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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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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.

🙌

I battled chronic social anxiety 6 years ago.

I was so afraid of talking to people fearing judgements and hate. It made me super lonely.

I spend my day overthinking and beating myself up over my relationship problems.

It exhausted me completely and I was barely functioning.

Because of that, I sabotaged career and relationship opportunities.

I worried that I would be stuck feeling lonely and miserable all my life.

Everything changed one morning...

I was so tired of fixing and fighting my mind over the previous months and years.

I spontaneously gave in and accepted my intrusive thoughts, instead of fighting them.

To my surprise, it brought some relief from my anxiety.

My healing journey started from that day onwards.

The last few years have been nothing short of magical.

- I went from a super introvert to an extrovert who can connect with strangers within 10 mins.
- I can take on potential work and relationship opportunities without hesitation.
- I experimented and aligned with a fulfilling guidance biz.

And the most important thing of all is I have a quiet, peaceful mind.

All of this shift happened not because of any coping strategies like:

- Talk therapy.
- Anxiety pills.
- Breathwork.
- Positive thinking.
- Affirmations, etc.

But by healing the root subconscious traumas that fed my social anxiety with deep inner work.

That experience of healing and transformation is what I wanted to share with you.

So you heal your social anxiety, cultivate inner peace and fulfillment, and become a social magnet.

For diving deep into my rabbit hole of healing and transformation, check out the links in bio & featured section.

Namaste 🙏

Yay Pranav

I thought I would be lonely all my life.
Because of my social anxiety.

Now I connect with strangers with ease.

Here's what made the shift possible:

I was a super introvert.

Communication felt so hard and draining.
Because I was lost in my thoughts 24/7.

I was afraid of judgments and hate.

I tried all the confidence and self-esteem hacks for 3+ years.

But social interactions still made me anxious.
Because they triggered my fears.

What finally helped me was stopping fighting myself.
I accepted all my anxious thoughts.

It brought the initial relief from anxiety.

Overtime with subconscious trauma work,
I healed why I was afraid of judgments and hate.

I became more relaxed in social interactions.
Communication felt more effortless.

This made me attract healthy relationships.

There are social situations that still bring up my insecurities.

Since I know how to process and heal them.
I get more and more relaxed overtime.

If you are battling social anxiety:

Stop looking for temporary band-aids.
Start looking into why you are anxious in the first place.

Authenticity is magnetic.
Trying to impress people is not.

What qualities do you love the most in people and why?

Share in comments!

➕ Follow Yay Pranav for insights to heal social anxiety.

Healed my chronic social anxiety with Subconscious trauma work ❖ Helping you do the same to find inner peace & connection

The biggest deceiver is not the mainstream news.

It is anxiety.

Here's how I stopped my mind from making my life miserable:

Anxiety hurt my life so much.

It fed me 1000s of limiting thoughts like:

- People hate me.
- I would never get a job.
- I won't ever be happy like others, Blah Blah.

I believed those thoughts blindly.
And created stupid meaning out of neutral situations.

Here's an example:

If someone didn't pick up my call,
I thought that they hated me.

The truth was that they were busy with something else.

I lived in a fictional world created by the mind.

I sabotaged relationships and career opportunities.

I became super lonely and unhappy.

Breakthrough came when I started questioning my thoughts.

Instead of believing them blindly.

I realized that 99% of my thoughts were not real.

They were just stupid ideas my messy brain fed me.

Overtime with meditation, my mind became quiet.

I started seeing reality for what it was.

That's when I was able to be present.
I stopped creating meaning out of everything.

Building relationships and taking on opportunities became much easier.

Questioning your thoughts is the first domino in transforming your life.

Why do you think mind is unfriendly most of the time?

Share in comments!

🔁 Repost if you resonate with this inner shift
➕ Follow Yay Pranav for insights on social anxiety

Starting questioning your anxious thoughts

Being nice won't attract love.
It attracts toxicity and manipulation.

I was always the first to help.
I put others needs before mine.

But the more I gave, the more I attracted takers.

They were never pleased.
And what I got in return was disrespect.

This pattern completely drained me.
It brought me so much anxiety.

I started avoiding people.
I believed most people were toxic.

Only when I started working on myself by meditating,
I realized I was also toxic.

I indirectly tried to attract love by pleasing people.
I needed their validation.
Because I believed I was unworthy of love.

People could sense my needy energy.

That's why they got repelled by me.

My life changed when I started loving myself.
When I started validating myself from within.
After years of deep inner work.

I attracted people who reflected the love I had for myself.

If you want healthy reciprocal relationships in your life:

Stop pleasing people.
Start expressing how you feel.

It will be super uncomfortable at first.

Your authenticity will repel toxic people.
Who was just there to manipulate you.

This will reveal your deeper fears and insecurities.
You have to process and heal them.

On the other side, relationships become effortless and rejuvenating.

Don't settle for chasing approval and validation.
When you deserve love and connection.

How do you feel if someone is overly nice to you?

Share in comments!

🔁 Share if you root for authenticity
➕ Follow Yay Pranav for insights to heal social anxiety

This simple inner shift helped me stop getting anxious and drained in social situations:

"Not taking responsibility for other people's feelings."

I avoided conflicts.
I avoided expressing myself.
I overgave to please others.

to not make people hate or judge me.

I believed that if they felt tension.
There is something wrong with me.

I always blamed myself for the way others felt.

I walked on eggshells with anxiety.
To not trigger their tension.

With deep inner work I realized,
I'm not responsible for other people's feelings.

Their feelings come out of their own insecurities and fears.
It's their responsibility to manage them.

It relieved so much pressure off me.

It gave me the freedom to express myself more freely.
I started living more by my values.

This helped me understand who the real ones were.
And who was there to manipulate me.

These 2 simple steps will help you be more socially free:

1. When you inhale, feel the separation between you and the other person.
2. When you exhale, feel and relax deeper into your body.

This creates a separation between your emotions and theirs.

So you can manage only yours.
And leave the rest of the responsibility to them.

It alleviates unnecessary pressure in your relationships.

And when you heal your emotional pain:

You will allow only healthy reciprocal relationships into your life.
Life starts feeling more peaceful.

Don't confuse attachment with relationship.

It's only a relationship if you can be real with people.

🔁 Repost if you feel ready to take back your power
➕ Follow Yay Pranav for insights to heal social anxiety

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The Battle

Sandra Macele

Yay Pranav

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Performance ScoreYay Pranav's LinkedIn Performance

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The Battle

Sandra Macele

Yay Pranav

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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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSandra Macele's LinkedIn Performance