In 2020, I quit my job to start klowt.com in the corner of my bedroom in the middle of a global pandemic. 

I had no funding. No business plan. No safety net. 

But I did it because after working in sales and marketing for over 10 years, I'd learned people buy from people. But more importantly, they buy from people they trust. 

And that is what building your personal brand does for your business - it builds trust. It doesn't matter whether it's the founder's face they see, or the head of operations - or even the intern. Customers just want to see real human beings behind faceless brands. 

Since then;

- I've built klowt.com into the UK's leading personal branding agency. 
- Built my own following to over 370,000 followers online. 
- Generated over $4million in business revenue from my linkedin presense alone. 
- Launched a live, weekly show (ameliasordell.com/live) 
- Been named the #1 Top Voice on Personal Branding on LinkedIn. 
- And worked with awesome brands like Three, LinkedIn, BrewDog, Paddy Power and NatWest to turn their people into their most successful, business marketing channel. 

Building my personal brand quite literally changed my life - and my business

Now, I'm focused on showing founders, CEOs - and their teams how to change theirs. 

Ready to get to work? I'd love to hear from you.

Speaking and workshops: jessica@ameliasordell.com 
Media and brand enquiries: amelia@pencetalent

💜

Amelia Sordell 🔥

Please wear ALL your 'good' clothes, nicest perfume, best make up this year.

Wear the fur on the tube. 
The heels to the date. 
The sequins in tomorrow mornings meeting. 

Be BOTHERED.

You don't need an occasion to wear your 'best' stuff. 
You ARE the occasion.

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Just f*cking post it ✨ Made $4million by building my personal brand on LinkedIn. I teach others how I did it at klowt.com

I started building my personal brand on LinkedIn in a corner of my bedroom in 2018. 

Since then I've;
- Quit an underpaying job.
- Built a following of over 300,000 people online. 
- Generated $ 4 mil in inbound revenue from my LinkedIn presence alone. 
- Worked with founders and CEOs from brands like Three, SkyBet, Paddy Power and Markel. 
- Published a best-selling book, The Personal Branding Playbook. 
- Been paid to do a dozen speaking gigs, globally. 
- Partnered with brands like Planable, Tide Bank and LinkedIn. 
- Regularly meet my friends for mid-week lunches. 
- Get to pick my kids up at 3.30pm and take them swimming every Friday. 
- Get paid to do something I LOVE. 

Building my personal brand  quite literally changed my life. 

If I can do it, why not you? So many people hold themselves back from building their personal brand through fear of judgement, or not knowing what to say? 

But what if you lost out on an amazing job because your profile wasn't up to scratch? Or had to spend your entire week chasing cold leads because people didn't see a clear difference between you and a competitor? What if you lost actual opportunities to someone with half your talent, just because they had a more impressive profile online?

Building your personal brand solves all of those problems - and will change your life. Just like it's changed mine. 

So what are you waiting for?

Just f*cking post it... ;) 

Ready to get to work? I'd love to hear form you: info@klowt.com 

💜

Everything you need to to build, grow and monetise your personal brand on LinkedIn.

The LinkedIn Playbook

I built a $4M business off the back of my personal brand. Now, I teach founders and their teams, how to do the same 🕺 Speaker. Consultant. Best-selling Author.

Someone once said to me "i've never met a person who goes to the gym, takes care of themselves... who isn't also wildy successful in their business life"

This triggered me into going to the gym 3-4x a week, religiously since Jan 1st. 

I've:
- Dropped 4kgs
- Feel like a little baddie 
- And have closed 3x new consulting gigs with tremendous f*cking founders, wanting to use their personal brands to grow their businesses. 

If you're feeling sh*t about work...

Go to the gym. 

💜

I don't have an exit.
I didn't get £15 million in funding.
I haven't built a team with a headcount of over 100 people.

I am still a successful entrepreneur.
And so the f*ck are you.

Because if you quit your job.
Started a company.
Employed yourself. 
And are making a living from it - you ARE a successful entrepreneur.

90% of businesses fail in the first two year - including ones that got millions in funding.

So, if you’ve fallen into the trap of comparing yourself to people who’ve raised £20 million and are spending half of that on their social media presence…

STOP.

You are killing it.

If you’re running a profitable business and actually making a living from it, you’re a heck of a lot more successful than most of them.

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency (as a mum of 2!) + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales (not just “engagement”). Most people post for attention. My lot post for income. Follow me for personal branding tips + the reality of what it's like to build in public 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and helped clients turn social media into their most profitable channel.

I host a weekly free live show. You’ll walk away with:
💜 the stuff that makes people trust you fast
💜 Marketing trends, new platform features + viral posts
💜 social-first ways of communicating your expertise.

Join us for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

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I went back to work just 3 months after having my second baby. 
Truthfully, I wore that quick return like a badge of honour.
I thought it made me look like I had my sh*t together. 

That I was mature.
Smart.
Valuable enough to be able to have a baby, whilst managing a 18 month old and get right back to work. 

And crushed it. 

But actually, I was crumbling. 

I was tired. 
Unsure of myself. 
My confidence was shot and to be honest, like a lot of mothers can relate to... totally lost my identity. 

But I was terrified of being left behind in my career.
So, I went back to work. 

As a result, I completely overwhelmed. 

I missed out on moments at home.
Missed targets I'd set myself at work.
And felt totally depleted.

I had nothing to give anymore.
But most importantly I had nothing to give myself, anymore. 

There is no RIGHT time to go back to work after a major life event, if you can afford to make that decision. 

But there definitely is a wrong time. 
 
Be kind to yourself. 
Listen to your body. 

Outsiders might think you look like Superwoman.
But there aren’t any real life medals for wearing that cape.

Amelia 💜

If we haven't met before, hi - my name's Amelia. I built a $4million revenue business off the back of my personal brand, now I post content about how you can do it, too.

I run a weekly live - The Branded Show - where we go through tools, tactics and strategies small businesses can use to stand out, get more leads and make more money. Save your spot here: ameliasordell.com/live/

My friends used to be embarrassed by the stuff I posted on LinkedIn.
They’d laugh at;

- My opinions.
- My videos.
- My advice in posts they didn’t think I had any business in posting.

It would have been really easy for me to stop building my brand on LinkedIn - heck, I’ve been sent screenshots of conversations in WhatsApp chats where people I thought were my friends are ripping my content - and me to shreds...

But I didn’t.

Because I’m not embarrassed by my content. 
I’m not embarrassed by anything I’ve done. 
And I’m certainly not embarrassed by the;

- The $4 million + in revenue generated.
- The 100s + clients I’ve won.
- The amazing brands I've worked with. 
- The most incredible life and the business I’ve built as a result of, guess what? Posting content OTHER people found embarrassing.

You’ve had someone in your ear telling you what you’re about to do is a bad idea - now or perhaps some time ago. 

And they have a right to give you that opinion - everyone has a right to an opinion of YOU.

But don’t let the opinions of other people activate insecurities you have about yourself, and stop you from reaching your goals.

In fact, LET people be embarrassed of you.

Because usually, when people say “you shouldn't” they normally mean “I couldn't”.

💜

If we haven't met before, hi - my name's Amelia. I built a $4million revenue business off the back of my personal brand, now I post content about how you can do it, too.

I run a weekly show for founders, freelancers + burned out 9-5ers. We talk what is working, what is not - and how to build a founder + company brand that scales. Join us, it's free: ameliasordell.com/live/

Age 17: Fired from my first job.
Age 21: Started my first business. 
Age 22: Scale the business to six figures in revenue. ASOS wants to stock our products. 
Age 23: Business went into liquidation. Lost everything. 
Age 25: Reentered the workforce. Started at zero. 
Age 28: Started making money again. Start posting content online. 
Age 29: Headhunted into a PE firm off the back of posting online. 
Age 30: Quit my job and started Klowt. 
Age 31: Klowt did close to $500,000 in revenue Y1.
Age 32: Klowt did nearly $1M in the following 12 months. 
Age 33: Launch Get Klowt personal branding platform. 731 people subscribe. 
Age 34: Struggle to grow the platform, ultimately close it. 
Age 35: Fall out of love with my business, Klowt - start an entirely new one. 

My am I telling you this?

The most common message I get from people is about fear of of trying. 

- Fear of trying that business idea and it failing. 
- Fear of trying that relationship and being rejected.
- Fear of asking for that thing and being told no. 

Every knock, failure, win, challenge, obstacle - good or bad - is is merely a plot point for your larger LIFE narrative. You are the writer, producer, director and star of your life. 

Stop making decisions based on whether or not you think you’ll win or lose and just make the damn decision. 

If you fail, you’ll get a great story. If you win, you’ll get a great outcome. 

Either way, you win.

💜

If we haven't met before, hi - my name's Amelia. I built a $4million revenue business off the back of my personal brand, now I post content about how you can do it, too.

I run a weekly live - The Branded Show - where we go through tools, tactics and strategies small businesses can use to stand out, get more leads and make more money. Save your spot here: ameliasordell.com/live/

Small announcement: I AM ON THE TELLY TONIGHT 🥹🥂

Extraordinary Life Stories with John Reynolds.

Same girl who used to overthink a single Instagram Story.

Turns out confidence is being really sh*t at something and just… doing it anyway.
(And collecting proof that you’re actually not that bad after all.)

If you need a sign - this is it.

Stop letting the little hater in your head run your life.

Post the thing. 
Start the business. 
Move country. 
Ask them out. 
Quit the job. 

Whatever you want to do, just f*cking do it. 

If you'd told me 7 years ago when I started posting content that I'd be interviewed by one of the UK's most accomplished entrepreneurs on PRIME TIME TV... I'd have laughed at you. 

And now we're here. 

A lot can happy in 7 years, keep chipping! 

Extraordinary Life Stories 6:30pm GMT on Bloomberg TV (sky channel 502) tonight, 19th Feb.

Strangers on the internet will support you and your business more than your best friends ever will. 

If you've just started a business, I know you have best friends in your Instagram stories watching you promoting your business - and do nothing. 

And those same people will happily will like and comment on Kim Kardashians latest selfie. WTF's up with that?!

You’re pouring everything into building your business, your brand, your future - and somehow it’s the strangers on the internet who show up for you the most.

So let’s change that.

I have 250k followers. 
My data tells me 67%+ of them are women. 

Female founders of the internet - let’s actually support each other.
Here’s what to do:

1. Drop a comment below with your name, your story, and what your business does.

2. Don’t post and ghost - scroll the comments, find someone you can help, or someone who can help you, and follow them too.

3. Tag a friend who’s building their business, so they can join us.

Because your friends aren’t your audience - and that’s okay.
They love you, but they’re not the ones buying what you’re selling.

Other women might be.

💜

Hi, I’m Amelia - I built my business while raising two kids, and somehow made it work. I also found my customers, and 3 of my best friends (who are also building businesses!) on social media. If I can so can you x

My first business failed. 
The first of many great, professional f*ck ups. 

It was absolutely devastating. 

I'd tied my identity so closely to being a 20-something Managing Director. 
When I was forced to dissolve it, so did my entire purpose in life. 

I was left to liquidate my stock on platforms like eBay (It was a fashion brand..). Which was more painful than the insolvency. 
Because I'd built up a loyal customer base - selling stuff at a loss was a stab in the heart for me and for them. 

With no income, my dog and I moved back in with my parents with about 26p in my account. 

I remember asking to borrow money to fill up my car with petrol so I could even get back home.

I numbed the pain of my entire identity being ripped away from me with;
alcohol, 
cigarettes and late nights. 

It really felt like a death. And I was grieving. 

My friends did their best to cheer me up.
But was a victim. 
I felt like I’d been really hard done by.

I wallowed in self pity for the next 3 months before I slapped myself around the face and said: ‘You need to go back out and get a job because no one’s going to come and save you.’

I rejoined the workforce in the only career path that didn't judge me for having no experience - recruitment. 

Then spent the next decade trying to rebuild my confidence before launching my agency, Klowt. 

It took me 10 years to grow a pair of balls big enough to go again.
To recover from that wound. 

The failure of that business just killed my confidence… to the point where I was worried about asking for promotions and pay rises, even though I 100% deserved them.

But without that failure, I wouldn't be here.

I wouldn't have;
- Started building my personal brand
- I'd have never founded Klowt 
- I'd not have had the absolutely bloody honour to get to speak to you every day. 

That business failure taught me one of the most valuable lessons I think anyone can learn:

resilience. 

The best lessons that you learn won't be wrapped in victories - they'll be nestled in the losses. 
In the drive it takes to dust yourself off and carry on. 

Success, isn't a constant state of winning. 
It's how you stand back up when life knocks you down, how you choose to move forward when every bone in your body feels like it's set in lead.

So don't do what I did - don't waste 10 years of your life moping around because something didn't work out. 

F*ck ups aren't just part of life.
They're they most valuable part of it. 

So, here's to navigating the f*ck ups. 

Because to be successful you have to make good decisions, but good decision making comes from experience. 
And experience comes from f*cking up. 

💜

I have 250,000 followers on LinkedIn. 
Introduce yourself to them and start building your own network - right NOW 🚀

Here’s how:

1. Drop a comment below with:

Your LinkedIn URL
Your Name
Your Story (200 characters max)

2. Don’t just post and ghost. Scroll the comments, find someone you can help, or someone who can help you, and connect.

3. Repost this post. When you repost this post, people will see your comment. More exposure = more opportunities.

One of the most underrated ways to network on LinkedIn is by commenting on other people's content. When you engage in someone's post, your network sees it. When they respond, their network sees - introducing you to the most amazing opportunity to be seen by exactly who you're trying to attract. 

I’ve:

- Launched a business
- Generated $4M in revenue
- Found two of my best friends in the entire world

… all from intentionally networking on LinkedIn.

So get to work. 

Your next client, investor, mentor... or friend might be in the comments.

👇 Drop your intro below 👇

I started building a personal brand for one reason:
I’m lazy.

When I was a recruiter, I would DM the CEOs of companies I wanted to work with.

I’d send them useful stuff:
- what their competitors were doing
- what was changing in their market
- what they were missing

And pretty quickly they’d reply with:

“Wait… how do you know more about my company than I do?”

(Shoutout Google Alerts.)

That opened doors.
Those doors became opportunities.
Opportunities became leads.
Leads became commission.

… but it was stupidly inefficient.

I was nurturing relationships one-by-one.

So I took the exact same insight I was sending privately…
and started posting it publicly.

I posted content about these companies on LinkedIn. 

My reach exploded.
My connections doubled. 
My commissions 3x.
And I accidentally learned the real point of personal branding:

It’s not “content”.
It’s relationships at scale.

If you can connect with the people who matter to your business and create real value for them 1:1, you can do it 1:many.

Work smarter not harder. 

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales - not just followers. Follow me for personal branding tips + the realities of running a business as a mother of 2 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and help my clients turn social media into their most profitable channel. I host a weekly free live show showing you how to do it yourself. Join me for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

People are 82% more likely to trust a brand who's founder is active on social media. 

70% of people would rather learn about a business from the founder's personal brand than an ad.

91% of people say they'd rather buy from a founder they follow online. 

If your marketing team asks you to post content online... just f*cking post it. 

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales - not just followers. Follow me for personal branding tips + the realities of running a business as a mother of 2 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and help my clients turn social media into their most profitable channel. I host a weekly free live show showing you how to do it yourself. Join me for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

When I first started out - I thought to build a successful business, I needed the apps, the team and the shiny new thing.

What you actually need is friends.

Friends who will support you. 
Friends who you can call and rant to. 
Friends who understand what you mean when you say you’ve had “a day”.

And to have friendships you have to prioritise them. 

See your friends for dinner, find the time for a coffee. 
Book it in weeks in advance if you have to, but nurture those relationships. 

Because you are the sum of the 5 closest people to you – and investing in those people will always pay the highest ROI.

In your business AND your life. 

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency (as a mum of 2!) + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales (not just “engagement”). Follow me for personal branding tips + the reality of what it's like to build in public 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and helped clients turn social media into their most profitable channel.

I host a weekly free live show. You’ll walk away with:
💜 the stuff that makes people trust you fast
💜 Marketing trends, new platform features + viral posts
💜 social-first ways of communicating your expertise.

Join us for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

State your price, then - shut up.

Every business owner or freelancer has been there.

- You’re on a call with a prospect, you nervously state your price.
- You justify why you charge it.
- You ramble about why it’s fair.
- The prospect states their budget (which is predictably below your price). 
- You give a discount because you need new business and this is the only current option you have. 

Stop. Doing. That.

Here's what you do instead: 

State your price, then - shut up. 

Don't justify it or try to fill the silence. State your price and shut up. 

People feel a need to fill empty space, so the awkwardness will fill the room, and your prospect will need to say something like;

“So… what do I get for that?”

... then you state your deliverables, and again, shut up. 

When you state your price and stop talking, two magical things happen:

a) It shows you're confident about your price and delivery. Which makes you more valuable. 

b) It completely changes the power dynamic with your prospect from customer > supplier to customer <> partner. 

And quite frankly, it stops you from reeking of desperation. Desperation = discount. 

I've closed $4 million in business revenue with this tactic. More when you include speaking gigs, workshops and influencer deals I've signed. 

This works because it’s not about convincing. It’s about setting expectations - You’re not someone they can haggle with, you’re someone they trust to deliver results.

So when you're ready to stop undercharging and start getting paid what you’re worth, state your price - then shut up. 

It works a treat. 

💜

If we haven't met - hi my name's Amelia! 6 years ago, I quit my job, started a business, generated $4million in revenue... all off the back of my personal brand on LinkedIn (while juggling 2 kids with no childcare). 

I just launched £79 course teaching you everything I wish I'd known about how to build a profitable personal brand on LinkedIn 6 years ago.  Access it here: https://lnkd.in/eBZR2sQS

Hey! I’m Amelia.

I was born in Australia.
Raised in West London. 

And aged 13 started an eBay business buying and selling designer clothes I'd found in thrift stores. 

I’ve had 6+ businesses. 3 have failed. 

I f*ck up quite a lot and don’t mind looking like an idiot online when I tell you about it 🤪.

I founded a personal branding company, Klowt. We used to have a team of 17 but I scaled too fast, had 0 idea what I was doing and the whole thing almost imploded in my face. 🥹

I’m a mum to 2 beautiful children. 

I met the love of my life almost exactly a year ago after going through a divorce. 10 months after meeting we got engaged. 

Some days, the pressure to look after the business, my family, making time for my friends and myself - somehow manage to stay hydrated is a lot. 

I love life, and I go through it with 0 expectations, which means I am almost always pleasantly surprised. 

I’m a textbook Virgo. 

I have Labrador energy. When I’m not mumming or working, I’m in the gym, walking, Horse Riding - anything that gets me out of the house. 

I've had a lot of therapy. I think it's like a spa day for your brain. 

I love the ocean. My dream is to have a little cottage by the sea one day. 

I collect historical artefacts. For Christmas, my fiance got me tickets to join a Roman Archeological dig - which we actually did last weekend. 

I actually have loads of really cool hold things (including a Megladon tooth fossil), Roman coins - the most recent addition is a framed letter that Reggie Kray wrote to a journalist from prison.

I love food. 
I hate shopping. 
I'm not a natural blonde... 

I like getting things cheaper than they’re advertised, AND if you gave me $59 million, I’d still be doing what I do because I LOVE doing it. 

I would, however, buy;

- A big fat Georgian Farmhouse in the Cotswolds. 
- An G Wag - Because, why not? 
- And stop paying myself out of my business so I could hire more people to help grow it 😂.

All of these things make up who I am as a PERSON - and, therefore, who I am as a professional. 

And that’s what a social media platform like LinkedIn is about - connecting with people.

So now I’ve introduced who I AM, now it’s your turn.

- Introduce yourself. 
- Tell me something that your LinkedIn profile CAN'T.
- Reply to someone else's introduction so we can all grow together. 

💜

Likes don’t pay your invoices. 
Views don’t grow your business. 
And if your posts are “performing” but no one is enquiring - your content isn’t working.

I know you’re busy. 
You’re running a business. 
Maybe raising kids. 
Trying to stay fit. 
Trying to drink water. 
Trying to remember what day it is.

But if your content isn’t converting into customers, what’s the f*cking point of posting it?

97% of social media generates zero ROI. 
Yet we’re all obsessing over followers and engagement like that’s the KPI that matters.

It’s not.

There are two types of people engaging with your content:

1. Your community - they love you, hype you, comment, and share. But truth is, they might never buy.

2. Your buyers - they stalk, lurk, screenshot, watch every story, and never like a single post. Then they show up in your inbox when they're ready to work with you.

The silent buyer is the one that grows your business.

If you want your personal brand to drive revenue, you need to stop posting for vanity metrics and start posting for conversion.

Here's something I want every one of you to try:

At the end of every single post, add a clear line that says:
– who you are
– what you do
– the outcomes you get
– how to take the next step

For example:
Hi, I’m Amelia. I help founders turn their personal brand into their company’s biggest growth channel. One of our clients closed £150k within 30 days of working with us. If that’s the kind of shift you want, DM me.

Your community builds trust.
Your clarity builds sales.

I built a $4M business NOT by going viral - I did it by sharing content that actually converts.

So stop chasing engagement, and start writing for the person who’s watching quietly and ready to buy.

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and helped clients turn social media into their most profitable channel.

I host a weekly free live show. You’ll walk away with:
💜 the stuff that makes people trust you fast
💜 Marketing trends, new platform features + viral posts
💜 social-first ways of communicating your expertise.

Join us for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

One of my team quit.




I suppose that is what happens when you hire smart and ambitious people. 

She’s gone out on her own to start an agency.
And she's already taken on a handful of clients. 

She messaged me last week - “I think I’ve got a client problem.”

She was onboarding all these clients and ended up doing 2x the amount of work she'd contracted to do to service them. 

We had a 30 min session and went through her process, her fee structure and her sales process. 

She didn't have a client problem. 
Her clients loved her. 

She had an expectations problem.

She'd sell a retainer with a clear scope.
Then the client started drip-feeding “tiny” extras.

“Can we add a few more posts?”
“Can you rewrite this one?”
“Can you jump on a quick call?”
“Also… can you do the founder’s page too?”

And she kept saying yes.

Because she’s new. 
And she wants her clients to be happy.
And she’s scared that if she pushes back, they’ll leave.

I know because I was here in 2020 when I set up my own agency. 

But here's the problem with that way of working - you end up doing 2x the work, for the same fee. 
You then resent the client. 
And the client can feel it. 

If you don’t define how you work, the client will define it for you.
And they will always define it in a way that benefits THEM.

So I told her to build what I call the "velvet rope" - the guardrails that protect your margin:
- Scope is a fence. Outside the fence = paid. Every time.
- “Yes, and…” is your best friend: “Yes, we can add that - I’ll send a separate quote.”
- Put comms in one place. If it’s in WhatsApp at 11pm, it doesn’t exist.
- Increase your prices like a grown-up: early notice, clear value, no apology.

Planable and I have been working together for 12 months now and they just published a 30 day onboarding guide breaks it down  the A.C.E method - Align, Connect, Execute - plus red flags, scripts, and systems that stop agency scope creep before it starts.

Get it free here: https://lnkd.in/eXVbhwZc 

Most see client onboarding as admin.

But really it’s the moment you set your rules - or you get bullied into playing by your client’s.

Agree? 

💜

ps - this is an ad. But I’m a paying customer of Planable and have been for 2 years 🥹🤗

Most people don't fail because they lack talent or intelligence. 
They fail because their ego can't handle the optics of trying before they get good. 

Because “trying” looks messy.
Because learning out loud risks embarrassment.
Because posting the first video, making the first sale, shipping the first draft…
means someone might watch you be average.

So you don’t start.

You don't quit the job. 
You don't start the business. 
You don't post the content. 
You don't ask for the raise - or the promotion - or the sh*t that you know you deserve.

Instead;

You rehearse in private.
You “research”.
You wait until you're “ready”.

And then you call it "bad luck" when someone else launches first, or the competition laps you.

The #1 question I get asked in my DM's is "who did you get the confidence to start?".

But confidence isn’t the prerequisite.
It’s the byproduct.

The people you admire didn’t avoid looking stupid.
They just decided looking stupid was the price of entry.

So you can be embarrassed. 
Or you can be successful. 

You can't have both. 

So, pick one.

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency (as a mum of 2!) + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales (not just “engagement”). Most people post for attention. My lot post for income. Follow me for personal branding tips + the reality of what it's like to build in public 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and helped clients turn social media into their most profitable channel.

I host a weekly free live show. You’ll walk away with:
💜 the stuff that makes people trust you fast
💜 Marketing trends, new platform features + viral posts
💜 social-first ways of communicating your expertise.

Join us for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

There are 3 types of content you should post ↓

*Save this for later*
This works for personal AND company brands. 

1) Attention content
Job: get seen
Best for: views
Feels like: “oh this is GOOD”

This is your:
- founder stories
- lists + systems
- simple, practical education anyone can understand

Attention content is how strangers find you.
But strangers don’t buy. Yet.

2) Affinity content
Job: get remembered
Best for: followers
Feels like: “she gets it”

This is your:
- deeper stories (wins + losses)
- behind-the-scenes  
- super-niche education for your ideal audience/customer 

Affinity content is what turns “random viewer” into “I like her.”
But, that is still not enough to sell.
Because liking you isn’t the same as trusting you.

3) Action content
Job: get paid
Best for: leads
Feels like: “I want that result”

This is your:
- before/afters
- transformations
- case studies
- clear offers

And if you don’t have results to share yet, borrow proof.

Break down known people, celebrities + brands and say:
“Here’s exactly what I’d do and why.”

Because action content is what turns attention = leads.

Most people post Attention.
A few have the courage to post Affinity.
Almost nobody posts Action.

And that’s why most content gets 0% ROI.

If your content doesn’t move people from Attention → Affinity → Action, you might get some likes. 

But you'll never generate leads. 

If you want this turned into a weekly plan you can actually follow, there are 9 videos as part of my 52-video masterclass that teach you;

how to create content people actually like (levers + post types + rotation)
how to turn that content into leads (inbound funnel + follow-up + outreach)

Get access here: https://lnkd.in/eBZR2sQS 

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia Sordell. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency (as a mum of 2!) + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales (not just “engagement”). Follow me for personal branding tips + the reality of what it's like to build in public 🤓

I get paid to speak on stages at least 12 times a year.
If I wanted my first paid speaking gig in 2026, this is exactly what I’d do ↓

1. I’d host my own event.
Before I’m “ready” and before anyone gives me permission, I’d book a local space, grab a couple of cameras, and deliver a keynote. Make NO money. But make proof. Footage, photos, testimonials, and a talk I can reuse everywhere. If you want to be paid to speak, you need to look like a speaker, first.

2. I’d position myself as a speaker everywhere.
I’d put “Speaker” in every bio and build a dead-simple landing page. No fancy design. Just:

- who I am
- 2–3 talk topics
- who it’s for
- how to book me

It’ll feel cringe. Do it anyway. This is how people find speakers now: search, referrals, skim, book.

3. I’d get ruthless about my topics.
I’d pick three things I’ve lived, built, or learned the hard way. Not “my thoughts on leadership.” Real experiences. Real outcomes. Real lessons.
Because experience beats expertise every time. And paid stages want the intersection of story + strategy.

4. I’d go where the money is.
Corporates - big companies with real budgets. I’d outreach and position myself as practical, relevant, and action-led. Not aspirational or vague. Lead with outcomes - because that is where the big $$$ is. 

You do not need a big conference stage to become a speaker.

but if you don’t look bookable, you won’t get booked.
That’s not unfair. That’s business.

If you're getting started with speaking in 2026, give this a go - and let me know how you get on!

💜

If we haven’t met, hi hello - my name’s Amelia. I built the UK's leading personal branding agency (as a mum of 2!) + now I teach founders and their teams how to build a personal brand that generates leads and sales (not just “engagement”). Follow me for personal branding tips + the reality of what it's like to build in public 🤓

I’ve built a $4million business off the back of my personal brand - and helped clients turn social media into their most profitable channel.

I host a weekly free live show. You’ll walk away with:
💜 the stuff that makes people trust you fast
💜 Marketing trends, new platform features + viral posts
💜 social-first ways of communicating your expertise.

Join us for the next one: https://lnkd.in/gMqpvwpR

Cyber Risk Advisor | Speaker | Coach | #CyberSecurityMatters Podcast Host | Positive Troll | Board Director

Your biggest customer just told you they need proof of your cybersecurity practices in 60 days or they're walking.That $5M contract? Gone. 

Or your cyber insurance renewal got denied. 

Or you're sitting in a board meeting, and they're asking security questions you can't answer without sounding incompetent.

Here's what you probably tried: Your IT guy started talking about firewalls and acronyms. He wants $200K for new tools. You have no idea if you need them. 

Or you hired a big consulting firm. They sent a junior analyst with a 47-page report. It's in a drawer somewhere. You still don't know what to DO.

The truth most cybersecurity consultants won't tell you: They're boring as hell and can't talk to business leaders.

They lead with technology because they get vendor kickbacks. 

They'll tell you everything you're NOT doing (easy), but can't tell you what NOT to do (that requires business judgment). 

They can’t explain to you which risks are worth the money. 

I do this differently:

I start every engagement the same way: What makes you money? I don't care about compliance frameworks or your tech stack yet. 

I need to understand your critical business processes first. Then what data supports them. THEN we look at technology. 

I care about the systems that generate revenue and the contracts that depend on you proving you're not a security liability.

I work with manufacturing and B2B companies (50-2,000 employees) in three situations:

→Major customer demanding security proof or killing the contract - I helped a client keep their $5M Walmart contract. My fee? $150K. Easy math.

→Cyber insurance denied or demanding new requirements - Insurers want proof of fractional CISOs and real security practices. I provide that.

→Post-breach, board wants guarantees that significant breach cost never happens again - I rebuild programs from scratch and build sustainable security teams.

What you get:→No kickbacks on tools. No jargon in board presentations. No shelfware reports. Just a prioritized 12-month roadmap focused on protecting revenue and satisfying your customer’s cyber security questions.

My background:20+ years in cybersecurity. Companies from 50-2,500 employees. Built security teams from scratch. Fractional CISO for dozens of organizations.

Speaker at industry associations. 

I work with manufacturers and B2B firms honest enough to say "we need help."

If you're facing vendor security requirements, insurance issues, or board questions you can't answer, let's talk.

 https://meet-with-dom-vogel.appointlet.com/

Dominic Vogel

That's just the way things are.


Those aren't the words of a leader.


If we accepted "facts of life," we'd still be living in caves.


There would be no electricity. No medicine. No flight. No internet. 


No breakthroughs that changed the course of humanity.


Every single innovation—every leap forward—came from someone who looked at "the way things are" and said:


"Not good enough. We can do better."


They didn't accept limits. They removed them.


Someone said it's a fact of life that people die from infections. Then penicillin happened.


Someone said it's a fact of life that humans can't fly. Then the Wright brothers happened.


Someone said it's a fact of life that information takes weeks to travel. Then the internet happened.


True leaders don't accept the world as it is. 


They reimagine what it could be.


There are two types of people in this world.


Those who remove limits and those who impose them.


True leaders? They remove limits. They see barriers and ask, "How do we get past this? How do we make this better for everyone?"


But the power-hungry? The selfish? They impose limits. They gatekeep. They hoard control. They tell you "that's just the way it is" because it protects their position, their comfort, their status quo.


Leadership isn't about maintaining what is. It's about creating what could be.


And it starts with rejecting the phrase "it's a fact of life."


Because every time someone told you something was impossible, someone else proved them wrong.


Every time someone said "that's just how it works," someone else found a better way.


The next time you hear "it's a fact of life" or "that's just the way things are," ask yourself:


Is this actually true? Or is this just a limit someone's trying to impose?


And then decide: Am I going to accept it, or am I going to remove it?


Because the world doesn't need more people protecting the status quo.


It needs leaders who believe in better. 


Who fight for better. Who create better

-----
I'm Dom Vogel—the Dopamine Dealer on LinkedIn. I help manufacturing and B2B organizations break through limits in cybersecurity, leadership, and team performance. I believe kindness removes barriers, and innovation starts when we refuse to accept "the way things are."


If you're tired of being told "that's just how it is," if you're ready to challenge limits instead of accepting them, or if you need someone who believes better is always possible—let's talk. DM me or comment below.


🔔 Hit follow if you refuse to accept "facts of life" as the final answer. I post daily about leadership, humanity, and breaking through what's "always been done."


And if you want me to bring this energy to your team or event—reach out. Let's remove some limits together.


Because "it's a fact of life" isn't leadership.


It's surrender.


And you weren't built to surrender.

I Help Manufacturing & B2B Avoid Million-Dollar Cybersecurity Losses | Fractional CISO | 20+ Years Protecting Revenue, Not Networks | No Jargon, No Kickbacks | Proud Dad & Beard Grower

An uncomfortable truth about the cyber consulting industry:


Big firms are great at producing reports. Impressive documents. Deliverables that look good in board meetings.


But execution? That's not their business model.


They bill by the hour to create the plan. Then they leave. And you're stuck trying to figure out how to turn 200 pages of recommendations into real security outcomes.


That's where I come in.


I don't just write plans. I make plans come alive.


I take the complexity and turn it into clarity.


I take the theory and turn it into action.


I take the overwhelm and turn it into momentum.


And I do it with kindness because your team is already stressed enough.


A COO who sounded exhausted reached out to me the other day


"Dom, we paid a fortune for this plan from one of the big consulting firms. Everyone told us it was exactly what we needed. But we have no idea what to do with it. Our IT team looks at it and gets overwhelmed. Our leadership team can't figure out where to start. It's like we bought a Ferrari but no one can drive it."


I took a look at the plan


The plan wasn't wrong. It was actually quite thorough.


But it was completely divorced from reality.


It recommended enterprise-grade solutions for a 50-person company.


It outlined a three-year roadmap with no prioritization everything was labeled "critical."


It used technical jargon that made sense to the consultants who wrote it but meant nothing to the people who had to implement it.


It had zero consideration for budget constraints, staffing limitations, or the actual day-to-day operations of the business.


It was a plan designed to look impressive not to be executed.


So here's what I did at a fraction of the cost:


✅ I translated it into plain English. No jargon. No theoretical frameworks. Just: "Here's what this means. Here's why it matters. Here's what it looks like in practice."


✅ I prioritized ruthlessly. Not everything is critical. I identified what would actually protect their revenue-generating systems and their critical data. That became Phase 1. Everything else could wait.


✅ I made it actionable. Instead of "implement a zero-trust architecture," I said: "Start with MFA on your customer portal. Here's the tool. Here's the cost. Here's who implements it. Here's the timeline."


✅ I aligned it with their reality. Their budget. Their team. Their actual risk profile. Not some theoretical "best practice" written for a Fortune 500 company.


✅ I coached them through execution. A plan is useless if no one can implement it. So I walked alongside their team, answered questions, removed roadblocks, and kept them moving forward.


Six months later?


They'd implemented 70% of the prioritized roadmap.


Their team felt confident instead of overwhelmed.


Their leadership finally understood what they were paying for and why it mattered.


And they spent a fraction of what that $100K plan cost


Why?


We focused on doing instead of documenting

Let me tell you an uncomfortable truth about the cybersecurity consulting industry:


Most consultants are biased.


Not because they're bad people. Not because they don't care about your security.


But because they're incentivized to sell you specific solutions.


A consultant comes in to "assess your security posture." They find gaps real ones, usually. Then they recommend a specific solution.


Sounds helpful, right?


Until you find out they're getting a kickback from the vendor.


Suddenly, that "unbiased recommendation" isn't so unbiased anymore.


Maybe that $80K security tool is the right fit for your business. Or maybe there's a $15K solution that does exactly what you need but the consultant doesn't mention it because there's no commission on that one.


You have no way of knowing.


And that's the problem.


Businesses get sold tools they don't need.


Budgets get blown on "enterprise solutions" when a simpler approach would work.


IT teams get overwhelmed trying to manage five overlapping products because three different consultants recommended their "preferred" vendors.


It's not malicious. But it's not honest either.


I don't take vendor kickbacks. Period.


I don't get paid more if you buy expensive tools.


I get paid to tell you the TRUTH.


If a $5K solution solves your problem, I'm going to tell you that even if there's a $50K option on the table.


If you don't need a tool at all, I'm going to tell you to save your money.


If your current vendor is actually doing a great job, I'm going to tell you to keep them even if that means I don't get to sell you something new.


My incentive is singular: Help you protect what matters most, in the most effective and sustainable way possible.


Not the most expensive way. Not the flashiest way.


 The right way.


I worked with a manufacturing company that had been told by two different consultants they needed a $120K security operations center (SOC) platform.


They didn't need a $120K SOC.


They needed better visibility into their network, which we achieved with a $12K solution and some process improvements.


Saved them over $100K. Got them the security outcomes they actually needed.


Why would I do that?


Because I'm not trying to maximize my commission. 


And here's the thing: That approach builds trust.


 The kind of trust that turns a one-time engagement into a long-term partnership.


That CFO didn't just hire me for that project. She brought me in as a fractional CISO for all her companies. She referred me to her network. She became one of my biggest advocates.


Not because I sold her the most expensive thing.


 Because I told her the truth.


The next time a consultant recommends a tool, ask them:


"Do you have a financial relationship with this vendor?"


"Are there other solutions that could achieve the same outcome?"


"What happens if I choose a different product?"


You deserve unbiased advice. And if they can't give you that, find someone who can.

Ask a CEO about their top financial risks. They'll give you an answer.


Cash flow concerns. Market volatility. Rising costs.


Ask them about their top legal risks.


Contract disputes. Regulatory compliance. Employment issues.


Ask them about their top operational risks.


Supply chain disruptions. Equipment failures.


Ask them about their top personnel risks.


Key employee retention. Succession planning. Skills gaps.


They'll answer every single one without hesitation.


Now ask them about their top cyber risks.


Nine times out of ten?


They'll shrug. Look uncomfortable. And say:


"I don't know. Ask the IT guy."


And that right there? That's the problem.


Not because executives need to become cybersecurity experts.


But because cyber risk is a business risk and they're treating it like an IT problem.


You wouldn't shrug off a financial risk question and say "ask the CFO."


You wouldn't defer a legal risk question and say "ask our lawyer."


You wouldn't ignore an operational risk question and say "ask the plant manager."


Because as a leader, you own those risks. You understand them. You make strategic decisions about them.


But cyber risk? Too often, it's treated as someone else's problem. Something technical. Something you can delegate completely and never think about again.


And that's why we're losing.


That's why ransomware attacks are running unabated.


That's why breaches keep happening.


That's why companies lose contracts because they can't answer basic security questions.


That's why boards are blindsided when an incident happens.


Not because IT isn't doing their job. But because leadership isn't treating cyber as what it actually is: a strategic business risk.



If you're a CEO, a CFO, a COO, or any executive leader, you need to be able to answer this question:


"What are your top three cyber risks, and what are you doing about them?"


You don't need to know how firewalls work.


You don't need to understand zero-trust architectures.


You don't need to be able to configure endpoint protection.


But you do need to know:


What systems are critical to generating revenue?


What data, if compromised, would damage client trust?


What contracts depend on proving you're not a security liability?


What's your plan if you get hit with ransomware tomorrow?


That's not IT knowledge. That's business knowledge.


And if you can't answer those questions, you're shirking your responsibility as a leader.


I say that with kindness but also with urgency.


Because the cost of not knowing isn't just technical. It's financial. It's reputational. It's existential.


Because you wouldn't shrug off your financial risks.


You wouldn't ignore your operational risks.


So stop treating cyber risk like someone else's problem.


It's yours. Own it.


And if you need help understanding it and managing it I'm here. 


With kindness, clarity, and zero judgment.


Let's get you to a place where you can answer the question.

Let me tell you what you DON'T get when you work with me:


❌ No kickbacks on tools. I don't care what vendor is wining and dining me. 


❌ No jargon in board presentations. Your board doesn't need to hear about "zero-trust architectures" and "advanced persistent threats." 


❌ No shelfware reports. I'm not writing a 200-page document that looks impressive, collects dust, and changes nothing. If it's not actionable, I'm not delivering it.


Here's what you DO get:


✅ Unbiased truth delivered with kindness. I'll tell you what's broken, what's working, and what you're wasting money on. But I'll do it in a way that's honest and human. No shame. No fear-mongering. Just clarity and a path forward.


✅ A prioritized cybersecurity roadmap that makes sense. Not a wish list. Not "best practices" copied from a framework. A clear, sequenced plan based on your business, your risks, and your budget. And yes, we might even have some fun building it together


✅ A relentless focus on protecting revenue and people. Because cybersecurity isn't about compliance checkboxes or theoretical threats. It's about protecting the systems that make you money, the contracts that depend on trust, the reputation that keeps clients coming back, and the people who make it all happen.


Most cybersecurity consultants have conflicts of interest baked into their business model.
They're resellers. They get paid to push specific tools whether you need them or not.


They speak in technical jargon that makes them sound smart but leaves you confused and dependent on them


They deliver massive reports that check a compliance box but don't actually tell you what to do


And worst of all? They lead with fear instead of care.


I don't operate that way.


I'm not here to scare you into buying tools. I'm here to help you make smart, human-centered decisions about what you actually need.


I'm not here to impress your board with buzzwords. I'm here to give them clarity in plain English so they can sleep better at night.


Because cybersecurity shouldn't feel like punishment. It should feel like protection. And protection is an act of care.


I worked with a manufacturing company that had been sold six different "essential" security tools by three different consultants.


Half of them weren't configured. A quarter of them overlapped. And none of them were protecting the one system that actually generated revenue their customer portal


We sunset the tools they didn't need, reinvested that budget into what actually mattered, and built a roadmap focused on their critical business processes and on making the team feel supported, not overwhelmed.


That's what unbiased consulting looks like. 


You need someone who cares more about protecting your business and your people than padding their commission.


And that's exactly what you get. With kindness, clarity, and maybe even a few laughs along the way


With humanity at the center.

"I don't trust our IT provider and I don't know if I'm being taken advantage of."


That's what the COO of a $20 million dollar company told me when we first met.


His company was paying $15K a month for managed IT services. Every time he asked questions, he got tech jargon in response. 


Every time there was an issue, he was told it was "complicated" and would cost extra to fix.


He felt uneasy. Uncertain. Like he was flying blind while writing big checks every month.


So I became his IT couples therapist.


No, seriously. That's what I do.


I step into the messy, uncomfortable relationship between businesses and their IT providers and help both sides actually communicate.


I don't come in guns blazing, ready to fire your IT team. I come in curious, kind, and focused on understanding the truth.


✅ I talk to your IT provider in their language. I understand the tech. I know what's reasonable and what's BS. I can tell the difference between "this is genuinely complex" and "we're charging you extra because you don't know better."


✅ I translate for you in business terms. No jargon. No condescension. Here's what it costs. Here's whether it's worth it. And here's what you should be getting for your money.


✅ I remove inefficiencies and unnecessary costs. Sometimes your IT provider is doing great work but charging for things you don't need. I find the gaps, the overlaps, and the waste.


✅ I give you clarity. Because the worst feeling in business isn't paying too much it's not knowing if you're paying too much.


Here's what I did:


 Talking to the provider. Reviewing contracts. Understanding what was actually being delivered versus what was being billed.


Turns out? The IT provider wasn't malicious. They were just sloppy. Billing for licenses the company didn't use anymore. Charging "project rates" for routine maintenance. Providing coverage the business had outgrown.


I sat down with both sides like a couples therapist and facilitated an honest conversation.


The IT provider adjusted their pricing, tightened up their deliverables, and started communicating in ways the COO could actually understand.


The COO went from feeling uneasy to feeling confident. He understood what he was paying for.


 He trusted his provider again because now there was transparency.


And the company saved $4,500 a month. Over $50K a year.


Not by firing anyone. By creating clarity.


Most businesses don't have an IT problem. They have a communication and trust problem.


Your IT provider might be great but if you can't understand what they're doing or why it costs what it costs, you'll never feel good about the relationship.


Or your IT provider might be taking advantage and you'll never know because you don't speak the language.


I speak both languages. Business and tech. Risk and revenue. Strategy and systems.


And I do it all through my trademark kindness because no one benefits from blame, fear, or adversarial relationships.

Imagine how beautiful our world could be.


Not perfect. Not without conflict or struggle.


But beautiful because we chose to approach one another with empathy instead of judgment.



Most of the time, when someone acts in ways that frustrate us, anger us, or hurt us they're not acting from wisdom.


They're acting from pain.


Pain in their hearts. Pain in their souls. Pain they might not even fully understand themselves.


And that pain prevents them from showing up as their best selves.


So they react emotionally.


They lash out.


They withdraw.


They make decisions that don't make sense to us because we can't see the weight they're carrying.


And here's where we have a choice:


We can judge them by their actions alone react with anger, fear, or frustration of our own.


We can ask: "What might they be going through that I can't see?"


We can choose empathy over reaction.


We can choose understanding over judgment.


We can choose to see the full human being not just the behavior in front of us.


And when we do that? Everything changes.


Because empathy doesn't excuse harmful behavior.


 It doesn't mean we tolerate mistreatment or ignore our own boundaries.


But it does mean we respond thoughtfully instead of reactively.


It means we give people the space to be struggling and still worthy of dignity.


It means we recognize that our kindness, our understanding, our willingness to see someone fully that can be the thing that helps them find their way back.


The next time someone acts in a way that frustrates you—whether it's a colleague, a client, a family member, or a stranger—pause.


Before you react, ask yourself:


"What pain might they be carrying that I can't see?"


"What struggles might be driving this behavior?"


"How can I respond in a way that helps instead of harms?"


You don't have to fix their pain. You don't have to solve their problems.


You just have to choose empathy.


Because our ability to respond with kindness even when it's hard, even when we're frustrated, even when we don't understand that can make a real difference.


It can be the spark someone needs to find their strength again.


It can be the moment that shifts everything.


It can be the choice that creates the kind of world we all want to live in.


A world where understanding and support are at the forefront.


Let's be those people.


Starting today.

Anyone can tell you what you're not doing.


That part's easy.


A checklist can do it.


A framework can do it.


Honestly? AI can do it right now in seconds.


Ask ChatGPT about your security gaps and it'll spit out a beautifully formatted list of everything you're missing. 


Complete with recommendations, best practices, and a prioritized roadmap.


Free. Instant. Comprehensive.


If identifying security gaps is that easy, why are organizations still struggling?


Why are breaches still running rampant?


Why are security plans still sitting on shelves collecting dust??


Why are teams still overwhelmed, disengaged, and unsure what to do next?


Because knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different things.


And the gap between those two things?


That's where leadership lives.


It's not writing the plan. It's making the plan come alive.


It's not identifying the gaps. It's building the team and culture to close them.


It's not recommending the training. It's inspiring people to actually engage with it.


It's not pointing out what's broken. It's holding people accountable with kindness instead of fear.


It's not producing the roadmap. It's navigating the politics, the resistance, the budget constraints, and the competing priorities to actually execute it.


That's the hard part. And that's what most consultants and definitely AI can't do for you.


Because execution isn't a technical problem. It's a human problem.


And human problems require human leadership.


Real leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room.


It's not about wielding authority or instilling fear.


It's not about pointing fingers when things go wrong.


Real leadership is showing up with kindness, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to making things happen.


It's sitting with a team that's overwhelmed and saying: "I see you. Let's figure this out together."


It's holding someone accountable for a missed milestone not with shame, but with clarity and care.


It's inspiring a room full of skeptical executives to care about cybersecurity not because you scared them, but because you helped them understand what's actually at stake.


It's taking a 200-page security plan that nobody understands and turning it into something a team can actually execute step by step, with confidence.


That's what I bring to the table.


Leadership. Execution. Accountability. Delivered with kindness.


Security plans get executed.


Teams get trained and the training actually sticks.


Cultures shift from reactive to proactive.


Leaders stop deferring and start owning their cyber risk.


That's the transformation I create. And I do it all through kindness.


What's rare is someone who can make it happen.


With accountability. With humanity. With kindness.


That's what I do.

We're not ready for a security assessment right now.


That's what the CFO told me when we first spoke.


She was overseeing a group of companies.


 Multiple business units. Hundreds of employees. Millions in revenue.


And she had no idea what the current state of cybersecurity looked like across her organization.


I could have pushed harder. I could have leaned into fear. I could have painted worst-case scenarios until she felt backed into a corner.


But that's not how I work.


Instead, I was kind. But firm.


I said: "I understand you're not ready. 


But I want you to understand something too: The cost of action versus the cost of inaction is vastly different. If we do this assessment now, we can address gaps proactively. 


If you wait until after a breach, my cost will be 3x and that's just my cost. The real cost to your business will be far higher.


She thanked me for my time. And said no.


I didn't argue. I didn't guilt her. I didn't send follow-up emails painting disaster scenarios.


I just said: "I'm here when you're ready."


Five months later, my phone rang.


I was on vacation. Middle of the afternoon.


 Unknown number.


It was her.


"Dom, we need to talk. We just discovered we've been compromised. I need your help. And I know what you said your cost is going to be 3x now. I get it."


I didn't lecture her about ignoring my advice.


I didn't make her feel worse than she already did.


I responded with kindness and compassion.


"Okay," I said. "Here's what we're going to do. First, let's contain this. Then we'll assess the damage.


 Then we'll build you a roadmap so this doesn't happen again. We'll get through this together."


There was a pause on the other end of the line.


Then she said something I'll never forget:


"Dom, I didn't forget about the 3x. But I also didn't forget how you treated me when I said no. You were kind. You didn't resort to fear tactics. You didn't make me feel stupid. You just told me the truth and let me make my own decision."


She continued: "That's why I'm calling you now.


 Because I know you're going to help me fix this not shame me for it."


People remember how you make them feel especially when they're in crisis.


You can be right and be cruel. Or you can be right and be kind.


The outcomes might look the same in the short term. But in the long term? Kindness builds trust.


 And trust builds loyalty.


Not because I scared her. Because I respected her.


The next time someone says no to you whether it's a client, a colleague, a team member resist the urge to manipulate, guilt, or fear them into saying yes.


Tell them the truth. Give them the information they need to make an informed decision. 


And then respect their choice.


Because kindness isn't weakness. And patience isn't passivity.


It's leadership.


And when the crisis comes—and it will—they'll remember who treated them like a human being.


 And they'll call you.


And that's why people call me when it matters most.

We have sophisticated backups. We're covered.


That's what the construction company's IT guy told the CEO.


State-of-the-art backup system. Multiple redundancy layers. Offsite storage. Cloud replication. The works.


So when ransomware hit, they weren't worried.


"No problem," the IT guy said. "We'll just restore from backup."


Then they tried to restore a critical file.


A contract document they needed to close a $2 million deal. Time-sensitive. Client waiting.


Nothing happened.


They tried again. Nothing


They called me. I started digging. 


Hours passed. 


Then the truth came out:


The backups had never been tested.


They'd been running for two years. Generating reports that said "Backup Successful" every night.


But no one had ever tried to actually restore anything.


The sophisticated backup system was useless.


By the time they figured it out and recovered the file through other means the $2 million deal was gone.


Here's the brutal lesson:


Having a backup system and having a working backup system are not the same thing.


If you're not testing your backups regularly, you don't have backups. 


You have a very expensive false sense of security.


It's like having a fire extinguisher that's never been checked. It might work when you need it. Or it might not. And you won't know until it's too late.


Here's what I told them needed to happen! 


✅ Test your backups. Once when you set them up. Quarterly at minimum. Monthly is better.


✅ Test the full restore process. Don't just verify the backup ran. Actually restore files and make sure they work.


✅ Document your recovery procedures. When disaster strikes, people panic. You need clear, tested steps anyone can follow.


✅ Time your recovery. How long does it take to restore critical systems? Can you afford that downtime?


This isn't optional. It's fundamental.


I've seen this scenario play out too many times:


"We have backups."
"Great, let's restore."
"Oh… this isn't working."


And suddenly, what should have been a minor inconvenience becomes a business-ending crisis.


Here's what I told that construction company CEO:


"Your IT guy didn't lie to you. He thought you were covered. But he made a critical mistake: he trusted the system without validating it. In cybersecurity, trust but verify isn't just good advice it's survival."


We rebuilt their backup strategy from scratch. But more importantly, we built a testing cadence into their operations.


Now? They test quarterly. They know their backups work. They know how long recovery takes. They've practiced the process.


And they sleep better at night.


Who I am:
I'm Dom Vogel—the Dopamine Dealer on LinkedIn. I help manufacturing, construction, and B2B organizations build security that actually works—not just looks good on paper. I provide fractional CISO services that focus on validation, testing, and real-world resilience.

I start every engagement the same way....


"What makes you money?"


Not "What's your compliance framework?"


Not "What's your tech stack?"


Not "When was your last penetration test?"


What. Makes. You. Money.


I need to understand your critical business processes FIRST!


The systems your customers depend on.


The data that drives those systems.


The workflows that keep revenue flowing.


THEN we look at technology.


THEN we talk about compliance.


THEN we figure out what tools you actually need.


Here's the problem with most cybersecurity consultants...


They show up with a checklist. A framework. A "best practices" playbook that treats every business like it's the same.


They'll tell you to spend $200K on tools you don't need to protect systems that don't matter while your actual revenue-generating processes are wide open.


That's backwards!!


Cybersecurity isn't about protecting everything. It's about protecting what makes your business run.


The systems that generate revenue.


The contracts that depend on you proving you're not a security liability.


The client relationships that hinge on trust.


That's where I start. And I do it all through the lens of kindness.


Because you're not a compliance checkbox to me.


 You're a business owner, a leader, a human being trying to protect what you've built.


So I don't overwhelm you with jargon or scare you into spending money you don't have.


I ask: "What do you care about most? What can't you afford to lose?"


And then we build a strategy around that.


Not around fear.


Not around what some framework says you "should" do.


Around what actually protects your business and helps it grow.


Here's what this looks like in practice:
I worked with a food manufacturer whose biggest client demanded proof of cybersecurity compliance. 


They were about to lose an $80 million contract—80% of their revenue—because they couldn't answer a security questionnaire.


We didn't start with firewalls or compliance audits.


We started with: What does this client need to see?


 What processes does this contract depend on?


 What data is at risk if something goes wrong?


Then we built a plan. Protected what mattered.


 Proved they weren't a liability.


They kept the contract. And they gained the confidence to go after bigger clients who demand the same rigor.


That's the power of starting with what makes you money.

-------
I'm Dom Vogel—the Dopamine Dealer on LinkedIn. I help manufacturing and B2B organizations protect their revenue streams, win (and keep) major contracts, and turn cybersecurity from a compliance burden into a business enabler.


If you're tired of consultants who lead with fear and frameworks instead of understanding your business, if you're at risk of losing clients because of security gaps, or if you just need someone who actually gets it—let's talk


I care about what makes you money.


And I'll help you protect it with kindness, clarity, and zero BS.

Do it scared....


My daughter did her first solo performance.


Was she scared? Absolutely.


Her hands were shaking. 


Her voice was quiet when she asked, "What if I mess up?"


My wife and I looked at her and said: "Then you mess up. But you do it anyway."


She was nervous. Terrified, even. 


But she walked out there. And she did it.


Do it scared.


That's the lesson. That's what I want her to remember for the rest of her life.


Courage isn't the absence of fear. 


It's doing the thing even when fear is screaming at you to stop.


Every big moment in your life, the career change, the difficult conversation, the decision to step up and lead all start with fear.


Fear of failing.


Fear of looking foolish.


Fear of not being ready.


Fear of what people will think.


And you do it anyway.


You don't wait until you're confident. You don't wait until the fear goes away. You don't wait until you feel "ready."


You do it scared.


That's how my daughter learned she's braver than she thought. 


That's how leaders are made. That's how breakthroughs happen. That's how you stop letting fear write your story.


I've done it scared my whole career:


Leaving corporate when I burned out...scared I'd fail.


Starting my own consulting practice...scared no one would hire me.


Standing up to a VP who didn't want to hire the right person because of bias...scared I'd lose the client.


Coaching leaders through layoffs and uncertainty....scared I wouldn't have the right words.


Every single time? I was terrified. And I did it anyway.


Because waiting for the fear to go away is just another way of saying no to your own potential.


So whatever that thing is for you: the pitch you need to make, the boundary you need to set, the team you need to lead through chaos, the business decision that keeps you up at night...


Do it scared.


Your hands might shake. Your voice might crack.


 You might mess up.


But you'll also discover something incredible:


You're stronger than the fear.


Just like my daughter did.

---------
I'm Dom Vogel—the Dopamine Dealer on LinkedIn. I help manufacturing and B2B organizations lead through fear, solve cybersecurity challenges, and build resilient teams that don't wait for perfect conditions to take action.


If you're facing something scary—a breach, a leadership challenge, a decision you've been avoiding—and you need someone who gets it, who's done it scared too—let's talk. DM me or comment below.


🔔 Hit follow if you're ready to stop waiting for fear to disappear and start doing it scared. I post daily about courage, leadership, and humanity.


And if you want me to bring this message to your team or event—reach out. Let's build a culture where people do hard things even when they're terrified.


Because the world doesn't need more people waiting to feel ready.


It needs more people who do it scared.


Just like my daughter.

I put a picture of a luxury yacht on the screen.


Dead silence in the boardroom.


Finally, the chairman spoke up: "What does this have to do with cybersecurity?"


I smiled. "How many of you spend time on one of these?"


Several hands went up. This was a well-to-do board. $250M+ manufacturing company. 


Luxury lifestyle wasn't uncommon.


"Great," I said. "Now let me ask you this: How attached are you to keeping this lifestyle?"


They looked confused.


"Because if this company suffers a data breach and the board is found to have failed in its oversight duties around cyber risk management, you could be held personally liable."


"Personally. Liable."


I let that sink in.


"That yacht? Your vacation home? Your retirement accounts? All of it could be at risk if you're not fulfilling your fiduciary responsibilities when it comes to cybersecurity."


The room got very quiet.


Suddenly, cybersecurity wasn't some abstract IT issue they could delegate and forget about.


It was personal.


Here's what changed after that conversation:


They started asking the right questions.


They stopped deferring to "the IT guy" and started owning cyber risk as a board-level issue.


They brought me in as a fractional CISO to help them build real oversight, not just check boxes.


Not because I scared them. Because I made it relatable. 


These were smart, successful people. But cybersecurity felt distant technical jargon, compliance frameworks, things that happened to other companies.


A yacht? That's real. That's tangible. That's theirs.


And once they understood the personal stakes, everything shifted.


If you're presenting to a board and they're not engaged, you're speaking the wrong language.


They don't care about zero-trust architectures.


They don't care about penetration test results.


They don't care about compliance frameworks.


They care about what's at risk. And sometimes, you have to make it personal to get their attention.


I do it with kindness but also with clarity.


Because board members sometimes are only motivated when they understand their real personal stakes. 


Organizations need boards that actually lead on cyber risk instead of deferring it.


Because sometimes, all it takes is a picture of a yacht to wake people up.

🎯 DROP EVERYTHING and watch this. 🎯


My BRILLIANTLY AMAZING friend Mandy Morris, LPC delivered a TEDx Talk for the ages that genuinely stopped me in my tracks and I NEED you to see it.


She's talking about something we ALL carry but rarely name: trauma. Not the Hollywood version. The real definition a wound. 

And here's what blew my mind: those incredible stress patterns that helped us achieve? They were survival strategies. Genius ones. But survival isn't the same as freedom. 


If you're a high achiever who's ever felt stuck in the same cycles same work dynamics, same relationship patterns, same internal loops despite doing EVERYTHING "right"... 

Mandy just connected the dots in a way that will shake something loose


This talk is for every person who's been disciplined, capable, committed... and still wondering why certain patterns won't shift.


👉 Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eN9VnCmM


Mandy, thank YOU for having the COURAGE to name what so many of us are quietly carrying. You are a true hero!!! 


Share this with someone who needs it today. You might just change their life. ❤️

Executive Psychology Coach & Co-Founder, SoFree™ | International TEDx Speaker | Creator of The Internal Edge™ | Helping High-Achievers Reset from Burnout, Rewire Stress Loops & Lead with Clarity

In my TEDx Talk, I name something no one likes to talk about.

There’s an invisible force shaping the way we think and react. And for high achievers, it often disguises itself as strength.

I’m talking about trauma.

Not as a buzzword. Not as something extreme. I mean the original definition: a wound. And we all carry them.

Many of the stress patterns that built our success were once survival strategies. They helped us cope, perform, and stay steady under pressure.

But survival is not the same as freedom.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the same work environments, relationship patterns, or internal cycles despite being disciplined and capable, this might explain why.

👉 Watch the full talk here: https://lnkd.in/eN9VnCmM to see what decades of research say about rewiring those patterns and reclaiming real freedom.

I’m deeply grateful to the TEDxSwansea  organizers for creating a platform where conversations like this can reach more people. Mark Davies & Roxani Oikonomou  - thank you! It means so much to be able to share this message in spaces where high achievers are quietly carrying more than they show.

If you’ve ever wondered why discipline alone hasn’t changed certain patterns, this might connect some dots.

• Share this with someone who needs to hear it today. 

#HighAchievers #BurnoutRecovery #NervousSystemRegulation
Niki Papaioannou

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