Jason Vana

Marketing Director

Attract the RIGHT customers to your business | Brand & content strategist | Founder at SHFT | Known as #sassyjason

Struggling to attract the right clients?

You have a brand strategy issue.

Attracting the right people requires understanding why they should buy from YOU, when there are 1000’s of other options easily accessible through Google.

In order to attract, convert, and retain the right clients, you need to:

- Know what makes your business unique
- Communicate what makes your business unique
- Create an experience that shows what makes your business unique

It’s all about highlighting your uniqueness.

That’s where my agency steps in.

Through collaborative workshops, research, strategy, and design, we will help you uncover, communicate, and build an experience around your uniqueness.

Working with us typically looks like:

- industry, competitor, and customer research
- brand and marketing workshops 
- brand and marketing strategies
- design (logos, websites, marketing materials)

It culminates in an Onlyness Action Plan — your 1 year, step-by-step brand and marketing to-do list.

All so you become the ONLY choice for your ideal customers.

And make a lot more money.

Want to learn more?

Send me a message.
Or book a call at shft.agency/discovery

Founder & CEO

We transform B2B service companies into the ONLY choice for their ideal customers. Our clients see a 20%+ increase in revenue with our brand and content strategies. 

Here's how we help:

◼️ Brand Strategy (customers, uniqueness, messaging, touchpoints, story)
◼️ Brand Design (logos, colors, fonts, collateral)
◼️ Content Strategy (demand gen, content creation)
◼️ LinkedIn (strategy, content, profile audits)

Interested in learning more? DM me or book a discovery call below.

I was in the ER twice this week with chest pains.

Once on Sunday. Again, on Tuesday, which led to my being admitted.

It was scary as hell.

My family has a long history of heart issues:

- Mama Vana had stents at 55 and quad bypass at 70
- Dad died of valvular cardiomyopathy at 46
- Brother had a heart attack in his early 40s
- Uncle had a heart attack in his early 40s
- Cousin had a heart attack in his early 40s

See a pattern there?

I'm 45. 

Chest pain is not something a male in this family should mess with.

(stupid genetics)

Thankfully, everything is fine.

I did NOT have a heart attack.
My echocardiogram came back clean.
My CT angiography came back clean.

Apparently, my heart is strong.
My valves are working.
My arteries are clear.

Ya boy's heart is like Superman. 

(and it's going to stay that way)

Still don't know what's causing the chest pains.
But we do know it's not my heart or lungs.

Which means one thing:

Y'all are stuck with #SassyJason.

Why am I sharing all of this, besides for an algo boost?

It was nice not having to worry about the business during all of this.

Client work got done.
Emails got responded to.
I even made money while in the hospital.

THAT was all possible because of our strategy.

And my amazing team.

Build correctly.

You won't have to worry about your business when life decides to sucker punch you in the chest.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Become the ONLY choice. I build b2b service brands that stand out + drive revenue. Founder/CEO at Shft.Agency. Known as #SassyJason

Most personal branding "experts" are an absolute joke.

→ just be yourself
→ just be authentic
→ just post on LinkedIn
→ just create more content
→ your personality makes you different

👆🏼 Any real brander knows that advice is sh*t.

Yes, you have to be authentic.
Yes, you have to create content.
Yes, you need a personality.

BUT 👏🏼 THAT 👏🏼 SH*T 👏🏼 DOESN'T 👏🏼 MAKE 👏🏼 A 👏🏼 BRAND 👏🏼

Here's what actually builds a brand:

1. create a unique strategy
2. create a unique value
3. create a unique position
4. create a unique perspective
5. create a unique offer
6. create a unique identity
7. create a unique experience

In that order.

Personality, content, and being yourself are steps 6 and 7.

And if you don't have steps 1-5 in place...
Steps 6 and 7 won't make you money.

So before you start working with that personal branding "expert"...

Ask them a simple question:

How much money have your clients actually made?

If it's not at least 2x what you make...
RUN.

They're selling you sh*t.
Not a brand.

#SassyJason out.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

——
PS - Grab my All-in-One Strategy Bundle. 12 strategy resources for only $199. https://lnkd.in/epNdCFR7

Creating a new category is a balancing act.

Most founders try to be way too different.

→ Optimization specialist
→ Organizationalist
→ Business tidier
→ Life creator

(all categories I've heard from prospects)

None of them makes sense.

Because there is no point of reference to understand what they are.

And no one in their right mind is searching for a Business Tidier 

🙄

Creating a new category requires:

→ Familiar enough to understand
→ Different enough to stand out

Take Edge Cleaning Service in Washington.

They created a brilliant category.

House Detailers.

→ Clear on what they offer (house cleaning)
→ Understandable (we all know what detailing is)
→ Aligns with how people search (detailing is synonymous with deep cleaning)

They took two existing categories (house cleaning and car detailing)...
Smashed them together (house detailing)...
To stand out in the market.

And that's the key to category creation.

Familiar enough to be searched for.
Different enough to stand out.

Find that balance.

Or that "new" category you created will confuse the hell out of people.

And confused people NEVER buy.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

Confession: I hate most of the large accounts on LinkedIn.

Fluffy, stolen, regurgitated nonsense that helps no one.

That's why I only engage with smaller creators.

Those who actually help my business.
Those who teach me something valuable.
Those who have a personality beyond "look how vulnerable I am."

They are the creators who are doing LinkedIn right.

I follow 100s of small creators.

Here are the top 11 you should follow as well:

Alex B Sheridan → video creation that drives revenue

Morgan J Ingram → outbound and Sales Nav genius

Sara Stella Lattanzio → best damn marketer I know

Patrick Cumming → LinkedIn ads savant

Phillip Oakley → a brilliant strategist and positioning genius

Stephen Houraghan → a brand strategist I've learned from

Jacob Pegs → amazing content creator I've been learning from

Irit Levi → process, automation, and operations genius

Mina Mesbahi → one of the best content strategists I know

Katelyn Bourgoin 🧠 → buyer psychology + content strategist = amazing

Richard Moore → the master at closing sales

There are 100s more I could add to this list.

(Please don't cry if you aren't on this list. I still love you)

But these are the creators I recommend to my clients. 

Because I learn from them.

And that, my friend, is what your content should do.

Entertain, but more importantly, EDUCATE your ideal customers. 

So they trust you.
Adopt your POV.
And hire you.

Give all eleven a follow.
And tell them #SassyJason sent you.

You can talk about how great I am for introducing you. 

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

-----
PS - I'm out today and this week, celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.

PPS - grab all 12 of my paid resources + a $500 discount on a 90-min consultation with my Black Friday All-in-One Bundle → https://lnkd.in/e4YSrcGG

shftagency

fusion-tech-integrated-inc

ignite-student-ministries-inc.

(7) Post | Feed | LinkedIn

JSESSIONID

li_at

Talks about #content, #branding, #marketing, #brandstrategy, and #contentstrategy

My least favorite part of building a brand strategy:

Purpose. Vision. Mission. Values.

Fluffy garbage. 🤮

Case in point.

In 2023, I rebuilt how we create brand strategies at Shft.

My goal: make them lean enough to drive revenue fast.

So I did what most brand strategists wouldn’t dare.

I cut purpose, vision, mission, and values.
(You can pay me extra if you really want them.)

At first, I thought clients would freak out.

They didn’t.

We built strategies 3x faster.
Revision rounds dropped.
Clients made more money faster.

No one cared about what was “missing.”

Because their brand was doing what every brand should do:

MAKING 👏🏼 MORE 👏🏼 MONEY 👏🏼 

Sure, purpose, mission, vision, and values have their place.
But they don't pay the bills.

You can spend months perfecting your mission statement and make $0 from it.

Or you can build a brand strategy that actually makes you money.

Choose wisely.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

Dear LinkedIn,

Please fix your sh*t.

Signed,

Every Creator Not Using a Pod Or Paying for Engagement

The only organic metric I care about on LinkedIn:

Saves.

Reach can be hacked. 
Comments can be written by AI.
Reactions can be driven from a pod.

Saves are the only metric that accurately shows the quality of your content.

Think about it.

No one is going to save sh*tty content.
Or content that doesn't help them.
Or content that isn't relevant.
Or content with selfies.

We only save content that solves a problem.
And that resonates with what we want to build.

And THAT'S the content that drives sales. 

(at least, that's why my clients say)

Want to get more saves on your content?

Try this ↓

1. Know your ideal customers
Determine who is most likely to buy from you.
Get as specific as possible.

2. Know the problems your clients face
Talk to them. Ask them questions. 
Follow up with "why does that matter?"

3. Solve those problems in content
Give them frameworks, tips, and advice.
The more practical, the better.

4. Push a next step
Tell them where to get more help.
A product, call, email → don't leave them hanging.

Practical content gets saved.

The more of your content they save, the more trust you build.
The more trust you build, the closer they are to buying from you.

And that, boo, is the goal.

Create content that gets saved.

You'll build trust and make more money that way. 

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

-----
PS. Get the full breakdown in tomorrow's Brand Shft email. Subscribe here → https://lnkd.in/eX_VpwT7

Your brand isn’t just a client magnet. It’s a door opener.

Most founders think branding = more leads.

YES, BUT...

A strong brand puts you in places money can't.

Case in point:

Last week, I spoke to Stephen Houraghan's Brand Masters Academy.

I've followed him for years.
Took two of his courses.
Even wanted to be him when I grew up.

(still waiting on that to happen)

He asked ME to teach his community.

Not because I pitched him.
Not because I paid for access.
Not because I sent 47 follow-up DMs.

It's because I built a brand:

I showed up consistently.
Commented thoughtfully.
Built something worth noticing.

That's what happens when you nail your positioning.

You stop chasing opportunities.
They start chasing you.

- Speaking gigs find you
- Partnerships form naturally  
- Mentors become colleagues
- Dream clients slide into your DMs

Your brand is working while you sleep.
Opening doors you didn't know existed.
Creating opportunities you couldn't have planned.

Want to build a brand that opens those doors?

Let’s find what makes your brand the ONLY choice → https://lnkd.in/eH8Y-YC6

It’s 90 minutes to unlock the doors your brand should already be walking through.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Do you know what makes your business unique?

Most founders don't. 

So they struggle with:

→ attracting ideal customers
→ generating leads
→ creating content
→ building offers
→ closing deals
→ writing copy
→ marketing

And waste time and money on tactics that will NEVER work.

Please, for the love of everything sassy, don't go into 2026 like that.

🤦🏻‍♂️

I'm booking Onlyness Calls for November and December.

In 90 minutes, we'll lock in your unique edge and build your 2026 playbook.

→ uncover what makes your business unique
→ create direction for your messaging
→ map out changes to your content
→ come up with marketing ideas
→ think through operations

You'll also have me in your corner for 2 weeks.
Real-time, follow-through, not fluff.

AND access to my strategy goodie bag.

All so you can walk into 2026 with clarity and direction for your business.

Strategy, direction, and implementation.

The best part?

You can get $400 off using code BYE2025.

But I'm only taking 8 calls.

So if you want clarity, direction, and a new focus for 2026, don't wait.

Once those spots are filled, I'm not taking on any more until January.

Book your call today.

Or go into 2026 confused, struggling, and listening to "gurus" trying to sell you on another damn AI-generated course.

I'm sure that will help.

(NOT)

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

-----
PS. Book your Onlyness Call with discount code BYE2025 before the 8 spots are filled → https://lnkd.in/ePMpReye

Feeling stuck sucks.

But it's not the final word.

All you need is a bit of clarity.

A vision.
A decision.
A roadmap.
A fresh idea.

Something that sparks life back in you.

I see this with every 1:1 client I've worked with.

They launched their business with a lot of excitement.

But the years wore them down.

- tactics that didn't work
- offers no one wanted
- content that fell flat

No matter what they did, they couldn't grow.

You know what finally worked?

Achieving clarity on three simple decisions.

- What makes you unique
- Who do you want to serve
- How will you attract them

I've driven $70M+ in new revenue for clients, and I can tell you this:

Nothing will work until you make those three decisions.

No new marketing campaign.
No LinkedIn hook.
No DM script.
No rebrand.

Make those three decisions.
And watch everything fall into place.

If you're ready to get clarity on your business, all of my resources are on sale for Black Friday.

→ Strategic Goals Toolkit
→ Uncover Your Differentiation Workshop & Miro Template
→ Assumption Reversal Exercise
→ Ideal Customer Playbook
→ Onlyness Strategy Template
→ Paid Discovery Offer Blueprint
→ Brand One-Liner Templates
→ LinkedIn Just Get Started Guide
→ The $700k+ LinkedIn DM Templates
→ Sales Staircase
→ One-Liner Roaster GPT
→ Niche Channel AI Prompt

Plus, a $500 discount on a 90-min consultation.

That covers everything from setting goals to marketing.

Separately, they cost $1,242.

Get the All-in-One Black Friday Special for only $199.

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/e4YSrcGG

These are the exact exercises, templates, and frameworks I have used to position 145+ B2B brands as the only choice.

And drive over $70M in new revenue.

Tactics won't get you unstuck.

Clarity will.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

I have a confession to make:

My Black Friday all-in-one bundle was a flop.

I put all 10 of my digital products + 2 of my GPTs into one bundle...
Gave people a $500 discount on a 1:1 consultation...
Packaged them together (separately $1,242)...

And sold it for $199.

I was expecting to make 50 sales.

Which wasn't a crazy goal.

I sold over 200 of my LinkedIn Just Get Started Guides (included in the bundle).

50 was a very conservative goal.
But I only sold 10. 

And I know why:

I didn't market it well. 

- 1 email announcing it
- 1 LinkedIn post about it
- 2 IG stories that were afterthoughts
- No reminder emails

And the worst part:

- I wasn't even actively engaging on LinkedIn when that post launched.

I was off spending time with family and expected my post to just take off.

I fell into the same mindset I tell my clients NEVER to have:

If I build it, they will come.

🤦🏻‍♂️

Look, you can have the best offer ever.

I mean, $199 to get everything you need to:

- set business goals
- uncover your differentiation
- know your ideal customers and how they buy
- create your brand strategy
- build an offer
- create a paid discovery offer
- create a sales staircase so you don't have to sell
- write your brand messaging
- roast your brand message and get improvements (GPT)
- find niche marketing channels
- build a profitable LinkedIn presence
- send DMs on LinkedIn that generate revenue

It's everything I do for my clients..,
and charge a minimum of $18K for...

For $199.

That's a killer offer.

But without good marketing, even killer offers flop.

Remember that. 

You need marketing to sell your offer.

Anyone who says otherwise is a damn fool.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

-----
PS - I'm extending the Black Friday sale until this Saturday. Grab your copy here → https://lnkd.in/epNdCFR7

I  start every brand strategy project with a single question:

What are your goals for the business?

- the revenue you want to make
- the life you want to live
- the size of your team
- how you spend your time

👆🏼 Those are all important when creating a strategy.

Because a strategy is a decision about how you prioritize your time, money, and resources to...

ACHIEVE 👏🏼 A 👏🏼  SPECIFIC 👏🏼 GOAL 👏🏼 

No goal = your strategy is pointing you nowhere. 

Here are my *new* goals for Shft:

- $1M in revenue
- work 4-5 hours a day
- focus on creating my content
- help 100s of SMBs stand out + drive revenue
- only take on 4 large branding projects each year
- small team of experts who don't need supervision

Those goals demand changes in our strategy. 

- selling digital products
- launching a paid community
- simplifying our delivery processes
- creating clearer SOPs
- hiring high-quality people

Goals dictate your strategy.

So figure out what you actually want to build.

Once you see your goals clearly, the strategy almost writes itself.

Need help with that?

Grab my Strategic Goals Toolkit → https://lnkd.in/eei5cqAZ

It'll help you map out the goals needed to create an epic strategy.

Future you will thank you for getting strategic now.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

6 Strategic Goals Every Founder Needs | Shft Agency

Stop creating strategies you never use.

You don't need another brilliant plan to save your business.

Beautiful slides.
Detailed timelines.
Comprehensive analysis.

All for it to collect dust while you focus on doing whatever feels urgent.

🤦🏻‍♂️

Here's what to do instead:

Build a strategy you WANT to implement:

1. Start Small
Pick ONE thing to focus on for the next 30 days. 

2. Make It Measurable
If you can't track it, you won't do it. Set clear metrics that matter.

3. Schedule It
Block time in your calendar. Treat strategy execution like client work.

4. Review Weekly
Every Friday, ask: "Did I move the needle on my strategy this week?"

5. Adjust Fast
If something isn't working after two weeks, pivot. Don't wait months.

The goal isn't to create the perfect strategy.

(It doesn't exist, boo)

It's to create a strategy you'll actually execute.

Because a mediocre strategy you implement beats a brilliant strategy you ignore.

EVERY 👏🏼 SINGLE 👏🏼 TIME 👏🏼 

Stop planning your way to success.
Start executing your way there.

Your future self will thank you.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

If I had to rebuild my business from scratch...

Here's exactly how I'd do it ↓

1. Get crystal clear on what you want to build.

I changed my mind every other month — solopreneur, massive agency, fractional CMO.

Because I looked at what everyone else was doing and thought:

THAT'S what success looks like. 

🤮

Define what you want to build.

Set goals for your time, focus, and team size.

Building is much easier when you do.

2. Know your ideal customers.

You need to know them inside and out.

Who they are, what they love, what they struggle with, how they buy, who they trust, what motivates them to buy.

Every post, every offer, every DM should speak to THEM.

3. Create an offer staircase.

Having 10 different offers means you're known for nothing.

Pick one main offer and break it into steps:

- Freebie lead magnet
- Paid digital product
- Paid discovery offer
- Low-tier version (done by you)
- Mid-tier version (done with you)
- High-tier version (done for you)

ONE offer. 
Different levels of access.

4. Pick 3 platforms and post regularly.

Educate and entertain your ideal customers where they are.

Make it a mix of:
- Social (LinkedIn, IG, TikTok)
- Email (launch an email newsletter, boo)
- SEO (YouTube or blog posts)

Those three cover the basis of the buying journey.
And guarantee you show up where and when they are looking.

4 steps.
Years of frustration avoided.

If you want to build smarter, all of my resources are on sale for Black Friday.

It's everything you need to implement those 4 steps yourself.

Separately, they cost $1,242.
Get the All-in-One Black Friday Special for only $199.

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/epNdCFR7

These are the exact exercises, templates, and frameworks I have used to position 145+ B2B brands as the only choice. 

And drive over $70M in new revenue.

All by implementing four simple steps.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

My email signup form has 5 fields.

Most marketing "experts" say that's way too much.

They say I'm losing potential subscribers because I'm asking too much up front.

That best practice is just asking for an email.

More conversions that way.

Newsflash:

If you can't fill out 5 fields, I don't want you as a subscriber.

💁🏻‍♂️

You're clearly too damn lazy.
Don't really care about growing your business.
And it's a sign you won't implement the advice I give you anyway.

I don't want lazy ass, incompetent, freebie seekers on my list.

They don't buy.
They don't implement.
They don't follow advice.

And a year later, they're complaining that their business hasn't grown.

Those aren't the people I want to work with.

Look, best practices have their place.

But you better know:

- who you're trying to attract
- what you're trying to build
- the experience you're trying to create

Because not every best practice is the RIGHT practice for you.

Like having only 1 field for an email newsletter.

Best practice? Sure.
Best practice for Shft? Not at all.

Because if filling out 5 fields is too much for you...
...building a profitable business is WAY beyond you.

And I don't want to waste my time teaching you.

#SassyJason out.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Most strategies don't drive revenue.

Here's how to test if yours actually does:

Revenue is the only metric that matters for business survival.

Yet most strategies focus on vanity metrics, awareness, and how nice it looks.

None of that pays the bills.

Here are 7 ways I test if a strategy actually drives revenue:

→ Review client retention and expansion rates
→ Calculate customer lifetime value changes
→ Measure conversion rates at every stage
→ Monitor average deal size improvements
→ Analyze sales cycle length reduction
→ Track lead quality, not just quantity
→ Test pricing strategy effectiveness

If your strategy isn't moving these numbers, it's not working.

Businesses spend months on positioning and market research without connecting it to actual revenue outcomes.

That's not a strategy.
It's expensive procrastination.

Real strategy creates a direct line from your positioning to your profit.

The only question that matters:

"Will this help us close more deals, faster, at higher prices?"

If the answer isn't a resounding YES, you're not being strategic.

You're procrastinating.

Test your strategy against revenue.

Not engagement rates.
Not brand awareness surveys.
Not how pretty your website looks.

Revenue.

Because that's what keeps you in business.

Everything else is just noise.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

I rarely discount my products and services.

It's just not the game I want to play. 

But this year, I started launching more digital products.

Frameworks, templates, and GPTs that I've used to generate 6-7 figures of new revenue for my clients.

I had 1 paid resource before 2025.

I now have 10.
And a few freebies that will become paid products next year.

I'm discounting them all.

That's right, #SassyJason is running a Black Friday deal on my All-in-One Bundle.

Here's what you get:

→ Strategic Goals Toolkit
→ Uncover Your Differentiation Workshop & Miro Template
→ Assumption Reversal Exercise
→ Ideal Customer Playbook
→ Onlyness Strategy Template
→ Paid Discovery Offer Blueprint
→ Brand One-Liner Templates
→ LinkedIn Just Get Started Guide
→ The $700k+ LinkedIn DM Templates
→ Sales Staircase
→ One-Liner Roaster GPT
→ Niche Channel AI Prompt

Plus, a $500 discount on my 90-min Onlyness Call consultation good until March 31.

Purchased separately, these resources cost $1,242.

But you can get the All-in-One Bundle for $199.

That's a savings of $1,043.

(Yes, I have gone insane 🤪)

Grab your bundle today → https://lnkd.in/epNdCFR7

That price expires on Tuesday, December 2. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

------
PS - I'm out today spending time with Mama Vana, Brother Vana, and Niece Vana, so I likely won't be replying.

Most brands rebrand for looks. Pepsico rebranded for survival.

Especially when you take consumer trends into account.

I worked in the food processing industry for 7+ years.
And have clients in the food processing industry. 

There is a dramatic shft (pun intended) in that industry towards:

- cleaner labels
- healthier options
- fewer preservatives
- more natural ingredients
- more homemade style foods

And Pepsico is a monster of a company.

They own roughly 110 brands.
In food and beverage.
Across the world.

Their old brand screamed:

- We're corporate.
- We only care about profits.
- We cut corners when possible.
- We don't care about healthy ingredients.

It was time for a change.

Not just to update perceptions on their business.
But to better align with their new Pep+ strategy.

This rebrand makes Pepsico feel:

- smaller
- organic
- homegrown
- health conscious

Everything you want to be known for in the food processing industry right now.

That's what a good rebrand SHOULD do:

- shft your perspective
- shft your impression
- shft your focus

And, ultimately, shft your brand.

Take a page out of Pepsico's book.

When the market changes drastically...
And people don't look favorably on corporations...
And you implement a new strategy to grow...

It's time to update your design to match.

Or, keep giving off the wrong perception.

Because nothing tanks a brand faster than looking healthy on paper and corporate in public.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Pepsico Nailed their Rebrand | Shft Agency

I've run 275+ strategy workshops. 

Here are the 4 pitfalls even experienced marketers stumble into.

Pitfall 1: Starting with tactics

They jump straight to "we need better content" or "let's run ads."

Without understanding:

- WHO they're targeting
- WHY those people should care
- HOW they'll stand out in the market

Strategy first. Tactics second.

Pitfall 2: Making assumptions about their market

"We know our customers want X."

Do you?
Or are you guessing?

I've seen companies spend months building features nobody asked for.

Because they assumed instead of asking.

Pitfall 3: Trying to be everything to everyone

"Our solution works for small businesses AND enterprises."

RIIIGGGGHHHTTTT....

And that's exactly why you're struggling to stand out.

Pick a lane.
Own it completely.

Pitfall 4: Skipping the competitive analysis

"We don't have competitors."

Yes, you do.

Even if it's the status quo or simply doing nothing.

Understanding what you're up against shapes everything.

Just look at the data ↓

Companies that skip strategy spend 3x longer getting to market.

They pivot constantly because they never had a clear direction.

But companies with a solid strategy?

They move fast.
They stand out.
They win.

You can keep guessing your way to success.

OR you can build a strategy that actually works.

One gets you results.

The other?

That's just expensive trial and error.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

December means one thing:

It's time to audit your brand.

Most founders never revisit their brand once it’s live.

No evals. No reflection. No updates.
Just hope it still lands — even though the market has moved.

If it’s been a year since your last brand check, start here:

1. Analyze competitors
Drop yours and their websites into SEMrush.
See if you're winning attention. 

2. Pressure test your positioning
Still the only?
Run your unique angle through the Can’t/Won’t test.

3. Talk to real customers
Interview 3–5. Ask about their problems and why they bought from you.
Update your ICP based on their words.

4. Audit the experience
From first click to offboarding — what’s clunky and what's seamless?
Find and fix any friction.

5. Make it actionable
Prioritize the shifts.
Assign owners. Set deadlines.

Want a sharper outside perspective?

Let me roast your brand.
And give you a checklist of what to improve.

I'm only taking on 4 brand audits until Christmas.

Book yours here → https://lnkd.in/eabzMSpq

Don’t wing it like the rest.

Audit now, so 2026 isn’t guesswork — it’s growth.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

How to Audit Your Brand | Shft Agency

Ryan R. Sullivan

Podcast Strategy for Finance, Law & Coaching 🎙️ The Podcast Pipeline | DJ → Rapper → Marketer

Podcast strategy for finance, law, and coaching companies scaling to 7-figures and beyond. 
No marketers. No agencies. No freelancers. 
Just your podcast.

👇

Together, we'll build a system with your podcast. 

🎯 Who We Work With:

→ Law, finance, and online service companies that are tired of marketing agencies. 
→ Marketing teams who want a repeatable, low-lift content system.
→ Founders who would rather talk and let their team do the rest. 

🎙️ What You Invest In:

✓ A customized content strategy
✓ Custom YouTube, Podcast, and Email strategy
✓ Support for your team as they implement (we train them while you scale)

🙏 What You Get Today

Just a short call to discuss your podcast. 

https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

See you there.

– Ryan R. Sullivan

Founder

We help people launch top-1% podcasts with 0 paid promotion using a proven launch strategy tailored specifically to turn audience members into podcast fans.

Here are what some of our podcasters are saying: 

Mikhail Myzgin, VP of Marketing at Slice 

"Ryan is an excellent resource for anything about podcasting. His advice was spot-on, and his expertise helped us solve a problem we didn't know how to go about."

Calum Johnson, Marketing Manager at Public

"I reached out to Ryan because I wanted to start my own podcast & get some pointers from someone who had experience & expertise launching podcasts. The consultation call with Ryan was 100% worth it, Ryan has started a lot of podcasts & gave me great advice that would be difficult to find anywhere else."

Malik Handoush, Strategic Business Develop Coach

"As someone searching for guidance & direction on beginning a podcast, I decided to reach out to Podcast Principles for a consultation. Ryan surpasses any expectations you may have as he brilliantly identifies and assesses where you are and what you're trying to accomplish. His true superpower is in his listening skills where he will help you simplify and reach a point of clarity."

Ready to humanize your business or brand? 30 mins of free advice is cool too :) 

Let's talk - https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

Gabe Einhorn asked, 
"Can we make this video go viral?"
I felt my blood pressure rise.

My response: 

"I mean, I guess let's try!" 

Our first SAAS marketing video ever. 

For VryfID.

20,000+ impressions
200+ comments
200+ likes

In LinkedIn terms? 

That's viral 😂

Waiting to hear how many signups we got. 

HUGE thanks to Gabe Einhorn for hiring Podcast Principles to get this launch video out there! And of course, shouts to our editor Jose for putting the video together. 

VryfID lets renters and guarantors upload and store all of their documents in one secure profile, with identity verification built in, and then share everything with the broker or landlord through one secure link.

- The first 1,000 people who sign up at VryfID.com get 1 YEAR FREE when we launch.

NYC renters. Brokers. Owners.
This is for you.

#vryfID 
#viral

i turn your business into a podcast ➛ $5m in revenue | 500k downloads | 15m views for clients

"Do people actually charge their podcast guests??"
Yes, and they're evil...


Kidding 😂

Most of the time, they're smart. 

Only sometimes are they evil. 

Somebody in your industry 𝘪𝘴 charging $5000+ to be on their podcast. 

They’re not charging you for a guest spot.

They’re charging you for access to their audience.

They built an audience of your ideal prospects. 

So when you pay to be on their podcast, you’re getting direct access to potential customers who already resonate with the problem you solve.

Now, what you do with that access is up to you, but there's a world where walking away with a few deals could be a reality. OR this is simply a stepping stone to bigger podcasts and media appearances. 

The real value isn’t the podcast itself — it’s the audience you can earn trust with. 

#Podcasting 
#ContentMarketing 
#LeadGeneration

👇

PS: Would you ever pay to be on a podcast?

And then, I turned to Joe. 

"Have you seen this yet?"

Our Black Friday offer. 

His response?

"Jamie, pull that thing up." 

Yes, we have a black friday offer. 
No, I can't get you booked on Rogan.

But I can give away $13,750 worth of work for free.
For the first 5 people who claim it. 

Clients are seeing 10,000+ views/month with this. 

$13,750 worth of strategy, editing, and design. 

It’s all going down on my email list until they’re gone! 
 
Signup Here → https://lnkd.in/eQEEgeDt

Or don't if you don't like free stuff. 

#blackfriday

Last night, I sat in a room with 30 real estate investors.
Millionaires, lenders, wholesalers, and vendors.
The most asked question?

"How are you leveraging social media?"

Briana answered:

"We stopped every single other marketing activity except social media and SMS. There is no better ROI for us than social media. Nothing comes close."

The hosts, Briana and Steve, have done 800+ deals. 

The attendees pressed further. 

They wanted to know how. 

Briana goes into detail:

"I have tried PPC, ads, mailers, cold email, cold calls, SEO, Google ads, local groups, and networking over the past 5 years. Social media has the highest ROI for us."

She continues, 

"If you want to do it, you need a strategy. We have a content calendar. We know what types of videos we have to make each week to bring in leads." 

This social media thing is not going anywhere. 

Remember websites? It's like that, but bigger. 

And everybody knows they need to do it. 

#socialmedia 

PS: Is social media a nice-to-have or a need-to-have for your business?

I have a client who sold over 600 life insurance policies without social media. 4 years later, I can finally show you how they did it.

No selling in their content.
No cold calling or DMing.
No networking.

They started a podcast, but that's not the lesson. I found that these advisors know that money is just a tool. They also know who the right client is, down to how they speak, act, and behave. And they know, on a deeper level, that their clients don't want to talk about money. This creates a massive separation between advisors who get clients from LinkedIn and advisors who don't. 

I have 7 advisors as clients as of today. All 7 decided to stop talking about the market, stocks or investing.

And start talking about YOU. 

YOU = their ideal prospect 

Advising = advice = bad 🔴
Intrigue = curiosity = good 🟢

Advisors look at money as an asset. Regular people look at money as a burden. I call it anti-advising. They pin money as the villain, and give you ideas to make yourself the hero. Same movie, different script.

TLDR: 

Nobody wants an advisor. 
Everybody wants more money. 
Adjust your marketing accordingly. 

#financialadvisor 
#financialadvising 
#finance  

PS: Do you take financial advice from people on LinkedIn?

Every time I get on our monthly call, my business coach asks: “What are you grateful for?”

Last month, it was the ability to slow down.

What I thought was “slowing down” was just stopping the things I truly needed to do to keep progressing.

Fishing, golf and going to the gym are not leisure activities. They are work. The mind works even when you’re not working!

So don’t slow down, just keep doing everything you need to do to keep the engine running, including your “side hobbies” and extracurriculars.

They are curricular.

NOTHING worth doing is a “bonus.”

Everything works together to create you.

Here are many photos from the last few months that haven’t seen the light of day.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for reading! 🦃

#grateful

#grateful

David and Paul launched a podcast after a friend suggested it. 46 months later, here are the results👇

• 427,000 views
• 155,000 downloads
• 75% of their leads from the podcast

We spent 2 months designing this. Dave and Paul had no PR, press, ads, or massive built-in audience, so the strategy here was key. While most life insurance podcasts sounded like a textbook, they brought a new format, personality, and energy. Now, 3000 people tune in every month.

So now the question for you:

"What does it cost if you 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 launch a podcast?" 

There's an opportunity cost to everything in business.

🎤 → Find the full episode in my comment below

And big thanks to Dave and Paul for joining me 🙏
_________________
#podcastprinciples

PS: Dave and Paul are seeing 15,000 views per month.

We want you do the same, but for free, so we're giving away $13,750 of free strategy, editing, and design. 

Want in? Just sign up here to receive the deal on Black Friday - https://lnkd.in/eQEEgeDt

If you can imagine speaking to an audience of hundreds or thousands of prospects every week, you can become a podcaster.

And most importantly, they trust you.

That’s the power of video podcasting. 

→ "So how does it work?"

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺

4️⃣ Podcast Episodes Per Month
5️⃣ Clips Per Episode
1️⃣ Social Post Per Day

Simple.

You don't have to give yourself more jobs when the content can do the work for you.

Your clients already listen to podcasts; it might as well be yours! 

#contentstrategy 

PS: Would you start a podcast, or do you think it's already too saturated?

Jack Gallagher and I are on our way to work with Liberty One Wealth Advisors in Philadelphia for Content Strategy! Let’s go!

No alternative text description for this image

The average LinkedIn user has 25 video editors in their network. Here's how to hire the right one👇

Stop hunting for an editor.

Lure them in with content. 
 
🎯 Post videos consistently. 

Good editors will DM you, asking to edit your videos. Most of the people on our team came to me first with, “Hey, I edit. Want a sample?” Sample them, go from there. 
 
🤝 Work your network. 

Ask every podcast host you know: “Who’s producing your show?” Most producers juggle 5–10 podcasts. If they’re good, they can probably take one more.
 
🧪 Give a test, not a thesis. 

Share 3–5 minutes of raw video. 

Ask for:  

• a clean edit  
• a title and thumbnail idea  
• 2 short clips with captions  

Turnaround in 48–72 hours. 

You’ll know fast.
 
✅ Good: Proactive, asks questions, offers a sample.  
❌ Bad: Misses the first deadline, uses AI for captions
 
Bottom line: publish, attract, filter, hire.  

Let your content pull the right people to you.
 
#hiring

People say podcasting is saturated, and then post on a platform with a billion users.

We all know what is actually saturated ⤵

▶  LinkedIn
▶  YouTube
▶  Facebook
▶  Instagram
▶  Tiktok

If podcasting as a medium is saturated, that means all social media is too. And you're still here. 

We all wish we were making content on YouTube when there were only 3 million users. 

That's how it feels with podcasting right now.

Only 500,000 active podcasts. 

It's just the beginning. 

Get in! 
___________
#podcastprinciples

YouTube is giving away views like candy. 
And the best part is, it's 100% free. 

Your first 20 videos are on us. 

(see photo for client results)

If you're waiting to start and finally want to get some views, we'll help you. 

How to get started: 

For Black Friday, I’m giving the first month 100% free to 5 people who commit to 3 months.
 
90 days is all it takes to hit that 10,000 views per month mark, and we'll help you get there. 

All you have to do is sign up using the link in the first comment. 

Get in there! 

#blackfriday 

PS: Every single screenshot here is from today, 11/26. These are real, 100% organic non-GMO results. 0 paid ads, just strategy and consistency.

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The Battle

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