Hello from Florida!

Sometimes I find myself in situations and think I should pinch myself. Can this really be happening to me? What did I do to deserve such good fortune? But here I am, getting ready for Christmas and starting on a new and incredible journey of writing a bi-monthly newsletter that will go out to my wonderful and ever-growing LinkedIn community.

First off, thank you so much for being here. I’m honored, grateful, and excited that you are right beside me. In this newsletter, I’m going to share with you some of my best content so you and your business can grow and prosper.

When I joined LinkedIn 5 years ago, I was unemployed and desperate. I had just quit my uninspiring job –a little too hastily as it turned out. With no employment prospects and my health insurance about to run out, I decided I would turn to the one social network everybody seemed to be going to in order to secure a job.

I tried connecting with a lot of people but they didn’t want to have any meaningful conversations even though I was qualified and had an impressive resume. I felt disheartened, frustrated, and even scared. What was I going to do? I had a young daughter who was counting on me to support her and here we were, draining our savings account.

Finally, I decided that if I couldn’t find a job that gave me a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, I would create one. I wouldn’t follow the latest social media guru’s advice and instead, I spoke from the heart about my struggles, my failures, and my successes.

I found that being authentic with the community was also good for business. In fact, the more authentic I was, the more my company kept growing. Since that decision, I have built a huge online community that has supported my growth, both professionally and personally.

I found a mentor, Stephen Shedletzky who worked side-by-side for ten years with Simon Sinek. He helps leaders find their voice and their strength. Through his guidance, I have been able to grow as a person and find my own leadership style.?I would highly recommend that you find somebody who you trust and who has forged the path you are now traveling along. You will grow so much quicker and go so much further as a result.?

Have also forged close friendships with people such as Hussein Hallak, who is the Founder & CEO of Next Decentrum, a company on a mission to democratize access to art and culture. Through Hussein, I learned there are some amazing and passionate entrepreneurs who are forging the future with technological innovations to give people more access and opportunities in a growing space. With all the excitement and growth blockchain and NFTs are experiencing we need to continue to learn and raise our awareness so that we can reap the benefits and avoid pitfalls.?

By working closely with Hussein, I realized we both have similar core values. He is authentic, trustworthy, and extremely kind. Whenever I look for collaborations, I look for entrepreneurs who have the same belief system that I do, and Hussein is the perfect fit. Today, I’m happy to announce I’ve joined Hussein and the Next Decentrum team as a strategic advisor to help them grow and create mass adoption of NFTs.

Without core values and a strong moral compass, you can’t start to build a personal brand. In fact, personal branding is the nucleus of what I call the trust factor. The trust factor is the most important element to create a loyal following who will want to do business with you. This is especially important because customers have an infinite number of options to choose from so you need to stand out by being someone trustworthy in your space.?

I would also like to thank Lila Smith who I’ve been connected with since 2018. At that time, she had posted 200 days consecutively on LinkedIn in what would be an impressive streak of over 1,650 posts per day. She posts great content, but it was really through her comments that I got to know her.

Lila is known across the community as the “Queen of Comments,” because she engages in real conversations, building relationships with multiple people at once in the community- the poster, her fellow commenters, and people who follow her who see her comments come up in their feed.

It’s not how everyone builds their network, but Lila is like me: no shortcuts, only the real deal.

It has been five years since I realized I needed a personal brand in order to succeed. Since I decided to break free of my job, and I have my LinkedIn community to thank for the success I’ve achieved in creating this job I love, find my voice and help people. I have been stronger because of you. My community has helped me through rocky times and, hopefully, I’ve also helped a few of my fellow entrepreneurs along the way.

One person who I’m extremely proud of is Amy Conway-Hatcher who quit her job as an Assistant United States Attorney to become a strategist for leaders across the world and the founder of Chief, a private network built to drive more women into leadership positions. Her goal is to inspire people – but especially women – to take control of their lives. I would highly recommend you follow her.? In addition, she has just published a new book called ‘Turning Point’? Thank you Amy for sending me a copy of your book before you published it. I feel honored to have been a part of your journey.?

And last, but certainly not least, I wish to recognize John Tan who has taken the time to message me daily for the past two years with something inspirational. I don’t always reply but John, I see you, and the work that you do.?Thank you!

I have found when you write authentically and talk deeply about not only your successes but also your failures, you give other people permission to open up and ask for help. And that is the start of true connection and is the basis for all positive business relationships.

It has been a rewarding journey so far and so much more to come. This newsletter will hopefully help you. If you are struggling or are unsure, start with being genuine and authentic in your interactions, not only here on LinkedIn but in all your connections. You’ll see your social media influence grow and your business prosper. And if you need help, don’t feel shy to reach out.

Happy Holidays, Linkedin!

I'm immensely grateful to all of you!

Lorena Acosta

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