Hey friend,

Today's sponsor is a friend and former guest on the pod — Hebba Youssef, creator of the I Hate It Here newsletter. And I know she'll agree with me on today's topic:

You're playing it safe online. And it's costing you.

I talk to prospects for my marketing agency (Workfluencer Media) almost every day. Most of them come to us because they're struggling to convert from their content. Fractional HR and TA folks. Consultants. HR Tech founders. People who are posting consistently but can't figure out why it's not turning into clients.

When I look at their content, I see the same pattern. And it's not what they expect me to say.

But before we dive in, let's make sure Hebba wants to stay friends after this — can you do me a favor and click on the link below please. You won't regret subscribing to Hebba’s newsletter AND you'll help keep this newsletter free 💖

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So here's what I see when I audit content for prospects: helpful tips, industry news, agreeable takes everyone nods along to. The same stuff everyone with a ChatGPT tab open is posting.

It's... fine. But I couldn't tell you what any of them actually believe.

Not their tagline. Not their "I help X do Y" statement. I mean what hill they'd die on. What advice they'd give that might make someone uncomfortable. What they think that others in their space don't.

And if I can't figure that out from your content, neither can the people you're trying to attract. So why would they choose you over everyone else saying the same thing?

I get it. A lot of us were trained to stay neutral. Don't ruffle feathers. Let your work speak for itself. Especially in HR and TA, where we're taught to be diplomatic and keep the peace.

But that approach doesn't translate to content that converts.

When everyone's saying the same thing, the person who stands out is the one willing to say what they actually think. The one who's formed real opinions from real experience. The one who isn't afraid to disagree with the "best practice" everyone else is parroting.

When Hebba was on the podcast, she said something more people should be saying out loud:

She also said this:

Hebba didn't build one of the most-read newsletters in HR by playing it safe. She built it by saying the things other people are thinking but won't say out loud. By having opinions that come from actually doing the work every day as a CPO; not just theorizing about it.

That's what makes people trust her. And that's what makes people want to work with her.

"But Rhona, I don't have strong opinions." I hear this all the time. And honestly? I don't buy it.

If you've been doing this work for any amount of time, you have opinions. You've seen what doesn't work. You've watched people make the same mistakes over and over. You've rolled your eyes at advice that sounds good in a LinkedIn post but falls apart in real life.

You've developed a point of view. You've just been trained to keep it to yourself.

Maybe you're worried about alienating people. Maybe you're scared of being "too much." Maybe you've convinced yourself that your perspective isn't unique enough to share.

But here's what I believe: if you're a true expert, you have an opinion. The people who've done the work always do. The question is whether you're willing to share it.

I'm not talking about being controversial for the sake of engagement. Or picking fights to get comments. That's exhausting and it's not sustainable.

I'm talking about being willing to say things like:

"Everyone says to do X, but in my experience, that's terrible advice. Here's what actually works."

"I know this is unpopular, but I think [common practice] is doing more harm than good."

"Most people in my space believe Y. I've seen enough to know that's not the full picture."

That's it. That's the bar. Not being a jerk, just being honest about what you've learned from doing the work.

Hebba put it this way:

The people who get clients from their content aren't the ones who agree with everyone. They're the ones who have a perspective worth paying for.

Next week I'm dropping a new episode with my friend Dani Herrera — a consultant who's built her client pipeline almost entirely from LinkedIn. And the shift that changed everything for her? She stopped playing it safe.

Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss it:

Want to hear more from Hebba on building a voice people trust, her creative process, and why she's not afraid to piss people off? Listen to our full conversation:

What do you actually believe about your work that others might disagree with? If you can't answer that question, that's your problem!

Sit with that question. Write it down. Then post it. Tag me, I'll engage. I can't promise I'll agree, but I will keep it respectful. 💖 

Until next time.