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We all know this section is overrated. 

If you want to find out more, let’s chat and meet.

It will be the most accurate version of both of us. 


Sandra Macele

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished professionals, thought leaders, disruptors, and people who have “excited to announce” tattooed somewhere on the inside of their eyelids.

Tonight we’re here to talk about belonging.

No, sorry.

We’re here to talk about fitting in.

Brené Brown explains the difference perfectly:

Belonging is not negotiated externally. It’s belonging to yourself so deeply, you don’t betray who you are for acceptance.

Just this explains why many up here feel so disconnected (and invisible).

It is because we try to FIT IN.

Fitting in is being whoever we need to be, so we don’t get rejected.

And LinkedIn is excellent at this.
Corporate too.

So people learn to say:
- what looks like success
- sounds like “leadership”
- and “feels safe”

Because of:
- risk management
- social proof
- corporate consequence

Clear.

We all comply to some extent.
Me.
You.
The “here are 7 lessons” genre.

But here’s the problem when you create content for business.

Nobody remembers the person who fits in perfectly.

So if you’re a job-seeker, fitting in can be a survival approach.

Understood.

But if you create content for business ... 
with fitting in, you basically erode your brand.

You end up sounding like:

- “I’m humbled to share…”
- “Leadership is a journey…”
- “Here are 3 lessons from …”

If someone sees “belonging approach” as wreckles ...

I hate to create you nightmares ...

... but it is a very successful differentiation strategy in a very noisy market.

So when your content is written to avoid rejection…

…congrats. 

It’s also written to avoid any kind of impact.

______________
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Tap double 🔔 

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For the people who think dangerously well. ​>​>​> Scaling Intellectual Authority / Thought Leadership 🌃 (Storyteller, raised on cyberpunk fiction.)

Which system scr*wed millennials the most?
Starting with:

The corporate gold star addiction.

😑 

Corporate life taught us that if you:
→ stay quiet & polite,
→ don’t take credit,
→ don’t take space,
→ don’t question anyone senior,
→ don’t have your own opinions,

you’ll be “rewarded” with …
… another job where you still can’t speak your mind.

And now you write a LinkedIn post and your entire body (including your hair) screams:

“DELETE!”

Previously to this one was:
The school system people-pleaser program.

The place that taught us, you will be punished for trying to be original.

But memorizing dead people’s opinions will give you an A+.

Then we wonder why adults freeze at the idea of publicly thinking for themselves.

Before the school system, we had the original PR firm.

The family model of “Don’t embarrass us!”

Our first audience was a kitchen full of silent judges who could smell “embarrassment” the way wolves smell fear.

And they ran the same slogan for 20 years:
“What will people think!?!?”

But the worst offender is:
The “Be small so others feel comfortable” culture.

→ quiet kid praised for being “mature”
→ loud kid shamed into becoming quiet
→ creative kid told to pick a “real” career
→ sensitive kid told they’re “too much”

And by adulthood …

You walk into rooms trying to take up the least possible space.

So when millennials say, “I’m scared to express what I think,”

OF COURSE YOU ARE!

Because expression feels like the betrayal of those invisible systems that trained us to survive by staying ornamental!

BUT.

Being and staying small doesn’t protect anyone.

__________
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Writing demands two sacrifices.

First, the courage to show yourself.

Second, the strength to endure social judgment once you do.

To write with power is not to assemble sentences with AI.

It is to arrive with your whole mind and soul.

Visibly.
Or invisibly. 

Your intelligence, yes.

But also yesterday’s failure, still warm.

And the older failures, fossilized from 10 years ago, for which you never forgave yourself.

You do not leave behind
your shame,
your guilt,
or your private sense of justice.

They come with you.

They can seep into 
a single carousel.
a newsletter.
a post like this.

And suddenly you are visible as a full-color human.

Which is exactly why so many choose suffocation instead.

They make themselves small in expression to survive the gaze of those who distribute social validation.

Eww.

Approval.

Who would admit to needing it.

And yet.

Social validation is the revenue.

This is where the great collective pretending begins.

…

Emotions?

In a professional setting?

On LinkedIn?!?!?!

Disgusting.

Except for the inconvenient fact that nothing has ever moved people at scale without emotional intensity.

Awe.
Anger.
Hope.

Because emotion sets thought in motion.

But to work with emotion is an act of craft.

It requires restraint, as much, as courage.

It requires “an artist”.

An inner intelligence to measure.

A good “artist” knows ... or I would argue FEELS ... 
where to sharpen
where to withhold
and where to release the scream.

THAT is what powerful content does.

And that is why …

… good content is rare.

___________________
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PS. Thank you, Lauren Ducrey, for your poetic inspirations, reminding me why I love what I do.

I remember being a kid, doing something stupid, and then my dad's left arm hooked me like a clamp, yanked me off the ground, my feet kicking air for half a second, and then his right hand came on my bu**cheeks.

Hard.

I cried so much my eyes blurred.

Later, in my bedroom, in front of the mirror, I was inspecting the painful part like evidence.

I remember I had to wipe my face with the back of my hand, so I could even see.

Across both cheeks, I had five fingers in bright red color.

Like a stamp.

I was 6 or 7.

For a full disclosure -
I grew up in a time and a place where hitting a child was normal discipline.

Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for my dad …
I was a creative, sensitive kid, and those things planted something.

A fire I still carry.

Because now, when someone challenges me, I don’t fold.

I plant my feet like an unhinged rooster on a pile of cowsh*t,
chest out,
eyes blazing,
utterly convinced I was built for this moment, and my whole mouth goes:

“Whaaaaat?? You talking to meee?!?!”

And then life happens and starts smacking you in ways a hand could never compete with.

It smacks you with betrayal.
Humiliation.
With loss.
With the slow drips of disappointment.

And that does something to people.

What fascinates me is how differently we live with the leftovers.

> Some people get marked by hardship and freeze.
> Some people get marked, and they build. They take the pain, the anger, the buzzing voltage of it, and they pour it into something that stands.
> Some people self-destruct.
> Some people destroy others.
> And some people walk through it like it didn’t touch them at all.

My vision on things shifted when I learned to say thank you to pain.

I stopped asking it to be fair and took it as it was.
Then I used it like fuel.

Because pain has energy in it, energy wants direction …
So I gave it direction.

And if you don’t waste it on destroying, it can actually build.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but here it is.

Happy 2026. 
I am back to work.

DISCLAIMER: Last time I hosted a LinkedIn event. It was a complete dumpster fire ... because it never happened. 😄 🙌 

(technical oopsie-daisy)

Let's go again!

Team Wellbeing:

Our host
Annika Mohlin 🌱
— Self-leadership, boundaries, sustainable ambition

Josh Perry
— High Performance Coach (creation vs survival mode)

Emily Heird, LPC/MHSP
— Licensed therapist & mental performance coach

Team Marketing:

Jenni Reher
— Marketing strategist, creator of Find Your Weird™

Sandra Macele
— Identity & positioning strategist (thought-leadership infrastructures)

Robert van Tongeren
— Content strategy that makes you look like a genius

Join us tomorrow!

For the people who think dangerously well I Scaling Intellectual Authority I Thought Leadership I ex CMO & Creative Director 🌃 Storyteller, raised on cyberpunk fiction 🇪🇺

Robert van Tongeren and 100 other attendees

You’ve all seen it: The trauma-dump with a CTA. And then you wonder: Is this brave… or ...?

This audio Live is a real-time debate between people who build attention and people who protect nervous systems.

We are answering:
- Who decides when sharing becomes “over”sharing?
- When does “vulnerability” become “emotional burden” for the audience?
- Should you post while you’re still bleeding, or after you’ve processed?

We made a panel of 3 marketers vs 3 wellbeing coaches!

Team Wellbeing:
Our host Annika Mohlin 🌱 —  Self-leadership, boundaries, sustainable ambition.
Josh Perry — High Performance Coach (creation vs survival mode)
Emily Heird, LPC/MHSP — Licensed therapist & mental performance coach 

Team Marketing:
Jenni Reher — Marketing strategist, creator of Find Your Weird™ 
Sandra Macele — Identity & positioning strategist (thought-leadership infrastructures)
Robert van Tongeren — Content strategy that makes you look like a genius

Log in tomorrow, and bring your best questions ;) muahahaha ...

Today’s event is postponed because LinkedIn requires a PhD in Interface Archaeology to host an audio conversation. 

I overestimated both my qualifications and the platform.

But ... their ongoing commitment to experimental user experience is truly one of a kind 😂 

We will regroup with the team and come back with a new date and time.

🙌

Brian Rella

EverNext

You're talented, driven, and ambitious. You've worked hard to climb the ladder, and you’re grateful for what you have. But lately, it feels like you're stuck on a career dreadmill.

Whether you’re an aspiring executive feeling undervalued and unclear about your next steps or in the C-suite navigating high-pressure demands and critical career moves, your path forward doesn't have to feel overwhelming or uncertain.

Here's How I Can Help:

▶︎ Off the Dreadmill
My foundational program, "Off the Dreadmill," is designed specifically for aspiring executives committed to long-term career success. You'll gain access to a proven playbook—complete with actionable strategies, frameworks, and community support—that lays out a clear, intentional path toward meaningful career growth.

▶︎ Executive Career Coaching
For established leaders and C-suite executives, I offer highly personalized coaching that goes deeper, addressing strategic career growth, navigating transitions, and optimizing your performance at the highest levels. Using my proven frameworks and signature CASE method (Context, Assess, Strategize, Execute), you'll achieve measurable breakthroughs in your career trajectory and leadership impact.

This Isn’t Just About Your Career—It’s About Your Legacy.

When you perform at your highest level professionally, the benefits ripple through every area of your life. Improved career clarity and performance naturally lead to reduced stress, greater fulfillment, and deeper connections at home. While we lead with career excellence, the personal and family benefits inevitably follow.

What You Can Expect:

▶︎ Clear strategies for impactful career advancement.
▶︎ Personalized guidance for high-stakes transitions.
▶︎ Actionable tools for sustainable growth and peak performance.

Ready to step off the dreadmill and into meaningful, strategic career growth?

Let’s talk.

Book your strategy session here:

https://www.brianrella.me/

Founder / Head Coach

Wells Fargo

CIB Agile Transformation Coach

Partnering with executive leadership across the Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Bank to transition all lines of business from Program Management to an Agile Operating Model.

Executive Director

Head of Business Execution Services for Electronic Trading. 

Serve as a trusted advisor and change management leader to the COO, Head of FICC, and Head of Equities. Lead planning and execution of strategic transformation initiatives across asset classes.

BGC Partners

Partnered with business and technology executive management to develop and lead strategic programs focused on revenue growth and operational efficiency. Measurables include customer satisfaction, productivity, stakeholder transparency, cost variance, and schedule variance.

•	Led 5 product teams to deliver a new D2C RFQ platform for Fixed Income. Year 1 revenue forecast of $1.2 million.
•	Led 3 product teams to redesign the Fixed Income API offering by consolidating 4 APIs. Collaborated with sales as an SME to establish a multi-quarter pipeline of 13 clients and $1.7 million in revenue.
•	Coached global integration team leads to overhaul onboarding processes resulting in a drastic reduction in client integration time, increased client satisfaction, and greater transparency across the company.

Director

Bloomberg LP

Revitalized the Bloomberg Tradebook offering for Futures, Options, and FI. Launched a new IaaS product.

•	Conceived and launched Tradebook Market Access Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering. Generated $450,000+ in recurring annual revenue in the first 7 months of going to market.

Senior Product Manager

HSBC Global Banking and Markets

Led a cross-functional, cross-business team to deliver strategic digital transformation projects.

•	Executed portfolio of algorithmic trading and UX redesign projects for fixed-income trading resulting in improved Fixed Income industry ranking from #18 to #5. 
•	Conceptualized futures and options electronic trading platform strategy. Proposed and delivered a 2-year roadmap resulting in technical debt reduction of 8 trading systems to 3. Shrank run costs $1.7 million (14%) over 2 years.

Vice President

J.P. Morgan

Directed a global team of project managers and business analysts to create and execute global electronic trading programs for Futures and Options. 

•	Increased e-trading revenues by repurposing equities algorithmic trading and analytics engine for futures & options. Increased algorithmic trading volumes by 40% YOY (2011-2012).
•	Improved straight-through processing for Futures trade allocations 200% YOY

Reval

Professional services lead for Reval’s hedge accounting software.

Senior Consultant

UBS Investment Bank

Co-head of Futures and Options Client Solutions Team.

SAC Capital Advisors

Senior Trade Floor Support

CS Technology

Staff Consultant

Get off the DREADMILL and into a Career that inspires you | Executive Career Coaching | Career Development | Job Search Strategies

This isn’t just about your career. It’s about your legacy.

I help high‑achieving leaders excel in their careers and thrive at home through my Dual Impact Leadership system. 

Whether you’re an up‑and‑coming exec feeling undervalued and unsure of your next move or a C‑suite leader under relentless pressure, you don’t have to navigate complexity alone.

We start with pinpointing your highest‑impact actions at work. When your clarity and performance improve, the effects spill over into every area of your life. As you gain momentum professionally, you’ll notice the benefits ripple out, resulting in less stress, deeper fulfillment, and a more present, connected family life.

That’s the power of Dual Impact Leadership. Strategic growth at work that naturally elevates your life at home. 

What You Can Expect Working With Me:

▶︎ Clear strategies for impactful career advancement.
▶︎ Personalized guidance for high-stakes transitions.
▶︎ Actionable tools for sustainable growth and peak performance.

Ready to step off the dreadmill and into meaningful, strategic career growth?

Let’s talk.

Book your strategy session here:

https://www.brianrella.me/

CEO and Head Coach

Career coach and job search strategist helping executives get the career they want 🎯

There’s a difference between being trusted to execute
and being trusted to decide.

Many senior leaders are heavily relied on,
but only to carry out what others have already decided.

Execution builds credibility.
Decision authority builds influence.

The frustration sets in when you’re accountable for outcomes
without being part of the decision that shaped them.

Next week’s Executive Strategy Session is for senior leaders reassessing where they sit in that gap.

Details are on my profile.

Trusted Advisor to Senior Leaders at Career & Leadership Inflection Points

Career transitions don’t announce themselves loudly.

They show up as small signals.

A role that no longer stretches you.
Decisions happening without you in the room.
Responsibility that grows faster than authority.

Most leaders sense this long before they act on it.

The question isn’t whether something is shifting.
It’s whether you’re taking the time to assess it deliberately.

I’m hosting a private Executive Strategy Session on Executive Transitions this Thursday for leaders who want to think clearly before the window narrows.

Details are on my profile.

Senior roles don’t get easier.
They get quieter.

Fewer obvious moves.
Fewer clear signals.
More decisions that shape months, not weeks.

At that level, success isn’t about speed.
It’s about decision quality.

The leaders who advance aren’t the most active.
They’re the most deliberate.

Next week, I’m hosting a private Executive Strategy Session for senior leaders navigating these quieter, higher-stakes decisions.
Details are on my profile.

At senior levels, waiting feels safe.

Nothing breaks.
Nothing forces a decision.

But while you wait:
• scope gets redefined
• expectations shift
• the narrative around your role hardens

Not because you did anything wrong.
Because organizations keep moving.

Strategic leaders don’t rush decisions.
But they don’t drift either.

Thursday’s Executive Strategy Session is for leaders who want to assess where they stand before momentum decides for them.

Details are on my profile.

The fastest way to stall your career isn’t failure.

It’s tolerating things you shouldn’t.

Tolerating:
• being accountable for outcomes you don’t control
• scope that keeps expanding without real authority
• compensation that’s “close enough for now”

Strong leaders don’t wait for permission to raise standards.

They decide what no longer fits, and stop normalizing it.

If this resonates, I’m hosting a private Executive Strategy Session next week for senior leaders reassessing scope, leverage, and positioning.

Details are on my profile.

Most leaders are over-working the wrong problems.

They spend months optimizing execution
while avoiding the harder question of leverage.

Leverage isn’t effort.
It’s where your judgment changes the outcome.

When leverage is clear:
• fewer meetings matter
• fewer decisions matter
• fewer people need convincing

I’m covering how to identify real leverage in a private Executive Strategy Session next week.

Details are on my profile.

Clarity isn’t motivational.
It’s operational.

When things are clear:
• decisions accelerate
• energy stops leaking
• trade-offs become obvious

Most leaders don’t need more ideas.
They need fewer open loops.

Precision isn’t intensity.
It’s restraint.

That’s exactly what we’ll work through in next week’s Executive Strategy Session.

Details are on my profile.

Most career transitions don’t arrive during moments of stress.

They surface during moments of comfort.

When things are “fine.”
When the role still works on paper.
When there’s no forcing function to decide.

That’s when decisions quietly get made for you:
· by the company
· by shifting priorities
· by the market

Nothing goes wrong.
But your range of options narrows.

If you’re using this weekend to think more carefully about where you stand, I’m hosting a private Executive Strategy Session next week for leaders navigating career transitions.

Details are on my profile.

Some decisions don’t surface during the workweek.

They emerge in quieter moments when there’s space to think without reacting.

Knowing:
• when to stay and recalibrate
• when to push for expanded scope
• when a role has reached its natural limit

Those aren’t emotional decisions.
They’re strategic ones.

That’s exactly what we’ll work through in next week’s Executive Strategy Session for leaders navigating career transitions.

Details are on my profile.

Most leaders don’t need advice.

They need space to think without reacting.

Space to step back from:
• the weekly noise
• the internal politics
• the pressure to “just keep executing”

That space is rare.
Which is why it has to be created intentionally.

Tomorrow I’m hosting a private Executive Strategy Session on Executive Transitions.

Registration closes shortly.

If you’ve been meaning to step back and assess your next move, details are on my profile.

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The Battle

Sandra Macele

Brian Rella

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Performance ScoreSandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Sandra Macele

Brian Rella

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);}Sandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreSandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance