Greetings!

If you are a CEO, CHRO, Chief Diversity Officer. VP/Head of Talent or other C-suite leader, I want to ask how you are helping your organization navigate this challenging climate & prepare for a more inclusive, more prosperous future?  As a Talent Strategist & People Architect with DHR Global - a Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firm – I’ve asked this question of current and future clients.

In my conversations with healthcare & life sciences executives, I’ve noticed that their goals & initiatives are to:

✅ Innovate quickly & ethically 
✅ Improve quality of care & patient outcomes 
✅ Eliminate health disparities
✅ Improve the patient experience
✅ Facilitate an efficient & profitable go to market (GTM) strategy & process (growth hacking)
✅ Hire, engage & retain a diverse workforce
✅ Strengthen governance

In my conversations I have discovered internal challenges such as: 

👎🏽 No talent acquisition &/or retention KPIs,
👎🏽 Overwhelmed Recruiters with little time to upskill
👎🏽 Non-existent / inconsistent sourcing, recruiting & onboarding processes
👎🏽 Old technology not able to meet current & emerging needs for applicant tracking (ATS/HCM/HRIS)
👎🏽 Insufficient talent market knowledge / data
👎🏽 Little time to focus on sourcing critical top talent to stabilize, scale & transform the organization
👎🏽 Even less time to be proactive & engage talent opportunistically in order to dominate the market
👎🏽 No time to develop a diversity strategy & execute to increase representation, equity & foster belonging

My commitment is to minimize your pain, maximize your joy & guide your organization to better outcomes:

👍🏽 No more failed assignments
👍🏽 No more excessively long vacancies
👍🏽 No more homogeneous candidate slates
👍🏽 No more communication breakdowns or lack of transparency
👍🏽 No more resenting placement fees because of low value partnerships or inflexible cost structures

My personalized approach to Executive Search and Talent Advisory is different.  I help my clients compete in a tight talent market to win the war for talent by leveraging an unparalleled industry network, using insightful market data, compelling positioning & magnetic messaging.

⭐ I also work with mature organizations that: 
⚕️ Have an urgent assignment
⚕️ Need a very niche role filled 
⚕️ Lack diverse candidate slates 
⚕️ Have an overloaded internal TA team

If you want a strategic partner who will make your organization smarter, faster & more agile, please email me at ahenderson@dhrglobal.com

Reach, Resourcefulness & Relationships - the DHR way.

Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR

My candidates didn't get the job and I've never been so grateful that I failed.

I submitted two intelligent, accomplished women for a Chief of Staff role working for a CEO of a major entertainment company. 

Both sailed through multiple rounds - interviews with the CFO, the former Chief of Staff, even the executive's mother.

But the process felt... off. 
➵ They were told to expect grueling hours and attend countless industry events. 
➵ Their personal style was scrutinized. 
➵ They fielded scenario-based questions about situations that seemed trivial, outrageous, and quite frankly, unlikely to ever occur. 

It got weird. 

Then came the request to fly from NY to LA for a final meeting. Before they could book flights, I got the call: neither was moving forward.

We were all disappointed. We said the usual "it wasn't meant to be" and moved on.

Years passed before the headlines announced the CEO’s arrest. The Chief of Staff who eventually got the role, was then in the news as an alleged enabler.

I immediately reached out to both candidates. We had a joint moment of relief - and profound gratitude.

My intention is to only work with ethical clients who value integrity as much as excellence.

So this experience taught me something I'll never forget:
↳ Sometimes the blessing is the door that slams shut. 
↳ Sometimes the win is the rejection. 
↳ Sometimes the greatest act of protection is not getting the job - or the assignment - you thought you wanted.

And as a recruiter …someone entrusted with people's livelihoods, reputations, and futures …I hold that truth close: 

Let's stop believing that any high-profile role is worth the cost. 

My work will always center around finding talent that can thrive in high-stakes environments, but I also have to ensure those environments don't destroy them.

To anyone searching for their next role, know this:
↳Not every opportunity is aligned.   
↳Not every 'yes' is safe.   
↳And sometimes the biggest success is what didn’t happen.

Exec Search Pro helping biotech, value-based care, digital health companies & hospitals hire transformational C-suite & Board leaders. Partner, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Diversity, Board Search | Board Member | Investor

Excited to announce I'll be attending the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in January! 🎯

This is always such a valuable opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore innovations in healthcare, and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our field.

If you're attending and would like to connect, please send me a message to schedule a time to meet up. I'd love to catch up with familiar faces and make new connections!

Who’s going to JPM?👇🏽

#JPM2026 #JPMHealthcare #HealthcareInnovation #HealthTech #HealthcareLeadership #DigitalHealth

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His parents locked him in a psychiatric hospital. Three times. Electroshock therapy. Medication. All because he wouldn't conform.

He walked the Camino de Santiago - 500 miles across Spain - and came back with both blisters and clarity.

Call it awakening. Call it courage. Call it remembering who you were before the world told you who to be.

He wrote about that just before he wrote The Alchemist;
Paulo Coelho's simple story about a shepherd boy chasing a dream. 

It’s a story about the treasure that's always closer than we think. About seeking everywhere in the distance only to find it was at home all along.

But before it sold 150 million copies and became one of the most translated books in history, it flopped. 

He refused to let it die. 
He refused to surrender what he believed in.
He knew what it meant to be misunderstood.
He knew what it meant to wander.
He knew what it meant to keep going when the world said stop.

I read The Alchemist at a time when I was searching for something I couldn't name.

The unconventional path. The wandering. The need to go far away only to realize the treasure was home all along…it didn't just resonate. It explained me.

I've lived that story. The detours that looked like failures. The rejections that felt like proof I was on the wrong path. The moments I almost gave up because nothing was going according to plan.

And then I became a recruiter.
Not in spite of the wandering. Because of it.

Through my candidates, I do the work all over again. I walk with the ones who've been rejected 47 times. The ones whose paths don't fit the template. The ones who are blistered and unsure but won't stop walking.

Through my clients, I'm constantly seeking the stars. The proven performers. The transformative talent everyone wants.

I am all of them.

The pilgrim. The shepherd. The best-seller. The one who wandered far only to find what I was looking for was in the journey itself.

I am the bridge between the seeking and the seekers.

Executive search isn't just my job. It's my pilgrimage.
It's how I keep walking.

If you're feeling off-path today, maybe this is your sign.
Keep walking.
Your legend isn't lost.

What "6-7" Teaches Us About Generational Diversity in the Workplace

You might have heard kids shouting "six seven!" lately. Dictionary.com just named it their 2025 Word of the Year.
(Is it even a word? 🤦🏽‍♀️)

And while it means absolutely nothing, here's the insight: it's Gen Z's version of "Who's on first?"

When adults ask what it means, young people give a unified response: It has no definition. 

The phrase, which is driving parents and teachers crazy, is absurdist humor for the digital age …just like Abbott and Costello's classic routine was for theirs.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐩 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠:
➵ Right now, we have five generations in the workplace. 
➵ Boomers remember when "Who's on first?" was cutting-edge comedy. 
➵ Gen Alpha thinks "six seven" is hilarious for the exact same reason …the joy of shared absurdity. 

Different reference points, same human need for connection and humor.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩:
This isn't "brain rot"
…it's a deliberate, gleeful effort by young people to remain unknowable in an era of relentless online observation. 

Each generation develops its own cultural codes shaped by its unique context. 

👥 Boomers and Gen X built careers before email. 

👩‍❤️‍👨 Millennials bridged the analog-digital divide. 

👽 Gen Z witnessed social media's dark side. 

🤳🏾Gen Alpha has never known privacy.

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬:

✔️ Recognizing that a 22-year-old and a 62-year-old bring different lived experiences that both add value

✔️ Creating space for generational perspectives without stereotyping

✔️ Ensuring that "cultural fit" doesn’t just mean "people who grew up like I did"

✔️ Building mentorship that flows in multiple directions

💰 The companies thriving in 2030 won't be the ones that "understand" every generational trend. 

💰 They'll be the ones that recognize generational differences as a strategic advantage 
…where "𝑾𝒉𝒐’𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕?" and "𝒔𝒊𝒙 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏" can coexist, and both are valued.
__________________

So... are you being driven crazy by "six seven," or do you totally get it?

Being invisible is expensive, but you can't hack your way into a trusting relationship.

I've seen it in executive search for years: the professionals who land the BEST opportunities aren't just qualified.

They know how to show up AUTHENTICALLY and build real connections on LinkedIn and IRL.

From hidden to → VISIBLE
From generic to → MAGNETIC
From waiting to → ATTRACTING

The landscape has shifted:

↳ Recruiters are searching LinkedIn first (not job boards)
↳ Your voice matters MORE than ever
↳ Building a brand isn't vanity, it's STRATEGY

Here's what I see working in 2025-2026:
✓ Authenticity over perfection
✓ Consistency over virality
✓ Connection over self-promotion

That's why I'm excited to join Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc  TODAY for "The LinkedIn Tea" 🍵
We're spilling on:

↳ How to define YOUR unique voice and show up unapologetically
↳ What the LinkedIn algorithm actually prioritizes (and how to use it)
↳ How to build a brand that attracts recruiters, clients & collaborations
↳ Where the opportunities actually are in this new landscape

📍 Join us For Free 📍
TODAY at 12 PM PDT / 3 PM EST
https://lnkd.in/gtTAjTpZ

Whether you're actively job searching, building your practice, or ready to attract better opportunities…this session is for you.

*This webinar is sponsored by Graphy.
___________
👋 I'm Andrea Henderson, Executive Search Professional helping companies identify top talent and match them with opportunities that align with their career goals.

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐀𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞

One of my clients is doing something that should be standard practice but unfortunately isn't: they're compensating every candidate who completes their second-round strategic planning exercise.

They want to be clear …they're not looking for free labor! 

They want to understand how candidates think, approach complex problems, and communicate strategy. 

But they also recognize that asking someone to develop a thoughtful strategic plan is a significant investment of time, expertise, and intellectual energy.

So they pay for it. 

Every single person who completes the exercise gets compensated, regardless of whether or not they get the job.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞:

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲. 
Not everyone can afford to spend 5-10 hours on unpaid work exercises. Some candidates are juggling multiple interviews, others are working full-time, and many have caregiving responsibilities. Compensation levels the playing field.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭. 
If the work requires professional-level thinking and produces something of value, it's work. 
And work deserves pay.

𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬. 
How you treat candidates tells them everything about how you'll treat employees. If you don't value their time during hiring, why would they believe you'll value it after?

𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭. 
Top candidates know their worth. 
They're more likely to invest deeply in an exercise when the company invests in them too.

There's a clear line between a reasonable interview case discussion and asking for deliverables like strategic plans, marketing campaigns, competitive analyses, or detailed proposals. The latter should be compensated.

If your hiring process requires candidates to produce substantial work, pay them for it. 

If you can't afford to pay candidates for their work, you can't afford to ask for it.

It's that simple.

___________

If you need help, DM me for my proprietary 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭

Thanksgiving recipe for boundaries

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm reminding myself of something important: self-care isn't selfish.

It's easy to overcommit during the holidays …saying yes to every side dish, every special diet request, every guest/family/colleague expectation. 

But sustainable success requires us to protect our energy and set healthy boundaries.

Please be intentional about including yourself on the list of people youre taking care of. 

That might mean saying no to some things, taking breaks when you need them, and being present where you choose to show up.

I'm deeply grateful for this network …for the colleagues who inspire me, the mentors who guide me, and the connections that make this professional journey meaningful. 

Thank you for being part of it. 

Wishing everyone a restful and restorative Thanksgiving. 🍁

Start an argument to save money on Christmas presents 

OR

Take some advice from Mike Muse on how to keep the peace at Thanksgiving dinner today. 

Either way, enjoy! 🦃🍁

Happy Thanksgiving

What says “transactional” more than disconnecting after you get the job?

Tickles me because I’ve seen this movie before. 

Headhunters are not the Boogeyman.  

And we’re not the wait staff that you tip after you eat, burp and go home, never to be seen again. 

We're relationship builders. Career-long partners. 
The people who remember you when the perfect opportunity comes around again.

So when you disconnect after you get what you need…

We remember that too.

What do you think happens next time? 

_________________

Has anyone ever gone radio silent, disappeared or disconnected from you after getting what they want?

I see this question all the time:
“Know a recruiter in Charlotte, NC?”
Let’s talk about why that’s not the question you should be asking.

I see people asking for recommendations for a recruiter in their city.

But here’s the thing: most of us don’t work locally. We work nationally. Some, like me, even work globally.

So the better question isn’t 
❌ “Who’s near me?”
✅  It’s “Who specializes in what I do?”

❓Are you in CPG? 
❓Tech? 
❓Luxury retail? 
❓Healthcare? 
❓Manufacturing?

❓❓Are you a CFO? 
❓❓CMO? 
❓❓Chief Commercial Officer?

The clearer your ask, the better the recommendations you’ll get.

Ask better questions, get better answers, Beloved, 🫶🏽

Best way to find a Recruiter to work with

Obstacles are often smaller than they appear.

Overthinking can be as bad as under-thinking. 

Leaders [and Coaches] help others turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

Agree? 

_______________
Repost from Oleg Vishnepolsky, CTO at Daily Mail Online

I’ll be the voice in the room on December 1st. 

Katheline Jean-Pierre, MSc: a brilliant, award-winning revenue leader, coach, podcaster and truth-seeker, will be asking the questions, and I’ll be answering them live.

She reached out and said, essentially: People are lost in this market. Why the **Crickets**? 

And she mirrored what I keep hearing across industries:

High-performers who were once chosen are now the ones doing the choosing, the searching, the competing for attention.

🤔 Recruiters seem to have evaporated. 👀
🥴 Process fractured. 
😤Access collapsed.
🫩 The rules rewrote themselves without asking permission.

So she asked me the questions you’ve been carrying in the quiet:

• How do ambitious professionals run a modern job search without insider access?
• What tactics still work and which ones need to be added to the toolkit?
• And most importantly, how do you manufacture momentum in this market?

I have a lot to say. (I always do.)

Which is why we’re hosting a live conversation, post-holiday fog:

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐉𝐎𝐁 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆

How to navigate the market and create your own path
A live Q&A with me and Katheline on Zoom

📅 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝐬𝐭 
• It’s free • It’s live 
• It’s clarity when clarity is scarce.

No gatekeeping. No fees. No performative posturing.

Just answers. Just access. Just the unfiltered mechanics of what works now.

If you’re searching for a role, planning a pivot, or trying to decode the signals that suddenly went silent: Be in the room.

Bring the questions you’re tired of holding.

I’ll bring the truth you’re tired of not hearing.

🔗 Zoom link in comments.

Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR ✦ Executive Search Professional
In dialogue with Katheline Jean-Pierre, MSc .
Your questions, answered.

When a CEO says "exploring all options," we all know what that means.

Jim Forbes and I had a great conversation last night at the PDA holiday party about what boards actually need when they're looking for a CEO who can make the company "transaction ready."

When the board is facing a go-private scenario, preparing for an IPO, or navigating an acquisition, the leadership profile changes dramatically. You need to find the right CEO for this particular journey.

The leaders who excel in transaction-heavy environments bring a specific toolkit:

↳ They view constrained runways as catalysts for decisive action, not paralysis
↳ They've built credibility with PE firms, investment bankers, and boards during high-pressure processes
↳ They can articulate competing strategic paths without becoming attached to any single outcome
↳ They understand that "exploring all options" requires rigorous strategic discipline

The question that the board should let shape the CEO search: Are we hiring for the company we are today, or the company we're about to become?

If transformation, transaction, or transition is on your horizon, your leadership profile needs to reflect that reality from day one.

I partner with boards to define these nuanced requirements before the search begins because getting this hire right is crucial. It could kill the deal if you get it wrong so it isn't a hire you'll get to make twice.

Thanks Jim Forbes for sparking this reflection. 

___________________

Private Directors Association® - Atlanta Chapter  

*picture for attention

#ExecutiveSearch #CEOSearch #BoardAdvisory #LeadershipTransitions

Codie A. Sanchez  said “The best founders do one thing brilliantly... 

Hire.”
.
.
.
.
.
She isn’t wrong. 

It’s worth investing in a good partnership with an executive recruiter. It’s too important to “wing it.”

Your next executive hire was at Art Basel this weekend in Miami.  

Or she might have been at the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association conference in Las Vegas. 

Or the Private Directors Association event at Disneyland in October.

This weekend I was at Art Basel in Miami. I went to celebrate a friend's milestone birthday, reconnect with old colleagues, and meet new connections.

People see the photos and say, "Wow, you're living your best life!"

Here's what they don't see:
Yes, I am out a lot. 
I'm out in the rain.
I'm out in the cold. 
I'm out in the snow. 
I'm out in the extreme heat. 
I'm out when I'm tired.
I'm out when my feet hurt. 
I'm out when I have nothing that I like to wear. 
When I feel like I look like a frump, I'm out. 
Sometimes tired, sometimes not feeling my best. 
But I show up anyway.

Because when you need to fill a critical executive role, you can't afford to wait weeks for the "perfect candidate" to surface through job boards.

The executives you want aren't likely actively looking for you. They're not scrolling LinkedIn Jobs. 

They're at Art Basel. 
They're at industry conferences. They're at that startup founder's dinner party.

And when you need them, they'll take my call. 

Not because I sent them a cold InMail, but because we've had real conversations. 

Because someone they trust vouched for me. 
Because I've invested in the relationship long before you had an opening.

You can't be everywhere your next hire might be. But I can.

That's not work-life balance, that's how executive search actually works.

The relationships I build at a birthday celebration this weekend might solve your hardest hiring challenge next quarter.

When everyone else is fighting over the same 5 candidates on LinkedIn, I'm bringing you people who weren't even "on the market."

The secret recipe = Trust + Access.

That's the difference between recruiting and executive search.

Art Basel and Executive Search 

Stop showing your scalp and start showing your teeth.

You’ve done everything right …but invisibly. And invisibility doesn’t lead to advocacy,  recognition, promotion or payment.

Showing your teeth is a metaphor for visibility, voice, and power. 

It means speaking up. 
It means that you’re comfortable smiling in power rooms that you belong in. 
It means making yourself known and unmissable.

Translation: You stop shrinking. You claim your space. You speak your value out loud …that’s self-advocacy.

But sometimes the hardest person to advocate for is yourself.

Early in my career, I struggled with asking for what I deserved. I thought my work would speak for itself. It didn't.

The turning point was realizing that knowing your value and asking for it isn't arrogance. 
Understanding that it's necessary.

Today, I pray that everyone reading this finds:

The clarity to recognize their own worth 

The courage to speak up and ask for what they deserve

The resilience to keep going, even when the path gets tough

Early in your career, you have to put your head down and get things done. 

But at a certain point, working hard isn't enough. 

You have to understand your value and demand fair recognition for the work you put in and the results you create.

Do you know where the inflection point is?

Are you in grinding season or speak-up season?

Tell me in the comments:
🔨 GRIND
🗣️ SPEAK
🤔 IDK

She did her mom’s makeup at the funeral home to get her “casket ready” and then recorded this video.

Ashley Ann Jones is someone I respect deeply. Her work ethic is unmatched. I also knew her mom and how much they loved each other. 

That’s why when I watched this, I felt like she punched me in the chest having recently experienced the same loss. 

Because she wasn’t just talking to the internet …she was talking to ME!

To the part of me that knows exactly what it means to lose my mother and still have the world tapping its watch. 

To the part that kept moving - - not because I’m brave, but because stopping felt like free-fall.

It punches the chest because it mirrors a truth most people never have to look at head-on:
grief doesn’t pause responsibility.

Payroll doesn’t pause for grief. Vendors don’t accept sorrow as payment. Rent, subscriptions, contracts, dependents …they all keep tapping you on the shoulder.

So yes, working can be a coping mechanism. Structure can be a lifeline. Motion can keep you from drowning in the quiet. Channeling energy can feel safer than sitting still with the enormity of loss. I know this terrain. Many of us do.

Can you relate? Have you pushed through difficult seasons in order to be successful … or simply stay afloat? 

I know this may be an unpopular opinion in this era of anti-hustle culture. 

Thoughts?

Happy Founders’ Day to the Distinguished Men of 
𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝! 

For 119 years, you’ve led the way with purpose, service, and a commitment to “Manly Deeds, Scholarship and Love For All Mankind.” 

May your legacy deepen, your influence widen, and your light keep cutting through places that still need you!

🖤💛🩷💚

#APA1906Network #AKA1908

This is going to make my Atlanta friends mad!

I don’t know who created this list but the best airlines I’ve ever flown, #Emirates, isn’t even on here. 

Neither is my hometown favorite #JetBlue.

I co-sign on #TurkishAir though. 

Do you agree with this ranking? What’s your favorite airlines?

This was so much fun and got such good feedback, its only fair to share with my folks also. If you missed it and want to see the replay, comment "TEA" below or in my DM and Katheline or I will send it to you.  I'm following her lead on this... 😎

Award Winning Fortune 500 Exec | I Coached 15,000+ tech workers to Build a Career & Business they Love | Ex-Google

View Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc’s profile

Part 1 of The LinkedIn Tea is officially done  🫖 🍵 . Co-hosted with Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR, we broke down what moves the needle on LinkedIn right now, and how to turn your presence into real outcomes: interviews, partnerships, clients, and offers.

Here’s what we covered:

On LinkedIn Growth
•⁠  Define your unique voice + show up unapologetically
•⁠ What the algorithm is prioritizing (and what it’s quietly deprioritizing)
•⁠ How to create posts even when you “don’t know what to say”

On Career Growth
•⁠ Build a brand that attracts recruiters (not just likes)
•⁠ How to job-search in today’s landscape when “apply + wait” doesn’t work

On Attracting Opportunities
•⁠ Convert visibility into partnerships, clients, and revenue opportunities


If you missed it, don’t worry... Part 2 is coming.
👋🏾  Comment “TEA” and I’ll send the replay. 
 🗞️ Also... Join my newsletter to never miss a beat: https://lnkd.in/gX4mEkVA

P.S.: We met a few months ago in person in my backyard in LA. Then we decided to run a webinar on our journey.

Ranked #1 Global Positioning | Founder of Beyond Brilliant ™ | Award-Winning Founder & Speaker | Ex-U.S. Congress Comms Director | 35M +Views

Iza Montalvo is an award-winning founder, journalist, speaker and former political communications strategist. 

For two decades, she has  reported news, shaped public narratives for elected officials, crafted messaging for high-stakes campaigns, and trained Fortune 500 executives to command any stage.

Her purpose is to help brilliant leaders move past modesty to master the art of what she calls "Graceful Self-Promotion” in the new Brilliance Economy.

Montalvo has observed that for two decades, natural modesty, the belief that "work should speak for itself" can hold back the most capable leaders from promotions, stages, and deals. 

She argues that this is not about imposter syndrome or lack of confidence, but a strategic blind spot where brilliant operators mistake necessary visibility for arrogance.

As the founder of the Beyond Brilliant movement, Montalvo teaches a unique approach to visibility rooted in the invisible mechanics of perception to ensure her clients' brilliance is seen and rewarded. 

Montalvo's work on influence and messaging has been formally recognized on the floor of the U.S. Congress and permanently archived in the Library of Congress.

Connect with Iza: She is available for keynote speaking engagements (including her talk, "Why Brilliant Women Undersell Themselves"), media commentary, and strategic consulting on influence and visibility.

Iza Montalvo 🧲

Everyone reads your presence before your words 💥 
(The 4 ways people read you)

Studies show people form first impressions in under 1 second.

If you show up small, people read you small. 
If you show up vague, people read you vague. 
If you show up steady people trust you. 
If you show up clear people follow you. 

The same principle applies to your leadership:

If you treat people like helpers, they shrink. 
If you treat people like thinkers, they grow. 
If you treat people like placeholders, they leave. 
If you treat people like owners, they lead. 

Leadership and visibility share the same rule: 

People respond to the way you carry yourself 
before they respond to the words you say. 

Skills get you in the room. 
Presence is what people follow. 

If you want people to rise around you, 
show them what rising looks like.

Leaders don't do things for you...
they inspire you to grow. Agree? 

PS: Get access to 74-high performing hooks
here: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

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Ranked #1 Global Positioning | Founder of Beyond Brilliant ™ | Award-Winning Journalist & Speaker | Ex-U.S. Congress Comms Director | 35M+Views

The first hour of your day is prime real estate.
Spend it on work that moves you forward.

I see the same pattern in almost every leader and operator I work with:

They open the day with tasks that look productive, but don’t change anything.

Email.
Admin.
Quick replies.
Low-stakes work.

It feels safe.
It feels tidy.
But it doesn’t shift the needle.

The important work, the one task that demands focus or courage
gets pushed to the afternoon.

Then the afternoon fills up.
Then the task gets carried to the next day.
And the cycle repeats.

Morning is the one window where your mind is clear.
No demands.
No fires.

Use that block for the work with weight.

A project that moves the business forward.
A decision you’ve delayed.
A problem that needs thought, not speed.
A task that shapes the week, not one that fills an hour.

Block your first hour.
Protect it.

You end the day lighter.
You end the week with momentum.

If this lands, try it tomorrow: give your first hour to the task you’ve been avoiding.

Watch what shifts.

♻️Repost if you agree 
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I still remember the moments where I was struggling 
but trying not to show it.

Training hard.
Competing.
Turning up.

But carrying more than anyone could see.
What got me through
wasn’t motivation.

It wasn’t talent.
It was people.

Teammates who noticed.
Someone checking in.
A word of encouragement
at the right time.

In sport and in life 
challenges are rarely beaten alone.

The strongest performers
aren’t the ones who never struggle.

They’re the ones
who feel supported when they do.

That support changes everything.

It builds confidence.
It builds resilience.
It keeps people in the game.

If you’re part of a team,
a club,
or a community 
never underestimate
the impact you can have
just by showing up for someone else.

Progress doesn’t happen in isolation.
It happens together.

♻️ Repost if you believe success is not a solo business.

The real performance gap isn’t hours.
It’s operating systems.

Do you trade time for output?
Top operators trade focus for output.

I’ve reviewed teams with high output and teams with low output.
The difference is structural, not personal.

Meetings are tools, not habits.
30-minute max.
Agenda or cancel.

One protected deep-work block.

👍 Daily.
👍 No interruptions.
👍 No exceptions.

Delegation based on leverage.
If the task doesn’t match their rate → offloaded.

Recovery is built in.
Clear mind equals sharp execution.
Fatigue means poor judgment.

Work ends when thinking degrades.
Not when the clock hits a number.

Teams that operate this way show:

🔥 Higher throughput
🔥 Fewer errors
🔥 Stronger decisions
🔥 Lower turnover
🔥 Predictable results

Long hours don’t scale.
Systems do.

If your calendar is full, your judgment is weak.
If your day is reactive, your output is low.
If you stay late, your systems are broken.

Remove one low-leverage task today.
Replace it with one high-leverage block tomorrow.

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5 YEARS OF FOCUS 

5 laws that shape our success
(And how we tend to pass them by)

I’ve been sitting with these ideas.
See if any of them feel close to your own life.

1. Murphy’s Law
When we fear something, it takes our focus.

The fear grows if your attention feeds it.
When you set simple safeguards, the fear loses its pull.

2. Kidlin’s Law
A problem on the page loses weight.

Once it’s written, the shape shows.
The pieces get clear.
We stop carrying the whole thing in our heads.

3. Gilbert’s Law
Our outcomes shift when we take the lead.

Not through blame.
Through a simple step:
“This part is mine. I’ll start here.”

4. Wilson’s Law
When we chase knowledge, money tends to follow.

Skills stack.
People notice when we’ve done the work.

5. Falkland’s Law
If a choice doesn’t need a decision, we can set it down.

Most of our tension comes from choices that can wait.
When we pause, the right moment shows itself.

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The 5 Most Famous Laws in The World 

If you feel behind, this is your sign: you’re not.

Every goal you label “out of reach” it’s possible next year.
I used to roll my eyes at reinvention.
Now I understand it.

Here’s what one focused year turned into:

🌟 Featured in Forbes
🌟 On a magazine cover
🌟 On a Times Square billboard
🌟 Gave an international talk
🌟 Joined the global faculty at Maven
🌟 Served clients across Europe
🌟Ranked #1 Globally in Branding & Positioning (Favikon)
🌟Brand partnerships 

…and more is on the way.

The shift wasn’t magic.
It was focus and career experience.
It was starting despite feeling "too old."

If you want a different 2026, begin with one step:

One clear sentence about who you help and how
One story that proves your work
Clean one part of your profile: Headline, About, or Featured

You don’t need a full plan.
You need a starting point.
And the courage to keep going.

PS: I’m opening the “Founder Authority Lab” a private container for founders. This is for founders who want authority, not just activity.

Limited enrollment. 

More details here: https://lnkd.in/eBvTaXW8

If your private success is bigger than your public presence…
this isn’t your fault.

(It’s your system)

Influence isn’t built from occasional brilliance.
It’s built from the signals you repeat,
the perceptions you reinforce,
and the identity you make your digital footprint.

There are only 3 things people use to judge your influence:

1️⃣ What they see you talk about
If your expertise isn’t visible, it isn’t perceived.
People assume you’re an authority when they can predict your point of view on a topic.

2️⃣ How consistently you show up
Repetition builds recognition.
Recognition builds trust.
Trust builds demand.
You aren’t under-valued, you’re under-seen.

3️⃣ The proof you make public
Wins. Lessons. Patterns.
Not to brag, but to signal what you know, how you think, and why you’re credible.
Private success only matters publicly when you translate it into visible evidence.

And here’s the part most people miss:

Your reputation doesn’t grow because you’re good.
It grows because you make your value unmistakable.

Influence grows when your signals become a system:
a repeatable rhythm that teaches people who you are,
what you stand for, and why your voice carries weight.

When you control the signals,
you control the perception.

When you control the perception,
you control the opportunity.

And the real shift is this:

You don’t need to become someone different to grow your influence.
Make the real you, the skilled, proven, exceptional you, the version people recognize.

Influence isn’t a spotlight.
It’s an operating system.

Build the system,
and the visibility follows.

PS: I talk about these topics every week in my free newsletter.
Sign up here and get 74 high-performing hooks: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

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I spoke with a founder who’d been in his field for almost 20 years.
Not the “social media expert” kind of experience.

The real kind.

The kind that holds companies together when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

👉 He led teams.
👉 Handled crises.
👉 Built things people relied on.

But when he tried to build something for himself, a side income, a little freedom, nothing moved.

He spent months trying to understand how others were using LinkedIn and AI to make a steady income, book stages and get featured as experts in top-tier media.

As someone who has ran campaigns for big names, and learned how to leverage LinkedIn in 1 year, I understand the pain too well. 

Then he confessed…

“I’ve signed up for webinars”
“I’ve tried posting more”
“I’ve tried writing in the right tone.”
“I’ve tried figuring out personal branding”

Every attempt ended the same way:

🚫 No traction.
🚫 No interest.
🚫 No real path forward.
🚫 Less money in the bank.

One night, he told me he sat in his car after work for almost an hour.
He didn’t want to walk into his house and pretend he wasn’t disappointed.
He said, in a quiet voice:

“I feel like I did everything right. And it still didn’t turn into anything for me.”
That’s the part most founders never share.
That’s what I call “The Hamster Wheel Trap.”

You’re not stuck because you lack experience.
You’re stuck because you think: 

I need to post more motivational content.
Which is getting you messages like: 
"You're so inspiring"
but not DMs asking for your help. 

You wait for something to click.
You spend hours prompting ChatGpt.
And none of it works.

That weekend, I showed him the part he’d been missing:

✅ How to package what he already knows.
✅ How to use AI to reduce the time it takes.
✅ How to build a simple machine that brings clients, media and stages
to him.

He didn’t expect much.
Not after months of quiet failure.

But he tried anyway.
Eleven days later, he brought in $12,400.

He didn’t cry because of the money.
He cried because something finally worked.

He said, “I just needed someone to show me the part nobody ever showed me.”
If you’re in "The Hamster Wheel Trap", era read this:

Your experience isn’t the issue.
The missing system is.
And that can be fixed.

PS: If any of this felt too familiar, that’s not failure.
It’s a sign you have been carrying everything alone. 

I speak about these topics in my newsletter: 
Sign up here: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

📸 Hotel Catalonia, Santo Domingo, November 2025

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Ranked #1 in Global Branding | 35M+ Reach | 3M+ Media For Clients | Advisor To Fortune 500 & Public Figures | I Reengineer How You’re Seen For More Clients, Stages & Press 💫

If your work is strong but your opportunities are weak, 
the problem isn’t talent.

It’s positional disadvantage.

People with less skill but stronger positional advantage 
will always advance faster
because decisions are made through perception, not spreadsheets.

Your work is the engine.
Your positioning is the leverage.

For 20 years, I’ve sat in rooms where decisions are made.
The gap between leaders and overlooked performers is clear:

Leaders shape the narrative around their work.
Others wait to be discovered.

Old rule: Do great work and hope it’s noticed.
New rule: Do great work and direct the attention it creates.

This is not ego.
This is execution.

You’re not missing visibility.
You’re missing positional advantage.
And positional advantage is built on purpose.

It doesn’t appear. 
It doesn’t drift in.
It comes from deliberate action, not extra hours or more effort.

Most high performers never learn this.
They produce excellent work, then wait for someone to connect the dots.
They assume track record is enough.

But decision-makers move with the story they’ve already heard.
Positional advantage is when your value is understood before you walk in
not after you prove it again and again.

Here’s what strengthens it:

1/ Clear evidence of value
Real results and outcomes.

2/ A concise, memorable narrative
If people can’t explain your value fast enough, it won’t travel far.

3/ Strategic placement
Your story and your work need to sit where decisions form
not in the background.

When these align, opportunities shift.

🤝 People advocate for you.
🤝 Your name comes up sooner.
🤝 Your work carries farther.

All without changing your talent, only your position.

PS: I share more about these topics in my free newsletter. Join here and get access to 74 high-performing hooks: izamontalvo.com/joinnow 

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She ran a company that moved markets. 
But online, her presence didn’t match her power.

That gap cost her millions in lost deals.

Most CEOs build their public presence like they're managing risk.
The ones who win build it like legacy.
This is perception engineering.

She came to me in August with a stacked résumé:

→ Board positions  
→ A leadership record
→ Negotiations across the US

Her public presence was polished and forgettable.
That’s the most expensive brand position a CEO can have.

So we tore the whole thing down and started again.
We rebuilt her public identity from the foundation.

No corporate filler. 
No recycled commentary. 
No messaging that sounded like her comms team.

🧲 We made her thinking unmistakable. 
🧲 We made her decisions quotable. 
🧲 We positioned her with the force she uses behind closed doors.

Here’s what happened when her presence finally matched her influence:

→ 120,000 + monthly impressions (up from 200) 
→ Prospects in her inbox without outreach 
→ Podcast hosts requesting her as a guest 
→ Media booking her without a pitch 
→ Industry peers treating her like the authority she is

This is what it took:

✅ A defined public identity 
✅ A messaging strategy using my proven frameworks
✅ A clear link between values and vision 

If your public persona undersells you, your deals run slower and your room access shrinks.

P.S. The gap between who you are and who you appear to be online is costing you more than you realize. 

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I used to think being "the boss" meant:


Having all the answers
Being the smartest in the room
Proving my worth

That pressure hits different when you are:

✅ Breaking into new spaces
✅ Challenging status quo
✅ Fighting imposter syndrome daily

5 shifts that transformed my leadership:

1/ From talking → to listening
↳ The best insights come from the quiet voices
↳ Make space for every perspective

2/ From spotlight → to spotlight-sharing
↳ Success is sweeter when celebrated together
↳ Your team's wins are your wins

3/ From directing → to removing barriers
↳ Ask "What's in your way?"
↳ Then clear that path

4/ From knowing it all → to learning together
↳ Vulnerability builds trust
↳ "I don't know" is be powerful

5/ From individual success → to collective growth
↳ Help others see their potential
↳ Build bridges, not pedestals

The greatest leadership moment:
When someone says 
"You helped me believe in myself."

That's the real measure of success.

You don't need to be the hero.
Be the one who helps create them.

What leadership lesson hit home for you?

PS: Tag a leader who lifted you up when you needed it.

🔔 Follow Iza Montalvo 🧲 for more 
🔄 Share this with someone who needs to hear it

The most useful daily hack?
Noticing when your habits stop matching your growth.👇

You already know how to get things done.
What you may not notice is this…

How often you work inside a system you outgrew.
If you move fast, lead teams, or run your own shop, you’ve built a set of habits that keep your days efficient.

They’ve served you well.
They’ve also shaped an invisible box around how you think.

Rules that say:

✅ “this is how I work.”
✅ “this is what gets results.”
✅ “this is the fastest way.”

And sometimes it is.
But not always.

We slip into this without noticing.

A task you can drop without anything breaking.
A pattern you’ve been repeating out of comfort, not usefulness.
A method that worked last year but slows you down now.

You don’t need a new system.
You don’t need more discipline.
You just need enough space to notice where your thinking hasn’t caught up with you yet.

Inside the box, you’re efficient.
Outside it, your ideas have room to stretch, which often leads to better work in less time.

If you’re craving more freedom in how you operate, more control of your hours, better decisions, simpler days, it starts here:

Not with a hack.
Not with a tool.
Just the willingness to ask whether the rules you follow are still yours.

♻️ If you’re in a season of changing how you work, this is a good place to start, pass it on.
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You didn’t outgrow your life.
You just got used to the desert.

This video reminded me how many people 
stay in places that no longer fit
simply because they’re familiar.

Take Lena.
She worked in corporate HR for nine years.
Good title. Steady paycheck.

Everyone assumed she had it figured out.
But at night, she restored old furniture in her garage
pieces people rushed to buy.

She kept saying she wasn’t “ready” to open a store.
Then one afternoon she heard herself repeat it
and felt the gap between her words and her truth.

Three months later, she rented a small workshop.
Now there’s a waiting list.

Then there’s Jordan.
He stayed close to friends who pulled him down
because it felt easier than walking away.
He wasn’t choosing connection.
He was choosing habit.

When he stepped back, his days grew quiet
and light.

Maybe you’re here too:

💫 A job that pays you but drains you
💫 An idea you keep pushing aside
💫 A version of yourself you keep delaying

Here’s something simple:

You can change your direction when the path stops matching who you’re becoming.

You didn’t outgrow your life.
You just got used to the desert.

And like that camel, you might shock yourself
when you step toward your ocean.
Not with a leap.
With one honest move.

PS: Leaving the desert for good in 2026?
Let’s talk in the comments.

♻️ Repost if this hits home
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🎥 Video credit: ytinopp34/X

Iza Montalvo 

Ranked #1 in Global Branding | 35M+ Reach | 3M+ Media For Clients | Advisor To Fortune 500 & Public Figures | Ask Me About My 6-Week Accelerator For More Clients, Stages & Press 💫

Staying in a place you’ve outgrown isn’t loyalty.
It’s a slow kind of shrinking.

Most people don’t stay because they’re fulfilled.
They stay because it’s familiar.

Because it’s quiet.
Because it asks nothing new of them.
But there’s a cost to that kind of comfort:

💔 Your skills level off
💔 Your ideas stay small
💔 Your drive dims

Your network stays narrow
Your confidence stalls
You feel it long before you name it.

The meetings get predictable.
The work stops teaching you anything.
The ceiling lowers a little more each week.

You’re not dramatic.
You’re not impatient.
You’ve simply outgrown the room.

The people who move forward don’t wait for a crisis.
They pay attention to the early signs.
They choose places that stretch them.

They leave before their talent goes quiet.
You don’t need permission to want more space.
You only need to trust the part of you that knows when the season has ended.

Staying small isn’t stability.
It’s delay.
Leaving isn’t chaos.
It’s courage.

Your life expands the moment you do.

♻️ Repost if someone you know is staying somewhere they’ve outgrown
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The struggle isn’t blocking your rise, it’s shaping you for it.

Ever feel like every step forward comes with another test?
You’re not the only one.

But what if the leaders you admire didn’t rise despite their hurdles…
but because they stayed long enough to learn what those hurdles were trying to teach?

You treat this challenge like a glitch, like life dropped the wrong assignment on your desk.

But you know this pattern.

The moment you avoid is the moment that forces the shift you’ve delayed.
Not fate.
Not a lesson wrapped in a bow.
Just pressure pointing at what needs your attention.

Try this: 

1/ Take one breath before you respond.
It gives you space to see the situation, not your fear.
2/ Ask a clear question:
“What does this open right now?”
The answer often sits in plain sight.
3/ Change the method, not the aim.
If the straight line fails, use the turn.
The target stays the same.
4/ Look at what the moment exposes.
A gap.
A habit.
A truth.

Treat it as information, not judgment.
If you’re carrying something heavy today, don’t rush past it.
Stay with it long enough to understand it.

There’s direction inside it…
And once you see it, the next step becomes obvious.

PS: What is the obstacle in front of you trying to tell you?

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The Battle

Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR

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The Battle

Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR

Iza Montalvo 🧲

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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);}Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR's LinkedIn Performance

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