Brett Butler MBA FMVA®

Sales Director

HireSphere AI

- Helped bootstrap MVP that identifies candidates appropriate for interview based on personalized criteria, then automates interview process using AI in less than 120 days 

- Built Global Council comprised of world's best psychologists, data scientists, hiring managers, speakers, performance coaches, and interviewers with experience at brands such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, US Special Forces, PWC, and More

- Secured partnership with Closers.io to assist in spearheading our salesforce, with pipeline to $3M ARR Run Rate in < 24 Months 

- Built comprehensive business plan, development roadmap, and investment memo with plans to begin Pre-Seed raise in 2025 to accelerate growth

CEO & Co-Founder

Solve For X

• Champions due diligence team by analyzing market trends, competitive landscapes, customer behavior, and business performance to guide executive decision-making.  

• Performs deep industry data dives and market research to uncover new opportunities, emerging trends, and potential risks to the business.  Drive business forecasting, predictive analytics, and scenario modeling to support risk management and identify growth opportunities. Offers actionable insights that shape product positioning, pricing strategies, and go-to-market plans.

• Serves as client lead on fundraising, investor relations, M&A opportunities & partnerships by creating by delivering data-backed insights, and creating bespoke financial models that inform investment strategies & growth decisions.

• Deliver strategic reports for board meetings, investor updates, and leadership decisions, focusing on high-impact metrics and market trends.  Designs and maintains executive dashboards and KPIs to provide leadership with real-time insights into business performance and operational efficiency.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, finance, marketing, and sales teams to ensure business intelligence insights are integrated into overall strategy. Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and C-suite executives, providing strategic recommendations based on data analysis, and market intelligence.

• Lead and mentor business intelligence teams, fostering a culture of strategic thinking, data-driven decision making, continuous innovation, and synergy within organizations.

Head of Business Intelligence 

BTB Consulting LLC

• Serve as a consultant to educate individuals/businesses regarding Financial Wellness, Investment Due Diligence, Risk Management, and Financial Planning

• Services include Financial Goal Setting, Facilitating Education Webinars, 1 on 1 Conversations, Debt Management Strategies, Life Event Planning, Investment Due Diligence, Bespoke Document Creation, and much more.

• Spearheaded businesses development, fundraising, and investor relations for various clients as well as managed entire investor relations process, raising $10M+ in total funding.  Directly involved in landing 20 investors at six-figure ($100k+) levels.

• Assists startup clients with financial modeling beginning with identifying potential revenue drivers and assumptions to quantify those drivers.  Created custom financial models, tokenomics, and other documents for potential investors. 

Clients worked with: PWC, Apple, PepsiCo, BP, Barclays, CPChemical, and More

Owner

Brass Synergy

• Co-Founded DAO aimed at combining the benefits of Freelancing, Networking and Investment Platforms for Web3 users.

• Accepted & Completed 2023 InnMind Accelerator

• Completed all company documentation(Whitepaper, Tokenomics, One Pager, Pitch Deck, etc.)

• Created custom job bot, aggregating Web3 opportunities to over 500,000 users and created partnerships with 90+ communities

• Spearheaded fundraising & Oversubscribed Seed Round and raised $500k from Friends and Family for the purposes of setting up the project.  Led efforts to land lead investor and multiple supporting investors at six-figure ($100k+) investment levels. 

•Crafted Customer journey along with identifying several additional revenue models for the project.  Created financial model quantifying potential revenue streams, taking into account token emissions schedule, selling pressures, and market dynamics.

Co-Founder

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

• Served as investment strategy consultant, providing holistic financial planning, investment advice, and wealth management solutions to clients through products such as 529 plans, 401 (k)’s, mutual funds, and ETF’s

• Consistently recognized as highest performing advisor out of 100+ team members in my 1st year, throughout training and go-live performance, exceeded all sales/business development goals and targets by over 50%, while exceeding satisfaction goals through superior customer service.

• Aided corporate strategy pivot through developing, implementing, and teaching innovative at home training curriculum, leveraged by over 500 teammates nationwide during COVID-19 stay at home mandate

Advisor Development Program Financial Solutions Advisor

Bank of America

• Fully Licensed Financial Advisor (SIE, Series 7, and Series 66) who provided unmatched customer service, with comprehensive financial solutions through Bank of America products such as Credit Cards, CD's, and Savings Accounts.

• Managed existing Bank Accounts and performed follow up calls to ensure client expectations were exceeded in all facets

Advisor Development Program Relationship Manager

FCF Enterprises LLC

• Functioned as strategic business advisor where I defined investment strategy and performed comprehensive investment due diligence, including extensive fundamental, technical, market, and data analysis resulting in a 3000% ROI in 9 months for client through recommendation to purchase Ripple (XRP) and implement into their financial plan

• Contracted as strategy consultant where I led a transformation engagement for a struggling cryptocurrency company, including full examination of company financials, defining new strategic direction, reproduction of business plan, due diligence materials, and private round of funding raising $10MM during “Great Crypto Crash of 2018”

• Served as an advisor/consultant for several startup ventures by providing insight on business strategies, business processes, control mechanisms, organizational structure, financial and marketing plans, and overall implementation plan. Through the improved alignment and communication of founder vision, each project raised an additional $5 million in funding on average. 

• Performed extensive financial market analysis and comprehensive business evaluation to identity opportunities for improvement and portfolio growth.  Prepared investment reports, business plans, and strategic recommendations that allowed portfolio growth to go from $5,000 to $150,000 in 8 months.

Strategic Business Advisor, Consultant, Investor

Financial Education Services Inc.

• Led continuous improvement as member of corporate strategy & development team by creating new training program consisting of leadership calls, quantifiable daily KPI’s, knowledge checks, & business strategy roadmaps resulting in 500% increase ($2,500 to $12,500) month 1 production, and 200% increase (2.5 to 5 months) in customer retention

• Championed competitive intelligence initiative and crafted business strategy that resulted in the largest and highest performing team in company, producing over $5MM in annual recurring revenue.

• Proactively engaged all agents to gather information, resolve problems, motivate staff, and continuously improve by managing online groups, training forums, and social media pages resulting in engagement increasing by 400%

Sales Director & Head of Corporate Strategy & Development

Spoken Word Properties, LLC

• Created reports for owners by defining property criteria, identifying, and hitting KPI’s, and performing extensive market analysis resulting in identifying undervalued properties and increasing average profit per renovation by $10,000

• Reduced average renovation timeline by 28 days through implementing CRM solution (Podio), causing better data and partner management, increased communication between owners and contractors, and standardized processes

• Assisted projects from tracking and locating properties (property research, attending foreclosure auctions) to setup (interpreting various renovation strategies along with potential ROI on each property) to troubleshooting (interpreting construction law and city building codes) and assisting in renovation efforts.

Rennovation Laborer

Founder & CEO @ Brass Synergy — the vetted, talent ecosystem for Web3 professionals.

I’ll never forget the lemonade stand I ran when I was eight years old.

It only brought in $100…

But that hustle inspired me to try real estate, forex & stock trading

Ultimately allowing me to build a credit services company from 0 to $5M ARR.

And college? Graduated with a double major and double minor — but I was restless.

And with $5K in graduation money, I went all in on cryptocurrency—

And in 6 months, that investment multiplied to $250K.

I felt unstoppable, scaling a startup’s community to 50,000 and its market cap to over $100M.

But then it happened—

The founder did a rug pull; crashing the project, wiping out millions & turned my world upside down.

I had my Mike Tyson moment—realizing everyone’s got a plan ‘til they get punched in the mouth.

I had no choice but to keep going. So, I pivoted back to financial consulting, managing $50M.

But my entrepreneurial passion persisted.  

I went all in to find answers, and noticed something remarkable.

I connected with countless freelancers, professionals, & companies all who had a similar story.

Applying for countless roles to find out the company or role wasn’t legitimate.

Performing work and not getting paid or taking weeks to receive payment on freelancing platforms.

Or hiring someone only to receive late or poor quality work, costing much needed time and money

I knew there had to be a better way to network, transact, and source talent in a transparent way.

I just needed a sign and during my conversations I made a striking discovery.

Freelancers and Web3 users share a striking resemblance—

70% were millennials and Gen Z with similar age ranges, locations, and interests.

And when the world went remote, it was my cue that now was the time.

HireSphere AI was born—

An AI Powered, full automated, talent verification, recruitment, and workforce management platform with a global verified talent marketplace. 

A fusion of Web3, AI, and Blockchain revolutionizing how people hire and work 
→ Understanding what makes people top performers AND how to consistently validate those skills through robust interviews with deep people science
-> Creating digitally verifiable on-chain profiles to build trust & safety
-> Augmenting the process with AI to match talent with jobs, streamline hiring and verify history
-> Ultimately building the world's best verified global talent marketplace that supports fiat & crypto payments & rewards active members 

I started with a lemonade stand and a dream…

Now we have a global council of the world's best helping us.

And the best part is I’m just getting started.

• Serve as a consultant to educate individuals/businesses regarding Financial Wellness, Investment Due Diligence, Risk Management, and Financial Planning

• Services include Financial Goal Setting, Facilitating Education Webinars, 1 on 1 Conversations, Debt Management Strategies, Life Event Planning, and much more

• Assists startup clients with financial modeling beginning with identifying potential revenue drivers and assumptions to quantify those drivers.  Used information to create custom financial model for current/potential investors to secure additional capital.

• Currently working on my CFP designation (2023 estimated completion)

Brett Butler

Ghostwriter & Messaging Strategist helping leaders achieve 70% opt-ins with a Microstory Journey using the 3-Minute Story Blueprint to build trust and convert hesitant prospects into eager customers.

Most businesses struggle to convert leads because they rely on forgettable downloads and meaningless discounts that fail to create an emotional connection. 

Prospects don't just need information, they need to feel valued, to trust you, and to experience genuine engagement. 

That's why I created the concept of the Microstory Journey, a 5-day emotional experience that uses the 3-Minute Story Blueprint to touch hearts, build authentic connections, and establish unshakable trust, turning hesitant prospects into eager customers ready to take action.

AWAI Verified Copywriter
Case Studies Certification
Sales Enablement Certification

WRITING SERVICES I PROVIDE:

📨 5-Day Education Email Courses
💲 Ghostwriting on Social Media Platforms
📰  Newsletters
🌐   Web Content
✍️   Blog Posting
📧   Email Marketing
🛒   Sales Pages
📱   Facebook/Google Ads 

WHOM I WORK WITH: I help executives, CEOs, founders, & coaches.

3 Simple Steps to Powerful Messaging
1. Define your goals and messaging. 
2. Develop a customized storytelling strategy. 
3. Execute and refine messaging for maximum impact.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Email me at mike@mikehays.net OR
Book a call with me at https://calendly.com/ask-mikehays

Mike Hays

“If I were really that good… wouldn’t people just know?”

I used to think great work spoke for itself.

That thought used to haunt me.

I’d pour my heart into coaching, get referrals 
here and there, and quietly assume that great 
work would naturally lead to great clients.

Meanwhile, I watched others post daily.
Sharing testimonials. Wins. Lessons. Offers.
At first, I judged them. “Must be compensating,” I told myself.

But beneath that judgment?
A fear I didn’t want to name.

The day I tried writing a post about my services, I froze.
It felt like admitting I wasn’t good enough.
Like needing to promote meant my work couldn’t speak for itself.

But then a client said something that cracked the whole illusion:

I had no idea you even did that. 
I would’ve hired you months ago if I knew.

That hit hard.

Here’s what I finally realized:

The people who need you the most aren’t psychic.
They don’t see the lives you’ve changed unless you show them.
They don’t know the depth of your work unless you talk about it.

Self-promotion isn’t proof you’re not good enough.
It’s proof you care enough to serve beyond 
the ones who already found you.

Quiet brilliance doesn’t create impact.
Visible value does.

Self-promotion isn’t arrogance.
It’s leadership.

If you're a coach or consultant struggling to be seen
what's holding you back from showing up?

Follow Mike Hays for more insights on leadership.

Mike  Hays

Messaging Strategist & Ghostwriter for Leaders - I help you turn short stories into trust, influence, and premium clients with my Microstory Journey using the 3-Minute Story Blueprint.

This One Practice Reveals Your Blind Spots, 

Refines Your Decisions, and Fuels Growth

Most entrepreneurs jump from crisis to crisis without ever 
stopping to learn from what just happened.

They're missing the most powerful tool for growth: systematic learning.

Here's how to turn your business into your personal MBA:

Study yourself first:
→ Note when you procrastinate vs. when you act fast
→ Document what triggers your best ideas
→ Identify your energy peaks and valleys
→ Track your decision-making patterns

Analyze your partnerships:
→ Which collaborations produce the strongest results?
→ When do conflicts arise, and what causes them?
→ What communication styles work best with each person?
→ How do different personalities complement your weaknesses?

Decode your market:
→ When do prospects say yes vs. when do they hesitate?
→ What customer complaints reveal hidden opportunities?
→ Which campaigns generate the highest engagement?
→ How do seasonal patterns affect your business?

The difference between struggling entrepreneurs 
and thriving ones isn't talent or luck.

It's the discipline to treat every interaction, 
every failure, and every success as data worth studying.

Smart business owners don't just experience t
heir business they study it like scientists.

They keep learning logs, review patterns monthly, 
and adjust strategies based on evidence, not emotions.

The question is:

Are you running your business, or is your business teaching you how to run it better?

🔔 Follow Mike Hays for more business strategies

If Your Team Can't Picture Your Strategy…

They'll Never Execute It Properly.

(The visualization gap that kills execution)

Everyone says, "communicate the vision."
But here's what leaders miss:

↳ Abstract strategies create confusion.
↳ Clear mental pictures drive action.

Here's why visualization transforms execution:

1. Cognitive Clarity

↳ Brain processes images 60,000x faster than text
↳ Visual concepts eliminate interpretation gaps
↳ Teams align on the same mental model

2. Emotional Connection

↳ Pictures trigger emotional engagement
↳ People commit to what they can see
↳ Abstract goals feel impossible to reach

3. Decision Framework

↳ Clear vision becomes a filter
↳ Teams self-correct toward the picture
↳ Reduces constant micro-management needs

4. Progress Tracking

↳ Visual goals show measurable progress
↳ Milestones become obvious checkpoints
↳ Momentum builds through visible wins

The Leadership Reality:

↳ Complex strategies overwhelm teams
↳ Clarity beats complexity every time
↳ Simple pictures inspire action

Your team isn't failing execution.
They're failing visualization.

Quick Question:

How do you help your team picture success?

Share your approach below
Follow Mike Hays  for more leadership insights

The Simple Clarity System I Guarded for Years

Now I’m Finally Sharing It

My career has been defined by high-stakes decisions and ticking clocks.

One thing kept me from burning out.

Clarity.

When the pressure hits, your brain 
wants options, not decisions.

More meetings, more messages, 
more browser tabs pretending to be progress.

Early in my career, I played that game.
I was always busy, rarely moving the needle.

Then higher roles raised the stakes even further.

Clients waited on my calls, revenue hinged on my calendar.

That pressure forced a hard truth on me.

Clarity isn't a nice-to-have.
Clarity is survival.

So I built a simple productivity system my career could trust.

Here is the system I use every single day:
→ Decide what you want.
→ Write it down where you will see it.
→ Each morning, choose the ONE task that moves you closest.
→ Block time and do that task before anything else.

No inbox.

No scrolling.

No “quick favors” that hijack your day.

This is how I rebuilt myself, again and again.

I have started companies, sold franchises, and pivoted careers.
Every reinvention began with one clear daily priority.

Most people confuse movement with progress.

Their calendars are full, their results are thin.

You win when your day serves your direction.

Tonight, will you pick tomorrow's one non-negotiable task?

Follow Mike Hays for more leadership advice.

Being a doctor, lawyer, or consultant actually makes you a worse writer.
Not better....Worse.


Because once you're the expert, your job becomes to "know."
↳To explain.
↳To teach.
↳To correct.

But that same expertise, your years of training, the frameworks you’ve mastered can trap you.

You start writing from reflex.
From what you’ve already decided is true.

And in doing so, you kill the very thing that makes writing online worth reading:

Fresh thinking.

Writing that changes minds doesn’t come from what you know
it comes from what you’re willing to re-examine.

The professionals who win online don’t have the most credentials.

↳They’re the ones who reflect publicly.
↳They question assumptions—even their own.
↳They share what others are afraid to say.
↳They think differently, and then they write from that difference.


In the age of AI and content overload, repeating 
the same “expert advice” makes you forgettable.

But when you write from reflection
not repetition you become magnetic.

People follow professionals who make them think.

Not the ones who explain what they already believe.

You’re not paid to write what’s obvious.

You’re remembered for writing what’s original.

Follow Mike Hays for more insights on growth and creativity

There’s no “magic list” of buyer emotions.

But there is a sequence you can’t skip.

Every time someone says yes to your offer
They’ve walked an invisible emotional path to get there.

Not because you convinced them.
Because you reflected what was already true.

They were feeling something.
They saw themselves in your words.
And something clicked.

It didn’t start with logic.
It started with emotion.

Here’s what that emotional journey looks like underneath the surface:

Desire: “This matters to me.”

Resonance: “You get me.”

Belief: “This could actually work.”

Vision: “That’s what my life could look like.”

Momentum: “I don’t want to wait another day.”

That’s the runway.

Not persuasion.
Progression.

If your story, sales page, or pitch isn’t landing
Check the emotional sequence.

Are you rushing to urgency…
Before someone even believes it’s possible?

Are you pitching transformation…
Before they’ve felt seen?

Every skipped emotion is a drop-off point.
Every honored one builds trust.

Don’t just move people.
Walk with them.

Which step in the emotional journey are you most likely to skip?

Follow Mike Hays for more communication strategies

⚠️ MARKETER WARNING:

Side effects include curiosity, skepticism, and clicks..

Use of the Word “New” May Cause Unexpected Spikes in Attention, Consideration, and Click-Through Rates...

…but only if you know what the heck you're doing.

Side Effects of Reckless “New” Usage Include:

❌ Sudden bursts of hype with no substance
❌ Inflated expectations your product can’t deliver
❌ Momentary engagement followed by long-term brand erosion
❌ Confused buyers who think “new” means “unproven”

Use “New” Responsibly:

✅ Only apply to genuinely novel value
✅ Frame as a trigger for exploration, not a crutch for conversion
✅ Combine with context, contrast, or mechanisms
✅ Treat “new” as a frame, not just a feature

Final Note:

“New” is a match.
Strike it right, and it sparks attention.

Strike it wrong, and you’re just burning through trust.

Use with strategic intent or don’t use it at all.

Follow Mike Hays and look for the release of Story Sells Better Newsletter

She made a decision most people never do.

Did the world’s most famous coaches give her the right advice?

She stopped asking if she should leave her marriage.

And asked something much harder.

They still loved each other. That part wasn’t broken.

But the relationship?
It was stuck.

↳ No spark.
↳ No growth.
↳ Just a subtle decay
Like paint fading in slow motion.

She felt invisible in her own life.
Still loyal. Still present.
But disconnected from the woman she used to be.

She didn’t want a divorce.
She wanted her clarity back.

So she took a chance and asked for help 
from two people known for unlocking human potential.

They didn’t give her an answer.
They gave her a challenge:

What if, for the next 90 days, you led with love, not logic?

What if you stopped waiting to feel it, and became it?

Not the kind of love that feels good to give.
The kind that feels good to receive from him.

↳ Appreciation.
↳ Recognition.
↳ Presence.

Not to change him.
Not to fix anything.

But to clean the lens so she could finally 
see what was real and what wasn’t.

Long-term relationships gather dust.
Old resentments. Recycled assumptions.
Little bruises that go unspoken.

That dust clouds everything.

But clarity doesn’t come from distance.
It comes from immersion.

The question wasn’t:
"Do I stay or go?"

It was:
“Can I show up with zero agenda, total presence, 
and serve the love that’s still alive?”

This isn’t just about marriage.
It’s about ANY relationship that matters.

Whether it's a spouse, a business partner, or your own team:

* Don’t wait for change—>lead it.
* Don’t negotiate love—>demonstrate it.
* Don’t react from fear—>respond from alignment.

She didn’t find the answer.
She became the woman who could see it.

And the coaches who guided her through that?

Tony Robbins and Sage Robbins.

Follow Mike Hays for more communication insights.

Show Up as Yourself 

Attracts Better Clients Than Any Polished Brand Voice.

If visibility feels like selling out, this is for you.
I used to hide behind my clients’ success instead of my own.

As a coach, I hated those polished, corporate-sounding posts.

Every draft I wrote sounded like a brand deck, not me.
So I stayed quiet and told myself silence meant integrity.

Meanwhile, louder voices defined what “leadership” looked like in my space.
Then a dream client said something that stopped me cold.
“I keep referring you, but your online presence doesn’t sound like you.”

They weren’t asking for a polished version.

They were begging for the real coach they met in sessions.

That day I made one rule for visibility.
I will show up as the room version, not the stage version.

↳ No perfect brand voice.
↳ Just the questions I actually ask clients, written in my voice.
↳ No glossy carousels.
↳ Just simple stories, real stakes, and clear invitations to reflect.

The result surprised me.

Views were smaller, but the right people started reaching out.
They quoted my messy lines, not the polished phrases.

Because leadership and coaching land when they feel human.

If you fear selling out, try this experiment for thirty days.

↳ Post as if you were recapping a session to a trusted friend.
↳ One story, one client moment, one honest insight each time.
↳ Hit publish before you smooth the interesting edges away.

Visibility is not selling out when your values hold the microphone.
What part of you are you still hiding from clients?

Follow Mike Hays for more visibility advice

Sometimes the most obvious solution is staring us in the face…

But we can't see it because we're looking too hard.

(The hiring mistake that costs us millions)

We overthink everything:
↳ The revolutionary marketing agency
↳ The perfect candidate profile
↳ The groundbreaking strategy

But here's what we miss:

What No One Wants to Admit:
↳ 73% of great hires come from internal referrals
↳ Our best marketing ideas already exist in customer feedback
↳ Winning strategies are often simple executions done consistently

Here's why we overlook the obvious:

1. Complexity Bias

↳ We assume harder = better
↳ Simple solutions feel too easy
↳ We discount what's right there

2. External Validation Trap

↳ We chase shiny new agencies
↳ Ignore our internal expertise
↳ Outsource what we already know

3. Strategy Paralysis

↳ We overcomplicate proven methods
↳ Analysis replaces action
↳ Perfect becomes the enemy of good

The Hidden Power:
Our best people are already here.
Our winning message is in our reviews.
Our strategy worked last quarter.

Quick Question:

What obvious solution have you been overlooking in your business?

⤵️ Share below

How a 30-Second Ordinary Moment

Creates Massive Engagement

Most people think great stories need big drama.
They don’t.

I used to believe “epic” moments made content compelling.
Massive wins. Huge failures. Perfectly crafted narratives.

But the posts that resonated most were never the dramatic ones.
They were the small, honest moments I almost didn’t share.

Like the awkward client call.
Or the lesson learned on a random Tuesday.
Or the quiet realization that changed how I lead my team.

You probably don't want to hear this...
Readers connect far more with relatability than spectacle.

They don’t want heroes.
They want humans.

Big stories entertain.
But simple stories connect.

The imperfect detail is what makes people trust you.
The honest moment is what makes people remember you.
The everyday struggle is what makes people engage with you.

You don’t need a dramatic arc to be compelling.
You need clarity, honesty, and a moment someone can see themselves in.

Small stories build big impact.
What “ordinary” moment taught you something recently?

Follow Mike Hays for more microstory tips

If You Think Your Question Isn't Worth Asking…

You're Missing the Biggest Growth Opportunity.

(The mindset shift that changes everything)

Everyone thinks, "My question is too basic."
But here's what I've learned after 15 years:

↳ Your "dumb" question is someone else's breakthrough.
Here's why you should ask anyway:

1. The Expertise Curse

↳ Experts forget beginner struggles
↳ Your question fills knowledge gaps
↳ Creates valuable teaching moments

2. Collective Intelligence

↳ Questions spark deeper discussions
↳ Others have the same uncertainty
↳ Community learning accelerates growth

3. Vulnerability Creates Connection

↳ Admitting confusion builds trust
↳ Shows authentic learning mindset
↳ Attracts genuine helpful responses

4. Question Quality Myth

↳ "Basic" questions often reveal fundamentals
↳ Simple inquiries expose complex issues
↳ Clarity benefits everyone involved

What you should know:
↳ Courage to ask creates breakthrough moments.
↳ Your question validates others' confusion.
↳ Silence keeps everyone stuck.

The smartest people ask the most questions.
Not because they know less.
Because they understand learning never stops.

Quick Question:

What's one question you've been afraid to ask? 
Share below and let's learn together.

Before: Brilliant but Invisible. 

After: Visible, Trusted, In-Demand.

The most talented professionals often remain invisible in their industries.

(And it's not because they lack expertise)

It's because of three limiting beliefs.

But here's what they don't realize about visibility:
It's not about ego.
It's about impact.

The Hidden Barriers:
↳ "My credentials should speak for themselves"
↳ "Good work will naturally be discovered"
↳ "Self-promotion feels arrogant"

Here's why these beliefs sabotage success:

1. The Service Reframe

↳ Sharing knowledge isn't bragging. It's helping
↳ Your expertise solves real problems for people
↳ Staying quiet deprives others of solutions

2. The Credential Trap

↳ Qualifications open doors, but stories close deals
↳ People connect with transformation, not titles
↳ Your experience matters more than your degrees

3. The Discovery Myth

↳ Exceptional work happens behind closed doors
↳ Visibility requires intentional communication
↳ Talent without promotion equals missed opportunities

The Part You Can’t Ignore:
Your expertise sitting in silence helps no one.
Your knowledge locked away serves no purpose.
But your voice sharing wisdom changes everything.

The experts who break through don't abandon humility, they channel it into service.

They understand that hiding their light isn't noble; it's selfish.

Quick Question:

What's one piece of expertise you've been keeping to yourself that could transform someone's business?

Follow Mike Hays for more leadership insights.

Authority isn’t about confidence.

It’s about language.

We often assume people follow the loudest voice in the room.
But in real conversations, especially at work
authority shows up in much quieter ways.

I started paying attention to the people who 
consistently guided discussions.

↳ They weren’t forceful.
↳ They weren’t dramatic.
↳ They simply used intentional phrasing that changed how others responded.

And once you notice it, you can’t unsee it.

Three simple shifts can instantly change 
how people perceive your authority even 
if nothing else about you changes.

1. Use words that imply direction.
Phrases like “I’d like to set the direction here…” 
or “I don’t like the direction this is heading…” 
subconsciously signal leadership.

The moment you reference direction, people look to you to guide it.

2. Frame ideas through experience.
Open with, “In the past, I’ve found…” 
or “In these situations, I prefer…”

These phrases add instant credibility
not because you’re boasting, but because 
you’re grounding your perspective in pattern recognition.

3. Set expectations clearly and calmly.
Statements like “Let’s focus on the issue at hand…” or 
“Here’s what I think we should prioritize…” 

Bring clarity to the conversation.
And clarity creates trust the foundation of authority.

None of this requires a title.
None of this requires dominance.
Authority is simply controlled direction, 
earned clarity, and consistent language.

Credit to Jefferson Fisher, whose ideas inspired this lesson.

If you want more authority, start with your words they shape the room long before your title does.

What phrase do you use to guide conversations?

Follow Mike Hays for more communication insights.

I’m Still Searching for the Perfect To-Do App

I Haven’t Found It Yet

Is It Too Much to Ask for One App That Actually Thinks Like I Do?

I'm hunting for the perfect productivity app…
(And my requirements might be impossible)

But here's what most productivity apps get wrong:
They focus on features rather than workflow integration.

Here's my non-negotiable list:

1. Daily Task Loading

↳ Import my to-dos and active projects
↳ Include courses I'm currently taking
↳ One central command center

2. Smart Prioritization

↳ Automatically rank my tasks
↳ Factor in deadlines and importance
↳ No more decision paralysis

3. Calendar Integration

↳ Load tasks based on available Google Calendar time
↳ Real-time sync between platforms
↳ No double-booking disasters

4. Flexible Time Adjustment

↳ Easy task duration changes
↳ Drag-and-drop time modifications
↳ Adapt to reality, not rigid schedules

5. Daily Planning Ritual

↳ Built-in daily review meetings
↳ Task confirmation and setup
↳ Start each day with clarity

6. Travel Time Intelligence

↳ Auto-calculate drive time for appointments
↳ Buffer time between meetings
↳ Never be late again

7. Delegation Features

↳ Assign tasks to team members
↳ Track delegated work progress
↳ Maintain accountability

The Reality Check:
Most apps do one thing well.
I need one that does everything seamlessly.

Quick Question:

Am I asking for too much, or does this unicorn app actually exist?

Could you post your favorite To-Do/Project Tracker?

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The Battle

Brett Butler

Mike Hays

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taplio

The Battle

Brett Butler

Mike Hays

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Mike Hays's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMike Hays's LinkedIn Performance