Brian Dordevic

Delivering profitable web design with SEO first approach. Official Google partner.

I started as a $4/hr offshore virtual assistant and became a USA citizen & business owner.

I help you generate more profit with your existing traffic efforts by optimizing conversion rates, improving your site speed & content strategy.

Chief Executive Officer

As the CEO of Alpha Efficiency, I steer the strategic direction of the company while managing an expanding team of 30+ professionals, spearheading growth initiatives, and driving operational efficiency.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) & Achievements:

Team Leadership & Management: Championed a culture of performance and accountability that led to a 35% boost in operational efficiency. Regularly oversee talent acquisition and retention strategies to ensure our team is well-equipped for success.

SEO & Content Management: Supervised the creation and execution of our SEO strategy, which saw a remarkable 60% surge in organic website traffic within six months, augmenting our brand's digital visibility.

Paid Media Strategies: Pioneered the deployment of innovative paid media campaigns, resulting in a 50% increase in brand awareness and a 30% rise in customer acquisition, significantly expanding our market footprint.

Performance Benchmarking: Developed and implemented performance benchmarks to ensure constant progress. The systematic monitoring of these metrics brought about a 20% improvement in overall productivity.

Stakeholder Management: Successfully maintained robust relationships with key stakeholders, attaining a 90% satisfaction rate, testament to our commitment to delivering value and fostering transparency.

Financial Management: Maintained stringent control over fiscal operations, consistently delivering profitability and surpassing financial objectives by 15% in the previous year, solidifying our position in the market.

This multifaceted role requires a delicate balance of leadership, strategic thinking, and operational excellence. It's my mission to continue propelling Alpha Efficiency forward, driving sustainable growth, and adding value for our stakeholders.

I just hit 12,000 followers on LinkedIn.

• No celebration
• No screenshot
• No dopamine hit

Just a quiet confirmation.

Numbers only matter when they reflect something real.
And this milestone does.

Not because of the count.
But because of the process behind it.

Three years ago, I was “the SEO guy.”

I wrote for Google first.
Humans second.

Intent over attention.

And there is a massive difference.

When someone searches Google, they already want something.
They are raising their hand.

Your job is simple:
Answer better than everyone else.

SEO writing is a drive-thru.

• They order
• You deliver
• The most organized kitchen wins

Social media is the opposite.

Nobody is ordering anything.

You are competing with Netflix, Slack pings, TikTok, and mental exhaustion.
You have to create hunger where none existed.

That shift humbled me.

I had to unlearn structure.
And relearn persuasion.

I stopped asking, “Is this optimized?”
And started asking, “Does this land?”

I studied storytellers.
Not marketers.

I watched how anticipation is built.
How tension is held.
How emotion carries ideas further than logic ever could.

Slowly, something clicked.

I stopped obsessing over keywords and started chasing clarity.
I stopped tracking backlinks and started tracking behavior.
I wrote for humans first.

Ironically, my SEO got better too.

Growth stopped feeling fragile.
It started feeling inevitable.

Not because of hacks.
But because I kept showing up when it made no sense.

When I was tired.
When clients were on fire.
When posts got buried.

I still wrote.

That consistency built trust.
Opened conversations.
Closed deals.
Changed how I see the game entirely.

I used to understand how content works.

Now I understand why it sticks.

This is not explosive growth.
It is earned growth.

And at this pace?

Increasing follower count is 100% irrelevant.
Changing lives and removing fiscal anxiety is.
Only focus is on providing value and getting paid for it.

It is alignment plus consistency plus time.

Because once you understand how humans work, you stop chasing reach.

And start building a life that compounds.

Helping Law Firms increase AI & Local SEO visibility to maximize client intake. | Add 7-Figures worth of cases per year from organic traffic. | My Local Gap Calculator tells you how much you lose every month

AI is not the problem. Your incentives are. AI is not going to use itself.

If you think your boomer salary is going to save your company, you are dead wrong...

The problem is that those that know how to use AI, are building companies not making themselves poor in a job.

They won't work for a salary when they can print 7-figure years. If you think this is an exaggeration, you lack imagination. 

Offer a cut of the pie to those with a brain, or get left behind.

Need help transforming your employees into AI machines? 

Reply with TRANSFORM and we'll talk.

Not being in top #3 on Google Maps costs you 7-Figures per year in lost deals.

This is how you climb to the top and get that massive revenue share:

• Fast Site
• High Quality Backlinks
• Local citations optimized
• Content written to convert
• Topical Authority Map that tells Google you know your stuff

If you want to know how much you're leaving on the table, click on the link in the comments. We'll tell you exactly how many leads are there for your industry.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but...

You need $0 down to start an online business.

• Free AI = DeepSeek
• Free Landing Pages = Carrd
• Free Video Hosting = YouTube
• Free traffic = Social Media Profiles

Poor people have bad imagination. Get creative.

You've seen the posts:

"I don't even use Google anymore." (These numbers are scary...)

Big talk.

But what does the data actually show?

Google went from 8.5 billion searches a day to 13.7 billion.

More people are Googling than ever.

Need help getting on the most powerful AI engine on the planet?

I'm taking 2 new clients in February. If your company does over $3 million per year, your business is qualified for growth.

Some call it AIO...

Others call it GEO...

Old timers want to cling on to SEO...

I say to all of them.

Get.
More.
Backlinks!

Ask me how if you want ones that move the needle.

No alternative text description for this image

Every few years, marketing declares another rivalry:

Radio vs. TV.
TV vs. digital.
PR vs. content.
SEO vs. AI.

But reality doesn't do clean cuts.

The so-called replacement consistently resolves as reinvention.

And this is how it looks in real time:

1. SEO Has Been “Dying” Since the Early 2000s

Two decades of predictions haven’t stopped search growth. They’ve only exposed how often tactics expire while demand continues to shift.
https://hubs.la/Q03ZKW2P0

2. Marketer’s Favorite Hobby: Declaring Things Dead That Still Print Money

Radio died. TV died. PR died. Email died. And yet they’re all still here, evolving while the industry chases the next funeral headline.
https://hubs.la/Q03ZKWZR0

3. The Fastest Way to Lose Narrative Control in AI Search

When brands avoid specifics, generative engines treat it as a gap that needs to be filled, and they fill it fast.
https://hubs.la/Q03ZKXVN0

4. AI Marketing That Actually Held Up in Production

Instead of chasing novelty, these teams treated AI as plumbing. The outcomes were faster execution, cleaner workflows, and measurable gains.
https://hubs.la/Q03ZKYMB0

5. Google’s December Core Update Has Landed

Now comes the hard part: understanding whether your current visibility is stable, temporarily tolerated, or already on borrowed time.
https://hubs.la/Q03ZKWH70

The illusion of replacement hides continuity of control.

We hype "new" systems as total takeovers, and lose focus on what really works.

If you want to see where your next opportunity hides, let me tell you in a call here: https://hubs.la/Q03ZKY9j0

SEO is officially in its “Facebook 2018” era.

Back then, Facebook lost millions of visits and businesses fled to Google for safety.

Now, that safety net is gone too.

Seniors are already planning for a 40% drop in search traffic over the next few years.

(No more hoping-against strategies)

And once traffic decline becomes a planning number, not a fear, everything shifts. 

Let's get into what happened last week:

1. Publishers Are Planning for a 40% Traffic Loss

Search was supposed to be the stable channel. Now publishers are reallocating headcount, formats, and revenue models around their decline.
https://hubs.la/Q03_LWQM0

2. Google Is Teaching People How to Read Curiosity

Google is now actively teaching users what to explore next while they’re still figuring out what they’re interested in.
https://hubs.la/Q03_LYSv0

3. Two Content Economies Are Emerging (Exposure No Longer Pays the Bill)

For 20 years, publishing meant visibility in exchange for knowledge. Now answers stay inside machines, and content creators are being told to accept less.
https://hubs.la/Q03_LXB50

4. Your Best Buying Signals Never Make it to the CRM

Deals expand right before they close. New voices enter, urgency rises, and the most valuable signals never make it into the CRM that’s supposed to catch them.
https://hubs.la/Q03_LWmH0

5. The Social-to-Search Halo Effect SEO Isn’t Measuring

Not all demand starts with a query. Some of it starts with a feeling that sends people searching days later. Ignoring it means letting curiosity resolve on someone else’s terms.
https://hubs.la/Q03_LZxs0

We’ve moved past organic guarantees.

Today, reach depends on systems that can actively shape demand:

AI for discovery.
Ads for paid attention.

I'll show you what that setup can actually do for you. 

Pick a time: https://hubs.la/Q03_LVZR0

New Year’s Eve is behind us.

I started January 5th with a work sprint. One rock. One focus.

Here’s what separates people who adapt and those who don’t:

Most people blame external pressure. 

• War
• Gas prices
• Difficult year

Very convenient. 

Because then you don’t have to examine your own decisions.

But tough times don’t define you. You define how you respond to them.

In every downturn, a small group does exceptionally well. They didn't ignore reality. They adapted faster.

What separates them? 

Structure.

For me, 2025 was one of the best years on record. Most of that traces back to one decision: focus on recurring revenue.

Before that, my business was fragile. Revenue came in bursts. Planning felt theoretical. Every month was a reset.

That realization didn’t come from scrolling. It came from forcing the numbers to tell the truth.

Here’s what most people get wrong about planning:

They plan to feel organized, not to make tradeoffs.

Unrealistic plans create false confidence. Ignoring your capacity creates burnout. Never adjusting creates quiet failure.

The solution? Quarterly planning.

Long enough to set direction. Short enough to correct mistakes before they compound.

A real rock solves an active problem, changes future options, and creates second-order effects. If it doesn’t do all three, it’s not a rock.

Most ideas get eliminated at this stage. Nice-to-haves don’t change the game.

The cost of continuing as usual:

Busy weeks. Incremental progress. Another year where effort increases faster than leverage.

Poor planning doesn’t fail loudly. It fails quietly.

Planning isn’t about controlling the future. It’s about creating structure that allows good decisions to emerge.

The people who do well aren’t waiting for clarity. They create it.

Let’s build that structure together.

Did you know that 88% of urgent clicks go to companies located in Google's Maps Tri-Pack?

If your business is not located in first 3 spots, you are missing on fastest profit on the internet. (Here's how to easily climb to the top):

1. Fix your citations
2. Get fresh reviews (from Google Local Guides)
3. Make sure content of your site is optimized for Local SEO
4. Don't forget to double check your phone number is working

These may sound simple, but roadblock up to 7 figures annually of free orgaic traffic.

Want to learn how much revenue you're leaving on the table? 

Check out our Google Profit Gap Calculator, and ensure you take proper action.

Remember when buying online took around 20 minutes across 5 sites?

Google just shrank it to 10 seconds on one screen:

Customer asks about rugs → sees Rugs USA's 20% off → taps buy.

Curiosity hits search. Wallet hits empty.

(Keep reading for more brain-tickling updates)

1. Google’s Commerce Update Redefines the Buyer's Journey

New commerce tools link AI-driven research directly to checkout, offers, and retailer-controlled experiences inside Google Search and Gemini.
https://hubs.la/Q03-FkDM0

2. SEO in 2026 Looks a Lot Like a YouTube Strategy

AI Overviews are pulling answers from video like it’s primary evidence, turning YouTube into the center of modern SEO.
https://hubs.la/Q03-FkFx0

3. 230 Million People Already Ask ChatGPT About Health

Now OpenAI is formalizing that behavior with a locked-down Health environment, signaling a shift from casual health questions to sustained, data-grounded use.
https://hubs.la/Q03-F8-L0

4. Google Says “Stop Writing for AI” (Even If It Works Today)

Many teams are restructuring content to “please AI,” but Google just went on record saying this shortcut might age very badly.
https://hubs.la/Q03-Ff4G0

5. AI Search Is Solving the Question, Not the Market

"A feature designed to ensure completeness becomes a bug when completeness overrides utility." 
https://hubs.la/Q03-Fk_40

Google now owns the journey end-to-end. 

Profits chase whoever controls that unified experience.

Secure top visibility before Q1 slips: https://hubs.la/Q03-FcdY0

How many AI agents are currently working for you?

40+ Linkedin Money-Making-Influence Resources I Toxic Boss Immunity I Frequency of INFLUENCE: ETHICAL PERSUASION I $20k Brain-Based Sales System | HarvardX Neuroscience Research I Keynote 🎤 I X-Microsoft I Captain ⛵

$20k Monthly Brain Based Sales System Without Chasing the "Yes"

You know the feeling:
😳 Your brain lights up with “What if they think I’m pushy?” the second you open a DM.
😬 You’d rather post and pray the right people find you than risk being ghosted.
😅 You tell yourself that if you were really good, clients would just show up.

You don’t want to fake connection just to pitch.
You want sales that feels human. Real conversations, not pressure tactics.

You’re not bad at sales.
Your brain is just protecting you.

The amygdala flags rejection as danger.
Your prefrontal cortex freezes.
And boom hesitation, overthinking, silence.

That’s where my work comes in.
I teach the Neuroscience of No-Pressure Sales so you can sell with calm confidence instead of fear.

No scripts. No manipulation.
Just science, psychology, and simple tools to retrain your nervous system so selling feels natural again.

When your brain is relaxed, your authenticity returns.
You stop pitching and start connecting.
Outreach stops feeling like an intrusion and starts feeling like service.

This is sales made easy for coaches who hate selling.

✨ Ways to get started with me:

✅ If you're a coach DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a business owner DM me "Butter"
✅ If you're a sales leader DM me "Butter"
✅ Attend my next workshop for FREE BRAIN BASED SALES SECRETS. https://forms.gle/HvTRDEZEuu7bgQEF8
✅ Subscribe to the Be Like Butter Bugle: Weekly brain hacks for resilience and influence. https://synaptic-solutions.kit.com/newsletter

Personal interests: 
- Captain ⛵️ 
- Recovering Sugar Addict 🍭 
- Trash TV consumer 🗑️

Sales Coach | Toxic Boss Coach | Neuroscience Coach | Executive Coach | Master Behavioral Strategist | Speaker | Advisor | Expert | 7 figures | Virtual Speaking | Sales Performance Brain Hacker | Mindset Coach I Corporate Trainer I Influence I Key Note Speaker

🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

Stop chasing success alone.

Every innovator who built something great had 1 thing in common

Connection
It’s not that creativity happens alone…
It’s that the brain creates better in connection.

The brain evolved to think with other brains.
When connection is present, threat detection quiets.

The amygdala relaxes.
The prefrontal cortex stays online.
That’s where creativity lives.

Connection increases neural synchrony.
Brains begin to align.
Ideas move faster.
Patterns emerge you can’t see solo.

Isolation does the opposite.
Thinking loops.
Risk tolerance drops.
Novelty dries up.

Creativity isn’t just about safety.
It’s about belonging.
Here’s how :

1️⃣ Think out loud with others
 Speaking activates more neural networks than silent thought.
 Shared dialogue creates neural synchrony,
 helping the brain integrate patterns it can’t access alone.
 Half-formed ideas are fuel, not flaws.

2️⃣ Build before you judge
 Evaluation triggers the amygdala.
 Threat shuts down the prefrontal cortex.
 Sequence matters: expand first, critique later.
 Flow requires a brain that isn’t defending itself.

3️⃣ Create spaces to explore, not perform
 Performance activates social threat circuitry.
 Play lowers cortisol and increases cognitive flexibility.
 A relaxed nervous system makes wider, more novel connections.

Innovation doesn’t come from brilliance.
It comes from brains that feel safe thinking together.

PS: Who do you think best with?

Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

This feels illegal.

I built a mobile app while sailing.

Out there, things get quiet.
No notifications fighting for attention.
No noise telling you who to be.

Just wind, water, and time to notice what’s inside.

That’s where the idea came from.

Not everyone can disappear onto a boat.
But everyone needs a way to reconnect with themselves
In a loud world that never shuts up.

So I opened Replit
and described an app idea I’d already been researching. 

How to connect with yourself in a tech heavy world using…
Guess what…yes, neuroscience. 
You guessed it. 

Replit turned that idea into a real mobile app.

A live phone preview appeared.
I played with it and iterated between tacks. 
A few messages later, the app matched the intention.

Calm.
Minimal.
Human.

No mobile frameworks.
No complicated setup.
No build headaches.

Replit handled the mobile stack…
the preview
and the path to publishing.

I focused on the part that mattered:
creating space for real connection.

That’s the point.

You don’t need to escape your life to feel grounded.
You can build tools that bring you back to yourself.
Right where you are.
Even in a noisy world.

If you’ve ever wanted to create an app without needing a team
(or a computer) 
NOW you can. 

Get the Replit app and build from anywhere.
YOUR $10 REPLIT CREDIT
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.S. If I vanish for a few hours I’m probably publishing a new app between tacks. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based peace and app building
♻️ Share to inspire someone who needs dev help without headache

It's not that you aren't creative...

It's that your brain doesn't get enough breathing room

When outcomes matter too much,
the nervous system shifts into protection.

Certainty over curiosity.
Efficiency over exploration.

The amygdala scans for mistakes.
The prefrontal cortex goes quiet.
Thinking narrows to what’s already proven.

That feels like a creativity problem.
It’s actually a safety problem.

Innovation doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from widening the mental field.

Creative insight requires a brain
that isn’t bracing for consequences.

One that feels free to test, miss, and iterate
without immediate judgment.

That’s why pressure-heavy environments
produce more output…
and fewer breakthroughs.

Creativity is a state, not a talent.
Change the state and ideas follow.

Here’s how to heighten creativity on demand:

1/ Slow the body before you think
Creativity follows regulation.
Lengthen your exhale for 60 seconds before ideating.
A calmer nervous system reopens cognitive range.

2/ Create “low-stakes” thinking space
Tell your brain nothing here has to be right.
Set a 10-minute window for bad ideas only.
Permission removes the fear that blocks novelty.

3/ Shift environments, not effort
New inputs disrupt rigid patterns.
Walk. Change rooms. Look farther into the distance.
Movement and visual expansion spark new connections.

When the brain feels safe enough to explore,
it starts to play.
And play is where innovation lives.

PS: Which of these would change how you think the fastest?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

Video Credit: Unknown
---------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder

It comes from feeling safer.

When the brain senses pressure, it prepares to defend.
 
Attention narrows.
Options collapse.
The mind looks for certainty.

That state is efficient.
It’s not creative.

Innovation requires uncertainty tolerance.
That tolerance lives in the nervous system,
not the intellect.

When the parasympathetic nervous system activates,

✅ The body slows.
✅ The threat response stands down.
✅ The brain regains flexibility.

This is when perception widens.
Old assumptions loosen.

Problems reorganize themselves.
New pathways become visible.
Psychological safety is what allows this shift.

It tells the brain nothing bad will happen
if you explore a different angle.

Without safety, the brain repeats.
With safety, the brain imagines.

No regulation, no reframing.
No reframing, no innovation.

Here’s how to design for it:
1️⃣ Regulate before you reason
 Slowing the breath reduces neural noise.
 Clear thinking follows bodily calm.

2️⃣ Delay decisions during ideation
 Premature judgment triggers threat circuits.
 Time preserves creative flexibility.

3️⃣ Create private space to think freely
 Privacy lowers social evaluation.
 Safety expands possibility.

Breakthroughs come from a nervous system 
that feels safe enough
to see the problem differently.

PS: What helps your body settle fastest?

Join us for innovation --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

Video Credit: Unknown

-------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

You’re not broken.

You're just not connected...

...in a way no one taught you to recognize.

We have more connection technology than ever.
Group chats. Slack threads. Social feeds.
Standing meetings. Faces everywhere.

You can be busy, productive, and surrounded by people
And still feel unseen, unfelt, and unsupported.

Modern life keeps the nervous system overstimulated.
Your brain is flooded with input, decisions,
and performance cues.

When that happens, the social brain goes offline.
You don’t lose the desire for connection.
You lose access to it.

So you adapt.

You stay functional instead of present.
You keep conversations light instead of real.
You handle things alone because it feels safer.
You tell yourself you’re “fine”
while feeling disconnected from yourself.

Over time, that state becomes your baseline.
And the most painful part?

You start to believe this is just how life is.
It’s not.

Disconnection isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a nervous system state.
And nervous system states can change.

Here’s what neuroscience shows actually helps.

1/ regulation comes before connection.
 When your system is overloaded,
 bonding chemistry can’t do its job.
 You don’t need better words.
 You need your body to feel safe enough
 to be real.

2/ small moments matter more
 than deep conversations.
 Eye contact that lasts a beat longer.
 A pause instead of rushing away.
 Naming what you notice
 instead of what sounds impressive.

3/ connection accelerates in the right environment.
Trying to heal disconnection alone
 keeps the brain in protection mode.
 Being around others doing hard inner work
 creates co-regulation.

Your nervous system learns:
“I don’t have to carry this by myself.”
That’s why community matters.

Not noisy.
Not performative.
Not networking.

But a grounded space of people 
reconnecting with themselves
and with others.

This is what I’m building.
A community for capable, thoughtful people
doing hard things
who don’t want to do them alone.

A place to regulate, reflect, and be real
without fixing yourself
or pretending you’re fine.

If you’ve felt alone in a world full of people,
it’s not because something is wrong with you.
It’s because your nervous system
hasn’t had the right conditions yet.

And you don’t have to create those alone.
If this resonated, the community is open
for people ready to reconnect with themselves and with others.

P.S. Where do you feel most disconnected right now?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

------------------------------------------------------------
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based connection
♻️ Share this with someone who might feel alone but never say it

It’s not that your team doesn't have new ideas…

It’s that they don’t feel safe enough to share them with you.

When people sense evaluation,
their nervous systems switch to self-protection.

😶‍🌫️ They edit.
😶‍🌫️ They hedge.
😶‍🌫️ They stick to what’s already approved.

That looks like alignment.
It’s actually inhibition.

Innovation requires exposure.
New ideas are, by definition, unproven.
And the brain treats being wrong like a social threat.

So the amygdala gets loud.
Risk tolerance drops.
Thinking narrows to what won’t get you in trouble.

That’s why teams with “high standards”
but low psychological safety
produce execution…
not breakthroughs.

Psychological safety isn’t about being nice.
It’s about creating conditions
where the prefrontal cortex stays online.

When people believe they won’t be punished
for experimenting,
their brains stay open.

They challenge assumptions.
They connect unlikely dots.
They surface problems early.

No safety, no innovation.
No innovation, no future edge.

If you want better ideas, don’t ask for more creativity.
Design environments where
people don’t have to protect themselves first.

PS: Where do you notice people holding back on your team?

Join the Butterhood Connect
- Get free resources and training on DMs
- Figure out your sales style
- Jumpstart your sales!
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs
You don't have to do this ALONE
https://lnkd.in/gbpNMdU6

Video Credit: Unknown

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👉 Follow Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
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Your CRM shows ACTIVITY.

It doesn't show REALITY.

Most managers think they understand their pipeline.
But they’re only seeing the version their reps feel comfortable sharing.

The CRM shows progress.
The reps show confidence.
The pipeline shows movement.

But underneath all of that
there’s hesitation, uncertainty, and doubt
that never makes it into the forecast.

And that’s the part that costs you.

Reps aren’t trying to mislead you.
They’re trying to look competent.
So they hold back the early warning signs.
They soften how shaky a deal feels.
They overstate buyer momentum.

They wait until a problem becomes undeniable
and by then
your quarter is already in danger.

That’s why so many leaders get blindsided.
Not because the deals are bad
but because the real signals were never visible.

A CRM tracks activity.
It doesn’t track conviction.
It doesn’t track buyer emotions.
It doesn’t track rep confidence.
It doesn’t track the energy of the deal
which is the part that collapses first.

SalesSage exposes that hidden layer.
It reveals where reps feel unsure.
It highlights deals that look fine on paper
but feel unstable underneath.
It identifies slipping belief before it becomes slipping revenue.
It gives you truth early
so you can fix the problem while there’s still time.

Leaders don’t need more data.
They need the truth behind the data.
That’s the gap SalesSage closes.

If you want to see what’s really happening
beneath the surface of your pipeline sign up
14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. How was your Q4?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” deal that fell apart

You can’t fix a quarter your team’s afraid to talk about.

Your biggest revenue leak isn’t pipeline. It’s silence.

The worst part of running a sales team
is thinking you’re safe right before the quarter blows up.

Your CRM says you’re good.
Your reps say deals are “strong”.
Forecast looks clean.
You breathe for two seconds.

Then the quarter flips
and you’re standing there like
what the hell just happened?

Here’s the truth nobody wants to say:
Reps aren’t lying.
Their brains are.

People say things are fine when they’re overwhelmed.
They overestimate deals when they’re stressed.
They downplay risk when they don’t want to look behind.

So you get the truth only after it hits your number.
Sales Sage catches it earlier.

It spots confidence dips.
Avoidance patterns.
Dead deals dressed up as healthy ones.
Execution cracks that never show in a CRM.

Stuff reps don’t say out loud but absolutely tank a quarter.
If you’re tired of getting blindsided
by “everything looks good” data

P.S. What's your best closing line?

See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

---------------------------------------------------------------

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a surprise miss
➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based sales insights

Your pipeline isn’t lying. 

Your reps just don’t feel safe telling you the truth.

Managers think they know what’s in their pipeline.
But they only know what the CRM tells them.
And the CRM only tells them what reps feel safe enough to share.

You’re managing numbers you can’t trust.
Your pipeline looks clean.
Your reps sound confident.
Your CRM says things are “on track.”
But something feels off.

Deals stall quietly.
Momentum fades.
Forecasts slip.
And you don’t see it until it's too late.

Reps aren’t dishonest.
They’re human.
They soften risk.
They hide uncertainty.
They overstate momentum
because nobody wants to look unsure.

So you get blindsided.
Not by deals.
But by the emotional truth your CRM can’t capture.

This creates a silent threat inside every sales org.
You miss red flags early.
You lose weeks of runway.
You carry the blame for information
you never got soon enough.

The cost isn’t just deals.
It’s trust.
It’s team performance.
It’s the reputational hit when your forecast misses again.

SalesSage uncovers what’s really going on
Underneath the numbers.

It reads emotional signals your CRM can’t track.
It surfaces hesitation before it becomes a stall.
It identifies low conviction before it becomes a lost deal.
It reveals drift before it becomes a blown quarter.

No pressure on reps.
No interrogation.
Just a 10 minute pulse
that shows you the truth behind the pipeline.

If you want your pipeline to tell you what’s real
not what’s hopeful

Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

--------------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales leadership
♻️ Share if you’ve ever been blindsided by a “healthy” pipeline

Stop telling yourself that you're too busy to DM.

Stop telling yourself DMs are too pushy. 

DMs close sales. Period. 

Most people think outreach stalls
because they don’t know what to say.
That’s rarely true.

What’s actually happening is identity protection.
Your brain isn’t avoiding DMs to save time.
It’s protecting how you see yourself.

So you stay visible.
You post.
You wait.

And the conversations that move revenue never start.

When the nervous system flags selling as risk,
avoidance looks like strategy.

Weeks pass.
Opportunities decay.
Revenue becomes unpredictable.
That delay has a real cost.

Avoiding just 3–5 high-value messages a week
can quietly leave $15K–$100K per quarter on the table.

Not because you lack ability.
Because “selling” feels unsafe.

This is why scripts don’t stick.
Knowledge ≠ movement.

Insight shows up first.
Behavior only follows when the underlying pattern shifts.

That’s what Butterhood is for.
Not more information.
Not performance.
Not pressure.

It’s a place to notice friction in real time
and make small, deliberate moves
that change momentum.

Inside, we work on:
Why certain conversations stall even when you say the right thing
What makes outreach feel heavy and how to remove that friction
How to move conversations forward without forcing or performing
Installing a sales rhythm that feels stable instead of stressful

They’re ordered intentionally.
Each layer stabilizes the nervous system for the next.

If you’ve ever thought, “This makes sense…
so why am I not doing it yet?”

That’s the signal.
GET IN THE DMS.
Still resisting?
GET INTO THE BUTTERHOOD.

If you want influence that moves like butter 🧈
Join Butterhood → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

BONUS: Want to get an article published in a big time magazine?
I'll give you the contact info for 150+ reporters for major publications +
A Custom Message so you can break the ice & establish a relationship. 
How to get it? Join --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: Where do your conversations stall right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based sales insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help someone move again

Why do you have that stupid look on your face?

A C-level executive asked me on my first day

I was sitting across his desk of my first big girl job
(Talk about an executive onboarding)
I was just 20 years old.

I remember freezing.
Not answering.
Just blinking.

I laughed it off and swallowed my pride. 

Meeting over.
But my body stayed locked.

Jaw tight.
Chest and body buzzing.
Mind replaying every word.

Later that day a coworker asked if I was okay.

I said yes.
I wasn’t lying on purpose.
I just didn’t know what “okay” even meant anymore.

That’s the problem with stress.
It normalizes.
Your nervous system adapts.
Your baseline quietly shifts.

You think its no big deal. 
I’m fine. 

Your body knows that you’re not.
For years, I relied on vibes.
Am I handling it or barely holding it together?

No data.
No baseline.
Just guessing.

That’s why I built a these resources
✅ An entire toxic boss armor system
✅ 25-question nervous system audit
✅ An app that helps you each step of the way

Not a personality quiz.
Not mindset fluff.

Actual signals of load, recovery,
and how close you are to the edge.

The site and app give you a real baseline.
Clear data.
Practical next steps.

You don’t need thicker skin.
You need awareness and a hand up. 

PS What's your worst toxic boss story?

https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

--------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools 
♻️ Repost if someone you know is guessing too.

Why do you have that stupid look on your face

Everyone wants AI magic.

Few want to invest in the foundation.

People light up when they talk about AI lead gen.

AI outreach.
AI follow up.
AI prospecting.
The promise of more output with less effort...
It's intoxicating.

But effectiveness still comes from the human brain.
The seller’s state.
The buyer’s state.
The interaction between the two.

If your nervous system is overloaded, 
your messages won’t land.

If your prospect’s nervous system is tense,
your tools won’t move them.

If your clarity wobbles,
your AI will wobble with it.

Tools can accelerate your behavior.
They can’t upgrade your regulation.
They can’t deepen your presence.
They can’t create safety for a buyer who isn’t sure yet.

So you can very quickly send a bad message to 
a lot of people (and I see this a lot).
Super efficient. 
Effective?
Not so much. 

You would have been better off 
not to send anything at all. 

You create
👀 noise.
👀 hesitation.
👀 stall points.

Before you automate anything,
your nervous system has to support the interaction.
Your messaging has to speak to the real pressure points.
Your awareness has to read what the buyer is actually signaling.

Here are the pieces that shift everything:
1️⃣ A regulated internal state
A steady system writes messages people lean into.

2️⃣ Understanding buyer pressure
Not their demographics.
Their actual cognitive load.

3️⃣ Signal-based communication
Warmth, recency, micro-openings, lowered stakes.

Without this foundation in place, AI becomes clutter.
😶‍🌫️ Damages your brand.
😶‍🌫️ Irritates your people. 
😶‍🌫️ Loses your clients.

Inside Butterhood, this is the core work.
The human layer that makes every tool
more powerful, more accurate, and more profitable.
EFFECTIVE.

Join us → https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS: What AI promise are people chasing the hardest right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------
👉 Follow Shannon for brain-backed sales and clarity
♻️ Share this to help someone build the foundation that sells

7 signs you're tough enough for your toxic boss...

without quitting your job.

Your nervous system has a baseline.
That baseline shapes how pressure lands.

Here are 7 signs you're tough enough:

1/ Your baseline state
 A system that rarely rests stays closer to threat.
 From that state, stress hits faster and harder.
 Do this: notice how you feel when you first wake up.
 Do this: schedule one daily pause with no objective.

2/ Continuous motion
 Moving task to task keeps activation high.
 The body never completes a stress cycle.
 Do this: insert a 2-minute pause between blocks.
 Do this: stand still and breathe before switching tasks.

3/ Mental load during “rest”
 A busy mind keeps the system activated.
 Physical stillness alone doesn’t equal recovery.
 Do this: notice if your mind stays busy at rest.
 Do this: gently bring attention to body sensations.

4/ Guilt around slowing down
 Guilt keeps the nervous system alert.
 Safety requires permission to stop.
 Do this: notice the urge to justify rest.
 Do this: remind yourself recovery supports performance.

5/ Morning and evening carryover
 Tension on waking signals unresolved load.
 Evening stress blocks downshifting.
 Do this: check your body before checking your phone.
 Do this: create a short shutdown ritual at night.

6/ Recovery timing
 Waiting for exhaustion delays regulation.
 Late recovery takes longer to work.
 Do this: rest before you feel depleted.
 Do this: add small resets throughout the day.

7/ Social threat sensitivity
 Overloaded systems struggle with power dynamics.
 Emotional range narrows under pressure.
 Do this: regulate before interactions, not after.
 Do this: widen awareness when tension rises.

This comes before any boss strategy.
Awareness of starting state is the first layer of immunity.

PS Which point showed you something you hadn’t noticed before?

Toxic Boss Immunity - 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa
OR
DM Me "Toxic Audit" for your own quick check

----------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools to stay regulated in toxic places
♻️ Repost if someone you know is always “on.”

 7 signs you're tough enough for a toxic boss

Don't just pray for a job.

Pray for a leader, not a toxic boss. 

They say you leave your manager, not your job.
So. True. 

Culture lives in nervous systems.
Leaders set the baseline every day.
Teams regulate around that signal automatically.

Here are 5 signs of a great leader:

1/ Self-regulation
 A great leader notices their own stress.
 They slow down before they speak.
 The room settles when they enter.

A toxic leader brings unprocessed stress.
The room tightens immediately.

2/ Clarity under pressure
 A great leader keeps priorities stable.
 Expectations stay clear during chaos.
 Brains relax when rules do not shift.

A toxic leader changes direction emotionally.
The team scans moods instead of work.

3/ Pressure flows upward
 A great leader absorbs pressure from above.
 They filter noise before it hits the team.
 Focus stays intact.

A toxic leader pushes pressure downward.
Urgency spreads through the group.

4/ Recovery is allowed
 A great leader respects human limits.
 Pauses are normal and safe.
 Energy and thinking stay strong.

A toxic leader rewards constant output.
Rest feels risky or earned.

5/ Response over reaction
 A great leader pauses in conflict.
 Their nervous system stays online.
 Hard talks feel contained.

A toxic leader reacts emotionally.
Others mirror the instability.
Trust erodes quietly.

Leadership is not control.
It is regulation.

PS Which one of these have you felt?

Toxic Boss Immunity 
Building a self-serve platform
To create a path to freedom where you call the shots, you're unshakable, you're influential, and free from anyone else’s control.
Get on the waitlist for FREE
https://lnkd.in/gGJYwXPa

-----------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based leadership tools.
♻️ Repost if a leader you know needs this lens.

Behind every “I’m not qualified”

Is a future you haven’t met yet. 

I’m not technical.
I’ve never wanted to be “the code person.”
And honestly, that used to stop me.

Because most AI coding hype assumes
you already know what you’re doing.
Repos.
Installs.
Setup before you even start.

That’s where Replit felt different.
I stayed in the browser.
I described what I wanted in plain words.
And I watched a real app come to life.
Live.

I wasn’t struggling to learn syntax.
I was refining an idea using my own language. 

You grow by doing things you aren’t qualified to do yet.
Most people don’t fail because they can’t.

They stop because they tell themselves
“I’m not technical enough.”

I didn’t suddenly become technical.
The barrier just disappeared.

Replit handled the setup, hosting, and deployment.
I focused on what the app should feel like.
That’s the unlock.

If you already code,
pairing Replit with Claude Code accelerates shipping.
If you don’t,
Replit still lets you build something real.

No identity change required.

You don’t need permission.
You don’t need a team.
You don’t need to be “qualified” yet.
You just need to start.

P.S. What have you been waiting to build?

💡 $10 credit for Replit Core users —>
https://lnkd.in/gSCu_9Tj

P.P.S. If you’ve been telling yourself “I’m not ready for that yet,”
THIS IS YOUR SIGN

------------------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain based performance
♻️ Share to inspire someone who’s doubting their fire

The way to get clients on Linkedin is this...

Understand the inner thoughts of your ICP

Most people study their ICP on the surface.
Top sellers study how their ICP thinks.

If you want to sell on LinkedIn,
you have to know what your ICP is actually worried about,
not what they pretend to care about.

Here are 8 steps to uncover the real subtext 
of your ICP on LinkedIn:

1. Audit Their LinkedIn Profiles
Look at what they emphasize.
Tension shows up in their headcount, KPIs, and team priorities.
Their top headaches are usually hiding in plain sight.

2. Study Their Event Activity
Search for events they attend.
Then check the attendee list.
The themes they show up for
tell you what’s keeping them up at night.

3. Watch Them in Comment Sections
Look at your ICP commenting on competitors’ posts.
Their questions reveal fears.
Their reactions reveal pressure points.

4. Analyze Comments Under Hand-Raising Posts
Creators often say “comment for more info.”
Those comments are gold.
They show exactly what your ICP thinks they need
and what they wish someone would help them solve.

5. Read Your Own Comments Differently
Your commenters are micro-versions of your ICP.
Study their language, frustrations, and patterns.
Your future offer refinement is already hiding there.

6. Track What They Subscribe To
Newsletters, creators, and series they follow
tell you what they’re actively trying to improve.
Subscription signals = priority signals.

7. Act Like Your ICP For a Day
Ask yourself:
If I were them, what problems would I think about at 10 a.m.?
Budget. Productivity. Risk. Politics. Efficiency.
Not “culture” or “soft skills.”
Speak to the internal pressure they feel,
not the topic you want to teach.

8. Go One Layer Deeper Than Logic
Once you find the logical problem,
double punch it.
What’s the emotional layer?
Fear of missing targets?
Fear of looking incompetent?
Fear of wasting budget?
Fear of taking a risk and being wrong?
This is the real subtext.

If you understand your ICP’s subtext,
you won’t sound like their 10th vendor.
You’ll sound like the only person
who actually gets how they think.

BIG NEWS! SALES SAGE IS LIVE!
See the truth your reps won’t say out loud 
(before it blows up your number)
Taking 100 beta testers - 14 day free trial
https://salessage.co/

P.S. What is the number 1 problem your ICP cares about?

----------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales and insight
♻️ Share to help someone see what their buyers really mean

If you can’t regulate...

You can’t close.

Sales exposes you.
You meet yourself in every conversation.

Your patterns.
Your pressure points.
Your nervous system.
And there are truths you can’t bypass.

You can only face them and train your brain to handle them.
Here are the fifteen brutal truths that shape every 
👀 coach
👀 solopreneur
👀 salesperson

Skinny to long.
Short to heavy.

Exactly how they hit in real life.

1. Pain shows.
2. Hope lies.
3. Buyers drift.
4. Silence grows teeth.
5. Confidence is unstable.
6. Urgency fades overnight.
7. Your tone leaks your pressure.
8. Your pipeline mirrors your mind.
9. Hard calls get pushed tomorrow.
10. Deals die from emotional overload.
11. You cling to maybes to avoid rejection.
12. You chase when your nervous system spikes.
13. You fill your calendar instead of your forecast.
14. You talk more when your brain feels threatened.
15. You lose more deals from dysregulation than bad skills.

The people who win aren’t the hardest closers.
They’re the ones who can think when the noise hits.

They regulate faster.
They recover quicker.
They protect their cognitive bandwidth.

If you want a system that reduces noise, 
increases yeses..
and keeps you out of chasing mode
Let's Talk here --> https://lnkd.in/gbfNasyU

PS. Which truth hit the hardest today?

---------------------------------------------------------------

♻️ Share if you’ve lived a brutal truth
➕ Follow Shannon for brain based sales insights

Challenges don't happen TO you...

They happen FOR you.

Resilience doesn’t come from comfort.
It comes from contact with difficulty.

Most people think resilience is something
you either have or you don’t.
👀 Tough childhood.
👀 Hard jobs.
👀 Big failures.

When you face manageable adversity, 
your brain adapts.

Stress-response systems recalibrate.
The nervous system learns,
“I survived that.”

Each challenge becomes data.
Not trauma.
Training.

The amygdala stops overreacting.
The prefrontal cortex gets better at regulating emotion.

You think clearer under pressure.
You recover faster.
You don’t break.
You build.

That’s why people who’ve faced some adversity
often handle future stress better than those who’ve faced none.

It’s why setbacks sharpen judgment.
Why failure builds emotional range.
Why hard seasons quietly increase capacity.

Adversity isn’t the enemy.
Unprocessed adversity is.

When difficulty is integrated,
it turns into resilience.

And resilience changes how bad things land.
Less collapse.
More choice.
More perspective.

Every strong nervous system you admire
was shaped by something it didn’t choose.

If you’re going through something hard,
there’s a future version of you
that’s gaining strength right now.

PS: What challenge in your life might be training you, not punishing you?

Introducing Butterhood Connect:
Find your people - other entrepreneurs like yourself. 
PLUS...FREE content on:
- Craft content that converts
- Understand your ICP deeply
- Increase your cognitive flexibility
- DM to get in front of your prospect
 You don't have to do this alone. Join us FREE
https://lnkd.in/gqMj4Vfz

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

👉 Follow 🧠 Shannon for neuroscience-backed insights
♻️ Share this if you want to help others grow

Don’t be afraid to start all over again.

You might like your new story better.

Most people don’t stay with toxic bosses
because they love the job.

They stay because starting over feels risky.

You already invested time.
You already proved yourself.
You already survived this much.

So you tell yourself to push through.
But toxic environments don’t just drain energy.
They slowly rewrite who you think you are.

Confidence narrows.
Vision shrinks.
Your nervous system learns to expect threat.

Starting over isn’t failure.
It’s interruption.
And sometimes, leaving isn’t possible yet.
That’s where people get stuck.

Here’s how to regain agency
even if you can’t leave right now.

Three pillars.
Practical. Grounded. Usable.

1/ Establish your baseline
You need to know your starting state.
Stress feels normal when it’s chronic.
Without data, you guess how you’re doing.
Do this: assess how activated you feel most days.
Do this: track sleep, tension, and recovery honestly.
Baseline awareness tells you whether you’re already 
overloaded before the boss even enters the picture.

2/ Predict instead of brace
Toxic bosses are patterned.
The same situations trigger the same behavior.
Surprise is what spikes threat.
Do this: list the moments they escalate.
Do this: plan your response before it happens.
Prediction gives your nervous system what it desperately wants.
Certainty.

3/Plan recovery like it’s required
Stress doesn’t end when the meeting ends.
Unreleased activation carries forward.
That’s how burnout accumulates.
Do this: schedule recovery after interactions.
Do this: close the stress cycle deliberately.
Recovery restores clarity, confidence, and choice.

This is how you protect yourself
while you decide what comes next.

And if there truly is no exit right now,
you still don’t have to white-knuckle it.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It gives you a baseline.
Helps you predict patterns.
Builds plans that keep your nervous system intact.

Starting over doesn’t always mean leaving tomorrow.
Sometimes it means reclaiming yourself first.

PS If you could rewrite your work story, 
what would you want to feel differently?

Free resources
https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

-----------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow 🧠 Shannon for brain-based tools to stay clear at work.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is afraid to start again.

Micromanagement breeds compliance.

Not commitment.

When every move is monitored,
every decision is corrected,
and every mistake is highlighted,
the brain stops optimizing for growth.

It starts optimizing for safety.
Micromanagement increases uncertainty.
Uncertainty activates the amygdala.
Threat signaling rises.
The prefrontal cortex goes partially offline.

That’s the biology of it.
The prefrontal cortex is where initiative lives,
creativity lives, and ownership lives.

When threat is present, those functions are deprioritized.
So the nervous system adapts.
People do what’s asked.

They stop offering ideas.
They wait for instructions.
They avoid visibility.

From the outside, it looks like control is working.
From the inside, commitment is already gone.

Chronic micromanagement also keeps the stress axis activated.
Cortisol stays elevated.
Recovery shortens.
Motivation drops.
Burnout becomes inevitable.

This is nervous system load.
Leaders often assume disengagement = people don’t care.

More often, it means their nervous system 
doesn’t feel safe enough to invest.

And if you’re on the receiving end of this,
you don’t need thicker skin.

You need regulation, data, and strategy.

That’s why I built
Toxic Boss Armor.

It helps you understand your nervous system baseline,
predict toxic patterns,
and protect your clarity and confidence
even when leadership doesn’t change.

Compliance is a warning sign.
Commitment only emerges when the brain feels safe.

PS Are you barely hanging on by a thread? 
Get some relief --> https://lnkd.in/guRmdNEu

-------------------------------------------------------

➕ Follow Shannon for brain-based tools for surviving a toxic boss.
♻️ Repost if someone you know is stuck under a micromanager.

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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🧠 Shannon Smith, J.D., M.S. 🚀

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