Thomas Helfrich

InstantlyRelevant.com

InstantlyRelevant.com tackles a core issue for sales teams in small to mid-sized U.S. companies: the struggle to generate relevant high-quality leads that convert into revenue. Being merely known, liked, and trusted is no longer enough; today, relevance is the key. Many teams lack the strategy, process, and tools to quickly establish relevance. 

The Instantly Relevant Revenue System steps in to solve this, utilizing a focused approach grounded in AI, data, and technology. The goal is clear: eliminate guesswork and streamline your sales process to consistently produce revenue. Relevance Ignites Revenue at InstantlyRelevant.com

Chief Executive Officer

Never Been Promoted

Unleash Your Entrepreneur. 50 Entrepreneurial Like Lessons You Should Know Before Becoming An Entrepreneur

Podcast and Book

Author | YouTube (950k Subscribers) | Podcast

Ai Nerd

Ai Nerd is a community of Artificial Intelligence professionals, experts, and enthusiasts.  Check out youtube.com/ainerd.

Chief Nerd Officer (Founder, Podcast, and YouTube Host)

Computer Aid, Inc.

Led the technology and innovation component of the digital transformation from a 500 million services company to a $1B revenue technology organization

Chief Innovation Officer

ISG (Information Services Group)

Hands-on intelligent automation advisor for business architecture delivery and Full Lifecycle RPA (assessment, design, vendor selection, implementation, support, governance COE) for 50 Fortune 1000 clients. Created new revenue  and expanded revenue existing accounts miilions annually.

Senior Director, Intelligent Automation Services

KPMG

Executive advisory and consulting on Governance, Intelligent Automation, Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence.

Senior Manager

Elsevier

Director Business Technology

Accenture

Evolution Credit 

Sales leader for boutique credit and lending consulting services organization.

Founder

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Solutions Architect

Serious About Growing Your Business? | Lead generation is not enough. | You need a comprehensive sales and marketing system to consistently grow your business without brand-wrecking spam.

Mission is to help 1 million entrepreneurs get started, get unstuck, get better and entrepreneurship.

A Few Relevant Social Links To Follow:
https://www.youtube.com/@neverbeenpromoted 
https://www.tiktok.com/@neverbeenpromoted 
https://twitter.com/NevBeenPromoted 
https://www.threads.net/@neverbeenpromoted 
https://www.instagram.com/neverbeenpromoted
https://www.facebook.com/neverbeenpromoted
www.neverbeenpromoted.com
www.instantlyrelevant.com

My professional path, which spans over two decades, includes consultancy, advisory roles, and entrepreneurship. Among the notable highlights of my career is my tenure as the Chief Innovation Officer for a billion-dollar US-based service company. Even though I've never been promoted, I've accumulated a wealth of expertise in AI Systems and Intelligent Automation.

I am recognized for my dynamic energy and unique perspective, making me a highly engaging podcast guest. My polished presentation skills, coupled with my vast experience, allow me to offer captivating insights into the world of AI and entrepreneurship.  Have me on your show and we can discuss:

AI in Marketing
Entrepreneurship Journey
Social Media Strategy
AI Nerd Insights
Innovation in Business
Intelligent Automation
The Role of a CEO in a Startup
"Never Been Promoted" Theme
Podcasting Tips
Future of Ai

Keeping promises is something we often talk about, but how frequently do we truly live up to this ideal, no matter the size or nature of the promise?

I'm curious, have any of you made a promise that seemed small at the time but turned out to be more meaningful than you anticipated? I'd love to hear your stories!

Here's a little tale from my side.  I promised my 9-year-old daughter that if my 'Never Been Promoted' YouTube Channel hit 1 million subscribers, I'd celebrate by getting the family personalized STANLEY mugs with our logo? 

Well, what started as a lighthearted moment turned into a touching family journey. Just 30 days later, while I was on a rare guys golf trip in Alabama, the first message I received at the crack of dawn on Sunday from my daughter was, 'It's Stanley ordering time' — her excitement was palpable!

She was so invested, tracking the subscriber count daily and even offering her creative ideas to boost it (kids today are so savvy, aren't they?). When the mugs finally arrived, it wasn't just about fulfilling a promise; it became a cherished family memory.

This experience got me thinking and I'd like your thoughts too: the act of keeping a promise, no matter how insignificant it might seem, reinforces trust and strengthens our connections, be it in business, teamwork, parenting, partnerships, or just being a decent human.

Have you found this to be true in your experiences? How do you ensure you keep your promises, and what do you do when you find you can't?

Oh, and one more thing – maybe it's just me, but doesn't water somehow taste better out of a mug that's filled with meaning? Or perhaps I'm just trying to justify the expense! 😄 What's your take on this?"

____
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Want help to Unleash Your Entrepreneur? - Just DM me :-)


Thomas  Helfrich

Do something fun today.... you earned it. 

One of the best things I did with my business was promoting an employee from just writing content to becoming head of operations.

Why?

He's incredibly competent, organized, and detail-oriented in managing our services, and he's great at building strong client relationships.

It’s paid off big time!

This is how important having the right people in key roles is for business growth. 

But don't just look at time served - prioritize competency. 

When you're a startup or a small business, building a team based on their talent, skills, and contributions sets the stage for innovation, efficiency, and long-term success. 

You're making sure that every part of your business functions at its best, driving towards your goals effectively.

Have you ever been in this situation as an entrepreneur?

Share your experiences in the comments!

#TeamBuilding #LeadershipMatters #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurLife #NeverBeenPromoted 

Think you know disruption? Learn from a pro who’s been there!

Say hello to Matt Markel, the CEO of Spartan Radar, and the brain behind decades of radar innovation. From national defense to the frontier of self-driving cars, Matt's not just playing the game—he's changing it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🚀 Pivot fearlessly—comfort is the enemy of achievement. 

🎯 Visionary leadership turns plans into reality. 

📈 Growth means impact, not just numbers.

Must-Reads: 

📚 "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz for navigating startup storms. 

📚 "Never Split the Difference" by Christopher Voss for effective negotiation tactics.

Love these insights? Share this and tag a friend who needs to see it!

#technology #innovation #startups #entrepreneurship #neverbeenpromoted 

Thomas Helfrich on LinkedIn • 3 min read

Never Been Promoted: Mastering the Radar of Success in Tech Entrepreneurship

Embrace change, pivot strategically, and the podcasting world is yours to conquer!

Meet Michael DeAloia, the entrepreneurial spirit behind Evergreen Podcasts. From tech startups to leading a thriving podcast network, Michael's journey is nothing short of inspirational.

 Key Takeaways:

🚀 The power of the pivot in entrepreneurial success.

🚀 Building partnerships is crucial for growth.

🚀 Branding is more than aesthetics; it's your story.

Recommendations:

📘  "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin for creative leadership

🌐 Lunchclub & PodMatch for networking

Follow Michael DeAloia and Evergreen Podcasts on social media for daily doses of inspiration and strategy!

If you're inspired by Michael's journey, share this post and spread the entrepreneurial spirit. 

#entrepreneurship #podcast #startups #strategy #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: Building a Podcast Empire from the Ground Up

Is your business credit as robust as it could be? 

Dive into the financial mastery of Hayden Kanikkeberg, the dynamo behind J. Galt Financial! Hayden is changing the game for entrepreneurs everywhere.

Key Takeaways:

💡 Mastering cash flow isn't just survival; it's your business's growth accelerator.

💡 Credit is a scalpel, not a sledgehammer—use it with precision to carve out your empire.

💡 Risk management is an art—diversify your portfolio to paint a stable future.

Expert Recommendations:

📖 Read "Mamba Mentality" by Kobe Bryant for relentless improvement.

🛠 Kickstart your credit journey with net 30 accounts from giants like Amazon and Staples.

Follow Hayden on LinkedIn and Instagram for insights that could revolutionize your approach to business finance. 

Share the wisdom and visit www.neverbeenpromoted.com for more!

#finance #business #entrepreneurship #startups #neverbeenpromoted 

Never Been Promoted: Building a Financial Foundation for Entrepreneurial Success

Ever feel stuck in your career? You NEED to hear this story.

🔥Bonnie Low-Kramen went from celebrity assistant to bestselling author and workplace guru! She's all about changing office dynamics for the better.

Lessons from Bonnie's journey:

💥  Resilience is EVERYTHING

💥  Don't be afraid to address tough workplace issues

💥  Everyone deserves to feel valued at work

Bonnie recommends:

✅  Her books "Be the Ultimate Assistant" and "Staff Matters"

✅  Barbra Streisand's "My Name is Barbara" (because inspiration matters!)

Follow Bonnie Low-Kramen on social media for your daily fix of workplace wisdom. And if Bonnie’s journey struck a chord with you, share her story with your network!

#entrepreneurship #startups #workplace #culture #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: Pioneering Change in Workplace Dynamics

How do you start each morning? 

(After bathroom, brushed teeth, vitamins, water, and making coffee...)

I am starting mine with 10 minutes of reading...  

Admittedly, it's a newer habit but one i am enjoying. 

Helps me learn, feel positive, and sets the day off right. 

Give it a try!

What's your morning routine?  


Never Been Promoted? Me Neither - Get advice from the guy with a cut tie, 2 thumbs, and one finger pointing at you with a creative (yet real) list of ways to never be promoted so you may launch yourself into entrepreneurship.

1. Delegate absolutely everything, including your coffee runs and the tough task of deciding where to go for lunch. If a task requires more than two mouse clicks or a full sentence of explanation, it's above your pay grade.

2. Treat your email inbox like a black hole. Emails go in, but they never come out. Set your out-of-office reply to, "I am currently out of the office and will never return." Only reply to those that can fire you.

3. Always propose a meeting to discuss the next meeting. Bonus points if you can loop in departments that have nothing to do with the topic. The goal is to create a perpetual meeting loop where nothing gets done.

4. Embrace casual Friday every day and take it to new heights. Think Hawaiian shirts for board meetings and flip-flops for client presentations. You're not just an employee; you're on a never-ending vacation from responsibility.
 
5. Be the most active on all company social media posts. No article, photo, or announcement should go without your insightful comment: "Nice!" or "LOL 😂." It's all about visibility!

6. Develop a mysterious ailment that flares up during important deadlines or whenever someone mentions the word "overtime." It's crucial to keep them guessing whether it's chronic laziness or just an exotic virus.

7. Gradually extend your lunch hour to a lunch afternoon. Return to work with no explanation other than a contented smile and a sun tan. Work-life balance is essential, after all. Leave as early as you can.

8. Start every project with gusto and then slowly let the enthusiasm wane until it's unclear what the project was about in the first place. If anyone asks, you're "pivoting to a new strategy."

9. During performance reviews, nod sagely while misunderstanding every piece of constructive feedback. Translate "needs improvement in time management" to "needs more time to manage."

!0. Expense everything you can to the company. From pet grooming because your cat's stress levels affect your productivity, to meditation apps because a zen employee is a happy employee. Remember, it's about investing in your well-being for long-term gain. 

Live in the grey, But don't commit any crimes doing this.

Enjoy and tag a frien that will appreciate this list.

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#neverbeenpromoted #entrepreneurship #beyourownboss #hrfails #ihatemyjob

Retirement at 34 isn’t a myth; it’s strategic genius.

Meet Stephen Courson, the mastermind behind Courson Solutions, who flipped the script on retirement, proving that with the right mindset and financial savvy, you can call the shots on your career and life much earlier than society dictates.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

👉 Pivot with purpose in the face of adversity

👉 Treat your life as your most important business project

👉 Master your personal finance for ultimate freedom

Stephen's top tips:

💡 Embrace lifestyle design

💡 Get savvy with your finances

💡 Build a supportive community

Follow Stephen on social media for more gems on living freely. 

P.S. Don't forget to share and spread the word if this resonates! 

#finance #entrepreneurship #startups #motivation #neverbeenpromoted

Thomas Helfrich on LinkedIn • 4 min read

Never Been Promoted: Financial Literacy as Your Pathway to Freedom

Life throws curveballs, but this entrepreneur hit a home run with every unexpected turn.

Kevin Dunlap, the founder of Optimal Performance Academy, isn't your typical entrepreneur. His career took surprising turns, from the Navy to tech, and finally to building his dream business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

👉 Embrace the unexpected! Be open to new opportunities, even if they seem unrelated.

👉 Never stop learning! Keep your skills sharp with courses, books, and seminars.

👉 Networking is key! Build strong relationships with people in your field.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Books: 

👉 "The 4-Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferriss 

👉 "E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber

Tech: 

👉 ChatGPT for content creation, CRM systems, Acuity & Calendly for scheduling

Share this with others who might need a dose of inspiration today! 

#entrepreneurship #startups #business #podcast #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: The Essential Guide to Thriving on Uncharted Career Paths

Negotiating your salary isn’t just smart; It’s non-negotiable.

Meet Keri-Lynne Shaw, the powerhouse behind The Salary Bump. Transitioning from Chief People Officer to entrepreneur, she’s on a mission to make sure you're not just earning a paycheck, but making that paycheck work for you.

Key Takeaways:

🚀 Embrace Grit: Success demands persistence. 

🔍 Curiosity is Key: Dive deep into market trends and company cultures. 

🤝 Network = Net Worth: Your connections can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

Expert Tips: 

📚 Read anything by Patrick Lencioni for leadership insights. 

🎧 Tune into Jenna Kutcher's The Goal Digger Podcast and Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO for entrepreneurial spirit.

Follow Keri-Lynne on LinkedIn for daily doses of negotiation know-how and jumpstart your career trajectory.

P.S. If this hits home, share it. 

#salary #negotiation #leadership #entrepreneurship #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: Mastering the Art of Salary Negotiation

Nothing can stop you if you cut through obstacles like a Ninja...

No excuses today #entrepreneurs, go kick some ass, make it happen. 

Discover the DNA of winning brands!

Meet VIRGILIA VIRJOGHE, the mastermind behind VV GLOBAL PARTNERS, reshaping the branding world with her visionary strategies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

🔑 Branding transcends aesthetics—it's your brand’s soul. 

🔑 Authentic connections fuel brand success. 

🔑 Never stop learning; it’s the entrepreneur’s journey.

Expert recommendations: 

BOOKS:

📖 Principles by Ray Dalio 

📖 Driven from Within by Michael Jordan 

📖 Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss 

📖 The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW: 

👤 Andrew Tate, Elon Musk, and Kim Kardashian for visionary and branding insights.

Follow Virgilia for more groundbreaking insights into branding. And if you're all about building a brand that leaves a legacy, don't keep this to yourself—share it!

#branding #entrepreneurship #startups #podcast #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: The Blueprint to Transformative Branding Experiences

Want a less risky roadmap to business success? This speaker-turned-entrepreneur has some answers.

Scott Greenberg, Edible Arrangements franchisee and motivational speaker, shares his journey on balancing systems with a focus on the 'human side' of business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

💫 Embrace proven systems for success 

💫 Invest in your people – happy employees = happy customers 

💫 Resilience is a non-negotiable entrepreneurial skill

EXPERT RECOMMENDATIONS: 

📚 "Stop the Shift Show" by Scott Greenberg

📚  "The Wealthy Franchisee" by Scott Greenberg

📚  "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight

📚  "Mindset" by Carol Dweck

Want more? Follow Scott Greenberg on LinkedIn and visit his website. If you found this helpful, please share!

#franchise #franchising #entrepreneurship #beyourownboss #neverbeenpromoted 

Never Been Promoted: Building Winning Teams and Cultures in the Franchise Industry

Why is 90% of my LinkedIn inbox spam?


It's just maddening.  

I believe LinkedIn is doing what rhey can since spam and noise is a real threat to the platform's value, but is enough being done?

What do you think?

Hybrid work isn't just a buzzword—it's the future, and it's happening now.

Meet John Wichmann, CEO of Gather Sciences, a trailblazer in crafting effective hybrid work environments. His insights are reshaping how we think about workspaces.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🔑 Embrace challenges head-on 

🎯 Intentionality in action is crucial 

💡 Leverage data for smart decisions

EXPERT RECOMMENDATIONS: 

🛠️ Read "The 12 Week Year" by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington for effective goal setting.

💻 Utilize data platforms for insights.

📊 Make informed choices on workspace use.

Follow John and Gather Sciences for more game-changing insights! 

P.S. Love what you're reading? Share it and spread the knowledge.

#workplace #hybrid #entrepreneuship #startups #neverbeenpromoted

Never Been Promoted: Navigating the Future of Hybrid Workplaces

It's April Fools Day, and the team rickrolled me. Did I get mad?



OF COURSE
NOT!

I am actually proud and happy about it. What I always care about is company culture. My team at Instantly Relevant and Never Been Promoted is rock solid, and we make sure to have fun and never be stiff.

Bringing in smiles instead of fear in a work environment helps. Understanding your people is not just about recognizing their professional achievements but also about embracing the lighter, more human side of the workplace. It encourages creativity and innovation. After all, a happy team is a productive team.

So, yes, I got RICK ROLLED. Here's to more smiles, more music, and, yes, even more rickrolls.

#Leadership #AprilFoolsDay #Rickrolled #CompanyCulture
Video and sound is, of course, owned by Rick Astley and RCA Records.
---

What are your go-to workplace April Fool's pranks? :-)
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I have been completely wrong about YouTube.

For a long time I dismissed it as non business value entertainment and a platform my GenX self just didnt belong.  

I assumed this because I see what my kids find entertaining and wrote it off. 

However, YouTube is underutilized by so many businesses (including my own).

But then I ce up with a business strategy to grow and rapidly expand on YouTube. 

1 Millions subscribers in about 30 days was the goal. 

Since hitting 1 million subscribers on the Never Been Promoted YouTube channel, it has become obvious we have been missing a critical component to our marketing strategy. 

YouTube has become a massive business resource for building brand awareness, thought leadership, and generating leads. 

Here were my main questions, objections, and concerns I had to overcome:

- What's the mission of the channel?
- What content do I have to make?
- Can I sustain the content?
- Am I too old?
- How does this tie into my overall marketing strategy?

Getting past these took a bit of time and thinking, but once I did - there are no barriers in my way!

Happy to help you if you want to learn more about how we did this on YouTube. 

 Just DM me.  



I sacrificed a lot, but...

Reflecting on Good Friday, this powerful quote from the Gospel of John is a powerful reminder of true sacrifice.

Today, it's all about laying down our egos and personal agendas for the greater good of a team.

In my experience, the best leaders always seem to do this naturally.

Curious, what does sacrifice mean to you as leaders? What would you lay down to create the strongest, most supportive teams?

#GoodFriday #reflections #entrepreneurship #leadership #startups

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