Luke Matthews

Co-Founder | Lifestyle Blogger |  Content Marketer | Storyteller 

I teach you how to write with AI (and win LinkedIn)

Building a business in public on LinkedIn™ is a challenge. 

The internet has changed. AI slop is everywhere and everyone is trying to figure out how much to share? 

Should you share selfies?
Do you need video?
How much of your personal life do u disclose?
Why do posts about pizza do better than talking about ur business?
Is AI safe to use? 

It's a lot to figure out.

You also have a real business and a reputation to uphold. 

You want to take advantage of more opportunities through visibility on social media, but you know there are privacy risks that come with that.... 

Most AI models take your data and sell it. 
Most social media platforms take your data and sell it.
Most marketers don't understand this, which can expose your company.

That's where I come in. 

I've been marketing for over 10 years on social media, built over 250k followers across all platforms, and I've ghostwritten for some of the biggest personal brands in the world. 

I've shared some of the most unhinged content you will ever see. Streamed drunk from the Scottish highlands, given away 1000s of dollars of pizza, hosted live meme competitions and roasted other influencers LIVE...

I've also been banned over 10 times on LinkedIn and experienced a lot of drama by sharing real opinions that not everyone enjoyed.

So you could say I've learned the hard way how to find the line for what to share and how much to share. 

Despite the wild journey, I do value privacy and staying hidden. 

It takes skill to build a personal brand that not only generates revenue for your company but also remains secure and private. 

But the truth is finding that line between private and public is hard. 

I help you find that line.
I help you use AI without giving away all your personal info.

So if that interests you give me a follow and subscribe to my free newsletter that dives deeper on how to use private AI, approach social media minimally and make it your slave and not vice versa. 

--

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘆?

Follow me and subscribe to my email list to learn how to use AI tools safely and securely without exposing your data and private life to the world. You can subscribe by clicking any link in my profile as they all go to my newsletter on Substack. 

--

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁?

Email me at luke@wizardofoddmarketing.com

Founder - Lead Wizard & Ghostwriter

Linkedin & Twitter Ghostwriting Services for CEOs, Influencers, and Tech companies. 
Reach your audience with a sprinkle of magic, the power of explosive copywriting, and let the WIZARD OF odd MARKETING help make your biz a LOT  less boring.

Hollywood is no longer relevant. 

We don't watch movies. We don't care about celebrities. 

And now.... We don't need the directors or big budgets either. 

Everyone focus on the doom and gloom of AI.

But AI gives the small creators a chance. 

This animated holiday short by Artlist was made by 3 people in 3 weeks. 

No Studio. No massive budget. 

Just AI tools on Artlist. 

Try it here: https://lnkd.in/ejKNGHgQ

In 2025 you can create almost anything with the right tool, a creative skillset and a determined mind. You don't need a big budget or famous movie stars (I guess u could make an hot AI avatar tho)..

Now with that being said...

I'm gonna go put on the Hobbit because for some reason I enjoy watching that trilogy over the holidays!!

PS What's your go to holiday Christmas movie?

Brand partnership • I got banned 10x so you don’t have to. Learn to separate your private and digital life by using AI tools securely (and discover how to build online without the drama).

I have been banned over 10x on LinkedIn. 

The brutal truth is the system ain’t fair…

In business and in life those willing to cater to the system (and exploit you) end up profiting from it. 

Social media has made this reality worse. 

It’s not about how skilled you are.
It’s about how skilled you can talk. 

(& it’s about who u know aka how good you are at kissing up to leaders and using errr befriending them on your climb to a seat at the table)

I decided this rat race wasn’t for me. 

So I’m playing a different game now. 

Rebuilding in the shadows. 
Learning new skills. 
Making new friends…

Friends that are hackers, rebels and the anonymous geniuses defending digital freedom…

Because look, complaining about broken systems accomplished nothing…

Action wins. 

PS Hi LinkedIn. Who’s still here?

2 posts in a week whoa 🤓

Luke M

Vibe coding has risks. But you can deploy securely.

4 ways to use replit safely (in an isolated work sandbox)

Let's be real. The idea of just telling an AI to build an app feels fast and loose. Because it is.

AI suggestions can be riddled with vulnerabilities. replit's own research says up to 40% of them can be insecure.

So, just blindly trusting an AI to write your code is like leaving your front door wide open.

You don't do that.

But you also don't have to code like it's 2005. The power of vibe coding is real, you just have to be smart about it.

It's about control. It's about isolation.

I run my digital life in sandboxes. replit is no different. It's a powerful tool, and I use it inside my secure workflow. Here's how I do it without exposing my data:

1. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲. 
  
This is non-negotiable. Hardcoding API keys is a rookie mistake. replit's built-in Secrets manager encrypts them and keeps them completely separate from your source code. I can even set them at the account level and reuse them without ever pasting them into a prompt. Simple.

2. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. 
  
Just like I use different OS environments, replit runs every project in its own isolated container on GCP. This is a fundamental security principle. Your app isn't touching other apps. It's sandboxed by default.

3. 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀. 
  
Not every idea needs to be public. For anything sensitive, I use replit's Private Apps feature. Only people I invite can access them. You decide who gets in. Not the entire internet.

4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁. 
  
Replit builds full-stack apps by default, separating the front-end from the back-end. This means sensitive logic and data processing happen in a secure, hidden environment, not in the user's browser. It's the right way to build, and it's automatic.

The point isn't to avoid powerful tools. 
It's to use them without becoming the product.

You can move fast without sacrificing security. 

You just need the right environment and the right controls.

PS Do you vibe code? (How do u protect your data if so...)

Start here: https://lnkd.in/ecZX3z4S

I used to spend 8 hours a day engaging on LinkedIn. 

In 2025 I spent less than 30 minutes a day... 

So why change?

Well for starters I shut down a lot of things this year. I ghosted the platform for months, I shut down my old businesses and went into the shadows to consider a rebuild. 

But last year a lot changed on the platform.

Commenting alone is now far less effective for growth.

There are too many AI comments.
There are too many thought leader ads.
There are too many virtual assistants focused on ROI.

The odds of your comment alone being seen, considered and replied to simply went down a lot. 

So here's what I have been doing in Q4:

I comment for 15 minutes a day.
I make sure each comment is interesting.
I follow up the comment with a simple DM. 

(oh and yes I remove all my comments, posts and footprint 30-60 days after with a pretty cool AI tool.... DM if your curious why I do this!) 

No you wont get a ton of reach or follower growth this way!

But you will start conversations....

PS Have you changed your strategy in 2025?

I got banned 10x so you don’t have to. Learn to separate your private and digital life by using AI tools securely (and discover how to build online without the drama).

It's easy to get 1000 likes a post (like I used too)

Here's how to be a LinkedIn influencer: 

1. Talk about LinkedIn. 
2. Be good looking and post pictures.
3. Write short, broad content. 
4. Spend all day commenting. 
5. Do this for 90 days. 

OR 

69. Pay a team to do it all for you. 

But here's the truth about this blueprint. 

You missed the window when this was possible for anyone. It's too late now on LinkedIn to do this organically. The market has changed, agencies don't work as well, organic is dying and this actually isn't the best strategy unless you want to pretend the old system still works. 

The better way? 

Cut the dopamine. Pick a niche. Speak to that niche. 
Accept less reach. Accept slower growth. 

But reach a very targetd audience. 

In summary...

You need a real skill and a real niche to focus on.

The generic LinkedIn growth expert is playing an old game to take your hard earned money by fooling you with cheap dopamine. 

You will never become them. 

You don't need a personal brand.

You just need to be an expert with a real skill and a specific niche.

PS Who bought cool AI tools for Black Friday?

I changed my profile picture to a cartoon for 6 months. 

Here's what it did for my business....

1. I gained -1000 followers in 189 days.
2. I gained - 90% profile views in the last 90 days. 
3. I gained -500 subscribers in 2025. 
4. I have 0 comment on revenue :D

All jokes aside... 

Cartoon profile pictures are a challenge on LinkedIn. 

People like faces. It's the cost of doing business here.

During this 6 months I learned a lot.

I've cleaned up years of accounts and content. 
I've learned to separate public and personal data.

I have a work environment (with tools and an email).
I have a personal environment (on separate devices).

I have decided to use my name and face here for now.

Because the truth is....

Altho I scrubbed years my content, comments and likes I do not have the hacker skills as of yet to remove all the video clips, pictures and posts shared about me by other digital creators.

It seems I did too good a job at marketing myself lol.

PS How was your 2025 internet person?

I now separate work and my personal life.

But not for balance... I do it for privacy.

If you wanna work 16 hours a day and find joy in that then I see no reason at all to say that's unhealthy. 

So this post isn't about encouraging balance.

I mean, I'm the guy who posted 3x a day and spent 8 hours+ a day commenting and connecting on LinkedIn for years who now has a cartoon profile pic, posts 1x a week and barely comments...

I enjoy the unhinged and unbalanced life.

More fun. More purpose. More stories.

And yet I've worked hard to seperate personal and business in 2025.

That's meant shutting down a lot of social media accounts, AI tools, services, clients and ways that I show up on the internet. 

I use Linux for personal stuff.
But Windows for work. 

I use a rebuilt android OS for personal stuff.
And only use an IPhone hardened for work.

I still post on LinkedIn for work. 
But I removed all pics and stories connected to my life.

I could go on and on...

But for me, seperating work and my personal life hasn't been about balance. It's been about privacy and being more intentional with my time, my words and my efforts... 

I believe the internet is no longer a place for authenticity. 

It's simply a place to do commerce. 

So look, do you but if your password is the same for your bank and your LinkedIn account....

Maybe it's time for an audit of yourself eh peasant? 

🧙‍♂️

Do you share your live location with social media apps? 

I do not. Here's a quick why/why not list... 

✅ Positives to location sharing:

It's convenient (easy to meet up & connect)
It's social proof (events, hotspots, clout)
It gives you steak recommendations. 

✖️ Negatives to location sharing: 

It creates movement patterns for 1000s to study.
It allows your data to be harvested more easily.
It establishes a physical digital footprint.

I have always been careful to not share my live location.

I analyze every photo or post written and consider what kind of footprint I'm leaving behind. 

Am I paranoid? 

Perhaps... But this elder-millennial is gonna keep walking the line between using tech and disappearing into the shadows..

PS Sharing any photos adds to your risk. 

This photo has clues in it. 

Where do you think this photo was taken?

The gatekeepers are losing their grip.

For years, "world-class" meant big budgets, big teams, and exclusive tools. You had to be part of the club.

That era is over.

AI has kicked the door down. A new report from Artlist, based on insights from 6,500 creators, calls this "The third wave of democratization."

What does that mean?

It means anyone with a laptop can now produce studio-quality work. It means a couple of skilled individuals can take on companies in the hundreds. It means the playing field is wide open for anyone willing to learn.

Of course, when anyone can make anything look perfect, the game changes.

It's no longer just about technical skill. It's about taste. Vision. Strategic thinking.

As the report says, direction now matters more than ever. AI handles the production, but only you can choose the ideas that move people. Your choices are what set you apart.

This is why I find AI so appealing. It's not about replacing humans; it's about empowering the ones that choose to accept the new game. It is the great redistributing. An opportunity for anyone willing to learn, not just those with deep pockets.

The little guy has a chance. The rebel. The creator with a dream. The expert with a real skill.....

I think that's pretty cool.

PS if you want to read more about the state of AI check out the AI Trend Report 2026 from Artlist (who sponsored this post).

https://lnkd.in/gf7e8aXE

How to pay $0 with 9 private AI tools.

(I replaced my tech stack with these brands)

This summer I quit using most AI tools that required overpriced monthly subscriptions/credits and stored my data in their clouds. 

So I had to replace 99% of my tools. 

From $500 to less than $25 a month.

Here's my list:

Notion >Crypt(.)ee for note taking and ideas.
Airtable > AppFlowy for content management.
G-Suite > Proton for secure email and file hosting.
ChatGPT > Okara for private open source AI. 
Loom > Cap so I can record my screen with video.
Perplexity > DeepSeek with Ollama for research.
Canva > Penpot for self hosting creative assets.
Manus > Venice for AI research purposes.
Slack > Signal cz I don't need all the fluff.

So yeah this list is a lot longer.

But I know your attention span is short.

I'm still getting used to some of these new tools.

(and I paid for Proton Premium too btw)

The truth is, it's inconvenient. 
I was used to my tool stack. 

Learning new software and setups is a challenge.

But avoiding subscriptions the best I can and maintaining max control of my data is my decision maker.

PS Yes I left out the self-hosting tools and process...

(I gotta make you follow for more somehow right?)

I am a terrible community leader. 

So join my group chat for remote workers to kick off 2026...

5 years ago I ran a free Discord during lockdowns that featured:

Meme battles.
Free pizza. 
Daily chats. 
Live gaming sessions....

Yes. Yes it ended with me firing all my admins, unhinged topics/rants and a slow descent into madness that ruined a community of 1000+ remote workers...

So why do it again? 

Well since I ghosted LinkedIn for most of 2025 I'm curious if anyone will join and I'm curious how many of you work remote, feel like there's no community online anymore and just wanted a place to chat with some fellow nomads.

This time I'm hosting on telegram. 

It's free. Not sure about pizza. No growth tips or value given.

Just simply a remote workers hangout place during your work days.

If that sounds cool comment WOO and I'll send u the link.

PS How long will this chat last?

Merry Christmas to everyone scrolling the LinkedIn feed alone with a half eaten box of chocolate...

You are either a workaholic OR...

The holidays are a hard time for you. 

If that's you comment GRINCH and I'll share a link to my free telegram chat for remote workers. 

Come hang out while you finish that box of chocolate.

No grift. No growth tips. No value except a casual online chat.

Oh and maybe a meme battle lets see what happens.

Happy holidays!

PS I'm grilling a steak tonight how about you?

Stef Curcio

Growth Marketing Manager

LinkedIn client acquisition in <​15 mins/day | Trusted by the top 1% of LinkedIn’s Creators

“We don't have time to send DMs and create content”

This is the #1 LinkedIn lead generation problem for founders and teams.

- Some companies we’ve worked with have seen revenue boosts of up to 327% in <90 days -

⭐Some people who trust our services:
- Jasmin Alic (290k+ followers)
- Richard Van Der Blom (220k+ followers)
- Okoye Chinelo (150k+ followers)

… and many others.

Most businesses know they should have a DM strategy in place…

But let’s be real...

most people do not have time for this!

(And everyone hates DMs)

But LinkedIn lead generation comes hard for many for mainly 3 reasons:

1) Don’t know how to start a conversation
2) You are used to annoying pitch slaps
3) Have better things to do

We simply do this for you.

**Scale LinkedIn**:

A system of AI agents that generates clients on autopilot

**Including**

✅Content Agent
✅Lead validator Agent
✅DMs Generator Agent
✅Appointment setter Agent

🔒**Safe:**
Avoid being restricted by LinkedIn.

👬**Don’t burn through leads:**
Avoid the pray and spray approach.

⏱️**Timeline from start to results:**
Start to see 20%-50% reply rate in 14 days.


📈Case studies:

- Trevor Longino, Founder - Crowd Tamers, GTM agency: +$44k in revenue in 30 days
- Gal Agadi, Founder - Gravity, Content agency: +$90k in sales in 40 days
- Beatrice Vladut, Founder - B Branded, Branding: Doubled sales calls in 30 days
- Justin Fowler-Lindner, Founder - The Rose Garden, Lead generation agency: +12 clients in 90 days


✍️How to start:

Copy and paste the URL below to get your personalized LinkedIn outreach campaign - For free:

https://www.scalelkdn.com/campaign-builder

Founder

The FREE community for entrepreneurs that want to master Elegant Lead Generation

Join at: 

stefcurcio.com

Moved to Japan 11 years after I fell in love with it.

Sounds romantic. It wasn't.

In the past 11 years:

Worked on performance-based contracts.
I worked in hotels for minimum wage.
Borrowed money I didn't have.
Studied accounting. 
Tried marketing.
Took year off. 
I Quit. 

All to chase a dream that felt impossible.

Then I discovered LinkedIn.

Within 6 months, I made my first €15K month. 
Within a year, 47 clients. 
€75K in revenue.

But here's what I didn't realize.

I was still grinding.

Daily DMs.
Manual outreach. 
Constant follow-ups. 

My business depended on me showing up...

Every single day.

So even though I made it to Japan 2 years ago...

I was still trapped.

Until I built a system that didn't need me.

I automated my prospecting. 
Built AI agents that sound like me. 
Created content that primed my prospects.

Now I built a full client acquisition system...

In under 15 minutes a day.

Here's the truth nobody tells you.

You don't need more hustle.

You need a system.

A LinkedIn system that finds qualified leads...
Sends personalized messages...
And book calls on autopilot.

That's what I built.

And I recorded exactly how to do it.

Here:

https://lnkd.in/g75c3ypS

It shows you the exact 3-step system I use to generate clients in 15 minutes or less per day.

No more grinding.

Just systems that work.

P.S. Do you do manual outreach?

P.S. I am moving my company to Japan, and it still does not feel real 🏯

LinkedIn just made it clear:

They want you to pay to show your content.

The BOOST button is now front and center.

Organic reach is dying.

And frankly, I've been watching this coming for three years.

Views have been periodically decreasing since I joined the platform.

But here's what never changed.

DMs.

LinkedIn never restricted them in the past 3 years.

At least not for Premium users.

For three years, while the algorithm shifted...

While reach tanked...

While posts became a paid game...

DMs stayed the same.

Three referrals landed in my inboxes this week.

And a collaboration offer from my favorite tool.

I didn't ask for any of it.

I sat back and thought about why.

The answer wasn't what most people think.

It wasn't the posts.

These opportunities came from my "relationships".

And the place to build relationships on LinkedIn is your Inbox.

They are born in direct conversations with real people.

Are you betting your pipeline on posts?

Or are you building it through DMs?

Because one just became an expensive paid game.

The other is still virtually free.

And that's where the real opportunities live.

2.5 years in Japan taught me this about business:

So I saw a neighbor's house. 

Thought it might be for sale.

Since I want to invest in real estate here...

My first instinct was to knock on the door and ask.

But my wife stopped me.

"No," she said. "First, we invite him for tea."

I didn't get it at first.

We had a simple question.

Why waste time on tea?

I agree in the end.

Here's what I learned:

In the West, we lead with business.

We ask the question. 
We make the pitch. 
We close the deal.

In Japan, they lead with the "person".

They build the relationship first.

You establish a baseline of trust...

Then the business follows naturally.

Most people get this backwards with outreach too...

They think relationship-building is a tactic.

A warm-up before the real ask.

But it's not.

It's the foundation.

Without it...

You're just another stranger with an agenda.

With it...

You become someone worth saying yes to.

If you're in sales, outreach, or client acquisition...

This changes everything.

Stop leading with what you want.

Start leading with who you are.

Invite them for "tea" first.

The business will follow.

Officially stopped doing cold outreach.

Even though I had a 59.3% reply lifetime.

(screenshot below)

So you might think I'm crazy.

But here's what I realized.

Cold outreach is a numbers game.

You spray and pray.

You hit 100 people, hoping 59 reply.

And yeah, the math works.

But the relationship doesn't.

So I made a decision.

No more cold.

Only warm.

And here's the shift that changed everything.

I started treating every prospect the same way.

Cold or warm.

Doesn't matter.

First, I warm the profile.

I engage with their content.

I leave thoughtful comments.

I show up in their world before I ask for anything.

Then I reach out.

But here's the key.

I win the person first.

Not the account.

Not the deal.

The person.

I ask about them.

I listen.

I build a relationship.

Then I ask.

Because once you've won the person...

The rest follows naturally.

Cold outreach treats people like targets.

Warm outreach treats them like humans.

And humans don't buy from strangers.

They buy from people they know, like, and trust.

So I ditched the spray-and-pray.

Even though the numbers looked good.

Because 59% of cold replies isn't the same as 59% of warm conversations.

Cold replies are curious.

Warm conversations are a connection.

And connection converts.

So here's what I'm doing now.

Profile warm-up first.

Relationship building second.

Outreach third.

It takes longer.

It's less scalable on paper.

(even though it's not in reality)

P.S. Do you warmup accounts?

"I want to do outreach manually".

This DM I received made me rethink my business.

I just built a manual outreach module...

Inside my community today.

And here's the thing.

Some people want to automate everything.

Others want to do it themselves.

Both work.

I spent the last 6 months 95% of my outreach.

Systems running while I sleep.
AI agents. 
VAs. 

It's powerful. It's efficient. It's freedom.

For me.

But I realized something.

Not everyone wants that.

Some people like the control.

The personal touch.

The feeling of their own hands on the keyboard.

There's no one way to win.

You can play fast. You can play slow.

You can shoot threes. You can drive the lane.

The best teams adapt.

The best players choose their style.

Same with outreach.

You can build a machine that runs without you.

Or you can build a rhythm that feels like you.

Both work.

(I did outreach manually for 2 years)

The difference is simple.

One buys you time.

The other gives you control.

Neither is wrong.

P.S. Do you automate outreach?

I had a dog named Dante.

He was 70% wolf.

70% pure chaos.

He bit me, my brother, and my mom got 13 stitches because of him. 

Dante didn't care about rules.

He didn't care about what was "supposed" to happen.

He just showed up every single day with the same energy.

No overthinking.

No second-guessing.

No "what if people judge me for being too much?"

He was exactly who he was.

And everyone LOVED him for it.

(The day he passed was one of the saddest for my family)

I spent years trying to be the "right" version of myself.

Quieter. 
More professional. 
Basically a toy soldier.

But Dante taught me something:

The world doesn't need another polished version of us.

It needs the unfiltered, chaotic, full-volume version.

The one that barks when it needs to bark.

The one that shows up the same way every single day.

The one that doesn't apologize for taking up space.

I worried about not having the right method...

I looked at others and what was working for them...

And kept questioning my ways.

All the time.

And it was f****ng exhausting.

Constantly switching between cold emailing, content, or DM outreach...

As the centerpiece of my strategy.

Without ever focusing on finding something that worked.

When I made that switch, business became easier.

Life became easier.

It took me 30 years to figure this out:

"Be Dante, be yourself".

I retired from pro basketball at 22.

But I couldn't retire my "identity".

I kept training like I was still semi-pro.

Doing sprints on the street in cold Tokyo in December.
Pushing my body like I had something to prove.
Still wanting to put in 5 workouts per week.

I wasn't playing anymore.

But I was performing.

To feel "better" than others.

Than other players...

Than my friends.

I don't even know who else.

So I carried that weight for years.

Every time I picked up a ball...

It wasn't joy.

It was obligation.

It was the ghost of whom I wanted to be.

I managed very recently to step away from that self image.

I released that image.

And I actually started playing basketball...

As a fun way to keep in shape.

Just playing.

No identity attached.

No proof needed.

Here's the thing, though.

I did the exact same thing in business.

I built a persona of the "successful entrepreneur."

The guy with the great life.

Who lived in Bali.

The guy who had it all figured out.

But behind the scenes, I was grinding my life away.

And didn't really know.

Spending hours in the DMs.

Feeling unsafe about my finances.

Anxious about my future.

Performing success while living in scarcity.

It was exhausting.

So I made the same choice.

I let that image go too.

I stopped trying to prove I was successful.

I stopped spending my life in the DMs chasing validation.

I stopped performing.

Stopped trying to be everything for everyone.

And I started building differently.

Slower. 
Cleaner. 
More human.

With systems that work without me.

With a life I actually want to live.

Not the life I thought I was supposed to have.

Here's what I learned:

The identity I was protecting was holding me back.

Whether it's the athlete I used to be.

The hustler I thought I needed to be.

The successful person I was trying to show I was.

I let it go.

The real version of us...

The one without the performance...

Is so much more powerful.

And so much more free.

If you feel that what you have is sucking the life out of you...

And that it's not even generating results that make you feel excited about waking up tomorrow...

Then, here is my present for you.

A video training on how to build a LinkedIn acquisition system that runs in < 15 minutes/day.

Click here to get it: https://lnkd.in/g75c3ypS

Gian had roughly 1.5k connections.

No real presence on LinkedIn.

Just some posts here and there. 

Social shares mostly.

But he has a growing company...

And a product he believes in.

He reached out because he believed he could leverage LinkedIn to fast-forward his growth.

He's getting 83% reply from DMs.

How we achieved this:

- Not a "post more" strategy.
- Not a profile tweak. 
- A real system.

We mapped his ideal buyer. 

Positioned him as the obvious choice. 

Then installed the messaging that actually converts.

- Step 1: 

We rewrote his profile to speak directly to the pain his clients feel.

Not generic. Specific.

- Step 2: 

We built an automated AI system for his outreach to be personalized, warm, and conversational.

No spam. No "let's hop on a call" nonsense.

- Step 3: 

We added a content agent that reinforces trust while the system works.

So when he reaches out, they already know him.

Then we let it run.

176 connection requests sent.

70 accepted.

41 replies.

83.7% reply rate.

And here's the part that matters: 

Multiple leads offering their personal contacts in the DMs.

This isn't luck.

This is what happens when you stop guessing and start building.

Most people think LinkedIn is about posting more or having a bigger audience.

It's not.

It's about having a system that works while you sleep.

One that finds the right people. 

Speaks their language. 

Builds trust before you ever ask for anything.

That's the difference between a LinkedIn profile and a LinkedIn asset.

All in under 15 minutes a day.

P.S. Do you send DMs daily?

Just built a system for a 9-figure company.

How they'll generate clients in 2026 with LinkedIn:

(and it's exactly the same for a 1-person business)

Since they have different products and markets...

We picked up some relevant people within the company...

Operating in key geographical areas.

Then I built this system

1)  Content agent.

Not random posts. Strategic content that positions you as the obvious choice in your space. 

We'll be posting multiple times a week, and they do not have time to do so.

This agent creates high-quality content in <5min (including editing).

2) Then we created target lists.
We change them every quarter based on the focus.
No spray and pray.
Just precision.

3) We built a validation agent.

Because reaching out to the wrong person wastes everyone's time.

So we validate every single target before we touch them.

We make sure we're talking to the right decision-maker in the right company at the right time.

4) We warm up the accounts.

We only use this if reply rates drop below 25%.

Most people don't need it.

But when they do, we warm up target accounts before reaching out.

5) DM generator agent.

This is where the magic happens.

Laser-focused. Hyper-personalized. Every message sounds like it came from a human who actually knows them.

Not templated. Not robotic. Real.

We built something for one thing: 

Landing enterprise clients who actually have a need we can satisfy.

Everything else is unnecessary.

P.S. A system for a 1 person business has no real difference. This is still the best way to generate leads in 2025 :)

"How do you get a reply from a ghoster?"

I was asked in my community today.

And here's what I told her.

When a lead goes silent after a call...

They're usually not forgetting about you.

It's timing. 
Or interest level. 
Or something didn't click.

I hate messages like:

"Hey, Stef! What did you think about our call?"

That is a lack of self-awareness to me.

I don't like to receive such messages...

So I do not send them.

Instead of pushing...

I stay visible.

I comment on their content once every other month.

No ask. 
No pitch. 
Just presence.

Then I reach out again after 3-6 months.

But here's the key.

I reference something real.

Their recent post. 
Our past conversation. 
A commonality I found.

A Context-aware DM.

That's it.

No pressure. 

No follow-up sequence that feels like spam.

Just a genuine touchpoint.

And typically, the conversation gets to the point organically.

I don't like pushing people.

That's not my style.

When you create genuine touchpoints and stay present in their world...

People have more chances to naturally lean back in.

The bottom line.

Find natural connection points.
Stay consistent. 
Add value. 

Let the relationship develop at its own pace.

That's how you remind them.

Not by chasing.

By being unforgettable.

P.S. If you are curious what the community looks like, comment or DM "scale" to receive the Gdoc with the program details.

I'm ashamed I never did this before:

I never looked at past leads I didn't close.

And something hit me.

Some of them started their businesses.

Some shut theirs down.

Some moved into bigger companies as decision makers.

Some found startups.

Some pivoted entirely.

The paths were all different.

But here's what I missed: they all changed.

And when people change, their needs change.

So I went through the list.

186 leads.

186 people I already had a relationship with.

186 people who might now need exactly what I do.

I never looked back before.

I was always chasing the new.

New leads. 
New conversations. 

But the warmest leads I have are the ones I already know.

The ones who know me.

The ones who've seen my work, heard my voice, felt my approach.

They didn't say no because my offer was bad.

(at least not the majority of them)

They said no because the timing was wrong.

Or their situation was different.

Or they weren't ready.

But now?

Now they might be.

So I'm reaching back out.

Not with desperation.

I will do this:

1) Warm them up
2) Start a conversation
3) Organically explore a fit

With genuine curiosity.

The shame isn't that I didn't close them before.

The shame is that I forgot they existed.

That I kept grinding for strangers when I had a warm list sitting in my database.

Your CRM isn't just a graveyard of "almosts."

It's a goldmine of second chances.

Go look at yours.

You might be surprised by what you find.

P.S. How many dormant leads do you have in your CRM?

"I am happy to explore these strategies further."

This message came from a real estate investor.

As he replied to our DM.

Not with "maybe later."

Not with "send me info."

But with a clear message that shows interest.

That's the difference between cold outreach...

And warm outreach.

Most people spray and pray.

They send 50 DMs hoping to get 2 reply.

(often negative)

Then they wonder why replies feel like pulling teeth.

But when you warm an account first...

When you build the relationship in the DMs...

And you show up in their feed, add value, build familiarity...

The conversation shifts.

They start trusting you.

And if there is an imminent need...

They want to explore.

They want to talk.

Here's what happened:

We identified a real estate investor for my client.

I engaged with their content.

I showed I understood their world via DMs.

And ask a strategic question.

(Not a pitch. Just a genuine question about a problem that ICP has).

Curiosity sparked the reply.

That's the system.

- Warm the account.
- Build familiarity.
- Then ask.

When you do this right, prospects don't feel sold to.

They feel understood.

And that's when deals happen.

If you're tired of cold DMs that get ignored...

It's time to warm your outreach.

Start with engagement. 

End with conversations that convert.

P.S. Do you DM daily?

I went to the post office in Japan today.

Still feels new being in a country that "works well".

Born and raised in Italy...

I am not used to not waiting in line...

Great service...

And simply expecting the public service to deliver.

I sent some postcards today.

60 cents per postcard.

That's it.

Nice employees.
No confusion.
Clarity.

Just a system that works.

And I thought about my prospects.

Some of them are doing well.

Establish companies.

They've got a solid offer. 

They've got the skill.

But they don't have the system.

So they're stuck in the grind.

Testing new things. 
Sending DMs manually. 
Hoping something sticks.

It's exhausting.

And it doesn't scale.

Here's what I noticed about Japan's post office.

They didn't overcomplicate it.

They built one thing. 
They made it work. 
They let it run.

No daily tweaks. No "optimization." Just consistency.

That's what your LinkedIn needs.

Not another course. Not another strategy.

A system that plugs in and works.

That's why I built two offers for people that...

Simply need to get in front of the right people.

And they know what to do then.

The Setup: 

We optimize your profile, positioning, and messaging and I build your system. You walk away with a high-converting system ready to run.

The Done-For-You: 

We build it, train it, and ran it for you. Your AI agents prospect. Your content converts. You show up for a few minutes a day... Sometimes.

Both are built for founders who don't have time to figure it out.

You just need it to work.

Like that post office.

Simple. Reliable. Done.

If you're ready to stop grinding and start running a system, let's talk.

DM me "SETUP" and I'll send you the details.

DMs are simple.

You ask people:

- If they have a problem you believe you can solve

In their most basic form, that is how DMs work.

For me, the element that supported this whole process was:

Building a relationship as I did that.

By:

- Waiting for permission.
- Make the prospect feel heard.
- Exploring with questions, never selling.

To me, it's that simple :)

P.S. I shot a video for my VA where I explained my whole DM flow. DM me or leave a comment down here if you me to share it with you :)

taplio

The Battle

Luke Matthews

Stef Curcio

Followers

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Performance ScoreLuke Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreStef Curcio's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Luke Matthews

Stef Curcio

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);}Luke Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreStef Curcio's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreLuke Matthews's LinkedIn Performance