Ingrid LiLL's Linkedin Analytics

Have you ever been confused about what to do with Brand Archetypes? Yes, it can be inspiring to self-indentify your business as a "Rebel" or a "Lover". But... what about your clients' archetypes? I wrote an article about how to: - Identify your natural archetype combo - Understand your clients' inner battles - Create content that speaks to their true identity Did you find your Archetype mix? Comment with your combo below, and I might sketch your avatar. Or if you want to give it a shot yourself, come to my workshop on March 13th!

Telling your business story with visuals doesn't have to be complicated. Yesterday in Visual Minds, we explored the potential of simple squiggles and symbols for storytelling. The classic three-part story structure works perfectly: 1. Low point 2. Turning point 3. High point We set a timer for 5 minutes and started sketching - no planning allowed. Pure time pressure made the magic happen, and beautiful stories manifested on paper: • Seed-to-tree • Discomfort to growth • Tornado to sunshine • Square grids to creative explosion And I was touched when one participant drew me as their turning point - the moment they shifted from consuming content to creating their own! How would you tell your story in three simple symbols? Please share!

My superpower is… being German? 🤔 When I sketched this I had to laugh. "Being German" isn’t exactly a superpower—unless you count our love for structure and systems  (Mine is hidden, but it’s there!) "Simplicity" doesn’t sound flashy either. But mix those with an artistic streak, and—tadah!—strategic sketching wizardry! The real magic happens at the intersection of unexpected skills. What’s your unlikely superpower combo? --- I also have a handy Find-Your-Superpower worksheet! Comment "super" to get it.

Imagine how easy business would be if you built your business around what • you're best at • fits your personality • is an outlet for your passion • solves problems for people who want to pay you for it! My "superpower" worksheet is inspired by the famous Ikigai diagram, but it has a more practical slant towards business building. The thing is: These circles aren't only buckets for your ideas and dreams. They are also places where you can find your people, and create your niche. The superpower diagram is one of the key frameworks of my Visual Minds method. I'm going to show it on Thursday, March 13th in my free workshop. Do you want to join us?

What if it was easy? I spent YEARS trying to perfect my drawing technique. Obsessing over proportions. Anatomy. The "right way" to draw. But I never became "good enough" at drawing hands, at perspective, and at getting a clean and polished look. Then, lightning struck. I had it backwards. I was trying to solve the wrong problem. I didn't have to make art, but convey my message! A burden disappeared from my shoulders. (And in the process, my drawings became more fun, too!) When struggling in your business, maybe you're not working on the right problem. How would it look if this was easy? Want to discover how simple sketches can transform your business? Join my free workshop next Thursday, March 13th at 8 PM CET. Mini drawing lesson included - No artistic talent required!

Creating your Brand Persona (the two-wings principle) You've heard both "Be authentic" and "You are not your brand." Seems contradictory, right? But both are true. People often describe my approach as "light," "playful," and "refreshing." The irony? I don't naturally see myself as a lighthearted person. I've wrestled with pessimism and even depression at times. So where does this "lightness" come from? It feels like it came from giving up the weight of wanting to do Art (with a capital A). The lightness seeped in when I settled for putting "ugly" sketches out there. When I realized that "not being good enough" was an excuse for hiding. The permission to be imperfect infused my work with the lightness I didn't have before. But I also know the dark side. I know how it feels to be confused. How talking about yourself feels so cringey that you'd rather hide behind platitudes. This understanding helps me cut through the BS and my clients' overly complicated ideas. The relief is immediate. And yes, it feels light. Your real self is complex – and needs to be. In your brand persona, lean into the transformation you're promising. Can you see your two wings? (P.S. This is an early sketch that feels a bit more clumsy than how I draw now. Plus, I didn't know where to put the second arm. But... still works, doesn't it?) #VisualThinking #Authenticity #PersonalBranding

Make Your Business an Extension of Your Brain When I took the CliftonStrengths assessment (thank you, Allegra Stein!), I was shocked at how well my business already aligns with my brain. My strengths are: Big ideas, spotting patterns, and thinking ahead. No wonder I built a business around visual thinking, clarity, and creativity! Here’s how to build your business around YOUR brain: • Step 1: Identify your strengths. What feels easy and energizing? • Step 2: Cut what doesn’t align. Stop forcing what drains you. • Step 3: Lean in. Use your natural strengths MORE in your offers, messaging, and.. illustrations!    What’s your biggest strength? Are you using it fully in your business? Let’s hear it! ---- Do you want to join my Sketching-for-business on Thursday? We'll map out your business strengths. Here is the sign-up link! https://lnkd.in/dwme-76i

Ever watched ideas organize themselves? Here's what that looks like! I'm working with @Annelie Dahl, author, and wilderness guide. She helps people transform their lives by reconnecting with nature after major life changes. When helping clients figure out their "secret weapon", I start by sketching their life story. then scattered ideas centre themselves around her core method as if by magic. Life events and ideas find their place, forming a brand blueprint. I just follow them with my pencil. Want to experience this kind of clarity? Join my next Business Clarity Sketching Workshop! #VisualThinking #BrandStrategy #VisualStorytelling

Is this really what you want to do for the next 20 years? (New Big Idea Sketchcast!) I sat down with career coach Mark Crossfield to sketch out the 3 myths keeping talented professionals stuck in jobs that don't fit anymore. Mark wrote a wonderful book about Mid-Career Change that is both encouraging and creative! The most eye-opening insight: Clarity comes from action, not thinking. You can't think your way into a new career. The "treasure chest" metaphor hit home - your years of experience aren't baggage, but an asset. Mark shows how to use it to build something new without starting over. Perfect for you if: • You're successful but not satisfied • You worry it's "too late" to change • You're waiting for the perfect plan Here are the first 15 minutes, you can watch the rest on my website. I put the links below in the comments. Question: What would be a small step to make a change in your career? #careerchange #sketchnotes #visualthinking #bigideasketchcast

Everyone talks about "finding your why." But have you noticed they never tell you HOW? Even Simon Sinek's famous TED talk left me wondering: "Okay, but how do I actually figure out my why?" Here's what I discovered: A good place to find your "why" is hiding in your life story. Remember that ONE moment when you realized "there has to be a better way"? For me, it was this moment when I did a job for a client that clearly wasn't in my zone of genius. (A wall of 8 pt text to fit all the information?!?) This was the day I decided I'm too old for not going after my dreams. Too old for boring work. I started sketching – and posting my sketches on Linkedin (in spite of thinking I wasn't good enough) You could tell your story a thousand different ways. You could sell a thousand different things. But you don't. You chose THIS business, THIS offer. Why? This is the piece that connects your POV, your story and your offer! Want to find yours? I just posted my visual "Signature Story" template here on LinkedIn. Comment "story" and I'll send you the link!

Your brain has a full C-suite running your decisions. Meet the team, (inspired by Jill Bolte Taylor's "Whole Brain Living") • The Planner: Your COO. Lists, deadlines, analysis. "I need to organize this." • The Worrier: Your Risk Manager. "We're falling behind!" • The Explorer: Your Head of Innovation. "Let's try something new!" • The Visionary: Your Chief Strategy Officer. "Let's look at the big picture ..."    Problem: Often, we only listen to The Planner and The Worrier. That's why business (and life) feels heavy and stuck. Jill Bolte Taylor suggest's a "brain huddle" (love that word!) to gather your forces for living better. Here comes a twist. If you picture your brain huddle, you can use the characters to tell your story! Getting clear about your internal team helps you not only listen to your whole brain, it also helps you tell – and illustrate! - your story. Gather the Planner and the Visionary for a business planning post. Or tell a story about how the Worrier almost prevented you from taking a leap. In a whole-brain business, all your parts work together. If you are curious about how that could work in your business, come to my next workshop! Comment "brain"  below, and I send you the link.

Steal Your Client's Inner Voice (It's Marketing Gold) Are you a Creative Genius buried under self-doubt and wrong beliefs? Maybe this inner dialogue sounds familiar: • “I have way too many ideas—my head is exploding.” • “I’m a visual thinker. If I see something—even a simple diagram—I get it way faster than reading a whole book.” But somehow... • "I'm bored to death by my own LinkedIn posts." • "The AI images that I'm using are way, way too polished - they send the wrong message! So what’s the solution? • "Draw? Me? I can barely do stick figures!" • “I used to love drawing, but I stopped in high school. I thought I sucked at it.” • “My handwriting is terrible.” But what if drawing isn’t about art—but about clarity? All it takes is shifting your focus from making things pretty to making your message clear. Get inside your client’s head. Speak their inner thoughts. Show them what they already feel but haven’t put into words yet. That’s marketing gold. If your inner Creative Genius is curious, join my next workshop!! We’ll sketch your Brand-in-a-Nutshell in 5 minutes. Stick figures welcome.

From academic complexity to clear business value: Here are a few sketches from our last week's Strategy Sketch Café. Hannah volunteered for the hot seat: BEFORE: A complex mix of mindfulness, climate change, and change management THE SHIFT: Getting clear on what decision makers actually care about NOW: A focused solution - helping leaders turn resistant teams into productive champions of change Sometimes, the simplest sketches reveal the clearest path forward. Curious about your own business puzzle? Get the Visual Minds Journey Framework & join our next Strategy Sketch Café! Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/dwme-76i #VisualThinking #BusinessStrategy #Clarity

"Simplify your offer so it is easier to sell" I'd love to say that sketching is the solution to everything in business. But I have to admit, it is not.  The nicest sketch won't make your clients buy When I started out as a visual thinking partner for entrepreneurs, the plan was to map their customers' transformation, and help them communicate. What happened then was that I often found out that their offer was WAY too complicated to be drawn. At first, I thought that was a flaw in my method. Then I found out that if it is too complicated to be sketched, it is very likely too complicated to start with. Erica Schneider said the other day here on Linkedin: "Simplify your offer so it is easier to sell" And I wholeheartedly agree. Not that it is easy. (Which is why I enrolled in her and Nick Bennett 🧙🏻‍♂️🏴‍☠️ 's "Full Stack Solopreneur" Course) But a simpler offer will make things easier. Easier to sketch, too!

My palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing. I was about to post a sketch -  in a comment on LinkedIn. There is no rational reason that I was so agitated. Yes, I thought I'd ridicule myself by showing this wobbly sketch. After all, I wanted to appear professional! But deep down, I knew that I had to do it. I was fed up doing professional-but-boring work My time was running out. If I wanted to turn around my business in a more creative, fun, original direction, I had to do the jump. I clicked post and held my breath. And you know what? The LinkedIn police didn't come and arrest me for being too childish. On the contrary, I was rewarded with more views than ever. (TBH, my reach pre-sketching was abysmal)  Now, I'm doing exactly what I had been so afraid of: Sketching while people - my clients, students, workshop participants -  are watching. What did you jump into that later turned out to be your favourite thing? (Or if you're ready to make sketching yours - I've got something for you in the comments 😊)

Does posting on Linkedin feel like a hamster wheel to you? Just the thought of posting every week (let alone every day!) used to feel exhausting. But that has changed. For me, sketching made all the difference. Maybe for you, it is something else. (Singing? Dancing? Explaining the world to your dog?) Yes, creating content still takes time. But, it is also an opportunity for... • practicing your creative muscle • getting feedback on your thoughts • connecting with people • experimenting with your brand voice (a piece about Brand archetypes is coming soon) • learn from others • pick up clients (!!!) I get it that social media is problematic. I have deleted all other social media apps but Linkedin from my phone. LInkedin is for work, not for consuming addictive dopamine candy. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun! --- I won't teach you to sing/dance/talk to your dog. But if you're interested in how to use sketching for business clarity, come to my next workshop on Match 13th, 8 PM CET! https://lnkd.in/dwme-76i

Is your website doing what you want? Attract customers, sell your service, while looking  nice and clear? Mine did, 6 months ago. But then, life and business happened. More services, shifting priorities. In other words - my website became messy. Again. The problem is that what once was a little side hustle - my membership - has become a veritable branch of my business, and I want to merge both websites under the "Visual Minds" umbrella. Have you had to merge websites? Can you share tips how not to break all the links? Good that I have a template for building websites, based on my Visual Minds framework. I heard that it is useful. Shall I send you the download link?

I don't have a story worth telling" is something I hear a lot. Just yesterday, a client - who has performed at the Royal Albert Hall! - thought her life wasn't interesting enough for a business story. The problem isn't lack of material. It's that we can't see the connections when we're writing the story in the usual way - as a linear text. That's why I created this visual story mapping template. Because some of us (me included!) need to SEE how it all fits together. It helps you map out: • Your true identity (like that creative kid you used to be) • The low point when everything felt stuck • That game-changing moment that should actually shape your offer Because your breakthrough moment isn't just a nice story - it's the key to what makes your approach/offer/methodology different from everyone else's. Which is good for business! Want to map out your signature story? Drop "Story" in the comments, and I'll send you my visual template plus a video walkthrough. #BusinessStorytelling #VisualThinking

Help, the internet is eating my brain!  It becomes more and more difficult to sit down with a blank piece of paper or even with a book. Do you notice it, too? The pull of the internet is always there, in the background. Our brains got rewired to expect constant novelty. And I'm not even an excessive scroller! I'm not checking my phone when talking to people. But I start checking my phone when I have a minute blank time. And I think that's the problem. Brains need white space!  But instead, we're filling every moment with input. Reading articles. Watching videos. Scrolling feeds. "Learning", "staying informed", and "getting inspired." Yesterday, I decided to do something about it. • Set iPhone to black & white display (Settings> accessibility>colour filters. This seems to help! • Removed scroll-inducing apps like Instagram • Added the "One-sec" app that adds a  breath pause before opening Safari (might add it to my Gmail app) • Moved LinkedIn to desktop only • Replaced YouTube app with "watch later" bookmark (goodbye endless Shorts, I won't miss you!) But I'm still struggling. Just knowing the internet exists seems to drain my energy. What about you? Have you found any strategies that actually work?

Lost in the LinkedIn scroll... 🤔 Yesterday, I saw a brilliant video about storytelling. Took quick notes. Looked up again and... poof! Gone forever in my endless feed. At least I got this simple framework out of it! (Though if you recognize it, please let me know the original creator.) Lessons learned: • Save interesting posts • Get people on your email list, or you will disappear from their feed and memory • Take notes (or better yet, sketch them!)    Btw, if you want to stay in the loop and not lose my visuals  - Come over to my email list! I'll send you the signup link.