Grow Your Career 1% Daily - I’ll Show You How | Follow for Tips on Learning, Professional Development, and Productivity | Professor | MBA + JD

Is this the part where I talk about brand voice, distribution, and storytelling across the funnel? Or say we “help companies scale content that converts”?

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.

But what we really do is write content your team doesn’t have to worry about, so you can stay focused on strategy, not sentence structure.

𝗛𝗲𝘆, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻. 👋

And my path here hasn’t exactly followed a playbook:
Banking → Law School → Teaching → L&D → Content

(Yeah… it’s been a ride.)

Today, I run a B2B content agency with my wife. We keep it lean and personal — just the two of us, plus our kids and a couple barky mini schnauzers. 

At Damn Smart Marketing, we give marketers writing they can trust and results they can stand behind.

✓ Content that sounds like you (not a template, not bland AI)
✓ Full support from idea to publication
✓ A partner who gets content
✓ Zero fluff, zero hand-holding
✓ More time to focus on what matters

In other words: you get to 🚀 while we handle the ✍️.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿? 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸:

1️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗿-𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.
Blogs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, case studies. If it’s got words, we’ll write it. You get to run the show without sweating every sentence.

2️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.
We’ve built an AI-assisted workflow that makes posting easy, effective, and actually worth reading.

If you're curious, DM me. 

No cold, hard pitch, I promise. Just a real convo about where you’re headed and whether some damn smart content can help.

Stephen 😀

Stephen Mostrom

See you later, LinkedIn…

Donna and I are headed to Florence! 

It’s been a crazy busy year — energizing, exhausting, meaningful, relentless — and we made it through together.

Now it’s time to unplug.

We’re swapping client deadlines for slow mornings in Santo Spirito.

Zoom calls for Chianti pours.

Content calendars for Tuscan sunsets.

And yes, I fully plan to come back with a few extra pounds…
kilos, if you will.

See you soon!
Arrivederci!

Writer for B2B Tech & Finance ✍️ | Running a content agency with my wife (and yes, still married) | Human words, AI workflows | JD & MBA

No alternative text description for this image

LinkedIn organic reach is ☠️... right?

I synced up with my favorite career coach, Julia Korn, to share 5 pro tips from the 1000+ LinkedIn posts I wrote for execs this year. 

And the 10M+ impressions and 20K+ followers they drove. 
... Organically. 

1. Write like you talk
2. Get real
3. Subtract
4. Where's the proof?
5. Post, adapt, repeat

The article is LIVE (!)

If you're looking to grow on LinkedIn, don't miss this.
→ https://lnkd.in/eZj-25AS

Donna (extrovert): Let's be room hosts at MarketingProfs B2B Forum!
Me (introvert): ahahaha cool cool cool 😅 😱 ☠️

But where else can you hang with hundreds of B2B diehards?

Where else can you get a front-row seat to the sharpest voices in marketing and walk away with a dozen lines you wish you’d written?

Where else can you see Ann Handley dance alongside a marching band?

So yeah… 
This guy’s a room host. 

If you need me, I’ll be by the door acting like I didn’t rehearse my “welcome everyone!” a dozen or more times. 

And apparently I’m doing it again tomorrow. 🤷

PipelineOS

PipelineOS is a program that specialises in empowering agency owners.

We focus on building funnels that run on autopilot that convert people while you sleep.

Founder

Jon U Consulting

Helping B2B Teams win more clients in less time by growing an email list of buyers. Join my free workshop. Seats are limited, so apply now!

Are you a B2B Sales leader looking to streamline your processes, attract higher-quality clients, and drive sustainable growth, without sacrificing your time or sanity?

I know that running a successful recruitment business is no small feat. Your focus is on delivering results, managing your team, and scaling your business, but finding the time to optimise your systems often feels impossible. That’s where I come in.

I help recruitment leaders like you build scalable outreach & content systems that consistently bring in high-quality clients and candidates. Imagine effortlessly adding £20,000+ to your monthly revenue with a clear, repeatable process that works while you focus on leading your business.

Here are some of my key achievements:
✅ Built a system that generated £90,000 in revenue for a recruitment leader in 6 months
✅ Helped a client attract 5+ high-value clients within a month using optimised content systems
✅ Increased a recruitment team’s efficiency by 30% with our done-for-you service
✅ Developed outreach strategies that consistently deliver qualified leads

I offer tailored workshops, coaching, and done-for-you systems to help you achieve predictable growth and maximise profitability. Whether you're just starting to refine your processes or you're ready to scale to the next level, I can help.

Ready to elevate your recruitment business?
Let’s connect.

We can build a system that works for you, not the other way around!

Jonny Umoru

The more recruitment founders I speak to, the more I notice the pattern.

They say they want different things.
- More clients.
- Better candidates.
- Growth.
- Stability.
- Time back.

And that part is true.

But they are all doing the same things that do not get them what they want.

They smash the phones all day and call that effective BD.
And then wonder why they are not hitting target.

Meanwhile, the agencies investing in positioning are playing a different game.
Their market understands them.

Trusts them.
Comes to them warmer.

Same industry. Same economy.
 
Very different outcomes.

This isn’t about working harder.
It’s about building something that works when you’re not pushing it every day.

I help Business Leaders build authority pipelines.

I used to overthink every post, every comment, every opinion.

Until I realised something brutal.

The people I was worried about weren’t paying my bills.
And they definitely weren’t building my pipeline.

Most agency owners say they’re “holding back” because they care what others think.
But the truth is harsher.

Every week you delay content, you delay opportunities.
You delay conversations.
You delay growth.

If you’re not visible to your target audience.
You’re not being humble.
You’re just being your own worst enemy.

Post the content.
Send the email.
Message the prospect.

You don’t earn inbound by hiding.
And no one is coming to rescue a business they don’t even know exists.

So stop waiting and start moving.

If you’re stuck thinking “why can’t I get more clients in my DMs” and you’re an agency owner, DM me and we’ll book a chat.

Building inbound and outbound email systems that win clients while you sleep.

I tripled my LinkedIn views with this 1 key content shift.

Posting on LinkedIn isn’t about instant views or quick sales.

We assume we’ll match bigger creators’ results immediately.
Then we feel disappointed when we don’t get the same traction.

Here’s the truth:
→ They’ve worked hard to get consistent results.
→ They know their audience better than we do.
→ They’ve built relationships over time.
→ They’ve mastered their writing skills.

This isn’t bad news → it’s actually encouraging.

It means we have a clear goal to strive for.
We just need to adapt, learn, and stay consistent.

Instead of comparing, I focused on my message.
I spent 2 months learning about my ideal audience.

The result? 
I went from 0 leads to 15 inbound leads every month.

What’s your biggest focus when posting content?

You’re losing clients to people you’re better than.
And you don’t even realise it yet.

Most founders think their main problem is delivery.
It’s not.
Their problem is invisibility.

I’ve spoken to too many leaders who are brilliant at what they do.
They are also respected by their teams and trusted by long term clients.

But are completely unknown to the people who should be buying from them right now.

And here’s the part no one likes hearing.

The market doesn’t reward the best operator.
It rewards the most visible operator.

If your competitors show up more than you, they win by default.
Not because they’re better.
But because they’re present.

This is why your pipeline feels unpredictable.
This is why outbound feels harder.
This is why your calendar isn’t full.

Visibility creates demand.
Demand creates conversations.
Conversations create revenue.

Fix visibility and the entire system opens up.

Ignore visibility and you’ll keep losing deals you should have won easily.

👋🏻 Follow me to learn how to stay visible, build authority, and create warm conversations with buyers every week.

If you think posting once a week will grow your pipeline, you’ve already lost.

Leaders keep clinging to this idea that “showing up when I can” is enough.

It’s not.

The market is noisier, faster, and more competitive than it’s ever been.
Your audience forgets you in 48 hours if you’re not in their feed.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth.

Your pipeline isn’t slow because your offer is weak.
It’s slow because your presence is weak.

I’ve spoken to execs with brilliant delivery who still struggle to win new business because they rely on:
- Old relationships
- Referrals
- Occasional posts
- Hope

That’s a hobbyist strategy.

If you want a real pipeline, you need a real visibility cadence.
→ Daily touchpoints.
→ Authority assets.
→ A system that builds trust before the sales call even starts.

Stop treating visibility like an optional extra.

It’s the tax you pay to stay relevant.

Here is a simple exercise that will get you your next 2 clients in 2 weeks.

That is just connecting with the right people.

But also remember that you need to connect with the right number of people, also.

Too many people are not using LinkedIn to connect with others and then complain that no one is seeing their content.

You need to realise that you are contributing to the very problem you are facing.

You get about 100 connections to try to make every week.
You need to use everyone if you want to be as effective as you can be.

Start with doing 10 every day.
And then when you are used to that, connect with 20 every weekday.

You will thank me for this when you grow your audience with more relevant people.

I get on about ten to fifteen prospect calls every week.
All with recruitment directors and agency owners.
After a while, you start to see the same patterns.

Most people tell me they don’t understand why nobody engages with their content.
Then, two minutes later, they tell me their entire feed consists of job posts, anniversary posts, awards, or how many years they’ve been in business.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that.
It’s just not relevant anymore.
Not in a world where your clients have options everywhere.

The part most directors miss is this.
People want to work with people.
But nearly every agency hides behind its brand.

They never talk about themselves.
They never share how they think.
They never show the person behind the business.

And the truth is, a lot of them are scared to.
Scared of saying the wrong thing.
Scared of being judged.
Scared of looking unprofessional.
So they keep posting the safest content possible.
And it gets the safest results possible.
Silence.

The moment a director starts showing who they are, their engagement changes.
People respond.
Conversations start.
Clients feel like they actually know them.

Because in this industry, you’re not selling a product.
You’re selling trust.
And trust always comes from the person, not the logo.

Yesterday summed up exactly why most agencies stay stuck.

I woke up ready to go.
Kids done. Nursery run done.
I had 4 client meetings lined up. 
My momentum was high.

Then the internet collapsed across my entire postcode.

No emails. No meetings. No funnel tasks.
Just a dead router and a derailed plan.

Most people would write off the day.
Most agency owners do this every week without a tech issue.
One small disruption and all pipeline activity stalls.

But here is the difference.

Instead of sitting in frustration, I asked myself one question.
What action can I take right now that creates revenue tomorrow?

After that, I switched from inbound tasks to old-school pipeline work.
I picked up the phone.
Worked through my warm list.

Two hours later, I had four more meetings booked with people who had already shown interest but never moved.

This is the part that recruitment leaders miss.
- You hammer outbound.
- You avoid inbound.
- You wait for “the right moment” to create content
- You don't follow up on warm signals.
And that is why your pipeline stays cold.

Momentum is built by adaptability.
Revenue is created by consistency.
Setbacks are irrelevant when your system is strong.

If you are an agency owner wondering why no one is sliding into your inbox, send me a DM and let’s book a chat.

Posting everyday for the sake of it is not good enough.

I just thought I would say that for everyone.

Why not try understanding your audience also.

You might get a lot more potential clients messaging you.

There was a point where I genuinely wanted to quit my business.
Not because I was lazy. Not because I didn’t care.
I was just exhausted.

I had just bought a house. 
We had our second child. 
Life should have felt solid, but all I felt was pressure.

Working nonstop. 
Paying bills as fast as they arrive. 
Trying to hold everything together for everyone else.

And the whole time, I told myself that my feelings didn’t matter.
That my only job was to support my wife, my kids, my siblings.
That I didn’t get to ask for anything.

I kept quiet for too long.
Quiet enough that I actually started believing my own story.

But at some point, the weight got too heavy. 
I couldn’t pretend anymore. 
So I sat everyone down and said I couldn’t carry things the way I had been.

I felt embarrassed at first.
Like I should have been stronger.
Like admitting the truth meant I had failed.

But the relief came fast. Almost instant.
My head felt clearer than it had in months.
It was the first time I breathed properly in a long time.

What surprised me was how everyone reacted.
They weren’t disappointed. They weren’t confused.
They were relieved. Especially my wife.

It showed me something I should have realised earlier. 
Silence was the real problem. Not me.

I had built a life where everything depended on me trying to be unbreakable.
And the moment I stopped pretending, everything started to make sense.

I’m not unstoppable because everything is easy now.
I’m unstoppable because I stopped carrying everything alone.

If you’re feeling anything close to what I felt, talk to someone.
Don’t wait until you’re running on nothing.
You deserve support just as much as the people you support.

I’ve had enough calls this year to notice a pattern most recruiters won’t admit.

Everyone wants growth.
Almost nobody wants to change how they operate.

I can’t count how many conversations start the same way.

“I know we should be posting more…”
“We’ve been meaning to build a lead magnet…”
“Our outbound is inconsistent…”
“We just need more time…”

It’s the exact same script.
Different company, different logo, same problem.

Here’s the reality leaders avoid.

Your pipeline isn’t suffering because you don’t know what to do.
It’s suffering because you haven’t committed to doing it.

And because of that, every step in your GTM is built on hope.

Hope that referrals keep coming.
Hope that inbound magically appears.
Hope that visibility “picks up” without action.
Hope that someone on your team suddenly becomes consistent.

Hope is not a system.
Hope never compounds.

But the founders who win?
They accept the pattern early.
They stop lying to themselves.
They install structure, cadence, and clarity before the pressure hits.

And when the pressure does hit → they’re already ahead.

If your growth feels unpredictable, start here.

Fix the inconsistency in your behaviour, not the inconsistency in the market.

Most people overlook the thing that makes them valuable.

I did the same for years.

I spent almost a decade as a 360 recruiter. 
Before that I was a door to door salesman, a payroll manager, a finance assistant, and the person fixing problems nobody else wanted to touch.

At the time none of it felt special. It was just work.

But now I speak with recruitment founders every day and they keep telling me the same thing.

A single call with me helps them understand their outreach, their content, and their positioning better than anything they have heard in months.

It is not because I am clever. 
It is because I lived the same pressure they live with. 
→ I built desks. 
→ I chased roles. 
→ I dealt with candidates. 
→ I dealt with clients.

I felt the highs and lows of recruitment every day for 8 years.

When you combine that with 5 years of building content, marketing, and outbound systems for my own business, something powerful happens.

I understand how to help recruiters grow because I was one. 
And I know how to build a pipeline because I had to.

If you are a recruitment founder, your background is your advantage. 
You just have not turned it into a system yet.

If you want to fix that and start booking more clients in the next 90 days.
I have a few spaces to work with you.

DM me the word CLIENTS and I will send you the details.

Most businesses don’t realise their pipeline is weakening.

Because it doesn’t collapse overnight.
It erodes quietly.

BD takes more effort.
Replies slow down.
Conversions feel unpredictable.

So the instinct is to push harder.

That’s the mistake.

Pipelines don’t break because people stop working.
They break because one of three things slips.
1️⃣ Clarity
2️⃣ Authority
3️⃣ Conversations

Miss just one, and demand starts leaking everywhere else.

This carousel shows exactly where that breakdown usually happens and why more calls or messages never fixes it.

💥 If you want to see where visibility is breaking down inside your agency right now, DM me STRESS.

I’ll run you through the Visibility Stress Test and give you a clear plan to stabilise your pipeline and generate more warm, quality client conversations before the year ends.

No guesswork.
No grinding.
Just a pipeline that actually makes sense again.

If your pipeline feels random, this is why!

Your competitors aren’t better than you.
They’re just louder.

There’s a shift happening right now that almost nobody in the mid-market wants to admit.

Decision makers don’t choose the best operator anymore.
They choose the operator they see the most.

I’ve had over 150 sales conversations this year.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a recruiter, a consultant, a CFO, or a COO.

The same pattern shows up every single time.

They’re losing deals because the market forgot they exist.

Not because their delivery is bad.
Not because their offer is weak.
Not because clients didn’t need them.

They simply weren’t visible.

Your competitors who post twice a week?
They look like market leaders even when they’re not.

Your competitors who share frameworks, insights, and systems?
They become the default choice.

Your competitors who show up consistently?
They build the illusion of momentum, which turns into real momentum.

This is the shift.

Attention is the new leverage.
Silence is the new expense.

If you don’t install a visibility system in 2025, you’re not just behind.
You're invisible.

And invisible businesses don’t scale.

🔥 If you’re a recruitment leader and you are done guessing and want a proven operating system for demand.
🚀 Book a call. DM me the word CLARITY.

The biggest bottleneck in your business isn’t your market. It’s you.

Founders love saying they “don’t have time” for visibility or BD.
But they always have time for the fire-fighting created by not doing it.

If you’re not posting, not building authority, not following up, not nurturing your list…

That’s not a capacity issue.
That’s a leadership issue.

Here’s the truth.

You know what works.
You just haven’t prioritised it.

And until you stop trying to do everything alone, your growth will stay capped.

Your pipeline isn’t stuck because the system doesn’t work.
It’s stuck because you haven’t installed one.

Most recruitment leaders don’t realise their pipeline is weakening until it is already happening.

You feel BD becoming heavier.
You feel engagement dropping.
You feel outreach getting colder.

And because the team is busy, you retreat deeper into delivery, hoping things will stabilise.

But visibility doesn’t fix itself.

Once the market stops seeing you, competitors who are louder but not better begin taking the opportunities you should be winning.

Here are the early signs of the spiral and help agency owners understand why their pipeline feels unstable even when their delivery is strong.

If you want to know how this applies to your agency.

💥 DM me “SPIRAL” and book a strategy call with me.

THE RECRUITEMNT VISIBILITY SPIRAL

There are some dangers to always posting content online.
That put people off posting.
Here are a few.

1. Your ICP may see you
2. Your ICP may disagree with you
3. Your ICP may not like you

To many people I speak to each week, focus on the negative.
And if you think like this, you are just being dishonest.

As the real reason you are not posting is that you are scared of being judged.

I know this because I used to be the same.

Start posting about things you know will move the needle.

My content does not get crazy engagement.
But it drives a lot of DM's, and that is fine with me.

Focus on being useful to those you want to work with.
And not just on being popular.

Most agencies lose out on at least 5 placements per month.

All because of one simple mistake.

They never talk about the thing that makes them different.
I see this pattern every time I work with a new agency.

You already have a way of sourcing.
A way of qualifying.
A way of delivering that clients love.

That is your IP.

Once you name it and share it online, everything changes.

Your content hits harder.
Your positioning gets sharper.
Your ideal clients start paying attention.

If you want more inbound, stop hiding the thing that makes you different.

Turn your process into a system.
Turn that system into content.
Let the market see it.

🔥 Are you a recruitment leader who wants more ideal clients?
🚀 Book a call for my free 14 Day Mini Install.
🔗 DM me the word "CLIENTS", and I'll send you the link.

Today’s my birthday. I'm the big 36!!!
Thank you to everyone who’s sent messages, I appreciate it.

Quick update for the recruitment founders and directors here.

My done-for-you PipelineOS slots have started filling up faster than planned. 

And recently I’ve had a lot of agency owners ask how they can build the systems behind what I do, without needing the full DFY service.

So I’ve been building something in the background.

Something that gives you the same growth foundations.
But lets you stay fully in control of the pace.

A group coaching program specifically for recruitment founders who want to create a client acquisition system that actually works in 2025.

Inside, I’ll teach you how to
→ Build a lead magnet that gets hiring managers onto your list
→ Create content based on your own IP so clients come to you
→ Launch a simple email funnel that warms prospects and drives inbound
→ Turn visibility into booked calls without cold spamming
→ Build a repeatable system that doesn’t depend on “posting jobs and hoping”

I’m opening 10 founder slots only for the first round at founder pricing.
After that, it moves to full price.

If you run a recruitment agency and want a predictable way to win clients.
DM me and we’ll talk before the slots fill up.

Most people think the market rewards talent.

It doesn’t.

It rewards the ones who show up with clarity and confidence.
While everyone else waits to “feel ready”.

I spoke to someone this week who has delayed creating video content for three years.
Not because she lacks expertise.
Not because she lacks results.
Because she’s been waiting for the perfect moment.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth.

Comfort doesn’t build pipeline.
Clarity does.
Visibility does.

If you refuse to be seen.
You refuse to be chosen.

Every week you delay content.
Is another week your competitors speak to the clients you should have won.

Every month you stay silent.
Is another month your warm audience forgets you.

Every quarter you put it off.
Is another quarter your pipeline stays flat.

The opportunities you want are already there.
You just aren’t visible enough to receive them.

If you’re a recruitment founder, wondering why your DMs are quiet and your pipeline feels thin.

Send me a DM and let’s book a chat.

taplio

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Stephen Mostrom

Jonny Umoru

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taplio

The Battle

Stephen Mostrom

Jonny Umoru

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

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