Entrepreneurs, Tech & Sales: Own Your Voice on LinkedIn | Social Selling and Personal Branding —> Increase Pipeline & Brand Awareness | LEGO Flower Power 🌻

I'm on LinkedIn to get OFF LinkedIn.

I know, crazy for someone who teaches LinkedIn.

But getting off LinkedIn and building real relationships? That's what fills my cup and my pipeline (and bank account).

I teach you the same.

Your expertise deserves to be known.🙌

You're a business owner, tech leader, or executive who's built something incredible. 
You solve real problems. You get results. Your clients love working with you.

But your ideal clients are scrolling right past you on LinkedIn.

Here's what I see every day:
— Brilliant professionals who are invisible online while their competitors get all the attention. 
— Leaders who've built amazing businesses but can't translate that success into LinkedIn visibility. 
— Executives who know they should be networking but feel awkward and inauthentic trying to "work" the platform.

You're probably struggling with:
— Your network could be an asset, but right now it's untapped potential
— You're tired of relying on cold outreach, referrals, or waiting for leads to find you
— You know LinkedIn has potential, but you don't have a system to use it effectively
— You want to build genuine relationships, not just chase vanity metrics
— You feel overwhelmed by the platform and don't know where to start

The frustrating part? You're amazing at what you do, but that expertise isn't translating into the visibility and opportunities you deserve.

There are two approaches to LinkedIn:
1. Random posting and cold outreach that leads nowhere
2. Strategic visibility + intentional relationship-building

I help leaders like you transform from invisible to influential through my REALationship Growth Method.

Real results from real clients:
Scott: Closed a $400k deal from LinkedIn relationships
Michelle: Landed 2x $30k speaking engagements in 3 months
Dr. Ashley: 2 speaking gigs in 2 weeks, 5-figure client in 4 weeks

This isn't generic social media coaching. I built my own multi-six figure business using these exact strategies while being an introvert who hates traditional networking (and definitely hates cold outreach). 

Ready to be known for what you do?

DM me "LFG" and let's chat! 💜

Natasha Walstra

My first time on stage!

200 women at the Women Breaking the Mold Forum - an event for women making real impact in manufacturing.

The speakers on Day 1 were incredible, and I still can't believe I was included with them. 

Aoife Beirne , CEO of Mergon Group , shared her RISE framework for building confidence and started us off with breathing exercises I desperately needed. 

Genevieve Caplette , Director of Transformation at Michelin, talked about what REAL leadership and culture looks like within an organization. 

Heather Preu, CEO of Intellect, shared her experience as a CEO multiple times over, raising a family, and her take on work-life balance: "It's just life. Good enough is good enough." 

And Tina Richter of Weapon X Worldwide, Inc., fighting global plastic waste with such passion and purpose.

Then I had the honor of sitting on a panel with Katherine Bashir (CEO, EVCO Plastics), Jennifer Hoffman (PM Director, Eurofins ), and Christine Yeager r (Founder, CSY Impact Consulting sulting). Moderated by Teresa Schell ll, President of Vive Marketing. We talked about mentorship, advancing in male-dominated industries, having a voice, and supporting other women.

And it was full circle moment seeing Lisa Lehman, who I connected with at Carbon. Felt like no time had passed! We stayed in touch over the years, and this opportunity to speak wouldn't have happened without her. 

The statistics we saw were eye-opening. The disparity in executive positions.
The pay gap. How underrepresented women still are in manufacturing (and tech). 

But this room of 200 women? 
This is how we change those numbers. 
By showing up, speaking up, and lifting each other up.

___

P.S. I used to be a shy, anxious person. 
Crazy to realize: that's not who I am anymore.
If you're waiting to feel "ready" to step up - you never will. 
Do it anyway.

Grow the REAL (and profitable) way on LinkedIn | Social Selling for Entrepreneurs & B2B Teams | Filling January cohort of the REALationship Growth Method - ask me about it! 🙌

I’ve never had a year test me like this one.
 
Last Thanksgiving, I wasn’t thinking about business growth or strategy.  

I was sitting in the NICU.
 
Our son arrived 7 weeks early. He was where he needed to be, but leaving the hospital without him broke me in a way I still struggle to put into words.  

Coming home not pregnant and without our baby was one of the hardest things I’ve ever lived through.
 
Unsurprisingly, postpartum depression hit fast and hard.  
My mindset tanked.  My business struggled.  
I questioned everything, including whether I was meant for entrepreneurship at all.
 
But what I know now:  
Sometimes your business doesn’t grow because you push harder.  
It grows because you do.
 
And that’s what happened.
 
Today, our little dude is thriving.  
My business is the strongest it has ever been.  
And last week, we moved into our forever home.
 
This Thanksgiving, I feel an 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 sense of gratitude.  

And I want to say thank you.
 
To the people who checked on me during my lowest moments. 

To my 1:1 clients who trusted me while I was still finding my footing.  

To the 25 who've signed up for my group program even knowing group was out of my comfort zone. 

To my coaches and mentors who helped me rebuild from the inside out.  

To my loving husband who is the best partner and father I could ever have dreamed of.

And to YOU, who continue to support the very unpolished, but always real, me.
 
I am not curated.  
I am not perfect.  
And there is no flawless strategy behind any of this.
 
But you still show up.  
You still support me.  
You make all this possible.
 
If you told me six months ago that we would be buying our dream home, there's no way I'd believe it.  But here we are.
 
I am grateful.  
My family is grateful.  
And I couldn't have done this without you. 
 
Happy (late) Thanksgiving. 💜

Having a network of REAL connections matters.

In the last month, I've made 26 introductions.

That's almost one per day. (Although, did 4 in one day!)

I can only do that because I actually KNOW these people.
Not just their LinkedIn profiles. 
Not just their business cards.
I know them.

Which is why I'm excited about expanding my network by joining The Dames, LLC

By amazing luck, they had an in-person conference here in Charleston last week.

I heard from incredible women with 6, 7, and 8-figure businesses.

I deepened relationships with connections I already had - Deb Boulanger 💫 and Jess Sato 

I met Kim Boudreau Smith IRL - a friend I met on (you guessed it) LinkedIn nearly 2 years ago. 

And I'm excited for the new connections I made: Julia Linn, Samantha Irish, Elizabeth Hill, MSW, Nicole Glover

I love being in rooms where women choose collaboration over competition.
Where truth and honesty echo through conversations.
Where everyone's network benefits from the new relationships being formed.

I was randomly introduced to the Charleston chapter VP while looking for a new community AND trying to figure out how to get out of my baby bubble. (I will be honest, the introvert in me has been LOVING this bubble)
Grateful to Kim Russo for taking that call.

And to the founder, Meghann Conter, for being so incredibly welcoming as I nervously showed up at the welcome BBQ not knowing anyone. (We both lived in the south of France which is a unique connection to have in common!)

This is what real community looks like.
Not transactional networking.
Not "what can you do for me?"
Just people genuinely supporting each other's success.
And that room was FULL of this.

P.S. My entire network now gets to benefit from these new relationships I'm forming. That's the compound effect of showing up and actually building connections that matter.

Last week I posted once.

And I "posted & ghosted" that same post.

No engagement. No comments. A handful of DMs.

Why? Life was life-ing and I had no capacity to show up on here.

And that's OKAY.

There are seasons for everything.

Sometimes I'm heavy on engagement and network building.

Other times I'm focused on the behind-the-scenes stuff that doesn't show up in my feed.

Like the last few weeks:

→ Putting on my first live workshop
→ Speaking on a panel IRL (also a first)
→ Consulting with a Big Four (stay tuned)
→ Launching my group program (another first)
→ Selling out of my 2nd and filling my third cohort

That's a lot of doing the thing while not talking about the thing.

LinkedIn isn't about showing up perfectly every day.

It's about showing up consistently over time.

Some weeks that's 4 posts and 50 comments.

Other weeks it's 1 post and radio silence.

Both are fine.

The goal isn't perfection.

It's presence. Over the long haul.

Don't let the fear of "not doing LinkedIn right" keep you invisible.

Imperfect visibility beats perfect invisibility. Every time.

P.S. Oh, and something BIG on the personal front happened on Friday... can't wait to share more about that soon!

Anyone else's life life-ing hard right now??

P.S.2. Hiiii!! 👋👋 My little guy just learned to wave so you can imagine, we've got lots of waving going on in the house these days. 👋

"Spend 2 hours a day commenting on LinkedIn."

That's what a top personal brand creator recommended.

My reaction: 
Who the heck has time for that? 👀

Then I realized the problem:
You're taking advice from the wrong people on LinkedIn.

Most LinkedIn "experts" are content creators.

Their business model is completely different from yours.

I'm breaking down the difference and why it matters for your strategy.
Check it out 👇

P.S. I'm already filling up my next cohort in January - which isn't actually that crazy because there are only 35 working days left in the year. 35! You've got one week left to join at the founding member rate PLUS lifetime access (yep, I did accidentally start a community 😅 and it's AWESOME). 

DM me "LFG" for deets!

(And that's OK!) I recently saw one of the top personal brand creators in the world recommend spending 2 hours a day commenting on LinkedIn. 2 hours. 

Open article: You're not a content creator by Natasha Walstra • 2 min read

"It worked!" - my client, shocked.

He was skeptical adding a CTA at the end of his posts.

For weeks I'd been trying to get him to do it. WEEKS!

But I was insistent: If people don't know how to take the next step with you, how will they know how to take the next step with you?

For some context...this is person is reaching out to engineers.
If you're struggling with what to say in DMs, imagine an engineer who doesn't post at all.

So we put together a simple CTA: "DM me [keyword] for [offer]"

The result?
The FIRST time he used it, someone reached out. 👀

People are tired of being pitched in DMs.
But we're all here to grow our businesses, right?

The difference: This is a soft sell. 
An entry point to the bigger offer.

We're not trying to get them to buy immediately.
We're trying to welcome them into our orbit EASILY so they can see what we have to offer.

This is exactly how 164 people registered for my workshop.
Not through promotional posts saying "come to my workshop."
Through a nudge in the P.S. and comments.

Give people an easy way to raise their hand.
Then have a real conversation.

_____

P.S. If you're not using soft CTA/CTEs in your posts, you're making people work too hard to connect with you.

"I'm back to being a LinkedIn fan. 😍"

Jackie posted this after 3 weeks of joining my cohort.

Before: 
→ Rewriting every post multiple times 
→ Spreadsheets full of content 
→ Feeling like LinkedIn was taking away from her business

3 weeks later: 
→ Confident about what to post 
→ Booking clients 
→ Actually enjoying it

What changed? It wasn't tactics.

This week's newsletter breaks down the shift that matters + an announcement about switching things up with this newsletter.

____

P.S. Day 2 of what I'm grateful for: Community. I'm about to jump on a call with Aprelle Duany who I met through Entreprenista. We already collaborated on an AI Summit she hosted last year, and now we're connecting to share insights in our respective expertise to support and grow our businesses. Collaboration > competition everyday. 🙌

Hello, subscriber! Quick announcement: I'm switching things up You're still getting this newsletter here on LinkedIn on Tuesdays. But I just switched 

Open article: "I'm back to being a LinkedIn fan. 😍" by Natasha Walstra • 4 min read

24k impressions on one post.
Sounds great, right?

The number that's actually impressive:
→ 209 profile views.

Those are the people who didn't just scroll past.
They saw my clients content and clicked to check out his profile.
That's intent.

And here's the wild part:
Only 160 people liked the post.

That means 49 people were interested enough to visit his profile but too uncomfortable to engage publicly.

They're lurking.
And they're everywhere on LinkedIn.

67% of people log in weekly but never comment or like anything.
That's over 670+ million lurkers (!)

They're reading your content. They're interested. 
But too uncomfortable to engage publicly.

Don't look just at likes and comments to tell you who's interested.
Profile views are a quiet little 'hellos'

After every post, check who's viewing your profile.
If they're your ideal client? Reach out directly.

Big caveat:
This only works if your profile actually speaks to them.
If they land on a corporate resume? They bounce.
If it clearly solves their problem? They remember you.

The most interested people often engage the least publicly.
Don't let vanity metrics fool you.

Your biggest opportunities might be in those profile views, not those likes.

___

P.S. This client just started posting on LinkedIn 3 months ago. Never used social media before in his life. Now with my custom AI bot helping him create content consistently? One post got 24K impressions and 209 profile views. Not bad for being 3 months in!

Y'all, I love that posts live longer on LinkedIn. 🙊

(I might be one of the few who feel this way.)

Why?

Because that means if you only post 2-3x a week, you're still top of mind in your network.
Unlike Meta where posts die after 24 hours, on here they stick around.

I absolutely dig it. 

In October I had a LOT going on and just couldn't get to my usual posting (and I hate posting & ghosting).
So I only posted 3x a week.

But every morning I woke up with notifications - comments and likes from past posts.

And guess what?
October was my best month ever. By nearly double.
Let that sink in.
Less posting and I closed more deals.

Use this as an opportunity to reevaluate how often you're posting.

If you're posting 5x a week: 
→ Do you feel like you're burning out? 
→ Is the quality of your posts all good?

If you're not posting at all: 
→ What if you only had to post 2x a week instead of 5x? 
→ Does that help reframe your overwhelm and make it seem easier to start?

While LinkedIn figures out its algorithm, remember this:
Quality beats quantity. Every time.

Your posts show up in feeds for days...even weeks.
So give yourself permission to post less and stress less.
Your content has a longer shelf life than you think.

___

P.S. My goal is still to show up with quality content at 4-5x a week, but sometimes life keeps life-ing and I can't do it. And that's OKAY. Give yourself grace and do what works for you that doesn't lead to burnout. The LAST thing I'd want is for you to go ham on here and then disappear for months at a time because it got too overwhelming. You've got this! 🙌

"Would I say this if I ran into them at a coffee shop?"

This is what you should be asking yourself before you send any DM. 

If the answer is no... don't send it.

This one filter will save you from 99% of bad LinkedIn DMs.

Most people have forgotten that LinkedIn follows the same social rules as real life.

And that there's a real HUMAN on the other side of the screen.

You wouldn't walk up to a stranger at Starbucks and say: "I noticed you're in leadership and wanted to explore synergies with our AI-powered solutions..."

So why would you say it in a DM?

Instead of treating LinkedIn like a networking platform.
Treat it like your office.

Your connections? 
They're your colleagues.

Comments? 
Water cooler conversations.

DMs? 
Dropping by someone's desk to say hi.

When you make this mental shift, everything changes.

____

P.S. Today in the REALationship Growth Method we're covering "Social Selling & Conversation Starters" - I went through all my DM's in the last month and compiled examples for the group. Might have to make this a lead magnet...would anyone be interested in this?

The most valuable thing I added to my business this year? 

→ A small (but growing!) newsletter.

(Hard to say exact numbers, but it's ~$75k in 6 months and I currently have 381 subscribers + my LinkedIn subscribers)

Here's the thing about newsletters: 
It's not about size. It's about attention.

These people invited me into their inbox. 
They want to hear from me every week. 
No algorithm deciding if they see my stuff.

Just real attention from real people.

When I hosted my first workshop, 176 people registered. 
More than half came from my newsletter. 
And I didn't send a single promotional email! 
Just mentioned it naturally, the way I'd tell a friend.

That's the power of a list that actually pays attention.

This week's newsletter breaks down why newsletters work, what I didn't expect, and why NOW is the time to start one (or fix yours).

P.S. I'm the LinkedIn Lady, yes... but growing your business? That's the actual mission. 😎

Are you thinking about starting a newsletter? Do it. Already have one but not seeing results? Keep reading…you might be missing a few key elements. St

Open article: The most valuable thing I added to my business by Natasha Walstra • 3 min read

The most valuable thing I added to my business

Don't think people read profiles?

No worries. My client didn't either.

In fact, she was skeptical even AFTER we updated hers.

Then ONE week later, she got this message:

"𝘖𝘔𝘎. 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 ...𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘭!"

She immediately reached out: "I'm glad to be proven wrong."

What got this person's attention?
Not the banner. Not the headline.

→ The Experience section.

The section most people copy-paste from their resume OR have some corporate marketing jargon they were forced to put in during onboarding and call it a day.

Your Experience section is an opportunity:
- To show off without actually showing off
- To talk about your wins, your obstacles, what you learned

All those lessons that led you to be the expert you are today?
THAT'S what people want to hear about.

Not "Responsible for increasing revenue and managing cross-functional teams."

TELL A STORY.

How did you crush your quota every quarter?
What obstacles did you overcome?
What made you realize you were onto something?

My client's story in her experience section?
Real. Human. Memorable.
And it made someone stop scrolling and reach out.

Not everyone will read it, no.

But if it means ONE person was swayed to have a call with you after just one week?
I'd say that's worth it.

Your profile isn't a resume.
It's your story.
Tell it like one.

___

P.S.  Part of my program includes a total profile makeover. Doesn't matter if you have branding or not (this client here didn't!) I'm all about progress > perfection. Helping you find a system (or brand) that works for where you are. 

I'm booking for January cohort - final weeks to get founding member rate AND Lifetime access. 

DM "LFG" for deets.

How I create 5+ posts from one call.

This is so simple, but no one was doing this!

Whenever I have a really good conversation with a client or team - great questions, big problem solved, interesting debate - I take that transcript and drop it into my chat.

My super simple prompt: 
"Pull all the themes and questions discussed on this call."

It gives me ~3-5 themes/?s (or more in this case)

From there, I turn the best ones into posts.

Here's what it gave me from last Monday's call:

Themes:
- Google Alerts for prospecting
- Post engagement & follow-up strategies
- Avoiding pitch slaps in DMs
- Content creation struggles
- Using call transcripts for content (𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸)

Questions:
• "Should I reach out to people who liked my post?"
• "How do I make content creation faster?"
• "What's the balance between content creation and engagement?"
  
All solid. All post-worthy.

If one client is asking these questions, you can bet others are wondering the same thing.

You're literally getting handed post ideas every day - you just need to capture them.

"𝘋𝘰 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭?"

As much as possible. Why?

→ It turns it into a unique story.
Not some generic advice post anyone could write.

→ It's social proof. Shows I'm doing the thing I say I do. 
On calls. With real clients.

Obviously, I respect privacy - I don't share names or identifying details, unless discussed.

But this approach shows you do what you say you do while creating relevant content.

Easy peasy.

___

P.S. I thought everyone was doing this, until I started to share it with my clients and realized no one was doing it.

Best way to think of this: instead of creating content, you're capturing it.

Is this an AWS meltdown but Cloudfare style? 

I can't access half my tools right now. 😐

(I actually have a great post for today, but Canva wasn't having it and you know me, I like images with posts haha). 

Anyone else feeling stuck?

Adam W. Barney - Scale Smarter

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁.

I partner with 7-8 figure founders and executive teams to install a 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗢𝗦:  a 90-day transformation designed to unlock clarity, execution power, and sustainable leadership momentum.

Most leaders hit a wall when their org grows faster than their leadership structure can handle: whether it’s moving from 15 to 50+ people, taking on VC $, or shifting from founder-led chaos to systems-led scale. That’s where I come in.

💡 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗢𝗦 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹

A hybrid coaching-consulting experience that helps scale-stage leaders:
	• Recalibrate how they lead, decide, and delegate
	• Regain energy + execution capacity in high-pressure seasons
	• Install an operating rhythm that grows with them — not against them

🚀 Ideal for teams experiencing:
	• Scaling pressure from investors or market timing
	• Structural strain (org changes, new execs, messy handoffs)
	• Founder fatigue, team burnout, or energy loss at the top

✅ Backed by 10+ years leading growth:
	• $100M+ in managed ad spend (Bank of America, Goodyear, TJX)
	• 200+ leadership clients across SaaS, VC, fintech, and growth-stage orgs
	• Certified leadership & energy coach, blending business with biology

🔐 Our Guarantee:
If you don’t see momentum by Day 30 - we pause, realign, or refund.
This is a results-driven partnership, not a fluffy engagement.


📅 Want to explore fit?
Book a 20-minute Plug-In Exploration Call:
https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Let’s scale smarter - with energy that lasts. DM me with questions!

Founder & Leadership OS Strategist | Scale Smarter | $100M+ Advisor | Energy-Driven Execution Coach

Loneliness Global Action

Loneliness is more than a personal feeling—it’s a global public health crisis. As Founder & Board Director of the Boston chapter of LonelinessAction, I’m proud to help build a world where connection becomes the norm, not the exception.

💡 We’re creating the emotional infrastructure needed to combat isolation—through partnerships, public storytelling, advocacy, and community building.
🌍 This role is part of a growing global federation rooted in Geneva and expanding across 100+ countries by 2026.
⚡ My focus includes strategic partnerships, messaging, ambassador engagement, and launching local efforts that drive systemic change and visibility.

Learn more or get involved: www.lonelinessglobalaction.org

Founder & Board Director – LonelinessAction USA, Boston, MA Chapter

Scroobious

Members-only community of founders, investors, and the investor-curious working to reshape capital access through relationship-first engagement. Fosters strategic connections and peer learning to support better business decisions.

Scroobious Innovation Council Member

Comcast Business

💡 Selected as a leadership & business coach for Comcast RISE grant program, providing high-performance coaching to diverse founders & small business owners.

✅ Coached 200+ microbusinesses across industries, helping founders increase resilience, streamline operations, and grow sustainably.
✅ Designed & delivered energy optimization strategies to help founders operate at peak performance while balancing business growth & personal well-being.
✅ Guided leaders through leadership transitions, revenue growth challenges, and high-pressure decision-making.

Comcast RISE Business Coach

First Round Fast Track

💡 Mentoring early-stage founders to develop leadership resilience, decision-making confidence, and sustainable business growth strategies.

✅ Coach founders on leadership mindset, high-stakes decision-making, and personal energy optimization.
✅ Support executives navigating leadership transitions, team growth, and long-term business strategy.

Mentor

Bison Venture Partners

💡 Investing in and mentoring early-stage founders, focusing on leadership energy, influence, and resilience.

✅ Advise startup leaders on executive presence, energy management, and strategic decision-making.
✅ Support high-growth teams in building sustainable leadership habits while scaling.

Angel Investor

Underscore VC

💡 Engaging with early-stage founders and investors to support leadership development, resilience, and startup growth.

✅ Work alongside top investors, operators, and founders, providing insights on leadership strategy, founder energy optimization, and sustainable scaling.
✅ Support startup leaders navigating high-stakes decision-making, burnout prevention, and team development.

Core Member

Digitas North America

💡 Led the Digitas UNICorn Incubator program, training emerging talent in leadership energy, resilience, and high-performance career development.

✅ Trained and mentored teams on key areas of leadership development, strategic planning, and business growth.
✅ Developed and delivered workshops on executive coaching, career growth, and high-performance team building.
✅ Facilitated training sessions on marketing strategy, demand generation, and go-to-market (GTM) execution.
✅ Provided guidance on public speaking, thought leadership, and audience engagement for internal and external stakeholders.
✅ Supported digital transformation efforts through SEO, SEM, and paid media strategy to drive measurable outcomes.
✅ Collaborated on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, focusing on inclusive leadership and workplace equity.
✅ Designed and led personal development programs centered on resilience, emotional intelligence, and professional growth.

Some topics I have been asked to consult, train, and speak about include:
Leadership Development | Executive Coaching | High-Performance Teams | Business Strategy | Public Speaking | Content Creation | Demand Generation | Digital Marketing | Growth Hacking | SEO & SEM | Career Growth | Entrepreneurship | DEI & Inclusive Leadership | Podcast Hosting | Brand Strategy | Resilience & Mindset Coaching | Fundraising & Investor Relations | Risk Management | Thought Leadership | Emotional Intelligence | Change Management | Networking & Relationship Building | Corporate Training | Marketing Automation

Trainer

Akamai Technologies

💡 Led high-impact teams in a Fortune 500 environment, navigating high-pressure decision-making, leadership development, and energy optimization in a fast-paced, high-growth industry.

✅ Managed global digital marketing & demand generation strategy, driving $100M+ in annual pipeline revenue.
✅ Led & mentored high-performance teams, guiding emerging leaders through career growth, executive communication, and strategic influence.
✅ Developed talent frameworks to prevent burnout & optimize leadership energy, shaping my future approach to executive coaching.
✅ Firsthand experience with the challenges of leadership fatigue, resilience, and high-pressure decision-making—insights I now bring to my coaching clients.

Senior Manager, Global Digital Marketing & Demand Generation

Microsoft

💡 Led high-performance teams at Microsoft, overseeing multi-million-dollar strategies while mentoring senior leaders in decision-making, leadership energy, and resilience.

✅ Developed & led a cross-functional team responsible for $25M annually in paid search advertising.
✅ Mentored high-performing professionals navigating leadership growth, stress management, and strategic influence.
✅ Drove complex decision-making processes in high-pressure environments, giving me deep insight into the leadership challenges executives face daily.

Director, Paid Search Strategy

Power Up Your Leadership | Adam W. Barney Energizes Executive Leaders | Dynamic Coaching for Peak Performance & Enhanced Skills

Powering up high-impact leaders with systems that match their ambition.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

I work with high-performing, high-vision leaders - executives, founders, and changemakers - who are 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 running on fumes. Together, we build customized energy systems that make forward progress sustainable, scalable, and wildly effective.

I’ve helped 200+ high-impact executive leaders and business owners break through burnout cycles, make sharper decisions, and lead with optimism and autonomy. Whether you’re leading a fast-growing team or navigating your next big move, my coaching builds resilience, clarity, and momentum.

🧭 My framework blends 20 years of executive marketing leadership (Microsoft, Akamai, Digitas, multiple startups) with coaching science, behavioral psychology, and systems design. We align vision, values, and daily execution - so you’re not just productive, but fulfilled.

🧠 Tools I bring to the table:
• Positive Intelligence + Energy Stacks
• Odyssey Planning + Ikigai
• Dream Week Systems + Scale Systems Integration
• Autonomy-Driven Time Design
• Optimism Science (from my book, Make Your Own Glass Half Full)

My coaching is trusted by leaders from Fortune 500 teams to $10M+ agencies to grant-funded microbusinesses. What they share in common: they’re not afraid to dream bigger - but they’ve outgrown white-knuckling their way through it.

⚡️Let’s optimize your energy, scale your leadership, and make your vision sustainable.

📅 Book a call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Adam W. Barney 👋🔌

🛑 For decades, crash test dummies were designed for men. That meant car safety systems were optimized for the "average" male body — and women paid the price.

Stat: Women are up to 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash.
Not because they drive worse. Because the systems designed to protect us weren't built with everyone in mind.

Now, finally, female-represented crash test dummies are hitting the mainstream. It's overdue — and a hard reminder: "default" is not neutral.

Scaling smart (in tech or leadership) means designing for all, not just the statistical average. Every system has hidden assumptions baked in. When we question those defaults, everyone wins.

What other "defaults" still need a redesign in your world?

#Leadership #SystemsThinking #Equity #InclusiveDesign #EnergyOS

CC: Leslie Greenwood, Samantha Katz, Judy Go Wong, Women In Product, Carla Harris, Tiffany Dufu

Energy Coach to 7 & 8-Figure Founders & Execs 🔌 | $100M+ Ad Strategist 💰 | Paid Speaker 🎙️ | Author 📚 | Host: “Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?” 🎧

🔥 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲.

My friend Leslie Greenwood, Co-Founder of Wednesday Women, is curating the next round of her Founders in Focus series, and I want to make sure the right leaders see this.

They’re looking for women founders who:
✅ are actively scaling
✅ are at $𝟯𝗠+ 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲
❗ don’t need to be SaaS or “sexy” tech
❗ just building something meaningful with momentum

Here’s the language I’ve been sharing privately:

“I wanted to introduce you to Leslie Greenwood, Co-Founder of Wednesday Women.

They’re running a LinkedIn series spotlighting growth-stage women founders — women who are scaling amazing companies and leading with purpose. It’s all about visibility, connection, and telling real stories (not the polished PR kind).
I immediately thought of you — it’s a great fit for what you’re building.

You can check it out or throw your name in here:
👉 https://lnkd.in/eGMHVQsf

It’s genuinely simple and 100% free.”

If this sounds like you — or someone in your orbit — I’m happy to make a warm introduction.

Leslie is the real deal, and the platform she’s building is powerful.

Always here to amplify founders doing work that matters.

#WomenFounders #WomenInLeadership #ScalingWithPurpose #FounderVisibility #GrowthStageFounders #LeadershipEnergy #PurposeDrivenLeadership #InclusiveEntrepreneurship #EcosystemBuilders #WomenWhoBuild #WednesdayWomen #ScaleSmarter #EnergyOS

Jenny, Allison, Jenni, Kristen, Matt, Amy, Amanda, Amanda, Christian, Samantha, Rebecca, Jess, Lindsay, Katie, Gregory - please help amplify!

Open article: Form by q5jx0.share.hsforms.com

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