Paul Conley

Start a Side Business Not a Side Hustle

I was doing fine.

Good actually. About 71 out of 100.

I lived in a great city, had just gotten married, bought a house, and had a good career. On paper, everything worked.

But I kept asking myself, is this it?
Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Do it again. Nothing was wrong, but something was missing.

So I started exploring. I hired a coach. We focused on my career because surely that was the problem.

It wasn’t.

What I wanted was freedom. To do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it.

So I started building on the side using the skills I already had, working with clients. It stayed small because I was scared, so I played small.

Then my son was born. January 23rd 2024. 

I knew one day I would tell him to live up to his potential. I also knew the question he’d ask me back:

"Why didn’t you?"

So we made real decisions. We chose the life first and then figured out the revenue.

Now almost daily the version of me from 4 years ago reaches out to me. 
Successful dads. Comfortable. Doing well. Knowing and wanting more.

⚡️ Here’s what I know

71% isn’t failure. It’s postponement.

The work you actually want.
The business you keep thinking about.
The time you want back.
The dad your kid grows up watching.

I help high-achieving dads stop postponing, ask the real questions, and take action on the thing they’ve been putting off.

🔥 I’d love for you to join High Achievers, our community but I’d rather you start for free.
Check out the featured section and see what happens.

People usually message me a week or two later and say,
“I didn't know I was the only one and that this is possible"

Paul

P.S. If something here hit, DM me, the stories are the reason I show up on LinkedIn everyday

District Executive Director

Effectively lead a diverse team of 130+ associates and 100+ volunteers in leading a $2.8M operation. 
•	Led the Tampa market in sales in 2019 and improved sales by 15% YTD.
•	Fundraising of $300K cumulatively and highest fundraising year in 2021. 
•	Increased revenue by 10% in 2019 and improved net margin position by 8% YTD.

Hours worked do not matter.

Curt Cignetti is leading Indiana to unprecedented success.

And they practice 6 hours a week.
The maximum is 20.

Because no one cares if you win practice.

There are no parades for working the hardest.

Did you succeed or did you fail?

His job is to get his team ready to win games.

That’s how every role is measured in the end.

And he does it.

Executive Coach | Founder, The Conley Group

I want to lose followers in February.

Dude who connects just to raise his connections---Bye.
Cold pitch as soon as we connect? Cya.
Bots from some random country — Hasta La Vista, Baby.

When I started on LinkedIn, I truly cared about the follower and connection metrics.

I accepted every invitation.

I worried that if I said something that pissed someone off, or if someone disagreed with me, I’d look dumb.

So I didn’t do much.
I said vanilla things.

My feed got bigger.
It didn’t get better.

We’re doing something cool all of February.

If you’re here to actually connect as humans, with humans, build, and think bigger, stick around.

If not, peace out, you won’t like February.

You’re Successful. You’re Comfortable. You’re at 71%. Building Community for High Achieving Dads Who Want More

“Why? Because our name is Indiana?”

That was Cignetti’s response when asked if the moment would be too big.

Defined.
Judged.
Limited by history.

But we do the same thing to ourselves.

People from my town aren’t successful.
People like me don’t get lucky.
People like me can’t do that.

We inherit a story and treat it like a truth.
 
Your past explains you.
It doesn’t decide you.

My son will ask me one day if I chased my dreams.

I need to have an answer.

Cooper turns 2 today. 
When he was born, I made myself a promise:

I'd never tell him to go after the life he wants while I played it safe.

For 34 years, I thought wanting more was selfish. Irresponsible. Something to grow out of.

So I aimed for security. Comfort. The responsible path.

Then I held my son for the first time and thought: What am I going to say when he asks why I settled?

I didn't have an answer.

So I stopped building a life I could defend and started building one I wanted.

For me, that looks like: Training for HYROX with Jenna on a Monday. Golf on a Friday. Saying yes to a last-minute trip. Being there every day after school. Coaching Leaders. Writing books. Speaking to rooms full of people. Building a community around people who refuse to settle.

Are there days I have no idea what I'm doing? Absolutely.

Days I wonder what would've happened if I'd played it safer? Yep.

But when Cooper's old enough to watch how I live, I don't want him to see comfort.

I want him to see courage.

Happy birthday, Coop. This is for you.

I talked to 103 new people in 2025. 

Here’s what actually happened: 

– 47 conversations went nowhere.
– 30 were good conversations, and that was it.
– 11 turned into clients.
– 3 helped me enough that I became a client of theirs.
– 2 became real friends.

In 2026, we have a real opportunity.

In a world that keeps getting more digital,
we can choose to be connectors.

Because every positive relationship in your life
started the same way.

Someone initiated the conversation.
Let it be you in 2026.

This might be my least engaged post ever.

The haters will call it cringey.

But it’s meant to serve as a reminder to you. 

So here we go.

 I’m probably in the top 1% in the world at:
• Ice cream consumed
• Paid coaching clients
• LinkedIn conversations
• Dollars fundraised
• Dad communities built
• Miami Dolphins games watched
• Miles run
• Petty debates had
• Businesses Built
• Losing and gaining the same 10 lbs.
• Big questions asked
• Goals set

The list of things I’m bad at is way longer.

But here’s the truth

It’s not arrogant to admit what you’re good at.

It’s useful.

Because if you’re in the top 1% at anything
someone else is trying to figure out how to get there.

So I’ll ask you. 

You. 
Yes, you.

What are you in the top 1% at?

I lied yesterday.

Colin Weatherwax even politely corrected me. 

I said I want to lose followers in February, that's not true. 

I want to gain the right followers, the human ones. 

The High Achieving Dads at about 71% of their potential.

The ones who, 29 minutes into conversation, finally say:

“Actually, you know what I really want…”

Thinking they’re the only ones who feel this way.

They’re not.

That’s who I want to be here. 

That’s who February is for.

If you’re that High Achieving Dad

The one who feels selfish for even wanting more.

Join us in February.

PS. I do still really really want to get rid of the cold pitches from randos--is there a setting for that?

This is one of the worst pieces of advice we got as kids.

“Don’t brag.”

I took that advice seriously.

Get an A in middle school. Keep it to yourself.
Graduate college with honors. Anyone can do that. 
Become an executive at 25. They’ll say you got lucky. 

It didn’t make me more humble.

It made me quiet.
It made me think everything I was good at was easy.
It made me think I couldn’t impact lives on a large scale.

Bragging to make others feel bad makes you a jerk.

But being honest about your wins and  talents matters.

Because everyone has top 1% talents. 

And hiding those is the most selfish thing we can do.

We are connected to people we don’t know.

Thousands of “connections.”
And we aren’t actually connected to half.

Almost every meaningful problem we face
is solvable. 

By a person. 

Not a post.
Not a comment.
Not a like.

A real conversation.

That’s how jobs change.
That’s how businesses grow.
That’s how ideas get unstuck.

Not through boring networking events.

Through actual, intentional connection.

Am I alone in this?
Or are you trying to actually connect in 2026?

The Surgeon General says loneliness is an epidemic.

If you work for yourself, you already know this.

No watercooler.
No team lunch.
No one who gets what you're building.

Just you, your laptop, and a growing list of problems you can't talk through with anyone.

I've felt it. I'm tired of it.

So I'm starting something called High Achievers Connected.

It's simple:

People with big goals get matched 1:1.
You talk honestly. Share challenges. Share wins.
Actually connect with someone who gets it.

Not a networking group.
Not a community with 47 people.
Just two people helping each other.

We start Monday.

If you're one of the 97% who reads LinkedIn but never comments, never reaches out, never asks for help:

This is me inviting you.

DM me or drop a comment. I'll send you the details

7 Steps to Solve Almost Any Challenge You Face:

1. Talk to a friend.
2. Talk to a mentor or coach.
3. Talk to a potential new friend.
4. Talk to someone you can help.
5. Talk to someone who can help you.
6. Talk to a professional.
7. Talk to literally any human.

Replace overthinking and overanalyzing
with conversation and connection.

Because people solve problems.
For people.

Who pushes you?

I have a goal this week.
Pilot High Achievers Connected with 20 people.

Last night, I told Jenna Conley I was at 14.

I was happy with the group.
It’s a great group of people.

She could’ve said “great job.”

Instead, she said:
“I thought your goal was 20?”

“Yeah, but it starts Monday. This is good.”

She paused.

“Sounds like you’ve got more work to do.”

She was right.
I was being comfortable.

Instead of connecting six more people, I was ready to stop.

Not because I couldn’t do it.
Because I had decided this was good enough.

Thankfully, I got pushed.

Who’s your Jenna,  the person in your life that won’t let you settle?

Keith Allen Johns

Keith Allen And Company

I help "successful on the outside" people -- C-suite execs, management leaders, tech mavens, entrepreneurs, business owners and more -- take full ownership of their daily experience and the path they are on. 

People come to me because 

❌ They’ve achieved "all the right things" but aren't truly satisfied
❌ They’ve tried to find satisfaction via promotions or new jobs, but it's not working
❌ They aren't happy with how they show up at home for their partner or kids
❌ They can't seem to prioritize "Me" time and try to fill the hole by buying more "stuff"
❌ They’ve read books and listened to podcasts but nothing has changed

Sound familiar?

I feel you. I progressed to being a COO of a tech company (money, title, house, car) before I realized…

The default approach wasn't working. 

Here’s how I help you fix this:

1️⃣ I teach you powerful mindset tools as a baseline
2️⃣ You choose what you want to change in your life
3️⃣ We take incremental steps to create those changes
4️⃣ We identify blockers that emerge and remove them
5️⃣ You consistently take aligned, inspired action
 
What does that mean for you?

You will:

✅ Handle everything life throws at you and feel good consistently
✅ Know with confidence what's next for you and how to get it
✅ Have a clear plan and tools for living a highly inspired life
✅ Set off a chain reaction to thrive not just at work but at home, too

My clients say:

"I have been successful throughout my career but never felt successful. By working with Keith, I was able to unlock that feeling.” - David Weisberg in NYC, technology product leader

"I didn't really believe Keith at first, then I started to feel entirely different. My business revenue took off while my sense of calm and ease increased dramatically. Unbelievable." - Patrick Laine in Miami, serial entrepreneur

“Keith completely changed my life. I’m going to keep working with him.” - Beata Brock in Atlanta, technology ops leader

💡 Is this right for you? 

DM me to book a call.

CEO and Founder

The Sukha Company

I'm on the board of advisors at a tech startup that focuses on helping distributed teams reduce burnout & increase engagement. The platform allows leaders to unite their team in the #1 online coworking space with AI Coaches proven to make teams happier and more productive. If you'd like to learn more about the service, DM me and let's talk.

Strategic Advisor

Grow My AI

I have a seed investor and advisor role in a conversational AI startup.

Investor and Advisory Board Member

MicroD

I partnered with the CEO of a Charlotte-based SAAS company on P&L, growing enterprise value, budgeting, cost control, board communications, exploring acquisitions, and maintaining profit margins across 5 streams of revenue. Expertise in digital team operations, project management, software development, B2B sales, and client success and retention. Exceptional combination of people skills and technical acumen.

Chief Operating Officer

Executive leader at home furnishings-focused software and digital marketing company. Responsible for execution of strategic plan, leadership development, process improvement and the annual budget.

I direct delivery teams for website implementations, custom web applications, and digital marketing services including SEO, SEM/PPC, content and social. I drive revenue retention and growth for more than 500 clients. Every day we get faster, better, and more efficient.

My measurables include enterprise value; gross profit margins for 5 business units; client satisfaction scores; and retention % of clients licensing our software platform.

As company Integrator, I strive to be the glue that holds our visionary, business development, product development and delivery teams together.

Vice President of Operations

Rapidly advanced at MicroD from Project Manager to Project Management Lead, then to an increasingly impactful Operations role. Cross-departmental influence with focus on process improvement, change management and client relations and retention. Heavily involved in product development and worked closely with .Net developers to deliver new platform features and functions. Joined the executive team as a strategic leader and integrator of the CEO’s vision.

Senior Manager, Operations

Senior Project Manager

Lead design and development teams in implementation of dozens of websites for home furnishings companies on a proprietary CMS. Rewrote and standardized the implementation process using Waterfall software. Radically reduced time-to-golive for clients. Created new processes and documentation to allow department to scale to handle increased workload. Created a well-oiled machine in less than 7 months and was promoted to department head.

Web Project Manager

Lourdes University

Directed design and development teams in operation of Lourdes.edu website and Lourdes University student portal. Coordinated with student acquisition teams to support recruiting marketing efforts in social media, search engine optimization and event planning. Increased overall traffic to the website and engagement in the student portal. Researched and developed plans for upgrading the CMS and branding.

Website Manager

Two years of the most intense work of my life. I became sober and recreated my character and being from the ground up.

Achieving Sobriety

Hannah's Socks Inc.

Featured in People Magazine and on the Oprah Winfrey Show; winner of Jefferson Award and Points Of Light Award!

I co-founded a national award-winning non-profit. In addition to driving growth and organizational development, I directed website design and development, search engine optimization, digital marketing, social media, financials, event-planning, board reporting and more. I helped impact the lives of thousands of people in need.

Vice President Operations

F+W Publications

Wrote RFPs; selected vendors; established schedules; managed designers and developers; oversaw product testing; and created marketing collateral for four new-to-market interactive products.

Manager, Online Services & New Product Development

Managed 7 direct reports (developers and designers) across two offices and oversaw marketing budget, project prioritization, and resource allocation for more than 40 websites. Drove new marketing initiatives from the bottom up by pushing brand managers to expand their promotional efforts into email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, hybrid online/offline campaigns, and micro websites. Recruited and retained high-impact team members who provided reliable service to a broad base of internal customers during a period of fast corporate growth.

Manager - Interactive Media

Internal evangelist, led online migration of traditional business units by launching customer-acquisition websites for book clubs and tradeshows. Grew email program to 100,000+ customers and trained traditional media teams how to think for the future.

New Media Marketing Manager

Managed all facets of direct-mail and direct-response advertising campaigns for magazines and book clubs; wrote copy and directed design and production resources to meet delivery deadlines for multiple concurrent campaigns; created test promotions that outperformed their predecessors/controls.

Copywriter / Promotions Assistant

Applause! Magazine

Intern at Cincinnati's regional African-American magazine

Editorial Intern

I help ambitious people go next-level in business and life | Deep mindset coaching that creates massive change | DM me to get started | TEDx Speaker | Former C-suite | International Transformation Coach

If life handed you all the answers and you have it all figured out, please move along.

I love you, but you aren't my people.

My people have big ambitions but lack the tools to achieve them.

(They know it but hate to admit it.)

That's where I come in.

Do you see yourself in this list of former clients?

🆘 Wall Street leader who wants more influence and impact
🆘 Cancer surgeon who wants to handle stress in the OR better
🆘 Fractional CFO whose limiting beliefs hold him back
🆘 Entrepreneur who needs confidence in people skills
🆘 Teach leader who wants to lead with power and charisma

Each of these people felt deep inside they needed a boost to get to the next level in work and life.

That was me, too.

I've spent 15 years obsessing over how I had to grow to create a life no one else in my family has ever had. I had to go deep inside and reprogram myself to change my external outcomes.

And that is what I teach to my clients.

↪️ How to create massive confidence
↪️ How to lead with power and empathy
↪️ How to master your thoughts and emotions
↪️ How to leverage energy and charisma
↪️ How to put it all together for work AND family

Listen, I'm a blue-collar kid in a white-collar world.

Everything I've accomplished I've had to figure out the hard way:

✅ How to get to and thrive in the C-suite
✅ How to start my own six-figure solo business
✅ How to shed my past and my upbringing
✅ How to become a good family man
✅ How to overcome addiction

I had a ton of help along the way.

Now, I'm providing that help to others.

If you believe a deep, dynamic, transformational coaching experience is what you need to create your next breakthrough, DM me and tell me your story.

I help corporate leaders who are feeling stuck in their 9-5 break free from corporate by building & scaling a purpose-driven business.

Most people come to me because 

❌ They’re feeling burnt-out, struggling to find work-life balance and looking for more meaning in their work
❌ They’ve focused on climbing the corporate ladder or changing jobs, but something still feels missing
❌ They wonder if there’s more to life. More freedom, income, time & purpose. But then wonder if they’re crazy for wanting more
❌ They’ve thought about the possibility of starting their own business but felt overwhelmed with where to even start

Does this sound familiar?

I’ve been there too. I progressed to being a COO of a tech company before I finally realized…

WORK SHOULDN’T SUCK

You’re not crazy for wanting more and it is possible to have more purpose, freedom, income & free time in your work.

Here’s how I help you find that for yourself:

1️⃣ Find your Purpose
2️⃣ Turn it into a business idea 
3️⃣ Start your business on the side
4️⃣ Exit corporate 

 The program is a 1-1 intensive coaching program where you receive:
👌 Tactical business coaching
👌 Mindset & habit coaching
👌 Accountability & an extensive network
👌 On-demand coaching access

What does that mean for you?
✅ Your first high-ticket client within 6 months
✅ A clear & tangible plan & momentum for your corporate exit
✅ Set off a chain reaction to thrive in all areas of your life

"Before I met Keith, exiting corporate was just a dream” - S.A. from Phoenix, database administrator turned international consultant

“I booked my first client for $3,000 in 2 weeks. Now I have the confidence to quit my 9-5.” - M.D. from Washington DC, business consulting leader turned performance coach

“Keith completely changed my life. I’m going to keep working with him.” - B.B. in Atlanta, technology leader

💡 Is this right for you? Let’s start with talking through your options. DM me to book a call.

taplio

The Battle

Paul Conley

Keith Allen Johns

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScorePaul Conley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Paul Conley

Keith Allen Johns

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);}Paul Conley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScorePaul Conley's LinkedIn Performance