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

How my wife and I work together without losing our minds (or our marriage)...

9 years ago, Donna and I started Damn Smart Marketing.
4 years ago, we niched down to B2B content writing. 
24 months ago, I joined full-time. 

It's been a wild ride. 
Full of ups and downs. 

And, when we share our story with others, the same question comes up every time.

"How do you work with your partner 24/7 without killing each other?"

Here's our formula: 

1 - Love your differences (really!)
2 - Create a clear division of duties
3 - Remove pressure whenever possible
4 - Talk about everything
5 - Leave your ego at the door

Interested in learning more about how we make it work?

👉 https://lnkd.in/gtPzBpME

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

I've got one resolution for '26. 
KEEP. IT. REAL. 

Real talk
- Words I’d say out loud, not empty-calorie buzzwords
- Taking a stance, not performative "thought leadership"
- Posting for people, not the algorithm

Real content
- Heart-first drafts, not perfect-first outputs
- A voice with fingerprints, not generic AI fluff
- Photos that feel lived-in, not perfectly staged

Real-ationships
- Showing up first, not keeping score
- Chats that run long, not calendar Tetris
- Conversations with pauses, not pitches

LinkedIn.
The business world.
The internet.
Honestly, the whole globe.

It’s getting more synthetic by the second.

Time to swim against the current. 

Real only. 
No exceptions. 

You in?

LinkedIn friends: Can you help me get the word out?

I’ve got *a lot* of thoughts on writing, creativity, AI (and where to avoid it), and B2B marketing. 

(Also the last season of Stranger Things… but that’s a separate thread)

I’m looking to connect with smart folks who care about these topics and want to have no-fluff conversations around them.

If you know anyone I should meet, I’d appreciate a tag or a DM:

- Podcast hosts
- Conference organizers
- Speaking opportunities
- Or adjacent worlds I should be paying attention to

And if you just want to talk about The Upside Down or how Steve + Dustin are an elite duo, I’m here for that too!

Thanks in advance. 🙏

I assume every LinkedIn post will flop (yes, even after 1M+ impressions). So, I run mine through this 10-point checklist before hitting publish.👇

The result?

10k+ followers
Viral client posts
Countless connections

Here's the checklist: 

1. Did I start with the good stuff?
Weak hook, no go. I’ll tweak it 100x to get it right.

2. Does this post sound like me? (Or like AI?)
Beep boop. No thanks, I’ll stick to Stephen writing. 

3. Did I make it easy to read?
No one’s reading bland blocks of text during their coffee break.

4. Did I paint the picture?
Feelings, stakes, pain. That makes a story real. 

5. Will I remember this tomorrow?
If it’s forgettable to me, it’s forgettable to them.

6. Am I talking to one person, or broadcasting to everyone?
Generic tone = generic results. I write to one reader and one reader only.

7. Did I edit out the filler?
Adverbs, clichés, throat-clearing intros. I cut them with a chainsaw.

8. Did I anchor it in lived experience?
Real stories beat abstract advice every day (twice on Sundays).

9. What’s the one thing I want someone to remember?
If my post has 6 points, it has no point.

10. Did I enjoy writing it?
If it felt like a chore, it’ll probably read like one too.

Your go-to?

Who in their right mind adds 25 pounds to their morning walk?

Umm....

Last year, I started wearing a weighted vest. Unless it's 110° or more, most mornings you'll find me with three dogs walking a mile loop around Chandler. 

Shoulders strained. 
Core (hopefully) engaged. 
CCR probably on repeat. 

It's the funny bit about exercise...

To get stronger, you have to intentionally do hard things. Lift heavy stuff, run when nothing's chasing you, or strap extra weight to your body. 

The reward?
Growth. 

Problem is, when I look at the mental side of work, all I see are shortcuts. AI wasn't the first, but boy is it the loudest. 

"Write 100 LinkedIn posts in 30 seconds!"
"Turn one idea into a week of content!"
"Hit publish without ever breaking a sweat!"

There’s absolutely a time and place for speed, efficiency, and productivity.

But if everything gets easier…
When do we actually get stronger?

This isn't theoretical. 

Darja Djordjevic (Columbia Univ) on AI: 
“Here is a machine that is always available, endlessly enthusiastic, and seemingly competent in every domain. That creates a powerful feedback loop. You skip the discomfort of starting from scratch and get rewarded in seconds.”

Great for the short-term. 
Hazardous for the long. 

That's why I'm personally putting on weighted vests at work, too. 

Writing the first draft from scratch.
Sitting with the mess before cleaning it up.
Thinking before prompting.

Do I use AI? Of course.
But it’s the spotter, not the lifter.

Because the discomfort *is* the workout.

Maybe I'm not in my right mind. 
Maybe that's okay... as long as I'm growing. 🤷

Last year, I ghostwrote on LinkedIn for a dozen execs. 12M+ impressions, 20k+ followers. Here are 4 post types that delivered (and why): 

1. Scar stories

Easily our top-performer. 

What were the bottom-rung moments in a career (fumbles, toxic peers, etc)? And, most importantly, what did you learn from them?

One six-figure impression post from last year started with, “When I left the boardroom, I thought I was fired.” 

These posts counter the perfect upward path so often embedded in thought leadership content. 

They take courage to post. 
And that’s why they work. 

2. Non-obvious + niche trends

Market trend posts work when you’ve got a one-of-one view. 
And genuine thought leaders do. 

The key is making sure the trends don’t sound like an economics report. 

They need to cut deep for your target audience. 
Show you’re in the trenches. 

Not “5 [industry] trends,” but “5 patterns showing up across every [industry] conversation I’m in.”

3. Have you seen?

This is the small-scale side of the trends conversation. 
Commenting on news happening right now, this minute. 

- Major shakeup in your industry
- Big, bold stance by leadership
- Real-time data that informs decisions

In one move, you bring your readership into the fold (“have you seen?”), then lay out your angle (“here’s how I see it”). 

Timely and opinionated. 

4. I used to think X, now I think Y

Growth is interesting. 

People love to map the trajectory a leader’s taken. They want to see the nitty-gritty thoughts that shape million-dollar (billion-dollar?) leadership. 

One post that caught fire last year…
 
It broke down the people side of a data-heavy business. “I used to think the numbers mattered most, now I think it’s those small hallway conversations.”

Growth. And how it happens. 
Your readers can easily take notes. 




What do these posts have in common?

- Specific to YOU, not just anyone
- Getting real with your struggles and journey
- Putting the “thought” in thought leadership

That’s what separates the leaders people sync with…
From content that gets scrolled past and forgotten.

This might be my favorite January reading stack ever ↓

📚 How fear shaped history, politics, society, and more 
📚 One man's journey to consume the entire encyclopedia britannica
📚 The economist behind "Capital" takes on current events
📚 AI's impact on human writing (hint: it's not good)
📚 A globetrotting journey via classic works of fiction

What are you reading?
(Recommendations, please! I'm building my list for next month)

I'm tired of reading LinkedIn posts stuffed with fluff. 

Too many words. Too little payoff. A waste of everyone's time...

The result:
Writer – Annoyed that their message isn't resonating. 😡 
Reader – Annoyed that their attention isn't respected. 😤 

Who's this working for?
Answer: no one.

Time to get back to an old writing rule I swear by, "Every word not working for you... is working against you." 

Time to ditch words that add nothing. 

↓↓↓
These are the 4 worst offenders I see every single day: 

1. Buzzword Bingo
“Leverage”
“Synergy”
“Thought leadership”
“Game-changing”

2. The Warm-Up Lap
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately…”
“I wanted to share a quick thought…”
“This might resonate with some of you…”
“Just some reflections…”

3. Captain Generic
“Bet on yourself.”
“Show up.”
“Do the work.”
"Success isn't linear."

4. Say It Again, But Louder
“In other words…”
“Put simply…”
“Let me explain…”
“To clarify…”

Instead of fluff, do this...

Get to the point. 
Respect your reader. 
Mic drop and move on. 

Yeah?

Buffer crunched 2M+ data points to answer the question: How often should you post on LinkedIn to maximize reach? ↓

2-5 times per week. 

Doesn’t have to be every day. 
Doesn’t have to destroy your calendar. 

But moving from “whenever I have time” or once a month to this range yields serious results. 

+1,182 more impressions per post
0.23 percentage point lift in engagement rate

Buffer calls it “flipping a switch.”

That’s why, when we work with busy execs and founders at Damn Smart Marketing, we use a simple 3 / 30 approach: 

3 → publish three posts per week (minus holidays)
30 → one 30-minute weekly brainstorm to generate raw ideas

(Huge shoutout to Devin Reed, who runs this process to perfection. His breakdown is worth a look: https://lnkd.in/gcghEk5R)

That’s it. 

The difference between fading into the background and showing up in the feed of the people you want to reach. 

Questions?
Drop them below or DM me.

It's official: most folks DO NOT want to read AI. 

I've suspected as much. Seen loads of spiky posts about it on LinkedIn. But this is 4,484 people casting their vote, and you can see...

Only 16% keep reading, no problem. 
Whoa. 🤯 

My thoughts: 

1 - This topic is emotional quicksand. 4k+ people voting on a LinkedIn poll... that crazy, and a signal that people REALLY care. 

This isn't a shoulder shrug.  
It's a raging fire we need to pay attention to. 

2 - How do you know something was written by AI? Short answer: you don't. Instead, we're all judging in seconds. 

Is it flat, lifeless? Could anyone have written it? 
Does it have an em dash or too many rule of threes?

There's no rulebook. 
Just people making assumptions. 

As writers, marketers, and content folks...
We have to know this. Understand it. Adapt to it. 

3 - Content is about making bets. Bets that something you create will resonate and lead to a conversation, trust-building, etc. 

Idk about you...

But I don't want to bet on 16% odds. The chance folks MIGHT ignore the AI of it all and keep reading anyway... even if ChatGPT can generate 1M words in 3 seconds.

The smarter bet? 
Write for people. Write what resonates. 

And at least according to this (pretty big) poll, that isn't AI. 



Ok, enough of my ramblings...
What do you think? 

P.S. Shoutout to Mel Barfield for doing the work.

This LinkedIn post should have been a snoozefest. ↓

Instead, it's one of the best examples of writing voice I've ever seen. 


We've all seen the new furry friend angle.
Usually it's “I got a pup! 🐶” and 5 likes.

But not Lauren. 

Check it…

1 - She pulls you right into the storyworld

“middle of the workday” → busy CEO
“puppy with bad eyes” → awwww
“definitely don’t need another dog” → tension
“skin of our gahdayum teeth” → relatability
“ohmygaaaahhhh” → human emotion
“drive four hours” → commitment

And then there’s her backstory:
“lost… one year ago this week”
😭😭😭

2 - She uses (gasp) humor

Pile of laundry?
Mitch McConnell? 

I won’t explain the funny here cause that ruins it. 
But c’mon. This is standup level. 

3 - She sounds so human

Running around at 1 million miles per hour. 
Making heartfelt decisions. 
Talking pup names with her husband. 
Reflecting on the past and looking to the future. 

All in 115 words. 



I’ve never met Lauren. 
Never seen her content on LinkedIn before. 
But you can bet I smashed that “like” button fast. 

And last I checked, 1000+ others had too. 

Wow. Great writing. 
Who knew?

“Have AI write the first draft, then edit.” 

I know smart folks who write this way. It works for them. Real talk, though, it's not how I do my best writing.

Here's why: 

1 - The 1000-pound anchor. 

Once words are on the screen, they’re hard to ignore. You start reacting to what’s there instead of imagining what could be.

That usually means less human judgment. Less original thinking.

You either have to edit hard and fast and often. 
Or you quietly settle.

2 - It’s painfully predictable.

AI leans on the same phrases, rhythms, and structures. Even when you tell it to mix things up.

So I’m left with two bad options:
- Everything I write starts to sound the same
- I spend time hacking and rearranging instead of thinking

Both feel like fighting the work instead of doing it.

3 - I want my creative muscles strong.

I plan to write tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that.

When I'm on a client call, I want ideas flowing straight from my brain (not from a prompt I used last week). 

That only happens with reps.

Staring down the blank page like it's a roaring dragon spitting flames. And coming out the other side untouched. 

---

My process instead: 

- I write the first draft, messy and human. 
- I get feedback from trusted peers and my co-founder. 
- I use AI for grammar, polish, and the occasional word swap.

That balance works for me. 
It protects originality without sacrificing speed or quality.

Curious how others do it.

AI-written first drafts?
Or human-first?

When execs and founders ask me how to win on LinkedIn, I give the same advice every time: Hook your reader. Here are 5 hook-writing tips👇

1. Know the fundamentals

Your hook = what shows before “see more.”
You’ve got about 200 characters to earn the click.
Make it count.

2. Use specific, emotionally charged words

Generic is boring. Stats are boring. I’ve seen enough posts start with a bland sentence + stat to fill a stadium.

Don’t aim for the head. Aim for the heart.

And use the words that speak to them...

Think:
– Burnout, not low engagement
– Ghosted, not no response
– Nightmare spreadsheet, not manual process

3. Inject your POV

There’s way too much “you should” on here. Try “I did” instead.

Personal stories beat generic advice every day of the week.

Simple formula:
Do interesting things. Talk about them.

4. Signal value early

If you’re sharing 5 tips, say that up front. Please don’t make people guess what they’re getting.

Clarity builds trust... fast.

5. Benefits, benefits, benefits

Assumption is a dangerous game on LinkedIn. The audience is too wide, too diverse.

So spell it out:
- Why should someone care? (benefit)
- What’s it going to help them do? (benefit)
- What’s the end result? (benefit)

If the value’s not obvious, they’ll scroll. Every time.


---
Your turn: What's your go-to tip for writing a standout hook?

Donna Mostrom calls our LLM “Cathy.”

Because we use ChatGPT.

Chatty Cathy.
Well played. 🫡

Follow for daily Insights to live a longer, healthier life

Over the past decade, I’ve scaled revenue and client success at three SaaS companies from $3M to $50M+ ARR, delivering 110%+ net revenue retention and top 10% NPS scores (65+).

Today, we help recruiting agency owners & Principals ($5M–$20M billings, 5–20 recruiters) land new clients from LinkedIn by becoming a trusted authority in their market. 

Our clients are busy business owners. They don’t want to be “content creators.” 

They want done-for-you exec content that lands new clients. That’s what we do.

In the past 12 months, we’ve generated $5M+ in client billings from LinkedIn by positioning recruiting agency owners as the go-to authorities in their markets.

Our methodology:
→ Revenue Growth Engine - a 3-step system perfected with 40+ founders & recruiting agencies
→ Content strategy that generates demand for contingent and retained searches (not just likes)
→ Strategic outreach to initiate conversations with your ideal clients
→ All requiring just 1.5 hours per week from busy Principals and owners

Our results:
→ 40+ owners and Principals served
→ $5M+ in client billings generated from inbound leads via LinkedIn
→ 8+ qualified inquiries per month within 90 days (average client result)
→ Doubling client pipelines in under 6 months
→ Clients include 7 and 8-figure recruiting agencies commanding $75K+ fees and securing multi-search mandates

And we're just getting started!

We help recruiting business owners who are:
→ Tired of building trust from scratch and ready for clients who arrive pre-sold
→ Reliant on a referral pipeline that has plateaued and feels unpredictable
→ Ready to turn decades of expertise into an inbound client pipeline

Ready to turn LinkedIn into your #1 growth channel?
→ Book a 25-minute strategy call: 

https://calendly.com/rohan-karunakaran-mbww/1-1-strategy-call

Rohan Karunakaran

One of my highlights from 2025 was attending a Dr. Joe Dispenza advanced retreat in Nashville. 

It was a fully immersive 7 day experience. 1,500 people. 14-hour days from 6am-8pm. Some days started at 4am. 

A few key takeaways that stayed with me:

1. Most people are living in the past:

Most people are living in a loop where today looks like yesterday. 

If we keep making a copy of a copy of a copy - like an old cassette tape - we’re becoming a cheaper, more diluted version of our true selves. 

To break the loop, we must become greater than the body, the mind, and the environment — all of which are largely conditioned by the past.

“Overcoming is the becoming process.”

The resistance we feel — to get out of bed, go to the gym, or have the hard conversations — is often the past being projected into the future.

The mind predicts an unpleasant experience so the body responds with resistance or avoidance. 

If we can overcome ourselves in those small moments, we step into possibility to a life that feels both more exciting and more peaceful. 

As I wrote in my journal: “If I can overcome myself in the morning, everyone else will be easy” HA!

2. Opening the heart:

The universe only gives us what we feel worthy of receiving. And worthiness comes from an open heart. 

Fear and frustration don’t open the heart. A constantly analytical mind doesn’t open the heart (learned that one the hard way 😄).

There’s nuance here — including practical ways I’ve found to cultivate an open heart — which probably deserves its own post.

The true masters (Jesus, Krishna, Buddha) knew the path: remove anything that stood in the way between them and an unconditionally open heart. 

3. Meditation as remembering:

The world is designed to help us forget our true selves:

• Societal conditioning
• The educational system
• The food we eat

The invisible scripts — when to buy a house, have children, what “success” is supposed to look like, etc, etc. the list is long !

The idea is not to fight against it. But to notice this old software program running and make intentional choices to update it. 

It starts with awareness. 

Meditation is the act of remembering. Of tuning out the noise so we can tune into the intelligence whispering within us.

From a neuroscience perspective, this often corresponds with shifting from high-beta analytical brainwave patterns into slower, more coherent alpha and theta states — states associated with calm focus, creativity, emotional regulation, and heart-brain coherence.

The result - the mind becomes an instrument of the heart:

• Decisions feel clean
• Work feels more easeful
• We feel more regulated, present and grounded

The ultimate goal: 

“Get so good doing it with your eyes closed, you can do it with your eyes open.” 

There were many more takeaways, including a breakthrough experience I had. 

It might be a little “woo” for LinkedIn, so let me know in the comments if you want a Part 2 👇

CEO at Frontier Growth Engine | Podcast host at Founder-Led 🎙️

B2B lags B2C by ~10 years.

Had a great conversation with Will Leatherman and he said it perfectly:

"If B2C’s creator era kicked off in 2014… B2B is right on schedule"

And the playbook is already written:

2016 → B2C social goes mainstream
2019 → Personal brands disproportionately outperform corporate brands
2020s → Distribution > product

Now the same shift is hitting B2B.

Founders & CEOs are becoming the face of their products & services.

Those who start now will be 2–3 years ahead by the time everyone else catches on.

I thought I was decent at discovery calls.

Then I role-played with the author of Gap Selling.

He dismantled my process in 10 minutes.

3 takeaways that completely changed how I run discovery:

1. Product-centric vs. help-centric selling:

Most founders (myself included) jump to the pitch too quickly. 

“Aha — they mentioned a problem. Let me tell them about our solution.”

Keenan . calls this product-centric selling.

Help-centric selling is different.

It goes deep on:
→ What are you trying to do?
→ What’s preventing you from doing it today?
→ What is that costing you?
→ How long has this been going on?
→ Is it actually worth changing?

If you’re not uncovering those, and gettting them to emotionally feel and articulate the pain of their current state, the pitch — and the decision — won’t have real stakes. And will likely fall flat.

2. Get them to quantify the gap

Keenan’s rule: define everything.

“Onboarding takes too long.” How long?

“We’re losing revenue.” How much?

Most founders hear a problem and move on.

But vague problems don’t create urgency. Numbers do.

When they say “$700K is at risk”  it becomes real.

3. Not going deep on consequences

This one got me.

Keenan didn’t stop at the surface issue.

He kept asking: 
→ What happens if referrals dry up next quarter? 
→ What's it costing you to spend 20 hours a week on outbound that goes nowhere? 
→ If you're spending 5 calls just to build trust — is that the best use of your time?

By the end, "I should probably invest more in thought leadership" became a $500K pipeline gap.

He wasn't manufacturing fear. He was helping me connect what I already knew.

Selling isn't about pitching features — it's about the cost of inaction.

Founder-led sellers - Which is harder for you: finding the pain or getting the prospect to quantify it?

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Rohan Karunakaran

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The Battle

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