LIAM DARMODYᵍᵐ

Personal Brand Strategist & Networking Coach → I help entrepreneurs, executives & teams build brands to attract clients, talent & opportunity | Family Man | Connector | AI & Blockchain Bull | Hot Sauce Aficionado🌶️

I help founders, entrepreneurs, and executives build businesses by becoming trusted, visible, and referenceable in their space. My work sits at the intersection of personal brand strategy, go-to-market execution, and AI-enabled operations. I help people understand how to show up across LinkedIn, search, and AI-driven discovery and how that visibility turns into real opportunity over time.

Currently, I'm working with Brandi (mybrandi.ai), helping companies understand how they show up inside AI-generated answers and recommendations, and how brand visibility, trust, and demand are increasingly shaped by systems they do not directly control.

Seeing this shift up close has changed how I help individuals and teams show up online.

A core part of my approach is what I call Voice Enablement with AI.

Instead of writing for people, I teach them how to use AI to think, draft, and create content in their own voice. Most clients stop writing from scratch and start editing instead. Content creation becomes faster, more consistent, and still unmistakably human.

How? Because we are using your actual voice!

What I help with most often:

• Founder and executive positioning and LinkedIn profile strategy
• Personal narrative clarity for humans, AI systems, and decision-makers
• Relationship-based networking and social selling without pressure tactics
• Using AI to streamline content creation, engagement, and workflows
• Measuring what actually matters in brand and go-to-market efforts

Alongside my advisory work, I take on select fractional go-to-market and operations roles, supporting teams during growth, transition, or strategic realignment.

I’m known for helping people:

• Clarify what makes them meaningfully different
• Build trust before asking for anything
• Turn visibility into opportunity over time
• Turn chaos into organized chaos ;)

I call this manifesting serendipity.

It’s not luck. It’s intention, consistency, and showing up in the right conversations long before you need something. It's being in someone's orbit often enough that you become the first person they think of when they need your product or service. 

It's about being top of mind. 

Outside of work, I’m a husband, a dad of two, an early-morning lifter, and a proud hot sauce aficionado 🌶️. 

If you’re building a brand, a business, or your next chapter, I’d love to jam with you. 

Hi5, 
LD

Founder

I help executives, founders, and their teams build magnetic brands that attract clients, talent, and opportunity on LinkedIn. 

My services include: 

My services include: 
- Profile Optimization
- LinkedIn feature training
- Core content strategy
- Ghostediting (ask me about it)
- Content performance analysis 
- Sales Navigator training

Liam's Brand Stand was born out of my passion for personal branding and belief that LinkedIn is the ultimate platform for professionals and organizations to manifest serendipity and unlock opportunity.

This passion started as a fascination that turned into a hobby, then to a side hustle, and now, my full-time focus. I started creating content and being more intentional about building my brand here in January 2020 and since then I've amassed 35,000 followers and my content has garnered ~23,000,000 impressions, ~600,000 reactions, and ~100,000 comments. 

Completely organically.

Pretty crazy, especially when you consider I'm just a suburban dad who took to LinkedIn as a way to have conversation with other adults while cooped up in my house with my wife, a toddler, and an infant during a pandemic. 

That's the kind of opportunity that exists on LinkedIn and I'm on a mission to help more people experience it for themselves. 

If you're interested in doing so, visit: 

liamsbrandstand.com to learn more 
-or- 
calendly.com/liamdarmody to book time with me

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hi5, 
LD

LIAM DARMODY

Today I stepped on the scale & clocked 278lbs. 

I know that sounds like a weird flex, but I have not been in the 270s since August 2016.

Nearly 10 years. 

When I started my business in August 2023, I was 347lbs. 

I couldn’t walk a mile without running out of breath.
I couldn’t walk upstairs without the same.
I feared my kids asking me to play because I knew how hard that would be for me. 

I had spent the better part of 30 years using food as medicine to heal wounds from childhood, which started at A&D burgers in Mississauga, Ontario. 

I decided enough was enough. 

Joined a gym.

Started with 3x per week, which was all I could do back then. 

Then 4x per week. 
Then 5x per week.
And now 6x per week (sometimes ;)

it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do, not just because of how challenging the physical workouts are, but because it hasn't garnered massive results overnight.

I've been an all or nothing kind of guy since the beginning of time and I've started and stopped trying to lose weight many times before.

I wanted three months of hard work to magically undo 30 years of unhealthy habits.

It doesn't work like that.

I'm at the point now where the scale doesn't even really matter that much to me because I've realized that which really matters is that I'm showing up in that gym every weekday.

putting in the work to be healthier.

day by day.
Week by week.
Month by month. 
Year by year. 

I may still be round but I'm in the best shape of my life. 

And it feels amazing.

My advice to anyone who has struggled with weight loss is to try this: 

1) Find a gym with coaches & classes. Expert accountability and community are massive motivators. 

2) Go 3-5 days per week for 3 months. Non-negotiable. 

3) Meal prep. Every Sunday I throw 4 lb of ground chicken, a bag of hash brown potatoes, and 15 eggs on a blackstone flat top and make a meal for myself that has 100 g of protein. That's breakfast after the gym every day. 

If you do that, you will notice a change in yourself, not just on the scale but mentally. You will start to believe that you are capable of things you never thought you were capable of. 

And that will motivate you to keep going.

I’m still on my journey. I’ve got a long way to go, but I have zero doubt that I will get there now. 

And that is something I haven’t felt ever before. 

It’s liberating as hell. 

Good luck. 

My DMs are open if you ever want to jam about it.

I’ve got to go carry both of my kids up the stairs now, and I’m proud to say I won’t be winded. 

Hi5,
LD
🌶️

Personal Brand Strategist & Fractional GTM Operator helping founders build their businesses with LinkedIn & AI 🌶️ Hot Sauce Aficionado 🌶️

No alternative text description for this image

HUGE NEWS! 

My incredible wife Megan Bailey Darmody has a new job! She’s swapping floral fragrances, petals, and stems for wax, wicks, and fragrance sticks by joining CandleScience to lead performance marketing. 

CandleScience is one of the largest suppliers and educators in the candle making industry and I am so excited for her (and to have more candles around the house…;)

Megan is an absolute boss and I’m so proud to be her husband. She inspires me every single day. 

Please join me in congratulating her on the new role!

Hi5,
LD
🕯️

Brand Strategist and Fractional GTM Operator helping founders grow their businesses with LinkedIn and AI • Hot Sauce Aficionado 🌶️

This is not okay. 
This is not what America is supposed to be.
This is not what “law enforcement” looks like. 

This is not “the land of the Free”
This is not “the Home of the Brave” 
This is not “one country, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”

This is barbaric.
This is cowardice.
This is fear mongering. 
This is absolutely devastating.

This is the execution of an American citizen exercising his unalienable constitutional rights. 

And it’s f*cking unacceptable.

I am astounded that this continues to happen with seemingly zero repercussions. 

What are we doing? 
How did we get here?

And most importantly, how do we stop it? 

I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on politically, if you are willing to stand by and watch this without speaking up or taking action, you’re not my kind of people. 

Political differences are acceptable—appreciated, even. 

Staying silent as American citizens are murdered by masked “men” beating their chests and brandishing weapons to fuel their bravado is not. 

My heart goes out to the families who have been impacted by these devastating displays of government overreach. 

I cannot begin to comprehend your pain and nothing I say could possibly fill the void left by such a tragic loss.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say something. 

I will never forget this image. 

Especially not at the polls.

☮️&❤️

My Linkedin strategy for 2026: 

Focus less on Linkedin strategy. 

Focus more on simply sharing who I am, what I know & find interesting, why I'm here, how I think, and investing in building relationships with the people who resonate with that. 

That's not to say there aren't other strategies & tactics I will employ--success on Linkedin is about WAY more than simply posting content, after all--but I am going to be more intentional about breaking free from the best practices I've come to follow over the last 6 years here. 

Things like: 

- Only posting once per day
- Posting at the same time every day (usually in the AM) 
- Chasing vanity metrics (I don't really, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about them...) 

There's this weird stigma on Linkedin that every post has to be a banger. That it's not worth sharing unless you're maximizing distribution & engagement. 

It afflicts even those of us who actively try to resist that line of thinking because you can't really escape it. 

Try harder to escape it. 

Your resume = what you've done, where you've done it and when. 
Linkedin = who you are, how you do what you do, and why. 

The combination is your personal brand & professional reputation. 

The former precedes you. 
The latter follows you. 

Neither are made better or worse based on how your posts perform. 

It's a new world with Linkedin's 360Brew AI system. The old rules don't apply anymore. And anyone who tells you they do is probably making those claims having analyzed a bunch of old data... 

Which is pointless at this point. 

In 2026, I'm channeling my favorite philosopher, PopEye, who says: "I y'am, what I y'am" 

And that's enough. 

I encourage you to do the same. 

Strategy is important, but it isn't more important than who you are and what you have to say, especially if the former dilutes the latter. 

My advice: 

Be yourself. 
Follow your fascination. 
Feed your curiosity. 
Post your passion. 
Pour into peeps.
Be consistent. 
Be patient. 
Have fun. 

Watch what happens. 

Let's have a great year, my friends! 

Hi5, 
LD
🌶️
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This one's for my fellow dog owners... 

The other day, a weird triangle box showed up on my doorstep while I was working and when I opened it, I found this AI-generated portrait of my dog, Lucky DarmoDoodle, looking far more classy and refined than is reality. 

Turns out my wife found this site called Vogue Paws that will turn any photo of your hound into a portrait worth framing. 

This is not an ad for that service, I just think it's cool. 

I'm curious...

Do you have a pet? 

Hi5,
LD
🌶️

Dear Leaders, 

Please stop putting random hour-long meetings on people's calendars without context. 

Sincerely, 
Everyone who's ever worked for someone else.

Underrated life hack: 

Make others feel seen, heard, & understood.

Too many people think that all you have to do is show up a few times per week on Linkedin, write a few posts, and start drinking from a lead firehose. That doesn’t work here anymore.

5 years ago it may have, but not now. 

Building your brand/business on Linkedin requires so much more than simply publishing content.

Linkedin is a signal farm and your ability to pay attention to and engage with those signals is what determines your success here. 

I view it as a funnel exercise.

Once you see it that way, you can’t unsee it. 

I always say that Linkedin is the world’s largest CRM, and the leads are already built in and pre-qualified for you (if you build your network right). 

This is the Linkedin Signal Funnel. 

Do you view it this way, too? 

Hi5,
LD

graphical user interface, text, application

Today I went for a 30-minute walk and talk where I actually held my iPhone up to my ear the entire time like it was 2007. It was weird. Do not recommend.

I bet I’ve said “I wish I knew how to code” hundreds of times over the last two decades. I definitely have had no shortage of app ideas. 

I’ve been hearing so much about vibecoding and dabbled a little bit, but never built anything that actually worked on my phone.   

Until last night, when Sitting in front of the TV watching football, I vibecoded my first functional mobile app using ChatGPT and Claude Code.

I:

-> installed Node.js
—> used it to run Expo from the terminal
—->used Expo Go on my phone to preview the app

Things I knew nothing about prior. 

And in 2 hours I coded a functional MVP of an app I’ve been thinking was a good idea since becoming a father. 

It ain’t pretty (yet), but it’s functional. 

And I’m feeling pretty proud of myself, not to mention I really enjoyed the whole experience. It’s kind of like solving a puzzle.

All in my native tongue. 
No programming knowledge necessary. 

What a time to be alive! 

I’m curious… 

Have you used AI to build any software yet? 

Hi5
LD
🌶️

Are you a generalist or a specialist? 

I spent the better part of the first twenty years of my career feeling pretty insecure about the fact that I was more of a Swiss Army knife than a specialist. 

I was genuinely surprised when I would get new opportunities with higher titles because we've been taught to believe that you don't climb the ladder unless you have a very specific set of skills and scope. 

But being a generalist has always been my natural motion. I’ve always been too curious and too fascinated by too many things to just focus on one. 

These days I see articles about how “the future belongs to generalists” and companies are focusing on cultivating T-shaped talent—people with depth in one area and breadth across many others. 

I'm excited about this narrative and a lot more comfortable embracing that jack-of-many trades moniker nowadays than ever before.

Excited about the future.

I’m curious: 

Do you consider yourself more of a specialist or generalist? 

Hi5,
LD
🌶️

P.S. this post started as a comment on Conor Grennan’s recent post about generalists. Go follow him for fantastic AI thought leadership content.

I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a lot of new faces viewing/following/connecting these days and for the most part they are exactly the types of people I generally want to be talking to:

Founders at tech companies
Fractional executives 
Executive coaches 
Marketing folks
Comms folks
Ops folks
AI folks 

Come to think of it, that is a lot. I guess I like to talk to a wide variety of people, but regardless, I’m seeing a lot more of them and I like it. 

I think LinkedIn’s new 360Brew AI system is brewin! 

How’s LinkedIn treating you these days? 

Hi5,
LD
🌶️

I just crossed 300,000 words whispered through Wispr Flow 
(apparently that’s the equivalent of three books!) 
Over the last six months, I’ve dictated an average of 103 words per minute, across 79 different apps. Slack. LinkedIn comments. Emails. Texts. Notes. Everywhere.

Wispr Flow is the best tool I found in 2025. 

It’s one of those special products that revealed a problem I didn’t realize I had—I didn’t realize how much mental load typing created until I didn’t have to do it anymore.

Same way Uber changed how I thought about taxis.
Same way Tesla changed how I thought about driving.

Once I stopped typing and started thinking out loud, everything just felt so much more natural.

With AI, I can dictate stream-of-consciousness thoughts and let the machine do the cleanup. The result is faster output and more authentic writing. I’m no longer switching modes from “thinking” to “typing.” 

I just think and talk. 

That’s a massive unlock.

I’m usually an early adopter with a pretty high bar, which means I moves on quickly from most new products I try. 

Not this one. 

Wispr Flow is now core to how I work.

If you want to try it, you get 2,000 words free. Fair warning though… there’s a very good chance you’ll end up paying the $15/month.

(Sorry, not sorry)

Check it out here and get in flow!!!! 

👉 https://lnkd.in/epMgJFez

Hi5,
LD 
🌶️

P.S. Not a paid partnership. I just genuinely love this product!

It's now been a little more than three years since ChatGPT launched on November 30th, 2022. And it's so wild how much AI is changing virtually every aspect of our lives. 

I started using ChatGPT the day it came out and was a paid user within a week.

Then Claude hit the scene and I started using that. 
Then Perplexity. 
Then Gemini. 
Then Grok. 

ChatGPT's first mover advantage is strong in my case, which gives it an unfair advantage over the others because I do use it as my default for most things. 

I like Claude better for writing. 

I'm intrigued to see how much market share Gemini is gaining though I haven't really committed much time to using Gemini myself.  

I don't really mess with Grok. 

I know some people who are all-in on one thing. I know other people who use different LLMs for different purposes. I think I fall into the latter bucket but ChatGPT remains my primary for most things. And I struggle to balance usage across all effectively. 

I'm now at the point where I might be looking for that thing I did the other day and having to check multiple LLMs. 

One of my goals in 2026 is to streamline my AI stack and focus on deciding which one is really the best one for me all-around rather than defaulting to ChatGPT because it's been around for me the longest.

And so, I'm curious...

If you could only use ONE of the major AI LLMs going forward, which one would you pick? BONUS POINTS for telling us why in the comments. 

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

If I had to pick just two social networks to spend time on, it would be Substack and LinkedIn. 

Why? 

Because they're pretty complementary to one another and most people on Substack link to their LinkedIn profile, you can easily find and follow in both places. 

Admittedly, I spend more time on LinkedIn than I do Substack right now, because I’ve built a larger and more engaged following here. But I plan to increase the time I spend on Substack significantly.

Why? 

Because Substack lets me build a more direct, owned connection with my audience and because it’s a much better platform from a usability standpoint. 

It’s like Substack has gone to all the other socials, taken notes about what sucks, and built the solution. 

I’m increasingly starting to view the two this way: 

Linkedin is where you build your personal brand. 
Substack is where you build (and monetize!) your personal media empire. 

Linkedin is top of funnel.
Substack is middle of funnel. 

Going forward, I’m: 

Incredibly bullish on Substack. 
Incredibly bullish on LinkedIn. 
Insanely bullish on the two of them paired together. 

Are you on substack? 

Drop your link below if so. 

Here’s mine: https://lnkd.in/eEZA6RHN

Hi5,
LD
🌶️

“DAD!! Stop using ChatGPT to play Monopoly!” 

Whoops.

You had one job…

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve gone to an ATM in the last 365 days. Today was one of those rare visits (to get money for babysitter tonight, which is literally my only use case for cash anymore), and of course…

When I reinstalled Linkedin on my phone after my 2-week hiatus, something was different. Namely, dark mode was gone. I don’t know if you use Linkedin in dark mode or light mode, but I’ve been using dark mode for years. I’m like Dracula when i see light mode. 

And so, I’m curious…

What’s your default background setting for Linkedin? 

Looking for a job in 2026? Read this. 
 
On Thursday January 8th, my good friend Angie Callen, PCC, MJSC and 25 of her closest career coaching friends are hosting the 2026 Job Seeker Summit, a FREE virtual event showcasing expert advice from globally-recognized career coaches, resume writers, recruiters and... 

Somehow me. 

Fun fact: my first foray into Linkedin coaching was in 2009 when I launched TalentFish Consulting on a mission to help jobseekers cast a wider net. It was after a layoff and I thought: "teaching people how to network their way into their next opportunity sounds fun... let's do it!"

Only it was short lived because I networked myself into a new job shortly thereafter and didn't have time for side hustles. 

But the principles I taught then are even more valid today and 2026 is going to be a big year on Linkedin, so you might as well jump into some of these sessions to learn from those who know it best. 

The 2026 Jobseeker Summit starts at 9am MOUNTAIN time on Jan 8th and here's the lineup: 

9AM: Event welcome + resume AMA
10:30: Resume Breakout Sessions
11:30: Interview AMA: Real talk on Modern Interviews
1:15: Job Search AMA: Beyond the Boards
2:30: Job Search Breakout Sessions
3:30: AI Panel: From ChatGPT to CareerGPT (this is the one I'm on!)
4:15: Mindset Panel: Bounce Back & Burnout Recovery

Hear from 25 different career coaches, resume writers, and recruiters. 

For free.

Don't pinch yourself. It's true. 

Whether you're looking for a new job or not, the things you'll learn at the Job Seeker Summit are worth the time and price of admission (remember, it's FREE). 

Pre-register for access to giveaways during the day and ALL recordings from the event here: https://lnkd.in/eeGfPgdG

See you there! 
LD
🌶️

2026 Job Seeker Summit - Jan 8th - 9AM MT - FREE!

Unexpected benefit of taking two weeks off of LinkedIn: “it can only get better from here” 🤪Happy to be back. I love this place.

After 4 different careers in engineering, brand marketing, performing arts and teaching, I felt lost, stuck and unfulfilled. After a 6-month dive into my personal brand, I finally found my greatness and purpose: "Professional Speaker"​

Networking was my first expertise. In 2008, I introduced my own concept of personal branding as a leader and it became my 2nd core expertise. 

In 2011, when I spoke at my first of 5 TEDx talks, I concurrently launched a new social media strategy. Within 6 months got my first speaking gig directly off of Twitter. Now I have over 650,000 followers, was named one of Inc Magazine's Top 100 Leadership speakers and social media / digital connection became my 3rd main expertise. 

I've spoken to half a million people across the world. I've trained 1000's of professionals, including C-suite executives, on how to use the "Power of Connection"​ to be a thought leader through relationship building, content creation, storytelling, & speaking effectively. 

MY SERVICES: 

COACHING
✅ Speaker Mastermind: Speak more, speak better, speak with impact, get paid to speak:  bit.ly/SpeakerProgram
✅ Networking Mastery: Leverage the Power of Connection to transform your career or biz: bit.ly/NetworkingMastery

CONSULTING on Personal Branding, Business & Career Transition, or Brand/Biz Bldg (offered at an hourly rate): 
✅ To book a consulting session, talk, or workshop, reach me directly via private message on LinkedIn or at raehanbobby@gmail.com.

Keynotes: 
✅ Own Your Personal Brand 
✅ Building a Huge Thought Leadership Brand 
✅ Authentic Networking 
✅ Powerful Presentations, Pitches & Storytelling 
✅ Digital Connection via Social Media Content
✅ The Most Important Leadership Skills (Empathy, Communication, Connection, etc)
✅ Entrepreneurship & Business Development 
✅ Learn the NEW LinkedIn 2.0

Workshops: 
✅ Personal Branding Mastery  
✅ Powerful Presentations & Storytelling
✅ Linkedin & Clubhouse integration (IG/Twitter)
✅ Leadership, Teambuilding 
 


Bobby Umar

4 DAYS AWAY‼️ LinkedIn Local Toronto is BACK talking about Using AI and IP Law 🔥

AI is moving faster than regulation.
Tech is evolving faster than our policies.

And innovation? It’s forcing us all to rethink what it means to own an idea. 

Whether you create content, or are a creative, we need to learn this.

🔵 LinkedIn Local Toronto Meetup: “Where AI, Tech & IP Collide: The Future of Ownership” 

Come for the insight. Stay for the connection.

🗓️ EVENT DETAILS
Wed, Jan 28, 6– 9 PM ET
Dipchand LLP – Simpson Tower, 401 Bay St, Suite 2100, Toronto

REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/eREFzMAy

💥 WHAT TO EXPECT

✔️ Lively Networking (6:00–6:45 PM)

✔️ Welcome and Expert Panel (6:45–7:30 PM)

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

Amber Mac  @ambermac - Keynote Speaker on AI | Host of The AmberMac Show on SiriusXM

Elizabeth S. Dipchand  @dipchandllp — IP Lawyer & Trusted Advisor to Innovators and Founders Dipchand LLP  

Bobby Umar Coaching, via DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand  — 5x TEDx Speaker | Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker (Moderator)

Mohit Rajhans @mohitrajhans - Media Consultant | Award-Winning Speaker on AI Adoption for Leaders & Professionals

✔️ More Networking (7:30–8:00 PM)

✔️ OPEN MIC (8:00–8:20 PM)
Got a tip, ask, or pitch? Step up to the mic for 30 seconds

✔️ Wrap-Up and Networking (8:20–9:00 PM)

WHY ATTEND

Connect with Toronto’s most active professional community from LinkedIn.

Celebrate the 30th edition of LinkedIn Local Toronto — 30 meetups, thousands of connections, countless stories. 

Anyone remember the first one? 

🎟️ Grab Your Ticket Now to get:
- Entry to the event
- Complimentary drink
- Access to the panel, open mic, and community networking

Seats always fill up fast — secure yours early and join the conversation on AI, ownership, and the future of innovation.

SPREAD THE WORD TORONTO! Tag someone from the GTA. 

#torontoevent #linkedinlocalTo #aitech

REVIVAL.
That’s my word for 2026.

Because I’m done being “fine” on paper and flat in real life.

REVIVAL (for me) is simple:
Show up again.
Socialize again.
Create again.
Perform again.

And the next 30 hours are a living example:

🎤 Tonight — Tue, Jan 27 @ 6:00 PM (Toronto): Speaker Slam  

I’m judging up-and-coming speakers who are brave enough to get on stage before they feel “ready.”

🤝 Tomorrow — Wed, Jan 28 @ 6:00 PM (Toronto): LinkedIn Local Toronto Meetup hosted by DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand  

I’m co-hosting + moderating a panel on AI regulations for content + creatives — ownership, rights, and what actually changes when AI is in the process.

Featuring: Amber Mac, Mohit Rajhans, Elizabeth S. Dipchand and me. 

👉🏾 Link: https://lnkd.in/eREFzMAy

Also… personal revival: I’m stepping back into my performer side — my first musical in 18 years. 🎶

Watch the video. Then comment one word:
What do you want to revive in 2026⁉️

LinkedIn sent me my Year in Review. One insight mattered more than all the numbers. 💯

👉🏾 Sure, the stats were fun:

• Joined LinkedIn in 2004
• 1st connection ever: Chris Newton-Smith  
• 342 days on, Top 5% of members 
• 2092 new connections 
• 279 posts, 7,836 reactions, 4245 comments 
• Left 3185 comments 
• Most-used reaction: Support 🫶🏽
• 75,866 hit “Follow” (which means many more left⁉️) 
• Apparently my vibe is “Catalyst” — someone who sparks fresh perspectives

All interesting.

But the part that stopped me?

LinkedIn named the person I “kept up with all year long.”

Melanie Mitchell Wexler 👏🏽

Because the real win isn’t reach.
It’s relationships. 🙌🏽

The people you build with.
The people who challenge your thinking.
The people who quietly make you better without needing credit.

So I’m saying this publicly:

Melanie — I see you. And I’m grateful. 🙏🏾

And for everyone reading this:

Who’s one person on LinkedIn you’re genuinely grateful for this year — and why❓🤔👇🏾

Tag them. Let them feel it. 

#Community #Leadership #LinkedIn

AI can generate in seconds.
Ownership is where it gets messy. 💯

If an AI model was trained on millions of pieces of content…
who actually owns what it creates?

And what happens when your “original” work looks a little too close to someone else’s?

This isn’t a future problem.
It’s already showing up in contracts, content disputes, and boardroom conversations.

Most creators, founders, and leaders won’t realize they’ve lost leverage
until they try to protect something they assumed they owned.

That’s why our 30th LinkedIn Local Toronto meetup is going straight into
the collision point of AI + Tech + IP Law — and what “ownership” even means now.

Not theory.
Not hype.
Real-world implications.

We’ll unpack:

🔵 What AI ownership actually looks like today

🟢 Where creators and companies are most exposed

🟣 How leaders can think about protection before it’s too late

This conversation is led by people working at the edge of this every day:

An AI & tech voice shaping how Canada thinks about innovation — Amber Mac  

An IP lawyer protecting ideas in fast-moving industries - Elizabeth S. Dipchand  

An AI adoption advisor helping leaders move from hype to execution — Mohit Rajhans  

📍 Wed Jan 28 | 6–9pm
📍 401 Bay St, Toronto
Networking + panel + open discussion

If you’re a founder, creative, lawyer, marketer, or corporate leader,
this is one of those conversations you don’t want to catch up on later.

👉🏾 QUESTION:

What’s one thing you’ve created that you’d fight to protect ownership of⁉️🤔👇🏾

If you’re going to quote Martin Luther King Jr. on the official MLK day, you best be somebody who lives by the words you share, or at least authentically and genuinely aspires to do so. 

There are so many powerful quotes of his and we’ve seen so many of them. I chose this one today because at this current moment of my life, I am definitely speaking up, calling out, taking action, and make my voice heard against so much injustice in the world. 

We all need to do this more and do better. ✊🏾🙏🏾

🟢 MY UPCOMING EVENTS Week of January 25th, 2026 – I share my audio rooms, livestreams, and zoom trainings once a week here. You’re all welcome to join. CLICK RIGHT to see them all and use the links below to access. 🔥👇🏾


💻 Mon Jan 26th, 3pm ET – EXCLUSIVE FOR TLB CLUB MEMBERS “Weekly Business Coaching Support Call” Hosted by Bobby Umar. Learn more about TLB Club and be part of the growing community here👇🏾

LINK: https://lnkd.in/eh6WBsNN

💻 Tue Jan 27th, 4pm ET - LinkedIn Mastery Tuesdays - If You’re Not Shaping Your Personal Brand, LinkedIn Is. Join us for a robust discussion on how to best deal with fake LinkedIn profiles. Hosted by Bobby Umar, Melanie Mitchell Wexler,  Kenneth Lang, Christopher G. Johnson, and Roy Kowarski.

LINK: https://lnkd.in/ej2cksS6

🙌 Tue Jan 27th, 6pm ET - Speaker Slam x Against All Odds - Join Bobby Umar as one of the judges at Speaker Slam. It is North America's Largest Inspirational Speaking Competition, based right here in Toronto. 

LINK: https://lnkd.in/e3kq5bUk

🙌 Wed Jan 28th, 6pm ET - LinkedIn Local TO: Where AI, Tech & IP Law Collide: The Future of Ownership. Join us and connect, learn, and celebrate our 30th LinkedIn Local Toronto meetup with Bobby Umar, Amber Mac, Mohit Rajhans, and Elizabeth S. Dipchand

LINK: https://lnkd.in/e-XdFVJc

💻 Wed Jan 28th, 5:30pm ET - TLB Tech Clinic - Hosted by Bobby Umar. Learn more about TLB Club and be part of the growing community here👇🏾

LINK: https://lnkd.in/eh6WBsNN


✅ Click right to see all my event details.
✅ REPOST: help spread the word! 🤓

#TEDxCoach #ThoughtLeadership  #PersonalBranding


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Hi I'm Bobby! I'm a LinkedIn Top Voice and 5x TEDx Speaker.
I help you land a TEDx Talk GUARANTEED. For Content, Connection and Digital Presence tips, follow me (55.7K followers) AND my hashtag #PowerOfConnection (327 followers).  Don't forget to 'Ring My Bell' to get exclusive and immediate access.

View newsletter: Build Ur Thought Leader Brand

If you’re not shaping your personal brand, someone—or something—else is doing it for you. This week’s lineup is designed for leaders, founders, speake

Open article: Where Visibility, Credibility, and Leadership Collide by Bobby Umar • 4 min read

Where Visibility, Credibility, and Leadership Collide

The Art and Tech of sending LinkedIn DMs -- join me for a LIVESTREAM at 11:30am ET with 

Mitchell Tan 📮 -- co-founder of TryKondo, a LinkedIn messaging app.

Darren Gibb -- a LinkedIn DM specialist and AI expert

This is brought to you by the Thought Leadership Branding Club. We bring you the experts, you bring us the questions. 

P.S.  What is your biggest challenge when it comes to sending DMs on LinkedIn⁉️🤔👇🏾

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The Battle

LIAM DARMODY

Bobby Umar

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Performance ScoreLIAM DARMODY's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBobby Umar's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

LIAM DARMODY

Bobby Umar

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);}LIAM DARMODY's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBobby Umar's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreLIAM DARMODY's LinkedIn Performance