How I Manage LinkedIn (and Everything Else)

I'm allergic to anything that isn't genuine.

Ever since I was a kid, I can't stand ads. ("But some of them are good!" – that's not the point.) I also struggle with certain TV news programs, certain speeches, certain networks.

My problem: the chasm between the stated pretext (I'm entertaining you, sharing a tip, giving you information) and the real motivation (I want your money, your attention, or your likes). It’s not a conscious decision: it just doesn't register. A real mental block.

So when I wanted to grow my business, this became a source of anxiety. Would I have to do the same? Had I been sheltered until now, but, now that I was a business owner, would I have to bite the bullet and churn out fluff?

After a long detour, the answer is... NO. (Phew.)

Not only is it not mandatory, but in my opinion, it's not the right path.

At first, I tried to force it, and it was awful: the smileys, the artificial calls to action, using LLMs to make my posts "more LinkedIn-like." It felt fake. Not my style. And it didn't work.

Then I did some deep work.

For the past two or three years, I started producing videos and articles. Not for LinkedIn, not for work, no: for myself. For (almost) no one to see. (It's working better now 🙂)

My only rule: be absolutely sincere. No hiding behind technique, behind humor, or behind any kind of obligation. And believe me: there's nothing harder than sharing personal ideas in public when nobody asked you to.

So today, I post one article and one video a day (not here). Over time, this has had two consequences: First, it reconciled me with the sound of my own voice. I speak how I speak, and that's going to be just fine.

But above all: this content allowed me to connect with people who like what I do naturally. People who share similar doubts, the same humor, converging interests. These are my peers, my connections, my collaborators.

Then it became clear that it was no longer about the platform: I could find these people everywhere. At a cocktail party. On the street. On LinkedIn. So much so that, little by little, the line between my personal content and my professional posts began to blur.

I express myself the same way whether I'm with a friend, a stranger, or a client.

Some of my LinkedIn posts are now taken directly from my personal blog. Not everyone gets it. That's okay: they're meant for the ones who do.

This new way of doing things has made my communication more aligned, and therefore easier.

And, ultimately, more effective.

"Be yourself so that the people who are looking for you can find you." – Harlan Hamilton

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Related:

• Done with the BS
• Being yourself isn't a luxury
• Pour mieux écrire (French Instagram Reel)