Vanessa Yepes, a product operations lead at AppSumo with eight years of experience in customer and partner success, transformed her totally unused LinkedIn account into a powerhouse of engagement, authenticity, growth, and connection with other cool people.

She doubled her audience in just 60 days of writing on LinkedIn, by doing back-to-back 30 day writing challenges.

In this episode, Vanessa talks about how an internal 30-day writing challenge at her company got her bit by the writing and posting bug.

And how she’s used multiple, back-to-back writing challenges to:

• Sharpen her social media writing skills
• Figure out how to create community and build an audience on LinkedIn (super fast!)
• Ignite her passion for writing
• Start growing her personal brand online

She shares the nuts and bolts of competing on metrics using Shield Analytics, the evolution of her “text-message-style” writing, and how she’s integrated AI—like voice notes, ChatGPT projects, and AI note-takers like Fathom—to streamline brainstorming, drafting, and meeting notes in her day job and her writing.

Whether you’re a nine-to-fiver or a freelancer, this conversation is packed with writing skills, habits, tools, and software you can use to start writing online today (and make it a lot easier with AI).

Timestamps

00:00:00 - How Vanessa went from support agent, to head of operations, to obsessed with writing on LinkedIn

02:45:00 - How she crushed her company 30-day LinkedIn writing competition

06:02:00 - How she’s finding and developing her signature style (and helping you find yours)

08:55:00 - How she uses AI to brainstorm so you never face a blank page

11:46:00 - Why authenticity wins for everyone

14:56:00 - How she’s building community through storytelling

17:57:00 - Her next big goals to inspire yours

37:31:00 - Organizing her thoughts into content gold

38:52:00 - The AI co-writer she trusts

40:54:00 - How to crush drafts with tight feedback loops

43:23:00 - How she uses writing for self-discovery

45:08:00 - He techniques for mining and creating endless posts

51:13:00 - Managing projects with AI efficiency

54:09:00 - How she puts meeting notes on autopilot with AI

56:06:00 - Recognizing real professional value

01:00:48 - How she taps into LinkedIn’s community power

01:10:09 - Her evolving engagement tactics and how they work

01:15:08 - How she’s embracing a true LinkedIn voice

01:17:16 - Why you need strength in support networks on social media

01:20:37 - Why starting small in comments builds confidence for posting

01:22:59 - How to cultivate LinkedIn post ideas with daily reps

01:24:48 - How you can turn everyday moments into stories

01:28:21 - The neuroscience behind compelling storytelling

01:32:18 - How to build friendships through writing challenges

01:38:29 - How experimentation can fuel growth

01:43:51 - How she sets intentional writing goals

01:46:20 - Her top advice for your writing journey

• Shield Analytics (LinkedIn metrics tracker): https://shieldapp.io/
• ChatGPT (AI writing assistant): https://chat.openai.com/
• Fathom (AI meeting transcription & summary): https://fathom.video/
• AppSumo (SaaS deals & Sumo Day): https://appsumo.com/
• Vanessa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessayepes/
• Mason’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonjohnston935/

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Start writing online today with my Free AI Writing Roadmap course:

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Connect with Jack on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/writeschrute/

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