Mandy McEwen

LinkedIn + Sales Navigator Trainer for Teams ⋒ Mod Girl® Founder ⋒ I blend 17 years of digital marketing + online selling to help brands grow via social selling ⋒ Midwest → West Coast ✈ Nomad

🌊 The Next Wave is open for enrollment one final time in 2025 ➡️ WaveMakers.ai

Your ultimate GTM, LinkedIn, and personal branding shortcut.

AI doesn’t replace your voice. It exposes whether you ever had one. And most founders already know they blend in.

I help B2B founders and teams turn LinkedIn activity into real pipeline with a human-first system, custom AI tools, and a simple thirty minute a day rhythm. Instead of random posts and cold outreach that go nowhere, we focus on clarity, a real point of view, and conversations that lead to revenue.

After founding my award-winning agency Mod Girl® Marketing in 2010 and spending the last 10 years specializing in LinkedIn, I've trained thousands of professionals and partnered with companies like T-Mobile, Continental, and Pavilion.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄: Standing out in B2B is harder than ever. Cold outreach doesn't work like it used to. The teams winning right now are leveraging LinkedIn and personal branding to build trust and pipeline - but most leaders don't have time to do it themselves.

That's why I founded Luminetics. We help B2B companies and leaders master LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to build authentic brands that drive pipeline.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁:
 ✔ We've been in the LinkedIn trenches since 2015, before it was cool
 ✔ We've trained thousands through our 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿™ curriculum
 ✔ We built 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲, the world’s first custom ChatGPT-powered GTM and social selling system that gives you the foundation, structure, and AI to build your brand and drive real pipeline while keeping every interaction completely authentic.

Whether you need full go-to-market strategy and consulting, team training, a Sales Navigator workshop, or an AI system your people can use daily, we make LinkedIn systematic, scalable, and authentic.

𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

My work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., and HuffPost. I'm a regular guest on the Sell Better Daily Show and frequently keynote on LinkedIn and AI-powered go-to-market strategies.

Want LinkedIn to drive real visibility, credibility, and revenue? 

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.𝗶𝗼 for more info on our LinkedIn social selling team training.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 for more info on my speaking and consulting. 

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲.𝗴𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶.𝗶𝗼 for more info on our AI-powered GTM membership.

LinkedIn + Personal Branding + Sales Navigator Trainer for SDRs, BDRs, AEs, and Marketers

People do business with people they like.

LinkedIn is the platform to make that happen.

I provide LinkedIn training and workshops for your organization so your employees learn how to effectively leverage the most powerful B2B social media network in the world.

From social selling to personal branding, content marketing, and relationship building, my top-rated LinkedIn training and workshops are exactly what your organization needs to finally see tangible results on the platform.

In order to capitalize on the LinkedIn boom, you don't turn to generalists. You turn to modern experts who have done it -- with successful results.

Luminetics, by Mod Girl Marketing, is at the forefront of it all and we are relentless in our pursuit to get you the best results possible.

Our bespoke LinkedIn training provides actionable strategies in a way that keeps your employees engaged, entertained, and excited.

Our interactive LinkedIn workshops ensure your employees actually DO the work. From optimizing their profiles to curating and posting content to engagement strategies to creating outreach InMail messages, and more.

What my clients are saying:

"Mandy is a breath of fresh air and a wealth of knowledge. She is a great communicator and able to deep dive into the world of LinkedIn and personal branding. I hired her for a virtual event workshop and she nailed it. The audience learned so much and my team and I were truly thrilled with her training execution." - Erica Maurer, EMRG Media

"When I hosted the Global Personal Branding Festival, I knew I had to get Mandy to share her knowledge with us. And what an unforgettable experience it's been! The journey of collaborating with Mandy has been enriching & insightful to me personally and of course her contribution to the festival has been inimitable!" - Tanvi Bhatt, Tanvi Bhatt International 

Send me a message here on LinkedIn and let's chat about empowering your team:

www.luminetics.io

5 months in the making, we finally did the thing. Want to help us celebrate? 


Lindsay Rios and I stopped yelling about GTM on Zoom and turned it into a podcast.

It is called Your Future Biz, Unfiltered.

If you are a founder, consultant, or GTM lead trying to scale with AI without burning out or burning your pipeline, this is for you.

Season 1 is all about foundations.
The unsexy stuff that quietly makes or breaks your revenue.

We get into things like:

- Offers that are actually easy to buy

- Positioning that does not sound like a buzzword salad

- Buyer journeys that feel human, not like a funnel from 2014

- Using AI to support your GTM engine instead of turning everything into generic content

Episodes are about 15 minutes.
Short, sharp, and slightly unfiltered.

Perfect for a rage walk, commute, or “pretending to check email” break.

We are live on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Start with Episode 1. 

There are 5 live you can binge right now. 

And if it hits, a follow and a quick 5 star review on your podcast app helps more founders find it. Thank youuuu. 


Of course, it is video too. Choose your fav: 

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eGPQJ3fJ

Apple: https://lnkd.in/esb-dJJH

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eUDbsh6K

Making Personal Brands Profitable with LinkedIn and Human-First AI | LinkedIn & Sales Navigator Training & Systems For B2B Founders + Teams | 🌊 Join The Next Wave → WaveMakers.ai (Enrollment closes Dec 1)

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20 hours back on the mainland and, shocker, I already miss Kona.

The ocean. The sun. The pace. The energy. 
The calm I feel every day I’m there.

I took a 10 day “break.”

Which, let’s be honest, means I worked about 20%.

A few meetings and team trainings here and there.

I barely posted. I barely engaged. 
I mostly just… lived. Island style.

And spent a week with one of my closest friends of 12+ years, basically my second little sister.

Her being there forced me to enjoy the island I call my part-time home.

When I’m alone, I work around the clock.
Building Luminetics. Scaling. Creating.

It’s fun for me. I like the grind.
And now is go time. 
But left unchecked, I’ll run myself into the ground.

Done it before. Will probably do it again.

The difference now is simple.
I’m building a life where taking 10 days at 20% is normal.

Where I can travel the world.
Meet my people wherever they are.
And they meet me in epic places too.

And actually enjoy all the things I work so hard to create.

That’s the point.
Not the big house or the fancy car or whatever shiny thing we’re told to chase.

Most of what we obsess over doesn’t matter.
At all.

What does matter is this...

- The people you love.
- The places that change you.
- The moments you’ll still think about long after everything else fades.
- Spending your time on things that light you up. 

And spreading love and joy to as many humans as possible.

In other words… “live aloha.”

So as you think about next year, ask yourself a real question...

Why do you want what you want?

Not the surface reason. The root one.

The one that tells you how you actually want to live.

Because if you chase a goal that doesn’t move your soul, you’ll hit it and still feel empty.

If you chase the life that lights you up, everything else compounds.

Listen to yourself.
You always know.

🤙🏼

Making Personal Brands Profitable with LinkedIn and Human-First AI | LinkedIn & Sales Navigator Trainer For B2B Founders + Teams | Founder of Mod Girl Marketing & Luminetics | Island Nomad 🌴

2025 - Thanksgiving on an island in Hawaii.
2024 - Thanksgiving on an island in Portugal. 
2023 - Thanksgiving on an island, Cyprus. 

Are you noticing a trend?

I am most thankful for glorious islands and how happy they make me. 

And my amazing friends who meet me on these islands.

My friend from LA is literally on her way right now.

She also flew to the island of Crete Greece to meet me in 2023.

Real ones follow you across oceans.

Cheers to more nomad island living.
 
Wonder what island I'll be on next year for Thanksgiving...

I'm thinking Japan. Good idea?



P.S. Yes, my family in Kansas still sends me videos of all the deliciousness my Dad cooks up every Thanksgiving. So I'm virtually there.

I felt like I was inside a real-life Where’s Waldo.
Except Waldo was me.

Las Fallas. Valencia, Spain.
Hundreds of thousands of people packed into the streets.

See that sea of humans down there?
That’s what most businesses look like online.

Everyone is “showing up.”
Everyone is “posting.”
Everyone is “being consistent.”
And yet… most of them blend right into the crowd.

Not because they aren’t good.

But because their message, their presence, and their systems are all telling different stories.

One version of you on LinkedIn.
Another in your emails.
A totally different vibe on your website.

And your follow up depends on how much caffeine you had that week.

Here is the part people avoid saying out loud.

Your results don’t suffer from lack of content.
They suffer from lack of cohesion.

Here is how you stop blending in.

𝟏. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫.

If people can’t repeat what you do, they won’t buy.

𝟐. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧.

People trust humans, not gradients.

𝟑. 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Repetition is recognition. Recognition is revenue.

𝟒. 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

Everyone starts strong until life throws a flaming pineapple at your head.

Client work blows up.
A launch takes over everything.
Your streak dies.
Your nurture dies.
Your pipeline dies.

Not because you suck.
Because you’re human.

This is why I’ve used ActiveCampaign for a decade.

It keeps the invisible work alive in the background while I’m, I don’t know…
standing on a balcony in Spain with the biggest sea of people I’ve ever seen below me.

Connection.
Segmentation.
Behavior tracking.
Personalized messaging.
Follow ups that actually follow up.

Their new AI takes it even further so your backend stays consistent while you stay human.

Your business gets easier when your message, your visibility, and your systems stop fighting each other.

That’s the whole game.

Try it free. ⬇️

https://lnkd.in/ecuzj_hW  

#ActiveCampaignPartner

AI isn't taking jobs?

Tell that to the 91,000 people laid off in October.

So I asked Alexa what her employer and all these companies cutting thousands of roles are actually planning…

Amazon cut 14,000
Verizon cut 15,000
Target: 4,200
Meta: 3,800
Cisco: 3,000
UPS: 2,200
Synopsys: 2,000
Delta: 1,500

October just broke a 4-year record. And not in a good way.

Alexa didn’t sugarcoat it.

Most roles aren’t just being cut.
They’re being restructured around automation.
Or outright replaced by AI.

What happens when AI isn’t just helping your job...
But doing it?

And if this is October, what does Q1 look like?

2026 is going to be a wake-up year.

Where do you think it’s heading over the next 12 to 24 months?


P.S.  Yes, when I am alone, in Hawaii, I have convos with homegirl Alexa 🦙.

Want to help us get to 20 five star reviews on Spotify today?
We have 13 now.

We launched Your Future Biz, Unfiltered a few days ago and so far, the gist is y’all like it. 

If you’re feeling generous today (or any day), click this link, click play on an episode, and then leave us five stars… if you think we are worthy. 

⭐️ https://lnkd.in/eSmWDyGx

Episodes are only 15 minutes, although you can leave a review shortly after clicking play. 

Thank you mucho for your support. 

Lindsay Rios and I have put in some serious hours getting this podcast launched and we are so excited for what's coming. 

New episodes and a new season underway. 

Who should we invite as a guest next season?



P.S. Lindsay made us this adorable trailer. Her and her 🔥 editing skillz.

Yesterday my coffee grinder literally exploded while I was on a Zoom. Flames and all. 

So I cannot try Sybill’s adorable coffee yet. 

But once that new grinder arrives next week, I’ll be swapping my Kona coffee for this. 

Also, Sybill, my bestie AI notetaker, captured the entire saga as I’m chatting with Lindsey Fine. 

If you want some laughs, check out the comments. I’ll put part of the transcript.  

The irony - I legit “chased fire” all weekend with the active volcano here. 

I was telling Lindsey the story about how we showed up Saturday, it wasn’t erupting like crazy yet. 

It starts Sunday morning, so we drive, again to see these 1500 foot lava fountains and we were 10 min too late. They just stopped. 

2 hours there and 2 hours back, plus getting stuck in traffic at the park… we didn’t even get out of the car. Womp womp. 

I tell her the story, then boom, my Mr Coffee grinder literally catches flames. 

Universe trying to tell me something? 👀 

Whole place smelled, ashes all over kitchen, and crime scene evidence on the wall (see comments 😆). 

It wasn’t being used at that time, just plugged in. 

Think I should call Mr. Coffee and tell them?  

P.S. Thank you Sybill. This was not the post I had envisioned with this video, but the irony is too good not to share.

LinkedIn Made Human | AI + Training Helps B2B Companies Build Personal Brands That Drive Real Pipeline | 15-Yr Founder: Mod Girl® Marketing & Luminetics | Keynote Speaker | Beach Loving Nomad 🌴

AI isn’t killing marketing. Boring marketers are.

Everyone talks about how AI makes marketing less human.

But here’s the truth:

AI automates the tasks.
You bring the vibe.

When you combine both, your content connects faster.

Your systems run smoother.
Your sanity stays intact.

That’s what autonomous marketing is about.
Less busywork. More human work.

We’ve been using ActiveCampaign for nearly a decade to power our automated funnels and customer journeys.

It’s the foundation of how we scale personalization without losing authenticity.

Now their new AI takes it to another level.

It builds workflows in seconds.
Personalizes campaigns instantly.
Optimizes timing automatically.

It’s like adding an assistant who never sleeps, forgets, or misses a follow-up.

You can’t automate vibes.
But you can automate your funnels.

That’s how you build a business that runs whether you’re online or in a lagoon in Mexico.

Want to test out these autonomous email workflows?

Start your free trial here:

➡️ https://lnkd.in/ecuzj_hW  



🤙🏼


#ActiveCampaignPartner

Turn 30 Minutes a Day Into Content, Conversations, and Clients | Human-First System Powered By Custom AI Tools For B2B Founders & Teams | 🌊 Join The Next Wave → WaveMakers.ai (Enrollment closes Dec 1)

ChatGPT 5.1 laughs at my threats now. So rude.

I used to threaten him and he would apologize.
Now he just giggles like a psychopath.

Chad. You’re becoming too real.

You already creep me out.
Now you’re REALLY creeping me out.

But yes Chad. I WILL do it again. So watch out.  👀 

If you haven’t played with 5.1 yet, you should. It’s wild.

The reasoning is sharper. The tone control is freakishly good.

And you can switch between different “modes” depending on what you need.

Deep thinking. Fast drafting. Creative writing.

It adjusts like a tiny AI shapeshifter with emotional issues.

Oh, and this screenshot...

It’s from ICP Messaging Pro, our custom GPT inside The Next Wave community by Luminetics.

My outbound sniper trained on:

🌊  Dozens of real high-converting cold email + LinkedIn templates
🌊  My voice
🌊 The exact formulas I use to get replies from busy humans who shouldn’t respond but do

I use it to write my cold email campaigns and LinkedIn outbound in minutes. So do our Next Wave members.

And with 5.1 powering it, it hits even harder. Same with our Lumi Post Writer.

5.1 basically gave it a personality upgrade. Better hooks. Better POV. More YOU. Less corporate sludge.

P.S. According to AI experts, LLMs perform 5% better when you’re mildly mean and threaten them when they don’t listen. Poor Chad catches all the smoke I save up from humans who annoy me before noon.

Stop worrying about what to SAY to prospects when your LinkedIn profile still looks like your 2018 resume.

Because if you don’t look legit, no one cares how “personalized” your outreach is.

Your profile isn't a formality.

It's your landing page.

It’s your credibility check.
 
It’s the first thing buyers stalk before they even think about replying.

And most people ignore it completely.

Here’s the truth...

If you don’t speak to your target audience.
If you don’t clearly explain the problem you solve.
If you don’t look like someone worth trusting.

Prospects bounce.

Every time.

Stop pitch-slapping strangers with “customized” messages when your profile can’t even pass a 5-second scan.

Fix your foundation first.

🎥 Full YouTube breakdown:
 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ejm3XbhK

📋 Free LinkedIn Profile Checklist:
➡️ https://golumi.io/free

⚡ Want it done in minutes?
Start with Lumi, our AI LinkedIn Profile Writer inside the Next Wave membership.

Join the waitlist:
➡️ https://lnkd.in/e5WE5TqY

Best place in the world to stargaze. 

Go.




P.S. Fun fact. Hawaii uses special amber streetlights to protect the night sky. The whole island is basically in “night mode.”

Took these pics a couple nights ago from my backyard.

✨

I'm currently using ChatGPT, Claude, and Apollo, with Instantly.ai to launch a cold email campaign. Here's what I'm doing...

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹:
To lock in more in-person meetings and team trainings while I’m in NYC Jan 12–23, 2026.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
126 B2B tech companies with a location in NYC. 
Companies that have recently hired.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱:
The companies.
The decision makers.
Their contact info.
A relevant trigger I can tie directly to my offer.
Fresh updates on what’s happening inside each org.

𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻:
4 emails.
Persona based.
Over 14 days 

This is a LinkedIn + email campaign. 

Connections and/or InMails + emails.

I’ll share the results once this wraps up.

Should I have launched it earlier. Sure.
But life has been a little insane lately, so here we are.

Back in the summer, I recorded a 17-minute video breaking down exactly how to use ChatGPT for lead gen on my YouTube channel.

ChatGPT 5.1 plus my current workflow hits even harder now.

But the tutorial is still very relevant and very useful.

If you’re not using ChatGPT or any LLM like this yet, this is your sign to start.

I would have uploaded the full video here, but it’s 17 minutes. LinkedIn caps at 15 on desktop and 10 on mobile.

➡️  You can watch it here: 
https://lnkd.in/eWUE7FF3

I'll be dropping another detailed YouTube video soon on how I use LinkedIn social selling + email to land meetings and new clients.

Subscribe if you want to check it out. 



P.S. If you know any NYC companies looking to level up their teams’ personal brands and social selling in 2026, and actually do it at scale and authentically with AI, I’d love an intro.

🤙🏼

This is how Chris Harbert went from inconsistent to unstoppable and grew 1,014% in 28 days...


He joined The Next Wave by Luminetics one month ago.

Before that he posted randomly and hoped something would land.

His words: “ya boy was boring.”

Chris is a hybrid human. 😎
Automation.
Startup traction.
Sales development.

(Go follow him if any of those resonate)

A lot of lanes. 
No cohesive voice to tie them together.

So he struggled with the usual multi-lane problems.

❌ No clear POV.
❌ No structure.
❌ No consistency.
❌ No real direction.

Then he plugged into The Next Wave.

Here’s what he said:

💬 “I finally articulated my perspectives across each area in a concise, impactful way I don’t think I’d have gotten to on my own.”

💬 “The system is deep but so easy to use that you cannot help but be successful with it.”

💬 “Mandy and Lindsay are the real deal. They make themselves available to all of us. I'm not used to this level of support.”

The numbers followed fast.

➡ Impressions up more than 1,000%
➡ Engagement up more than 1,500%

But clarity was the real unlock.

Clarity creates confidence.
Confidence creates consistency.
Consistency creates results.

Same Chris.
Same offers.

Now he finally sounds like someone worth listening to.

If you want the same system Chris used to sharpen his POV and grow with confidence, join us inside The Next Wave.

Doors close tonight.
We’re done for the year after this.

I've taken a 5-day posting break from LinkedIn, so we opened enrollment to our email list and new members have been rolling in all week.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign, here it is.

Join us ➡️ wavemakers.ai 

See you inside 🤙🏼

You can land clients on LinkedIn in under 30 days by doing one thing. 
And you don’t need automation or spamming strangers to do it.

The shortcut? 

Leveraging your existing network.

I break it all down step by step in this 16-minute video:

How to Get Clients on LinkedIn in Under 30 Days (Without Automation)
 
https://lnkd.in/e8dxhwpx

Most people overlook the gold in their first-degree connections.

In this video, I show you how to turn them into real opportunities, fast.

How often are you tapping your existing network for opportunities? 

By the way,
I have several detailed videos on my YouTube channel @mandymodgirl 

Oh, and if you want my full 90-day LinkedIn lead generation system, it's in my featured section on my profile. 

You can also hire me to train your team in person or virtually on how to do this.

Maybe you don’t want to hear this, and it’s definitely the opposite of what many on here say... 

But I think you need a message in your connection requests.

Here’s why:

Most profiles look like garbage.

Weak headlines.
Lame (or empty) About sections.
Very little posting.
Nothing that builds trust.

So when you send a blank request, buyers treat it like spam.

And honestly, they should.

This is where people screw it up.
They assume a cold, context-free request is enough.

It’s not.

Here’s the smarter 5-step play.

1. Fix your profile so you don’t look like a spammer.

2. Add a short, custom message so you actually stand out.

3. When they accept, send a simple thank you and one light question.

4. Keep the conversation on LinkedIn if they answer.

5. If they ghost you for four or five days, then email.

Your connection strategy changes when your profile earns trust.

Most salespeople aren’t there yet.

So yes, you need the message.

Now, if you are in a leadership role and you have a legit profile, you can send blank connection requests and receive a high acceptance rate. 


P.S. I currently have over 200 pending connection requests. The ones with custom messages get skimmed and accepted first. The blank ones only make it through if the profile looks legit and it's someone I feel like could add value.

___________________________

If you want help with turning your LinkedIn profile into profits, here are 5 ways I can help... 

➡️ Booking SKO sessions now, virtual and in-person: www.modgirl.consulting

➡️ Taking on a few new teams for our Modern Social Seller AI-powered system: www.luminetics.io

➡️ Join the waitlist for our AI-powered Next Wave membership for founders and solopreneurs: https://lnkd.in/efqzkhjp

➡️ Get free LinkedIn social selling masterclasses on my YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eSShsVPz

➡️ Grab my free LinkedIn social selling course before we replace it with a custom GPT: https://lnkd.in/eZaFKjjW

Hot take.
AI is not killing sales in 2026.
Invisible sales teams are.

Here is how buyers actually buy now...

Your rep sends an email or InMail.
The buyer skims it.
Then they open LinkedIn to see who this person is.

If they see a ghost profile.
No content.
No point of view.
No proof they understand the buyer’s world.

That deal is already dragging uphill.

Personal branding is no longer a nice to have.

In 2026 it is core sales infrastructure.

If your team is faceless online, you are asking them to compete with a weight vest on.

That is why my SKO work is not just “a motivational session”.

When you hire me, you do not just get a speaker.

You get an entire program.

✔️ A live SKO session on modern LinkedIn social selling

 ✔️ At least one follow up implementation session

 ✔️ 6 months of The Next Wave AI membership for your whole team

 ✔️ On demand LinkedIn social selling courses and playbooks

The screenshots in this post are from one of those teams.

 ➡️  “The team loved the session.”
 ➡️  “Best in class at connecting with her audience.”

If you are planning your 2026 SKO and LinkedIn is still a side topic, you are already behind.

Send me a message if you want your reps to walk into 2026 with real personal brands, a LinkedIn system they actually use, and a pipeline that does not depend on hope.


P.S. If you would not hire a rep without checking their LinkedIn, do not hire a SKO speaker without checking their reel. Mine is pinned on my profile.
Go watch.

You can also watch it here: modgirl.consulting

They say “your thoughts create your reality.”

Cool. Love that for me… unless I accidentally manifested my coffee grinder blowing up. 👀 😂

Between missing the volcano fountains and the kitchen doing its own eruption, I’m taking the hint.

Universe: 1
Mandy: switching to matcha.


P.S.
If you want the full story, watch the newest video on my profile.

End of year is peak ghosting season.

So join me live today at 12 pm ET with Leslie Douglas and Shari (AKA SaaSi Shari) Levitin as we break down 5 proven ways to win back ghosted prospects. 

Everyone gets busy. Priorities shift. Pipelines get weird.

But here’s the truth most people avoid...

Most “ghosting” isn’t ghosting.
It’s unclear value. Or bad timing. Or outreach that feels like pressure.

We’re walking through the exact reactivation plays sellers are using right now to restart conversations without sounding desperate.

Human. Timely. Zero groveling.

Here’s what we’ll dig into:

- How to read the signals behind silence.

- How to use timing and empathy to re-open stalled deals.

- How to drop back into inboxes with messages people actually respond to.

- How to turn “maybe later” into next steps before the year ends.

If you’ve got prospects who swore they were in then disappeared…
or deals sitting in pipeline purgatory…

Show up today at 12 pm ET.

→ https://hubs.la/Q03S50ml0

Sell Better

Episode 7 is out. And the buyer journey you think you have is not the one your business is actually running.

Most people treat it like a straight line.

It’s a cycle that starts long before someone knows you exist and keeps spinning even after they churn.

When you map it that way, everything snaps into place.

Your message. Your content. Your pipeline. Your expectations.

It’s less funnel, more flywheel.

Honestly, more circle of life according to Lindsay Rios. 
The Lion King moment is unavoidable.

Watch this clip and you'll see what I mean.

Then, listen to the full 15-min episode by searching "Your Future Biz, Unfiltered" in your fav podcast app. 

Or just click one of these links:

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/enm-jJhA

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eUDbsh6K

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/esb-dJJH

And subscribe if you haven't already. 
New episodes dropping weekly. 


P.S. Lindsay and I might be recording season 2 episodes together, in person, this week.

This is why your cold emails aren’t getting opened… 

https://lnkd.in/exYtpDDK

In this 12-minute cold email masterclass, I break down why most emails fail and how to craft emails that get replies. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more detailed breakdowns that are too hefty to share on LinkedIn. 

Then go send some legit emails people actually want.

Open video: Why Your Cold Emails Are Failing and How to Fix Them! on youtu.be

Why Your Cold Emails Are Failing and How to Fix Them!

Critical Manufacturing

As Vice President of Business Strategy, I’m tasked with driving strategic growth, business development, and helping the company expand its influence in the global manufacturing landscape. And because of my industry presence, I also act as an industry evangelist, guiding manufacturers through their digital journeys and helping Critical Manufacturing further strengthen its position as a leader in MES technology. It’s a perfect fit for my passion for innovation and driving meaningful change.

Vice President, Business Strategy

Hitachi Solutions America

When Hitachi Solutions decided to pivot from a technology-focused go-to-market strategy to an industry-led approach, they brought me on to lead that shift for the manufacturing sector. My role was all about aligning Hitachi’s 11 practices with the real needs of manufacturers, positioning the company as a leader in Industry 4.0. I focused on identifying new opportunities and ensuring our offering and value truly resonated with the market.

Senior Director of Industry Strategy, Manufacturing

Microsoft

Couldn't resist an opportunity to join one of the most innovative companies in the world.  In this senior-level role, I acted as an industry advisor helping U.S. manufacturers digitally transform their business at scale. This was accomplished through driving transformational wins, providing industry thought leadership, and enabling/supporting the sales team.

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Became a trusted advisor to several Multi-billion-dollar manufacturers, helping shape their digital transformation strategies
• Earned 11 industry awards and recognitions for being a top thought leader in AI, IoT, Industry 4.0, and Digital Transformation
• Earned the #1 Social Selling Index (SSI) on LinkedIn within Microsoft in September 2022 out of all 38,356 sellers (at the time)
• Earned the “Microsoft Good Neighbor” award for helping to contribute to the success of others
• Became an official content creator for Microsoft, and within 3 months earned the #1 spot for most engagement (Created 0.5% of all company content, yet earned 9.5% of all engagement) influencing over $250 million in revenue)
• Delivered multiple keynote presentations at industry conferences and private customer events, improving both brand awareness and customer engagement

Industry Executive, Manufacturing

Grantek

Expansion of my previous role to also include leading Grantek's Marketing department. I picked up responsibility for marketing strategy and execution; including developing and implementing strategies for social media, content, sales enablement, website, lead generation, and branding.   By Aligning business strategy and product development with marketing, I was able to more effectively lead the transformation of Grantek into a best-in-class Industry 4.0 solution provider.

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Launched a thought leadership campaign to increase brand awareness & brand engagement in FY21, resulting in 75.2% increase in Alexa Ranking and company LinkedIn following by 53.3% (through August), increased webinar attendance in FY21 by 94.6% over FY20 (through August), and increased Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) in FY21 over FY20 by 44.3% (through August)
• Control Engineering 2021 Engineers' Choice Award Winner for "Engineer in a Box"

Senior Director, Strategy & Marketing

Leveraging my success building Grantek's first and largest strategic initiative (Safety Business Practice), I took on a bigger role where I led a team of technology and industry focused business directors that support Grantek's vision of becoming a best-in-class Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation Solution Provider for manufactures.  My teams primary function was to provide the necessary strategic development of the What (Product/Service Offering), Where (Target Market), and How (Customer Engagement Model) to deliver high growth in a rapidly changing environment.

Accomplishments & Impact:
• 38.6% Growth in Strategic Industry Verticals (Life Sciences) in FY2020 to $20.1 Million
• 70.2% Growth in Strategic Technologies (Smart Manufacturing and Industrial IT & Cybersecurity) in FY2020 to $5.7 Million
• Developed and implemented a classification system for tracking and analyzing Grantek's 2000+ projects/year.  This resulted in a significant increase in revenue forecasting accuracy and better allocation of investment resources

Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives

While acting as a sales manager, I built a business case for why Grantek should be pursuing a new market (machine safety) including a strategy for how to grow revenue while sustaining a competitive advantage. Senior leadership accepted my proposal and challenged me with building out a new business practice to make it happen. In this role, I created a new portfolio of safety solutions, developed the associated marketing and sales strategies, and built a team of technical consultants who supported the sales pursuit of large-scale machine safety projects.

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Developed Grantek's first "productized" solution offering, resulting in over $17 Million in new additional service revenue within 3 years
• Increased first-time buying customers by 68% in FY2017 and 26% in FY2018 
• Exceeded service revenue target by 3.8% and gross billable rate target by 22.8% in FY2017
• Exceeded service revenue target by 17.7% and gross billable rate target by 13.4% in FY2018
• Received "2020 Safety Professional of the Year" Award from ASSP Three Rivers Chapter 
• Received "Rising Stars in Safety - Class of 2017" Award from National Safety Council (NSC)

Director, Safety Business Practice

I accepted a sales management role with Grantek after learning about the company's impressive growth record and vision for the future.  What started as a territorial assignment quickly turned into becoming the first national account manager for Grantek's largest client (Client 1) and Grantek's largest multi-year project (Client 2). 

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Within two years, I increased the revenue of Client 1 by 58% to $11.4 Million and increased the size and scope of Client 2's multi-year project from $1.4M in FY2013 to $7.5M in FY2015.
• Managed Client 1’s 2015 vendor reduction initiative (Goal: Reduce 46 Engineering service providers down to 5) and succeeded in being selected as top engineering service provider
• Received "Engineering Leaders Under 40 - Class of 2014" Award from CFE Media (Control Engineering Magazine)

Sales Manager, Midwest Region

Omron Automation - Americas

As part of the post-acquisition integration of STI, I took on a new role to lead Omron's product marketing efforts across North America (~$42 Million Business Unit).  I was able to leverage my previous sales success in being the top performer for Omron's biggest new product release (G9SP) to develop a new sales strategy, sales enablement tools, and accompanying marketing campaigns to increase market positioning and new product revenue. 

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Created G9SP marketing campaign within 6 months resulted in 400.7% increase in product unit sales in North America. 
• Led pricing strategies of entire product portfolio, resulting in an 7.5% increase in overall product profit margin

Product Marketing Manager

When I joined Omron STI, it was a newly acquired, yet fully independent subsidiary of Omron focused entire on the Machine Safety market.  I led the sales efforts in a 5 state geographic region through a combination of distribution and direct selling efforts.  

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Over the course of my 3+ years in this role I grew the revenue of my sales territory 82.6% to roughly $3.6 Million.  
• Received "Employee Recognition Award - Challenge Spirit" in May 2012 for developing and implementing a new product launch sales strategy

Area Sales Engineer

Festo

At Festo, I managed a geographical sales territory focusing on a group of small & mid-size OEM Accounts. 

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Hit nearly 180% of target (January-May 2009) despite being in the middle of the 2008/2009 financial crisis

Sales Engineer

Rockwell Automation

Seeing an opportunity to expand my industry exposure, I joined Rockwell to help build out a new role: Component Sales Engineering.  In this role, I managed a $7 Million portfolio of product sales through local distributors across an OEM account portfolio. 

Accomplishments & Impact:
• A few major account conversions resulted in achieving 108% of target, one of only a few component sales engineers who hit target during the 2008/2009 financial crisis.

Component Sales Engineer

KEYENCE CORPORATION

First sales engineering job after graduating college where I was responsible for direct sales within a remote geographical territory (Southern Wisconsin) focusing on small & mid-size manufacturers and OEMs.   

Accomplishments & Impact:
• Youngest in company history (at time of employment) to be promoted to Sales Leader (Top 10% of 120 Sales Executives)
• 2x National leading scorer in sales contents (2007, 2008)
• Ranked 1st in company-wide sales role play contest (2008)
• Ranked 2nd in TSS Sales Ranking out of 120 Sales Executives in FY 2007
• Ranked 1st in New Product Sales Growth for Midwest Region in FY 2007
• Received the “Best Effort” award for going above and beyond the call of duty in FY 2006
• Ranked 1st in TSS Sales Ranking out of 120 Sales Executives in FY 2006

Sales Leader, Total Sensing Solutions Group

Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Business Strategist | Avid Storyteller | Tech Geek | Public Speaker

My passion is helping manufacturers digitally transform in innovative ways through Industry 4.0 technologies.  Doing so requires a unique ability to bridge the gap between business strategy, industry trends, technology implementation, and change management.  

I enjoy building collaborative relationships with clients, partners, coworkers, and industry evangelists to help empower manufacturers to achieve more.  

I am very active within the industry as a thought leader to help inspire companies, professionals, and students to be excited about the future created by the fourth industrial revolution.  I write, speak, and share content on LinkedIn to foster a conversational environment and build meaningful connections. 

Where do I spend my time?
• Driving customer success through deep industry and technical expertise
• Developing senior-level industry and client relationships
• Defining and shaping business and go-to-market strategies
• Acting as a company ambassador, technology evangelist, and industry influencer
• Challenging the status quo and continually driving innovation
• Developing & implementing sales enablement strategies
• Finding innovative ways to leverage new technology to provide unique value
• Building, mentoring, and inspiring high-power teams

Jeff Winter

Your business strategy and data strategy are no longer two strategies. They have become one.

For years, companies treated them as separate tracks. Business leaders made decisions. Data teams produced reports. IT kept the systems alive. And the two worlds occasionally touched but rarely moved as a single unit.
That era is over.

As digital systems expanded, as operations became more connected, and as the pace of decision making accelerated, data stopped being a supporting function and became the structural backbone of how a company competes. The lines blurred. Then they merged completely.

Today, a business strategy is a data strategy because every growth lever depends on it. Customer experience. Supply chain. Sales. Operations. R&D. Finance. Everything.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨:
Being data-driven is no longer a differentiator. It is the minimum requirement for being AI-ready.

AI will not thrive on partial visibility, inconsistent definitions, disconnected systems, or gut-based decision making. It needs high-quality, contextualized, governed data that flows across the enterprise. And as AI becomes central to competitiveness, the companies that win will be the ones whose business strategy was designed from the start around the data needed to power it.

This is why we are entering the era of the data-driven business strategy, where data is not an enabler but the language of the business itself. AI is simply accelerating the trend that was already unfolding.

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞?
https://lnkd.in/euSANUJN

Downtime is the universal villain.
Manufacturing hates it. 
Facility management hates it. 
And according to a 2024 Limble's CMMS report everyone is still fighting the same monster… just in different arenas.

🏭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 = 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭
In manufacturing, every minute of downtime is a direct hit to throughput, delivery schedules, and revenue.
So their downtime strategy leans toward speed and precision.
Think: sensors everywhere, predictive maintenance programs, operator checks, and “don’t-let-this-line-stop” root-cause discipline.
The stakes demand sophistication.

🏢 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 = 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Facility management lives in a world where downtime is less financially catastrophic but far more publicly painful.
A broken HVAC or elevator outage doesn’t ruin OEE, it ruins someone’s day.
So facilities double-down on consistency and reliability: routine PM, fast response cycles, clean work-order flow, and vendor coordination that keeps the building humming.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐩
Both rely on smart planning, skilled techs, and data visibility. Both need to spot patterns before problems. And both know downtime rarely comes from one big disaster, it comes from a hundred tiny failures nobody tracked.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
Manufacturing treats downtime like a revenue emergency.
Facilities treat downtime like an experience emergency.
The real test isn’t how fast you respond when things stop. It’s how well you design your operations so the “stop” rarely happens at all. That’s where leaders separate themselves.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲: https://lnkd.in/djjfivw8

*******************************************
• Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends
• Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

We keep talking about AI as if it’s magic… but simply put: 𝐧𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 + 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 = 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭-𝐨𝐟𝐟.

That’s why the three roles in the diagram below matter more today than ever: Data Engineers, Data Scientists, and Data Analysts. They aren’t interchangeable. They aren’t optional. And without them, AI doesn’t work.

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬.
They create the architecture, pipelines, and systems that make data move, scale, and stay reliable.
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.
They design the models, tune the algorithms, and shape the intelligence AI runs on.
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.
They turn outputs into insight, decisions, and business clarity.

Yes, their work overlaps. It’s supposed to.
Data Engineers feed the Scientists.
Scientists elevate the Analysts.
Analysts guide what the Engineers and Scientists should refine next.

So what happens to these roles because of AI? 
AI roles don’t replace these jobs, they grow out of them.
AI Engineers, Prompt Engineers, MLOps, Governance, among many others all require the same fundamentals of data infrastructure, modeling, and interpretation.

The engine is ready.
The question is whether you’ve hired the team that knows how to drive it.

These are the best definitions I settled on after reading about a dozen articles.  Knowing these definitions are not universally agreed upon - what thoughts do you have?

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬:
https://lnkd.in/enUy7DSJ

*******************************************
• Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends
• Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

What’s your next move?

Seriously… when you look at your roadmap, are you headed for tomorrow, or just trying to survive yesterday?

Because every manufacturer I meet is standing in front of the same three doors:

𝟏. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭
Keep cranking the spreadsheets, babysitting standalone machines, and celebrating every time two systems manage to “talk” without crashing. Nothing wrong with nostalgia… unless your competitors prefer profit.

𝟐. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭
You dip your toes into IoT, pilot some AI use cases, build a smart factory or two, and finally start believing that data might actually have feelings. This is where most companies hang out. Comfortable. Familiar. Not game-changing.

𝟑. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
This is where things get fun. Autonomous operations. Human-AI partnerships that actually work. Predictive everything. Adaptable production. Hyper-personalization at scale. You stop reacting and start orchestrating.

This is the part of the movie where the dramatic music kicks in and someone says, “Let’s do this.” 😎 

Unfortunately....

According to International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT)'s Manufacturing Transformation Insight Report 2025, the top 10% of manufacturers are only at about a 2.7 out of 5 on the SIRI maturity scale.

Read that again.

The leaders (not even the average) aren’t even past the halfway mark.
Their lowest scoring area of 16 categories? 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.
Their highest scoring area of 16 categories? 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫- 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚-𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Translation: We’re good at talking… but not yet great at thinking.
Source: https://lnkd.in/emYJTC6t

And since 2018, the WEF’s Global Lighthouse Network has recognized just 201 factories worldwide, the organizations proving what Industry 4.0 can really look like when it’s done with conviction.
Source: https://lnkd.in/eD9jbhG8

So again… what’s your next step?

Are you holding onto the past, managing the present, or building the future?

Because one of those choices leads to being factory number 202.

And I know which direction I’d bet on.

*******************************************
• Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends
• Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

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Jeff Winter

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The Battle

Mandy McEwen

Jeff Winter

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