To build sustainable business value, you start with the goal, then earn the reputation that makes it possible.

At Reputation Sherpa, we guide CEOs and leadership teams to work backwards from their growth targets to define the reputation they need to achieve them. Then we help make it real.

Clients have attributed nearly half a billion dollars in added business value to this process.
Because when your reputation is clear, every path to growth gets easier:

--> Clients choose you faster
--> Employees stay longer
--> Investors see greater value

Using our CARAT framework (Credibility, Attention, Relatability, Authority, and Trust) we help turn your invisible wins into visible credibility.

Our frameworks are built on more than 15 years of research, psychology, and results across sectors from professional services to tech and infrastructure.

The outcome is a stronger reputation, inside and out, that amplifies your brand, builds stakeholder confidence, and increases the future value of your business.

If you’re ready to start with the goal and build the reputation that gets you there, let’s talk.

For insights on proactive reputation building, or to start a conversation, let's connect.

Jo Kinner

In large bodies of water, there's a depth at which the temperature drops sharply. 

The thermocline. It's an invisible barrier that keeps the warm surface water from mixing with the cold depths below.

A while ago, I came across a piece by John Bull that made sense to me. He described the point at which trust collapses and clients rapidly and unexpectedly leave their service provider. 

He called it the 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 because the business doesn't see it coming.

In supplier/client relationships, small issues accumulate. 

--> Prices steadily increase with no added value
--> Service quality reduces over time
--> Fewer features cost the same, or more

Clients tolerate individual issues without a change in behaviour (partly due to the hassle of finding an alternative). 

On the surface they appear loyal. Yet trust has eroded underneath. 

Once the thermocline is reached, clients leave rapidly. Leaders often look for the 'final trigger' and aim to reverse it. But trust builds over time, and they find the reversal doesn't restore the client relationship.

What can you do? Just as divers prepare for a change in water temperature and density they can't see coming, business leaders need to know what lurks in the depths of their stakeholders' minds. 

If there's nothing niggling, that's a great outcome. If there is, knowing about it can spare you the pressure (and cost). 

If you'd like to know what's on the minds of 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 key stakeholders, let's connect. I've been helping companies surface stakeholder issues early for 19 years.  

----
I'm Jo from Reputation Sherpa. I help business leaders use reputation as a strategic tool to build long term value in their company and brand.

Take your business further with a higher reputation | We guide you | Founding Partner at Reputation Sherpa

I’ve tried this on behalf of a client and the insights are next level! Plus I know how much time went into building it. Give it a go while the free offer is there.👏👏

I've met a lot of founders who make decisions based on instinct, plus maybe a Google search or a chat with ChatGPT.

There’s a much better way. . .

I’ve been building a suite of AI decision-support tools for startup founders. The first of these is the AI Startup Analyst.

It uses a knowledge base built on more than a decade of work with 2,000 startups, to give founders the kind of insights they'd normally only get from an experienced advisor or investor.

It reviews your website, reads your pitch deck or business plan, analyses the competitive landscape, researches funding activity in your sector, and generates insights that would take an experienced analyst days to come up with.

You won't get this from chatting with your favourite LLM. This deep analysis is shaped by hands-on experience, seeing what works and what doesn’t in real startups.

In 10 minutes, the AI Startup Analyst delivers:
👉 A detailed, fully-referenced PDF report with insights and practical recommendations
👉 An audio version of the report you can listen to on the go, generated using industry-leading text-to-speech models from ElevenLabs.

Amy McDougall, founder of VeriWorth, used the AI Startup Analyst and told me: “This is some of the most practical and grounding startup advice I've received. Blows my mind that this is possible!”

I’m officially launching it today, and giving FREE access to the first TEN founders who want to try it.

If you’d like an AI Startup Analyst report for your company, comment ANALYST or DM me. Connect with me and I’ll DM you a link. 
[UPDATE: I've allocated all the free places. You can still check out the AI Startup Analyst at https://lnkd.in/gFC8NzA2]

#AI #startup #analyst

Are you looking for a digital marketing expert who can help you achieve your business goals? Look no further. As a skilled marketer with expertise in social media, Facebook and Google Ads, and video editing, I have a proven track record of delivering results for my clients.

With my social media campaigns, I have increased engagement, followers, and website traffic for numerous clients. My Facebook and Google Ads campaigns have also generated impressive results.

Additionally, my video editing skills have enabled me to create engaging and effective content that resonates with audiences and drives conversions. 

Now, let's talk about how I can help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Whether you're looking to increase brand awareness, drive conversions, or improve your overall digital presence, I am here to help. Let's connect and discuss how we can work together to take your brand to the next level.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow your business. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and let's get started.

Sheza Yazdani

Helping CEOs and Founders Grow and Monetize Their Personal Brands on LinkedIn | $100K+ Results from intentional LinkedIn Growth Strategies | Personal Branding Strategist | CEO Focus Solutions

You don’t have a weak business.

You have a positioning failure.

Your work delivers.
Clients get results.
Revenue exists.

But online, your expertise isn’t recognised and that’s costing you authority, leverage, and inbound demand.

That gap between how good you are and how clearly the market understands it is a positioning problem. And closing that gap is exactly what I do.

I have generated $1M+ in organic reach, built a 13K+ following, and helped over 200 leaders position themselves for influence. That’s what strategic authority building looks like and that’s the work I build every day.

I I help proven experts, coaches, consultants, and B2B founders build LinkedIn personal brands that attract high-quality leads and establish authority.

As a LinkedIn branding strategist and personal brand expert, I specialize in:
• LinkedIn Profile Optimization & Personal Branding
• LinkedIn Ghostwriting & Content Strategy
• Authority Building & Positioning
• Lead Generation Systems
• B2B Brand Strategy

My Approach:
Instead of content volume, I focus on clarity. I help you position your expertise so the market instantly understands your value, then structure content that converts credibility into conversations and conversations into inbound demand.

As CEO of Focus Solutions, I build authority systems that clarify your strategic narrative, position your thinking so it can’t be confused or compared, and structure content that attracts clients, media, and real opportunities. 

No hacks. 
No theatrics. 
Just a repeatable system designed to make your name the one people remember.

I have taken a coach from overlooked to a $100K closed deal after a single high-authority post with over 1M views. 

I grew my own LinkedIn presence to 10K+ followers in under 12 months organically. 

And I have helped founders and experts build positioning systems that attract, convert, and compound without cold outreach or algorithm chasing.

If you know your work is strong but your online presence doesn’t reflect it yet, your next move isn’t more content. It’s clarity.

Book a strategy call via my Featured section, and let’s make LinkedIn the proof of the authority you already have.

DM me or book a call

https://calendly.com/sheza-yazdani/new-meeting

Someone asked me yesterday: "How long until I see ROI from personal branding?"

My answer made them pretty uncomfortable. 

But it was the exact same thing I told a founder six months ago who thanked me today. 

Here is what I told them:

“At least 90 days to get clarity.

180 days to build credibility.

And 365 days to become unforgettable."

They didn’t love hearing it.

Because here’s the thing:

If you are doing this because you want 10 new leads by next Friday, you shouldn’t even start. 

I know that’s hard to hear. 

Most agencies will try to sell you a "30-day transformation" because it’s easy to sell that.

But the truth is:

Building a reputation doesn't work like a vending machine.

Real ROI doesn't show up as a neat little number on a spreadsheet right away.

It shows up months later. 

It’s the way a room goes quiet when you start talking. 

It’s how an investor already knows your story before you even show them a slide deck. 

It’s the fact that great people want to work for you because they’ve seen what you stand for online.

The reason it’s uncomfortable is because you have to give a lot before you get anything back.

You have to be willing to be "out there" while everyone else is hiding behind a corporate logo.

That founder I spoke to six months ago? 

He was frustrated at first. 

He wanted results fast. 

But he called me last week to say that everything has changed. 

He doesn't have to "sell" himself as hard anymore. 

People already trust him before he even walks into the room.

Building a brand isn't an overnight trick. 

It’s an investment in the most valuable thing you own: your name. 

If you want a quick win, pay for an ad. 

If you want a legacy that makes your job easier for years, build a brand.

Have you been sold "quick results" by agencies? 

Let's talk about reality.

You are not being overlooked your expertise just isn’t recognised yet | I help proven founders with strong delivery turn LinkedIn into a predictable authority engine | CEO, Focus Solutions

Founder reflecting on personal branding ROI timelines emphasizing patience credibility and long term trust over quick wins
Message highlights that real brand value compounds through visibility consistency and reputation over months not days

Your expertise is invisible if your positioning is off.

You can have 25 years of experience (like Scott) or deep industry knowledge (like Ahlam)...

But if decision-makers can't "categorize" your value in 3 seconds, they move on.

In my latest carousel, I break down how we took two polar-opposite profiles and turned them into lead-gen machines:

✅ From Harvard alum to 4x viral authority. 

✅ From "silent profile" to Forbes features.

The transformation didn't happen by accident. 

We overhauled their niche, rebuilt their authority, and shifted from generic posts to conversion-driven content.

Swipe through to see the exact steps we took. ➡️

Is it time to turn your profile into an inbound machine? 

📩 Message me “POSITIONING” to get started.

I help proven experts with good businesses fix unclear positioning and build authority so their expertise finally gets recognised and trusted | CEO, Focus Solutions

From Invisible to In-Demand

I’m so sick of “helpful” content that no one actually trusts. 

It’s polished. It’s professional. It gets likes.

And it gets… zero leads.

So here’s the fix I have decided to share publicly: 

Stop writing to impress, and build your Proof Layer first.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down the exact 3 things every founder needs before they post:

→ A belief no one can Google
→ A client win that actually happened
→ A raw, messy note of what you really think

No tactics. No templates. 

Just a brain dump all about you that you’ll channel to drive real business revenue. 

Read it below, and drop one unpopular belief you’ve never had the guts to post.

Let’s make your content actually do something.

View newsletter: Personal Branding in 2026

Hi, I’m Sheza. This is issue #3 of Personal Branding OS, the no-fluff guide to building a personal brand that attracts leads, partners, and hires with

Open article: Why Your Content Doesn’t Convert (And the Fix No One Talks About)
 by Sheza Yazdani • 3 min read

Why Your Content Doesn’t Convert (And the Fix No One Talks About)

I review 30+ executive LinkedIn profiles monthly at Focus Solutions.

The ones that convert to $250K+ deals have 5 psychological triggers embedded throughout:

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟭: 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁)

Your profile should answer: "What will YOU gain by knowing me?"

The psychology: When you give value upfront, prospects feel compelled to reciprocate by engaging.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟮: 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 (𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰)

"Helped hundreds of clients" ❌
"Helped 47 SaaS founders raise $180M+ collectively" ✅

Research shows personalized messages with specific social proof see 45% higher acceptance rates than generic claims.

High-ticket clients don't trust vague testimonials.

They trust:

→ Named clients (with permission)
→ Specific results with numbers
→ Industry-relevant case studies
→ Recommendations from people THEY respect

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟯: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 (𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻)

Your profile should demonstrate YOUR authority while making prospects feel recognized.

How?
→ Feature well-known brands you've worked with
→ Mention publications/podcasts where you've been featured
→ Show industry recognition (awards, speaking engagements)
→ But also: Use language that acknowledges your prospect's expertise

Example: "I work with visionary CEOs in [industry]..." positions your ideal client as the authority too.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟰: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 + 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱)

Generic profiles convert at 15%.

Contextually relevant profiles convert at 45%.

That's a 3x difference.

What this looks like:

→ Your headline addresses your prospect's current pain point
→ Your About section speaks directly to their stage of business
→ Your Featured section showcases work relevant to THEIR industry
→ Your activity shows you understand their world

At Focus Solutions, we map each executive's profile to their ideal client's buying journey.

Every section = a different stage of the journey.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 #𝟱: 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 + 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

People want what they can't easily have.

Profiles that convert don't sound "available to anyone."
They sound selective.

Language shifts:
❌ "Let's chat anytime"
✅ "I work with 3-5 clients quarterly"
❌ "Here's my calendar"
✅ "DM me to see if we're a fit"
❌ "We serve all industries"
✅ "We exclusively work with B2B SaaS scaling from $5M-$50M"

The more specific and selective you appear, the more high-ticket clients lean in.

A profile with all 5 triggers creates a psychological pull that makes prospects:

→ Remember you
→ Trust you faster
→ Reach out without being sold to
→ Pre-qualify themselves
→ Close faster when you DO talk

How many of these 5 triggers does YOUR profile have?

Drop a number 1-5 below and I'll give you one specific improvement you can make today.

Let's audit your profile together.

LinkedIn post explaining five psychological triggers used in high converting executive profiles including reciprocity social proof authority relevance and scarcity
Educational breakdown showing how specific language and positioning lead to trust faster decisions and $250K plus deal flow

The personal branding industry has a dirty secret.

Most agencies sell content creation and call it thought leadership.

But let me be clear:

Posting 3x a week about “leadership lessons” ≠ strategy.

Rewriting your About section ≠ positioning.

Having a Canva quote post ≠ authority.

At Focus Solutions, we refuse to play that game.

Here’s how we draw the line:

📌 Content creation = You sound active.

📌 Thought leadership = You sound irreplaceable.

📌 Content creation = Random tips that get likes.

📌 Thought leadership = Clear POV that earns trust (and inbound leads).

📌 Content creation = Surface-level storytelling.

📌 Thought leadership = Strategic narrative that aligns with your business model.

And the real difference?

Content gets you seen.

Thought leadership gets you chosen.

That’s why our clients don’t just look consistent.

They become the obvious choice before they ever get on a sales call.

What are you actually buying:

content or thought leadership?

Most people can’t tell.

Can you?

Message highlights how strategic narrative and clear point of view build trust inbound leads and make brands the obvious choice

The positioning book nobody talks about, but every CEO should read.

Everyone quotes Positioning by Ries & Trout.

But if you're building something innovative, here's the book that's actually useful in 2026:

👉 Obviously Awesome by April Dunford.

Most of my clients struggle with the same blind spot:

❌ They try to differentiate against competitors.

✅ But forget their biggest competition is… inertia.

In Dunford’s framework, “competitive alternatives” doesn’t mean your competitors.

It means what your customer would do if you didn’t exist.

Let that sink in.

When I applied this to Focus Solutions, here’s what changed:

We realized our real competitor wasn’t another agency.

It was the CEO thinking, “I’ll just do this myself”

Or worse: 

“We’ll figure it out later.”

So we shifted our messaging:

❌ From “Here’s how we’re better than other solutions”

✅ To “Here’s the risk of doing nothing (and why it’s costing you).”

That subtle shift?

It made our offer urgent instead of “nice to have.”

And conversion rates jumped.

Here’s how to use this today:

1. Write down what your customer does today without you.

(Manual process? Team hack? Ignoring the issue?)

2. Now rework your value prop to show why that’s no longer safe.

(Show hidden cost, wasted time, or growing risk)

3. Make that your new core messaging.

(Because buyers act to avoid pain more than to gain something new)

If your value prop isn’t landing, you don’t need “better copy.”

You need better positioning.

Start with this: Full summary of Obviously Awesome →

Have you read Obviously Awesome? If not, this is your sign.

I am 37.

I am a mother of three.

When I started my business my youngest had just been born.

No roadmap.

No certainty.

Just responsibility and the need to make it work.

I opened LinkedIn without knowing the direction.

I was building while learning.

Raising three kids while figuring out how to create financial stability.

My business is the same age as my youngest child.
We grew together.

Slowly.

Honestly.

From one person on my team to a 12 person in house team.

From surviving month to month to building real structure.

Along the way I worked with 70 plus clients.

Different industries.
Different goals.
Same pattern.

Most people do not struggle because they lack skill.

They struggle because they lack positioning.

That realization changed how I work.

And it changed how I lead my business.

Today I am less focused on doing everything.

More focused on clarity.

Positioning.

Building something intentional that lasts.

Being a mother taught me discipline.

Business taught me patience.

Consistency did the rest.

If you believe in yourself.

If you stay committed when it feels unclear.

Eventually everything starts making sense.

Happy weekend.

Follow me Sheza Yazdani.

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