(But, seriously!)
Hey Reader
I know what you’re thinking.
“Oh great, another ‘What [random thing] taught me about [business thing]’ story.”
You know the one: “What proposing to my girlfriend taught me about B2B sales.”
This one’s real. I promise.
And it became the foundation of my entire business model.
**
When I came back from 6 years in Argentina, I was bartending while applying to jobs. Trying to figure out what was next.
I finally landed an entry-level SDR (sales development representative) $35k/year. In Silicon Valley. So I decided to keep bartending. The math wasn’t mathing.
This is around when I discovered LinkedIn. Not for job searching. As an escape route from cold calling. I’m an introvert. I used to be ridiculously shy. And now I was supposed to make 100+ “smile and dial” calls a day? No bueno.
I was terrible at it. Got yelled at constantly. Put down for low activity numbers.
But LinkedIn? I could DM people. Build connections. I started to get excited about this relationship-building approach.
The company I was at hated it. We fundamentally disagreed on the approach. As you can imagine, I didn’t last much longer at that company.
But I was onto something.
Anywhos…
One night, a Senior Account Executive walks into the bar. Big tech company. “Tech Bro” Vibes. And so I’m telling him about LinkedIn like I just discovered fire.🔥
He goes: “Yeah, cool. Now start creating LinkedIn articles. Makes you look smart, like a thought leader, and builds credibility.” Then he leaves. And I’m standing there like “Oh sh*t, that IS smart.”
So I did what that slightly drunk Account Executive told me to do.
I started creating content.
Not MY brilliant insights. THEIR brilliant insights. (the experts at the 3d printing company I’d just joined).
I leveraged their credibility. Shared what they were saying. Added my take. And posted it as content to look “smarter.”
Credibility by association. One of the oldest branding tricks in the book.
(It took me YEARS to write my first actual article. I was definitely no thought leader at this point!)
Over the next few years, I kept doing this.
Sharing content. Building relationships. Getting promoted.
As an SDR, I used it to fill my pipeline without cold calling.
As Director of Sales at Forbes Books, I used it to double company revenue.
And I started noticing something:
Everyone I worked with – executives, business owners, consultants – they were all incredible at what they did.
But on LinkedIn? Invisible. Or inconsistent. Or uncomfortable.
They didn’t need to “look smarter” like I did back then.
They needed to look AS SMART as they already were.
**
That bar conversation became my entire business model.
I needed to “look smarter” because I genuinely knew nothing.
But the experts I work with? Opposite problem.
They know their stuff. They’ve built successful businesses. They have decades of experience.
But on LinkedIn, they fall into one of three camps:
Camp 1: Completely Invisible
You know LinkedIn exists. Maybe you update your profile once a year. But that’s it.
You’re relying entirely on referrals and word-of-mouth. And it’s working… until it’s not.
You’re missing opportunities because people simply don’t know you exist.
Camp 2: The Relationship Builders
You’re great at networking. Coffee chats. Building connections. Referrals have always worked for you.
But you have no content to back you up.
When someone checks your profile after that great conversation? Nothing that reinforces your expertise.
And when you’re NOT in front of someone? You’re not top of mind.
You’re leaving credibility and visibility on the table.
Camp 3: The Content Creators
You share content occasionally. Maybe you’re even consistent.
But you never reach out to anyone.
You’re waiting for people to come to you. And wondering why they’re not.
You’re leaving relationships on the table.
The magic? Doing both.
Content keeps you top of mind and builds credibility.
Conversations turn visibility into relationships.
Together, that’s how you become the obvious choice.
The formula is simple:
Content + Conversations = The system that works
That approach worked for me as a sales rep in Silicon Valley.
It worked as I built my career at Forbes Books and Carbon.
And it’s what built my business to where it is today.
***
Sometimes, the best career advice often comes from the strangest places.
Like a slightly drunk Account Executive at a bar telling you to “look smarter” on the internet.
Until next time,
Natasha
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for my workshop on October 30th!
What’s Working on LinkedIn Today: How to get more visible and win more sales