Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia, and Creator and CEO of VeeFriends, and 6x New York Times Best Selling Author. Gary is considered one of the leading global minds on what's next in culture, business, and the internet. 

Known as "GaryVee," he is described as one of the most forward thinkers in business. He acutely recognizes trends and patterns early to help others understand how shifts in consumer attention impact the realities of the business world today. Gary's approach sits at the intersection of business and pop culture. He keenly understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase, and Uber.  

Gary is an entrepreneur at heart – he builds businesses. Today, he helps Fortune 1000 brands leverage consumer attention through his full-service advertising agency, VaynerMedia, which has ofﬁces in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Chicago, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Tokyo, Toronto, Singapore, and Sydney. VaynerMedia is part of the VaynerX holding company, which also includes Eva Nosidam Productions, Gallery Media Group, ChukMedia, VaynerSpeakers, VaynerCommerce, and Tingley Lane Trading. Gary is the Co-Founder of VaynerSports, VCR Group, VaynerWatt, Resy, and Empathy Wines. He guided Resy and Empathy to successful exits -- which he later sold to American Express and Constellation Brands, respectively. He also owns a Major League Pickleball team called the 5s, is part owner of a Big3 basketball team, and is an investor in the revival of the SlamBall League. 

Gary is also the founder and creator of VeeCon – a contemporary super conference that converges business and pop culture with innovation and technology. In addition to running multiple businesses, Gary documents his daily life as a CEO through his social media channels, which have more than 50 million followers and garner more than 2+ billion impressions per year across all platforms. His podcast, "The GaryVee Audio Experience," ranks among the top podcasts globally.  

Gary serves on the board of MikMak, Bojangles Restaurants, Global Citizen Forum, The Paley Center, and Pencils of Promise. He is also a longtime Well Member of charity: water.

Gary's life ambition is to buy the New York Jets.

Vayner3 was founded to help the world’s leading enterprises navigate the next era of connected consumer behavior. Our mission is to grow your business by helping to build new markets and revolutionize digital engagement, charting a new course for enterprises. 

Vayner3 partners with leading brands to shape the next era of the internet; leverage AR, Blockchain, AI, and immersive digital experiences to future-proof your business.

Please listen to this carefully ...

so many of you are putting an ideology of "success" on a pedestal instead of your own ACTUAL HAPPINESS.

Everybody's balance is different ..

everybody's version of happiness is different ..

There are 300 million ways to do it ..

find the way that works for YOU! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Chairman – VaynerX, CEO – VaynerMedia, Creator – VeeFriends

Back in the day when I was starting they swore that being nice was a weakness …

A lot of people actually tried to talk me out of turning employees into family .. they said, "Gary, you're too nice. It's not gonna work out."

But I never believed them, not for one second .. no matter how much money they had or how much I believed in them.

And more importantly, I was willing to leave unbelievable amounts of money on the table to feel good about my day-to-day, my life, and who I was.

My friends .. kindness is ROI positive .. you can build an empire and be an unbelievable business person without compromising kindness.

Pls share this with one person who needs it today!

The biggest truth in the world 🌎 is that you're 100% in control of your life and you are not trapped or stuck ... and yet ... the world has got you all convinced that it's the reverse

As we head into 2026 .. pls remember .. you are in control ❤️

If you're unhappy at your job .. if you hate your boss .. instead of doing whatever the f*ck you normally do for 4 hours .. go on LinkedIn and email 100 people. 

Update your LinkedIn account .. post content about your expertise. You can do sh*t instead of just complaining. 

Complaining is, “My boss will never let me succeed.” Are you out of your f*cking mind?? Your boss at a random company? There are 87 trillion companies .. quit! 

At the end of the day, if you want to be happy, pls understand .. you're in control.

You have ONE life. Do something about it.

Stop micromanaging dumb sh*t that actually doesn't matter.

Owners and managers .. the micromanaging of "Whatya doing right now?" or the obsession over if employees are being productive at home is hurting you!

When it comes to managing my employees, giving them space to breathe, knowing who they really are, being respectful of their time and privacy matters the most to me.

Leading with fear, scaring people, or controlling people is messed up .. that negativity needs to be flipped to get the outcome you need.

Trust wins, spying loses.

Give your people room .. don't micromanage .. all this f*cking intensity that just brings no value.

Let your employees f*cking breathe and then you'll really see who they are!

Building a great culture starts with surrounding yourself with individuals who show humanity, kindness, and positivity.

As a leader, it's important to not "look the other way" when certain individuals are negatively impacting the team's culture, especially if they are "top performers" on paper.

Audit the sh*t out of what you consume and who you hang with.

It's just real! Who you hang out with determines your future success... so surround yourself with positive people who support you.

Support paired with accountability is always a winning formula.

If you're looking for something special to happen, it's supposed to be hard.

The second you allow the word "easy" to come into your head when you're building something, it's game over.

I see all of these kids and they're like, "Gary, this is so hard..." I'm like, do you understand that you're asking for a 1% life in being an entrepreneur that stands on her or his own feet?

Everything's out of whack. Do I think there are many unlimited opportunities out there? Yes, I do. But do I think there's anything easy about standing on your own two feet and having all of that pressure on your chest in perpetuity? No, I do not.

The second you want something fast is the second I'll show you something that's vulnerable: a relationship, a business, a platform... Speed is the enemy to so many right now.

Life is ups and downs for everyone...

The reality is most people aren’t joyful because they aren’t reacting to the “down times” well…once you get cozy with the dirt, the bad, the garbage, the issues, that’s when shit gets good 😉

I fire every single person that is not a good human being regardless of how much money she or he makes for me. 

If you’re a leader, I promise you this… you better go home and audit every single employee you have and figure out which employee makes the other employees miserable. I don’t give a sh*t if it’s your number one salesperson, your best developer, or your cofounder… cancer spreads. 

There is no quicker way to f*ck everything up than to look the other way when you have someone who is talented and contributing, but is a garbage human. 

Period.

I know a lot of companies and employees are trying to figure out how to balance in office/ remote work … pros and cons to so many of the sides .. but man .. the osmosis to learn and the efficiencies of learning and getting certain things done ✔️ really plays out so differently in person than on zoom and slack .. interesting times ahead for CEOs and employees as we all figure it “out”

There's no right or wrong, there's just what works for you

Comment below .. what are your thoughts on remote work?

#companyculture #remotework #workfromhome

It’s action time … you all know what you need to do .. it’s time to actually do … the talk time is over - go do .. show up.. put in the time and work and effort and don’t fear the failure, fear the regret of talking and never doing anything about it … you got this … I believe in you ❤️♥️

Taking a job for less pay…
Selling your big house for a smaller house when appropriate, or even renting…
Leaving a job that isn’t right for you even though you’ve been there for 7 years…
Taking a lesser title even though the business is better…

The fear of “going backwards” is hurting people.. but the “step back” is often the thing that launches people into happiness .. but their fear of judgement on the step back is stopping them from that happiness.

It’s unfortunate because a lot of that is based on society's current POV and judgement - not people's true decisions. 

Time to block out the noise and lean into your truth. Choose humility and grit and inconvenience for a period of time to get to your joy ❤️❤️☀️💛💛💛

You don't build culture by offering free snacks or a gym membership.

You build culture by talking to people and understanding what they care about.

Leaders work for their employees, not the other way around. That means you have to understand what your employees want at a deep level. You have to be constantly adapting to their needs and what they want from the organization.

Listening to employees, having one-on-one meetings, catering to what they want, taking the blame, and being the bigger person... that's how you win.

It doesn’t matter what you call your company.

McDonald’s is a junk food restaurant. But if you didn’t know McDonald’s and heard the name, it sounds like an Irish pub. Like, what is Google? The f*ck is Nike?

People are overthinking things that don’t matter.. Like a name. What actually matters is that you’re going to execute on that name. 

My personal brand name, publicly, is the stupidest thing of all time. It’s GaryVee, with two silent e’s.

My friends, it’s not the name. It’s just execution.

I'm not a big fan of dwelling without action.

I've got a very basic thesis: if I find myself in a situation where I'm unhappy, either I do something about it, or—if I've decided I don't want to do something about it—I keep my mouth shut, because there's too much energy wasted on dwelling.

It's pretty simple, my friends: complaining gets you nowhere.

If you're super unhappy—if you wake up every morning dreading going to work—you have several options. You can, while you still have that job, start something else on the side and let it build... or you can quit and start something new right away... or you can stay the course and have regret when you're older... or figure out how to get your joy elsewhere.

That's it. That's the game.

You’ve got options—you just need to take action. Dwelling and talking about it does nothing.

If this hits for you, let's use this post to inspire you to address that sh*t once and for all. Who’s in?

You have to make a decision: are you going to stay at a job you hate just to maximize your salary and not give a f*ck about the cons, or are you going to go find a job that pays you a little bit less but gives you the freedom you’re looking for?

For a long time, it was “maximize money.” Now, it’s about maximizing happiness and opportunity. Nobody’s forcing you to work anywhere. Life is about decisions. The great thing is, you’re in charge.

Culture should be a top priority when you’re a running a business, and it must be preserved at all costs.

Here's how I do it...

If someone in my company acts like a jerk...

Too many of you allow your logic to override your intuition, only to later be disappointed that you allowed yourself to do that … so stop 🛑

2026 resolutions - listen to my gut more … who’s in ?

Tilly Davies

Most professional service businesses don’t have a lead problem.

They have a 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

Not because they’re careless.
Not because they lack discipline.
But because they’re human.

You’re delivering work.
Managing admin.
Staying visible.
Replying to messages.
Trying to grow without burning out.

And in that constant motion, good conversations quietly slip through the cracks.

Leads go cold.
Opportunities stall.
And the business starts to feel heavier than it should.

That’s the real issue.

Not your offer.
Not your experience.
Not your credibility.

I build 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 for professional service businesses.

Practical, integrated systems that make follow-up inevitable, reduce admin, and create calmer, more predictable client flow.

This isn’t about bolting AI on top of your business.

It’s about building 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, so conversations are protected, relationships are followed through, and nothing depends on memory alone.

No gimmicks.
No generic prompts.
No templated automation.

Just infrastructure that quietly supports the human behind the business.

Here’s the principle everything is built on:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.
𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

You don’t need more hustle.
You don’t need to post constantly.
You don’t need to chase leads.

You need a system that works when you’re busy, focused, or offline.

If you want to see what’s missing in your current setup, message me 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙-𝗟𝗘𝗗 and I’ll share the Client Readiness Checklist.

Client Acquisition Expert | Digital Marketing Top Voice | CEO | Founder | 

As a Business Professional with over 40 years’ experience in various industries I started MarketingCX in January 2016. I support my clients Business Strategies by using digital marketing, social media marketing and social selling methodologies to market their businesses online, specializing in LinkedIn.  I am commited to deliver an exceptional service, measurable and manageable results, and a positive return on investment to my clients. 

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜 𝗗𝗢 𝗜𝗧: My approach combines a mix of innovation, strategy, technology and digital marketing to craft solutions that are tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals.

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦: It’s adaptive and forward-thinking. By staying ahead of technological advancements and industry trends, I ensure that my clients’ marketing efforts are leading the curve, resulting in sustained growth and a significant competitive advantage. 

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗜 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗘:
➡️ MCXWebsuite - Customer Centric Websites/Funnels plus MarketingAI Software
➡️ LeadGenPro - LinkedIn Lead Generation DFY plus MarketingAI Software
➡️ MarketingCX Machine - Plug and Play Marketing System
➡️ BizGrowthMarketMinds - Community Portal 

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗠𝗘:
LinkedInBuddy Webinars
Leaders Live
Social Media Summit
Lunchtime Series Podcast
LinkedIn
ORT Jet Business Bootcamp

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗬:
“Tilly has all the tips and tricks to ignite your LinkedIn profile. She helps you to build a credible profile that will bring in more business. I highly recommended Tilly's services. Thanks Tilly.” - Virginie Nothard - Executive NeuroCoach

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵:
I’m always looking to connect with businesses interested in elevating their digital marketing game. Whether you’re seeking advice, collaboration, or services, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or via my website.
📧 Email me at tilly@marketingcx.co.za

I’m alive. We’re alive. And that’s what matters most.

Last Friday afternoon, just before 5pm, my husband and I were sitting under our lapa, finally exhaling after a long week of work. In seconds, that peaceful moment turned into a fight for our lives.

Four men entered our back garden armed with crowbars and pangas. The anger in their eyes and the weapons in their hands made it immediately clear that this was serious. One grabbed me, demanded my wedding ring, and held a knife to my hand, threatening to cut off my finger if I didn’t comply. I handed over my ring and was forced into the house, where they demanded our safe and the rest of my jewellery.

What followed was chaos. Cupboards were emptied, rooms were ransacked, and fear filled the air. My husband and I were eventually forced into a bedroom, covered with a duvet, holding each other in silence, praying our children would not walk into the middle of it all.

Thankfully, the attackers left before that happened.

Our children arrived soon after. Everything was gone. The house was destroyed. But we were alive. And as our family gathered that evening, shaken but together, one truth stood out above everything else.

Love and family are all that truly matter.

I’m sharing this to explain my brief absence and to reassure everyone that, while shaken, I am recovering well. I expect to be fully operational again by Thursday.

I also want to thank my incredible team and clients. Because our work and services are remote, operations continued uninterrupted. This is a testament to resilience, strong systems, and people who truly care.

We now rebuild in a world where violence and crime can feel normalised. But love, faith, and family remain stronger.

Thank you for the messages, the support, and the patience.
If you have been waiting to connect, collaborate, or continue work, I will be back and available from Thursday onward.

Please hug your loved ones a little tighter today.

Mathilda (Tilly) Davies

Founder of Robolead | One platform to run your business online, automate follow-up, and get AI-ready without adding more tools

No alternative text description for this image

I keep meeting business owners who feel a bit… tricked by AI.

They did what everyone said.
Tried the tools.
Saved the prompts.
Added automation.

And yet their business still feels messy.
Follow-up is inconsistent.
Customer experience feels colder than before.

I don’t think they did anything wrong.

What I’ve noticed, after working in tech for decades, is that this happens every time a new technology wave hits.

It happened with websites.
It happened with CRMs.
And it’s happening again with AI.

The businesses that struggle aren’t behind.
They’re just not aligned for the tech they’ve added.

When workflows are fuzzy, AI amplifies it.
When roles aren’t clear, AI feels chaotic.
When the human side isn’t protected, AI sounds robotic.

None of that means AI is a bad idea.
It just means the business wasn’t ready yet.

And that’s actually good news.
Because readiness is something you can check calmly, without ripping everything apart.

If you’re tired of feeling like you were sold the promise but left with the cleanup, starting with a Business AI Readiness Indicator is the right decision (available on my Profile).

💾 Save this if you know you’ll need this reminder later.

Almost every week there’s a “new must-have AI tool.”
And almost every week I hear the same thing.

“Why does nothing actually feel easier?”

People are adding AI content tools.
Posting more.
Generating leads.

But then… things stall.

Messages get missed.
Follow-ups don’t happen.
And running the business online still feels heavy.

I see this all the time, and I get it.

AI isn’t failing you.

What’s failing is trying to run your business online across too many disconnected tools.

Content lives in one place.
Leads in another.
Messages somewhere else.
Follow-ups rely on memory.

So AI creates activity, but not momentum.

That’s why I stopped recommending “more tools.”

What actually helps is one system that brings everything together.

That’s what Robolead is.

Robolead is the command centre for your business online.

It captures your leads, tracks every conversation, follows up automatically, and shows you what’s working, all in one place.

Once that foundation is in place, AI finally does what it’s meant to do.

It supports you.
It saves time.
It works like extra team members who never forget and never stop.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not behind.

You’re just missing the system that ties it all together.

👉 Comment CONTROL and I’ll walk you through how Robolead works in real businesses.

I don’t want to be a “what if” person.

Our lives are defined by opportunities. The ones we take and the ones we miss.

That’s true personally, and it’s true in business.

A week ago, a violent house break-in turned my world upside down. In the days since, I’ve been recovering, restoring, and rebuilding. Not just my home, but my sense of safety and clarity. Experiences like that strip everything back to what really matters. They make time feel precious. Choices feel heavier.

And they remind me of something important. We don’t always get unlimited chances.

In business right now, we are standing in front of one of those moments.

We have better tools than ever before. AI isn’t hype. It is leverage. It is speed, clarity, scale, and possibility for those willing to learn it and use it well.

This is an opportunity.

And this is one I don’t want to look back on and say, “What if I’d leaned in?” or “What if I’d acted sooner?”

I’m choosing to step forward. Intentionally. Thoughtfully. Without regret.

Because I don’t want my future defined by what if.

If you are in a season of rebuilding or hesitation, know this. You do not have to have it all figured out to take the next step. Small, brave choices still count, and they add up.

Social media makes business look easy.
Real growth looks more like gardening.

Every business has problems.
That’s unavoidable.

What makes the difference is how we respond when things feel heavy, unclear, or slow.

When I need to reset, I go to the garden.
To my roses.
Hands in the soil. No noise. No performance.

Roses have taught me lessons business never did.
Growth can’t be rushed.
Pruning is necessary.
And not every season is meant for blooming.

Social media marketing often makes struggling entrepreneurs sound wildly successful and their solutions effortless.
But real progress doesn’t happen that way.

Most growth is quiet.
Unseen.
Built in moments no one posts about.

Sometimes the strongest move isn’t pushing harder.
It’s stepping back.
Breathing.
Trusting yourself more than the noise.

You don’t need to bloom every day.
Rest is part of the process.

You’ve got this 🌱
Go recuperate.

What helps you reset when business feels heavy?

If AI doesn’t remove responsibility from humans, it’s not built into your business | Calm, outcome-owned Human-Led AI systems for professional service businesses

To me, we are thinking about AI wrong.
So naturally, we’re using it wrong.

We think AI is magic. It’s not.
We also think it’s just automation. That’s not quite right either.

A better way to think about it is this:
automation handles repeatable work.
AI adds flexibility when things aren’t perfectly predictable.

Automation follows rules.
AI learns, adapts, and makes choices.
Together, they’re powerful. Separately, they’re just… tools.

Which is why treating AI like a search engine misses the point.
Just asking it questions, prompts, also misses the point.
And stacking it on top of messy processes misses it even more.

AI doesn’t replace clarity.
It runs on it.

Clean processes.
Fewer tools.
One integrated system instead of ten glued together.

AI won’t fix chaos.
It’ll just think faster inside it.

The goal isn’t more tech.
It’s a lean machine that can think and do.

It’s Sunday. I’m resting. I’m relaxing.
But my business?

Still working.
Because the system is working.
And AI is working inside it.

Who is working today - you or AI?

Most people use ChatGPT every day.
Very few use it in a way that actually changes how their business runs.

Not because they’re bad at prompting.
But because they bolt AI onto broken workflows and hope for magic.

I built this one-page visual reference to show a better approach.
Not tricks. Not tools for the sake of tools.
Just practical ways to think and work differently.

This cheat sheet focuses on:

✅Starting with real context, not vague questions
✅Using iteration instead of chasing perfect prompts
✅Knowing when to search, and when to actually think
✅Setting AI up to support how you work, not distract you

This matters because my mission is simple:
I help businesses build AI into how they operate, not bolt it on.
That means fewer admin tasks, better follow-up, and calmer, more efficient days.

AI should reduce noise, not create more of it.
The advantage doesn’t come from sounding clever with prompts,
It comes from clear thinking, integrated systems, and workflows that make sense.

📌 Save this if you want AI to feel useful, not overwhelming.
♻️ Repost if it helps reset how you think about ChatGPT.

Ten years in business does not look like the photos people post.
It looks like doubt at 2am.
It looks like starting again when you swore you were done.
It looks like betting on yourself when the spreadsheet says you shouldn’t.

Today marks my 10‑year anniversary of BizwithAI.
Formerly MarketingCX.
And before that, two other businesses that taught me lessons the hard way.

Here’s the part most people don’t tell you.

Before entrepreneurship, I spent 20 years in the corporate world.
I did the meetings, the KPIs, the politics, the long hours building someone else’s vision.
I learned structure, discipline, systems, and resilience.
I also learned what it feels like to give everything and still feel replaceable.

Then I chose the harder road.
Entrepreneurship.

Twenty‑five years of it now.
Three businesses.
Countless pivots.
Wins that felt unreal.
Failures that nearly broke me.

Months where clients flowed.
Months where the silence was deafening.

Moments of confidence.
Moments of deep frustration.

There were launches that flopped.
Offers that didn’t land.
Clients who taught me painful lessons about boundaries.
And seasons where persistence was the only thing I had left.

But there were also breakthroughs.

Clients whose lives and businesses changed because I refused to give them shortcuts.
Systems built from scratch that finally worked.

A rebrand in 2025 that wasn’t cosmetic, but a full identity shift.
From MarketingCX to BizwithAI.
A decision rooted in clarity, not trend‑chasing.

Here’s the lesson that took me decades to learn.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Real success comes from staying when it would be easier to quit.
From doing the work when nobody is applauding.
From focusing obsessively on delivering more value than the money you take.

If you chase cash first, you burn out.
If you chase impact first, the money follows.

Business rewards persistence, not perfection.
Consistency, not hype.
Service, not ego.

Ten years in this business.
A lifetime of lessons.
And I’m still here.
Still learning.
Still building.
Still giving.

If you’re in the messy middle, this is your reminder:

You’re not 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙.
You’re not 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣.
You’re 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜.

How many years into your journey are you, and what’s one lesson you’d share with someone earlier on?

Follow me, Mathilda (Tilly) Davies, if you want honest conversations about building businesses that last.

Not overnight success stories.
Not empty motivation.
Real strategy, real systems, and real perseverance.

Because the people who win long‑term are the ones who refuse to stop.

And I’m still... just getting started.

LinkedIn Messaging That Actually Gets Replies

A practical framework for turning connections into conversations, not resistance.

LinkedIn Messaging That Actually Gets Replies

Most AI projects don’t fail because the tech is bad.
They fail because the workflow was never understood.

That’s the uncomfortable truth no one wants to admit.

What usually happens is this.
A business buys AI.
They plug it into a messy process.
Then they’re surprised when the chaos scales faster.

AI doesn’t fix broken workflows.
It exposes them.

Before you automate anything, you have to slow down and map reality. Not the ideal version. Not the process you wish was happening. The one that actually runs the business today.

Here’s the method we use with clients before AI ever enters the picture.

First, pick one workflow.
Not ten. Not the whole business. One high-impact process like lead capture to booking, or invoice to payment. Define exactly when it starts and exactly when it ends. One sentence. No scope creep.

Second, talk to the people doing the work.
Not leadership. Not theory. The people in the trenches. Walk through a real recent example and watch where they pause, copy-paste, recheck, or chase information. Those friction points are gold.

Third, map the current state.
Messy is fine. Pretty is dangerous.
List each step, who owns it, what tool is used, what goes in, what comes out, how long it takes, and where it hurts. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re doing it right.

Fourth, layer in structure.
Add roles, handoffs, and decision points. Show where approvals happen. Show what rules are used. Show what happens when things go wrong. This is the layer AI actually cares about.

Fifth, validate and quantify.
Walk the map with the team and confirm this is how it really works today. Then add numbers. Volume per week. Time per step. Error and rework points. These become your automation success metrics.

Only then do you design AI assistance.
Not to replace accountability.
Not to bypass ownership.
But to support repetitive, text-heavy, and rule-based work.

The bottom line is simple.
If you don’t understand the workflow, AI will only automate the chaos.

Clarity first.
Automation second.
Scale last.

If you’re serious about implementing AI properly, start here.

A while back, I spoke to a professional service business owner who told me:
“Leads aren’t really the issue.
 People are interested.
 Calls go well.”

Then they paused and added:
“But things just… drift.”

We looked at a few recent conversations together.

Nothing dramatic had gone wrong.

No bad calls.
No objections.
No rejection.
Just small gaps.

A call that ended with “I’ll send something.”
A proposal that went out without a clear next step.
A follow-up that said “checking in” instead of moving anything forward.

Individually, they seemed harmless.
Collectively, they explained everything.

Momentum wasn’t being lost because people weren’t interested.
It was being lost because nothing was holding the thread.

That’s the part most people underestimate.

Interest is fragile.
Continuity isn’t automatic.

Once we made the next step visible and unavoidable, the drifting stopped.

Not overnight.
But noticeably.
And the business felt calmer almost immediately.

No more guessing which conversations were still alive.
No more wondering who to follow up with.

Just clarity.

That’s usually the difference.

Follow me, Mathilda (Tilly) Davies, if you want fewer drifting conversations and more intentional progress.

Your business is harder to run than it should be.
And it rarely happens all at once.

At first, it’s just one more task.
One more tool.
One more funnel.
One more automation.
One more platform you “should” be using.

Everything looks sensible in isolation.

But slowly, quietly, your business starts to feel heavier than the results it produces.

Your days are full.
Your to-do list never ends.
Your systems feel fragile.
Your momentum feels inconsistent.

You’re not failing.

Your business has just become too complex to support you.

Most founders don’t burn out because they lack discipline or ambition.

They burn out because their business is harder to run than it needs to be.

Not strategically.
Emotionally.
Energetically.
Operationally.

Complexity is a silent leak.

It seeps into your messaging.
Your follow-up.
Your delivery.
Your confidence.
Your leadership.

And when operations feel chaotic, trust quietly erodes.

Clients feel it.
Prospects sense it.
You feel it in your body before you ever admit it out loud.

Simplicity is not about doing less.

It’s about removing everything that drains you so your clarity, confidence, and leadership can return.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down:
• why complexity destroys trust and momentum
• why your business requires less than you think
• how operational simplicity becomes the foundation of a strong hybrid business
• and how to simplify without losing ambition, depth, or humanity

If your business feels heavier than it should, this edition is for you.

👇 Read Newsletter #105
“Your Business Is Harder to Run Than It Should Be. Why Operational Simplicity Restores Trust and Momentum.”

And if this resonates, comment SIMPLIFY.
I’m paying attention to who’s ready for calmer, cleaner growth.

Why Operational Simplicity Restores Trust and Momentum There is a moment in every service-based founder’s journey when the business begins to feel hea

Open article: Your Business Is Harder to Run Than It Should Be by Mathilda (Tilly) Davies • 6 min read

Your Business Is Harder to Run Than It Should Be

taplio

The Battle

Gary Vaynerchuk

Tilly Davies

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreGary Vaynerchuk's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTilly Davies's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Gary Vaynerchuk

Tilly Davies

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);}Gary Vaynerchuk's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTilly Davies's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreGary Vaynerchuk's LinkedIn Performance