Luke Matthews

Co-Founder | Lifestyle Blogger |  Content Marketer | Storyteller 

I teach you how to write with AI (and win LinkedIn)

Building a business in public on LinkedIn™ is a challenge. 

The internet has changed. AI slop is everywhere and everyone is trying to figure out how much to share? 

Should you share selfies?
Do you need video?
How much of your personal life do u disclose?
Why do posts about pizza do better than talking about ur business?
Is AI safe to use? 

It's a lot to figure out.

You also have a real business and a reputation to uphold. 

You want to take advantage of more opportunities through visibility on social media, but you know there are privacy risks that come with that.... 

Most AI models take your data and sell it. 
Most social media platforms take your data and sell it.
Most marketers don't understand this, which can expose your company.

That's where I come in. 

I've been marketing for over 10 years on social media, built over 250k followers across all platforms, and I've ghostwritten for some of the biggest personal brands in the world. 

I've shared some of the most unhinged content you will ever see. Streamed drunk from the Scottish highlands, given away 1000s of dollars of pizza, hosted live meme competitions and roasted other influencers LIVE...

I've also been banned over 10 times on LinkedIn and experienced a lot of drama by sharing real opinions that not everyone enjoyed.

So you could say I've learned the hard way how to find the line for what to share and how much to share. 

Despite the wild journey, I do value privacy and staying hidden. 

It takes skill to build a personal brand that not only generates revenue for your company but also remains secure and private. 

But the truth is finding that line between private and public is hard. 

I help you find that line.
I help you use AI without giving away all your personal info.

So if that interests you give me a follow and subscribe to my free newsletter that dives deeper on how to use private AI, approach social media minimally and make it your slave and not vice versa. 

--

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘆?

Follow me and subscribe to my email list to learn how to use AI tools safely and securely without exposing your data and private life to the world. You can subscribe by clicking any link in my profile as they all go to my newsletter on Substack. 

--

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁?

Email me at luke@wizardofoddmarketing.com

Founder - Lead Wizard & Ghostwriter

Linkedin & Twitter Ghostwriting Services for CEOs, Influencers, and Tech companies. 
Reach your audience with a sprinkle of magic, the power of explosive copywriting, and let the WIZARD OF odd MARKETING help make your biz a LOT  less boring.

Hollywood is no longer relevant. 

We don't watch movies. We don't care about celebrities. 

And now.... We don't need the directors or big budgets either. 

Everyone focus on the doom and gloom of AI.

But AI gives the small creators a chance. 

This animated holiday short by Artlist was made by 3 people in 3 weeks. 

No Studio. No massive budget. 

Just AI tools on Artlist. 

Try it here: https://lnkd.in/ejKNGHgQ

In 2025 you can create almost anything with the right tool, a creative skillset and a determined mind. You don't need a big budget or famous movie stars (I guess u could make an hot AI avatar tho)..

Now with that being said...

I'm gonna go put on the Hobbit because for some reason I enjoy watching that trilogy over the holidays!!

PS What's your go to holiday Christmas movie?

Brand partnership • I got banned 10x so you don’t have to. Learn to separate your private and digital life by using AI tools securely (and discover how to build online without the drama).

I have been banned over 10x on LinkedIn. 

The brutal truth is the system ain’t fair…

In business and in life those willing to cater to the system (and exploit you) end up profiting from it. 

Social media has made this reality worse. 

It’s not about how skilled you are.
It’s about how skilled you can talk. 

(& it’s about who u know aka how good you are at kissing up to leaders and using errr befriending them on your climb to a seat at the table)

I decided this rat race wasn’t for me. 

So I’m playing a different game now. 

Rebuilding in the shadows. 
Learning new skills. 
Making new friends…

Friends that are hackers, rebels and the anonymous geniuses defending digital freedom…

Because look, complaining about broken systems accomplished nothing…

Action wins. 

PS Hi LinkedIn. Who’s still here?

2 posts in a week whoa 🤓

Luke M

Vibe coding has risks. But you can deploy securely.

4 ways to use replit safely (in an isolated work sandbox)

Let's be real. The idea of just telling an AI to build an app feels fast and loose. Because it is.

AI suggestions can be riddled with vulnerabilities. replit's own research says up to 40% of them can be insecure.

So, just blindly trusting an AI to write your code is like leaving your front door wide open.

You don't do that.

But you also don't have to code like it's 2005. The power of vibe coding is real, you just have to be smart about it.

It's about control. It's about isolation.

I run my digital life in sandboxes. replit is no different. It's a powerful tool, and I use it inside my secure workflow. Here's how I do it without exposing my data:

1. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲. 
  
This is non-negotiable. Hardcoding API keys is a rookie mistake. replit's built-in Secrets manager encrypts them and keeps them completely separate from your source code. I can even set them at the account level and reuse them without ever pasting them into a prompt. Simple.

2. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. 
  
Just like I use different OS environments, replit runs every project in its own isolated container on GCP. This is a fundamental security principle. Your app isn't touching other apps. It's sandboxed by default.

3. 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀. 
  
Not every idea needs to be public. For anything sensitive, I use replit's Private Apps feature. Only people I invite can access them. You decide who gets in. Not the entire internet.

4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁. 
  
Replit builds full-stack apps by default, separating the front-end from the back-end. This means sensitive logic and data processing happen in a secure, hidden environment, not in the user's browser. It's the right way to build, and it's automatic.

The point isn't to avoid powerful tools. 
It's to use them without becoming the product.

You can move fast without sacrificing security. 

You just need the right environment and the right controls.

PS Do you vibe code? (How do u protect your data if so...)

Start here: https://lnkd.in/ecZX3z4S

I used to spend 8 hours a day engaging on LinkedIn. 

In 2025 I spent less than 30 minutes a day... 

So why change?

Well for starters I shut down a lot of things this year. I ghosted the platform for months, I shut down my old businesses and went into the shadows to consider a rebuild. 

But last year a lot changed on the platform.

Commenting alone is now far less effective for growth.

There are too many AI comments.
There are too many thought leader ads.
There are too many virtual assistants focused on ROI.

The odds of your comment alone being seen, considered and replied to simply went down a lot. 

So here's what I have been doing in Q4:

I comment for 15 minutes a day.
I make sure each comment is interesting.
I follow up the comment with a simple DM. 

(oh and yes I remove all my comments, posts and footprint 30-60 days after with a pretty cool AI tool.... DM if your curious why I do this!) 

No you wont get a ton of reach or follower growth this way!

But you will start conversations....

PS Have you changed your strategy in 2025?

I got banned 10x so you don’t have to. Learn to separate your private and digital life by using AI tools securely (and discover how to build online without the drama).

It's easy to get 1000 likes a post (like I used too)

Here's how to be a LinkedIn influencer: 

1. Talk about LinkedIn. 
2. Be good looking and post pictures.
3. Write short, broad content. 
4. Spend all day commenting. 
5. Do this for 90 days. 

OR 

69. Pay a team to do it all for you. 

But here's the truth about this blueprint. 

You missed the window when this was possible for anyone. It's too late now on LinkedIn to do this organically. The market has changed, agencies don't work as well, organic is dying and this actually isn't the best strategy unless you want to pretend the old system still works. 

The better way? 

Cut the dopamine. Pick a niche. Speak to that niche. 
Accept less reach. Accept slower growth. 

But reach a very targetd audience. 

In summary...

You need a real skill and a real niche to focus on.

The generic LinkedIn growth expert is playing an old game to take your hard earned money by fooling you with cheap dopamine. 

You will never become them. 

You don't need a personal brand.

You just need to be an expert with a real skill and a specific niche.

PS Who bought cool AI tools for Black Friday?

I changed my profile picture to a cartoon for 6 months. 

Here's what it did for my business....

1. I gained -1000 followers in 189 days.
2. I gained - 90% profile views in the last 90 days. 
3. I gained -500 subscribers in 2025. 
4. I have 0 comment on revenue :D

All jokes aside... 

Cartoon profile pictures are a challenge on LinkedIn. 

People like faces. It's the cost of doing business here.

During this 6 months I learned a lot.

I've cleaned up years of accounts and content. 
I've learned to separate public and personal data.

I have a work environment (with tools and an email).
I have a personal environment (on separate devices).

I have decided to use my name and face here for now.

Because the truth is....

Altho I scrubbed years my content, comments and likes I do not have the hacker skills as of yet to remove all the video clips, pictures and posts shared about me by other digital creators.

It seems I did too good a job at marketing myself lol.

PS How was your 2025 internet person?

I now separate work and my personal life.

But not for balance... I do it for privacy.

If you wanna work 16 hours a day and find joy in that then I see no reason at all to say that's unhealthy. 

So this post isn't about encouraging balance.

I mean, I'm the guy who posted 3x a day and spent 8 hours+ a day commenting and connecting on LinkedIn for years who now has a cartoon profile pic, posts 1x a week and barely comments...

I enjoy the unhinged and unbalanced life.

More fun. More purpose. More stories.

And yet I've worked hard to seperate personal and business in 2025.

That's meant shutting down a lot of social media accounts, AI tools, services, clients and ways that I show up on the internet. 

I use Linux for personal stuff.
But Windows for work. 

I use a rebuilt android OS for personal stuff.
And only use an IPhone hardened for work.

I still post on LinkedIn for work. 
But I removed all pics and stories connected to my life.

I could go on and on...

But for me, seperating work and my personal life hasn't been about balance. It's been about privacy and being more intentional with my time, my words and my efforts... 

I believe the internet is no longer a place for authenticity. 

It's simply a place to do commerce. 

So look, do you but if your password is the same for your bank and your LinkedIn account....

Maybe it's time for an audit of yourself eh peasant? 

🧙‍♂️

Do you share your live location with social media apps? 

I do not. Here's a quick why/why not list... 

✅ Positives to location sharing:

It's convenient (easy to meet up & connect)
It's social proof (events, hotspots, clout)
It gives you steak recommendations. 

✖️ Negatives to location sharing: 

It creates movement patterns for 1000s to study.
It allows your data to be harvested more easily.
It establishes a physical digital footprint.

I have always been careful to not share my live location.

I analyze every photo or post written and consider what kind of footprint I'm leaving behind. 

Am I paranoid? 

Perhaps... But this elder-millennial is gonna keep walking the line between using tech and disappearing into the shadows..

PS Sharing any photos adds to your risk. 

This photo has clues in it. 

Where do you think this photo was taken?

The gatekeepers are losing their grip.

For years, "world-class" meant big budgets, big teams, and exclusive tools. You had to be part of the club.

That era is over.

AI has kicked the door down. A new report from Artlist, based on insights from 6,500 creators, calls this "The third wave of democratization."

What does that mean?

It means anyone with a laptop can now produce studio-quality work. It means a couple of skilled individuals can take on companies in the hundreds. It means the playing field is wide open for anyone willing to learn.

Of course, when anyone can make anything look perfect, the game changes.

It's no longer just about technical skill. It's about taste. Vision. Strategic thinking.

As the report says, direction now matters more than ever. AI handles the production, but only you can choose the ideas that move people. Your choices are what set you apart.

This is why I find AI so appealing. It's not about replacing humans; it's about empowering the ones that choose to accept the new game. It is the great redistributing. An opportunity for anyone willing to learn, not just those with deep pockets.

The little guy has a chance. The rebel. The creator with a dream. The expert with a real skill.....

I think that's pretty cool.

PS if you want to read more about the state of AI check out the AI Trend Report 2026 from Artlist (who sponsored this post).

https://lnkd.in/gf7e8aXE

How to pay $0 with 9 private AI tools.

(I replaced my tech stack with these brands)

This summer I quit using most AI tools that required overpriced monthly subscriptions/credits and stored my data in their clouds. 

So I had to replace 99% of my tools. 

From $500 to less than $25 a month.

Here's my list:

Notion >Crypt(.)ee for note taking and ideas.
Airtable > AppFlowy for content management.
G-Suite > Proton for secure email and file hosting.
ChatGPT > Okara for private open source AI. 
Loom > Cap so I can record my screen with video.
Perplexity > DeepSeek with Ollama for research.
Canva > Penpot for self hosting creative assets.
Manus > Venice for AI research purposes.
Slack > Signal cz I don't need all the fluff.

So yeah this list is a lot longer.

But I know your attention span is short.

I'm still getting used to some of these new tools.

(and I paid for Proton Premium too btw)

The truth is, it's inconvenient. 
I was used to my tool stack. 

Learning new software and setups is a challenge.

But avoiding subscriptions the best I can and maintaining max control of my data is my decision maker.

PS Yes I left out the self-hosting tools and process...

(I gotta make you follow for more somehow right?)

I am a terrible community leader. 

So join my group chat for remote workers to kick off 2026...

5 years ago I ran a free Discord during lockdowns that featured:

Meme battles.
Free pizza. 
Daily chats. 
Live gaming sessions....

Yes. Yes it ended with me firing all my admins, unhinged topics/rants and a slow descent into madness that ruined a community of 1000+ remote workers...

So why do it again? 

Well since I ghosted LinkedIn for most of 2025 I'm curious if anyone will join and I'm curious how many of you work remote, feel like there's no community online anymore and just wanted a place to chat with some fellow nomads.

This time I'm hosting on telegram. 

It's free. Not sure about pizza. No growth tips or value given.

Just simply a remote workers hangout place during your work days.

If that sounds cool comment WOO and I'll send u the link.

PS How long will this chat last?

Authenticity on social media is gone. 

What if your visa was denied to the USA because of posts? 

Well under the newly proposed ESTA system this is a possibility. 

This system is for short term tourist or business stays and effects 42 countries like the UK, Germany, and France... Travelers would submit social media identifiers, past phone numbers, emails, family details, and even a selfie....

This would become not just optional but potentially mandatory to enter a country.... 

But Luke "I have nothing to hide" ..... 

Well if you believe the systems are fair then you can own than statement... But if you believe the game is rigged and the systems are corrupt....

Then it's very dangerous to trust the judgement of a left or right leaning country... 

In 2026 you may get denied.
But in 2028 you might get approved.

Same post. Different government. Different freedoms...

Whether this law passes or another one like it does... The internet is changing. Freedom is eroding and authenticity??

It's a lost cause. 

I explore my journey and thoughts on this on Substack. 

I'm writing again so hope you'll join me over there for in depth rants, stories and lessons on how to use AI privately and protect yourself online.

https://lnkd.in/e4-hmKqp

PS I scrape my content every 30-60 days now.

All comments. All posts. All DMs.

Started doing this this summer.

Comment WOO and I'll share the AI tool I use to do it.

Learn to scale your business privately with AI.

Scale your business privately with AI.

Transparency is important to OpenAI.

So this security incident shouldn't trouble u.....

It was just some irrelevant data don't worry.
Some analytics data related to ur account. 
It's VERY safe for you to share info with ChatGPT....

Rest assured this was not a breach of OpenAI’s systems. No chat, API requests, API usage data, passwords, credentials, API keys, payment details, or government IDs were compromised or exposed.....

(lol if u believe that)

Truth is peasants....

It's never been more important to sandbox your personal data and your businesses data and your social media tools access to your data...

Your personal data has never been more at risk thanks to AI.

When's the last time you audited your passwords, tools and emails?

Merry Christmas to everyone scrolling the LinkedIn feed alone with a half eaten box of chocolate...

You are either a workaholic OR...

The holidays are a hard time for you. 

If that's you comment GRINCH and I'll share a link to my free telegram chat for remote workers. 

Come hang out while you finish that box of chocolate.

No grift. No growth tips. No value except a casual online chat.

Oh and maybe a meme battle lets see what happens.

Happy holidays!

PS I'm grilling a steak tonight how about you?

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