Amplify Academy

Learn the playbook behind world-class brands.

Founder

Amplify

The personal branding agency for entrepreneurs and founders.

University of Cambridge

Worked on the University of Cambridge's main social media channels.

Social Media Assistant

🚀 Growing the world’s best creators and founders | Founder of Amplify | I share everything I know in my weekly newsletter

Join the waitlist for my personal branding course: joegannon.co/waitlist 🚀

Amplify is the trusted partner of global experts to elevate their voice and authority.

Our clients past and present include: Ali Abdaal, Sahil Bloom, Jordan Peterson, Chris Williamson, Greg Isenberg, Mikhaila Peterson, Andreessen Horowitz and many more founders, authors, and public speakers.

My first job in the creator economy was working for Ali Abdaal for 3 years where, in Noah Kagan’s words, I was the “creator behind the creator.”

Now, we use 7+ years of experience to build personal brands that position our clients as the expert in their industry. 

On a personal note, in 2021 I went through a severe period of burnout which was the worst year of my life. I lost my full-time job from the pandemic and put everything into starting Amplify. I flew out the gates building a business around my passion for content creation, but nobody can sprint forever.

The result was damaged relationships, my first run-in with my mental health difficulties and any 'progress' I had made in those initial first business quarters was soon washed away. For months I didn't feel myself, I lost enjoyment in my work, and I couldn't make progress. I was stuck.

I share this because, as a creator and founder, I know how important it is to have a great team around you and to systematise your content growth so that you can focus on what truly matters. Your content has to be a flywheel that is working for you and it's essential to have a strategy up-to-date with what's working TODAY.

If you've made it this far, it's great to meet you. You're my kind of person and we'll get along well.

LINKS 🔗

✍️ I share everything I know in my weekly newsletter: www.joegannon.co/newsletter

👉 Join the waitlist for our signature personal brand course: joegannon.co/waitlist

🚀 Work with my agency Amplify: www.amplifycreators.com

If LinkedIn was real life 😂

Credit: kick.it.forward on IG

Joe Gannon

Founder of Amplify | Share your knowledge with the world | LinkedIn Learning Instructor | Leader of Tomorrow Class of 2025

I got the bus every morning at 7am to a job I hated.

This went on for 10 months.

I thought I had to “do corporate” like everybody else.

But I didn’t want to climb the ladder.

It just didn’t feel right to me that my own pace of growth could be decided by somebody else.

To change my 9-5 I began to assess my 5-9.

I spent hours immersing myself in books and podcasts for new perspectives.

I reached out to people I admired and worked for them for free to gain proximity.

Slowly but surely, I began to test the waters of different avenues that felt more aligned with what I was drawn to. 

I’ve been self-employed now for 6 years and I’ve never looked back. 

I was able to do this from ONE realisation 👇

Even if the worse case scenario happened - I was always going to be safe:

- I had incredible parents who supported me
- I had time on my side
- I had the determination to make it work

I couldn’t spell entrepreneurship and thought Companies House was a building.

But fast forward to today, I’m still in the game and I love the challenge every day brings. 

With the freedom and flexibility I could only dream of.

This post isn’t to brag.

It’s to encourage you to start.

Leaving your job or starting a business is just a decision.

From no prior experience, I’ve learned everything by taking action and from the amazing mentors you meet along the way.

I didn’t wait for a promotion.

I didn’t accept my best ideas being stolen by management.

I took a chance on myself and it’s paid off.

“Entrepreneurship is like building a plane as it falls out of the sky.” - Reid Hoffman

Want to know my career highlight?

Working with a superstar who cold-emailed ME.

Let me explain how I met Ayushi Jain...

Ayushi emailed me out of the blue and then followed up 4x times before I replied.

Why didn't I reply to her at first?

I honestly didn't see her email.

Traveling? Inbox chaos? Who knows. But I almost missed out - and that would’ve been my loss.

Lesson: People are busy. This is your reminder to always follow-up because wow, working with Ayushi has been a dream.

If you know you'd be a great fit for a business, see it as your personal mission to get in front of them however you can.

Didn’t get a reply? Try again. 

Don't take silence personally. Persevere. 

If you still don't get a response, and you genuinely could’ve helped them, it's THEIR loss. Move on and give that energy to somebody else.

Ayushi proved competency immediately - she wanted to work for Amplify as a content writer and so she showed me she could write upfront.

She got my attention with the subject line "Just a 20-something shooting her shot” and her first email contained a branded deck pitching herself. 

Her eye for design was obvious and the copywriting was great.

Lesson: Show don’t tell. Take the extra time upfront and your response rate will 5x - this extends to any industry or role.

I've learned the hard way that business really does come down to hiring the right people. 

Scared of reaching out to people and brands you love?

Well I'm personally so grateful Ayushi messaged me and that will be the case for the companies you know you can help. 

It’s been the perfect fit working together and this would never have happened without her going first.

Lesson: Shoot your shot and aim high.

It's now my goal to:

1. Keep Ayushi as happy as possible
2. Create an environment conducive to how she works best
3. Support all of her goals (professionally and personally)

Thank you Ayushi, I'm blessed to be working with you and beyond excited for what we're building together.

When you find the right team, magic happens.

Don't post something you're not proud of.

Your content reflects how you think, what you value, and who you're becoming.

Lara Acosta called me out.

There was nowhere to hide.

"Why haven't you created a course yet?"

“My first product was built in Notion. I then got feedback and improved it. Why haven't you done anything?"

Every time I got close to selling something I stopped and made it free.

My reasoning was that I wanted to keep providing value.

But the real truth?

That was just a limiting belief.

I’ve spent the last 7 years working with world-class people.

We serve our clients every single day at the forefront of our industry.

All of that lived experience?

Definitely valuable.

Yes, we should have a  high bar for what we charge for.

But my high bar?

It was just an excuse.

Today is the last day of our founding member’s cohort.

It’s been an incredible experience teaching what we know for 4 weeks.

This is now the start.

I’ll no longer:

- Hide behind perfectionism
- Avoid selling

Maybe you’re like me... you’ve told yourself a story that isn’t true.

And not only is it holding you back, it’s holding back every single person you can help.

Sales is a service.

That moment gave me the push I needed.

Not to create something perfect. But to start.

Here's what worked for me:

1. Be open to what might be holding you back
2. Get closer to those in your field
3. Only take directions from someone who’s been to where you’re going

Life is not a zero-sum game.

When you hear the right advice from the right person? Everything clicks.

Most people struggle to stay consistent on LinkedIn.

(This is the system that helps fix that 👇)

If you:
- Don’t know what to post most days
- Feel overwhelmed by the content process

Here’s how you set up a repeatable workflow using Taplio:

1) Define your content pillars

- Choose 3 to 4 key themes you want to be known for.
- This gives your content direction and helps attract the right people.

2) Build your swipe file

Use Taplio to save posts that perform well. Organise them based on your pillars. This becomes your go-to library for high-performing content ideas.

3) Draft directly inside Taplio

Set up your board like Notion. Columns like Ideas, In Progress, Edits, and Scheduled make it easy to track your content pipeline.

4) Use Taplio’s AI to enhance your posts. Clean up your hook. Improve clarity. Fix grammar.

5) Schedule across platforms

Line up your content in advance and auto-publish to both LinkedIn and X (via Taplio’s Tweethunter integration).

This workflow helps you stay organised, consistent, and ahead of schedule.

No more “What should I post today?”
No more burnout from writing last minute.

If you’re building a presence on LinkedIn, Taplio makes it sustainable.

🎁 I got you the best deal available
Try 30 days of any Taplio plan for $1.

Just use code JOEG1X1 when signing up with this link: https://lnkd.in/eBgkQPZc

♻️ Repost this to help more creators save time.

How To Build a High-Performance System for LinkedIn

I'm a huge fan of personality tests.

I have two favourites:

1. 16 Personalities
2. The Predictive Index

When I took The Predictive Index I was stopped in my tracks.

My results told me I was "Individualistic" and that comes with a whole heap of problems.

- I don't delegate.
- I try to do everything myself.
- I don't communicate well

These root problems are the cause of 90% of the issues I face every week.

Taking these tests gave me great clarity about that.

They revealed to me just how much I need to unlearn.

One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is the leap from being a doer to managing or leading a team.

Most businesses start with one person doing the work. They do it well and demand increases.

Over time, to fulfil the demand, they are left with a choice and most choose to hire.

Suddenly, they’re managing others and the founder who once loved doing the work has removed themselves from it - left to deal with admin, HR, hiring and everything else that comes with running a business.

This shift is tough.

At school and in early career roles, being "Individualistic" is rewarded. But in entrepreneurship? It’s a different ballgame.

I love what I do, but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t prepared for the transition.

Joe Gannon - Predictive Index Results

"ChatGPT is harming our brains."

I definitely use it for more things than I should, but here's a positive use case.

For years, I avoiding filming videos because I told myself I "wasn't technical".

That changed when I had to teach a live cohort. ChatGPT was a lifesaver helping with:

- What microphone to buy for a professional set-up
- How to set-up the mic to my Macbook
- How to optimise sound in post-production
- How to balance teaching live while prioritising a high-quality recording
- Listing every problem that could go wrong as a first-timer (with a solution for each scenario)

To my surprise everything went pretty much perfectly.

Oh, except sitting down to film with my face completely blurry.

But that was a Joe-thing not having the lens on right 😅 ... a story for another day...

Sure there's pros and cons with all tech, but this was really a huge enabler for me.

Now to stop using it to optimise a gym routine when I don't go to the gym!

Just started getting some coaching.

Already incredibly valuable - even just to have an open space to talk about how I'm feeling. Being avoidant keeps coming up. 

What's helped you create time for yourself?

P.S. Am I smiling or grimacing from the hard truths? 📸

The most common trap creators fall into on LinkedIn:

Trying to grow an audience and generate leads at the same time.

One day it’s a hot take for reach.
The next, a deep-dive for clients.

And then comes the confusion.

Low engagement. No traction. A feeling of “why isn’t this working?”

Here’s why:

Audience and leads are two different paths. And they ask for different things from you.

The audience path is about reach.

- Fast content. Big ideas. Broad energy.
- It’s a game of visibility and volume.

The leads path is about trust.

- Slower content. Specific insights.
- It’s a game of depth and resonance.

Trying to do both at once often waters down both.

So what’s the way through?

👉 Get clear on your next 6-12 months goal.
👉 Define what success actually looks like.
👉 Choose the path that supports that outcome.

As you grow, you can blend both paths. But you need to start with one clear priority.

Strategy is about trade-offs. You can't optimize for everything at once.

Which path are you choosing for the next 6 months?

I regularly pinch myself.

Show up online and share your interests. That's all it took for me to:

- Visit 17 new countries
- Create work opportunities
- Meet friends for life

In March, I was invited to speak to 30+ agency owners in the Dominican Republic.

Tell teenager Joe that he'd speak in the Caribbean?

I probably would've believed you - to be honest - because I'm a dreamer.

But I would've definitely asked back:

"How on Earth did that happen?"

The best part? It’s something you can start doing today.

See, there are creators and consumers.

The ones creating are just choosing to share what they know online - it's just a decision. 

The common limiting beliefs are:

- Fearing what other people will think
- Imposter syndrome
- Not having time
- Having no accountability
- Thinking "I don't know what to post about"

But there's no qualification needed here to change your life.

Everybody you follow - including people you'd say changed your life - felt every single one of these fears and did it anyway.

Jump in. Take the leap, and see the magic for yourself.

5 internal blockers holding back your personal brand.

I've worked with 70+ founders, creators, and executives who have incredible expertise but struggle to share it publicly.

Here are the 5 most common reasons why:

1. “I don’t have anything original to say.”

This one’s so common. But the truth is, you don’t need to be original. You need to be relevant. You’re not trying to impress your peers, you’re trying to help the people who are a few steps behind you.

2. “What if people judge me?”

Well… they already are. Every time someone lands on your profile, hears your name, or sees your post, they’re forming a perception. The only question is: are you shaping that story, or letting it happen by accident?

3. “I don’t have time.”

Totally fair. But in most cases, what people really mean is: “I don’t have a system that makes this sustainable.” You don’t need to spend hours every week making content. You just need a rhythm that fits your life.

4. “I’m not a creator.”

Great. You don’t need to be. You need to be a communicator. The best personal brands aren’t the loudest, they’re the clearest.

5. “Isn’t this a bit arrogant?”

I hear this one a lot. Nobody wants to come across as self-promotional. But here’s the reframe - visibility isn’t about ego, it’s about service. You’re sharing to help others get through something you’ve already figured out.

Which one of these beliefs has held you back the most?

5 limiting beliefs that kill your personal brand

Ever done a podcast on a beach?

This was worth the 5am start.

A lot of people are saying the landscape of social is changing.

The truth is, what's working now is what's always worked. 

High-quality content comes from: understanding who you are, what you do, and why you do it. 

Communicating your message through stories and your lived experience is how you capture attention.

It's only become easier to create average content. But who wants average?

It was super fun to jam with Romans Ivanovs about my journey so far with Amplify. We cover:

- Content-first agency model team structure
- Building experimentation content frameworks 
- The difference between optimising for followers vs. leads
- How much effort it takes to build a content engine internally
- Energy management and what drives you as founders

I loved how this conversation started strategic but then moved towards finding deeper fulfilment in our work.

Watch now: https://lnkd.in/egkt2fjZ 🎥

P.S. I really enjoyed this in-person podcast and would love to do more. Lmk what you think!

Well last week's post aged well

You don't want high engagement, you want what it brings.

I felt stuck as I was receiving so many AI comments on my content and it felt out of my control

This was confirmed by Favikon's new authenticity score which was a cool move by their team

It was a catch 22 because LinkedIn includes your own replies in the total number of comments – so there I was replying to comments even if they were clearly AI 

LinkedIn you listening? A quick solution would be to only show the number of unique comments on a post. That's better for everyone involved

I've hammered home before how you shouldn't outsource your voice on here

But your network?

C'mon that's non-negotiable

Spending time to knowledge share, to build your reputation, to learn from others... that's the beauty of this platform we all spend too much time on

I realised last week that these 3rd party AI tools don't even achieve the benefit people are going after using them

LinkedIn tracks dwell time as one way it perceives quality, so if you're not on the platform engaging with other people's posts, it's having no benefit

It's an ineffective method giving you nothing back. It'll never lead to the outcome you want of an audience who are bought into your way of doing things

Shout-out Matt Barker for his 🔥 post on this last week. His solution is to remove AI comments as they come in and maybe block those doing it. Sounds good to me 

All I want is real connection in this house 🏠

Goodbye AI comments

That's a wrap on our Founding Members cohort!

16+ hours of live training over 4 weeks. It's absolutely flown by.

I have 100% caught the bug for live training and this really feels like the start of what I want to create for you. 

The energy of a live cohort is unmatched and I couldn't have asked for a better group to run a first version with.

My biggest takeaway?

Never, EVER ship something without doing a test first.

I am the king of late deadlines and rushing things, but BOY am I happy we did this before filming the self-paced version of our signature product.

Literally 50% of what we created to teach got changed in real-time as we listened to everything our students wanted and needed.

That was the best part of the whole experience.

A big thank you to the Amplify team for making this happen - and to these awesome people for giving me an experience I won't forget.

Now we take our personal brands to the moon 🚀

P.S. Interested in joining a future live cohort? Join the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/dxUkkYUB

You can't beat in-person connection and having a peer group of ambitious people. 

It was amazing to meet-up in London with some of our founding members for Amplify Academy. 

To hear their stories and to support their goals. 

IRL > URL

The best of both? 

Building something online and seeing in-person the impact it's made. 

There's no greater feedback loop than that. 

Today is a day off, seing Wimbledon for the first time on Centre Court - I can't wait.

The next 4 days? 

Blocked out to film the course we've been working on for 2+ years. 

Happy Friday friends. I can't believe I'm seeing Fritz, Alcaraz, Raducanu and Sabalenka all in one day 🎾

The opportunities for creators are mind-blowing.

Last week, I got to attend Centre Court at Wimbledon for the first time.

To see 3x world-class matches was something I'll never forget.

While I have a great somebody to thank for the invite, creators are getting these opportunities for free...

I've seen the partnerships behind-the-scenes. Believe me, the opportunities are wild.

- Hospitality passes to the F1
- Revenue splits or equity for brands they already use
- Playing charity football events on Premier League pitches

This will never cease to amaze me.

Every post you create is doing one of two things:

1. Attracting the right type of attention
2. Repelling the right type of attention

This year alone I've turned down at least $15k of sponsorship opportunities that didn't feel right.

That's a large sum of money, but all I want to do is:

- Partner with brands I love
- Go above and beyond for them
- Create magic together

Never settle.

The win-wins are out there for you.

But if your content looks the same as everyone else's... why would they select you?

Posting on LinkedIn is step one. What’s next?

If you're trying to grow a personal brand, short-form content (like LinkedIn posts) is great for reach.

But reach alone doesn’t build relationships.

It doesn’t nurture trust.

And it rarely converts on its own.

That’s where a long-form channel, like a newsletter, is important.

Here’s why they work:

- You build trust over time.
- You own the channel. No algorithm. No platform risk.
- You stay top-of-mind. Regular writing = consistent visibility.
- You have a direct line to people who’ve already said yes.

But most people avoid email because it feels complicated.

What should I say? How do I format it? When do I send it?

The process can be simple if you use the right system.

Tools like Constant Contact are built for this.

You get:

1) Clean, flexible templates for newsletters

2) Segmentation tools that let you speak to the right people

3) Automations so you don’t have to manually follow up every time

If you’ve been focusing only on short-form, that’s a great start. But if you want to turn attention into actual traction, build a channel you own.

Since doing this for myself, I’ve actually enjoyed creating content 10x more.

Posts are no longer drops in the ocean - they contribute to a greater purpose and that’s moving with way more intention.

I’ll only ever recommend tools I know can help you.

👉 Try Constant Contact with 30 days free → https://lnkd.in/ebQAWKpw

Email might not feel urgent. But it’s the channel you’ll wish you started sooner.

Taplio

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