Creator Playbooks

Creator Playbooks

By Callum McdonnellBusinessEntrepreneurship
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Creator Playbooks episodes

  • Founder Vlog: 10 Downing Street, Private Jet Shoot & Podcast Strategy Day

    Get weekly content growth playbooks in my FREE newsletter: https://bit.ly/3T7VV13


    Work with me: https://bit.ly/4hbeLhc


    A look inside a week running a content led business, from 10 Downing Street to a private jet shoot and a full team strategy day. In this vlog, I take you behind the scenes of a visit to 10 Downing Street, a private jet shoot for a new podcast, and a day spent with the team mapping out our next strategy moves. A real look at what it takes to build a content led business, from client work and recording sessions to networking and creative strategy.


    Follow Callum on socials:

    Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/

    TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum

    X, https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum

    LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell


    Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/


    Timecodes:

    00:00 – Intro: A Week in the Life

    00:58 – Heading to London for the Private Jet Shoot

    01:23 – On Set: Private Jet Business Interview

    02:56 – Inside the Showroom: Building a Standout Business

    03:32 – The LinkedIn Play: Meeting Lara Acosta

    04:24 – Why Most People Get Their Market Wrong

    05:15 – The Real Reason People Start a Podcast

    05:57 – What C-Suite Clients Actually Want

    06:23 – Team Day Begins

    07:09 – Packaging Teardown: What Makes a Thumbnail Work

    07:30 – CTR Benchmarks You Need to Hit

    08:05 – From 100K to 14M Subscribers

    08:44 – Rating Hooks and Trailers

    09:43 – Heading to 10 Downing Street

    10:35 – Walking Through the Corridors of Power

    11:48 – Inside Number 10

    12:36 – Meeting the Prime Minister's Wife (and the Cat)

    13:26 – A Surreal Evening

    14:26 – Wrapping the Week

    16 min
  • World’s No 1 LinkedIn Creator: I’ll 10x Your Reach in 92 Minutes | Lara Acosta

    Get the FREE breakdown of Lara's frameworks in my newsletter: https://bit.ly/4w4oRVK


    Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3SgmP6z


    Lara Acosta is a founder, creator, and personal branding strategist who built a 7-figure business through LinkedIn.


    With 320K+ followers and thousands of students, she’s become one of the fastest-growing voices in personal branding - known for turning content into authority, attention into opportunity, and audience into revenue.


    In this episode, she breaks down the exact frameworks behind her growth - and why most people fail on LinkedIn (even if they’re consistent).


    This is a full personal branding masterclass.


    We get into:

    Why most people aren’t growing (and it’s not the algorithm)

    The SMPV framework to 10X your reach

    How to structure content that actually converts

    The difference between creators and real operator-buildersWhy storytelling beats “educational content”


    Lara also shares:

    Her 4-3-2-1 content system (and how to apply it)

    The SLAY storytelling framework that drives engagementHow to build an audience that actually buys

    Why email is her highest revenue channel

    How to monetise a personal brand without brand deals

    Plus: content strategy, LinkedIn growth, building a community (not just followers), and why most founders are over-optimising the wrong things.


    Follow Lara:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laraacostar/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraacostar/


    Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/contact


    Follow Callum:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/


    Timestamps:

    00:00 Storytelling vs educational content (what actually works)

    01:00 Why most people aren’t growing on LinkedIn

    02:00 The SMPV framework (skill, market, problem, value)

    03:30 How to find your skill + what to post about

    05:00 Selling to the right audience (and why most creators are broke)

    06:30 Content that drives leads vs content that gets likes

    08:00 Why LinkedIn is different from other platforms

    09:00 The 4-3-2-1 content framework explained

    10:30 Ideal client vs ideal follower (underrated growth lever)

    12:00 Why email is the real monetisation engine

    13:30 Educational content: broad → narrow → niche strategy

    15:00 Why storytelling is the most powerful format

    16:30 ICP vs IFP content (and how to balance both)

    18:00 Going viral vs growing in your niche

    19:00 The “one” strategy: lead magnets + email funnels

    20:00 The SLAY framework (story, lesson, action, you)

    22:00 Writing posts that actually get engagement

    23:30 The psychology behind LinkedIn formatting

    25:00 Likes, comments & what actually matters

    26:00 Why you shouldn’t ask for likes or follows

    27:00 Building brand equity vs constantly selling

    28:30 What makes a high-converting lead magnet

    30:00 How to plan content without batching

    32:00 Why most content feels the same

    33:00 Using AI to write better content (properly)

    35:00 Best formats on LinkedIn (and why it depends on you)

    37:00 Finding your unique content style

    39:00 Metrics vs “vibes” (what to actually track)

    40:30 AI comments & fake engagement

    41:30 Why Lara does everything herself

    42:30 The importance of commenting daily

    44:00 Building community through comments

    45:00 Why you shouldn’t outsource your personal brand too early

    47:00 Scaling vs authenticity (founder trade-offs)

    49:00 Over-optimisation and why it kills growth

    50:00 LinkedIn algorithm changes + profile importance

    51:30 How to position your profile properly

    53:00 Optimising your featured section for revenue

    54:30 Why niche matters (and “you are the niche” is wrong)

    56:00 Banner, profile & conversion tips

    57:00 Monetisation: content → email → sales

    58:30 Newsletter strategy + launch model

    01:00:00 Using trends + storytelling in emails

    01:01:30 Building trust through long-form content

    01:02:00 Final thoughts + full playbook recap

    1 hr 33 min
  • Meet The Marketing Genius Working with Red Bull, Nike & ASOS

    Get the breakdown of Sedge's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4tNXDkR Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/4hdIIgB Sedge Beswick is a brand and influencer marketing expert who’s worked with Red Bull, Nike, and ASOS - where she built the iconic Insider Program - and scaled her own agency to a £24M valuation.In this episode, she breaks down what actually wins in marketing in 2026 - and why most brands don’t have a content problem, they have a structure problem.We get into:- Why brand + performance silos are killing growth- How Adidas reinvented itself post-Yeezy (and why working with Molly-Mae makes sense)- The real reason M&S became “cool” again- The inside culture at Red Bull - and why “ask for forgiveness, not permission” works- The ASOS Insider playbook (and how you’d rebuild it today)Sedge also shares:- The eBay sneaker campaign that drove insane demand (and queues around the block)- Why consistency beats constant experimentation in marketing- The 3 P’s of personal brand that drove 75% of her agency leads via LinkedIn- Why TikTok Shop is the biggest opportunity right nowPlus: lessons from building and exiting an agency, mistakes founders make, and how to actually build a brand that converts - not just gets attention.Follow Sedge: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sedgebeswick/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sedge-beswick Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/contact Follow Callum: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/ Timestamps:00:00 Intro + Adidas, Yeezy problem & changing strategy 01:00 Why most brands fail (structure problem) 02:00 Brand vs performance (biggest mistake brands make) 03:00 Adidas reinvention + Molly-Mae strategy 05:00 Building brands beyond the founder (Molly-Mae case) 07:00 Why M&S became cool again 09:00 Emotional storytelling in modern marketing 10:00 Long-form content: opportunity or overrated? 11:00 Red Bull culture + “ask for forgiveness” 12:00 Getting arrested at a festival (Red Bull story) 14:00 What makes Red Bull teams different 16:00 Working with Nike vs Red Bull 19:00 Best campaign: eBay sneakers breakdown 21:00 Building a campaign that actually works 23:00 Why most marketing teams are broken 24:30 The importance of consistency (not chopping & changing) 26:00 ASOS lessons + what actually drives sales 28:00 Biggest mistakes brands make today 30:00 How to pitch ideas internally 32:00 Personal brand: what actually works 33:00 75% of leads from LinkedIn (no big following needed) 34:00 The 3 P’s: Perspective, Proof, Personality 36:00 Where to focus today (platform strategy) 37:00 Why TikTok Shop is the biggest opportunity 39:00 Luxury brands + Emma Grede blueprint 42:00 Personal brands doing it right 44:00 Founder vs operator (why most creators get it wrong) 46:00 Finding your “superpower” as a founder 49:00 ASOS insider program deep dive 52:00 How to build a creator program today 54:00 How brands should work with creators long-term 55:00 Scaling & selling an agency (£24M valuation) 57:00 Biggest business lessons & mistakes

    1 hr 10 min
  • Meet The Advertising Genius Behind Steven Bartlett

    Get a breakdown of Tom's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaa


    Apply to work with me:https://bit.ly/4zZb8Cy


    Tom Lewis is Steven Bartlett’s advertising performance partner and co-founder of Metastat.

    At 22, he’s helped scale brands and creators by replacing guesswork with data.In this episode, Tom explains how top creators use paid ads to test thumbnails, titles, hooks, guests, and even product ideas before publishing, sometimes for under £100 on The Diary Of A CEO.

    He shares how Meta ads can help predict virality, improve click-through rates, and turn content into a repeatable growth system.We also cover when creators should monetise, why many launch too early, and why paid ads should support organic growth, not replace it.

    A practical guide to turning content into predictable growth and revenue.


    Listen on your podcast player:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks

    Follow Callum on socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/

    TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX - https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell

    Produced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us:https://www.7xcontent.com

    Follow Tom: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-lewis-a46877167/


    Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript)

    00:00 Introduction to Tom Lewis and Steven Bartlett's Advertising Machine

    00:13 Tom Lewis' Journey and Partnership with Steven Bartlett

    04:46 The Power of Paid Media and Experimentation

    05:22 Deep Dive into Testing and Experimentation

    12:20 Practical Tips for Running Effective Ad Campaigns

    18:47 Optimizing Meta Ads for Traffic

    21:19 Budgeting for Effective Ad Campaigns

    22:59 Balancing Creativity and Data

    24:04 Tom's Best Frameworks

    25:28 The Importance of Eliminating Guesswork

    26:38 Building a Brand Before Monetization

    29:12 Using Paid Ads to Catalyze Growth

    29:12 Understanding Meta's Ad Auction System

    34:08 Creating Engaging Ad Content

    35:08 The Power of Problem-Solution Hooks

    36:42 Leveraging Dragons' Den Pitches

    43:48 Iterating on Successful Ad Concepts

    52:06 Meta Ads Campaign Structure

    52:45 The Outlier Graph and Winning Ads

    55:07 The Evolution of Magic Ads

    57:39 Setting Goals for Meta Ads

    58:00 Instagram Profile Visits Strategy

    1:02:50 Retargeting and Audience Segmentation

    1:06:08 Choosing the Right Product for Creators

    1:11:51 The Future of Meta Advertising

    1:14:24 Focusing on Long-Term Customer Value

    1:21:44 Structuring Your Team for Success

    1:24:42 Insights on Working with Steven Bartlett

    1:27:00 Conclusion and Next Steps

    1 hr 31 min
  • Marketing Genius: Social Media Is About to Change Forever (Here’s What to Do)

    Get the breakdown of Michael’s frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/41tiga0

    Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3UD2ycs

    Michael is a brand and social media strategist known for his work at Ryanair and now through his consultancy, Slice.

    In this episode, he explains why most brands do not have a content problem, they have a strategy problem and breaks down the 4 ways brands can actually win on social today.

    From fast vs. slow social to prompted vs. unprompted discovery, repeatable formats, search, distribution, measurement, and memorability, this episode offers a sharp, practical breakdown of what brands need to understand if they want social to drive real business impact.

    Follow Callum on socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/

    Produced by 7xContent: make your own podcast with us:https://www.7xcontent.com/contact

    Follow Michael: https://www.instagram.com/mc_so_me/

    Timestamps:00:00 Intro + why strategy matters more than ever01:18 The state of social in 2026: fragile platforms, outrage, and rented land04:46 Why trend-chasing is making brands less memorable08:26 The organic social renaissance09:36 Prompted vs unprompted discovery12:10 Fast vs slow social15:11 Fast prompted moments: culture spikes people search for17:11 The 4 ways brands can win on social22:04 Where the biggest opportunity is right now23:53 Brand examples: Currys, Candy Kittens, Confused.com, and more29:47 Slow unprompted content and thinking like TV33:01 How brands should find their real gap / problem / opportunity36:42 The marketing education gap in social41:13 When organic social is and isn’t the answer42:46 Distribution is the missing piece46:49 What brands can learn from podcasts, clipper accounts, creators, and aggregator pages53:26 How to actually implement creative distribution56:45 Why brands struggle to let go of control58:44 What Michael is excited about in 20261:00:47 Brands using social well right now1:02:25 What brands are struggling with most1:05:39 What still works from the Ryanair playbook1:10:05 AI, content abundance, and the return of the all-round marketeer

    1 hr 17 min
  • Viral Accountant: “I Make $100k a Week from Instagram!” Rachel Harris

    Get a breakdown of Rachel’s frameworks in my free newsletter: ⁠https://bit.ly/4bcKHi9⁠Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3UzssOk Rachel Harris is a multi award-winning industry leader, content creator, entrepreneur and practice owner. She runs a multi seven-figure accounting firm and has built a personal brand (@accountant_she) that drives £100k worth of leads each week from socials.In this episode, Rachel breaks down the exact playbook behind her growth. From viral posting formulas, failing faster, her pre-posting checklist and post-mortem analysis, monetising content with digital products, affiliates and brand deals and so much more. Listen on your podcast player: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks⁠Follow Callum on socials:Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/⁠LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell⁠Produced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us: ⁠https://bit.ly/4kYIjiy⁠Follow Rachel:Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/accountant_she/⁠Timestamps:00:00 Intro + Rachel’s lead numbers from socials01:00 Rachel’s background + personal brand vs accounting firm profits02:15 Step 1: build a product worth talking about (reputation + reviews)03:20 Why professional services is a “blue ocean” on socials05:10 The reality of growth: 1 year posting daily to hit 4k followers06:25 The inflection point: “fail time” + weekly research + reactive planning08:10 Micro testing: makeup, tripod vs handheld, mic, production level09:45 The viral playbook: M&S sandwich x HMRC hooks + data-led creativity13:15 Pre-post checklist: point of the video, emotion, hooks, clarity15:30 Post-mortems + building the content playbook over time16:30 Seasons + evergreen topics + series ideas18:10 Feedback loops: call language analysis + 30-day series that gained 125k20:10 Trust timeline: average 18 months from follow to becoming a client21:10 Daily content + authenticity + disrupting “professional services” norms23:20 Rachel’s weekly schedule: analysis, strategy blocks, long-form filming29:10 The weekly scorecard: revenue-first metrics (no vanity metrics)35:00 Tightrope: leads you want + values-based filtering38:00 Funnel walkthrough: link-in-bio segmentation + nurture sequences42:40 Monetisation overview: affiliates, speaking, brand deals47:00 Digital products + community-led podcast + ascension model55:00 Recurring revenue and pitching brands proactively58:00 Advice: embarrassment, scalability, and building infrastructure01:02:20 Best business lesson: “make sure everyone gets laid” (curation)01:07:10 Team setup + what Rachel still edits herself01:09:00 ICP research: polls, surveys, and asking your audience01:12:00 Opportunities: PM interviews, PR, and asking for intros01:15:00 What’s working now: long-form value, short-form hooks + funnel

    1 hr 22 min
  • From Finance Career to $1M Coach: The Full Strategy | Simon Alexander Ong

    Get a breakdown of Simon's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/4cc9Ryu


    Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/3UzsuFW


    Simon Alexander Ong is a bestselling author (Energize, Penguin), keynote speaker and one of the world's leading personal development coaches. He left a six-figure finance career in 2017 to build a coaching practice from scratch, and has since grown a YouTube channel to 130,000 subscribers in under 12 months, a viral video with nearly 4 million views, a Sunday Times bestselling book, and a global speaking career.

    In this episode, Simon breaks down the exact playbook behind every part of his business. From landing his first coaching client to engineering a viral YouTube video, getting a Penguin book deal, and commanding premium speaking fees.


    Listen on your podcast player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks


    Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/


    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell


    Produced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us: https://bit.ly/3OXzZn0


    Follow Simon:

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/simonalexanderong/

    LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong

    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexandero


    Timestamps:

    00:00 Introduction to Simon Alexander Ong

    01:00 Why Simon left a six-figure finance career

    03:00 The journey from the head to the heart05:00 Going full-time into coaching in 2017

    08:00 Warren Buffett's #1 most important skill in business

    09:30 How Simon got his first coaching clients

    13:00 The Third Door framework and how to use it practically

    17:00 How speaking grew organically from coaching

    22:00 Building a personal brand before social media

    28:00 How to answer "what do you do?" with a story

    32:00 The YouTube strategy: outlier videos explained

    40:00 How the "I'm 40" video happened (and nearly didn't)

    48:00 Why it ranked 9/10 for 3 days then hit 1.5M views

    52:00 Ad revenue breakdown and YouTube monetisation strategy

    55:00 LinkedIn content strategy: hero, educational and interactive

    01:00:00 What Simon's business looks like today

    01:05:00 What's possible in coaching at every level

    01:10:00 How to land speaking gigs and what fees are realistic

    01:14:00 The truth about book deals and why royalties aren't the point

    01:18:00 How to write a book (and why marketing is 50% of the job)

    01:19:00 The James Bond opening — how to hook any audience

    01:24:00 Simon's favourite coaching questions

    01:27:00 The stories we tell ourselves and how to rewrite them

    01:30:00 Why "making it" is a trap — and what to focus on instead

    1 hr 36 min
  • How Anyone Can Sell a Business for Millions | $28M Founder Timo Armoo

    Get a breakdown of Timo's frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaa


    Apply to work with me: https://bit.ly/4cue4wR


    Timo Armoo has built, scaled, and sold multiple companies. From his first exit at 17 to selling Fanbytes for tens of millions, brokering major media and data acquisitions and now investing through his own fund. In this episode, Timo breaks down what actually goes into building companies that are worth buying, drawing directly from the wins, failures and decisions that shaped his career.


    We cover how to build founder-level self-belief, why inexperience can be a competitive advantage, how to manufacture luck through networks and value creation, plus how to choose markets and customers that compound growth. Timo shares his framework for going from £0 to £1M+ per month, how to price and sell to wealthy customers, when not to raise capital, how to hire without killing momentum and how to turn a services business into a sellable asset.


    Listen on your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell


    Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/


    Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/


    Follow Timo:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/timarmoo/


    Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript):

    00:00 Introduction and Early Exits

    00:42 Building Fanbytes: The Big Breakthrough

    01:12 Subsequent Ventures and Brokering Deals

    02:16 The 11 Cheat Codes to Life and Business

    03:50 Cheat Code 1: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

    11:02 Cheat Code 2: Inexperience as a Superpower

    12:21 Cheat Code 10: How to Get Lucky

    47:17 Cheat Code 3: Make It Easy to Win

    48:55 The Power of Belief in Sales

    49:12 The Moral Duty to Sell

    49:25 Dan Kennedy's Fire Door Story

    50:54 Psychological Barriers in Business

    51:48 Cheat Code: It's Not That Deep

    52:22 Emotional Investment in Business

    57:29 Raising Funds and Investor Relations

    01:00:37 Hiring Philosophy and Strategies

    01:07:16 The Role of Technology in Business

    01:13:54 Building and Leveraging Personal Brands

    01:20:11 Timing and Strategy for Selling Your Business

    01:30:11 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Selling a Business

    01:33:44 Final Reflections and Advice

    1 hr 41 min
  • How James Smith Makes $1M+ Per Month From Social Media

    Get a breakdown of James' frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaa

    Apply to work with me:
    https://bit.ly/4cue5kp

    James Smith is one of the few creators willing to say the quiet part out loud. Despite building an audience of over 4 million followers and generating more than a billion views, James explains how chasing virality nearly destroyed his business and why deliberately stagnating his follower growth, ended up doubling (nearly tripling) his income. From seven-figure coaching businesses and bestselling books to a fast-scaling drinks brand and high-leverage mentorships, James breaks down what actually makes creator businesses work behind the scenes.


    In this episode, we dive into the real economics of content creation and how to turn content into clients; instead of clout. We also unpack James’ philosophy on strong opinions, calling out bad actors, audience capture and the psychological cost of fame. This is one the most honest conversations about money, status and content you’ll hear.


    Listen on your podcast player:
    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creatorplaybooks

    Follow Callum on socials:
    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallumc/
    TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum
    X - https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell

    Produced by 7xContent - make your own podcast with us:
    https://www.7xcontent.com

    Follow James:
    LinkedIn - https://www.instagram.com/jamessmith/

    Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript):
    00:00 Introduction to James Smith's Success
    00:38 James Smith's Content Creation Strategy
    01:38 Building a Lifestyle Business
    04:37 Monetizing Content and Business Ventures
    07:25 The Importance of Client-Centric Content
    14:55 Pricing Strategies for Coaches and Trainers
    25:25 The Value of High-Quality Mentorship
    27:53 James Smith's Social Media Journey
    30:03 The Illusion of Vanity Metrics
    32:19 The Allure of Status in Content Creation
    34:40 The Complex Ecosystem of Content Creation
    37:55 Balancing Fame and Privacy
    50:06 The Ethics of Calling Out Competitors
    55:19 Chaos in Content Creation
    01:02:18 The Importance of Being Able to Speak Off the Cuff
    01:02:32 The Benefits of Scripting vs. Improvisation
    01:02:45 Live Events and Audience Engagement
    01:02:54 The Hypothetical Bird Becky and Utility of Deprivation
    01:03:36 The Impact of Alcohol on First Dates
    01:04:33 Creatine Video and Audience Engagement
    01:04:53 Balancing Scripting and Improvisation
    01:05:49 YouTube Strategies for Content Creators
    01:11:25 Instagram vs. YouTube: Platform Differences
    01:15:53 Building a Content Creation Team
    01:22:26 Launching Nut Tonic: From Idea to Execution
    01:28:36 Future Goals and Strategic Investments
    01:29:56 Conclusion and Future Discussions

    1 hr 31 min
  • World’s No 1 LinkedIn Expert: How To Grow a Personal Brand FAST in 2026

    Get a breakdown of Josh’s LinkedIn frameworks in my free newsletter: https://bit.ly/48JKUaa


    Apply to work with me:https://bit.ly/4qWT0VH


    Josh Sanders is the Head of Content for Chris Donnelly, where he helped scale one of the fastest-growing personal brands in the world from 0 to 3M+ followers across platforms and a 0-250,000 subscriber newsletter in under two years, then engineered the systems that turned that attention into a $10M+ education business.


    In this episode, Josh breaks down the data-backed LinkedIn growth playbook behind that rise. We cover how to grow a personal brand on LinkedIn in 2026, how to turn views into customers using offers, funnels, and attribution, why “don’t chase, attract” is the most effective creator strategy, how newsletters compound audience growth, and what most creators misunderstand about monetisation. Unlike most LinkedIn advice, Josh’s insights are backed by large-scale dataset reviews, rigorous testing, and real revenue outcomes. This is one of the most practical LinkedIn and creator growth masterclasses ever recorded.


    Listen on your Podcast Player: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callum-mcdonnell


    Follow Callum on socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallum Twitter - https://twitter.com/McdonnellCallum LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell/


    Produced by 7xContent - make your own Podcast with us here: https://www.7xcontent.com/


    Follow Josh:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshejsanders/


    Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript)
    00:00 Introduction to Explosive LinkedIn Growth

    00:21 Meet Josh Sanders: Content Mastermind

    00:36 The Power of LinkedIn for Business Growth

    02:32 Setting Clear Goals and Content Pillars

    09:23 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

    17:21 Engaging with Your Network and Building Relationships

    25:57 Creating High-Impact Content

    28:10 Analyzing and Adapting Content Strategies

    45:50 Leveraging Lead Magnet Posts for Engagement

    46:56 Driving Conversations and Engagement on LinkedIn

    49:35 Crafting Effective Hooks and Content Structure

    51:47 The Science Behind High-Performing LinkedIn Posts

    58:06 Tracking Performance Metrics on LinkedIn

    01:03:55 Building and Scaling a Creator Accelerator Business

    01:07:23 Creating a Cohort-Based Program for Maximum Impact

    01:12:45 Marketing Strategies and Community Building

    01:28:10 Finding the Right Team and Incentivising Growth

    01:30:34 Conclusion and Next Steps

    1 hr 32 min

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