The Systems Guy • Follow me for systems on health, wealth, and free time ⚡ Cornell MBA • 2M+ audience

Hi, I'm Ben Meer.

Tired of non-actionable life advice, I started writing online in February 2022.

Here are the results:

→ Built social audience from 0 to 2M+ (across IG, LinkedIn, and X) 
→ Grew 0 to 690K+ followers on LinkedIn in 21 months
→ Scaled newsletter—System Sunday—from 0 to 270K+ subscribers

There are 2 primary ways I can help you:

1) System Sunday Newsletter

Most people don't know how to build life systems to accelerate personal growth. So I created a weekly newsletter that teaches these systems (it's free). Subscribe to unlock new levels of wealth, health, and freedom.

→ Try it: benmeer.com/ss

2) Archimedes [Coaching]

Access the most exclusive members' club for LinkedIn thought leaders. Get the proven systems, resources, and community to 10x your personal brand. 

→ Check it out: joinarchimedes.com

——

Sponsorships: partnerships@benmeer.com

Ben Meer

An idea I’m implementing in my life:

The 1-6-4 Method.

Popularized by entrepreneur and author Jesse Itzler, it’s a foolproof way to make sure you always have fun planned throughout the year.

1. Plan one big “year-making” event 

This is inspired by the Japanese concept of Misogi (a challenging annual endeavor).

Pick one massive defining challenge or event for the year that pushes you to grow past your limits:

• A long endurance event (like a marathon)
• A big personal project (like finally starting that side business)
• Something transformative (like a multi-day solo backpacking trip)

This’ll act as the anchor for your year.

2. Schedule 6 mini-adventures for every other month 

Lock in one small, exciting experience every other month (6 per year):

• Going camping at a national park
• Traveling on vacation to a place you’ve never been
• Attending a music festival where your favorite artist is performing
• Hosting a group of friends for a dinner party and game night
• Explore a new part of your city that you’ve always wanted to visit

3. Implement a winning habit every quarter

Add one positive, compounding habit every 3 months (4 per year).

It could be drinking more water, walking 10k steps per day, meditating, being on time, or any small routine that improves your life. 

These are your building blocks for long-term growth.

—

We’ve become bad at leisure.

The digital world isn’t bringing as much joy to our lives.

Having alternative choices (using the 1-6-4 Method) to look forward to throughout the year makes life so much more enjoyable.

And remember: 

Put these on your calendar so they actually happen rather than staying as ideas.

Cheers to more joy this year and beyond. 🥂

♻️ Repost to share this with your network.
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How to live life like it’s your second time around.

5 rules to experience more joy and less regret:

1. Remember the Spotlight Effect.

We think people are paying far more attention to us than they are. 

Harsh truth: 

Your freedom begins the day you realize nobody is thinking about you.

—

2. Consider the things you won’t care about in 5 years. 

• Other people’s opinions
• Petty disagreements
• Sensationalized news 

Allow yourself to stop caring now.

—

3. Shift your mindset from ‘I don’t know how’ to ‘I don’t know how yet.’

In the words of Adam Grant:

• Impostor syndrome: ‘I don't know what I'm doing. It's only a matter of time until everyone finds out.’

• Growth mindset: ‘I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's only a matter of time until I figure it out.’

The highest form of self-confidence is believing in your ability to learn.

—

4. Make 'No' your default. 

Whether it's a new work project or social gatherings, saying 'Yes' to non-priorities ruins your priorities. 

As Derek Sivers says, if it's not a 'Hell yeah,' it's a no.

Then pour that time into what actually excites you.


—

5. Normalize being weird.

“Weirdness is what sets us apart, gets us hired. Be your unapologetically weird self. In fact, being weird may even find you the ultimate happiness.” —Chris Sacca

—

We only get one do-over in this beautiful life. 

Make sure to live it intentionally. 🙌

♻️ Repost to help others live life to the fullest.
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If I had to restart my career tomorrow, these are the 9 soft skills I’d learn first:

1. Be the person who gets things done
↳ Organizations reward initiative.
↳ Solve problems proactively (promotions follow naturally).

2. Leverage the 7-38-55 Rule
↳ Other’s impression of you comes primarily from nonverbal cues.
↳ Focus on your tone and body language to elevate your communication.

3. Use the 4-Bullet Update
↳ Remind leaders of the task, your actions, blockers/risks, and follow-ups.
↳ You respect their time and show ownership.

4. Practice the Gratitude Loop regularly
↳ Spot good work, call it out specifically, and reciprocate.
↳ You will build loyalty and strong alliances fast.

5. Treat your speaking like game film
↳ Record calls/meetings and review them often. 
↳ It’ll help eliminate filler words and sharpen your delivery.

6. Send weekly Friday Highlights 
↳ Recap your wins and things you’re looking out for next week. 
↳ You both build trust in the moment and create a stack of evidence for review season. 

7. Apply the Plus One Rule everywhere
↳ Find ways to leave every process 1% better. 
↳ Consistent small upgrades make you indispensable.

8. Give yourself a Personal MBA
↳ 30 minutes of daily business reading sharpens your mind over time. 
↳ You’ll be thinking (and acting) like an executive before you know it. 

9. Eliminate complaining and gossip
↳ Your words about others reflect directly on your integrity.
↳ Replace negative speak with direct, respectful communication.

The AI era is here, and hard skills can be outsourced faster than ever.

What can’t be outsourced?

Your reputation.
Your initiative.
The trust you build with the people around you.

People skills are the real opportunity in 2026 and beyond.

And the best part is, anyone can learn them.

♻️ Repost to share these skills with your team.
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How to subtly upgrade your life in 2026.

Dial in these 5 everyday inputs:

1. Social Inputs

You become the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Choose wisely:

• Find intellectual sparring partners (where you help one another).
• Resist false kindness: Create an inner circle that will give you honest feedback.
• Avoid energy vampires: Spend more time with people who give you energy and less time with those who steal it.

—

2. Information Inputs

Elevate your sources. 

If you want to level up your information diet, here are some immediate upgrades:

TED Talks, documentaries, insightful podcasts, books that challenge and inspire, and unbiased news sources.

See the comments below for a curated list of my favorite resources.

—

3. Mental Inputs

Small shifts in language create big mindset shifts.

Among my favorites:

• Failure → Learning
• Stuck → Exploring new angles
• Nervous → Energized
• Hate → I prefer
• Have to → Get to

—

4. Health Inputs

Your brain influences every thought, feeling, and action you take.
So prioritize your brain health:

• Take long walks.
• Sleep 7+ hrs nightly.
• Have a strong rest ethic to avoid burnout.
• Rebalance your dopamine with less screen time.

—

5. Environmental Inputs

Pare down to essential items.

Then, manage both inbound & outbound possessions.

Inbound:
• Choose quality > quantity
• Purchase less; love every single item more

Outbound:
• Follow the 1 In, 1 Out Rule: If you buy one item, then donate, sell, or toss another

—

Your future results are a lagging measure of your current inputs.

Choose wisely. Everything else is downstream.

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The ultimate career superpower?

Learning faster than everyone else.

These 4 science-backed frameworks make it possible:

1. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
↳ Identify the 20% of material driving 80% of learning.

2. Spaced Repetition 
↳ Revisit concepts at growing intervals. Memory compounds with time.

3. Feynman Technique
↳ Break an idea down into its simplest parts to deeply understand it.

4. Memory Palace
↳ Attach facts to memorable mental images. Visuals are hard to forget.

 —

Accelerate your learning with AI:

Here’s 3 prompts to use:

1. “Explain [topic] to me as if I’m 12.”

2. “Quiz me on [topic] with 5 questions, then give hints only if I’m stuck.” 

3. “Generate a spaced-repetition schedule for mastering [skill] in 30 days.”

Paste these into your favorite AI to take action. 

—

The best investment you’ll ever make is in your own mind.

Information is abundant. It’s the willingness to learn that’s rare.

💾 Save this to find it later.
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"Culture eats strategy for breakfast." —Peter Drucker

20 simple phrases to build a healthy team culture:

If you want to install a growth mindset:

1. "What did we learn?"
2. "How might we…?"
3. "I need your help…"
4. "What are your thoughts on…?"
5. "Thanks for taking that risk."

If you want to build trust:

6. "I made a mistake."
7. "You've got my full support."
8. "I appreciate when you…"
9. Help me understand…"
10. "I trust your judgement."

If you want to cut out toxic language (avoid these):

11. "That's not my job."
12. "We've always done it this way."
13. "Who's to blame?"
14. "That'll never work."
15. "Just do what I say."

If you want to prevent eroding your culture (avoid these):

16. "They should have…"
17. "You're wrong because…"
18. "That's a stupid idea."
19. "Why didn't you…"
20. "I told you so."

The words you speak become the culture you work in.

The best ones don't just happen overnight.

They're built one word, phrase, and conversation at a time.

♻️ Repost to champion healthy workplace communication.
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Justin M. Nassiri

I’m the Founder and CEO of Executive Presence, where we help leaders build trust, visibility, and influence through authentic executive thought leadership on LinkedIn.

In just over three years, we've bootstrapped past $3M ARR, partnered with more than 250 executives, and conducted more than 750 CEO interviews. When leaders show up consistently in their own voice, their entire company benefits.

Most executives already have a network that trusts them. They just lack a system that keeps them top of mind. My team and I help them articulate what they believe, stay relevant in moments that matter, and expand their influence to hire better, sell faster, raise capital, and shape their industry's narrative.

Our work is built around three principles:

• Authenticity: capture the leader’s real voice and worldview
• Efficiency: require as little as 90 minutes of their time each month
• Measurability: track progress weekly with clear KPIs and outcomes

I work with CEOs, founders, and senior executives at high-growth companies who want their leadership to be an asset that compounds.

My own path shapes how I think about leadership, communication, and influence:

• Officer aboard nuclear submarines, leading teams of more than 200 in high-stakes environments
• Stanford MBA and three-time founder
• Former CEO of StoryBox, funded by Eric Schmidt and used by over 1,000 brands
• Host of the 450-episode leadership and career podcast Beyond the Uniform

Every role taught me the same lesson: Executives are among a company’s most underutilized assets. When leaders communicate with clarity and consistency, they elevate culture, attract talent, deepen trust, and move their industries forward.

My work at Executive Presence is about helping leaders do exactly that - authentically, efficiently, and with measurable results.

CEO ◆ We turn leaders into thought leaders

We specialize in helping top-tier executives boost their visibility, activate their network, and position themselves as thought leaders via our premium, fully-managed LinkedIn service.

Our unique process involves ex-McKinsey, BCG, and Bain consultants conducting monthly hour-long interviews with our clients, and turning them into impactful daily LinkedIn posts to establish their unique voice and authority. 

We've helped over 100 CEOs become thought leaders. On average, our clients see a 500% bump in engagement in their first 30 days with us. Data is continuously analyzed to improve engagement and identify impactful messaging that you can use for conferences, podcasts, and internal communications.

The best company doesn't always win.

The best-known company does.

Critical business outcomes are decided before the facts are fully evaluated.

When a buyer is choosing between you and a competitor, they're not running a feature-by-feature analysis. They're asking: Do I trust this leader?

When a senior engineer is weighing two offers, they look up the CEO first. Is this someone I want to follow?

When an investor is evaluating your round, they're betting on you, not just your numbers. If you're invisible, you're a question mark.

While you're heads down doing great work in private, your competitors are building perception in public. And they're eating your lunch.

You don't need to become an influencer. 
You don't need to love the spotlight.

You need to show up consistently where your stakeholders already are, with a point of view that makes your leadership visible.

Because when decisions are being made, the leaders already in the conversation have an enormous advantage over those who aren't.

The market doesn't reward the best. It rewards the best perceived.

And if you're not willing to shape that perception, someone else will shape it for you - or worse, you won't have one at all.

CEO @ Executive Presence | Executive LinkedIn Strategy | Say Something Worth Reading

The other day, I was sitting down with my leadership team and feeling the anticipatory anxiety of impending criticism.

In past years, maybe I would have let this anxiety push me towards reactivity and negativity.

But before this conversation, I found myself recognizing the anxious feeling I had coming up - and not only recognizing it, but relaxing into it.

My team and I wound up having an honest, direct, and productive discussion.

What’s my secret?

It’s a side effect of personal growth work: improved capacity for leadership growth.

I’ve invested in retreats, therapy, and men’s groups over the years as a way to work on my own healing and improve my emotional regulation.

And as I’ve gone through these experiences, I’ve gotten better at noticing my emotions and reactions in personal settings.

This skill has, thankfully, translated to professional settings.

It has expanded my ability to tolerate discomfort - a major leadership requirement that isn’t in the same category as reading a P&L or building a sales process. 

It’s something much more challenging, in my opinion…and it can really only come with intentional, often personal, work.

So I’m glad I invest so much time and energy into personal growth.

Without it, I don’t think I’d be giving myself the best chance to make progress as a leader.

PS: I spoke more about this and other leadership lessons on The Failure Gap Podcast with host Julie Williamson, PhD. Thanks for having me on, Julie!

Every single year, while my team celebrated, I felt a quiet dread.

For three years straight, EP grew in revenue, headcount, and clients - something that’s abnormal for startups. I knew turbulence was coming. I just didn't know when. 

And I kept wondering whether my team would panic or lose faith in what we were building when it finally arrived.

This year, I finally got my answer.

2025 hit us hard. Sales slowed, we lost clients, and we lost employees. There were moments on Zoom calls where I could feel people wondering if the company was in trouble and whether they needed to be worried about their jobs.

We hit a lot of the checkboxes of the worst things that can happen at a company, and they all seemed to happen in the same year.

But somewhere around midyear, things started to turn. Sales picked up again. We had our most profitable quarter ever in Q4. And the team that stayed became stronger and more aligned than we'd ever been.

For four years, I carried this fear that my team hadn't been tested. But that fear is gone now, because everyone on this team has seen the hard stuff and chosen to keep building with me.

And now, I trust them more than I ever have.

You're already saying things worth posting on LinkedIn.

You're saying them on sales calls, in team meetings, in one-on-ones - you're just not capturing them.

Our long-term clients have figured this out. They show up to interviews with notes from the week - "I had a conversation on Tuesday I want to talk through" or "A prospect asked me something I've never thought about before."

In other words, they've developed the habit of noticing when they say something worth sharing - and you can build that habit too. 

Start by recording your next sales call and reading the transcript a few days later.

I'd bet you find at least one idea worth posting.

Why speaking unlocks ideas that writing buries Most executives I work with can talk about their expertise for an hour without breaking a sweat. Put th

Open article: You're Already Saying Things Worth Posting
 by Justin M. Nassiri • 4 min read

You're Already Saying Things Worth Posting

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