Fanatical in working out and reading a book with chamomile tea and a scented candle.

My day usually starts with a run or a high-intensity workout, a cold shower and a 10-minute meditation session. After that, I dive into working at my agency D-DOUBLEU MEDIA.

We help 7-9 figure Ecommerce businesses scale through performance creatives and paid media.

Dennis W.

You're not a creative strategist.

You're someone who screenshots competitor ads and calls it "research."

Strategy is understanding why something works.

Copying what works is not strategy.

It's plagiarism with a marketing title.

If your entire creative process is "let's try what they're doing" — you're a copycat, not a strategist.

Build original angles or admit you're just remixing other people's homework.

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Slashing acquisition costs via performance creatives and paid media for 7-9 figure Ecommerce brands.

Unpopular opinion:

Most founders shouldn't be running their own ads.

Not because they can't learn.

Because the opportunity cost is insane.

Every hour you spend in Ads Manager is an hour you didn't spend on product, team, or strategy.

You're not saving money by doing it yourself.

You're spending your most valuable resource on your lowest-leverage activity.

Hire it out. Stay in your zone.

Dennis Willeboordse 👨🏼‍🦰

True story:

Brand came to us spending $2K/day. Stuck. Couldn't scale past it for 5 months.

Their diagnosis: "The market is saturated."

Our diagnosis: One winning ad carrying the entire account. No system to find more winners.

We didn't touch the budget.

We rebuilt their creative process from scratch. Research-driven angles. Structured testing. Iteration system.

90 days later: $8K/day. Same market. Same product.

The market wasn't saturated.

Their creative system was.

The 5 reasons people don't buy:

1. They don't know you exist
2. They don't understand what you sell
3. They don't believe it works
4. They don't believe it works for them
5. They don't believe it's worth the price

Your ads should solve ONE of these per awareness level.

Unaware? Solve #1.
Problem aware? Solve #2.
Solution aware? Solve #3.
Product aware? Solve #4.
Most aware? Solve #5.

One ad trying to solve all five converts no one.

Focused ads convert everyone they're meant for.

Every winning ad answers one of these:

1. Why should I care? (Hook)
2. Why should I believe you? (Proof)
3. Why should I buy now? (Offer)
4. Why should I buy from you? (Differentiation)

If your ad doesn't answer at least one clearly — it won't convert.

If it answers all four, it'll scale.

That's the whole game.

Hot take:

Most ecom brands shouldn't be running ads at all.

Weak product. No differentiation. Negative margins at scale.

Ads just expose the problem faster.

You're not one winning creative away from success.

You're one honest conversation away from realizing your business model doesn't work.

Paid ads are gasoline.

If your house is on fire, more gas won't help.

UGC is not a strategy.

It's a format.

Brands hiding behind "authentic content" because they're too lazy to do real research.

Most UGC is just pretty people holding products saying nothing.

That's not authenticity. That's aesthetic laziness with a trendy name.

The UGC that works? Built on customer research and real angles.

The rest is just technically acceptable garbage.

This will upset people.

Good.

I'm not here to validate bad business models.

Dropshipping can be a starting point. But if you're still running the same operation 2 years in with zero moat, you're not building, you're gambling.

The market rewards people who solve problems.

Not people who find products before others do.

Your creative team is brainstorming hooks.

Your competitors are studying the ad library.

The brands printing money are reading 3-star Amazon reviews.

Here's what nobody tells you about reviews:

5-star reviews are useless for ads. Written by fans who were already sold.

1-star reviews are useless for ads. Written by people who should never have bought.

3 and 4-star reviews? That's where your next winning angle lives.

These are written by skeptics who bought anyway. People who had real objections but something convinced them.

They'll tell you:
→ What almost stopped them from buying
→ What finally pushed them over the edge
→ What surprised them about the product
→ Who the product is actually for

That's not a review. That's a creative brief.

I wrote a full breakdown on how to extract angles from reviews and turn them into ads that convert.

Your competitors are studying the ad library. Your agency is "brainstorming" hooks. Meanwhile, the brands printing money are reading 3-star Amazon rev

The Gold Mine Everyone Ignores: Why 3-Star Reviews Are Worth More Than Your Entire Creative Team

A client asked me last week: "What's the one thing that matters most for scaling?"

I gave them a boring answer. But it's the truth.

Customer research.

Not the creative. Not the media buying. Not the offer.

The research that informs all of it.

Every winning ad I've ever seen started with an insight about the customer. Something specific. Something emotional. Something most competitors miss.

The brands that scale aren't more creative.

They're more curious.

They talk to customers. Read reviews obsessively. Mine Reddit threads. Study cancellation surveys.

Then they turn that into ads that feel like mind-reading.

That's not talent. It's process.

And almost nobody does it.

The "UGC creator" industry is a scam and nobody wants to say it.

Most UGC is just attractive people reading scripts they don't understand to audiences they've never researched.

That's not authenticity. That's acting with extra steps.

The UGC that works is built on customer research, real angles, and strategic briefs.

The rest is just technically acceptable content that makes brands feel like they're doing something.

Harsh? Maybe.

True? Absolutely.

Unpopular opinion:

Most media buyers are just expensive button pushers.

They optimize what's already there.
They don't create what should be there.

A great creative strategist will outperform a great media buyer 10 to 1.

But media buyers are easier to hire.

So brands keep buying the wrong solution to the wrong problem.

You're not an entrepreneur.

You're a Shopify store owner with a supplier in China and a prayer.

Entrepreneurship is solving real problems.

Dropshipping the same product as 400 other stores with slightly different branding is not a business.

It's a coin flip with extra steps.

If your entire competitive advantage is "better ads" you don't have a business.

You have a temporary arbitrage that's about to collapse.

Build something defensible or get out.

"We're testing."

No. You're guessing with a budget.

Testing has hypotheses.
Testing has structure.
Testing has learning built in.

What you're doing is throwing creatives at the wall and praying.

That's not testing.

That's gambling with a content calendar.

You're not a media buyer.

You're a dashboard watcher who occasionally changes a number.

Adjusting budgets and blaming CPMs is not a skill.

It's babysitting with extra tabs open.

You're not "building a brand."

You're running a Shopify store with a Canva logo and an inconsistent Instagram grid.

A brand has:
- A point of view
- A reason to exist beyond profit
- Customers who would miss it if it disappeared

If your customers would switch for 10% off elsewhere, you don't have a brand.

You have a transaction with aesthetic packaging.

"Our product is for everyone."

Then it's for no one.

You're not being ambitious. You're being lazy.

Picking a niche is scary because it means saying no.

But saying yes to everyone means your message is so diluted it resonates with nobody.

The riches are in the niches isn't a cliché.

It's math.

Narrow the target. Sharpen the message. Watch conversions climb.

"Everyone" is not a customer segment.

It's a cope.

Eugene Schwartz wrote about awareness levels in 1966.

Brands still don't get it.

They run one message to everyone. Then blame the algorithm.

Here's reality:

Someone ready to buy needs an offer.
Someone comparing needs proof.
Someone exploring needs positioning.
Someone hurting needs hope.
Someone asleep needs a wake-up call.

Five different people. Five different messages.

You're running one ad and wondering why it doesn't scale.

It's not the platform.
It's not the product.
It's not the market.

It's you. Talking to everyone. Resonating with no one.

Fix this and watch your "saturated market" open up.

The dirty secret about "scaling agencies":

Most of them scale your spend, not your profit.

Higher budgets = higher retainers.

Your ROAS drops but their invoice doesn't.

Then they show you "total revenue" screenshots while your net margin bleeds.

Revenue is vanity.
Profit is sanity.
Your agency reports are designed to hide the difference.

Ask for profit metrics. Watch them squirm.

Why your retargeting doesn't convert:

You're showing the same ad to people who already said no.

That's not retargeting. That's nagging.

Smart retargeting:

- Different angle than the first ad
- Addresses why they didn't buy
- New proof, new objection handling
- Feels like a conversation, not a repeat

If someone didn't buy after seeing your ad 3 times, showing it a 4th time won't help.

Change the message. Answer what's holding them back.

Conversion Copywriting Expert ✍️ | Email Marketing 📩 | Copywriting Mentor

This is the section where you get to find out about me!

Don’t worry, I’ll just stick to the cliff notes. 

I've been a copywriter for over 10 years and still going strong.

I am also a seasoned entrepreneur and a whole bunch of other things that sound accomplished, but I know you don’t really care about.

You’re here for one of 3 reasons:

✍️You need copywriting help for your business
👻 You’re ready to have a LinkedIn ghostwriter
📈 Or, you want my daily business insights

Do these sound like you? Let’s connect!

Here’s a little more about me for the people who prefer stats:

🟢  Earned over 7-figures in the last three years as a copywriter

🟢  Named by TIME Magazine as one of Twitter’s 140 Best Twitter Feeds (my profile was ranked in between Steve Martin and Seth Meyers, and do we really have to call it X now?)

🟢  Written for countless high-profile brands like Shiseido, Blue Diamond, and the Liver King. 

🟢  Written for 7, 8, and 9-figure entrepreneurs who want to grow their personal brands on LinkedIn.

🟢 Certified Taco Bell Mexican Pizza lover (this may or may not be a real thing)

My life and career have not been a success-only journey. The setbacks, failures, and pivots are what have shaped me into the resilient entrepreneur I am today. 

What I’ve learned over the years is that time is my biggest currency, and spoiler alert: It’s yours, too.

So, stop scrolling, and let’s start working together. 😉

Anjeanette Carter

I got a DM from someone I'd never spoken to.

No introduction. No small talk. Just "I've been watching your content for months. I'm ready to work with you."

I had no idea who she was.

She'd never liked a post. Never commented. Never engaged at all.

But she'd been paying attention. Saving posts. Sending them to her business partner. Waiting until the timing was right.

This happens more than you think.

Your most engaged followers aren't always your buyers. The lurkers are.
They're watching. Deciding. Waiting for the right moment.

You'll never know who's paying attention until they're ready to reach out.

Keep posting. Even when it feels like no one's listening.

Someone is.

I help Founders & CEOs grow their personal brands: ➡ LinkedIn Ghostwriting & Management 👻 | Expert Copywriter ✍️ | Freelancing Mentor

I've been demonetized. Algorithm-killed. Platform-burned.

Built $40K/month on YouTube. Watched it vanish overnight when the algorithm changed.

And I lost everything.

I didn't have an email list. I didn't move people off the platform. 

It was years ago, and I didn't know any better. I just assumed the views would keep coming.

They didn't.

That experience taught me something I'll never forget.

Platforms are rented land. Every single one of them. Including this one.

LinkedIn is incredible for visibility. It's how most of my clients find me now. 
But I don't own my followers here. 

The algorithm could change again tomorrow. My reach could disappear.

So here's what I do differently now:

I use LinkedIn to start relationships. But I move those relationships somewhere I own.

My newsletter. My email list. Direct conversations.

I will never again build an audience I can't take with me.

Your personal brand isn't your follower count. It's not your impressions. It's the relationships you can keep if the platform disappears tomorrow.

Build here. But don't build ONLY here.

I learned this one the expensive way.

I thought AI would replace me.

So I did what seemed smart at the time. I positioned myself as an "AI-free writer." 

100% human-written content. No robots here.

I thought clients would love it.
They didn't. They left.

Not because they wanted AI slop. But because my competitors were delivering faster, cheaper, and honestly? Just as good.

I was being stubborn, not strategic.

So I made two changes.

First, I started using AI strategically. I discovered that paired with my expertise, my deliverables improved dramatically.

Second, I stopped selling just writing. I started selling writing plus growth. Strategy. LinkedIn management. The full picture.

Writing became the commodity. Growth became the value.

Now I work 4 days a week. Make more than I did working 7. 

And my clients don't care how the words get written. They care that their business grows.

The tool I feared became the leverage I needed.

My highest-paying client found me through a post with 12 likes.

My most viral post with 2K likes brought zero business.

Let that sink in for a second.

The post that "flopped" reached the exact right person at the exact right time. 

They screenshot it, sent it to their business partner, and DMed me a week later ready to start.

The post that "crushed" got likes from people who would never buy. Felt great. Paid nothing.

I used to obsess over the numbers. 
Refreshing. Watching. Measuring my worth by impressions.

Now I know better.

A post that reaches 500 people in your niche is worth more than a post that reaches 50,000 who will never buy.

The algorithm doesn't know who your ideal client is. It just knows who engaged. 

Those aren't always the same people.

So when your post "flops," ask yourself: Did it flop? Or did it just reach a smaller room of the right people?

You're not trying to go viral. 

You're trying to be discovered by someone with a problem you can solve and a budget to pay for it.

That might only be 12 likes. 
And it might be the most valuable post you ever write.

Stop ignoring your profile views.

Every single one of those is someone who saw your name, got curious, and clicked to learn more.

That's not a vanity metric. That's a hand raise.

They're checking you out. Reading your headline. Scanning your About summary.

Deciding if you're someone worth talking to.

And most people do absolutely nothing with this information.

Meanwhile, they're cold DMing strangers who've never heard of them.
The math isn't mathing.

Your profile views are the warmest leads you have. These people already took action. 

They already showed interest. They're halfway through the door.

Here's what I do:
Check profile views daily. Not for ego. For opportunity.

Look for patterns. Founders? Marketing directors? 

People at companies I want to work with?

If they look like a fit, I send a simple DM. Not a pitch. 

Just: "Hey, I saw our paths crossed on here" and then add something that makes it about THEM and not you. 

No pressure. No sales script. Just opening a door they already knocked on.

Some turn into conversations. Some turn into clients.

Do you check your profile views?

Job security in 2026:

🟢 Not your employer
🟢 Not your degree
🟢 Not your title
🟢 Your skills + your audience


(and fun fact it was my bday on Sunday 🥳)

Someone is reading every single post you write.

They've never liked. Never commented. Never shared. 
You have no idea they exist.

But they're there.

They found you three months ago. Maybe six. They've read almost everything since. 
They screenshot the posts that hit. 
They've visited your profile more than once.
They're just not ready yet.

Maybe the budget isn't there. Maybe the timing's off. Maybe they're still convincing themselves they need help.

But when they're ready? You're the only person they're going to call.

This is how it actually works.

The likes don't pay you. The lurkers do.

I've had clients DM me after watching my content for over a year. No engagement. No interaction. Just silence. 

Then one day: "I've been following you for a while. I'm ready."

That message doesn't come if you stop posting.

Every post you publish is a deposit into a trust account you can't see. You won't know it's working until the DM hits.

So when the likes are low and it feels like no one's paying attention...remember someone is.

Keep posting for them.

The gym is packed the first week of January. By the 4th week, it's empty again.

The same thing happens with LinkedIn.
Everyone's posting this week. Inspired. Motivated. Ready to "finally be consistent in 2026."

By February, they've disappeared. Back to posting once a month. Or not at all.

This is actually great news for you.

Because the algorithm rewards consistency. And most of your competition is about to quit.

The people who win on LinkedIn aren't the best writers. They're not the smartest strategists. 

They're just the ones who keep showing up after the motivation wears off.

While everyone else burns out chasing viral posts, you just need to be there. 

Week after week. Saying something useful.

That's it. That's the whole strategy.

You don't need to post every day. You don't need to go viral. 

You just need to outlast the people who will give up.

Consistency isn't sexy. 

But it's the only thing that actually works.

Two years ago I was mass-applying to freelance gigs.

And honestly? It worked. 

I built a whole business on marketplaces. Made great money. Became one of the top-rated freelancers in my category.

But I was still chasing. Still pitching. 

Still competing with hundreds of other freelancers for every project. 

Still convincing strangers I was worth hiring.

Every new client meant starting from zero. Proving myself all over again.

Today I turn down clients who aren't the right fit.

Not because I got better at pitching. Because I stopped pitching altogether.

I started posting on LinkedIn. Showed up every day. Shared what I knew. Let people see how I think.

Now clients come to me already sold. They've read my posts. They know my approach. 

The DM isn't "what are your rates?" It's "I've been following you for months. I'm ready to work together."

No proposals. No competing on price. No convincing.

The marketplace built my business. The personal brand made it easy.

If you're grinding on platforms and it's working but exhausting, there's another way. 

You can keep pitching. 
Or you can build something that pitches for you while you sleep...

I don't have a sales team. I have a content library.

Every post is a salesperson working 24/7.

While I'm sleeping, someone is reading a post I wrote six months ago. 

While I'm on a call, someone is scrolling through my profile deciding if they trust me. 

While I'm on vacation, a lurker is finally ready to reach out.

I don't chase clients anymore. My content does it for me.

This didn't happen overnight. For months I posted and heard nothing. No likes. No comments. No DMs.

But I kept going. And the library kept growing.

Now when someone DMs me, they've already read 20 of my posts. 

They know how I think. They're not asking "what do you do?" They're asking "how do we start?"

That's the difference between pitching and attracting.

You don't need a sales team. You need a body of work people can find.

Every post you publish is working for you forever. Start building the library.

I've never regretted turning down a bad-fit client.

I've always regretted taking one.

↪ The red flags were there. 
↪ The gut feeling was there. 
↪ But I needed the money. Or I was flattered they wanted to work with me. 
Or I convinced myself it would be different this time.

It was never different.

The scope creeped. The communication was exhausting. 

The project that should've taken two weeks took two months. 

I made less per hour than should be legal.

Meanwhile, I was too drained to pursue the clients I actually wanted.

Bad-fit clients don't just cost you the project. 

They cost you the opportunities you missed while dealing with them. THIS is the true cost most forget.

Now I trust the gut feeling. If something feels off in the discovery call, I pass.

Not every client is your client. And that's not a loss. 

The wrong yes costs more than the right no.

I used to celebrate every new follower.

Now I celebrate the DM that says "I've been watching you for a year."

Because that's where the money actually comes from.

The people who like and comment on every post? Rarely buyers.
The people who never engage but read everything? Those are your clients.

They're watching. Saving posts. Sending them to their business partner. Waiting until the timing is right.

You'll never know they exist until they're ready.

My best clients never liked a single post before reaching out. 
They just said "I've been following you for months. I'm ready."

Stop obsessing over follower counts. Start creating for the lurkers.
They're the ones who actually pay.

To everyone starting 2026 unemployed or miserable at work: 
You don't need another job. You need three clients. 

The fractional economy is waiting for you.

If you want help building your LinkedIn to land clients, tap 'View My Newsletter' for my free guide.

Unpopular opinion: Most networking is a waste of time.

I don't network. I build relationships. There's a difference.

Networking is "Can I pick your brain over a quick Zoom?" from someone I've never spoken to.

Relationships are someone who's engaged with my content for months, added value to conversations, and now we actually have context for a real discussion.

Networking is transactional. "What can you do for me?" dressed up as coffee.
Relationships are built over time. 

No agenda. No immediate ask. Just showing up consistently until there's mutual trust.

I stopped saying yes to "quick connect" calls years ago. Not because I'm too important. Because they go nowhere.

30 minutes with a stranger who wants free advice isn't a relationship. It's an extraction.

You know what actually builds relationships?

Commenting on someone's posts for six months before ever asking for anything. 

Sharing their work. Sending a DM that says "this helped me" with zero ask attached.

Then when there's a reason to talk, you're not a stranger anymore.

The hotel leaves a chocolate on your pillow. 

It costs them 10 cents and you remember it for years.

Small touches build loyalty.

A quick check-in email when you're not asking for anything. A voice note instead of a text. Remembering something personal they mentioned three months ago.

These things take seconds. But they're the reason clients stay.

Most freelancers focus on the big stuff. The deliverable. The deadline. The final product.

And then they wonder why clients leave for someone cheaper.

The freelancers who stay booked aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who make clients feel like they actually matter.

Send the random check-in. Remember their kid's name. Celebrate their wins even when it has nothing to do with your project.

Your clients have options. Lots of them.

The little things are why they choose you. And keep choosing you.

I said yes to a project that looked perfect on paper.

Fair rate. Simple scope. One landing page. Easy peasy.

Then I met the founder.

He couldn't get to the point. Every call turned into an hour. He wanted to "think out loud" and "bounce ideas around."

One landing page. But the messaging kept changing. New ideas every call. "What if we tried this angle instead?"

What started as a fair rate turned into free consulting. Because I didn't protect my time.

The scope didn't creep. The conversations did.

I finished the project. Never worked with him again.

Now I watch for the signs. 

The client who "just wants to chat" before every deliverable. 
The founder who treats every call like a brainstorm session. 
The person who can't make a decision without adding three more questions.

Fair rates mean nothing if all your time is spent talking in circles.

Scope your projects. But also scope your conversations.

You'll spend 20 minutes picking a Netflix show.

But won't spend 20 minutes updating your LinkedIn profile.

Your profile is working 24/7. 

People are checking it before they reach out. Before they book a call. Before they hire you.

And most profiles haven't been updated in years. And they usually aren’t even updated for maximum impact.

The good news? It won't even take 20 minutes. 
I’ll help you do it in 10.

I put together a free 10-Minute LinkedIn Fix that walks you through exactly what to change.

Tap "View My Newsletter" to grab it now.

I've reinvented my business three times in five years.

Version 1: Took any project from anyone. Copywriting, emails, websites, whatever paid the bills.

Version 2: Freaked out about AI. Niched down. Became known for one thing. Started charging more.

Version 3: Stopped selling services. Started selling strategy and growth.
Each pivot felt like starting over. Each one scared me.

But the alternative was worse. Staying comfortable while the market moved on without me.

The freelancers who stay stuck aren't less talented. 

They're just holding onto a version of their business that stopped working.
What got you here won't get you there.

The market changes. Clients change. AI changes everything. You either evolve or you get left behind.

Your business isn't supposed to look the same in year 5 as it did in year 1.

I make money from LinkedIn in four different ways.

Most people think of LinkedIn as a place to find clients. That is 100% true. 

But it's just one income stream. I've built four.

1. Clients who find me through content. They read my posts for months. Then they DM ready to buy. No pitching. No convincing. Just "I've been following you. Let's work together."

2. Sponsored posts. Brands pay me to talk about their products to my audience. The bigger your reach, the more you can charge.

3. My newsletter. LinkedIn grows my email list. My email list has paid subscribers plus sponsors. That's recurring revenue I own.

4. Referrals from people who share my posts. Someone shares my post. Their network sees it. One of them needs what I offer. I get a client from someone I've never met.

Same platform. Same content. Four different ways it pays me.

One platform. Four income streams. 
And I'm probably leaving some on the table I haven't figured out yet.

AI can write copy. AI can't have coffee with your client.

↪ AI can analyze data. 
↪ AI can build you a website in 10 minutes. 
↪ AI can do 80% of the tactical work faster than you ever could.

But AI can't DM someone who's been following you for a year. 

AI can't remember that their kid just started kindergarten. 

AI can't sense when a client is going through a rough quarter and needs some grace.

Everyone's worried about being replaced by technology. But the things that actually win clients can't be automated.

Trust. Relationships. The feeling that someone actually gets you.

That's your moat.

I've lost count of how many clients told me they chose me because they'd been reading my content for months. 

Not because I was the most qualified. Because they felt like they already knew me.

That's what a personal brand does. 

It builds relationships while you sleep. It creates trust before the first conversation even happens.

Everyone's learning AI. Almost no one's learning how to be more human.
That's the opportunity.

The freelancers who win in 2026 won't be the ones with the best AI tools. 

They'll be the ones who stay human while everyone else automates.

taplio

The Battle

Dennis W.

Anjeanette Carter

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDennis W.'s LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAnjeanette Carter's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Dennis W.

Anjeanette Carter

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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

Performance ScoreAnjeanette Carter's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreDennis W.'s LinkedIn Performance