Get leads, not likes | GM @ Taplio | Founder @ Anser | ex @Ledger | Relentlessly building in Marketing and Tech

I’ve spent over 20 years building and scaling teams across product, growth, tech and operations.

Today, I lead the Social Selling Platforms BU at lemlist (Taplio and Tweet Hunter), where I focus on turning startup momentum into repeatable, scalable systems.

Over the years, I’ve helped founders structure leadership teams, create alignment between product and growth, and scale operations without killing velocity.

I occasionally advise early-stage companies making that leap from startup to scaleup—particularly when growth outpaces structure.

If you’re building a fast-growing company and need perspective on scaling people, process, or focus, feel free to reach out.

Patrice Orenes-Lerma

Most companies treat LinkedIn like a loudspeaker.

Blast announcements.
Hope for reach.
Wonder why it's dead on arrival.

Here's the problem: nobody cares what a brand says. 

People care what people say.

But forcing employees to post won't fix it.
They're not marketers. They have better things to do.
Push too hard, and it backfires. Feels forced, turns fake, nobody wins.

So, skip the ask. Build a small squad. Pick a few who actually want in. Give them real support, not a pile of "brand guidelines."

Set up ghostwriting that feels like them, not HR. Make content creation fast, painless, invisible. No passwords. No policing.

Let them own their voice. Run a tight, simple process, batch what works, ditch what doesn't. Scale only after it clicks.

The result: humans speak, people listen, reach grows.

Brands don't go viral. People do.

🤫 comment "secret" and I'll send you the secret 30 day employee advicacy launchpad everyone is looking for

General Manager @ Taplio / Tweet Hunter | Helping startups scale into structured, high-performing organizations

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Everyone says they want to win on LinkedIn.

Almost nobody sticks around long enough for anyone to notice.

Not because they're lazy. Not because LinkedIn is stacked against them.

They just build these over-complicated systems that collapse the second real work or life gets in the way.

Week one, they're possessed. 
Posting every day. 
Obsessing over what time works best. Chasing some mythical algorithm secret that lives in a podcast from 2021.

Week two, reality hits. Work gets busy. Ideas disappear. Suddenly, LinkedIn feels like another job with no upside.

By week three, they're ghosts.

Here's the truth nobody wants to admit.

Discipline isn't the problem. Complexity is.

If your system takes more than five minutes to explain, it's not a system. It's a ticking time bomb.

I've watched dozens of smart, ambitious people repeat this pattern. They try to outsmart LinkedIn. They act like it's a hackathon, not a habit.

All the clever tricks in the world don't matter if you can't stick with it.

The survivors? The ones who actually get the compound benefits?

Their process is deadly boring.

Three types of posts. One slot in the diary. Dump a pile of ideas in a simple doc. Five minutes to scan notifications, respond, log out.

No dashboards. No hacks. No ritual sacrifices to the gods of engagement.

If your process makes you feel clever, it's doomed.

If your process is boring and predictable, you might just stick with it long enough for your name to mean something.

Most people confuse activity with impact. They burn out chasing vanity metrics, then disappear before the real results even show up.

LinkedIn rewards the people who outlast the noise.

Simple always wins.

If you want to actually be remembered, cut the drama and get boring.

Still convinced your fifteen step colour-coded content planner will make you famous? Good luck.

Want to actually get results?

Start showing up.

Keep it simple.

Comment "simple" and I'll give you a system that actually works, for free !

Most people still treat exec posts like gospel.

Hot takes from the top. Strategy memos dressed up as insights.

But nobody buys it anymore. Not candidates, not customers, not even other execs.

People want blood and sweat. Not another CEO rant.

Show me the engineer who broke production at 2 AM and shipped the fix before sunrise.

Show me the marketer who admits which campaign flopped and which one actually made money.

Show me the sales rep who rewrote their own script after losing a deal.

The trust shift is brutal. Authority isn't handed down from the corner office. It's earned in the comments, in the details, from the people doing the work.

Companies still stuck on leadership branding are sleepwalking into irrelevance.

The loudest, most credible voice in your org is never the CEO. It's the team that knows where the bodies are buried.

You want attention in 2026? It won't come from another executive LinkedIn post.

It comes from proof, not polish.

Do you want to start having your employees posting and not just liking ? 

Comment "playbook" and I'll share with you a free 30 day playbook to launch your employee advocacy program!

Everyone thinks the answer is to just post more.

It isn't.

If you want LinkedIn to actually move numbers, stop treating it like a dumping ground for content.

Posting and hoping is not a distribution strategy.

Most companies crank out updates, blogs, or "insights" and wonder why nobody bites.

Here's the brutal truth: nobody cares about your fifth product update this week.

You want a real distribution channel? Make your people part of the engine.

- If your employees aren't engaged, LinkedIn is just noise
- If your leaders never comment, you're invisible
- If your team never amplifies, your content dies on arrival

You don't need fancier graphics or an AI to write punchier posts.

You need buy-in.
You need repeatable systems.
You need actual coordination.

Distribution happens when everyone rows the same direction.

I've seen teams with average content crush metrics, because their people show up, comment, share, and actually talk to prospects in the open.

I've seen "content machines" wither because every post is a solo act.

It's not about more content.
It's about more company.

Want LinkedIn to work for you?
Start by getting five coworkers to comment on your next post.
Watch what happens.

Try it.
Report back.
Tag the silent lurkers who owe you a comment. 

Let's see if your "distribution" is real or just a pipe dream.

Overcomplicating LinkedIn is the fastest way to disappear.
People show up with a 12-step system, a Notion dashboard, and a spreadsheet for tracking "engagement velocity."

Week one, they're everywhere.
Week two, they're exhausted.
Week three, they're gone.

It's not a discipline issue.
Nobody can keep up with a process that feels like a second job.

LinkedIn isn't won by the cleverest workflow or the fanciest automation.
It's won by the people who can show up, again and again, without burning out.

Here's the play:
Pick a format.
Pick a slot.
Make it so simple you could do it with your eyes closed.

Forget "best time to post" hacks.
Forget obsessing over reach graphs and content buckets.
If you need a manual for your own process, it won't last.

Boring works.
Predictable wins.

The people you remember on LinkedIn?
They're not the ones with the most creative setup.
They're the ones who kept going after everyone else flamed out.

You don't need to optimize.
You need to endure.

Complexity is just procrastination in disguise.

If your posting routine is more complicated than brushing your teeth, it's doomed.

Simple scales.
Repetition compounds.

The rest is noise.

Comment "simple" and I'll send you the simplest system to grow on LinkedIn.
For free

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If you use your sales brochure as the base for LinkedIn posts, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

Not because the offer is bad.

Because the format is wrong.

A sales brochure is made to convince.
A LinkedIn post is made to earn attention.

A brochure starts with:
What we do
How we do it
Why we’re different

A good post starts with:
A situation
A mistake
A sharp opinion
A story people recognize

That’s why brochure-based posts flop.

They feel like a pitch from the first line.

They’re full of words that sound nice but say nothing:
-> Seamless
-> End-to-end
-> Best-in-class
-> Game-changing

On a website, that’s fine.

On LinkedIn, those words trigger one reaction:
Scroll.

It gets worse when you run the brochure through an AI writing tool.

Because AI doesn’t create a point of view.
It amplifies the input.

So it takes generic copy and makes it:
- More polished
- More corporate
- More bland

Which makes the post even easier to ignore.

The fix is simple.

Don’t start from the brochure.

Start from raw material:
-> A real problem you see every week
-> A mistake customers keep making
-> A counterintuitive lesson
-> A moment from a call
-> A belief you’re willing to defend

Then turn that into one idea.

If the post could be copy-pasted onto your homepage, it’s not a LinkedIn post.

It’s a brochure with line breaks.

Struggling to find a method that works for your content creation? Comment "playbook" and I'll share the simplest, faster content system.

Most professionals don’t hit a ceiling because they lack ability.They hit it because nobody taught them how visibility works.I learned that the hard way.I did the workI delivered resultsI stayed reliable…and still watched less capable people pass me.That’s when I realized careers don’t move at the speed of effort.They move at the speed of perception.Since then, I’ve been obsessed with one thing:Helping skilled people become undeniable.Not louderNot fakeNot self-promotionalStrategic.Today, I share daily leadership breakdowns, entrepreneur roadblocks, and career leverage principles used by:• operators trying to become decision makers• managers trying to become executives• experts trying to become authorities• entrepreneurs trying to build something bigger than comfortIf you’re tired of being respected but overlooked, you’re my type of people.Join the newsletter → https://hustling25-eight.beehiiv.com/I’ve been featured on NBC5 News, recognized by Black Leaders Worldwide, profiled in Voyage Dallas, and inducted into Marquis Who’s Who 2025. My work’s been spotlighted in Black Impact Magazine and on The BLOX, where I showed what it means to hustle 25/Eight — no excuses, just execution.Now I use platforms like “Health Hustle Chronicles” and “From Broke to Boardroom”, My Newsletter “Hustling 25/Eight” to break down the game while also sharing stories that merge leadership, purpose, and perseverance — because visibility isn’t optional. It’s power.Featured In: NBC5 News • Black Leaders Worldwide • Voyage Dallas • Black Impact Magazine • Marquis Who’s Who 2025 • The BLOXFocus Areas:Entrepreneurship | Leadership Development | Storytelling &amp; Brand Strategy | Media | Digital Visibility | Public Speaking | Career Empowerment | CoachingKey Words:Career GrowthLeadershipPersonal BrandingExecutive LeadershipProfessional DevelopmentJoin The Hustling 25/Eight Newsletter Today!https://hustling25-eight.beehiiv.com/

Patrick Hart

This week, a plaque showed up in the mail that caught me off guard.

I was recognized as one of the “Men to Watch in 2026” by Black Leaders Worldwide™, a community of professionals committed to elevating leadership, impact, and opportunity across the globe.

I’m grateful for the recognition and appreciate Black Leaders Worldwide for shining a light on the work.

But moments like this always make me pause for a second.

Because when you grow up without seeing many examples of people who look like you in certain rooms, you don’t spend your early years thinking about awards. You spend them trying to figure out how to get into the room in the first place.

So recognition like this isn’t just about me. It’s a reminder that the work matters.

The work of building.
The work of showing up.
The work of opening doors for the next person coming behind you.

To the team at Black Leaders Worldwide, thank you for the spotlight and for the work you’re doing to highlight leaders across industries.

And to everyone out there still grinding, building, and pushing forward… keep going.

You never know who’s watching.

Leadership & Visibility Strategist | Helping Corporate Professionals & Entrepreneurs Turn Expertise into Authority, Income & Influence | Founder, Hustle 25/Eight | 31K+ Community | Veteran

Sis, let me tell you something. You are not “too much.”


You are not intimidating. 

You are not aggressive. 

You are not difficult.

You’re just not small.

And that makes average energy uncomfortable. 🤦🏾‍♂️

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Honored Listee

Black Leaders Worldwide is the world's largest black-owned business club. Our members represent the brightest leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, inventors, and game-changers around the world. Our mission is to bring black professionals together to create opportunities worldwide through networking and collaboration, generate global visibility and recognition to advance our members individually and collectively, and to elevate and improve overall health and wealth across communities. Our club is based out of London, England and Atlanta, GA.

Join our LinkedIn group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12050207

Follow our Linkedin company page for more connections https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-leaders-worldwide

Learn more and request club membership at www.blackleadersworldwide.com/membership.

Partner

About This Newsletter
This isn’t a newsletter for people who want to stay busy.
It’s for professionals and entrepreneurs who want to grow on purpose—in their careers, their businesses, and their lives.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing the work but not seeing the movement…
If you’ve outgrown the room you’re in but don’t know what the next one looks like…
If you know you’re capable of more but need clarity, strategy, and execution…
You’re in the right place.

Why This Newsletter Exists
Too many smart, capable people are stuck—not because they lack talent, but because they lack visibility, positioning, and a real plan.
This newsletter was built to change that.
Not with hype.
Not with shortcuts.
Not with recycled advice.
But with real lessons, real frameworks, and real conversations about what it actually takes to move forward.

Career growth.
Leadership growth.
Income growth.
Identity growth.

All of it is connected—and we talk about all of it here.

What You’ll Get Inside
Every edition is designed to do one thing: move you forward.

Here’s what shows up in your inbox:
• Practical insights on career and business growth
• Leadership lessons you can apply immediately
• Stories about wins, failures, and pivots that actually matter
• Tools, frameworks, and downloadable resources
• Conversations about money, mindset, and momentum
• Opportunities to go deeper through workshops, courses, and coaching
No fluff. No filler.
Just information that respects your time and raises your standards.

Who This Is For
This newsletter is for:
• Professionals ready to stop waiting for permission
• Entrepreneurs building something bigger than comfort
• Leaders in the making who want clarity and confidence
• People who believe growth is earned, not given

If you’re looking for shortcuts, this probably isn’t your lane.
If you’re willing to do the work, this space will serve you well.

Join Today!

https://hustle25eightinnercircle.com/

Writer

PDPMEDIA is a storytelling and digital media company designed to educate, inspire, and uplift the next generation of leaders — with a focus on visibility, leadership development, and brand storytelling.

As Founder, I built PDPMEDIA into a platform that helps professionals, entrepreneurs, and organizations stand out through authentic storytelling, strategic branding, and powerful video content. Our mission is simple: help leaders show up, speak up, and scale up....Professionally & Beyond.

Key Highlights:

🎥 Created & hosted multiple branded series: Health Hustle Chronicles, From Broke to Boardroom, and Don’t Act Like It’s Only Me — digital platforms spotlighting leadership, resilience, and real stories from healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs.

🧠 Developed career empowerment programs: Including Mentorship Millionaire Fridays and the 3-Step Formula for Scaling Leadership, helping rising professionals transition into leadership roles with clarity and confidence.

🏥 Partnered with healthcare facilities & executives: Produced high-quality leadership highlight reels, video resumes, and storytelling campaigns that elevated brand visibility and recruitment impact.

💡 Built a media ecosystem: Integrated YouTube, LinkedIn, newsletters, and branded merchandise (Hustle Gear, Hustle Mugs) into a unified visibility strategy reaching thousands weekly.

🌍 Recognized across national media: Featured on NBC5 News, Black Leaders Worldwide, Voyage Dallas Magazine, Black Impact Magazine, and Marquis Who’s Who 2025.

🎬 Showcased on The BLOX (Entrepreneurial Reality Series): Represented PDPMEDIA as a creative powerhouse transforming stories into strategies that drive influence and opportunity.

Focus Areas:
Leadership Storytelling | Healthcare Branding | Digital Media Strategy | Video Marketing | Career Empowerment | Public Speaking | Thought Leadership

Founder | PDPMEDIA

“Hustle to the Top” isn’t just a book — it’s a movement for ambitious professionals who are tired of waiting for permission to grow.

As the author of Hustle to the Top: A Modern Guide for Scaling Your Career, I break down the real strategies, habits, and mindset shifts that help people move from being overlooked to being undeniable. This project merges two decades of lived experience — from my time as a U.S. Army helicopter mechanic to leading a healthcare tech company to acquisition, to now running PDPMEDIA, a storytelling agency dedicated to visibility and empowerment.

The book serves as a blueprint for career acceleration, rooted in authenticity, self-awareness, and modern leadership principles. It’s designed for professionals who want to stop blending in, start standing out, and scale their growth with purpose.

Key Highlights:

✍🏾 Authored and self-published a modern career guide built on real-life experience — from military discipline to corporate leadership to entrepreneurship.

📚 Developed the “Hustle Framework” — a 5-pillar approach to scaling your career through mindset, visibility, skill-building, influence, and execution.

🗣️ Featured on national and regional media platforms (NBC5 News, Voyage Dallas, Black Leaders Worldwide, and The BLOX) discussing the book’s themes of resilience, leadership, and reinvention.

🎙️ Integrated the book into multimedia storytelling platforms, including Health Hustle Chronicles and From Broke to Boardroom, expanding the message beyond print into digital storytelling and live leadership conversations.

💼 Used the book as a foundation for workshops and leadership sessions — helping professionals, veterans, and rising leaders learn how to elevate their visibility and build long-term influence.

💡 Bridged personal story with practical playbook: Combining gritty life lessons with actionable strategies professionals can implement immediately to level up in their careers.

Core Themes:
Career Growth | Leadership

Author | Hustle to the Top: A Modern Guide for Scaling Your Career

Before founding Hustling 25/Eight & PDPMEDIA, I spent eight transformative years as a healthcare technology executive, where I learned why high performers stay invisible in structured organizations. I developed frameworks for turning reliable contributors into trusted decision-makers. Resulting in a record-breaking Technology Exit in 2018 🔥

During that time, I developed a reputation for building teams that delivered — not just hitting numbers, but driving culture, communication, and accountability across departments. My background as a U.S. Army veteran shaped how I approached business: mission-first, people-focused, and execution-driven.

Key Achievements:

🚀 Scaled organizational revenue and client partnerships through innovative tech solutions that optimized facility performance and patient outcomes.

🧩 Led cross-functional teams of sales, operations, and tech professionals to execute growth strategies across multiple states and internationally.

🏥 Partnered with C-level healthcare leaders to modernize workflows, improve data integration, and drive digital adoption within long-term care and post-acute facilities.

💬 Implemented leadership and culture programs that improved retention, morale, and communication between clinical and administrative teams.

💰 Executive Leader who contributed to company valuation growth that culminated in a multi-million-dollar acquisition in 2018 — marking a major turning point in my professional journey.

That experience opened my eyes to one truth — leadership without visibility is invisible. After the acquisition, I stepped out on faith to launch Hustling 25/Eight & PDPMEDIA, turning years of executive insight into a mission to help others amplify their own voices and build influence through storytelling.

Core Strengths:
Leadership Strategy | Healthcare Technology | Business Development | Growth Leadership | Team Culture | Executive Visibility

Healthcare Executive Experience 

Created and executed multi-channel GTM strategies driving consistent lead flow and revenue acceleration.

Developed C-suite partnerships and enterprise pipelines worth $60M+.

Introduced AI-enhanced prospect scoring and CRM optimization to improve sales velocity.

Vice President, Strategic Growth and Business Development

Led Production Team to meet goals, implement process improvements, and increase quality. Managed capital projects. Trained and coached teams, and provided evaluations in quarterly reviews.

Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor/Operations Leader

Sis, let me tell you something. You are not “too much.” You are not intimidating. You are not aggressive. You are not difficult. You’re just not small

Sis… Stop Shrinking So Other People Feel Comfortable

You think business is tough? Try getting 60 people to follow you into uncertainty with nothing but trust, a radio, and maybe a power bar in your pocket.

I learned more about leadership in a Humvee than I did in any corporate seminar.

Here's the thing nobody tells you: The best lessons about leading (and surviving) don't come from textbooks. They come from places where the cost of bad leadership is obvious and immediate.

What actually works? Three things you don't learn in most MBA programs:

1. Clear intent beats micromanagement every time.
I never once handed out a 37-page action plan to my squad. They needed to know the goal, why it mattered, and that I had their backs, no matter what. Everything else? Trust and execution.

2. Discipline is better than motivation.
Motivation is a sugar rush. Discipline sticks around when things get ugly. In the field, you don't always feel inspired. Doesn't matter. You get up, you lead, you execute. Same goes for building a business or driving a team. If you wait to "feel ready," you'll always be late.

3. Diversity isn't a checkbox. It's your only shot at winning.
The only reason we survived some nights was because someone on the team saw the world differently than I did. Age, background, skin color, if everyone at the table looks and thinks like you, you're going to miss the threat you didn't see coming.

The core principle: Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of people, whether you're in a tent under the stars or walking into a pitch meeting.

You don't need a uniform to lead with courage.
You don't need a rank to create trust.
You do need to show up, listen hard, and never confuse your title with your value.

Want to transform your career? Throw out the buzzwords, stop hiding behind titles, and lead like someone's life depends on it.

Because sometimes, it does.

If you've had a leader who made you better, or made you miserable, tag them below.
Let's trade stories.

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Most people think Polish is ego. 
They call it shallow, superficial, even a distraction. 
Let them. 
They're missing the point.

Before you say a word, you're being judged. 
Details aren't small. 
Intent matters double if you start underestimated. 
Ask anyone who's ever walked into a room they weren't expected to own.

Polish isn't about following trends or chasing luxury for likes. 
It's setting your standard so high, lowering it isn't even an option. 
It's the blazer that fits just so, the haircut that means business, the look that says, "I'm not here to blend in." 
That's not peacocking. 
That's visibility with purpose.

Armor isn't suede or fabric. 
Armor starts when the room wishes you'd shrink, but you show up sharper. 
Anyone who's ever been told they're taking up too much space knows what I mean. 
Deliberate presence stops questions before they start.

Stand tall when you feel eyes flicker. 
Dress up when they'd rather you fade out. 
Do it anyway. 
That isn't vanity. 
That's strategy.

They won't get it. 
That's the point.

Are you done shrinking to fit other people's comfort? 
Drop a comment if you know the power of walking in at full volume. 
Tag someone who never apologizes for showing up sharp.
Better yet, join my newsletter. It's a community of people who believe in showing up fully.

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Sis...

Apparently, you didn’t know you could skip a level?

Somewhere along the way, you were taught there’s only one way to move up.

Start at the bottom.
Pay your dues.
Wait for your turn.
Stay patient.
Climb one rung at a time.

And for a lot of people, that becomes the rule they live by.

But here’s what nobody told you.

The ladder isn’t the only way up.

Some people climb.
Some people build elevators.

Let me explain.

There are people right now jumping levels in their careers.
Jumping influence.
Jumping income.

Not because they’re smarter.

But because they stopped believing the only path available to them was the slow one.

They network strategically.
They position themselves around decision makers.
They learn high-value skills faster than the system expects.
They attach themselves to opportunities instead of waiting for permission.

And suddenly... they skip levels.

Meanwhile, someone else with the same talent is still waiting to be “next in line.”

Listen carefully.

Hard work matters.

But hard work without strategy can trap you.

Some of you are grinding inside systems that reward visibility, influence, and positioning… while you’re focused only on effort.

That’s like playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.

Here’s the message:

Progress isn’t always about time served.

Sometimes it’s about perspective.

Who you learn from.
Where you position yourself.
How quickly you adapt.
And whether you’re willing to challenge the rules you were handed.

Because a lot of those “rules” were just someone else’s limitations.

So let me ask you something real.

Are you climbing because it’s the only option…

Or because you never realized there was another path?

Talk to me in the comments.

Have you ever seen someone skip a level in their career?

And what do you think actually made it possible?

Comment "Newsletter" and join a community of people who level up weekly.

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Ever felt like a ghost in your own industry?

Everyone talks about networking, but when was the last time someone remembered your name after a conference call?

Here's a hard truth: blending in is a career killer.

I learned this the hard way, years in the military taught me how to operate in the shadows, but transitioning to the business world? That demanded stepping right into the spotlight.

Let's skip the vague advice.

Here's what actually works if you're tired of being invisible:

1. Tell your story. Loudly.
Nobody remembers bullet points on a resume. But they remember the person who turned a mistake into a lesson. Don't hide the failures. Share them. Make people root for you.

2. Stop waiting for permission to speak.
The loudest voices aren't always the smartest, they're just louder. If you have an idea, say it. If you disagree, raise your hand. Sitting quietly doesn't get you noticed; it gets you ignored.

3. Give before you ask.
Comment on others' posts. Send that intro. Offer a resource. Help someone out without expecting anything. People remember how you make them feel, not your job title.

4. Make your skills impossible to ignore.
Build in public. Show your process, not just your results. Share what you're learning, even if it's messy. Vulnerability is magnetic. People gravitate toward real, not perfect.

5. Be the connector.
Most people network for themselves. Connect others instead. Start conversations that don't benefit you directly. Trust me, it comes back.

Let's be honest.

Staying invisible is easy. Safe. But leadership isn't for the invisible.

You want influence? Start acting like someone worth noticing.

Everyone has a story. Time to stop hiding yours.

What's the one thing you're still scared to share about your career? Call it out below. Let's make invisible a thing of the past.

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Bro...

You still delaying your growth because you’re afraid of the work success takes?

Not the highlight reel.

The work.

The boring reps.
The uncomfortable conversations.
The ego checks.
The late nights nobody applauds.
The discipline when motivation disappears.

A lot of people don’t fear failure.

They fear exposure.

Because success doesn’t just require talent.
It requires structure.

And structure exposes your gaps.

You say you want six figures.
But you don’t track your numbers.

You say you want leadership.
But you avoid hard feedback.

You say you want freedom.
But you won’t sacrifice convenience.

Let’s be honest.

It’s not that you don’t know what to do.

It’s that you know exactly what it will cost.

It will cost comfort.
It will cost distractions.
It will cost being liked by everyone.
It will cost the version of you that gets to coast.

And some of you are secretly negotiating with your ambition.

“I’ll go hard... but not that hard.”
“I’ll commit… but not fully.”
“I’ll stretch… but not to the point it hurts.”

That’s not growth.

That’s maintenance with better marketing.

Here’s the message:

Success is heavy.

And the weight room is not glamorous.

It’s repetitive.
It’s humbling.
It forces you to confront your limits daily.

But strength is built there.

So let me ask you something direct:

If someone followed you around for a week, would your habits prove you’re serious?

Or would they expose that you love the idea of success more than the process?

Drop it in the comments.

Are you delaying because you’re unclear…
Or because you’re avoiding the work?

Let’s talk real.

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Man...

Why stop now?
You’ve been acting scared your whole life.

Let’s be real for a second.

You were scared to speak up in class.
Scared to apply for the job you actually wanted.
Scared to ask for the raise.
Scared to start the business.
Scared to say what you really thought in the meeting.

So instead...

You played it safe.

You told yourself you were being “strategic.”
You called it “being patient.”
You said you were “waiting for the right time.”

But the truth?

Fear just got really good at disguising itself as logic.

And years went by.

Now here’s the crazy part.

Despite all that fear…
You still made it this far.

You still built a career.
Still learned some things.
Still survived rooms you didn’t think you belonged in.

Which means something important.

Fear never actually stopped you.

It just slowed you down.

Think about that.

You’ve already lived most of your life letting fear sit in the passenger seat.

So why would you keep letting it drive?

At some point you have to ask yourself a hard question.

What would my life look like if I finally stopped negotiating with fear?

Not eliminating it.

Because fear doesn’t disappear.

But choosing to move anyway.

Applying anyway.
Starting anyway.
Speaking up anyway.
Betting on yourself anyway.

Here’s the message.

Confidence doesn’t come before courage.

Confidence shows up "after" you prove to yourself you’ll move even when you’re scared.

And you’ve already been scared your whole life.

So the real question is…

Why stop now?

If you’re honest, where has fear been quietly running the show in your life?

Drop it in the comments.

Let’s see who’s ready to stop letting it call the plays.

Comment "Newsletter" to join a community of people who tackle fear daily.

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Everyone's got LinkedIn opinions. 
"Post more. Post faster. Jump on trends. Game the algorithm. Hustle, hustle, hustle."

Bad advice.
That's not influence. 
That's just noise.

Here's what I see every day:
Your profile says you lead. Your posts look like a random mood board. One day it's leadership. The next, "5 tips to drink more water at work." Whatever spikes engagement. 
It's chaotic. Worse, it's forgettable.

LinkedIn isn't fooled anymore.
They changed the rules while you were busy chasing likes.
No one's handing out trophies to the loudest or the most desperate.

Tough truth:
- If your "brand" can't pass a sniff test in 10 seconds, you're background noise
- If people can't say what you actually do, you're not a thought leader
- If you're working harder to look busy than to actually deliver, you'll get replaced by someone who owns their niche

I cut most "growth hacks" out of my routine years ago.
Instead, I make sure every post, every comment, every DM lines up with what I know best.
No scattershot.
No cheap dopamine from easy likes.

When your message is sharp, you stop blending in with the LinkedIn wallpaper.
The audience that matters notices.
The rest? Let them scroll.

Because here's what never changes, 
- Consistency beats tricks
- Relevance beats volume
- Identity trumps empty hustle

If your LinkedIn feed feels like a slot machine, it's time to stop gambling.

Strip out the fluff.
Say what you stand for.
Be the signal, not the background static.

And if this stings a little, good. It should.

Drop a comment if you got value out of this.
Tag someone who needs to hear less noise and see more clarity.

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Nobody cares about your potential.


Not your parents. Not your old boss. Not even the algorithm.

Potential is cheap. Everyone's got it. Most people waste it.

I used to think sitting quietly on big ideas was smart. Wait for the right moment. Stay likable. Don't ruffle feathers.

All that did was keep me stuck. Safe, invisible, replaceable.

When you water down your work, you're not protecting your reputation. You're making it forgettable.

People remember the risks you take, not the potential you sit on.

I started owning my point of view. Saying what I actually meant. Publishing things I wasn't sure anyone would agree with.

Was it comfortable? Hell no.

But that's when the real wins started stacking up. Not the shiny headlines, the DMs from people who finally took action. The scrappy founders who stopped asking for permission. The ones who dropped the mask and built something honest.

Your work can't matter if nobody sees the real version of you.

Stop waiting for a sign. Stop waiting for someone to clap first.

You either step forward or you stay stuck in the safe zone, yelling at your own shadow.

Potential is worthless if you never cash it in.

Nobody's coming to give you permission. Move.

What nerves you have to think you were getting promoted?

I’m serious.
Some of you walked into that performance review already spending the raise in your head.

Already telling people you were about to move up.
Already imagining the new title.

But the people making the decision?

They weren’t even discussing your name.

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Fam, let me ask you something. What nerves you have to think you were getting promoted? I’m serious. Some of you walked into that performance review a

Open article: What nerves you have to think you were getting promoted? by Patrick Hart • 2 min read

What nerves you have to think you were getting promoted?

Most people think they need to look perfect to get noticed.

Total myth.

Here's what actually works: showing up as yourself, flaws and all.

Nobody cares about the script you memorized or the glossy highlight reel you posted last week. People want real. They want honest. Think about it, when's the last time you got inspired by a LinkedIn post full of buzzwords and stiff headshots? Never.

I learned this the hard way. Early in my career, I wore the suit, played the corporate game, and kept my stories neat and tidy. Guess what happened? Nobody remembered me.

It wasn't until I started sharing real struggles, missed promotions, awkward mistakes, hard pivots, that things changed. My inbox filled up. People started reaching out. Not just to pat me on the back, but to say, "Hey, I've been there too."

That's influence. Not followers or fancy titles. But trust. Relatability.

So here's my unfiltered advice:
- Stop hiding the rough edges.
- Talk about the failures as loudly as the wins.
- Show people who you really are, not who you think they want.

If the world wanted perfect, LinkedIn would be empty.

Want more impact? Start by being yourself. Someone out there needs your real story today.

Seen results from being real lately? Share your experience or tag someone whose authenticity stands out.

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I've watched hundreds of leaders invest in LinkedIn.
Most get it backwards.


They spend 80% of their time on production:
Writing the post. Perfecting the hook. Worrying about the format.

And 20% on positioning:
Who am I actually talking to? What do I uniquely believe? What's the one thing my ideal client needs to hear right now?
The leaders who build real visibility flip this ratio.

Because here's what I've learned running a storytelling and digital media company:
The most engaging content rarely comes from "content."
It comes from clarity.
Clarity on your point of view. Clarity on your audience's specific frustration. Clarity on the gap between what they believe and what you know to be true.

When you have that?

A two-paragraph post outperforms a 10-slide carousel. A casual observation outperforms a polished framework. A direct opinion outperforms a "here are both sides" breakdown.

The algorithm doesn't reward production quality.

It rewards resonance.

Stop producing more. Start clarifying more.

What's the one belief you hold in your industry that most people wouldn't publicly say?

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7 things mid-career professionals believe about LinkedIn that are quietly killing their visibility:


Myth 1: "I need more followers first." You need more clarity first. 10,000 followers who don't know what you stand for = 0 opportunities. 500 followers who instantly get you = consistent inbound.

Myth 2: "My work should speak for itself." It should. But it can't. No one is watching close enough unless you give them a reason to look.

Myth 3: "I don't want to come across as bragging." There's a difference between showing off and showing up. Sharing what you know, believe, and have learned? That's not arrogance. That's generosity.

Myth 4: "I'll start posting when I have something big to announce." The people who wait for big moments miss the compounding power of small, consistent ones. Your next speaking gig won't fall in your lap. Your next blog post might earn it.

Myth 5: "I need a professional photo shoot and a perfect bio first." The bar for starting is a clear sentence about who you help and a perspective worth reading. You have both of those today.

Myth 6: "Posting isn't for my level." Exactly the opposite. The higher your level, the more your visibility determines who gets access to you, and who you get access to.

Myth 7: "I tried it, and it didn't work." You tried posting. That's different from having a strategy. Posting without positioning is just noise. Positioning turns posts into pipelines.

Which myth have you been holding onto?

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Waiting for the perfect role is a slow death.


Corporate loves dangling the carrot and telling us to wait our turn. 
Study your flaws, fill the gaps, polish the resume, play nice, stare at your inbox, wait for some manager to notice. 
It's the same game from school, just with a fancier dress code. 

Truth: If you're grinding away thinking the next list of improvements will get you picked, stop. 
Most people end up frustrated, scrolling through job boards, wondering why no one hands them the shiny new role they were promised. 
It's like circling a streetlight and hoping it turns into sunlight. 

Here's what works instead.
Double down on what you're already good at. 
The skills that make you the go-to. 
The stuff people can't ignore. 
Nobody cares about the messy list of weaknesses you're trying to erase. 
Nobody hands out prizes for potential. 
They reward proof. 

I've watched people torture themselves trying to "fix" everything, then get mad when the world skips over them. 
You want results? Pick one skill you dominate. 
Make it sharper. 
Make it louder. 
Show it in public. 
Don't hide behind endless "development." 

No one gets promoted for being slightly above average at everything. 
That's how you end up as another anonymous "strong contributor" lost in the crowd.

So here's what I dare you to do:
- Drop the need for permission
- Ignore the perfectionists' preaching, "just one more credential."
- Find your leverage skill and make it undeniable

Motion beats manifestos.
Decide, act, repeat.
That's how opportunity finds you.

What's the one skill you're done hiding? Tag someone who needs that reminder.

Comment "Newsletter" to join a group of people who believe in owning their narrative.

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You don't win battles by waiting for a meeting to start.


You don't build world-class teams by hiding behind email.

Out in the field, waiting costs lives. In business, it just costs you market share, momentum, and trust.

See, in the military, leadership isn't a buzzword. It's oxygen. Commanders don't crowdsource decisions when the stakes are high. They size up the situation, get the intel, and move. Fast.

Business loves to talk about innovation and agility, but let's be honest, most teams choke on indecision and analysis paralysis. That's exactly why military principles matter.

Want to transform your strategy? Copy this playbook:

1. Clarity over comfort.
The mission is never vague. "We're kind of hoping to grow." Try putting that in an op order. Clear objectives win, every time.

2. Everyone leads.
Leadership isn't a stripe on your sleeve, it's doing the right thing when nobody's watching. Foster that culture and see how fast performance shifts.

3. Decisive action.
Not every plan survives first contact. But a bad plan executed fast beats a perfect plan that never gets off the ground. You adapt. You improvise. You execute.

4. After-action reviews. 
Military teams learn by dissecting failure and success, not sweeping mistakes under the rug. Feedback isn't personal. It's how you get better for next time.

My transition from platoon leader to boardroom executive wasn't seamless. I made mistakes. I watched company execs run circles around problems, terrified to just make a call.

But I also saw how quickly things changed when we treated every project like a mission:

Clear objectives. Real accountability. Zero tolerance for maybes.

If you're tired of meetings that go nowhere, teams that drift, and grand strategies that end up in the trash... maybe it's time you tried running your business like a battlefield.

Ready to stop playing defense and start leading from the front? Drop your best leadership lesson below or tag someone who needs a little military discipline in their week.

Sis...

Using the dishwasher is cheating.

That’s what some of y’all really believe.

You’ll stand at the sink for 45 minutes, hands wrinkled, back tight, low-key irritated...
While a machine designed to do the job sits right there.

Why?

Because you were raised to believe “real work” looks a certain way.

If you didn’t scrub it yourself… it doesn’t count.
If it wasn’t hard… it’s not honest.
If you didn’t struggle… you didn’t earn it.

And that right there?
That mindset is costing you more than time at the sink.

It’s costing you growth.

Let’s talk about it.

Some of you are still hand-washing your careers.

You refuse automation.
You avoid delegation.
You won’t hire help.
You won’t build systems.
You won’t leverage technology.

Because deep down, ease feels like cheating.

But here’s the real:

Efficiency is not laziness.
Leverage is not weakness.
And working smarter is not betrayal of your upbringing.

Your parents did what they had to do with what they had. Respect that.

But you?
You have tools they never had access to.

And instead of using them, you’re romanticizing the struggle.

You wear exhaustion like a badge of honor.
You brag about being busy.
You low-key judge people who move faster than you.

But what if they’re not cutting corners?

What if they’re just using the dishwasher?

Growth requires unlearning.

Not everything that built you is meant to box you.

Some of y’all don’t need more discipline.
You need permission to evolve.

So let me ask you:

Where are you still hand-washing something that could be automated?

In your business?
In your leadership?
In your home?
In your thinking?

Drop it in the comments.

And if this stepped on your toes just a little…

Good.

That means you might finally load the dishwasher.

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Man...

You gave all those years, and for what!?

Be honest.

You showed up early.
Stayed late.
Picked up slack that wasn’t yours.
Carried teams.
Saved projects.
Hit numbers.
Stayed loyal.

And now you’re sitting there wondering why it feels like none of it moved you forward.

Let me say something that might sting a little:

Time served is not the same as value created.

Some of you didn’t give years.
You repeated a year... over and over again.

Same role.
Same skill set.
Same comfort zone.
Different calendar date.

We were taught that loyalty equals reward.
That if you just keep your head down and grind, somebody will notice.

But this isn’t the 1980s.
No one is handing out gold watches for endurance anymore.

You can’t trade time for transformation.

Here’s what nobody tells you:

If your growth didn’t outpace your loyalty, you weren’t investing.
You were renting stability.

And stability feels good… until you wake up one day and realize you built security for everyone but yourself.

Now don’t get it twisted.

Commitment matters.
Consistency matters.

But blind loyalty?
That’s expensive.

If you gave ten years and didn’t increase your network, your skills, your leverage, your confidence, your positioning…
Then the organization got compound interest.

And you got comfort.

So the real question isn’t “for what?”

It’s:

What did you extract while you were giving?

Did you build influence?
Did you build expertise?
Did you build options?

Or did you just build a reputation for being dependable?

Dependable is good.

Indispensable to your own vision is better.

This isn’t about quitting your job tomorrow.
This is about never giving another year without a strategy attached to it.

Every year should buy you something.

If it’s not buying growth, access, or leverage…
It’s costing you.

Talk to me in the comments:

What did your last 3 years actually produce for you?

Not emotionally.
Strategically.

Let’s have the real conversation.

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Sis…

Still waiting for your passion to grow?

A lot of people are.

They keep saying things like:

“I just haven’t found my passion yet.”
“I’m waiting for something that really excites me.”
“I want to feel passionate about what I do.”

Sounds good.

But let’s talk about the part nobody likes to hear.

Passion rarely shows up first.

Most of the time, passion is the result of something… not the starting point.

You build it.

Think about it.

Nobody is passionate the first time they try something.

The first workout is painful.
The first presentation is awkward.
The first project is messy.
The first attempt feels like you’re guessing.

There’s frustration.
There’s doubt.
There’s a lot of “Why am I even doing this?”

But then something happens.

You get a little better.

Your confidence grows.
People start noticing your skill.
You begin to see the impact you’re making.

And suddenly…

The thing that used to feel like work starts to feel meaningful.

That’s when passion shows up.

Not before the effort.

After the investment.

But a lot of people never get there.

They quit during the awkward stage.
They bounce from idea to idea.
They keep restarting at zero.

Because they’re chasing a feeling that only shows up after commitment.

Here’s the message.

Passion is often built through progress.

When you see yourself improving…
When you see results…
When you realize your work actually matters…

Energy follows.

So let me ask you something real.

Are you actually searching for passion…

Or are you avoiding the long enough commitment it takes to develop it?

Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Because some of the most passionate people you know?

They didn’t find it.

They built it.

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Most leaders think visibility is a vanity game.


It's not.
It's a survival game.

Here's what I mean:
Your competitor with half your expertise is closing deals you should own. Getting speaking gigs you deserve. Being quoted in rooms you built your career to enter.

Not because they're better.

Because they're visible.

Visibility isn't about ego. It's about access.
Access to the right opportunities. The right rooms. The right conversations.

The leaders I work with always say the same thing when they finally commit to building their brand:
"I wish I had done this sooner."

Not because they went viral. Not because they got thousands of followers.
But because being visible made their expertise legible to the people who matter.

Here's the hard truth:
Your track record doesn't speak for itself. You have to speak for it.

What's one thing you've been waiting for the "right time" to share publicly?

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Patrice Orenes-Lerma

Patrick Hart

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The Battle

Patrice Orenes-Lerma

Patrick Hart

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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);}Patrice Orenes-Lerma's LinkedIn Performance

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