Hello 👋🏻 welcome to my profile!

I'm Shahbaz, an award-winning communications marketing strategist with over a decade of experience helping brands achieve remarkable results. From driving $100M+ in share of voice to boosting sales by 120%, I've consistently delivered outstanding outcomes for my clients across consumer, corporate, and non-profit sectors.

As a Vice President of Brand Marketing, I specialize in crafting impactful strategies, executing successful go-to-market planning and campaigns, and managing end-to-end marketing initiatives. 

My work portfolio spans across CPG clients like Sephora, World Gold Council, GAP, GANT, Nautica, United Colors of Benetton, PepsiCo, and Unilever (Dove). 
B2B/ Start-ups: LinkedIn, Google, Microsoft, Accenture, Mobileum.
Non-Profits: Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, UNICEF, Pride Toronto, The519.

Throughout my career, I've been recognized for my exceptional work, including winning the prestigious Fulcrum Award for the Best CSR Campaign, the 2X Best Brand Communications Campaign, and being named the Best Strategist at Edelman for two consecutive years. I'm proud to have spearheaded teams, tapping into their expertise and empowering them to be better managers. My passion for empowering others and my commitment to excellence have been the driving forces behind my success.

I'm a passionate and versatile professional who believes in the power of uninhibited creativity, measured strategy, and sustained impact. My co-related specialties include: Public Relations, Digital Strategy, Issues & Crisis communication, Brand Reputation Management, Business negotiation, Content development, Communications Marketing Strategy, Retail, CPG and Non-profits consultant.

I hope this gives you a glimpse into who I am and what I do. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat more. Thanks for stopping by!

Email: Yourstoryteller.co@gmail.com

Shahbaz Mamdani ️ B̵o̵r̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵c̵a̵m̵p̵a̵i̵g̵n̵s̵

Sandra Macele

Marketing Consulting I Organizational Restructuring I Recruiting and Talent Development in MKT I Marketing Process & Budget Optimisation I Strategies (Creative, Communication, Product, Channel) I Creative Direction I Performance Marketing I Marketing Services (Video Production, Photography, Copywriting etc.)

Markets: EMEA & USA
Verticals coverage: B2B, B2C, B2B2C, G2C

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE: Technology ● Government ● Fashion ● Architecture ● Pharma ● Media ● Banking ● Food Retail ● Other Consumer Goods

P.S.: Not all clients are stated here.

Chief Executive Overthinker

EKWB

Department Reorganization I Led diverse marketing teams (creative, product, communications, digital/e-commerce) 40 people I Strategies for Marketing, Sales, People I Budget Optimization I Crissis Management I Talent Recruitment & Onboarding I Markets: US & EMEA I Verticals coverage: B2C & B2B

Chief Marketing Officer

Transforming creative unit inside marketing | Consultancy on strategic projects I Creative strategies I Mentoring I Markets: US & EMEA I Verticals coverage: B2C

Marketing Consultancy

Doorson

Marketing Services I Marketing Consulting B2B

Creative Director and Consultant

SENSILAB

Performance Marketing I Creative Services I Marketing Consulting

Intra lighting d.o.o.

Creative Marketing Services I Marketing Consultant B2B

Creative Director & Consultant

Erpium / Creative Agency

Marketing Campaigns production and execution.

Creative Director

Ministry of Economy and Technology

Content and Communication for the activities of ministry I Processes organization

Strategic Marketing Consultant

HBO GO

Online marketing support for HBO Adriatic region.

Director and Producer

HS PLUS

Creative Department organization I Performance Strategies I Process Setting I Talent Onboarding I Markets: EMEA I Verticals coverage: B2C

Strategic Consultant

Studio Moderna

Led 20+ member creative department I Drove client results with impactful and engaging content, setting the stage for sustainable growth I Branding & Performance 

Markets: EMEA
Vertical coverage: B2C

Head of video production

Stop Milking Leads. Start Building People. I Community System Fuelled by your data >>> Check featured

YOU
You are choosing to work with people who believe in doing the right thing. You challenge the status quo and expect the same integrity and accountability (you have) from those around you.

ME
I’m a constructive idealist—bold enough to challenge outdated systems, yet grounded in making authenticity, impact, and trust commercially viable. With a background as a creative director, CMO, and consultant, I combine strategic thinking, sharp people instincts, and fearless storytelling to push brands and leaders to be both real and revolutionary.

Whenever I talk to academics about marketing, I feel like I’ve just lit a cigarette in a daycare.

You can see it in their face.

They do this tiny micro-flinch, like a moth just flew into their mouth.

😄

“Marketing …” they say the word with the same tone you’d use for “tax fraud.”

Then, ten minutes later:

“I do care about getting my work out there… to the right people… in a way that preserves integrity… and doesn’t feel commercial.”

So we spend the next hour debating and doing linguistic gymnastics:

“Maybe we call it… non-commercial, integrity-aligned dissemination of research outputs.”

Which, if you remove the "holy water", means:

marketing.

Look.
I get it.

The moth in my mouth is that the entire ecosystem runs on the idea that if something is visible, it must be less serious.

Meanwhile, outside that closed world, the internet is on fire with people whose highest qualification is:

“I once read a thread about dopamine.”

These people will happily build a full marketing and sales funnel around that dopamine thread.

Some of them even sell $10,000 service in behavioral science, which knowledge, they acquired through an online certificate.

😂 (True story.)

And then we all act shocked that public understanding of anything is a complete disaster.

It’s almost impressive.
In a tragic way.

But here is a deeper structural issue:

Academia actually needs outsiders to translate science into patents, products, applications, and the real-world impact.

Sanberg & McDevitt literally argue in Nature that universities should explicitly reward patents, licensing, and commercialization in career advancement to unlock translation without destroying academic missions.

If the work is meant to shape society …
... then someone has to bridge the gap between knowledge and the world.

(Thanks to a friend for this insight!)

And in my experience and through my observations ...

Scientists have the same agency needs as us, the artists:

- work needs to be interpreted correctly
- wants control over how it enters culture
- (+ we both tend to have colourful personalities 😁 )

But when the academia refuses translation to the rest of us …
... the charlatans win, because they aren’t afraid to put a headline and a CTA on nonsense.

And they aren’t afraid of the “M” word, either.

This is our biggest structural failure.

We need the bridge!

_____________
To get my content in your feed, please tap the double 🔔

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

It was a warm(ish) Saturday night in the south of Spain. My friends sat outside, eating, drinking, talking, laughing.

I was folded over my laptop on the sofa, full Hunchback of Notre Dame posture, fixing my website.

I skipped the dinner.
Again.

This was 5 days ago.

And I’m grieving the life I keep postponing.

Yet the same work that’s stealing my nights is also the thing that makes me feel most alive.

I’m having the time of my f*cking life building something that only exists because I won’t walk away or give up on.

This is the bit freedom-peddlers cut out:
freedom and sacrifice share the same body.

When I moved to Spain this year:
cat and the laptop came with me.

And the part of me that doesn’t know how to rest also came with me.

This is the official launch of my new business chapter: 
https://lnkd.in/evrY9b7m

ps: Your engagement is very much appreciated. 🖖 
And a thank you to all of you, reviewing my work.

The part of solopreneurship nobody puts on the sales page

Most people have hidden motives on LinkedIn, even if they’re not fully conscious of them.

Two core motives show up again and again under how we behave online…

A. Our need for safety > 
“I don’t want to be judged, exposed, rejected, or look stupid.”
Driven by corporate conditioning, social threat, etc.

B. Our need for expression > 
“I want to be heard, understood, recognized, respected for my mind.”
Driven by identity expression, creativity, and intellectual impact, etc.

These motives often express themselves in three behavior profiles:

TYPE 1, which is safety-dominant pattern
→ clings to tone-dead corporate voice
→ hopes opportunities just “happen”

TYPE 2, which is expression-driven
→ loves ideas and writing
→ wants an audience
→ wants impact (+ income)

TYPE 3, the torn hybrid (most people)
"I want visibility AND I want safety AND I want clients AND I hate selling AND I want inbound AND I don’t want to look salesy."

If this is you:
 → you kill your own pipeline through inner conflict
 → no template or course will help until you get honest about what you actually want and what you’re willing to do for it

With Scaling Authority, we focus primarily on developing TYPE 2 individuals.

People who want public thought leadership.

For this reason, Jean-Philippe Derout, G. Kofi Annan, and I are organizing a free webinar, Wednesday next week.

We will go through this presentation live and clarify the right business strategy for you, regardless of your pattern.

Register here:
https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

Wrong approaches for desired outcomes

Yesterday, I accidentally dragged myself into one of those bizarre social media situations everyone fears.

I got a critical comment under the 92-page carousel I posted.

Surprisingly, I don’t get many of those.
Maybe a handful in two years.
And it wasn’t really hateful.

This gentleman had that tone people use when they want to sound clever while poking holes in your work.

And the cynical layer we usually use when life is unkind.

And who am I to judge!

I’ve been villainized for my tone of voice and the way I speak so many times that I’ve lost count of the nights I fell asleep crying.

He also had credentials in his profile:
ABD, MS, SME, Human Behavior and Development.

Again. 

Who am I to judge a behavior expert ...

I’d seen him before.
He was critical then, too.

All good, I expect my audience to be.

His comment had edge, but I saw it purely as a PR situation.

All I had to evaluate was what I say, how much I say, and both over-explaining and under-explaining can make things worse.

My devil horns were activated. 
It was a nice challenge.

I replied respectfully, showing no fear (a bit of my teeth), but made sure to shut the discussion down, leaving the door open for a private conversation.

(Otherwise, it wouldn't be productive.)

My mistake was this:
I didn’t check his background.

And I didn’t think much of it from apart I wrote above.

More: I felt compassion for him.

I don't want to publicly rip down a gentleman in his 60s, 70s just because he is a bit feisty.

Then I made an even bigger mistake and tagged him under an acquaintance’s post, because the topic aligned.

I thought maybe he’d understand the point better in a different context, because this acquaintance explained it really well.

While I was sleeping, this gentleman detonated that comment section, too.

😅 

My acquaintance did what I didn’t — he looked the man up.

And found a public disciplinary order from the Wisconsin licensing board: the gentleman had never been licensed, had been providing services anyway, and had been formally prohibited from practicing.

Not exactly a minor footnote.

And then I woke up this morning, seeing that my acquaintance blocked me for bringing that man into his space.

Perfect.

😅 

The whole thing sent my mind straight back to another "qualified expert" character I had among my audience.

He was also proudly identifying as a psychopath.

Well, the entire reason I’m bringing this to your attention:

There are a lot of very unwell, very destructive people on the internet, and we attach more significance to them than they actually deserve.

And all academic statuses, degrees, and role identifiers in profiles ... mean absolutely nothing if the mind is educated but the character is not.

_____________
To get my content in your feed, please tap the double 🔔

I’m running 13 people through my new cohort. Meanwhile, I personally ran through all seven stages of an existential crisis.

Had a full 4-day anxiety spiral + impostor syndrome trial version that included:

“I suck. Shut it all down. Become a florist.”

I didn’t need a tranquilizer, but let’s just say the option wasn’t off the table.

Mistake #1:
I called it a Sprint.

Someone later corrected me:
“Sandra… this is an INTENSIVE.”

😃 

Mistake #2:
People were (and still are) REALLY invested.

I completely miscalculated how the structure of the cohort
would directly impact their emotions.

It is beautiful.
And terrifying (weight of responsibility).

Like watching human nature under a microscope.

But here’s the biggest upside:

From inside that meltdown of mine I had ...
I finally see clearly what people struggle with at scale with social media. 

And where any of us can help, and can not help.

So I wrote a mini report.

If you enjoy my content, I also have a newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

I study how emotion shapes trust and how trust earns market authority | Identity & Positioning | Brand Strategy

The Game is Psychological 

In my region, we have a term for that forehead vein that pops out when someone is being ridiculous: “žila glupača”. Literally, the stupidity vein.

It activates when:

→ you enter a dumb conversation
→ face someone with zero critical thinking
→ you’re smiling on the outside, screaming inside
→ when you listen to someone who complains for sports

Nothing works.
Everything is hard.
Life is unfair.

…and suddenly you feel the pressure rising in your forehead.

My stupidity vein activates at point #4.

What about yours?

P.S.: In my newsletter, I answer your questions every Sunday: https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

13 points of a reality check

90% of men are betas.
Weak.
Soft.

I was told this by a self-proclaimed "alpha".

The third week passed, and I am still thinking of this conversation.

These types of claims usually happen right after leg day and right before someone tries to sell you ... something.

Ekkhhmmm.

By alpha, I am referring to the classic ideology.

(include Tarzan voice when reading)

"Me strong."
"Me no cry."
"Me man, you woman."

I get a visceral reaction to this rhetoric … 

If we applied this alpha definition consistently, a huge portion of the men I respect, who are capable of feeling and are building amazing things ...

... would be eliminated immediately.

Engineers.
Researchers.
Product designers.
System architects.
Founders with long-term mindset.

The men who are usually labeled “geeky.”

Those who don’t dominate rooms but have exceptional emotional intelligence.

According to the "alpha mythology" ...

... these men are pus**es.

(This exact word was used, not here for a story writing effect)

Now … this is solely my opinion.

In reality, these me are often patient.

In long-term partnerships (professional or personal), they’re often the safest people to build with.

Many of them spent years developing depth instead of acting out “masculinity”.

They can tolerate uncertainty without turning it into aggression or punching it into submission.

They don't think of retaliating.

Pardon me, but I’m pretty sure that’s cognitive stamina.

I’ve worked alongside these men.

The most competent ones never needed to announce their strength because they were too busy applying it.

The alpha narrative gives insecure men, who (often) don’t know how to emotionally regulate … a stage, they (often) use to compensate for the emptiness inside of them.

If we’re going to talk honestly about power in business, we need to retire this alpha–beta cartoon.

It’s biologically sloppy, intellectually lazy, and strategically useless.

_______________
To get my content in your feed, please tap the double 🔔

P.S. Visual inspiration adapted from an image by an unknown creator found on Pinterest.

Half of social media is one person’s idea, copied 200 times before lunch.

Results of 252 people voting on: “Which reply feels more genuine?” Extremely interesting.

This was not about grammar, as some thought, but about our tone interpretation.

For example:

“Thanks.”
→ some were visibly “annoyed” in the comment section around the dot

“Thanks!”
→ ! at the end, tends to be interpreted as uplifting

“Thanks 😊”
→ more/too much emotional exposure
→ some interpreted it as a covert niceness (fake)

“Thanks so much, appreciate it.”
→ double appreciation in words, most positive

The reason why we voted as we did is influenced by our history, experiences, and our own interpretation.

Your intention can be 100% genuine.

But once it leaves you, meaning is controlled and interpreted by the reader. 

Perception. 

Example: 
I can't count how many times I was told, I sound angry, when I wasn't angry at all.

The good news is there is a “market” for:
→ Thanks.
→ Thanks!
→ Thanks 😊
→ Thanks so much, appreciate it.

folks.

But the possibility of the fastest market breakthrough:
→ the DOT people. 

Yes, the most hated answer.

Because contrast gives the market differentiation. 

;)


Would love to see you in my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eVyiJhHA

For the people who think dangerously well. I Inbound Development with Thought Leadership POV I Scaling Intellectual Authority

Analysis of your votes

There’s a particular type of post that keeps multiplying on this platform like mold in a warm room.

The janitor story.

Always the same setup, and every author claims it really happened.

Statistically, that would require LinkedIn to be built on top of Hogwarts.

It’s far less romantic.

These stories feel copy-pasted because they are.

Not copied word-for-word…

Copied structurally and emotionally engineered.

The janitor is a prop in someone else’s hero’s journey.

And many of these are written by ghostwriters.

None of these ghostwriters seems to realise that these posts don’t uplift or honour the fragile labour of society…

They use them for engagement to make the owner of the LinkedIn profile look humble.

But …

These posts are ripping the attention away from those who have:

- actual stories to tell, 
- actual thought leadership to share … 
- and actual copywriting skills to deliver.

And those who don’t know how content is created, blindly believe … that this PR is actually real. 

💔

No alternative text description for this image

Imagine HR explaining your LinkedIn post to the CEO.

HR:
“So… this is the coach people keep tagging us under.”

CEO:
“Why.”

HR:
“The post has 130 likes.”

CEO:
“From whom.”

HR:
“People who also coach.”

CEO:
“What’s the post.”

HR:
“It’s written like a confession.”

CEO:
“About a crime?”

HR:
“No. A feeling. It’s also a selfie.”

CEO:
“Stop.”

HR:
“Yup. Kitchen background. It opens with: "I finally chose courage to talk about this.""

CEO:
“Ah.”

HR: 
“They say the system is broken.”

CEO: 
(rolls eyes in English)

HR:
“They also explain that most leaders are asleep.”

CEO:
“Are we asleep.”

HR:
“Implied.”

CEO:
“Lovely.”

HR: 
“They say they work with leaders who are "ready to do the work."”

CEO: 
“What work?”

HR: 
“Inner work. They list four things great leaders do.”

CEO: 
“Let me guess.”

HR:
“– Lead with empathy
– Create psychological safety
– Be authentic
– Choose courage”

CEO: 
“Wonderful.”

HR:
“There is also a shift.”

CEO:
“A shift where.”

HR:
“In consciousness.”

CEO:
“Does consciousness invoice monthly or annually.”

HR:
“Unknown. Then they close: "I’m opening 5 spots for a free leadership audit. Comment “LEAD” and I’ll DM you."”

CEO: 
“For our company?”

Ekkkhmmm.

____

Fundamental error: 

This is consumer-coaching communication, misaligned with how B2B buying and procurement work.

I see this a lot, also with different cases where the prime target is a conservative environment.

Check the comments to see what is wrong.

Today at 12PM EST / 6PM CET, we host a webinar.

You can apply here:
https://lnkd.in/evuMbSVD

If I zoom out to the future, a very possible scenario looks like this: 

A.) between AI models, and content libraries, anything that will look like “information transfer” will be (probably) free. 

If your offer is “I teach X,” you are competing with models that can teach X on demand.

B.) Growth-hacked funnels and mass communities will still exist. 
But economically ... they will start to feel like low-margin supermarkets.

Lots of traffic, thin trust, and constant campaigns to keep numbers up.

Like from a Black Mirror episode.

Here is one thing that can’t be mass-produced:

Your one, finite, first-person life.
Its only variable is how it is spent, and on whom.

Signature Offer Architect | I turn scattered expertise into one premium, scalable signature offer that earns more while eliminating the wrong effort. Creator of the Genius Offer Blueprint™

What do you invest in when you’re not sure what you need?

Earlier in my business, I invested in all the things that promised clarity:

➡️ Upsells and Downsell formulas
➡️ Niche-defining courses
➡️ $100K-in-90-days playbooks
➡️ “Dream client” attraction blueprints

Back then, I bought fast answers. I followed formulas. I consumed the internet like gospel. But deep down, I wasn’t building a business.

I was building a response to fear.
- Fear of failing.
- Fear of wasting time.
- Fear of being exposed as a “fraud” if it didn’t work.

When your business is built on fear, it never feels like home.
Just hustle in prettier packaging.

Because in the next evolution of business:
Depth is the new scale.
Discernment isn’t something you download.
It’s something you develop. And it’s your most underrated business strategy.

If this carousel hits differently,
Let me know which slide hit hardest.

P.S. Created in collaboration with my brilliant mirror + mentor Sandra Macele, who held the red thread with me.

Depth is the New Scale

Nothing screams authenticity more like three ghostwriters and an engagement pod.

🌿 👀 🌿

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. 

Excited for this new chapter. Some of the best minds and talents on the team.

I help health brands grow clients/patients & revenue using a AI-enhanced acquisition system ✪ Fmr @Saatchi, @Ogilvy, @McCann

My friend Camille is brilliant. MBA from Wharton. Built campaigns that saved millions.

But she gets ignored while people with less experience get the opportunities she wants.

It's not fair.

But in a world drowning in noise, intelligence without authority is just expensive advice nobody asks for.

That's why I'm partnering to launch Scaling Authority, a 4-month program to help seasoned professionals and ambitious entrepreneurs build authority at scale.

Your expertise is your most valuable asset. 

But if you can't make it land with authority, it might as well not exist.

If you're tired of being the best-kept secret in your space, this is your permission slip to finally change that.

Scaling Authority is limited to only 10 participants.

Early bird closes next Wednesday, Dec. 10th.

Read more ↓

View newsletter: Digital Brand Tips | By Kofi

My friend Camille is brilliant. She's got an MBA from Wharton. Built three successful marketing campaigns that saved her last company millions. Can di

Open article: The smartest person in the room often gets ignored. Let's change that! by G. Kofi Annan • 3 min read

The smartest person in the room often gets ignored. Let's change that!

Which social-media profile would you trust more?

With voting, you also see what others answered.

Which social-media profile would you trust more?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Which brand feels better?

With voting, you also see what others answered.

Don’t overthink, first instinct.

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The Battle

Shahbaz Mamdani ️ B̵o̵r̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵c̵a̵m̵p̵a̵i̵g̵n̵s̵

Sandra Macele

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The Battle

Shahbaz Mamdani ️ B̵o̵r̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵c̵a̵m̵p̵a̵i̵g̵n̵s̵

Sandra Macele

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Engagements

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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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