving ecosystem for VTEX in the CEE  Nordics region with renowned ISVs, martech, and marketplaces (PayU, Novicell, Divante  Emakina, Zitec, EMAG, PayU, and Fashion Days Group to name a few)
- Launched the EDC Summit in CEE, 
- Added 10 million USD in ARR.
Secured clients for VTEX with 8 signed contracts, including Meli Melo, Carturesti, Miniprix, F64, Chilli Ideas, Pentru Animale, Dacris.

Head of International Expansion & Ecosystem Development - CEE & Italy

Biassa

Biassa is a boutique consulting firm that focuses on creating unique experiences for companies striving  to expand internationally and to build relationships with the right decision makers in their industry

We connect leaders, build ecosystems and create strategic partnerships that lead to revenue and we do so by combining strategy, a unique approach towards local networks, content and distribution and collaborations.

We focus on building relationships with high-level decision-makers through a unique approach, always combining content and experience altogether.


In 2 years, we've accelerated the presence of a few tech companies globally.

The most iconic case here was VTEX, a tech commerce giant from Brazil. here are some results of the work performed.

- The company launched in Central & Eastern Europe in 9 months
- Millions of Impressions across the main newspapers in Central & Eastern Europe
- Created Strategic Partnerships with leading business influencers across CEE| Scandinavia| U.K
- 3 enterprise clients in 9 months after landing in Romania
- 40 sales-qualified meetings with Central & Eastern Europe's largest brands and retailers
- Presence across major E-commerce Events 
-  Built our own proprietary event and enabled high-level strategic partnerships with leading tech commerce companies 
- Built solid relationships with Personalization| Martech| Payment| AI| Marketplace integrators


Marketing Specialist| Brand Activation| Networking| Tech| Ecommerce | Retail Tech| Branding| Thought leadership| Content marketing| Content specialist| Podcasting| Relationships| Lead Generation| Business Development| Communications| Content for Brands| Branded Content| Influencer Programs
CMO| CEO| Community Building| Personal Branding

Founder & CEO | Company Builder| Brand Accelerator | International Expansion

Denmark Brazil

Founder| Content Creator

I connect Brands, Software Houses & Ecommerce Vendors | Community Builder & International Expansion Specialist within E-commerce| Content Specialist| Podcast Host | LinkedIn Creator| Go To Market| Check My Bio 4+

Thank you for visiting my profile :)

My journey led me to Denmark a decade ago.

Since 2014, I've facilitated companies' expansion into new territories, blending commercial strategies with innovation, networking prowess, and agile go-to-market approaches.

I am an experienced Community builder, Go-to-Market and alliances professional who drives International Expansion and Growth through partnerships and collaborations. 

My passion lies in collaborating within multicultural and hypergrowth environments, particularly within the global  commerce space. 

Some of my career Highlights:

2024: EVOLVE Commerce Club

A senior and international club dedicated to strategic partnerships for global commerce professionals with nearly 400 professionals from + 40 markets.

We enable true international partnerships and connect senior professionals across the World through content, collaborations and international exchanges

2020-2024: EVOLVE
I created the first thought leadership and partnership agency dedicated to e-commerce vendors. I have worked with Tacton, Implement Consulting Group, Powerfront, Segmentify, VTEX, and DSV. 

Built the first B2B Commerce & Supply Chain Summit Nordic edition with renowned players such as Implement Consulting Group, DSV Air & Sea, PostNord, and Garmin.

2017-2019: 
Drove VTEX's expansion into Central and Eastern European markets and Italy, generating $10 million in pipeline revenue, leading events and securing over $10 million in pipeline opportunities, eight signed deals with enterprise companies, and built a robust ecosystem of partners across the CEE and Italian markets.

2015-2016: 
Led Pixelz's entry into the Brazilian market within a record timeframe, securing partnerships with industry giants like shop2gether, Inbrands, Farfetch, John Lewis, and Ted Baker in the UK.

2015: 
Spearheaded Danish craft brewery expansions, facilitating million-dollar transactions and recurring sales, bolstering Midtfyns and Indslev's presence in the Brazilian market.

2014-2015: 
Orchestrated a successful market entry for Brazil's UMAGE (formerly VITA Living) Market Expansion, forging partnerships worth over $700k and securing deals with relevant lighting distributors.

Let's connect: 

Go-to-market strategies
Thought leadership initiatives
International market expansion
Community and ecosystem development
Storytelling
Demand generation
Field Marketing

Carlos Monteiro

People often ask how we manage to run expert session after expert session without losing momentum.
 
The answer is simple.

We are not building content.
We are building an engine.

An engine that exists for one thing only: 
to power relationships that then power transformation.

Most chase CEOs and big titles because it looks good on a poster.

There is nothing wrong with that, but it is not the EVOLVE model.

Folks with "Big Titles" cannot always speak freely. 
Their words represent shareholders, customers and boards. 
Every sentence has implications.

Former CEOs, former VPs and senior operators in transition can do what active executives cannot.

They can tell the truth.
They can share the real stories behind the scenes.
They can speak without fear of misstepping a customer or stepping outside the company line.

This is where transformation lives. In honesty. In depth.
 
In people who have lived the challenge you are going through today.

This week we reached 87 expert sessions, plus more than 40 Voices episodes.

Not every conversation was perfect, but the vast majority carried life lessons, frameworks and clarity from people who have actually been in the arena. And the most overlooked part of this entire engine is persistence.
 
There is a statistic that most podcasts do not survive twenty episodes.

We have stacked eighty seven.
Week after week.
No shortcuts.
No chasing virality.
No playing the algorithm game.

We are building something for our micro cosmos.

A global community approaching five hundred senior leaders.

We do not need millions of listeners.
We serve the people who are already here, and even then, the goal is not to be relevant for everyone.

The goal is to be useful. The goal is to show that when you persist, things compound. Momentum builds. People stop doubting.They start believing.
EVOLVE has come a long way.

And we still have a long way to go. But what we are building is unique.
An engine that drives proximity. Proximity that drives trust. Trust that drives opportunity. And opportunity that drives transformation.

We are not in the content business.
We are in the transformation business.
And persistence is our operating system.

The future looks bright. And I am more energized than ever by what we are creating together.

Curated. Personable. Global. That is EVOLVE.

I think personal branding is a trap.

I respect parts of what Gary Vee teaches, but the idea that turning on a camera and rambling is enough to make you a “superstar” doesn’t sit with me.

That’s personal branding in its most superficial form.

What matters far more and what I prefer to talk about is reputation.

Reputation isn’t built on viral clips.

Reputation isn’t built on AI-generated wisdom.

Reputation comes from years of work.

From understanding an industry.

From earning respect from peers.

From actually doing the things people associate your name with.

Yet society today is trapped in the confusion of social media and the pursuit of empty attention.

It’s no surprise that research shows many young people want to become influencers.

But wanting influence and building a reputation are two different paths.
One is performance.
The other is proof.

At EVOLVE, we focus on people with reputation, senior professionals with at least 12 years of international experience.
People with mileage.
People who don’t need to pretend because they’ve done the work.

They can speak with clarity about their domains.

They can share their failures and lessons.
They can talk about the parts of leadership you rarely hear from CEOs on major stages.

EVOLVE is slowly building a house of senior experts.

Never chasing how to look good.
Always focused on passing knowledge down.

That’s reputation.

And that's exactly how EVOLVE helps senior leaders exploring what's next to stay relevant.

And that’s what matters.


Ps: This is part of my podcast interview with Joeri Billast at Websummit where we spoke about the reputation economy and the role of communities from 2025 and beyond.

Gustavo Valle

This week inside EVOLVE we hosted Vesna Fuiorea, a senior operator with twenty five years across FMCG, retail and shopper psychology. 

She brought a level of clarity that most companies still lack when it comes to understanding how people actually behave inside stores.

Her line that stayed with me was simple.
“Shoppers do not arrive thinking about your brand. 

They arrive with a mission.”

Brands continue to design strategies based on assumptions, not behavior.

Her research with one thousand shoppers proves it. 

OECD data reinforces it. 

And our members across forty eight markets see it daily.

Vesna showed how markets with strong fresh food culture resist online grocery, not because of technology but because of identity. 

She explained why promotions destroy long term value when they become a reflex. 

She revealed how Gen Z is not one group but a cohort splitting internally by gender.

And she reminded us that online and offline shoppers are not two personas. 

They are one human carrying the same psychological triggers across environments.

This is exactly why EVOLVE exists.
Senior operators want clarity, pattern recognition and grounded context. They want to learn from real experience, not theory. 

They want a global environment where expertise is shared, respected and applied.

Commerce is shifting, and the leaders who understand behavioral truth will make better decisions across markets.


sign up here:
 https://lnkd.in/dVtX5Htb



Curated. Personable. Global.
That is EVOLVE.

Vesna Fuiorea brings twenty five years of experience in trade and insights, and what she created here is not another academic deck. It is a practical system grounded in real shopper behavior, real store constraints and real commercial pressures. She bridges something most leaders struggle to connect: behavioral science, market practice and fresh shopper data.

The Generational Gap Is Not the Real Story. 
The Gender Gap Inside Generations Is.

We all talk about Gen Z.
We all talk about Millennials.
 
But what if the biggest behavioral shift in commerce is happening inside the cohorts themselves?

This week inside EVOLVE, Vesna Fuiorea shared one of the most non obvious insights I have heard in a long time. 

Vesna has spent twenty five years across FMCG, retail and shopper psychology. 

For her latest study, she analyzed one thousand Romanian consumers to understand how they actually behave inside stores.

Here is what she found.

Yes, Gen Z behaves differently from Millennials. 
That part is predictable.

But the real surprise came when she split the data by gender inside each generation. In her words:

“Once we separated male and female behavior within the same cohort, the gap became bigger than expected. 
In some categories the gender split mattered more than the age group.”

Think about that.

Many companies are designing strategies around age, but the real divergence is happening underneath the generational labels. 

If you ignore this, you misread shopper triggers, messaging, missions and category performance.

This is why access to senior operators like Vesna Fuiorea matters.
 
People who do the work, run the research, see the patterns and challenge assumptions.

And it is exactly why EVOLVE exists.

Our community of senior leaders across forty eight markets understands that the future belongs to those who interpret complexity, not those who follow headlines.

Curated. Personable. Global.
That is EVOLVE.

We have oficially partnered with E-commerce Berlin Expo

This means a pretty big deal both for
Our private club members and our sponsors ( current and future ones)

Check the announcement on EVOLVE Commerce Club and stay tuned
We continue to #evolve

This is #evolve

We’re officially partners of E-commerce Berlin Expo for their 2026 edition.

As EVOLVE expands its presence through local chapters next year, we’re being intentional about who we stand next to. 

We only associate with organizations that share our long-term view of community, knowledge exchange, and responsible growth.

E-commerce Berlin Expo fits this perfectly.

For those who don’t know:

The E-commerce Berlin Expo is the largest pure-play B2B e-commerce event in Germany. 

It’s where the industry meets 14,000+ professionals, a mix of retailers, brands, solution providers, and leaders shaping the next decade of commerce. 

A real blend of exhibition, learning, and meaningful conversations.

The 10th edition takes place February 17–18, 2026, at Messe Berlin.

For EVOLVE, this partnership is a milestone in our broader vision and go-to-market strategy as a community.
 
It means members and partners will have access to deeper local connections, opportunities across Germany, and a stronger platform to collaborate internationally.

If you work in commerce, this is an event worth being at.

You can register here: https://lnkd.in/dXUGDQJB
#evolve #community #commerce #EcomBerlinExpo

Monika B.
Oskar Leff
Efe von Thenen
Sophie Frères (née Spethmann)
Martyna Schröder
Faisal Ahmad J.
Alexander Frank
Peter Szczepaniak
Matthias Vollmer
Florian Eder
Reema Singhal
Vanessa Babicz
Martin Scholz
Laura Kremer
Marilyn Repp

Community, proximity and value are the first words that come to Paulo’s mind when he thinks of EVOLVE.
These are not small words. They describe exactly what we stand for.
Paulo leads the expansion of FCamara in Europe.
Listen to what he says about our community and private club.
This is #evolve

Earlier this summer I sat down with Paulo Felix Jr. for a quick conversation, and he said something that captures exactly what we are building with EVOLVE.

He spoke about how the Club creates real proximity between senior leaders.
 
Not surface-level networking.
Not empty introductions.
But meaningful connections with people who have lived the work and who want to open doors for each other.

He talked about the quality of the conversations, the cross-regional access, and how the community naturally creates opportunities when the right people meet.

But what stayed with me were the three words he chose to describe EVOLVE.

Simple. Clear. True.
Community. Proximity. Value.
That is the essence of EVOLVE.

A collective of senior operators who learn from each other, support each other and build what is next together.

Curated. Personable. Global.
That is EVOLVE.

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The Battle

Austin Belcak

Carlos Monteiro

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taplio

The Battle

Austin Belcak

Carlos Monteiro

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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);}Austin Belcak's LinkedIn Performance

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