I empower leaders with AI Workshops & B2B digital strategy | LinkedIn Top Voice | Public Speaker | Board Director | Podcaster🎙️

AI won’t replace communicators, but communicators who use AI will define the future.

The communications industry is evolving faster than most teams are prepared for. Those who integrate AI today, ethically, strategically, and confidently, will lead tomorrow’s conversations.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻.

I help PR and communications leaders future-proof their teams with practical, hands-on AI strategy. Through custom workshops, audits, and advisory programs, I bridge the gap between curiosity and capability, showing teams how to integrate AI into real-world workflows without losing the human voice that makes communications powerful.

I’ve trained and advised leaders across a variety of organizations like Ragan, MacMillan Publishing, Penguin Random House, PPG, etc., helping them build AI readiness, sharpen strategy, and unlock new efficiencies in content, reputation, and storytelling.

If your team wants to:
✅ Use AI responsibly, with clear governance and guardrails
✅ Build workflow efficiencies that actually stick
✅ Strengthen credibility in an AI-driven media landscape

Then 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. Visit chrisgee.me
or send me a message here on LinkedIn.

Don't wait to future-proof your team.

Chris Gee

If you’re attending 𝗔𝗜 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 in Fort Lauderdale (Feb. 2–4), I’m excited to share what I’ll be leading there.

My session is called “𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲.”

And it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Instead of talking about AI agents, we’ll build one together in real time.

The goal isn’t to show something flashy or theoretical. It’s to demystify how agentic workflows actually work and where they’re useful for communications teams right now.

In the session, we’ll cover:

→ What makes an AI agent different from automation
→ Where agents actually add value for comms, and where they don’t
→ How to design a simple, targeted agent workflow without writing code
→ Why “don’t boil the ocean” is the most important rule in agent adoption
→ How to think about risk, oversight, and human-in-the-loop design from day one

This is for comms leaders who are past curiosity but not ready for overengineering.

People who want to understand what’s possible, what’s practical, and what’s premature.

If you’re responsible for AI adoption, workflow design, or future-proofing your team, this will be a hands-on session you can actually take something back from.

Details and registration here: https://lnkd.in/e5ffT5ti

If you’re going to be there, let me know. I’d love to connect in Fort Lauderdale.

Helping PR & Comms leaders future-proof with AI strategy | Speaker + Trainer | Keynotes + Workshops | Ragan Advisor

No alternative text description for this image

AI video tools are getting so good that it’s tempting to cut humans out of the loop altogether.

Avatars can speak on command. Scripts write themselves. Video can be generated, localized, and scaled in minutes. For teams under pressure to produce more content, faster, the pull toward fully synthetic video is real.

But the data tells a more complicated story.

According to Animoto’s 2026 State of Video report, audiences are increasingly on the lookout for AI-generated video. Many say they can spot it. More importantly, AI-heavy video can negatively impact trust when it feels inauthentic. 𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝟲𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰. Efficiency matters, but credibility still matters more.

We can see this tension play out in the real world. Take Coca-Cola’s “Holidays Are Coming” campaign. The spots continue to lean heavily on nostalgia, emotion, and human connection, even as the production process itself is 100% devoid of people, which led to audiences saying it felt "cold." 

The magic isn’t that AI replaces people. The magic is that technology supports a story that still feels deeply human.

That’s the lesson for 2026.

The future of video is not 100% human or 100% synthetic. It’s hybrid. AI should handle the scale, speed, and craftsmanship behind the scenes. Humans should remain front and center where trust, emotion, and connection are the goal.

When we get that balance right, video doesn’t just perform better. It feels right.

How are you working AI technology into your video content? Taking a balanced approach? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏽

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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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?

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

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♻️ 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?

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

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♻️ 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

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

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♻️ 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?

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

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♻️ 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

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

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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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