Becoming You (after Winning Wednesday)

What if the secret to growing on LinkedIn had nothing to do with posting more — and everything to do with giving more? Alex B. Sheridan left a decade in B2B sales to build Impaxs, a content and LinkedIn strategy company, on one simple principle: give, give, give, and watch it compound. From video DMs to community building, Alex breaks down exactly how he turned zero views into real relationships and real business. *What You’ll Learn:* Why engagement matters more than follower count on LinkedIn The video DM strategy that turns cold connections into warm conversations How to build a personal brand that attracts clients without cold calling Why your content is constantly telling a story about who you are How to find the intersection of what you’re good at and what you love *Key Focus Areas:* *Give Before You Receive* – Why reciprocating engagement is the foundation of LinkedIn growth *Video DMs* – A low-commitment, high-value outreach strategy most people don’t know exists *Community Over Vanity Metrics* – 2,000 engaged followers beats 40,000 silent ones every time *Content That Compounds* – Why consistency and strategy build momentum over time *B2B Sales to Entrepreneurship* – How Alex translated corporate sales skills into a thriving personal brand business *Alex’s Approach:* Founder of Impaxs — sales and LinkedIn content strategy consulting 10+ years in B2B sales building and growing underperforming territories LinkedIn-first content creator focused on video, authenticity, and community Teaches clients how to generate leads through value-driven content, not cold outreach Philosophy: invest in yourself, build your brand, and give generously — it always comes back *Perfect If You’re:* Posting on LinkedIn and wondering why no one’s engaging Tired of cold calling and looking for a smarter inbound strategy Building a personal brand alongside a corporate career Launching a business and trying to figure out where to start Someone who knows they have something to offer — but isn’t sure how to show up online *Alex’s Philosophy:* “Give, give, give — and you start to see it come back.” “You’re constantly telling a story about who you are and what you stand for.” “Find something you’re good at, love to do, and that makes business sense — it’s just a matter of time.” “The best investment you can make is in yourself.” — *ABOUT ALEX B. SHERIDAN:* Founder of Impaxs | LinkedIn Content Strategist | B2B Sales Veteran | Helping entrepreneurs and professionals grow their brand, build community, and generate leads through authentic content *CONNECT WITH ALEX:* LinkedIn:   / alexbsheridan  

What does it take to go from the hard streets of northeast Portland to nine years in the NFL — and then choose to adopt five nieces and nephews on the spot? JJ Birden is living proof that the toughest decisions often lead to the most rewarding outcomes. Now a motivational speaker and author, JJ brings the same mental toughness he developed on the field directly into boardrooms, stages, and living rooms — helping people peel back the layers to find the real reason behind their goals. What You’ll Learn: The “peeling the onion” method for finding your true, unshakeable WHY Why coachability is the single most transferable skill from sports to business How to create opportunities where none appear to exist Why there absolutely IS an “I” in team — and why that’s a good thing How a positive mindset separates the best from the rest Key Focus Areas: Peeling the Onion – Asking “why” repeatedly until you reach the real motivation underneath Mental Gymnastics – The athlete’s mindset for navigating fear, doubt, and uncertainty in business Creating Opportunities – Oregon never recruited JJ — so he created his own path to the NFL anyway Coachability – Why the willingness to learn from veterans shortens every learning curve Staying Positive – The mantra JJ has carried since age 15 that still drives everything he does JJ’s Approach: Former NFL wide receiver — played 9 years including stints with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs Grew up in northeast Portland, determined from childhood to break the cycle and create a different life Adopted five nieces and nephews in a single courthouse moment — merging two families in five minutes Motivational speaker and author helping athletes, executives, and teams unlock peak performance Believes leaders must lead themselves first before they can lead anyone else Perfect If You’re: An athlete transitioning into business who wants to leverage your competitive edge A leader who wants to stop talking about culture and actually build it Someone stuck on surface-level goals who needs to dig deeper to find real motivation A professional dealing with rejection and needing a framework to push through it Anyone who’s faced an unexpected life decision and had to find a way to step up JJ’s Philosophy: “Peel the onion — keep asking why until you get to the core.” “There better be an I in team — you have to lead yourself first.” “Create opportunities where it appears none exist.” “A positive mindset separates the best from the rest.” “Do the work when nobody’s watching.” ABOUT JJ BIRDEN: Former NFL Wide Receiver | Motivational Speaker | Author | Helping athletes, leaders, and teams build mental toughness, find their WHY, and create opportunities through coachability and a positive mindset CONNECT WITH JJ: LinkedIn:   / jjbirden  

What do scuba diving, imposter syndrome, and AI-powered office space have in common? Philippe Bouffaut — French-born tech entrepreneur, long-term thinker, and self-described reluctant networker — connects them all in this wide-ranging conversation about soft skills, crisis as creativity, and what happens when you stop apologizing for the way your mind works. As co-founder of Breeder, a Montreal-based proptech company using AI and machine learning to reimagine commercial real estate, Philippe brings a refreshingly honest take on leadership, imposter complex, and why the best managers are the ones who put you where you need to be. What You’ll Learn: Why your soft skills — not your hard skills — are the real foundation of a lasting career pivot How Philippe went from scuba diving instructor to AI-driven real estate entrepreneur Why imposter syndrome is more common in leadership than anyone admits — and why that’s okay How crisis unlocks creativity — and why COVID forced a collective rethinking of what matters Why quality connections on LinkedIn will always outperform quantity Key Focus Areas: Soft Skills as Career Architecture – How being approachable, a simplifier, and a big-picture thinker translates across every industry Imposter Complex in Leadership – Why Philippe never felt like he was doing the hard work — and why that thinking was wrong AI in Real Estate – How Breeder uses machine learning and occupancy prediction to identify profitable office spaces before signing leases Crisis as Wake-Up Call – Why every disruption shakes your certainties and hopefully unlocks something new Quality Over Quantity Networking – Why Philippe rarely accepts connections without first shaking hands — literally Philippe’s Approach: French-born entrepreneur and co-founder of Breeder — a proptech company applying AI and machine learning to commercial real estate in Montreal Former scuba diving instructor who credits the sport with teaching him to make complex concepts approachable Self-identified long-term thinker who gets more excited by the master plan than by day-to-day execution Has lived with imposter complex throughout his career — and believes more leaders should talk about it openly Loves mental sparring and has never been intimidated debating his vision all the way to the CEO level Perfect If You’re: A professional mid-career pivot wondering if your soft skills are enough to carry you somewhere new A leader quietly struggling with imposter syndrome who needs to hear they’re not alone Curious about how AI and technology are reshaping industries as traditional as commercial real estate Someone who’s been told they’re a “big picture thinker” and wondered if that’s really a strength Ready to reframe crisis not as something that happened to you but as something that unlocked you Philippe’s Philosophy: “Every crisis is a wake-up call that shakes your certainties and hopefully unlocks your creativity.” “They didn’t know it was impossible — so they did it.” (Mark Twain) “Find your soft skills — you can build around those and shift completely from any industry.” “I value being challenged — as long as it’s rational and logical we can debate.” “I value the quality over the quantity — always.” ABOUT PHILIPPE BOUFFAUT: Entrepreneur | Proptech Innovator | Co-Founder of Breeder | Using AI and machine learning to transform commercial real estate — and building teams around the belief that the right people put you where you need to be CONNECT WITH PHILIPPE: LinkedIn:   / bophil   CONNECT WITH KATRINA: LinkedIn:   / connectorqueen   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectorqu… Website: https://katrinafuhrman.com/connector-… ABOUT WINNING WEDNESDAY: Deep conversations exploring the significant moments that shape who we become. Winning Wednesday launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a remote networking tool and mid-week inspiration. Now evolved into Becoming You — stories of transformation available to binge at your convenience. Created and hosted by Katrina Fuhrman, The ConnectorQueen. #ConnectorQueen #PropTech #AIRealEstate #SoftSkills #WinningWednesday #ImposterSyndrome #CareerPivot #Entrepreneurship #MachineLearning #Leadership #Montreal #CrisisAndCreativity #LinkedInNetworking #PersonalBranding #BecomingYou

What happens when a virus shuts down everything you’ve spent 20 years building — and you can’t even call it essential? Mark O’Donnell knows that feeling intimately. A small business veteran, former restaurant and club owner, and passionate advocate for local community commerce, Mark brings a grounded, heartfelt perspective on what COVID is doing to the small businesses we love — and why the ones with mission and passion are the ones that will find a way through. And in a conversation full of unexpected turns, he also makes a compelling case that food is your greatest remedy for pain — and that what you eat might have more to do with your performance than anything else. What You’ll Learn: Why COVID didn’t just close businesses — it shifted customer habits in ways that may never fully reverse How small brands with mission and passion compete against giants — and what makes them worth fighting for Why sometimes a forced shutdown is the universe doing you a favor — and how to reframe that The blood type diet and 21-day cleanse frameworks that transformed Mark’s relationship with food Why small business is a personal brand — and why more people should treat it that way Key Focus Areas: The Real Cost of Closure – 40 lost weekends, front-loaded ad spend, and no safety net — the math of small business vulnerability Customer Habit Disruption – Why convenience formed during a crisis can permanently redirect loyal customers away from you Mission-Driven Brands – Why Mark chooses small brands with passion over giants — and why that loyalty matters more than ever now Food as Remedy – Why what you eat affects everything from energy to skin to inflammation — and how Mark discovered his own food intolerances Personal Brand = Business Brand – Why small business owners are already personal brands — they just don’t always know it Mark’s Approach: 20-year small business veteran and former restaurant and club owner in New York City Grew up in a suburban community that deliberately chose local over big-box — and carries that value into everything he does Deep interest in nutrition, gut health, and food as medicine — discovered peanut butter intolerance through an elimination cleanse Believes faith and passion transfer from one business to the next — if this one closes, the next one gets everything you learned Praised Katrina’s professional follow-through and personal branding as a model for how small businesses should operate digitally Perfect If You’re: A small business owner navigating crisis and trying to figure out what comes next Someone curious about food sensitivity, blood type eating, or elimination cleanses as a path to better health A brand builder who wants to understand how mission-driven businesses compete and win against bigger competitors Ready to reframe a business setback as something that might be redirecting you toward something better Anyone who’s ever wondered why they feel better or worse after certain foods — and hasn’t connected the dots yet Mark’s Philosophy: “It’s essential to me to be working — even if they don’t call it essential.” “Food is your remedy for pain — food is the absolute remedy for pain.” “God might be doing you a favor by shutting this down — it wasn’t going to work anyway.” “Small business is a personal brand — you’re still selling yourself and showing your value.” “Brands that have a message and a passion are going to say so what — and people are going to choose them.” ABOUT MARK O’DONNELL: Small Business Advocate | Entrepreneur | Community Commerce Champion | Wellness Enthusiast | Helping small business owners stay resilient, stay mission-driven, and show up with the same passion on day one as day twenty years in CONNECT WITH MARK: LinkedIn:   / marksodonnell   CONNECT WITH KATRINA: LinkedIn:   / connectorqueen   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectorqu… Website: https://katrinafuhrman.com/connector-… ABOUT WINNING WEDNESDAY: Deep conversations exploring the significant moments that shape who we become. Winning Wednesday launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a remote networking tool and mid-week inspiration. Now evolved into Becoming You — stories of transformation available to binge at your convenience. Created and hosted by Katrina Fuhrman, The ConnectorQueen. #ConnectorQueen #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #COVID19Recovery #WinningWednesday #FoodAsMedicine #BloodTypeDiet #PersonalBranding #CommunityCommerce #SmallBusinessOwner #Resilience #GutHealth #Nutrition #LocalFirst #BecomingYou

Every movement starts somewhere. In April 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, Katrina Fuhrman — The ConnectorQueen — launched Winning Wednesday with a simple but powerful belief: no matter what’s happening in the world, we are winning. This is the trailer that started it all. A weekly check-in born out of isolation, resourcefulness, and a desire to bring real human networking to the digital space in a way it had never been done before. What This Show Is About: Turning every Wednesday into a day of ownership, accomplishment, and unity Bringing authentic networking to LinkedIn through real one-on-one conversations Creating a mid-week moment to take stock of your life, your goals, and your well-being Spreading a message of hope and encouragement when people needed it most Proving that connection — even through a screen — is still deeply human The Vision Behind Winning Wednesday: Midweek Momentum – Equidistant from both weekends, Wednesday is the perfect reset point Digital Networking Reimagined – Interviewing LinkedIn connections as a new model for authentic relationship building Resourcefulness Over Waste – What the pandemic quietly taught us about simplicity and sacrifice Community Over Content – Whether two people or two million watch, every brand starts somewhere Human Before Business – Always check in on the person before you get to the agenda About Your Host: Katrina Fuhrman is The ConnectorQueen — a networker, connector, and community builder who believes everyone is worth a real conversation. What started as a mid-pandemic LinkedIn series evolved into one of the most authentic interview-style shows for professionals navigating career, identity, and what it means to truly show up. Winning Wednesday later became Becoming You — and the mission has never wavered. This Show Is For You If: You believe Wednesdays deserve more than just surviving to the weekend You’re craving real connection in a world full of surface-level networking You want weekly inspiration from people doing interesting, meaningful things You’re building something and need proof that starting small still counts You’re ready to ask yourself: what did I actually accomplish this week? Katrina’s Philosophy: “Winning Wednesday — a day for you to own, to finish, to feel a sense of accomplishment.” “Give yourself compassion for wherever you are in the process.” “Resourcefulness is a big one.” “Whether two people see it or two million — you have to start somewhere.” CONNECT WITH KATRINA: LinkedIn:   / connectorqueen   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectorqu… Website: https://katrinafuhrman.com/connector-… ABOUT WINNING WEDNESDAY: Deep conversations exploring the significant moments that shape who we become. Winning Wednesday launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a remote networking tool and mid-week inspiration. Now evolved into Becoming You — stories of transformation available to binge at your convenience. Created and hosted by Katrina Fuhrman, The ConnectorQueen.

What does a boutique owner do when the world shuts down and her entire business depends on the in-store experience? Alexandra Daras of The Pretty Pink Rooster didn’t wait to find out. She leaned into live video, showed up for her customers through a screen, and chose — deliberately and daily — to find the silver lining. In one of the earliest episodes of Winning Wednesday, Alexandra brings raw honesty, contagious energy, and a grandmother’s wisdom that still holds up: show up for yourself first, put your lipstick on, and keep going. What You’ll Learn: How a boutique owner pivoted her in-store experience to social media and stayed connected to customers Why showing up for yourself — even when no one’s watching — changes everything How to give yourself permission to say you’re okay without feeling guilty Why processing uncertainty through the stages of grief actually brings freedom The power of choosing your response when life turns your world upside down Key Focus Areas: Show Up for Yourself First – The lesson Alexandra’s grandmother taught by putting on lipstick every single morning Small Business Resilience – How a passion-driven boutique owner kept her light on during the darkest months Live Video as Connection – Why getting on camera early and often kept her customer relationships alive Choosing Your Mindset – Two choices, every day: move forward or stay in fear Grief as a Framework – Why mapping pandemic uncertainty to the stages of grief creates acceptance and freedom Alexandra’s Approach: Owner of The Pretty Pink Rooster — a boutique focused on the full shopping experience for women Started her business in an 800 square foot off-the-beaten-track space, got creative with live video from day one Built her team around the women in her life — sisters, mom, and an all-female marketing team Believes technology is a tool, not a replacement — but right now, it’s the lifeline Philosophy: live in your truth, show your real self, and never stop choosing to move forward Perfect If You’re: A small business owner wondering how to stay connected to customers when you can’t be in person Someone who feels guilty saying they’re doing okay during a collective crisis A woman entrepreneur running on blood, sweat, and tears who needs a reminder not to give up Anyone who’s lost their routine and needs permission to rebuild it — lipstick and all Ready to stop waiting for normal to return and start innovating in the moment Alexandra’s Philosophy: “If the internet’s down, I might as well be closed.” “You have to show up for yourself first.” “We have two choices — I’m going to choose to find the silver lining.” “Show the real you — realness is truth, and you have to live in your truth.” “Be like Bobby — put your lipstick on and get ready to roll.” ABOUT ALEXANDRA DARAS: Owner of The Pretty Pink Rooster | Small Business Advocate | Women’s Style & Empowerment | Helping women look and feel their best — one authentic connection at a time CONNECT WITH ALEXANDRA: LinkedIn:   / alexandra-daras-80104b156   Website: https://theprettypinkrooster.com/ CONNECT WITH KATRINA: LinkedIn:   / connectorqueen   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectorqu… Website: https://katrinafuhrman.com/connector-… ABOUT WINNING WEDNESDAY: Deep conversations exploring the significant moments that shape who we become. Winning Wednesday launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a remote networking tool and mid-week inspiration. Now evolved into Becoming You — stories of transformation available to binge at your convenience. Created and hosted by Katrina Fuhrman, The ConnectorQueen. #ConnectorQueen #SmallBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #BoutiqueOwner #PandemicPivot #ShowUp #WinningWednesday #GrowthMindset #Resilience #LiveVideo #WomenInBusiness #Mindset #ShopSmall #BecomingYou #KeepGoing