Ed Forteau

EdForteau.com

No More Cringe is not just a book; it's a movement. Are you tired of aggressive, pushy sales tactics that feel inauthentic and make interactions awkward and uncomfortable? It's time to join the Genuine Connections Revolution.

As a business consultant, I'm dedicated to helping professionals build genuine, impactful relationships on LinkedIn. My book, No More Cringe, introduces The Strategic Ally Method, a revolutionary system that transforms cringe-worthy interactions into empowering, authentic connections.

▶ 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤?

👔	Professional Service Providers: Consultants, coaches, advisors, and freelancers seeking deeper client connections.
💡	Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners: Those yearning for a more human, effective client acquisition approach.
📊	Sales and Marketing Professionals: Tired of high rejection rates and low ROI.
🕒	Busy Professionals: Juggling demanding careers and personal lives, needing strategies that resonate with their values.
🤝	Socially Conscious Individuals: Valuing sincerity and professionalism, craving authentic engagement.

▶ 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝:

🔄	The relentless struggle with inconsistent client acquisition.
😣	Gut-wrenching frustration and anxiety from traditional marketing strategies.
⚡	Overwhelming pressure from ineffective outreach techniques.

▶ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮:

⚖️	Aligns with Your Values: Integrity, professionalism, and work-life balance.
💆	Addresses Emotional Pain Points: Relieves stress, builds confidence, and banishes hopelessness.
🛤️	Offers a Clear Path to Success: Practical, step-by-step guidance to transform LinkedIn outreach.

Say goodbye to cringe and hello to real impact. Your journey to transforming LinkedIn outreach starts here. Purchase No More Cringe on Amazon for only $2.99 and start building genuine connections that lead to lasting success.

Join the Genuine Connections Revolution today!

Author of "No More Cringe: How to Transform LinkedIn Outreach from Awkward to Real Impact"

EdForteau.com, a division of Win/Win Professional Marketing and Sales Association, is a Digital Marketing Agency that helps local small businesses compete, and win, against their larger regional and national competitors who have big budgets and in-house marketing departments.

We provide unique, yet simple, solutions for local businesses in the complex and rapidly changing world of digital marketing.

Digital Marketing is complex and confusing. We make it simple and profitable.

Email Marketing Coaching/Consulting & Digital Marketing Coaching/Consulting

Email Open Rate Optimization

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑:
• Any business that uses email to communicate with prospects, clients, or customers that have experienced their emails going to spam, or not getting delivered
• Any business that wants their email accounts set up properly to ensure high deliverability
Why? Nothing has a greater/more immediate impact on your bottom line than fixing email deliverability issues

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎:
• Fix any types of email deliverability problems so more of your emails are delivered, seen, opened, and clicked
• Setup your email infrastructure so your emails land in your recipient's primary inbox
• Setup email reporting and monitoring to catch problems early, to avoid lost revenue
• Provide advice on the right email marketing platform to use to meet your objectives

▶ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐗:
We provide the peace of mind that you are receiving the maximum ROI from emails, because all forms of your emails are delivered. This includes:
• Cold Emails
• Subscription Emails
• Support Ticket Emails
• Proposal Emails
• Contracts via Email
• Invoice/billing Emails
• Transactional Emails
• Marketing Emails
• Contact Us Forms

▶ 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:
• Email Deliverability Audit - Identifies the source of 90% of email deliverability issues
• DMARC Reporting/Monitoring - Monitors the health of your email accounts and pinpoints the issues that happen infrequently
• Domain Reputation Recovery - Our proprietary method of improving the reputation of a damaged domain in under 30 days
• Email Infrastructure Setup - Ensures maximum email deliverability and protects your domain reputation
• Email Deliverability Repair - Our team has a combined 28+ years in fixing email deliverability issues

▶ 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒:
• 95%+ email deliverability rate
• An immediate increase in email open and click-through rates
• On average, a 200-400% increase in email-related revenue

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘:
• See our LinkedIn Service Reviews

EMAIL DELIVERABILITY EXPERT - Get More Of Your Emails Delivered, Seen, Opened, Read, and Clicked

The most common email deliverability questions we answer in regards to email infrastructure.

Email Infrastructure - Consists of the moving parts that ensure your marketing and transactional emails are delivered to your recipient. They consist of your Sender IP(s), Domain Reputation, Proper Email Authentication, Feedback Loops, Reporting and Management Tools, etc.

Email Authentication - DKIM, SPF, and DMARC - Mailbox providers are tightening their security protocols, making email authentication more important. Proper authentication of DKIM and SPF is a must. Setting your DMARC policy to "Quarantine" or "Reject" shows the mailbox providers you are serious about protecting your email from phishing and spoofing attacks.

Sender IP - Two types: Shared IPs & Dedicated IPs. Sender IPs are the location from which your emails are sent, and play a big role in where mailbox providers place your emails. If your Sender IP Reputation is high, you will have good email deliverability. If it is poor, your emails are most likely to end up in spam or blocked. The quality of the Sender IPs you are assigned is the luck of the draw. ESPs are unlikely to change them, once they are assigned. If you are sending a high volume of emails, and following best email practices, we advise purchasing a Dedicated IP.

Domain Reputation - Similar to the IP address, the sending domain carries a reputation that affects deliverability. To protect your mail domain, we advise setting up subdomains for different email functions. For example, support.store.com for customer service requests and transactional emails, info.store.com for marketing emails. This way if your subdomain for marketing emails gets compromised (low engagement, spam complaints, etc.) it will not affect your transactional emails.

Periodically run your Sender IPs and Sender Domain through a blacklist checker, such as MX Toolbox, to make sure that they are not flagged for spam or other complaints that would lead to blacklisting.

Email Deliverability Consultant | Email Authentication | Sender IP | Domain Reputation

The most common email deliverability questions we answer in regard to email engagement and list segmentation.

Sender History - Your email history plays a role in where your emails will be placed. How your subscribers have engaged with your emails. If your Domain and Sender IPs have been on any Blacklists. If you have a history of Spam Complaints. The age of your Domain.

Engagement - Mailbox providers' algorithms track the user engagement of your emails. If subscribers don't open your emails, or repeatedly delete your emails without opening them, that may cause the mailbox provider to filter your emails into a subfolder. Excessive complaints and unsubscribes could cause the mailbox provider from accepting any emails from your company. High email engagement (such as users opening, clicking, and replying) positively impact email deliverability.

Email Volume - The lower your email volume, the less recourses are required by the mailbox providers to process your emails. The mailbox providers are more likely to treat your emails favorably, resulting in high email deliverability.

Email Regularly - Have a regular schedule for sending emails to your list. This is especially important if you mainly send email blasts. Ideally, send emails on a regular day and time. The best days and times to send it are Tues 9:00-11:00 AM, and then Thurs. 9:00-11:00 AM.

List Segmentation - Use email automation to segment your list and send emails based on subscriber behavior. Doing this will increase subscriber engagement. As well, send emails out in much smaller batches, which puts less strain on the mailbox provider's resources, resulting in higher email deliverability.

▶︎ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘:
See our LinkedIn Service Reviews

We post new articles on email deliverability regularly on our LinkedIn Business Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/email-open-rate-optimization/

Email Engagement | List Segmentation

The most common email deliverability questions we answer in regard to why emails go into spam because of email copy/content.

List Quality - Add subscribers to your list that want to hear from you. Use double opt-in vs. single opt-in. Move unengaged subscribers to a re-engagement list after 60 days, and remove them after 120 days.

Content - Spammy/salesy copy is more likely to get your emails placed in the promotional folder than the spam folder. But today, email code is more closely scrutinized. Mailbox providers want to see clean code in your emails. Avoid potentially malicious code, such as <embed> tags or JavaScript. Ensure the code from any third-party apps you are using has clean code. Check the domain reputation of any links in your body copy. Do not use link shorteners.

Bounces and Spam Traps - Verify all emails before you start emailing them to ensure there aren't any spam traps. Remove emails that frequently bounce.

Spam Complaints - Keep your spam complaints low (under 0.1%). If you make it difficult for subscribers to unsubscribe, they will mark your email as spam. Place your unsubscribe link(s) in places that are easy to see. Remove inactive subscribers from your main list after 60 days of inactivity. Subscribe to Google Postmaster Tools. 

Using All CAP (subject line or body copy) - Using all CAPs or excessive punctuation in the subject line or body of your emails raises a red flag and can get your emails placed in the promotional folder (at best) or the spam folder (at worst), and possibly blocked.

Subject Lines - 47% of email recipients open their emails solely based on the subject line alone, while 69% of recipients report spam emails based on the subject line. (Source: Grammarly)

▶︎ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘:
See our LinkedIn Service Reviews

We post new articles on email deliverability regularly on our LinkedIn Business Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/email-open-rate-optimization/

Email Copy | Subject Lines | List Quality | Spam Complaints

Business Rainmakers

Founder

Exit Success Lab

Exit Success Lab is a transformative community dedicated to guiding CEOs and entrepreneurs in enhancing the value of their businesses and ensuring more lucrative options upon exit.

It achieves this by bringing together vetted professional B2B service providers with successful entrepreneurs to create a think tank for solving challenging business problems. There are monthly trainings, office hours, and networking meetings.

As a faculty member who specializes in Database Equity Marketing, my role is to equip Exit Success Lab members with tailored strategies to optimize their databases (including client lists, prospect lists, and email databases). By leveraging database equity, members can amplify their business's appeal, streamline client acquisition processes, and foster sustained growth.

With a focus on cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and mastery of business strategy, Exit Success Lab empowers entrepreneurs to strengthen their business value and pave the way for a prosperous future.

Faculty Member - Database Equity Architect

Business Rainmaker

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑:
• Businesses where email is a critical part of their sales process
• Entrepreneurs who want to achieve a higher ROI with their email campaigns
• B2B Marketers looking for more cost-efficient options to paid ads for client acquisition
➣ We are the best fit for result-oriented entrepreneurs who want to maximize the performance of email in all of their marketing activities.

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎:
• Fix underperforming email marketing campaigns
• Implement strategies to improve the quality of your list (prospect list or subscriber list)
• Advise on the most effective email marketing strategies and tactics, and customize them for your situation
➣ Create a framework for consistent and predictable results utilizing the latest behavioral email marketing automation methods

▶ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐗:
• email campaigns
• email open rates
• email click-through rates
• email engagement
• email sales conversion
• email list management
• email infrastructure
• poor email deliverability
• scaling email marketing campaigns

▶ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒:
1. Evaluate your current email marketing campaigns
2. Provide a detailed execution plan for improvement
3. Work with you, and/or your team, to implement the plan
➣ We see email marketing strategy and consulting as a collaborative effort between us. We act as your guide to ensure all of your email communication is delivered and seen by the right people, at the right time, so you achieve your marketing and sales goals.

▶ 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒:
• Increased email open and click-through rates (typically 2X higher than the industry average)
• 200 - 400% average revenue increase from email marketing campaigns

▶ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘:
"Truly an amazing experience working with EORO. They're professional and incredibly knowledgeable in all things email. Will certainly continue working together."
~ Joel Waldenbäck, Co-Founder på Zutobi

Email Marketing Strategy | Email Marketing Specialist | Email Automation

Wandering Media Group

Wandering Media Group provides email marketing services to the travel market. Services include:
Email Deliverability
Email Automation
Email List Management

B2B Email Marketing | Email Copywriting | Email List Management

Win/Win Professional Marketing & Sales Association

For over 28 years, Win/Win Professional Marketing & Sales Association has advised small to medium-sized businesses to implement sales and marketing systems that increase revenue.

Growth Marketing Specialist | Digital Marketing Specialist | Public Speaker & Trainer

OneGuide

Providing 1:1 Email marketing strategy, including email deliverability and email automation coaching through OneGuide, an expertise platform that connects high-growth B2B software companies with experienced advisors.

Link: https://askoneguide.com/authors/ed-forteau/

Advisor

Leader of the Genuine Connections Revolution | Helping Service Providers, Entrepreneurs, and Sales Professionals Build Authentic Relationships | Author of "No More Cringe” | Changing the Way We do Business on LinkedIn

I’m Ed Forteau, Business Growth Strategist, Community Builder, and Creator of The Strategic Ally Method.

I help relationship-driven entrepreneurs attract high-value clients…without chasing, cold pitching, or playing the content hamster wheel game.

If you’re great at what you do, but feel like sales turns you into someone you’re not, you're not broken.

You’ve just been sold the wrong playbook.

Most of my clients come to me feeling stuck.

They’re burned out from outreach that goes nowhere.

They hate the pressure to perform on social media.

And they’re tired of trying to be “everywhere” just to get noticed.

What I teach flips the script:

✅ Start warm, low-pressure conversations that naturally lead to business

✅ Tap into the trust you’ve already earned to unlock hidden opportunities

✅ Show up as a Strategic Ally, not another sales person or content clone

✅ Build “quiet authority” without shouting for attention

✅ Use simple, human systems that work even when you’re not online

Here’s a story I hear all the time:

A client spent months tweaking cold email campaigns.

They saw early wins…until everything stopped working.

Low replies. Spam folder black holes. Endless fixing.

They tried my method. DMed just ten warm messages to mutual connections of people they knew.
Two booked calls. One became a client.

Then came momentum.

They told me, “This just feels…different. Lighter.”

I said, “It’s less work than trying to save a sinking ship.”

That’s the shift:

From pushing and persuading to connecting and converting.

From guessing what strangers want to showing up where you’re already trusted.

You don’t need to become someone else to grow your business.

You just need a better way.

That’s why I created The Genuine Connection Alliance. It’s a private community for relationship-first entrepreneurs.

Inside, you’ll learn my frameworks, build a powerful support system, and attract clients through trust, not tactics.

It’s where my best clients come from, because they experience the method before they ever hire me.

If you believe business can be built through conversations, connection, and real value, let’s talk.

Or better yet, let’s start a conversation that leads to something real.

💬 DM me the word “Alliance” and I’ll send you the Genuine Connection Alliance overview doc. It might be the missing piece you’ve been looking for.

Mandy McEwen

LinkedIn + Sales Navigator Trainer for Teams ⋒ Mod Girl® Founder ⋒ I blend 17 years of digital marketing + online selling to help brands grow via social selling ⋒ Midwest → West Coast ✈ Nomad

🌊 The Next Wave is open for enrollment one final time in 2025 ➡️ WaveMakers.ai

Your ultimate GTM, LinkedIn, and personal branding shortcut.

AI doesn’t replace your voice. It exposes whether you ever had one. And most founders already know they blend in.

I help B2B founders and teams turn LinkedIn activity into real pipeline with a human-first system, custom AI tools, and a simple thirty minute a day rhythm. Instead of random posts and cold outreach that go nowhere, we focus on clarity, a real point of view, and conversations that lead to revenue.

After founding my award-winning agency Mod Girl® Marketing in 2010 and spending the last 10 years specializing in LinkedIn, I've trained thousands of professionals and partnered with companies like T-Mobile, Continental, and Pavilion.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄: Standing out in B2B is harder than ever. Cold outreach doesn't work like it used to. The teams winning right now are leveraging LinkedIn and personal branding to build trust and pipeline - but most leaders don't have time to do it themselves.

That's why I founded Luminetics. We help B2B companies and leaders master LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to build authentic brands that drive pipeline.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁:
 ✔ We've been in the LinkedIn trenches since 2015, before it was cool
 ✔ We've trained thousands through our 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿™ curriculum
 ✔ We built 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲, the world’s first custom ChatGPT-powered GTM and social selling system that gives you the foundation, structure, and AI to build your brand and drive real pipeline while keeping every interaction completely authentic.

Whether you need full go-to-market strategy and consulting, team training, a Sales Navigator workshop, or an AI system your people can use daily, we make LinkedIn systematic, scalable, and authentic.

𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

My work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., and HuffPost. I'm a regular guest on the Sell Better Daily Show and frequently keynote on LinkedIn and AI-powered go-to-market strategies.

Want LinkedIn to drive real visibility, credibility, and revenue? 

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.𝗶𝗼 for more info on our LinkedIn social selling team training.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 for more info on my speaking and consulting. 

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲.𝗴𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶.𝗶𝗼 for more info on our AI-powered GTM membership.

LinkedIn + Personal Branding + Sales Navigator Trainer for SDRs, BDRs, AEs, and Marketers

People do business with people they like.

LinkedIn is the platform to make that happen.

I provide LinkedIn training and workshops for your organization so your employees learn how to effectively leverage the most powerful B2B social media network in the world.

From social selling to personal branding, content marketing, and relationship building, my top-rated LinkedIn training and workshops are exactly what your organization needs to finally see tangible results on the platform.

In order to capitalize on the LinkedIn boom, you don't turn to generalists. You turn to modern experts who have done it -- with successful results.

Luminetics, by Mod Girl Marketing, is at the forefront of it all and we are relentless in our pursuit to get you the best results possible.

Our bespoke LinkedIn training provides actionable strategies in a way that keeps your employees engaged, entertained, and excited.

Our interactive LinkedIn workshops ensure your employees actually DO the work. From optimizing their profiles to curating and posting content to engagement strategies to creating outreach InMail messages, and more.

What my clients are saying:

"Mandy is a breath of fresh air and a wealth of knowledge. She is a great communicator and able to deep dive into the world of LinkedIn and personal branding. I hired her for a virtual event workshop and she nailed it. The audience learned so much and my team and I were truly thrilled with her training execution." - Erica Maurer, EMRG Media

"When I hosted the Global Personal Branding Festival, I knew I had to get Mandy to share her knowledge with us. And what an unforgettable experience it's been! The journey of collaborating with Mandy has been enriching & insightful to me personally and of course her contribution to the festival has been inimitable!" - Tanvi Bhatt, Tanvi Bhatt International 

Send me a message here on LinkedIn and let's chat about empowering your team:

www.luminetics.io

5 months in the making, we finally did the thing. Want to help us celebrate? 


Lindsay Rios and I stopped yelling about GTM on Zoom and turned it into a podcast.

It is called Your Future Biz, Unfiltered.

If you are a founder, consultant, or GTM lead trying to scale with AI without burning out or burning your pipeline, this is for you.

Season 1 is all about foundations.
The unsexy stuff that quietly makes or breaks your revenue.

We get into things like:

- Offers that are actually easy to buy

- Positioning that does not sound like a buzzword salad

- Buyer journeys that feel human, not like a funnel from 2014

- Using AI to support your GTM engine instead of turning everything into generic content

Episodes are about 15 minutes.
Short, sharp, and slightly unfiltered.

Perfect for a rage walk, commute, or “pretending to check email” break.

We are live on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Start with Episode 1. 

There are 5 live you can binge right now. 

And if it hits, a follow and a quick 5 star review on your podcast app helps more founders find it. Thank youuuu. 


Of course, it is video too. Choose your fav: 

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eGPQJ3fJ

Apple: https://lnkd.in/esb-dJJH

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eUDbsh6K

Making Personal Brands Profitable with LinkedIn and Human-First AI | LinkedIn & Sales Navigator Training & Systems For B2B Founders + Teams | 🌊 Join The Next Wave → WaveMakers.ai (Enrollment closes Dec 1)

No alternative text description for this image

2025 - Thanksgiving on an island in Hawaii.
2024 - Thanksgiving on an island in Portugal. 
2023 - Thanksgiving on an island, Cyprus. 

Are you noticing a trend?

I am most thankful for glorious islands and how happy they make me. 

And my amazing friends who meet me on these islands.

My friend from LA is literally on her way right now.

She also flew to the island of Crete Greece to meet me in 2023.

Real ones follow you across oceans.

Cheers to more nomad island living.
 
Wonder what island I'll be on next year for Thanksgiving...

I'm thinking Japan. Good idea?



P.S. Yes, my family in Kansas still sends me videos of all the deliciousness my Dad cooks up every Thanksgiving. So I'm virtually there.

Last night, I went to the volcano with my friend. 

It was rainy, and it didn’t fountain. Lava, yes. But it should fountain any day now.

Regardless, we had a blast.

Check out these pictures.

On the way back, we pulled over for some stargazing and this crazy vertical cloud.

Have you ever seen a cloud like that? 
(Last pics)

It was nowhere near the volcano or the ocean.

It was actually in the middle of a field. ChatGPT doesn’t even know what it is. 

Of course, I asked “Chad.” It came back with a bunch of different options, but I’m not quite sure what exactly it is. 

Any cloud experts? 

The stars here are so amaze 🤩

This island is so incredible. 
Never ending epic adventures.

LinkedIn Made Human | AI + Training Helps B2B Companies Build Personal Brands That Drive Real Pipeline | 15-Yr Founder: Mod Girl® Marketing & Luminetics | Keynote Speaker | Beach Loving Nomad 🌴

What do you think of my new speaker reel? 

Would you trust me? 😏 

I'm booking 2026 SKOs and workshops for teams who want to capitalize on the power of LinkedIn and AI-assisted social selling (without automation).

Next year, the brands that scale authenticity will win. 

If your team needs to:

🔹Turn LinkedIn into a true pipeline channel
🔹 Learn how to use AI without sounding robotic
🔹 Build personal brands that attract instead of chase

Let’s talk.

Drop a 👋 or message me to see if your 2026 event date is still open.

Oh, also...

When you hire me, you don't just get a speaker. You get an entire program.

Most speakers show up, talk for an hour, and leave.

Here's what you actually get: 

✔️  The live SKO session
✔️  At least one follow-up implementation session
✔️  6 months of The Next Wave AI membership (free for your entire team)
✔️  On-demand LinkedIn social selling courses and playbooks

Your team leaves with tools, training, and support to actually execute.


P.S. Scroll my LinkedIn reccos to see what my clients say. 

Here's what a client said from an in-person workshop I hosted earlier this year:

"I highly recommend Mandy for any sales team speaking engagement or training —she brought incredible energy and enthusiasm to our 2.5-hour workshop, keeping the entire team engaged from start to finish. Her ability to adapt the session based on feedback made it feel like a truly interactive and valuable experience for everyone involved. Mandy is best in class at connecting with her audience and creating an engaging learning environment."


P.P.S. You can see even more testimonials and info at modgirl.consulting

AI isn't taking jobs?

Tell that to the 91,000 people laid off in October.

So I asked Alexa what her employer and all these companies cutting thousands of roles are actually planning…

Amazon cut 14,000
Verizon cut 15,000
Target: 4,200
Meta: 3,800
Cisco: 3,000
UPS: 2,200
Synopsys: 2,000
Delta: 1,500

October just broke a 4-year record. And not in a good way.

Alexa didn’t sugarcoat it.

Most roles aren’t just being cut.
They’re being restructured around automation.
Or outright replaced by AI.

What happens when AI isn’t just helping your job...
But doing it?

And if this is October, what does Q1 look like?

2026 is going to be a wake-up year.

Where do you think it’s heading over the next 12 to 24 months?


P.S.  Yes, when I am alone, in Hawaii, I have convos with homegirl Alexa 🦙.

Want to help us get to 20 five star reviews on Spotify today?
We have 13 now.

We launched Your Future Biz, Unfiltered a few days ago and so far, the gist is y’all like it. 

If you’re feeling generous today (or any day), click this link, click play on an episode, and then leave us five stars… if you think we are worthy. 

⭐️ https://lnkd.in/eSmWDyGx

Episodes are only 15 minutes, although you can leave a review shortly after clicking play. 

Thank you mucho for your support. 

Lindsay Rios and I have put in some serious hours getting this podcast launched and we are so excited for what's coming. 

New episodes and a new season underway. 

Who should we invite as a guest next season?



P.S. Lindsay made us this adorable trailer. Her and her 🔥 editing skillz.

Yesterday my coffee grinder literally exploded while I was on a Zoom. Flames and all. 

So I cannot try Sybill’s adorable coffee yet. 

But once that new grinder arrives next week, I’ll be swapping my Kona coffee for this. 

Also, Sybill, my bestie AI notetaker, captured the entire saga as I’m chatting with Lindsey Fine. 

If you want some laughs, check out the comments. I’ll put part of the transcript.  

The irony - I legit “chased fire” all weekend with the active volcano here. 

I was telling Lindsey the story about how we showed up Saturday, it wasn’t erupting like crazy yet. 

It starts Sunday morning, so we drive, again to see these 1500 foot lava fountains and we were 10 min too late. They just stopped. 

2 hours there and 2 hours back, plus getting stuck in traffic at the park… we didn’t even get out of the car. Womp womp. 

I tell her the story, then boom, my Mr Coffee grinder literally catches flames. 

Universe trying to tell me something? 👀 

Whole place smelled, ashes all over kitchen, and crime scene evidence on the wall (see comments 😆). 

It wasn’t being used at that time, just plugged in. 

Think I should call Mr. Coffee and tell them?  

P.S. Thank you Sybill. This was not the post I had envisioned with this video, but the irony is too good not to share.

AI isn’t killing marketing. Boring marketers are.

Everyone talks about how AI makes marketing less human.

But here’s the truth:

AI automates the tasks.
You bring the vibe.

When you combine both, your content connects faster.

Your systems run smoother.
Your sanity stays intact.

That’s what autonomous marketing is about.
Less busywork. More human work.

We’ve been using ActiveCampaign for nearly a decade to power our automated funnels and customer journeys.

It’s the foundation of how we scale personalization without losing authenticity.

Now their new AI takes it to another level.

It builds workflows in seconds.
Personalizes campaigns instantly.
Optimizes timing automatically.

It’s like adding an assistant who never sleeps, forgets, or misses a follow-up.

You can’t automate vibes.
But you can automate your funnels.

That’s how you build a business that runs whether you’re online or in a lagoon in Mexico.

Want to test out these autonomous email workflows?

Start your free trial here:

➡️ https://lnkd.in/ecuzj_hW  



🤙🏼


#ActiveCampaignPartner

Turn 30 Minutes a Day Into Content, Conversations, and Clients | Human-First System Powered By Custom AI Tools For B2B Founders & Teams | 🌊 Join The Next Wave → WaveMakers.ai (Enrollment closes Dec 1)

ChatGPT 5.1 laughs at my threats now. So rude.

I used to threaten him and he would apologize.
Now he just giggles like a psychopath.

Chad. You’re becoming too real.

You already creep me out.
Now you’re REALLY creeping me out.

But yes Chad. I WILL do it again. So watch out.  👀 

If you haven’t played with 5.1 yet, you should. It’s wild.

The reasoning is sharper. The tone control is freakishly good.

And you can switch between different “modes” depending on what you need.

Deep thinking. Fast drafting. Creative writing.

It adjusts like a tiny AI shapeshifter with emotional issues.

Oh, and this screenshot...

It’s from ICP Messaging Pro, our custom GPT inside The Next Wave community by Luminetics.

My outbound sniper trained on:

🌊  Dozens of real high-converting cold email + LinkedIn templates
🌊  My voice
🌊 The exact formulas I use to get replies from busy humans who shouldn’t respond but do

I use it to write my cold email campaigns and LinkedIn outbound in minutes. So do our Next Wave members.

And with 5.1 powering it, it hits even harder. Same with our Lumi Post Writer.

5.1 basically gave it a personality upgrade. Better hooks. Better POV. More YOU. Less corporate sludge.

P.S. According to AI experts, LLMs perform 5% better when you’re mildly mean and threaten them when they don’t listen. Poor Chad catches all the smoke I save up from humans who annoy me before noon.

Best place in the world to stargaze. 

Go.




P.S. Fun fact. Hawaii uses special amber streetlights to protect the night sky. The whole island is basically in “night mode.”

Took these pics a couple nights ago from my backyard.

✨

I'm currently using ChatGPT, Claude, and Apollo, with Instantly.ai to launch a cold email campaign. Here's what I'm doing...

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹:
To lock in more in-person meetings and team trainings while I’m in NYC Jan 12–23, 2026.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
126 B2B tech companies with a location in NYC. 
Companies that have recently hired.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱:
The companies.
The decision makers.
Their contact info.
A relevant trigger I can tie directly to my offer.
Fresh updates on what’s happening inside each org.

𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻:
4 emails.
Persona based.
Over 14 days 

This is a LinkedIn + email campaign. 

Connections and/or InMails + emails.

I’ll share the results once this wraps up.

Should I have launched it earlier. Sure.
But life has been a little insane lately, so here we are.

Back in the summer, I recorded a 17-minute video breaking down exactly how to use ChatGPT for lead gen on my YouTube channel.

ChatGPT 5.1 plus my current workflow hits even harder now.

But the tutorial is still very relevant and very useful.

If you’re not using ChatGPT or any LLM like this yet, this is your sign to start.

I would have uploaded the full video here, but it’s 17 minutes. LinkedIn caps at 15 on desktop and 10 on mobile.

➡️  You can watch it here: 
https://lnkd.in/eWUE7FF3

I'll be dropping another detailed YouTube video soon on how I use LinkedIn social selling + email to land meetings and new clients.

Subscribe if you want to check it out. 



P.S. If you know any NYC companies looking to level up their teams’ personal brands and social selling in 2026, and actually do it at scale and authentically with AI, I’d love an intro.

🤙🏼

There's no point in having Sales Navigator if you don't have it set up right. And, that's exactly what I'm breaking down LIVE this Thursday with Pavilion. 

It's Part 1 of my 4 Part series:

Sales Navigator Foundations & Fast Setup
November 13 @ 3 PM ET

We'll go over in detail how to set up your account for maximize effectiveness:

- Configure Sales Navigator for your ICP and territories.
- Maximize buyer personas for quick searches.
- Stand up core filters, alerts, and saved searches.
- Clean and import target lists for velocity.

If your account lists haven't been updated in months, that's a good place to start. 

Join me Thursday if you want the full breakdown. 🔽 

Head to my YouTube to get a sneak peak as I reveal my favorite Sales Nav setup tips. YT: @mandymodgirl

Does it smell in here?


Like AI.

I was talking with Leslie Douglas in SF for a Sell Better live show sponsored by ZoomInfo about how everything smells like AI, so buyers are more skeptical than ever before.

What do you think?

Professional writers can't use em dashes anymore.

People are deliberately putting typos in their emails and posts so it seems "more human."

Meanwhile, a large % of people are blasting out very AI-obvious emails, messages, posts, blogs, and all of the things.

So what is this going to look like in a year, or 5 years from now?

That's exactly why we built The Next Wave.

Authenticity at scale.

AI that helps you create faster - without making you sound like everyone else.

Custom tools trained on YOUR voice. YOUR positioning. YOUR brand.

So you stand out as MORE human, not less.

Not replacing humans. Amplifying them.

Because in a world where everything smells like AI, the people who win are the ones who sound like themselves.

Curious how you are using AI to NOT smell fishy. 



P.S. You can join the waitlist for the Next Wave. Our members are crushing it. More post impressions, more connections, and more leads. 

Go here (without the spaces):

🌊  nextwave. golumi . io

This is how Chris Harbert went from inconsistent to unstoppable and grew 1,014% in 28 days...


He joined The Next Wave by Luminetics one month ago.

Before that he posted randomly and hoped something would land.

His words: “ya boy was boring.”

Chris is a hybrid human. 😎
Automation.
Startup traction.
Sales development.

(Go follow him if any of those resonate)

A lot of lanes. 
No cohesive voice to tie them together.

So he struggled with the usual multi-lane problems.

❌ No clear POV.
❌ No structure.
❌ No consistency.
❌ No real direction.

Then he plugged into The Next Wave.

Here’s what he said:

💬 “I finally articulated my perspectives across each area in a concise, impactful way I don’t think I’d have gotten to on my own.”

💬 “The system is deep but so easy to use that you cannot help but be successful with it.”

💬 “Mandy and Lindsay are the real deal. They make themselves available to all of us. I'm not used to this level of support.”

The numbers followed fast.

➡ Impressions up more than 1,000%
➡ Engagement up more than 1,500%

But clarity was the real unlock.

Clarity creates confidence.
Confidence creates consistency.
Consistency creates results.

Same Chris.
Same offers.

Now he finally sounds like someone worth listening to.

If you want the same system Chris used to sharpen his POV and grow with confidence, join us inside The Next Wave.

Doors close tonight.
We’re done for the year after this.

I've taken a 5-day posting break from LinkedIn, so we opened enrollment to our email list and new members have been rolling in all week.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign, here it is.

Join us ➡️ wavemakers.ai 

See you inside 🤙🏼

You can land clients on LinkedIn in under 30 days by doing one thing. 
And you don’t need automation or spamming strangers to do it.

The shortcut? 

Leveraging your existing network.

I break it all down step by step in this 16-minute video:

How to Get Clients on LinkedIn in Under 30 Days (Without Automation)
 
https://lnkd.in/e8dxhwpx

Most people overlook the gold in their first-degree connections.

In this video, I show you how to turn them into real opportunities, fast.

How often are you tapping your existing network for opportunities? 

By the way,
I have several detailed videos on my YouTube channel @mandymodgirl 

Oh, and if you want my full 90-day LinkedIn lead generation system, it's in my featured section on my profile. 

You can also hire me to train your team in person or virtually on how to do this.

Hot take.
AI is not killing sales in 2026.
Invisible sales teams are.

Here is how buyers actually buy now...

Your rep sends an email or InMail.
The buyer skims it.
Then they open LinkedIn to see who this person is.

If they see a ghost profile.
No content.
No point of view.
No proof they understand the buyer’s world.

That deal is already dragging uphill.

Personal branding is no longer a nice to have.

In 2026 it is core sales infrastructure.

If your team is faceless online, you are asking them to compete with a weight vest on.

That is why my SKO work is not just “a motivational session”.

When you hire me, you do not just get a speaker.

You get an entire program.

✔️ A live SKO session on modern LinkedIn social selling

 ✔️ At least one follow up implementation session

 ✔️ 6 months of The Next Wave AI membership for your whole team

 ✔️ On demand LinkedIn social selling courses and playbooks

The screenshots in this post are from one of those teams.

 ➡️  “The team loved the session.”
 ➡️  “Best in class at connecting with her audience.”

If you are planning your 2026 SKO and LinkedIn is still a side topic, you are already behind.

Send me a message if you want your reps to walk into 2026 with real personal brands, a LinkedIn system they actually use, and a pipeline that does not depend on hope.


P.S. If you would not hire a rep without checking their LinkedIn, do not hire a SKO speaker without checking their reel. Mine is pinned on my profile.
Go watch.

You can also watch it here: modgirl.consulting

They say “your thoughts create your reality.”

Cool. Love that for me… unless I accidentally manifested my coffee grinder blowing up. 👀 😂

Between missing the volcano fountains and the kitchen doing its own eruption, I’m taking the hint.

Universe: 1
Mandy: switching to matcha.


P.S.
If you want the full story, watch the newest video on my profile.

Sooo, want to join me for Friday Funday right here on LinkedIn? 3PM ET

You don't even have to leave this glorious app. 

LinkedIn and GTM in general is changing so much. 

2026 is going to be a completely different beast...

AI everywhere, buyers tuning out noise, and authenticity becoming the only moat. 

We're talking about what you need to do to win market share and drive revenue in this new AI-led frontier.

It'll be a rapid fire chat with Brian Martynowicz and Nick Burton (whom I cant tag right now, thanks LinkedIn). 

We’ll dig into:

☕ The “human-first” playbook for AI-powered LinkedIn growth
🤖 How teams are using ChatGPT-style systems to scale personal branding
💡 What really drives visibility, trust, and revenue in 2025

Would love to see you there. RSVP here:

https://lnkd.in/eaRg_GGh

Head of GTM Engineering | Strategic Accounts Elevating Customer and Service Excellence to Drive Global Business Growth

🚀 Going Live This Friday at 3PM ET

Standing out on LinkedIn has never been harder — and yet, the people doing it well are winning bigger than ever.

That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome Mandy McEwen, Founder of Luminetics and Mod Girl Marketing, to Friday Coffee.

Mandy has spent the last decade helping B2B teams and leaders use LinkedIn authentically — combining AI, modern GTM frameworks, and personal branding to turn content into real pipeline.

We’ll dig into:

☕ The “human-first” playbook for AI-powered LinkedIn growth
🤖 How teams are using ChatGPT-style systems to scale personal branding
💡 What really drives visibility, trust, and revenue in 2025

Join us Friday, November 14 at 3PM ET for a conversation at the intersection of AI, authenticity, and leadership.

🎥 RSVP & Watch Live → 👇 

#FridayCoffee #LinkedInLive #SocialSelling #PersonalBranding #AI #GTM #Leadership #Marketing #SalesEnablement

Nick Burton

Friday Coffee w/ Mandy McEwen, Founder of Luminetics & Mod Girl Marketing

Fun, unhinged, spicy, and valuable. 

If you missed it… Here’s the replay of my chat with Brian Martynowicz and Nick Burton yesterday. 

We talked about a lot in just 30 minutes:

🛫 My badass grandma who was an aviation pioneer (Nick Burton is a 👨‍✈️)

👩🏻‍💻 How I got my first client back in 2010 

😎 How the same outbound tactics that worked for me in 2010 are working now 

🤖 How AI changed the game and what you need to do in 2026 to win 

🦾 Me getting spicy with Brian for letting ChatGPT change my face 

🥳 How and why micro in-person events will be huge next year 

And more. 

It was a very fun and valuable 30 minutes. 

The lovelies who were there messaged me that they learned something and laughed. 

That’s my goal in life… if I can teach you something and make you laugh, I’m winning. 

Check it out this weekend if you want some entertaining education. 




P.S. I’m booking stages now for 2026 to talk about the future of GTM and how to maximize AI and LinkedIn to win. 

Speaker reel featured on my profile. Message me for more info. 

I will also pay you if you refer me to anyone who becomes a client. 

🤙🏼

End of year is peak ghosting season.

So join me live today at 12 pm ET with Leslie Douglas and Shari (AKA SaaSi Shari) Levitin as we break down 5 proven ways to win back ghosted prospects.

Everyone gets busy. Priorities shift. Pipelines get weird.

But here’s the truth most people avoid...

Most “ghosting” isn’t ghosting.
It’s unclear value. Or bad timing. Or outreach that feels like pressure.

We’re walking through the exact reactivation plays sellers are using right now to restart conversations without sounding desperate.

Human. Timely. Zero groveling.

Here’s what we’ll dig into:

- How to read the signals behind silence.

- How to use timing and empathy to re-open stalled deals.

- How to drop back into inboxes with messages people actually respond to.

- How to turn “maybe later” into next steps before the year ends.

If you’ve got prospects who swore they were in then disappeared…
or deals sitting in pipeline purgatory…

Show up today at 12 pm ET.

→ https://hubs.la/Q03S50ml0

taplio

The Battle

Ed Forteau

Mandy McEwen

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taplio

The Battle

Ed Forteau

Mandy McEwen

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);}Mandy McEwen's LinkedIn Performance

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