Chris Do

Loud Introvert with a big mission: Teach 1B people how to make a living doing what they love. I run Business Bootcamp/Futur Pro Community.

As the Founder and CEO of The Futur, I have over 27 years of experience in brand design, strategy, and consultancy, working with clients such as Microsoft, Sony, Nike, and Starbucks. I am passionate about helping people realize their value and communicate it to others, whether through design, content, education, or coaching.

I am also a sought-after public speaker and mentor, delivering keynote speeches, workshops, and courses at various events, conferences, and organizations around the world. I share my insights and expertise on topics such as branding, business, creativity, and social media marketing, reaching millions of people through my YouTube channel, podcast, and online platform. My mission is to empower the next generation of creative entrepreneurs and leaders to achieve their full potential.

Founder, CEO

I help people realize their value and communicate it to others.

My friend watched me work for 10 minutes and said:
“I think I’ve been using AI wrong this entire time.”

He’s an AI phenom. Years deep in platforms, prompts, and processes. A wizard with AI. There’s very little he can’t do with it.

Me? I’m an old-school Photoshop and Illustrator guy.

We spent the last week jamming on new projects. While making YouTube thumbnails, he hit a wall. The AI kept producing images that were almost right. Close, but not quite.

Weird facial expressions. Odd skin detail. Missed references. Strange lighting. No extra fingers anymore (progress), but mystery hands holding things up.

We laughed every time it output something absurd. Prompt. Re-prompt. Prompt again. Tokens burning.

After his 47th iteration, I said, “Let’s do this like it’s 1999.”
I jumped into Photoshop. Fixed faces. Adjusted lighting. Painted over the weird bits. Combined three outputs into one image.

Fifteen minutes later: done.

He stared at the screen. Then at me.
“I forgot I could do that.”

That’s when it hit us both. He’d become obsessed with one-shotting it. Slowly, conveniently, he outsourced judgment to the machine.

“Lost in the gloss” of shiny AI output.

There’s a "reported" Apple finding that AI isn’t intelligence. It’s sophisticated mimicry. Like a knock-off luxury bag. Good from afar. Far from good.

The irony of AI?
It reminds us to be human.

Back to craft.
Back to taste.
Back to judgment.

Not for nostalgia. But to get it right.
He thanked me—not for fixing the image—but for reminding him why he fell in love with design.

AI didn’t replace his creativity.
It just made him forget he had it.
AI is great for ideation. Terrible for precise, nuanced execution.

The ideal workflow:
Intent and ideas (you).
Repetitive labor (AI).
Judgment, refinement, editing (you).

The best work still happens when you don’t export thinking to the machine.

Are you trying to one-shot your work?
What skills have you let atrophy?
What happens if you pick them back up?

This post reflects how I use Stanley (AI):
Human input. AI output. Human refinement.

I’ll drop a link if you’re curious.
#sponsored #designthinking #creativity

Success requires all of you. I’ll make the introductions. Reformed introvert turned omni-channel educator & influencer. Get help with your personal brand → Content Lab.

I turned 54 this year. (But it’s not my birthday)

One year away from official "senior citizen" status.
Senior. Citi. Zen?!!! (It's hard to even acknowledge)

I am not old. People older than me are old.
54 is the new 44 right?

Or, maybe I'm kidding myself?
There are benefits to getting older.

Knowing who I am.
Being comfortable in my own skin.
Giving less F***s about other people's opinions.
Enjoying the passage of time with family and friends.
Confident in my life experiences.

And…
Discounts.

Movie tickets. 
Museum entry. 
The early bird special at Denny's.

I'm not above it.

"Sir, that'll be $12."
"Actually, I'm 55." 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘐𝘋 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳
"That'll be $9."

Worth every gray beard hair, hyper pigmentation spot, and deepening Marionette line.

But here's what's funny.
I don't feel like a senior anything.

I still dress like a retired anime villain.
I still stay up too late on "brain rot" mode scrolling through IG.
I still get carded at—okay, no I don't.

People expect you to "act your age" at 55.
You know what acting my age looks like?

Cargo shorts. New Balance 624s. Golf shirt. Dad bod.
Dreaming about retirement.
Slipping into irrelevance.

Not happening.
I refuse to go gently into that beige night.

My plan?
Take the discounts.
Ignore the expectations.
Keep dressing like I have a stylist (I don't).
Challenge the status quo.
Make dad jokes and use Gen Z slang until my kids disown me.

55 is coming.
But boring? Never.

I'm not slowing down.
This is just the warm up for the third act.

I'll see you backstage in the green room, on the runway, on the tarmac, out in the wilderness, or in the streets of Dubai, Tokyo or Sydney.

Who else plans to collect senior discounts while refusing to act like one?

What's the most "age-inappropriate" thing you do?
Drop it below. No judgment.

Photo: (Rodrigo Tasca 🎥) Two guys wearing "kilts" meeting in Dubai at the 1 Billion Followers Summit.

The LinkedIn hack you probably forgot about.

It costs nothing.
Requires no strategy.
And it might be the most powerful thing you can do on this platform.

Like. Comment. Repost. Share.

That's it.

A few days ago, Uma Thana Balasingam posted something raw and vulnerable. She shared a hateful comment she received—someone called women like her "mediocre." Instead of shrinking, she stood tall and responded with clarity and conviction.

It was the kind of post that deserved to be seen.

So I commented. Not because I was trying to "boost engagement" or play the algorithm. I commented because I believed in what she said.

That single comment helped her post reach 18,000 additional impressions.

One comment.

You are not a passive consumer of your feed.
You are an active curator.

Every like is a vote.
Every comment is an amplifier.
Every share is a signal to LinkedIn—"show more of this."

We spend so much time worrying about our own reach, our own content, our own growth. But what if we spent just as much energy lifting the voices that matter?

The algorithm isn't some mysterious force.
It's trained by us. By our behavior. By what we engage with.

If you want a feed full of noise, engage with noise.
If you want a feed full of substance, engage with substance.

You have more power than you think.

Who's a creator you believe in that deserves more visibility? Tag them below. Let's give them their flowers.



#personalbranding #linkedin #community

Success requires all of you. I’ll make the introductions. Reformed introvert, Professional Weir-Do on a mission to help you Unbland yourself. Get help with your personal brand → Content Lab.

I'm often dumbfounded when I ask someone who their mentor is…
and their response is "I've never had one".

This isn't to shame anyone who has never had the opportunity, but to go at it on your, willfully, is doing it the hardest way possible.

The second is to seek advice and not apply it as directed. (One of my biggest frustrations as a coach is to work with people who aren't good at taking direction).

And if you know who you are, cough, cough, you know who you are.

If you know me, my story and the journey that I've been on, it will not surprise you as to who my mentors are. Except, perhaps, the last person on this list.

Often times when I'm doing a talk, I end it with something like this—

I wish, that at least once in your lifetime, you have someone that believes so much in you, that their confidence in you, is so great, that it overcomes your own limiting self-story, that you take action… and prove them right.

I'm not on a stage.
You're not in the audience.

But I sincerely wish this for you.

Who is the one person that has believed in you that has made what you've done possible? Please share in the comments and let's give them their flowers.

José Abraham Caballer Keir McLaren (RIP)

3 Mentors Who Changed My Life

I have 47 posts sitting in my drafts folder.
​​Most of them will never see the light of day.
​​
​​Not because they're bad ideas.
​​Because I couldn't stick the landing.
​​
​​Last Tuesday, I spent 45 minutes rewriting the same hook. Over and over. Nothing felt right. I closed the tab and moved on.
​​
​​Sound familiar?
​​
​​Then I heard a transportation planner explain something called the "last mile" problem.
​​
​​Public transit can be fast, cheap, and reliable. But if the train drops you off one mile from where you actually need to go?
​​
​​Most people will still drive.
​​Nothing changes.
​​
​​That hit me.
​​
​​Content works the same way.
​​
​​You don't have an idea problem.
​​You have a last-mile problem.
​​
​​The train line is built. Your draft exists.
​​But the final stretch—that's where momentum dies.
​​
​​The headline that won't land.
​​The ending that feels cheesy.
​​The fear of sounding "too salesy."
​​The perfectionism whispering, "Not yet."
​​
​​So I changed my approach.
​​
​​Drafting is the train line.
​​Publishing is the last mile.
​​Stanley is the shuttle that closes the gap.
​​
​​Not by writing for me. By getting me unstuck:
​​
​​→ Learns my voice from my past posts—so drafts sound like me, not a robot
​​→ Pulls from my best-performing content to suggest what's working
​​→ Gives me feedback like a coach—what's strong, what needs work
​​→ Helps me refine without starting from scratch
​​
​​You have a folder full of posts that could build your reputation. Open doors. Maybe even change someone's day.
​​
​​But they're trapped behind a hook you can't crack.
​​
​​Stanley helped me close that gap. I’ll include a link if you want to give it a try.
​​
​​What's the one post you've rewritten three times but still haven't shipped?
​​
​​Drop it below. Maybe today's the day it finally crosses the last mile.
​​
photo: Rodrigo Tasca 🎥
​​#sponsored #contentmarketing #aiworkflows

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What is a brand?
While we're at it, what is a personal brand?

And… is it valuable?
Isn't it just vanity metrics, attention seeking, and a desperate cry for help?

Allow me to share the 5Rs of personal branding.
• Reputation
• Relationship
• Revenue
• Retention
• Renewal

When done right, they spin like a flywheel generating positive sentiment, invitations to opportunities, business inquiries, partnerships, longer lifetime customer value and the willingness to renew or enroll in a program.

Brand is a "gut feeling".
We make buying decisions on "gut feelings" more than logic.

Your customers, clients and professional network are making decisions about you right now—

Do I like you?
Can I trust you?
Would I want to hang out with you?
Do we share the same values?
Do I believe what you believe?

Your brand/personal brand is a "force multiplier" for everything you do (Dan Martell). It accelerates and amplifies everything you do.

Is having a strong personal brand valuable?
You tell me.

Based on your content alone, if it weren't you, what would you think about you? What would that gut feeling be?

Let me know in the comments. 

#personalbranding #personalbrand #brand #branding

What is the ROI of Personal branding?

To AI or to not AI?

Here's a practical use case (at least for me).
I often wish I had studio quality, head to toe, photos of my different outfits (as a documentation of the different fits I'm experimenting with).

But it's obviously not a priority. 
So I'm at the mercy of what event organizers or Rodrigo Tasca is able to capture of me. He and the organizers have enough stuff to manage than to worry about whether or not I get my shot.

I used Higgsfield AI and ran their image engine (you can select which one you want to use as there are several). I've tested a few and NanoBanana Pro gives me the most consistent results.

With a very detailed prompt describing every single thing I'm wearing, it does a remarkable good job of reposing and relighting me.

Is it perfect?
No. But it gets the job done.

Now, I'm going back into my photo album with poorly lit, blurry, and messy photos (distracting background and people walking into frame) and generating new, more consistent shots.

Why?
I'm working on a new project—
"How to Dress Well. A guide to defining your personal style."

So I'm curious about 2 things:
1) What is an interesting use case of AI that you've personally used and love? Please share in the comments below. 
2) What do you think? Are you interested in my take on personal style?



#personalbranding #pesonalbrand #fashionfits

I'm on a mission. (sort of)
For whatever reason, I've got it in my mind that I'd like to grow to 1m followers here on Linkedin by the end of this year. 

I'm about 400k shy of this. So I've got some work to do.
But I love a good challenge, and a concrete goal.

Why should this matter to you?
Perhaps you also want to grow your influence and reach here.
And… if you do, I will share what's working and what isn't. 

Not from an analytical POV (there are people more qualified to do that). More from an educator/creator approach.

I will try things. 
Some things will work.
Many will not.

This won't be about algorithm hacking, adhering to best practices, formats and templatized content, or content dumping.

I'm going to post based on what I want to talk about, and invite anyone who's interested to participate. 

If I learn something, you will be the first to know. 
You're about to see greater intentionality and focus from me.

If you're reading this and don't already follow me, I'd appreciate the follow.
If you share my content with others, that'd be even more amazing. 

Thank you in advance. 

c

Loud Introvert
Unbland Yourself

What's your 1 goal for linkedin? Drop it in the comments.

Statistic Don't Lie (a story)

Branding isn't about logos.
It's about mental real estate.

The best personal brands don't just "build awareness."
They own a word.

A concept so deeply embedded in your mind that when you hear it, a specific face pops up. Instantly. Without thinking.

Don't believe me? Let's play a game.
Read these 15 words. Who comes to mind? Don't overthink it.

1. Atomic Habits
2. The 5-Second Rule
3. Extreme Ownership
4. Start With Why
5. Stay Hard
6. 4-Hour Workweek
7. Vulnerability
8. Spark Joy
9. Rich Dad
10. Peak State
11. Radical Candor
12. Longevity
13. Thinking Hats
14. Purple Cow
15. "One more thing..."

How many names/faces appeared?
6-10: You're paying attention.
11-15: You just witnessed the power of owning your lane.

These people didn't get famous by being "well-rounded."
They got famous by being specific.
They picked a word. They built a world. 
They repeated it. They became it.

Now, it’s your turn.
What word do YOU currently own or would like to?

If you can't answer that in 3 seconds, neither can your audience.
I've been working on something to help with this—a mini-workbook called Brand Bingo™: The 7-Point Map to Owning Your Lane.

It's a framework to help you find your word, define your enemy, and claim your corner of the market.
Dropping soon.

For now, play the game. Drop your score below.
And if you're feeling bold—tell me the word (or phrase) you want to own.
If you don’t own it currently, can you with some effort?

(Answer key in the comments)

#Branding #Positioning #PersonalBrand #BrandBingo #UnblandYourself

All brands are not created equally.

It's why some brands compete on price and volume, while others command the enviable position of premium pricing and have people lined up just for the opportunity to buy (Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari to name a few).

And you, yes you, have a brand too.
It might not be intentional, but the people who know you, have already formed an opinion about you (aka your reputation precedes you).

Personal brands can be organized into 3 stages.
1. Undifferentiated
2. Preference/Affinity
3. A → "The"

The last, and most desirable stage, is when you become one of one, as in the only… (fill in the blank).

In a previous post, I talked about word association, and how some people have been successful at "owning" the mental real estate in your head for certain ideas— Start with why, vulnerability, longevity, purple cow.

They have achieved "The" status.
A designer → the designer
A marketer → the marketer
A coach → the coach

You get it.

What are you doing to build your personal brand?
How are you differentiating yourself from everyone who claims to do what you do?
And, if you've achieved "The" status, what is it for, and how did you get there? But I assume if it were true, we'd already know.

For me, I want to be "The" Personal Branding guy.
My take— Unbland Yourself™
When you stop showing up as bland, you gain the Unbland Advantage.



#personalbranding #unblandyourself #personalbrand

Brand Ascension Pyramid

2 weeks before the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai, I got a call.

The Mindvalley team had a speaking slot to fill. Brendan Kane had recommended me.

Problem: I was already committed to giving a keynote called "Unbland Yourself"—The unsubtle art of standing out in a noisy world. I couldn't give the same talk twice.

Bigger problem: Day 2, I'd be speaking after Brendan and before Vishen. Brendan's talk? "Anyone Can Go Viral" based on his book "The Guide to Going Viral".

So I pitched a contrarian idea: "The Dark Side of Going Viral."

They loved it.

Now I had to write a new talk in two weeks. In the middle of coaching calls, sponsored posts, workbooks, and everything else.

No pressure. No diamonds. Right?

Here's the premise I landed on: If "anyone can go viral," should you?

There's no shortage of marketers selling you programs to get results fast. But zoom out and look at things that are fast—

• Fast fashion (responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions)
• Fast food (primary driver of the global obesity epidemic)
• Easy money (pyramid scheme anyone?)
• Crash diets (people often put back on more weight than before they started)

Do we want "Fast Fans"?

I get it. The dopamine hit when something gets 10x the reach. It's intoxicating. So we chase it without thinking about what happens when we catch it.

What actually happens:
• Your phone blows up (not in a good way)
• DMs become unmanageable
• You get stuck in a validation loop
• You start "chasing the dragon"
• The thing that brought you joy starts feeling empty
• And the trolls show up with sharpened knives

Good things aren't easy to achieve.
They shouldn't be.

Goals are important, but not as important as the person you become in the pursuit.

"The person who loves walking will walk further than the person who loves the destination."

Love the pursuit. Get joy from playing the game.
I've been doing this 10+ years and each day still brings new excitement.

What did you learn from something going viral? Or from chasing it?

PS. Brenda and I had a fun conversation the day before. I told him to fire the first shot during his talk since I was coming after him guns blazing. We had a good laugh after our "virtual" debate about going viral. 


photo: Dave Katague

#personalbranding #unblandyourself

"I knew that was you, just by the sound of your voice."
My voice? What?

That's what a sales associate at the Adidas store in Berlin said to me as I was walking up the staircase.

This was pre-pandemic. I was traveling with my family. My youngest, Mattias, and I were dipping into an Adidas store.

We were talking about something random, but as soon as we hit the landing on the second floor, a young man turned around and recognized me immediately.

That was years ago.
Now…

400+ episodes in.

What started as a fan request from our YouTube channel has become its own entity. Along the way, I've become a conversationalist. I enjoy the slow revealing of the person I'm talking to.

I've learned to be a better listener and to let the conversation go wherever it wants to go. No script. No agenda. Just real conversations.

I've had the benefit of talking to some of the most interesting, intelligent, creative, determined people in the world.

I've learned from them.
Laughed with them.
And occasionally cried with them.

Some of the guests have become IRL friends. As an introvert, large social settings—surrounded by unfamiliar faces—fill me with dread.

But podcasting? It's the opposite.

Scott Galloway said something like this: He knows just by the approach whether someone is a fan of the podcast, YouTube, CNN, or some other source.

The relationship people have with you is different when it's the podcast. It's more intimate. More focused. You're speaking directly into their head through AirPods or their car speaker.

No stage. No distractions. Just you and them.

That Adidas employee didn't recognize my face.
He recognized my voice.

Because he'd spent hours with it—on his commute, at the gym, while doing dishes.

That's the strange magic of audio.

You become a familiar stranger.
A friend they've never met.
A voice they trust.

400 episodes later, I finally understand what I'm actually building.

Not a show.
A relationship.

One person at a time.

What type of podcast do you enjoy the most?
What's resonated with you the most?

Always looking to learn and grow.

For the Futur podcast, what is the ideal cadence for consumption? What is your preference?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Stancato Creative

michaelstancato.com

Clients include Universal Studios, ABC Television, NBC Television, Univision, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney, Comcast Sports, BBC, Fox Sports.

Collaborative, resourceful, leader, educator, excellent ability to conceptualize, design, illustrate, motion graphics, print, and web media.

Brand strategy consultant developing proposals, pitch decks, case studies, presentations for new business

Expert skills with Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Keynote, After Effects and Cinema 4D

Social media campaign development for fine artists increasing their awareness and sales

Developed, designed and illustrated interactive sales presentations for international corporations increasing their market presence and new sales

Collaborated with ad agencies to design websites in health care, technology, government increasing their market reach and revenue

Art directed and produced promotional videos for information management tools used at science labs and universities. Improved access to complex information regarding new breakthroughs

Collaborated with ad agencies on tv campaigns doing motion graphics, video and audio editing increasing their client base and revenue

Art Director, Motion Graphic Designer, Illustrator

Clients include Universal Studios, ABC Television, NBC Television, Univision, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney, Comcast Sports, BBC, Fox Sports. 

Conceived, designed and animated numerous film trailer graphics at Universal Studios increasing awareness and sales of first run movies

Designed and animated graphics and promotion campaigns for Fox Sports Network increasing viewership and more engaging sporting events

Designed and animated motion graphic promotion campaigns for the ABC Television owned and operated affiliate stations increasing viewership and more engaging new and entertainment events

Designed and animated news graphics and promotions for TV

Motion Graphic Designer

Michael Stancato Fine Art

michael-stancato.pixels.com

Original art and consulting for companies, agencies and individuals to promote their events or celebrate professional or personal relationships

Night school art instructor & private art instructor improving their skills and quality of life

Artist

Scope Seven

Art directed a team of production artists and animators for an interactive game increasing team efficiency and revenue

Successfully launched popular promotions for first run movies and other original content increasing viewership with more engaging content

Trained designers to use various advanced techniques enabling the creation of complex designs for interactive games and increasing team efficiencies

Produced & designed interactive games for entertainment and corporate increasing sales and customer base

Graphic Designer

MTV NETWORKS

Graphic Design for DVD Trivia Games while employed full time by the agency Scope Seven.

Graphic Design for DVD programs while employed full time by the agency Scope Seven.

Lucasfilm

DVD graphics and animation for the release of Star Wars Phantom Menace while working full time for Aspect Ratio Media.

Aspect Ratio

KNBC TV

I publish pictures and draw analogies so both predator and prey can become advocates for good.

taplio

The Battle

Chris Do

Michael S.

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The Battle

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Michael S.

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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);}Chris Do's LinkedIn Performance

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