Louie Syred's Linkedin Analytics

Don't preemptively reject yourself. Let other people reject you instead. You'll get told no tons regardless. But there's no reason to take yourself out of the fight before shooting your shot just because the odds of getting a yes are low. This will feel obvious to many. But I believe many of us tell ourselves no before other people do far too often. It's letting your fear rule you, which is never good. It's okay to get rejected. Just make sure it's real rejection not self-imposed.

The em dash is slowly but surely taking over LinkedIn. In my feed it feels like ChatGPT writes every other post, and largely based on a fairly generic prompt. As I said to our team today, as we all begin to use AI more in our work, we must understand that it is becoming easier to spot AI derived output.   I asked ChatGPT to outline how the em dash is a dead giveaway that AI generated the content. Here's how it responded. "The Tell-Tale Em Dash: How AI Gives Itself Away Ever read something that just feels a little off? Like it was almost written by a human—but not quite? One of the dead giveaways that AI had a hand in the writing? The overuse of the em dash. Sure, the em dash is a fantastic piece of punctuation—when used sparingly. It can add emphasis, replace commas, or even mimic the rhythm of natural speech. But AI tends to lean on it a lot—often where a simple comma or period would do the job. It’s almost as if AI is trying to sound conversational—but instead, it creates a pattern that’s just unnatural enough to stand out. So next time you’re reading a suspiciously polished article, email, or social post, take a look at the punctuation. If there’s an army of em dashes marching through the text, you just might be dealing with an AI-generated piece. And now, if you’ll excuse me—I need to go check my own writing." I am all for embracing technology that allows us to work more efficiently, but it should not come at the expense of critical thinking, originality and quality. AI is a game changer but still has plenty of "tells".

The best hires don’t fit the mould. They break it. 🐾 If you’ve had a career that doesn’t follow a straight line you’ve probably been told you need to "fit the mould" to get hired. 👣 If your CV looks messy to recruiters it probably means you’ve learned how to adapt, problem solve and spot opportunities others miss. 🐳 Are you being penalised because you don’t have current category experience, but still have all the skills and competencies in abundance for the role? For years companies have hired based on stability and category experience. ✅ A straight career path ✅ Clear trajectory ✅ Stability over risk But now? 💥 The world has shifted under our feet. 💥 AI is rewriting how we work. Social media has changed how brands grow. 💥 The digital revolution isn’t coming. It already happened. ➡️ When the waters are calm you cast a net and wait. ➡️ But when the storm comes and the map is useless you need someone who can sail into the unknown. Steve Jobs said "It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the Navy." Right now it might be better to have a pirate on your team than a category rule follower. If you’re hiring right now ask yourself. Are you looking for someone who fits the mould? or someone who can build something that doesn’t exist yet? Share with someone who needs to see this. Is it mould or mold? Terence Parris, Teresa Havvas (FHEA) Ross Thompson Richard Midgley Scott Lenik

We took the old way of working and tried to copy-paste it into a hybrid / remote world. It doesn’t really work, for me at least. When Covid hit and companies went remote, most of us didn’t reinvent the way we worked. We just tried to translate it. Same meetings but on Zoom/Teams/Meet Same roles but now at home. Same expectations, different environment. But the truth is, a hybrid / remote company doesn’t work like an in-person one. And remote leadership doesn’t look like in-person leadership either. A hybrid / remote company needs: •⁠ ⁠Clear structured written communication •⁠ ⁠Deep work over constant collaboration •⁠ ⁠Planning and documentation not just good intentions •⁠ ⁠Trust in outcomes not proximity None of that is bad. But it is different. And it’s taken me longer than I expected to adjust. I’ve always led from energy, instinct and immediacy. I’m at my best when I can feel the team, sense momentum and jump in to help unblock. But when everyone’s in their own little window that gets harder especially when your role is somewhat removed from the day to day. The buzz goes. The spontaneity disappears. And I’ve had to work on new muscles - structure, process, planning. If you’re a company that relied heavily on energy, collaboration and emotional intelligence as many agencies do you probably felt this too. The problem is, nobody taught us how to transpose those skills. We just carried on hoping the magic would follow us into Slack. Now nearly four years on… Have we really adjusted or are we still just coping? No answers in this one, just thoughts. Curious how others are thinking about this. Or is it just me?

Personally, I wouldn't start a THC brand... or a hemp brand... or an L-theanine brand... or a caffeine brand. I'd focus my attention on building a brand that crafts products for a desired effect and vibe. And I'd carefully design these products with the best ingredients to match the desired effect. This may include THC. May include ashwagandha. May include other ingredients. But the ingredient wouldn't define the brand. (exceptions apply of course)

What happens when the cost of creativity drops to zero and no one's IP is safe? We made Simpsons-style avatars of the Neverbland team last week using Al. Fun. Fast. Hilarious. But also... a bit unsettling. These things used to take hours of an illustrator's time. Now? A few clicks. Anyone can do it. And that raises a much bigger question: What happens when anyone can replicate a look, a style— even a brand? Because it's not just cartoon portraits. It's logos, voices, photoshoots, campaigns. It's pitch decks, packaging, product shots. All of it, copyable. At some point, we stop asking can Al do this? And start asking what's left that it can't? That's the tension creative teams are starting to feel. And brands too - especially those built on style, voice, or cultural relevance. If anyone can create anything, instantly and for free... What still has value? I don't have the full answer. But here's where my head's at: Taste still matters. Knowing what to make, not just how. Strategy still matters. Al can create, but it doesn't choose. Originality still matters. The idea behind the output is what sets it apart. Trust still matters. A brand with clarity, consistency and credibility? Still gold. Maybe the future of creativity isn't about being the only one who can make something. It's about being the only one who can mean something. Curious where others are landing on this. Is this exciting, terrifying, or a bit of both?

Lately it feels like my brain has more browser tabs open than my laptop, and I'm struggling to figure out which one the music's coming from. Working in digital, context switching is just part of the job. Client work, team needs, prospecting, thinking long term while dealing with what's urgent. It's easy to mistake the loudest thing for the most important. Most of the time, they're not the same. Then you throw in everything else: family stuff, trying to stay on top of your health, getting enough sleep, maybe even growing a bit as a person. The whole thing can easily start to feel like one big juggling act. Apparently, I'm not the only one feeling it. 79% of UK employees report moderate to high stress. 63% show signs of burnout, up from 51% two years ago. Regular exercise has always been my reset button. Boxing, running, footy. It clears my head and helps me to feel alive. But when urgent takes over and life gets messy and I let it slip, I really feel it. Brain fog, energy levels, dodgy knees. And the irony? The "urgent" tasks I miss my workouts for usually end up being the things I could've handled better if I'd moved my body first. I'm trying (not always succeeding) to treat rest, movement, and space to think as non-negotiable. Not in a self-optimising way. Just because they help me feel more like myself and everything flows better when I do. Fewer open tabs. Less noise. A bit more clarity. How do you protect your energy when things get noisy?