Russ Johns 0:02 
Welcome to the #piratebroadcast, where we interview #interesting people doing interesting things where you can expand your connections, your community. #kindnessiscool and #smilesarefree. Let's get this party started.

What is going on today? I cannot believe Brian got up this time of day to be here in the room. How the heck are you, Brian? 

Brian Schulman 0:34 
Only for you Russ. I was telling you this earlier. This is the only time out of all the shows I've ever been on that I would wake up to do a show at seven o'clock in the morning. The funny thing is, you're like 120 or 30 40 something shows in and you would ask me right at the beginning, you're like, I'd love to have you on the show.That was when I was taking my son to school and this whole pandemic happened and of course that stopped. I finally was like, let's do this.

Russ Johns 1:02 
Well, we were talking a little bit before the show, and it's amazing to me, we're all going through a transition, we're all going through our own circumstances, right. I just want to applaud and highlight you for the things that you're doing in the community, and making sure that people feel like there's a hope. There's encouragement, that shining light that you bring to the table every day. I just want to make sure that people recognize that you are consistent in what you're doing. You've always= put it out there and, and I just want to take a moment and say, thank you for doing that. If you're not connected to Brian, which I can't believe, get connected and follow his stuff and make sure that you're aware of what he's doing. So 

Brian Schulman 1:51 
appreciate you Russ. Thanks, man. 

Russ Johns 1:53 
Yeah, tell people for those that may not know you because the communities kind ofCome in flow and going back and forth and everything else. We're streaming on multiple platforms now. You never know who's gonna pop in and out. Share a little bit about what you're focused in on and what you're doing at this point in time, in with LinkedIn lives and also some of the things that you're doing on the other side. 

Oh,

Brian Schulman 2:24 
Yes, sure. So, I mean, let's see, I've been on LinkedIn every day for the last 16 and a half years creating ever since you could known as the the godfather of LinkedIn video, that wasn't me, by the way, like somebody had brought that up. This was like a couple years ago and it was kind of this like, fatherly figure thing because I just love watching over people, I guess making sure everybody's okay And anyway, so one of the world's top video marketing experts. I've done the internet since it was green screen and chat rooms sitting in my mom's lap learning how to Type. 21 plus years of digital marketing experience strategizing with our fortune 500 brands across the globe.

Russ Johns 3:10 
I'm a force featured entrepreneur, LinkedIn top voice and was named a 2019 LinkedIn video creator of the year and one of the pioneering top LinkedIn video and LinkedIn live creators in the world last year. It's crazy July is creeping up on already but last year July I broke the LinkedIn live record of broadcasting from more than four hours and when we're not in quarantine, I do international speaking across the globe.

You also do LinkedIn lives, right? 

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Which is something that I do a couple days each week to help lift people up and make people smile and get people out of their seats and have some fun so yeah, what's good Wednesday and shout out Saturday are both LinkedIn live shows. that I do and what's good Wednesday both of them are two year old plus series and 

Yeah

Brian Schulman 4:07 
They were all about the community. Right It was never about me I mean what's good Wednesday was just understanding there's always a silver lining no matter what's going on in your life I'm gonna have bad things may feel or seem or be there's always something good you're alive, you're breathing, you can move all those things we take for granted. 

Russ Johns 4:23 
Right. 

Brian Schulman 4:25 
People would show up and share the good either in their life or in the world and and shout out Saturday just randomly happen. I mean, I have video chats with people every single day.

Russ Johns 4:35 
Right

Brian Schulman 4:36 
I had over 1000 video chats last year and I just so many amazing human beings that I would meet and most all of them coming from LinkedIn and I just was like these are incredible people. I want to give them some love. I want to give them a shout out and it just happened to be a Saturday and it turned into an every Saturday thing and the cool part about it wasn't just I wanted to show up and share gratitude and love for those People that I had met and had amazing conversations with, but people were showing up in the comments and doing the same and giving gratitude for people that have made a positive impact in their life that week. That's really cool. T something really awesome about giving you feel so much better when you're giving gratitude to someone because the way you know, everybody knows it makes you feel good. I got a shout out? How cool is that?

Unknown Speaker 5:25 
You know? So,

Russ Johns 5:28 
you know,

I wake up every day with gratitude because I have a lot to be grateful for. The reality is that if you can extend that to someone else, and that's why smiles are free. 

Brian Schulman 5:39 
That's right.

Russ Johns 5:39 
Take one down and pass it around. It's something that two people can share or more people and have that element of, Hey, we are in a place where we can make a difference, be responsible for ourselves. And make it matter, make a difference in somebody's life and you made a difference in so many other's lives that it's really about how can we help? How can we encourage others to do something else? By setting the example, day after day, week after week and going live and producing something out there, that's positive. I mean, you're, you're making a huge impact. So, gratitude for that. 

Brian Schulman 6:02 
No, thank you, brother. I truly appreciate that. Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, you think about a platform like like LinkedIn, which again, I live and breathe, everybody knows I bleed blue and white. It's not because I'm getting paid for it or anything like that. It's just because that LinkedIn has changed my life so many times over the last 16 and a half years and it's all because of the people. It's the most incredible thing. You hear and see and feel these words love support and encouragement. This is something we have all fostered for many, many years. I came to link Wendy. I love you, Wendy. I came to LinkedIn. It wasn't about business like it was all about inspiring one person a day. 

Most people at LinkedIn know my journey about in terms of backstory about being a pound and a half miracle baby that wasn't supposed to live literally fighting for every breath to make it into this world and growing up with a neurological disorder Tourette Syndrome, uncontrollable tics and twitches like I was not the human being you seen yesterday? I didn't grow into this it was it took me a while and I always say I found a voice especially through LinkedIn video and LinkedIn live. I found a voice I never knew I had, and I didn't know what I was doing when I got on video a couple years ago on LinkedIn. In fact, it'll be three years the end of this year. I literally didn't know what I was doing. I had always been on the other side, my monkeys filming them and 

Russ Johns 8:18 
Yeah 

Brian Schulman 8:19 
I had to learn everything. Like psychologically, physically, emotionally, technologically. I mean, I didn't even know there were apps that existed for this stuff. So it was. Yes. 

Russ Johns 8:30 
Just one quick question as you roll that out and frame it for someone is that you started from zero right? 

Brian Schulman 8:39 
Literally, I mean, I'm saying this was not me like I did not put the phone in front like it was all brand new and people are always like, wow, you're amazing. How do you do that? You should be on TV this that and the other night, I wrote an article about it makes me laugh every time because you could not see where I started. it took me Five months to muster up the courage to finally take the leap and make my very first video because I got access when it launched an alpha, which was June of 2017. I remember seeing it pop up and I was like, no way you're out of your mind. There's no way I can do this. 

Russ Johns 9:15 
Ddi they Just randomly pick you. 

Brian Schulman 9:17 
Yeah. Yeah. 

Russ Johns 9:20 
There are some people that are trying to they've applied multiple times, you know, it's like, Okay, well, 

Brian Schulman 9:27 
That's LinkedIn Live.

Russ Johns 9:28 
How are they selected. 

Brian Schulman 9:29 
That's LinkedIn live. LinkedIn video. There have been three.

Russ Johns 9:33 
Okay.

Brian Schulman 9:34 
Usually impactful moments in these last 17 years of LinkedIn. One was when you were first able to publish articles and you had to get invited. Just like LinkedIn live just like LinkedIn video and just like, publishing articles on polls, you had to be invited before they eventually kind of 

Russ Johns 9:55 
That's when they invented FOMO fear of missing out 

Brian Schulman 9:57 
Yeah.

Russ Johns 9:58 
Why can't I publish an article? 

Brian Schulman 10:01 
Yeah. Well, it was it was who, right it was the bill gates in the branches of the worlds right. I actually had gotten an email from LinkedIn and said, congratulations, you're invited to publish articles on LinkedIn. I'm like, Did somebody press a button by accident? I'm just some guy like and it took me a while to think about what I wanted to write. About. The very first article I wrote was about the wedding in Hawaii that my wife never knew was going to happen, because I didn't want to talk about business. I knew I wanted to just share a good story because everybody loves a good story. The same thing happened with LinkedIn video. I didn't apply. I just got access. It took me five months. Basically, it just popped up on my phone next to the little camera icon. The weird thing is Russ, every time I'd update my iOS app, it would appear it would disappear. It was like I'd have this devil Angel on my shoulder thing happening. It was like, come on, you can do it and the other sides. No, I can't and then it disappeared. I'm like, oh man, and it would come back and I'm like, Oh, no, it was this multiple personality thing happening. 

Russ Johns 11:06 
It was brutal when it first came out as well because I remember it because, I wanted to shoot in landscape mode. I would shoot in landscape mode. Shoot a nice video on my phone. I upload it, and then my videos were upside down. Every time

Brian Schulman 11:26 
I was going to say they turned upside down, right? 

Russ Johns 11:27 
Yeah, yeah. It's like,

Brian Schulman 11:31 
Some people had fun with it. Like some people have fun with it when they realized

Russ Johns 11:35 
Oh I had a blast with it.

After

Brian Schulman 11:37 
The comments, were like, okay, so you're coming to us live from Mars. It's interesting Russ because like when LinkedIn video launched, initially in alpha, so did the let's get on honest campaign, and this was the very first ever hashtag campaign that took place. 

Russ Johns 11:55 
I remember that hashtag campaign. 

Brian Schulman 11:58 
Yeah. You had people Like Monica Swamis swish and Michaela Alexis and authentic Alex in London and a bunch of other people that were popping up during this was a generation of people that you just didn't see on the platform historically. Remember every day for the last at that point, like 14 years or something, I was in a platform. It was really inspiring, because one just to see another generation showing up that hadn't, but to the stories that they were sharing, They were talking about fears and failures and agoraphobia speech impediments, I mean, some were coming on and talking about rape. I mean, it was this was stuff you just never had ever heard on LinkedIn, and especially these really personal stories. Right. It was tell us something about you. Nobody knows. Right? You haven't talked about before. And it was so inspiring Russ. I remember when it happened, and I said, I am so inspired right now, like I want to share my story. Although again, like I said, It took me five months to muster up the bravery and courage to take the leap and do it.

I thank, my friend Goldie Chan for kicking me in the butt to take the leap. The thing is too, the life story stuff was not something anyone in the business world knew. I was with purpose like I truly just, I didn't want to be treated different. I didn't want to be looked at different I just wanted to blend in I wanted to be quote unquote, normal. More importantly, I wanted to earn everything on my own merit. I didn't want that to cloud anything. It was a really big deal for me to this is the short version, the really big deal for me to come out for the first time to the world, let alone in front of 500 million people on a place like LinkedIn and share that and I will tell you Russ like all the love and support and encouragement that I got.

Russ Johns 13:55 
Yeah 

Brian Schulman 13:56 
It changed my life like it literally that moment. It changed my life. It was the first time I didn't look at myself as weird and different in a bad way. I realized that, like I said, I had a voice that I never knew was there. I found a tribe I never knew was there. It kept me going because I think for a lot of folks with this with this whole video thing because and you know, right, there's 600, and it's probably more now, I think it's probably grown, especially during the pandemic a lot. The last numbers were 675 million people on LinkedIn, which grew 15 million over the course of three months since November of last year, which LinkedIn report. 

Russ Johns 14:40 
That's insane. That is insane.

Brian Schulman 14:41 
Yeah, I mean, that's, it's hyper growth, right? I mean, there were a million people on the platform within the first year after when I joined, but of that 250 million that are quote unquote, active meaning you've got a profile and they're lurking, but you're not creating content. 1% that's creating content, especially video. I mean, that's, that's astronomical. 

Russ Johns 15:03 
Isn't it ironic, though, that you probably may have the same experience maybe a different experience than I have. All I see is the people that are creating content. It's like, everybody's creating content. Now. It's not actually real, but it's like because I create a lot of content. I mean, I think I do, but maybe I don't, I don't know if I do or not. It's like, okay, 

Brian Schulman 15:26 
Oh yeah.

Russ Johns 15:28 
Cause my challenge and I see you and it's like I want to participate more. It's like, Okay I have these other things that have to be taken care of.It's really challenging to balance it out. I know that You'll probably do the same thing because you're very active, and it's like, how does that happen? I mean, it's like, okay. 

Brian Schulman 15:53 
Yeah.

Russ Johns 15:55 
Because it does take time and live makes it a lot easier than producing Video. 

Brian Schulman 16:01 
Oh, yeah. 

Russ Johns 16:02 
It's like when you do your productions and you create the video out there. It's really, it's like, okay, that took I know how much time that takes. I know how much time.

Brian Schulman 16:13 
It takes a lot of time. I remember in the early days, like I would, I mean, I've spent thousands and thousands of hours learning how to do all this stuff that I do. Especially in the beginning, it was really hard because again, I didn't know these apps existed, so I had to learn them all and then not only the apps, but learn how to what to get comfortable being uncomfortable in front of a camera, like all that stuff. Right. It was it was really hard and you're right, it takes a lot of time. I think that's the thing too, like you mentioned the word balancing. This isn't something that gets talked about a lot and I think it's something we all feel as creators is how do you balance that and I think a lot of times people feel well, no, you got to engage right away andit's not about when it's about the fact that you do, right? I mean, it's okay. If you wait a couple days to get back to people in your videos or even if it's a week or something like the fact that you're replying with the engagement, right? That's so important too. I fall short. There's so many people I haven't gotten back to it's like.

Unknown Speaker 17:18 
you know, and

Russ Johns 17:20 
Let's take take a moment and think about this. You've had 1000 interviews on zoom in a year. Isn't that what you said, 

Brian Schulman 17:30 
Yeah.

Russ Johns 17:32 
I know you do this on a regular basis and people have to understand it. Video has such a huge impact. I know it has for me, and I know that it has for you. 

Brian Schulman 17:45 
Yeah 

Russ Johns 17:45 
I keep encouraging people to think about this and the business owners are no I can't get on camera. Well then start with a narrative. Start with a screen share, start using video in your business and it's one of these things that You just have to, like you said, you have to go through this mindset and even if it takes you a few months to think about, okay, what am I going to say? What do I be? 

Brian Schulman 18:09 
Yeah. Who I want to be.

Russ Johns 18:11 
After You did it though. Once you did it, Brian. What was the transition that you went through after it? It's like okay, now that we wound him up. He's not stopped.

Brian Schulman 18:23 
Yeah, it's like the Energizer Bunny. I mean, it's like this Don't get me wrong. I mean, it's a crazy ride.

I mean, and I always caution people like don't go full tilt Boogie and be like, yeah, I want to do a video every single day like you'll burn out. I mean, you will. I mean mad kudos to people like Goldie Chan and, oh my god, there's actually a number of people that have gone through a daily videos scenario. Celebrated her 700th Daily LinkedIn video, you guys, that's insane. I mean, I've made over 600 videos, but it's not like I've done them every single day I had a time where for months, I was pushing out a video every day but realize that that's because I had so much content that I had made bank to that I would then go back and produce those and push them out right? Like, it takes hours and hours to put a 62 second video together. 

Russ Johns 18:29 
I know. 

Unknown Speaker 19:25 
I mean it you know,

Russ Johns 19:27 
Just imagine this. I think i have on YouTube, I think I have over 500 videos on YouTube and I've been doing two minute tips before I started the #piratebroadcast. 

Brian Schulman 19:39 
Yeah. 

Russ Johns 19:44 
Consistency does have its rewards, right?

Brian Schulman 19:47 
Oh yeah.

Russ Johns 19:48 
It does take effort and it does take energy and so I just want to make sure that people frame this because you got to love it to a certain degree.

Brian Schulman 19:58 
Yeah

Russ Johns 19:58 
Even though the days like you said some days are like, Oh, I just like to roll over and sleep another hour?

Brian Schulman 20:09 
For sure, of course, We've all been through that. Yeah, it's one is work

Russ Johns 20:14 
Yeah.

Brian Schulman 20:14 
You have to put in the work like can you do you've got to kind of fall in love with the process and it's one of those things but like you said earlier, Russ, I mean it. The reality is you need to be seen, you need to be heard, and you got to go where the people are, right. And if you think about platforms in general, just digitally. YouTube is like a mud. It's a mixed bag of everything. Facebook is friends, family and old college buddies, right? You've got Snapchat and you've got Tick Tock. And again, there's so many right and they all have their own predispositions. And then you have LinkedIn, right? The business social networking platform, and most people in the scheme of 675 million people look at it and go, Oh, it's just the desert a resumes place, look for a job right even still, which is why it's 1% creating content because most people don't realize that it's an engagement platform now and then you can make videos right?

I think the thing is is you kind of hit the nail on the head right i mean video is so incredibly powerful you guys it's like 85 plus percent of content consumed online in general is to video and videos help build brand awareness and nine plus percent ofpeople use video to make product and service purchasing decisions and social videos generate 12 acts the text and an image combined type of stuff but it's hard, right? 

Russ Johns 21:37 
Yeah

Brian Schulman 21:37 
You really do And again, that's why I talk about it so much because I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Right. Here's Gabriel, right? I feel the pain. About the work you hundred percent, right? It's not easy, but you have to just, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. And here's the thing, right? We're in the middle of a pandemic. We can't go forget phase one and all that like we can't leave Our houses the way we used to, I mean sometimes we can't leave at all and you've got to be really careful. The only way that you were able to communicate is through digital right and video. The winning mistake with video is you can't physically touch the person you can't smell the person because we know smellivision yet, although I'm sure somebody invented it during this, Coronavirus, but the thing is you truly can reach people, you can touch people with your heart. And I always say it's the heart of it all that matters.

Russ Johns 22:31 
Absolutely

Brian Schulman 22:31 
I think if people realize that and realize that the toilet bowl flushes in the opposite direction, especially for a platform like LinkedIn, where it's not about showing up in your business, speak in your business suit, realize that a couple years ago when video launched on LinkedIn, it broke the mold that we were all conforming to where we were used to. And it became human with a heartbeat for the good human with a heartbeat for the really for the first time. That's the thing. You you see Diana dancing on LinkedIn you see people singing you see people rapping you see people wearing gray hair and red noses and rubber gloves on LinkedIn live right? It's a place to be you like that's the part that I think is the coolest thing is you have this ability to find yourself and be you truly and and realize that when it comes to business look people do business with people they like know and trust. And then the reality is that people have to fall in love with you before they're going to listen to what you have to say. 

Russ Johns 23:39 
That's an excellent point because by expressing who you are and what you do and how you do it and how you help and who you help. The conversations that you end up having are completely different than they would be a year ago before you started or two years before we can start. So the conversations you're having today, Brian are much different conversations than you would have a year ago. 

Brian Schulman 24:08 
Oh, yeah, here we go two years ago, three years ago. I mean, and here's the cool thing, right? Like, I'd get on video chats of people that spawned off of people commenting in the videos. And it was like, wow, I feel like I've known you for years, they would say and and that's incredible, right? That's an incredibly powerful thing when you think about it, because if you're going and doing business with someone, you meet them at a conference or you go have coffee, or you go to an event or a networking or something, right and realize that so many amazing things can happen in terms of these relationships that you make just by showing up and not just the relationships but then the opportunities that come from that, right I mean, I've been flown across the world to do keynotes that were sponsored by brands, which all spawned from showing up. 

Look, you guys realize this too. I didn't remember I on boards and advise startups and founders and mentor and do speaking internationally. I didn't want to talk about that stuff in a video. That wasn't what it was about. For me. I was already so incredibly uncomfortable and awkward doing something brand new. Although I will say again, building and growing startups for over 20 years, that wasn't any different. I had to get that in my mind. Because I did. I didn't think about it that way initially, which is why I think it took me so long and then when I finally was like, Look, this is no different than your whole life. It's another moment to get comfortable being uncomfortable doing something done and just go you don't want to look back and go say what if right, so pioneering those things? We kind of set the stage per se i guess and my videos were all about bringing people together and being very positive and just having fun. It kind of hit me right like when I had someone like Miguel Forbes who's the chairman of Forbes shout out to Miguel. Who came onto the platform and go, they had gotten a bunch of us together to create kind of a collaboration video of here's some tips of how to get going on LinkedIn video because it was really new then. 

Russ Johns 26:10 
Right. 

Brian Schulman 26:11 
Anyway, Miguel wind up doing a post on LinkedIn that he laughed and he came back because everyone kept hitting them up to say I want to give them the 30 under 30. 40 under 40, whatever. And he got such an influx that LinkedIn didn't think it was him. Like he thought it was a Vaughters thing. And, and he came back and he said I left, but I came back because of people that make this platform what it is like, and he named a bunch of LinkedIn video creators and I was one of them. And I didn't get it. I was like, but I'm not even talking about business or anything. And it hit me and I was like, that's not what it's about. It's just about.

Russ Johns 26:48 
It's about like.

Brian Schulman 26:49 
Its's all of us coming together.

Russ Johns 26:50 
It's about what We have to go and experience and everything else,

Brian Schulman 26:54 
Tha's right. That's right. Yeah.

Russ Johns 26:58 
I know that It's changed a lot of people's lives and a lot of people are still going out there. Before we wrap up today, Brian, I keep hearing this little thing about LinkedIn stories. You got any thoughts or observations about that and what that's gonna look like? 

Brian Schulman 27:21 
Yeah, this is the next big wave, like of those big moments. It's popped, you've got my buddy Melvin tan, who has storties. He sent me a note and said, Hey, Brian would feature in I've got access to stories. It looks like stories has launched internationally first, I don't think it's launched in the states just yet. I think they're doing it the other way. But and I can't see it, I asked Melvin I'm like, Can you send me screenshots or let me know because I still don't see it on your profile. He did send me screenshots. I think stories are awesome. Like I use stories on Facebook and then apply them on Instagram too. they're great, quick snapshots. And there's great reasons and ways to use those from a marketing perspective. If you have a LinkedIn live show, well, that's a great way to use that 24 hours in advance to say, hey, there's a show coming right? We also have

Russ Johns 28:18 
no

Events now. 

Brian Schulman 28:19 
Well, there's events that launched as well. Now you can do voting you can do 

Russ Johns 28:27 
Polls. 

Brian Schulman 28:28 
Thank you. Geez, poll. It's still early for me. 

Russ Johns 28:30 
You can do I haven't received that. 

My

Brian Schulman 28:33 
Yeah, and these are all in beta. I got access to polls, so I tested it out. I don't have stories just yet. But yeah, I mean, they're all like if you get these features guys test them out, right.

Russ Johns 28:48 
Let us know what it is. 

Brian Schulman 28:50 
Everybody by the way, has access to LinkedIn live or I'm sorry, LinkedIn video. Everyone has 

Russ Johns 28:55 
Linkedin Video. Yeah. 

Brian Schulman 28:57 
So take advantage of showing up on video and by the way, like if you if you're still out there going, Yeah, I don't know if I can do that. Just look, five quick tips show up and be human. Just be you just start. I know it feels hard. But if you just put the phone in front of your face every day like a video diary, it will help you get comfortable being comfortable with the process of putting the phone in front of your face. Sherry has a great question. I think we get answered. Does the selfie type of video work for LinkedIn or is it too unpolished? 

Yeah, it's a great question.

Russ Johns 29:32 
It works beautifully. 

Brian Schulman 29:34 
Absolutely. Don't forget Polish like that's like the first 

Russ Johns 29:40 
Personality over Polish every time. 

Brian Schulman 29:43 
Absolutely. 100% just be you like just pull up your phone if you're going for a walk.

Russ Johns 29:49 
vertical or, or

Vertical or landscape. 

Brian Schulman 29:52 
Yeah, I mean, horizontal is best just because the way it captures it but that actually is changed a little bit too.

Russ Johns 30:00 
I see a lot. I see a lot. 

Brian Schulman 30:02 
I see a lot of vertical too. And think about it. If you're scrolling on your phone vertical is going to take up more mindshare. So if you're scrolling you, you'll have to go up the little, like, twice with a vertical. So it may make you stop. 

Russ Johns 30:15 
Yeah, the acroll stopper. 

Brian Schulman 30:18 
Yeah, I mean, the scroll stopper, right? Just do it like, so showing up being human engaging and supporting is really important. Like, remember, it's all about the people. So shining light, bright, others, bright and others and build community creating is what we're talking about. Right? So I think it's just important to remember that you have a voice and you have a story and that you matter and your voice matters and that your voice in the story can positively affect and impact and inspire another human beings life just by showing up. So share your stories. It's all about relatability electro saying is just don't worry about polish, you know? So people are like, okay, yeah, I'm inspired now what we'll just talk about what you're interested in, talk about what you're excited about. Talk about what you're passionate about and in the times that we're in guys talking about what you're scared about. i mean look we're all on the same plane right now we're all going through it and have been so if you just think about and that's the thing is you'll see all creators are all over the map there appear down here. Look, we're all here. 

Russ Johns 31:21 
We're all in it together 

Brian Schulman 31:24 
100% all in it together. And you did say be consistent Russ right. And consistency is different for everybody. I think the key is just find your own groove. Oh, the other thing with your videos is remember that 60 seconds or less is your best friend. So and I say that just because 

Russ Johns 31:42 
Yeah

Brian Schulman 31:42 
One if people don't know who you are yet and they haven't falling in love with you. They're gonna keep scrolling like but everybody is 60 seconds. So make it 60 seconds or less and then be consistent like Russ does a show. I mean talk about kudos like Russ does this live show every single day. Guys, that's crazy. Like, you have no idea how much work goes into that. So mad kudos 

Russ Johns 32:05 
Yeas I do. 

Brian Schulman 32:06 
Oh, you do. People that are doing it don't and I mean I do because I have shows too, right? But find a groove that works for you whether it's native video meaning you post it after you've made it right it's a start and stop and create a content strategy and calender like on your phone or on your wall old school that works for you. Because when you show up consistently, your tribe knows when you're going to show up. If it's LinkedIn video, you may just say, Okay, I want to get started. So maybe I'll make one video a week and it's Wednesday at six o'clock, okay? hold yourself accountable to that and realize that you have time to get into that it's the consistency is not like you're making the video and posting every day. It doesn't work that way. Unless you're inspired right every single day and you do it that way. Whatever but whatever works for you. I think the key Just start. 

Russ Johns 33:01 
Yeah

Brian Schulman 33:01 
Try not to overwhelm yourself with Oh, I gotta do this. And I got to do that. No, no, all you have to do is pull out your phone, smile, look at yourself. And if you don't want to look at yourself, by the way, flip the phone this way Print out a picture of somebody that makes you feel at ease right here and just tape it on the back and stare at the dot because the dot is where your tribe is, that's where you connect. Right? So that'll create your consistency. And then the last one is just collaborate like we're doing right now. Like incredible things happen when we come together. 

Russ Johns 33:35 
It's amazing what can happen. If you're just willing to put yourself out there. 

Brian Schulman 33:43 
Oh, yeah. 

Russ Johns 33:43 
Have a conversation with people. One conversation away from changing your life. 

Brian Schulman 33:48 
Yeah, and somebody else is. 

Russ Johns 33:51 
Right? 

Brian Schulman 33:53 
Truly, like you have you have no idea the impact that you can have. Look, it's not about the likes, it's not about the views. It's not about the reactions. It's about engagement. I had somebody that had said, I've been watching your videos for a year, this was in January. And they said I know we haven't talked or really communicated, but she said, I have had the hardest year of my life, like truly to the point where I think she might have taken her life. And she said, You have no idea how you've lifted me up during those times where I didn't think that I could get up and I'm like, That's incredible. That's impact people. Right? That's truly impact so I think just remember it's less about Simon Sinek said it best right people don't buy what you do they buy why you do it and and I think if you think try and digitize things, just remember that now your if you think about video, live or native, right, Your smile is not your logo, and your personality is now your business card and you're how you leave people feeling after that experience with you through the lens right. That's your trademark. So you just have to show up. Right? Just go up and try to be yourself

Russ Johns 35:05 
Just show up as yourself. 

Brian Schulman 35:08 
Yeah. And it's okay. If you're uncomfortable, like, we're all uncomfortable, like, just the more you do it, and remember it's not about how much it's just everyday is day one. And every time you take that step, the more you do that, then 

Russ Johns 35:21 
Yeah,

Brian Schulman 35:22 
You will get comfortable. 

Russ Johns 35:25 
Before we wrap it up, today, you had identified that you wanted to share a couple of things with with the community here and I know that you're giving Soul. What do we got from Brian today? What nuggets of knowledge and what's the golden treasure we got today? 

Brian Schulman 35:51 
Yeah. So I think Maya Angelou said it best right people may forget what you say but Never forget how you make them. Feel. I just try and remember human first heart first okay? I want to give you guys three things. One is if you're a newbie to LinkedIn or you've been around for a while and but you don't realize this platform is now this place this engagement thing. I've got a free 15 lesson. LinkedIn jumpstart, masterclass created last year with my good friend Rob Davis. And like I said, it's full of awesome nuggets. 

Russ Johns 36:26 
Another pirate 

Brian Schulman 36:28 
Yes. Another great way to get to go and Rob's an incredible human being I love him He's my brother from another mother. It's uh we'll share it in the show notes but LinkedIn masterclass I think effect calm. The other is look if you have questions about when it comes to LinkedIn video LinkedIn live, right. Most of you know voice your vibe is my company working with entrepreneurs, founders C suite executives who want to find their voice and show up and don't know how and Voice your vibe teaches you how to do that and how to tell a story people fall in love with on LinkedIn through video. So if you have questions about how to LinkedIn live or LinkedIn video for you and your business, you want to talk video strategy. I'd love to talk with you so you can you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation with me. We can talk specifically about your world and and some examples and some ways you can kind of get going. That's just calendly comm slash voice your vibe. Then the third one is this I was really blessed in and honored and fortunate to be a part of a leap in the live streaming bootcamp that took place April 29 through May 1. It was a three day free boot camp. There were it was awesome. It was virtual. There were 40 amazing human beings and experts in their crafts talking about live streaming on all across multiple platforms. I there were over 2500 people in my session it was on LinkedIn live and how video in my video can amplify your reach and grow your business.

But the reason I'm bringing it up even though it's past is because it's still accessible until the end of the month. So we'll drop that link in the comments as well so that you can gain access to it. And I want to just say hi to a couple people in the comments here, Russ. Again, we see Vicki. I see Gabriel Angelica says gratitude the art of being thankful. Laurie Knutson. It's good to see you. David Munford is blowing it up in here. I saw Wendy. 

Russ Johns 38:30 
Yeah. 

Brian Schulman 38:31 
Jimmy. Jimmy says the world is your stage along that says nice show. Russ, you do have an awesome show.

Russ Johns 38:38 
Thank you. I appreciate that. 

Brian Schulman 38:40 
It is it's a great show. Because you're doing all this stuff that we talked about you just showing up and you're having conversations with people and bringing everybody along. And that's what it's all about.

Russ Johns 38:52 
You can join the conversation. 

Brian Schulman 38:54 
That's right. That's the cool part. We all want to be a part of the conversation right? And that's what videos allows you to do Kenyatta says LinkedIn is magical and has been a transformational experience for me over the last four years. Yeah, just there's so many amazing people that are showing up, Ruthie says

Russ Johns 39:13 
Nuggets of Knowledge, be genuine. 

Brian Schulman 39:16 
That's right. Yeah. That's so important. Right? Like, it's it's so easy to feel like you. Because I went through that too. Like feeling I don't know who I am.

Russ Johns 39:27 
Yeah

Brian Schulman 39:28 
You put the video camera in front of your face thinking

Russ Johns 39:30 
Yeah. Who am I? 

Brian Schulman 39:32 
Yeah, I mean, it's just be you and it's okay. You're uncomfortable. 

Unknown Speaker 39:38 
Just.

Russ Johns 39:39 
Here's another trick and it's not even a trick. It's one of the things that you'll discover about yourself is the more you do it. The more you find your voice.

Brian Schulman 39:51 
So much 

Russ Johns 39:52 
The more you you discover what you feel is important to say. And you'll be able to put it out there. in a way that is unique to you, and people will show up and understand what it is that you're passionate about and just like Brian and voice your vibe, you'll find your groove and it's an amazing opportunity to share some amazing intellectual thoughts, emotional thoughts, spiritual thoughts, anything that is coming out in this specific time in history.

Brian Schulman 40:29 
Yeah, that's it your tribes out there waiting for you just have to show up. And remember, you're not alone. We're all here to serve. 

Russ Johns 40:35 
You are all here, 

Brian Schulman 40:36 
All here to support you. So just start just show up and ask for help. If you need it. Know that you're gonna have support out there people are gonna be rooting you on and it's okay, if you're uncomfortable. Just Just know that's when you're growing. 

Russ Johns 40:48 
Yeah. Well, Brian, as always, it's a pleasure every time we connect, I you know, enjoy and appreciate the conversation. Until I can get you up early next time

Brian Schulman 41:03 
I appreciate you, brother, thank you so much for having me on the show. I'm sending you tons of love and to all of you out there. I appreciate you sending you all the good vibes to you and your families near and far. Please stay safe during these times where and and like I said right now most important time than ever to be showing up. 

Russ Johns 41:17 
Yeah. Always remember that #kindnessiscool. #smilesarefree, and you #enjoytheday.

Thank you for joining the #piratebroadcast. If you found this content valuable, please like, comment and share it across your social media channels. I would love the opportunity to help others grow in their business. #Thepiratesyndicate is a platform where you show up we produce the show. It's that easy. If you want to be seen be heard and be talked about. Join #thepiratesyndicate today.




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