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.

Luke Shalom

CEO @ Grow Solo I help the C-suite turn industry expertise into predictable pipeline

There are two ways agency founders try to turn LinkedIn into a reliable source of clients.

One is by guessing. Posting when there is time. Relying on referrals and hoping the next month is a good one.

The other is by building a system that creates steady conversations, even when client work gets busy.

Our clients choose the second.

→ Joya Dass (Founder, Women’s Leadership Lab)

The problem:

- She spent hours in the DMs to book a few calls.
- Content happened on weekends.
- When delivery picked up, sales stopped.

Some months were strong. Others were quiet.

Even in good months, there was stress about where the next client would come from.

What we did:

We built a simple LinkedIn content system she could run in house. No ghostwriter or agency retainer dependency.

We shifted her content from generic how to posts to insight driven thinking.

That changed the conversations. People in her network showed up aligned and ready to buy.

We added a content led outbound system powered by a setter we hited and trained. The system kept working while she focused on delivery.

Results:

- Revenue grew from $150k to $300k.
- Sales became predictable.
- The pressure eased.

→ Jonathan Crowder (Founder, Founders Ally)

The problem:

- No time for content.
- Unpredictable sales calls.
- Leads with no budget.
- No sales background. A 10 percent close rate.

What we did:

We removed Jonathan as the bottleneck. 

We built a content system using AI supported by his real thinking. It sounded like him, not software.

Trust was built before the call. Outbound went from 10% to 40% response rates.

We focused prospecting on real buying moments, like recent funding to catch buyers at the right time.

We simplified his sales process. Clear outcomes. Clear cost of inaction was communicated to his buyers.

Results:

- Meetings went from 3-5 a month to 10-15 sales qualifed leads a month.
- A visible pipeline. Increase to a 25 percent close rate.
- $300k in pipeline in 60 days.
- $30k in new revenue closed.

→ Brian Dukes (COO, Exit Wise)

The problem

- Ovelry dependent on referrals.
- No LinkedIn playbook.
- No time to write.

What we did

- We clarified positioning.
- Simplified the offer.
- Built a content engine.

Then we added outbound from the founder profile.

Everything was owned and run internally.

Results:

- Consistent posting machine.
- 500 to 6500 ICP followers.
- $740,000 in LinkedIn-driven revenue over two years.

We have helped 100+ founder led agencies replace unpredictable growth with systems they understand and control.

If this feels familiar, we should talk.

Founder

We help executives to build and monetize their brand on linkedin by scaling your content and turning it into leads, authority and thought leadership.

How?

Engagement + DM flows = Qualified meetings. 

Done with you. Done for you.

2022: I wanted 100,000 LinkedIn followers.

2026: Now I want 10 people who trust me enough to wire me $100,000.

This shift didn’t happen because I stopped wanting influence.

It happened because after 4 years on LinkedIn, I learned one simple truth.

It’s the difference between creators with under 5,000 followers making 7 figures a year from agencies or coaching…

And creators with 100,000 followers who struggle to break $100k.

I call it being "Known Well".

On LinkedIn, there are two paths.

First, the "Well Known" crowd.

Think Justin Welsh.
Broad content.
Viral posts.
Big complex funnels.

Courses for everyone.

Nothing wrong with that.

They are playing their game.

But that game only works with massive distribution.
Most creators chase this path.

They chase 100,000 followers.
They think it will change everything.

It won’t.

The real leverage is being "Known Well" by the right people.

You become niche-famous.

A small group knows you for one thing.
They trust you deeply.
Even 10-30 people like that will pay you well.

That’s how small accounts make $100k a month on LinkedIn.

They play the Known Well Game.

And it’s simpler than you think:


1) Comments

They build a list of the right accounts... people they want to be known well to (ICPs, influencers with their buyers).

They show up every day, pay attention to posting times, and leave insightful comments.

These look like mini-posts, because their aim is to make impact and become known to the right people.

2) They have an indoctrination content ladder

They don’t create for mass appeal.

They understand what’s required to take their specific ICP from skeptic to ready-to-buy ... and they focus on that ruthlessly.

These posts might get less than 10 likes… but the DMs are on fire.

3) They have an outbound motion that feels like inbound

They may not get the turbo reach of big accounts, but dialled-in content lets LinkedIn bring the right people to them.

They leverage profile views, engagement, and followers to start conversations with members of their small but mighty Known Well audience.

Using AI tools, they automate the top of this conversation and only jump in when people are interested and responding.

That’s how you get 10 people to wire you $100k.

That’s the game I want to play.

Build deep trust with people you can truly help.

Everything else on LinkedIn is noise.

Remember that.

I share weekly strategies on how to become known well in your niche and get clients from LinkedIn for your agency. Go read it here: https://lnkd.in/ezZpkchD

CEO @ Atticus | AI sales systems for founders | 5–10 deals/month from LinkedIn in <​ 30 mins/day I $125M+ pipeline generated for 100+ clients

There’s a new breed of agency founder emerging in 2026.

They don’t chase likes.
They don’t live in the DMs.
They don’t grind comments.

They’re called Leveraged Operators.

I’ve spent the last 4 years building LinkedIn sales systems for 100+ lean founders, and the pattern is clear: most are stuck in the activity trap.

AI didn’t just “help.”
It rewired the entire game.

That same ChatGPT agent everyone’s playing with can now map a full demand gen strategy in minutes. 

Meanwhile, founders still hope referrals and a “good name in the space” will carry them.

It won’t.

LinkedIn reach is down ~70%.
Referrals are lumpy.
Cold outbound without trust feels pointless and never leads to clients.

The symptoms are familiar:

- No time to sell
- Prospects treat you like a vendor
- Pipeline dies when you stop posting

I’ve lived it. It’s exhausting.

The founders pulling ahead are doing something different.

Leveraged Operators use AI, assets, and workflows so effort compounds.
They build 80–90% margin consulting layers on top of services using:

- Founder-led demand gen on LinkedIn
- AI agents that create and distribute content
- Content-led outbound that feels like inbound

Two years ago, I hit $60k in revenue in a month.

Profit? $4k.

More revenue. Less freedom.

Thats what building your business the old way gets you. 
Bigger numbers and little take home.

I burned that model down.

In 2025:

$250k profit
21,000 new LinkedIn followers
30–50 leads a month with AI doing the heavy lifting

Founder results mirrored it:

- Joya (Women’s Leadership Lab) doubled ARR to $350k and generates ~$540k in pipeline monthly.

- Jonathan (Founders Ally) went from 5–6 meetings a month to one a day in 60 days.

- Brian (M&A firm) closed $750k in pipeline with inbound-driven positioning.
That’s the Leveraged Operator model.

Not more content.
Not more DMs.
Not more headcount.

System > activity.

Want the exact strategy I’m using in 2026 to add 5–10 deals a month from LinkedIn in under 30 minutes a day?

DM me “Leverage.”

(Or you know you could spend another year on the struggle bus and watch your competitors apply the above model and eat your lunch...)

P.S I took these photos on my 4th holiday of last year with my Colombiana. It was the 3rd time I went to the Carribean. And it was only made possible by having a agency with the right systems to replace me as the bottle neck. You can do it too.

Yesterday I had a call with two guys who’ve built outbound DM workflows for some of the biggest 7-figure agencies and 7-figure creators.

What they said to me made my blood go cold about client acquisition on LinkedIn.

Here’s what happened:

Me: “What have your other clients been seeing on LinkedIn? I’ve seen a drop-off in inbound leads. If we didn’t do warm outbound, we would be broke tomorrow.”

Consultant: “We’ve definitely seen clients getting less engagement across the board, and that’s meant less intent to contact from posts.”

Me: “**** I know it feels tough out there right now. We’re booking calls, but it really feels like the bar has gone way up… In your opinion, do you think it’s all going to ZERO?!”

Consultant: “Not at all. We’ve seen teams equipped with the right processes and systems booking 1–2 meetings every day.”

He paused for a moment and followed up with:

“The bar is set so low on how to progress prospect conversations, it’s never been easier to stand out.”

Here’s what I took from that convo:

There is one hell of an opportunity right now on LinkedIn for agencies who approach and invest real time and focus into their LinkedIn warm outbound.

If you’re willing to figure it out yourself or leverage an expert backed by the right technology, you can gain an insane advantage.

Because here’s the truth…

Your competition still thinks a no-context “pitch slap” message on connect is lead gen.

My advice?

Go deep on creating your founder-led brand with actual insight that’s unique to you. 

Don’t rip your posts straight from AI. 

Use it to scale your ideas and edit the output. Don’t lose the human.

The inevitable outcome of becoming an actual creator is that it’s going to bring you niche authority over time so the algorithm puts your content in front of buyers.

Truly understand the talk tracks that lead to buyers responding, answering, and moving to calls from your LinkedIn profile.

Have a human element responding in your DMs. Founder preferred, but once the process is dialled, a setter can handle it.

You just ned to have meaningful conversations with your customers.

PS… This is your competition... the bar is LOW.

Founder at Atticus | Predictable LinkedIn pipeline using a founder-led sales system I 100+ clients scaled | Be the next 👉 atticusagency.com

My client Joya Dass fired us after we doubled her business.

Then rehired us to build her in-house Atticus Predictable LinkedIn Sales system.

Phase 1 - October 2024 - August 2025

When we started with Joya Dass, Women’s Leadership Lab sat at 5 sales calls a week.

We took her to 10-20 qualified calls a week.

All from people who had already seen or engaged with her content.

Over that year:

→ Her rates went up by $10,000 from better fit prospects
→ She closed $130,000 from the Atticus Done-for-you system
→ ROI was 4.5x on what she paid us

We did not flood her calendar.

We filtered hard so she only spoke with senior women leaders from places like Harvard, Berkeley, high level firms.

Then we paused the done-for-you work after we sunsetted the done for you SDR service.

I counted that as fired.

Phase 2 - September 2025 - December 2025)

On a later call, I was about to refer her to another vendor.

Then I walked her through our new Atticus Predictable LinkedIn Sales system.

How she could bring all her client acquisition in-house in under 30 minutes a day...

We started again.

Different model. 

First 10 days:

→ Built a content bank in her exact voice with our content engineer 
→ Structured posts to shift beliefs and drive demand
→ Trained an agent in ChatGPT so she could write expert content herself
→ Mapped a 6 month content calendar tied to real sales conversations

Next 20 days, we built outbound:

→ Deep GTM research on her ideal client
→ Lead list playbook so she could find the right people on demand
→ AI sales rep trained on her offer, her tone, her dos and donts
→ Workflows triggered by real intent signals like job changes and thought leadership pushes
→ A/B tests on talk tracks until we hit message market fit (what she needed to send to get responses)
→ Plugged in and trained a setter once the machine booked meetings on repeat

Result in the last 2 months of the year:

→ $70,000 closed
→ Women’s Leadership Lab went from $150,000 to $300,000
→ Agency spend dropped from $4,000 a month to $400 a month
→ Her LinkedIn system now drives $510,000 in qualified pipeline every month

What you do not see:

We blew up campaigns that stopped working.
We rebuilt whole flows from scratch.
We had dead weeks where nothing landed.

Joya did not blame the system.
She co-created the result.

That is what my best clients understand.

You are not buying magic.

You are building a machine together. 

I recorded a step by step video on Joya’s whole strategy that doubled her business using LinkedIn, showing:

→ Why we did not fix her problem with content or outbound first
→ Why her content never generated inbound before, but did in 10 days with the new system
→ How we took her from 2–6 hours in the DMs a day to 30 minutes then to zero
→ Why she now only talks to people who already like, know and trust her

Comment "System" below and DM me “System” if you want the video.

P.S Proud of you Joya Dass and can't wait to see your growth this year.

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The Battle

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