Tom Schaeffer

Thomas Schaeffer & Co.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 is a boutique agency providing ghostwriting and content strategy for executives who want to amplify their voice, sharpen their positioning, and expand their influence.

We work with leaders at pivotal moments—whether building thought leadership, leading a transition, or shaping a second act beyond corporate. Our services combine high-level ghostwriting, content systems, and selective coaching to help executives turn experience into leverage and build a presence that creates real opportunities.

Founder

Executive to Entrepreneur

𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 is a coaching and content platform for midlife professionals ready to leave the corporate grind, clarify their next move, and build a business that fits their life. We offer 1:1 coaching, frameworks, and practical guidance for reinvention.

Float Left

Float Left Interactive was a pioneer in TV app development and the first company to build Roku apps for media brands.  For over 12 years, Float Left has enabled media brands to deliver and manage the next generation of TV experiences on every screen.

🏆 2022 Streaming Media 50
🏆 2021 Streaming Media 50
🏆 2017 Streaming Media 100
🏆 2016 CableFax -> Most Innovative People in Multiscreen
🏆 2015 Streaming Media 100

Co-Founder, CEO (acquired)

The Weiss Group, Inc.

Developed internal and external web applications in direct support of company’s marketing initiatives.

Senior Software Engineer

Teledata Inc.

Developed EPA compliance software, specifically targeted to address fuel tank leak detection.

Software Engineer

Bridgeway Benefit Technologies

Provided programmatic and logical fixes for technical problems on ISSI’s Benefit Fund Administration System.

Account Representative /  Programmer

Ghostwriter for Influential Executives and Entrepreneurs || Transforming Ideas into Influence Through High-Impact Writing || Former CEO, 2x Founder, 1x Exit

I’m a former CEO turned writer and coach. I help midlife professionals turn experience into leverage—through writing, clarity, and reinvention.

After scaling and selling a 7-figure software agency, I walked away from the startup grind to build a simpler, more intentional life.

Along the way, I discovered something powerful:
Most executives don’t need another job.
They need clarity—and a path that’s finally theirs.

Today, I work with high-achieving professionals in transition—those ready to move from corporate to consulting, from founder to writer, or from executive to entrepreneur.

Here’s how I help:

1. Executive Ghostwriting
For founders and CEOs who want thought leadership that drives inbound demand—without spending hours writing content. You bring the insight. I bring the structure, clarity, and voice that earns authority and attracts opportunity.

2. Executive to Entrepreneur Coaching
A 12-week 1:1 experience to help you reinvent your career, clarify your offer, build a simple content system, and land your first client.
It’s for professionals who are ready to turn experience into independence—building something of their own, on their own terms.

At the core of both is a simple idea:
Use your expertise to build leverage and freedom—because your next chapter should serve your life, not the other way around.

[Coaching: exectoentrepreneur.com]
[Substack: exectoentrepreneur.substack.com]
[About Me: thomasschaeffer.me]

Writer

A ghostwriting agency for founders, CEOs, and business leaders looking to build influential personal brands.

AIESEC in India

Chief Financial Officer

Social Media Manager

Content Writer

ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization

Summer Intern

RVPN (Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited)

Practical Training

Hello, I see you are a detective here, and I am thrilled to connect with you.

So here is my life at a glance.

I am Madhu Sharma.
I thrive on helping founders, coaches, professionals, and entrepreneurs bring their visions to life.
With a dash of creativity and a keen understanding of your unique voice. I give your ideas, life.

What Do I offer?

From Engaging Blog Posts,
Social Media Mangaement
Storytelling to a persuasive copy,

My words will amplify your voice and make it stand out.

But that's not it-
   I have worked with college dunia, Hirect, marketing agencies, and brands.

I wear many hats as I believe in being " A jack of all trades and a master of none, but often better than a master of one.

(Hey, you didn't read the complete line.)

One of those hats is an engineer.

I get inspired by the vibrant strokes of my brush. And yes, I'm guilty of being a cold coffee fanatic, something magical about it that soothes my soul.

It's about being brought up in a Brahmin family or what has made me a spiritual seeker. I constantly explore the realms of mindfulness, self-discovery, and self-growth.

When I am not indulged in crafting captivating content, you can find me on stage as a public speaker, and poet, managing events and volunteering for some social cause.

You are looking for a versatile professional who can weave stories from words. DM me already.

Reach out to me for collaboration, public speaking, and connecting. 

I am always there to help, whether we work together or not.

Madhu Sharma

Everyone is obsessed with hooks. 

Very few are obsessed with saying something worth reading.

Founders DM me asking:

“What’s a good hook?”
“How do I make people stop scrolling?”
“Can you give me hook templates?”

But here’s what they don’t realise:
A strong hook can get attention, but only a clear direction keeps it.
Most “non-converting” content doesn’t fail at the first line.
It fails because the rest of the post has no point.

Here’s the pattern I see:

- Great hook
- Weak message
- No clear audience
- No specific problem
- No real takeaway

That’s why people read it
But don’t respond to it.

A hook is just a door.
Direction is what makes someone walk through it.

Direction looks like:

“This is the person I’m talking to.”
“This is the problem I’m solving.”
“This is why it matters right now.”
“This is what changes after.”

When your content has direction, the hook doesn’t need to work hard.
Your message does the heavy lifting.

Founders don’t need fancier hooks.
They need sharper intention.

P.S. - If your post doesn’t know where it’s going, the reader won’t either.

Helping CEOs, Founders & Coaches Grow Influence, 3x Engagement + Win Clients | LinkedIn Consultant & Strategist | Ghostwriter

67% of founders confuse consistency with posting frequency 
When the real driver is fidelity.

Most think “showing up daily” is the goal.

It’s not.

I’ve seen founders post five times a week with zero clarity.

And I’ve seen founders post twice a week and build more trust than anyone else in their niche.

Because they’re loyal to their message.

Not the calendar.
Not the pressure.
Not the algorithm.

That’s fidelity.

And that’s what people actually remember.

P.S. - Fidelity is what turns an audience into believers.

3,412 impressions.

From ONE comment he almost didn’t write.

Last week, a client told me something I hear way too often:

“I don’t think I have anything valuable to say under people’s posts.”

And I get why he felt that way.
When you’re deep in your own world, your expertise feels normal.
Obvious.
Not worth mentioning.

But I pushed him gently.
You’ve spent years building this.
You have opinions.
You have stories.
You’re not ‘out of ideas.’
You’re just too close to your own genius.

So he tried.
Just one thoughtful comment.
No keyword stuffing.
No trying to sound smart.
Just what he truly thought.

And in 24 hours?

3,412 impressions.
From one comment.
On day one.

Here’s the part people forget:
Most of what feels ordinary to you is extraordinary to someone else.

That’s why I do this work.
Not to help people “post more.”
But to help them hear their own thoughts again 
and trust them enough to put them out into the world.

Your expertise doesn’t need rewriting.
It needs recognising.

And if you want someone who can help you find the words you’ve been sitting on for years you know where to reach me.

P.S. - Most of your growth on LinkedIn won’t come from posting more. It’ll come from finally saying the things you’ve been holding back.

63% of founders lose attention in the first 4 seconds because their message isn’t clear.

And it happens for one simple reason:

They think they need better content.
But what they actually need is better communication.

Content is how much you say.
Communication is how fast people understand it.

Here’s where most founders slip:

- 74% of their posts have too many ideas
- 62% use language their audience would never use
- 81% try to sound smart instead of sounding clear

So the message gets lost.
And when the message is lost, the reader is gone.

Strong communication is simple:

+ one idea
+ one takeaway
+ one person you’re writing for

Nothing more.

When founders shift from “let me post more.”
to “let me make this clearer,”

Trust builds faster,
and content works harder.

P.S. - People don’t remember the post. They remember the point.

42% of the founders I work with tell me,

“I don’t want to write the usual LinkedIn stuff.”

A client said this last week.

She wasn’t scared of posting. 
She was scared of sounding like everyone else.

But the more we talked, the clearer it became:
Her problem wasn’t clichés.

It was the belief that her voice wasn’t enough.
Most founders over-edit for this exact reason.
Not because their ideas are bad
but because their beliefs make them second-guess everything.

Shift the belief → the ideas flow.
Shift the belief → the voice sounds real.
Shift the belief → the message finally lands.

P.S. - Most “writing problems” start as belief problems.

I once took a CFO role in a volunteer organisation
and everyone thought I was being stupid.

It wasn’t paid.
It wasn’t related to writing.
And it definitely wasn’t “useful.”

People asked me why I was wasting time.
But I’ve always been curious 
if something interests me, I want to learn it.

Fast forward to last week.

A client was stuck with her company finances.
Overwhelmed.
Didn’t know where to start.

And out of nowhere,
that old version of me kicked in
the one who used to sit with numbers,
break things down,
find clarity in the mess.

In one call, she finally understood what she needed to do.

That’s when it clicked:

Nothing you learn is random.
It shows up exactly when your clients need it.

P.S. - If you want someone who brings more than writing to the table, my inbox is open.

3 times this year, confusion saved me from making the wrong decision.

We don’t like admitting it, 
but confusion shows up before every important shift.

Everyone wants to look certain, put-together, “clear.”
But the moments that changed my work the most
were the moments where nothing made sense yet.

My best ideas didn’t come from confidence.
They came from that uncomfortable pause 
where I had to ask myself
“Why does this feel off?”

Earlier, I used to force clarity.
Push the draft.
Push the thought.
Push myself.

Now?
I slow down.
Because confusion isn’t a block 
it’s a clue.

A tiny nudge that I’m about to land on something deeper, something truer, something I would’ve missed if I rushed through the discomfort.

When I sit with it
ask better questions,
peel back one more layer,
challenge my own first reaction
my voice gets sharper.
My ideas get cleaner.
My work feels honest again.

Confidence feels comfortable.
But confusion makes me pay attention.

And that’s where the real clarity comes from.

P.S. - If you want someone who can help you turn that “I don’t know what feels off” into content that actually sounds like you I can help with that.

Being good at what you do isn’t enough.

If people can’t remember you, they can’t choose you.

Here’s the problem I see with most founders:

They assume visibility matters only when they’re launching, hiring, fundraising, or selling.

But visibility works the opposite way.
It pays you before you need it.

When your personal brand is unclear, here’s what actually happens:

- People forget your name even after meeting you
- Your opportunities go to the person they remember
- Your work needs constant explanation
- Your credibility resets every time you talk to someone new
- You become forgettable in rooms you’ve never even entered.

On the other hand, when your brand is recognisable:

+ People know what you do
+ How do you think
+ What you stand for
+ the kind of problems you solve

Before you even say a word.

That’s not vanity.
That’s leverage.
And it compounds every single day you show up with clarity.

P.S. - The more recognisable you are, the less you have to explain yourself.

The hardest part of LinkedIn isn’t posting. It’s pretending.

Pretending you’re always growing.
Pretending you’re always clear.
Pretending you have something meaningful to say every single day.

There’s a quiet pressure here that people rarely admit.

Some days, you show up because you want to.
Other days, you show up because you’re scared you’ll disappear if you don’t.

No one prepares you for that part.

The urge to “look consistent.”
To stay visible even when your mind feels empty.
To prove you’re doing well when you’re really just trying to breathe.

I’ve been there too.

There were days I posted not because the idea was ready
but because I felt like I needed to look ready.

And every time I forced it, my voice felt borrowed.
Over-edited.
Diluted.
Nothing like me.

So I stopped.

I’d rather post less and sound like myself
than post more and sound like everyone else.

Your presence isn’t built by pretending.
Your voice isn’t built by pressure.
People listen when you write from a place that feels real not rehearsed.

And the moment you drop the performance?
Your ideas breathe again.
Your writing settles.
Your content stops competing and starts connecting.

Because expression always wins over impression.

P.S. - If you want clarity and a voice that finally feels like you, not the pressure around you I can help you build that ease.

People keep saying,
Understand your reader before you write.

Nice line.
Zero clarity.

Here’s what it actually looks like in practice,

Before I write anything, I try to answer a few simple questions:

- What problem is the founder dealing with right now?
Not the generic problem, the one that’s actively costing them money, time, or momentum.

- What outcome are they hoping this solves?
Growth? Clarity? Less chaos? Better communication?

- Do they respond better to straight facts or honest emotion?
Founders aren’t one type; some want logic, some want relief.

- How do they talk about their own work?
Their tone tells you more than any persona doc.

- What changes for them after the solution works?
Less stress? More leads? More direction?

- What’s stopping them from fixing it already?
Overthinking? Confusion? No system? No time?

Once I know this, the writing becomes obvious.
It stops being content
and becomes a real conversation with a real person.

P.S. - The fastest way to write better is simple: stop guessing what people want and start understanding what they’re actually dealing with.

Clients don’t compare skills. 

They compare clarity.

Most freelancers assume clients sit and analyse:

- experience,
- expertise,
- portfolio depth,
- technical ability.

They don’t.

They look for the simplest answer to one question:
“Can this person solve my problem without making my life harder?”

And the freelancer who communicates that clearly
gets chosen even over someone more skilled.

Here’s where freelancers go wrong:

- They explain too much.
- They talk like they’re pitching to a panel.
- They overuse jargon.
- They make the client work to understand them.

Clients skip friction.
Every time.

If you want better clients, focus on:

+ clearer descriptions
+ simpler language
+ quicker explanations
+ showing the outcome, not the process dump

People remember clarity.
They trust clarity.
They reply to clarity.

Your skill matters.
But your clarity decides who gets the reply.

P.S. - The easiest freelancer to understand becomes the easiest freelancer to hire.

71% of founders hurt their own credibility without realising it
not because of what they say, but because of the altitude they say it at.

Let me explain.

Founders usually communicate from two levels:

Level 1: 30,000 ft

→ vision
→ direction
→ what the market is moving towards
→ “big thinking”

Level 2: 3 ft

→ day-to-day decisions
→ how things actually work
→ the steps, the process, the execution

Both are important.

But here’s the part nobody talks about:

Trust breaks when a founder chooses the wrong altitude for the moment.

1) Too high-altitude → People feel inspired but unsure what you actually do
This is the founder who talks only about:

- industry patterns
- leadership lessons
- macro trends
- philosophy

Good content, nice thoughts
but it doesn’t build clarity about your value.

People remember your ideas,
not your expertise.

2) Too low-altitude → People understand what you do but don’t see you as a leader
This founder talks only about:

- tools
- steps
- execution
- process dumps

People understand your work,
but not your vision.

You sound operational, not strategic.

3) Mixed altitude → The fastest way to confuse your audience

This is the founder who starts with a big idea
jumps suddenly into the weeds
then ends with a motivational point.

The message becomes scattered.
The audience loses the thread.
Trust takes the hit.

And this is the most common communication mistake founders make.

A founder’s authority is not built by what they say, 
but by the consistency of the altitude they stay at.

If you’re trying to:

+ build authority → stay at 30,000 ft
+ show competence → stay at 3 ft
+ convert → pick ONE altitude and stick to it

Mixed altitude = mixed perception.
Mixed perception = weaker trust.

Your audience should never struggle to figure out what level you’re speaking from.

Clean founder communication =
one level, one message, one direction.

P.S. - Consistency in altitude is clarity in leadership.

90% of the time, the issue isn’t skill. 

It’s how the freelancer explains their skill.

Most freelancers think clients want complexity.

Big words.
Heavy language.
Long paragraphs that “prove expertise.”

But here’s what clients actually want:
Someone they can understand quickly.

Every time a freelancer tries to:

- add jargon
- over-explain their process
- sounds overly professional.
- write like they’re pitching to a boardroom

The client disconnects.

Because the moment a client can’t follow your message,
They assume working with you will feel the same way, confusing.

Clarity wins trust.
And trust wins projects.

Freelancers think complexity shows skill.
But clarity shows confidence, and that’s what people buy.

Clients don’t choose the most skilled person.
They choose the person who makes their decision easier.

P.S. - Your work should feel simple to explain, not heavy to justify.

Some days, my mind is loud, but nothing useful comes out.

I don’t hear people talk about this enough.

We’re all chasing ideas, writing drafts, trying to “show up consistently”
But no one admits that some days feel like mental static.

Not burnout.
Not a lack of discipline.
Just creative fatigue.

The kind that shows up quietly.

When you’ve been thinking too much.
Observing too much.
Working too much.
Pouring too much.

And suddenly, nothing inside you feels original anymore.

I used to panic on days like this.
“Why is nothing coming?”
“Is this a block?”
"Am I slipping?”

Now I see it differently.

Creative fatigue isn’t a lack of ideas; it’s a lack of space.

Because the best ideas never arrive when you’re staring at the screen.
They arrive when you step away from it.

When I go for a walk.
When I lie down and stare at the ceiling.
When music fills the room more than my thoughts do.
When I stop trying to force creativity and let it come find me.

And it always does

Not in a dramatic way.
But in a small, soft, “oh wait… that’s something” kind of way.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t run out of ideas.
You just run out of quiet.

So if today feels slow, empty, or confusing, don’t judge it.

Creative people aren’t machines.
We need space.
We need silence.
We need moments where we’re just humans, not content engines.

Give yourself that.

Your mind will return the favor.

P.S. -  If you want content that feels intentional and grounded (even on the slow days), I can help you design a process that works with your energy, not against it.

Most people aren’t bad writers.

They’re just not honest enough with themselves.

I’ve seen this happen with almost every client I work with 
and honestly, with myself too.

We sit down to write
and suddenly we’re trying to sound smart,
or polished,
or like someone who “knows what they’re talking about.”

And somewhere in that performance
the real message disappears.

This week I asked a client:
“Okay, forget the audience.
What do you actually want to say?”

He paused.
Then he said one line just one 
And it was better than everything he had written in two weeks.

And that’s when it hit me again:
People don’t struggle with writing.
They struggle with telling the truth.
Not the curated version.
Not the “safe” version.
The real one.

When you get clear on what you actually believe,
your writing becomes effortless.
Not perfect effortless.
Because you’re not manufacturing words anymore.
You’re releasing them.

P.S. - Every time my content feels forced, it’s because I’m dodging the real point. The moment I say the uncomfortable thing? The post writes itself.

I work with founders who need a lot of content.

Which means I also write a lot of content.
Some weeks, it crosses 25+ posts.

And the only way that’s possible is if one idea doesn’t stay as one idea.

Here’s a simple example.

Base idea:
A founder is preparing for a product launch.

Now, instead of treating that as one post, you pull it apart like this:

Zoom in on one part:
The moment the founder realises the problem isn’t the product, it’s the positioning.

Show it in real life:
A founder came to me 10 days before launch. 
Here’s the message we fixed that changed everything.

Show the evolution:
How founders planned launches earlier vs how they’re planning now with clearer communication.

Highlight the gaps:
3 things founders forget before launching and why those blind spots cost them leads.

Flip it:
5 ways to completely ruin a launch (without noticing).

Shorten it:
The 3 fundamentals every founder should check before going live.

Keep the full version:
The full checklist or sequence behind a clean, confident launch.

Nothing complex.
Just one idea that opens multiple clean angles.

Most founders think they’re repeating themselves.
But they’re usually not repeating enough.

People don’t remember your idea the first time.
They remember it when they see it from different doors.

It’s not:
“What new topic do I talk about?”

It’s:
“What’s another clean angle on the same founder moment?”

If you’re a founder preparing for a launch, start by identifying the angles inside your own idea. 

You’ll be surprised how much clarity comes from expanding one moment instead of chasing new ones.

Your biggest freelancing problem isn’t “standing out.” 
It’s that you misunderstand people.

Here’s what nobody tells freelancers:

You can be talented, on time, and reliable 
and still lose clients

If you don’t understand how people actually behave.

A few examples:
A client asks for “clarity,”
But what they actually want is reassurance.

A client goes silent,
not because they’re disinterested,
But because they’re unsure.

A client says “fast,”
But what they mean is
“Please don’t mess this up.”

Misread the cue → misread the response → lose the client.

This has nothing to do with competition.
It’s social intelligence.

Freelancers who win long term are the ones who can read:

tone
hesitation
urgency
insecurity
expectations

Because the truth is simple:
People don’t hire the best freelancer.
They hire the freelancer who understands them best.

P.S. -  Your biggest edge isn’t skill, it’s awareness.

A lot of founders still ask,

“Is it really worth it to show up online?”

Here’s the reality I’ve seen over and over again:
Opportunities don’t wait for you.
They go to whoever is visible at the moment.

- A client looking for help?
  They pick the person whose work they’ve already seen.

- A partner deciding who to trust?
  They choose the one who shows up consistently.

- A team choosing someone for a project?
  They go with the name they recognise, not the name they discover last minute.

Visibility isn’t luck.
It’s leverage.

Let me simplify it even more.

When I started posting on LinkedIn, I wasn’t trying to build a “brand.”
I just wanted stability.

But showing up did more than that:

- It brought my first client
- Then more clients
- It helped me build my business
- It led to unexpected opportunities
- doors opened before I even knocked

Not because I’m special.
Because my work was visible.

That’s the whole point.
A personal brand makes the conversation easier before it even begins.

People already know:

+ what you do
+ How do you think
+ the value you bring

You’re not starting from zero every time.
People say LinkedIn is boring.

What’s actually boring is being invisible while others, sometimes less skilled, get picked simply because they showed up.

If posting feels uncomfortable, fair.

But ask yourself:
How many opportunities have passed simply because people didn’t know you existed?

You don’t need to be loud.
You don’t need a big audience.
You just need to be consistently visible.

Start small.

Share what you’re building.
Share what you’re learning.
Show your work.

3 years from now, you’ll either be grateful you started or wish you had.

P.S. - Visibility compounds. The earlier you start, the easier every future opportunity becomes

Sunday isn’t my break.

It’s my reset.

People think Sundays are for switching off.
For me?
They’re the day that quietly holds my entire week together.

I slow down, but I don’t shut down.

I’ll put on music.
Clean a little.
Look at the week ahead.
Plan what matters.
Cut what doesn’t.

And somewhere between lying on the floor staring at the ceiling
and making a small to-do list, I’ll probably ignore it later
My mind clicks back into place.

It’s not discipline.
It’s grounding.
It’s how I build momentum without burning myself out.

Because when Monday hits, I don’t want to feel like I’m starting from zero.
I want to feel like I’m stepping into something I’ve already prepared for.

And honestly?
That tiny head start has saved me more times than any productivity hack ever has.

If you also use Sundays to come back to yourself,
You get it.

PS. -  Your next week doesn’t need a perfect plan.
            It just needs a steady start.

Last weekend I wasn’t even on LinkedIn
and my posts STILL didn’t tank.

I was travelling.
Didn’t engage.
Didn’t comment.
Didn’t “warm up the feed.”

Old me would’ve expected the posts to die immediately.
Because earlier that’s exactly what happened.
No engagement = no visibility.

But this time?
They held their ground.
People read them.
Reacted.
Even saved them.

And it made me pause for a second.

Not because the numbers were crazy 
they weren’t.
But because they were steady.
Steadier than the days I used to live inside the app.

That’s when it clicked:

Maybe your content isn’t carried by your activity.
Maybe it’s carried by your clarity.

These posts were written on a calm day.
When I wasn’t rushing.
When I actually had something to say.
And somehow the platform responded to that energy.
Not the frantic “stay active” one.

P.S. - Those two days reminded me that consistency isn’t about being online it’s about being intentional.

taplio

The Battle

Tom Schaeffer

Madhu Sharma

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMadhu Sharma's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Tom Schaeffer

Madhu Sharma

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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);}Madhu Sharma's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMadhu Sharma's LinkedIn Performance