A creative Solopreneur building personal brands for the top 1% entrepreneurs on LinkedIn and sharing what I learn along the way.

In December 2022, I was building my personal brand to land a UX design internship.

I didn’t expect it would turn into a business serving 80+ CEOs.

Here's my story:

I met my first client - a UX Design Agency founder who looked at my work and said,

“Your design skills are good… but your ability to position people is rare. You should build personal brands, not interfaces.”

He handed me his LinkedIn account.

I built his personal brand from scratch.

He loved it. Then he referred his brother... a co-founder whose account had been poorly managed by another agency.

I took over.

Both profiles grew. Both businesses did, too.

Then in October 2023, I started freelancing.(it didn't worked out well)

So I positioned myself as a solopreneur.

By early 2024, I was working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders across the U.S. - including Silicon Valley startups backed by top venture capital firms.

Then I launched Mikaios, a personal branding company built on one belief:

If people knew your story, they’d trust your brand.

→ 80+ CEOs and founders served globally
→ 5,400+ posts written.
→ 200+ qualified leads generated.
→ 10M+ views generated organically.

In 2025, I founded Brand By Content, a media company that helps people build authority at scale through newsletters, systems, and education.

Recognition

🏆 Ranked 28th LinkedIn Creator on Taplio’s Growth Challenge (out of 2,600+)
🏆 Ranked 12th Best Storyteller & Writer in India by Favikon

Today, I help CEOs and founders who already have the results (but not the visibility) build personal brands that attract opportunities, partnerships, and recognition.

If you’re ready to become known for what you do best, book a private strategy call with me:https://cal.com/johnnaveen/strategycall

John Naveen

Last year, I took my grandma to Sri Lanka.

It's been her dream for more than a decade.

She always wanted to visit, meet relatives there, and explore the country.

I still remember (when I was in grade 3 or 4) I told her:
"Wait a little… one day, I'll take you."

She laughed. I laughed.
But deep down, I meant it.

Last year, it finally happened.

We visited different cities, explored new places.
She enjoyed everything with the curiosity of a child.

It was one of the very few times in my life where I felt:
"Okay… this is what happiness actually looks like."

On one of the bus rides, a man sitting near us asked where I was from and what we were doing in Sri Lanka.

I told him, "I brought my grandma here. She always wanted to visit."

He paused. Looked surprised.
And then said something that stayed with me:

"This is the first time I'm seeing a grandson take his grandma on a trip."

I didn't know what to say.

It felt strange… and honestly, it hurt a little.

Because to me, it wasn't anything special.

A happy elder in your home is a blessing,
that's how I've always seen it.

But after that moment, I started noticing something:

Many people my age barely speak to their grandparents.

Some don't visit.
Some don't sit with them.
Some don't even know their stories.

I'm not judging… life gets busy, people move, routines change.

But that bus ride made me realize how rare simple love has become.

Even today, whenever I go to a new city or achieve something small, I tell my grandma first.

She doesn't understand most of the work I do (it's all tech and internet things) but she listens with full attention.

And maybe that's what life is.
Not just growth. Not just ambition.

But moments you create for the people who once created your world.

***
When was the last time you spent real time with your grandparents?

John Naveen Kennedy

CEO & Founder @ Mikaios - A personal branding company

We recently rolled out a new internal rule at Mikaios.

Before any client post gets approved, it has to pass three checks.

No exceptions.

1. Does this post have a story?

If it's just information, tips, or opinions without a narrative — it doesn't go out.

People don't remember points.
They remember stories.

2. Is there a clear idea behind the story?

A story without an idea is just noise.

Every post must answer:
What should the reader think differently after this?

If there's no takeaway, we don't approve it.

3. Is there a supporting visual?

A photo. A carousel. A screenshot.
Something that grounds the post in reality.

On LinkedIn today, this matters more than ever.
The platform is flooded with AI-generated content.

Everyone is using AI. Even my friends tell me:
"I just give context and publish whatever it generates."

That alone isn't a differentiator anymore.

The edge now is:

A real story.
A clear idea.
A visual that proves it happened.

AI can help you write faster.
It can't replace lived experience.

So instead of fighting AI, we design around it.
This checklist is our filter.

And it's how we make sure every post feels human in a feed full of machines.

***
What's your filter for deciding whether content is worth publishing?

WisdomCircle

I worked as the sole Product Designer and gained a lot of wisdom. Some of my notable achievements, other than making my teammates smile, are:
• Designed a psychometric game for seniors using generative AI and incorporated micro-interactions for an engaging user experience
• Designed and improved accessibility of the WisGen and the recruiter  mobile experience
• Curated WisdomCircle's design system and enhanced its accessibility and scalability, ensuring a cohesive and efficient design across the platform
• Conducted user interviews and implemented the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework to better understand user needs and make informed design decisions
• Contributed to the brand of WisdomCircle by writing visual guidelines for the brand book

Product Designer

AI Planet formerly DPhi

I worked as a UI/UX Designer for an year and handled all kinds of design requirements. Some of my accomplishments include:
• Designed a marketplace for AI models enabling data scientists to upload their AI models and software developers to buy and utilize the models through end point APIs
• Created an curated design system for AI Planet and AI Marketplace
• Conducted usability interviews with global participants to understand and enhance the learning flow of AI Planet LMS (learning platform)
• Implement gamification to the learning platform of AI Planet to increase user retention
• Conduct various user researches to enhance product usability
• Collaborate with development, marketing, business and executive team to incorporate new features and handle all design related requests
• Lead social media activity for LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Discord for AI Planet and learn.machinelearning

UI/UX Designer

HealthPlix

I nabbed the opportunity to work as a UX Design Intern at HealthPlix from the Upraised Embark Program. Some of my contributions include:
• Curating the design system and reducing redundancies using Figma's new 'Component Properties' feature.
• Designing user interface screens for web platforms.
• Assisted in maintaining the design files which required updates on thumbnails, titles and information about the designers on the file.
• Practiced tokenization of design properties to enhance workflow.

UX Design Intern

The Yellow Monk

I got the opportunity to work with a client Drome. My responsibilities included:
• Redesigned the Drome EMR web app and improve the visuals and user flows
• Created a design system for Drome to maintain consistent design and branding
• Collaborated with doctors to better understand the interface and ensure optimal user experience for medical professionals
• Ensure adherence to brand guidelines and design best practices

UI/UX Design Intern

As an intern at an early stage startup, I had the opportunity to work and learn from all design related projects. My accomplishments as a Design Intern at DPhi were:
• Designed a gamified LMS that focuses on enhancing the learning experience for learners
• Designed coding interview platform – allows candidate to code and interviewer to take notes and feedback in real time
• Conducted user interviews and analyzed the results into actionable tasks
• Redesigned new user sign up flow that doubled the sign up rate
• Designed wireframes and high-fidelity mockups for products and product landing pages
• Research and perform competitive analysis to look for new features and ways to improve existing products

PICT ACM Student Chapter

PASC is one of the most reputed and distinguished technical chapters of ACM. Working with a vision and determination since its inception in 2011, PASC has been awarded India’s Best Student Chapter Award for 4 consecutive years. My work as the Design Head has contributed in PASC winning India's Best Student Chapter Award (4th consecutive time), Outstanding Website Award 2021-22 and Outstanding Website Award (International) 2022-23.

As a design head of PASC, my roles and achievements included:
• Managing and training members of design team in accomplishing all design requirements
• Representing the design team in collaboration during events with other teams (content, marketing, technical, etc.) 
• Leading the project of redesigning PASC website which won the Outstanding Website Award by ACM India Council for the year 2021-22, and Outstanding Website Award (International) 2022-23.
• Introducing the domain of UI/UX design and associated design technologies by holding various SIGs
• Increasing the size of design team by motivating more members to contribute
• Improving the social media presence of the chapter
• #00CCFF

Design Head

Member

WitTees.in

WitTees
A merchandise based apparel startup.
• Creating fandom based designs for T-shirts, hoodies, masks, etc.
• Making promotional posts for social media.
• Come up with graphic ideas to appeal to the audience and market the products.

Graphic Designer

aFinPROs

aFinPROs
A solutions based company to financial and HR problems
• Created graphic advertisements for services, workshops, etc. offered by the aFinPROs and Ambersoft.
• Worked closely with the marketing team in order to properly implement ads on digital and print media.

👋 Hello there, it's Abhishek.

I'm a self-taught product designer, trying to make sense of the design world. My last experience involved working with WisdomCircle which connects experienced senior talent to required opportunities. Target users are called 'WisGen' - the wisdom generation (who are usually above the age of 50) Here, I designed products for hiring while keeping accessibility, security and trust in mind. 
Other than this, I have worked for an AI based ed-tech startup called AI Planet where we built products for data science, AI and education. 

At both these companies, I have worked on delivering end-to-end design experiences, handling each pixel with thought and empathy.

When I'm not designing, I'm probably scrolling Reddit, working out, enjoying some thought provoking media/anime or asleep. 💤

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