Ghostwriting for Career Advancement

📝 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁: 𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. Why? 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴. → It's about amplifying, not faking your voice. The right ghostwriter can elevate your ideas with authenticity. → They dive deep, understanding your world. It's more than surface-level writing; it's embedding your essence into every word. → This isn't outsourcing and just using AI; it's strategic collaboration. Your vision, their linguistic craft, perfectly blended. In a space crowded with the pursuit of authenticity, using a ghostwriter might raise eyebrows. But here's my perspective: → Time Is Gold: You're steering the ship, not stuck in the content kitchen. Ghostwriting isn't a shortcut; it’s smart time management. → Voice Amplification, Not Replacement: A ghostwriter isn't about losing your touch. They're there to lift your voice above the noise. → Deep Dive with a Twist: A seasoned ghostwriter goes beyond just writing; they craft narratives that echo your leadership and vision. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗶𝗻. It ensures the content stays true to your personal brand. Embrace ghostwriting. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙭𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩. Remember as a leader you need to find every way to amplify your message, not replacing your voice. 𝘗𝘚. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳? 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸. 𝙋𝙎2. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙚 📨.

The most underrated value in thought leadership ghostwriting? (a recent revelation): Most business leaders can't recognize their powerful thoughts or ideas—they're too close to them. What's everyday life for them could be invaluable insights for others. After several years of ghostwriting, I've discovered the best ideas are buried in: - Casual conversations - Passionate rants - Quiet moments of reflection (not the formal interviews). The key is knowing how to engage in conversations that unlock the flow of ideas. As a former executive, I have an unfair advantage (it helps to have been in their shoes). It's a blast when we uncover something new. Some of my most rewarding collaborations with clients aren't in the writing and publishing, but in uncovering new ideas. 💡🔥 --- Hi, I'm Tom.  I help executives find their voice, elevate their presence, and become thought leaders here on LinkedIn. If you found this helpful, consider reposting ♻️ and follow me for more.

I ghostwrite thought leadership for busy CEOs and industry leaders. Here is something I make sure they understand before we start working on content: disguising sales pitches as thought leadership erodes trust and damages credibility. Your audience knows the difference between "Our revolutionary approach is transforming the industry..." and "Here's the $4M mistake that taught me about market timing." Genuine thought leadership calls for sharing insights that help others succeed. The moment you make it about your company instead of your hard-earned wisdom, you will lose your audience. For effective thought leadership, share the lesson, not the product pitch.

"I prefer to write my own LinkedIn posts" is one of the most common objections I get from founders and executives. Fair. Many founders are great writers (considering they think structurally, have valuable industry insights). But between back-to-back meetings, investor calls, and running a business, writing often gets pushed to the “I’ll do it this weekend” pile, which is right next to “Start working out” and “Calling Mom.” Some also hesitate because of: 🔺Imposter syndrome 🔺Fear of bragging 🔺 Overthinking Yet, LinkedIn isn’t just a platform but your digital reputation. Ignore it, and opportunities don’t just pass you by, but move in with your competitor. But does posting really make a difference? Ask Sarah, a SaaS founder who excelled at most investor meetings. Yet one VC, who could’ve been her biggest backer, never reached out. When they finally spoke, he admitted: "If I’d seen your insights on scaling SaaS earlier, we’d have talked." And it’s not just investors. Prospective hires, partners, and customers are making decisions based on what they see (or don’t see) from you. Thought leadership isn’t built on “when I get time” but on showing up. 🚨"But if someone else writes for me, won’t it sound inauthentic?" That’s the biggest myth about ghostwriting. A great ghostwriter doesn’t replace your voice, but refines and amplifies it. ↗ Your thoughts, your words - structured for impact. ↗ Your expertise, your stories - written in a way that resonates. ↗ Your personality, your tone - without the mental fatigue of staring at a blank page. Also, the best ghostwriting is invisible. Your audience shouldn’t think, "Wow, this was ghostwritten." They should think, "Wow, this is insightful." As opposed to popular belief, ghostwriting isn’t outsourcing but a strategic collaboration. It’s the bridge between having great ideas and making sure they reach the right audience, consistently and impactfully. Because in a crowded space, the best insights don’t sit in drafts, they shape conversations. Who’s ensuring yours do?

Easy associate advancement tip: When you and a partner discuss a strategy for a case, offer to ghost write the email proposing it to the client. In addition to the obvious helpfulness of taking something off the partner’s plate, this does a few more things: 1. It gives you practice distilling your thoughts into something easy to digest and coherent. If you’re planning motion practice, you need to be able to tell the court why you should win in a few brief sentences. If you can’t explain it simply to the client first, how are you going to do it for the court? 2. You’re going to learn the ins and outs of client communication—how formal, how much detail, how to frame your recommendations, and how to communicate important requests and deadlines. 3. The partner is going to gain confidence in your ability to communicate with her best clients and will give you more freedom to do it. “Yes, please write that for me” will become, “Go ahead and propose this to Jen.” Clients will begin seeing you as an additional trusted voice on the team and not just another name on a bill and cc’d on an email. This is essential to your professional growth, especially if you work with corporate clients you don’t have a chance to see face-to-face very often. Client communication is a skill they don’t emphasize in law school, and it takes practice. But it’s critical. You always want your clients to associate your name in their inboxes with useful information and succinct, cogent guidance. One of the most satisfying little wins in the practice of law is having a client tell you that your status update or recommendation was helpful. So practice ghost writing. It’s a value-add activity that will pay dividends in your career.

When a CEO's reputation hangs on every word, there's no room for almost right. After 19 years channeling some of the biggest voices across multiple industries, here's the ghostwriting process few ever see. 1️⃣ Listen for the unspoken: Before writing a single word, I invest hours understanding not just WHAT my clients want to say, but WHY they need to say it. I'm hunting for those distinctive phrases and thought patterns that make their voice uniquely theirs—while discerning the deeper purpose behind each communication. 2️⃣ Become a context detective: I steep myself (corporate-speak for "I moonlight as an obsessive internet sleuth") in industry reports, competitor messaging, and every previous communication. The best ghostwriting doesn't just sound like the leader—it positions them precisely within their organizational and industry landscape. 3️⃣ Embrace the iterative dance: I typically craft 2-3 completely different "voice variations" before finding that sweet spot. This exploration isn't wasted effort—it's the essential journey to balancing a leader's natural speech patterns with elevated, strategic messaging. 4️⃣ The ultimate authenticity test: I read the final draft aloud, often standing as they would during delivery. Would these words actually come from their mouth? Does it maintain their gravitas while feeling approachable and authentic? If I've done my job right, the audience will never question whose thoughts they're hearing. The mark of truly exceptional executive communications is when the writer becomes simultaneously indispensable and invisible—a voice amplifier rather than a voice replacer. Fellow communication professionals: What behind-the-scenes magic do you perform that clients never see? And to my ghostwriting colleagues lurking in the shadows—what other rituals have you developed in your process? #ExecutiveCommunications #Ghostwriting #LeadershipVoice #WritingCraft

Ghostwriting for executives is such an odd, unique experience. “You captured my voice so well!” is valuable feedback, and we love to hear it. But clarifying their highly specific subject matter expertise and turning it into punchy LinkedIn content is only a third of the battle. Three things need to happen to do LinkedIn content strategy effectively: -- 1. Take the time to understand the person on all levels, before writing. Their nuances, quirks, deeply held beliefs. This is necessary for continuity between their voice on social media, and in reality. There's no substitute for putting in the work to figure out how a person views the world, and writing from that perspective. One misconception about ghostwriting is that it’s inauthentic, but good ghostwriters aren’t putting words in your mouth. -- 2. Build the strategic narrative of the company and its value proposition, in depth. To do this, I prefer using the Challenger Sale process of: Credibility, Reframe, Rational Drowning, Emotional Impact, New Way, Your Solution. Personal branding content that lacks this is "fine", but it's not going to be nearly as impactful. You'll get far more Attention than you will Leads (although you'll get some leads, of course). -- 3. Integrate the person's own perspective and story seamlessly within the context of the strategic narrative. THIS is the part that most content strategists simply can't do. They can tell personal stories, or they can write sales posts, but they can't write thought leadership that weaves together a CEO's unique background, cleanly alongside elements of the broader narrative. It's a difficult, massively rewarding process. Ghostwriters are not necessarily telling your story better than you "could" per se; but if you’re already a great writer, they’re able to take your voice and easily create authentic content within that. (And if you’re not yet, their work will help you DEVELOP that voice) In other words, to create truly impactful content for your profile, we'll need to understand both your subject matter expertise *and* emotional composition. And package that together into a narrative that moves the market to want to work with you. It's the combination of what your team needs to hear, what’s going to generate leads, and what will inspire investors and partners to reach out. While staying on-brand. Threading the needle of what gets likes, and what earns leads that are actually interested. In 2023, the SaaS world started to take LinkedIn more seriously as significant pipeline was built organically, with minimal to no paid spend: purely on the basis of the CxOs’ social profiles. I have no doubt this trend will continue. And I'm glad for it. -- P.S. We have room for a few more Founders & SaaS execs who need a LinkedIn partner; get in touch with us if this is part of your 2024 plan.

The most important reason to hire a ghostwriter is not: - Biz dev - Brand building - Social credibility It’s reducing cognitive load. If you’re a tech/B2B decision maker, you’re juggling dozens of tasks/ideas in your working memory. Each one occupies more bandwidth. The greater the load, the less effective you become. And the more miserable you are. Proof: - APA survey: 77% of executives feel burned out - UICI study: high cognitive load = decision-making errors - McKinsey study: execs spend an average of 28% of their time on low-value tasks Therefore: - Strategizing - Ideating stories - Researching and writing - Posting and responding to comments - Flagging leads/opportunities - Interpreting reporting - Iterating And all that good stuff that builds: - Credibility - A lead machine - Top-of-mind awareness Is not only killing your productivity… It’s harming your mental health. An elite ghostwriting agency will take that off your plate. The engagement will pay for itself multiple times over in new business. But the biggest ROI? One less thing to think about.

After ghostwriting for 30+ executives over the last three years, here’s what I’ve learned: The best thought leadership isn't forced or created out of thin air — it's already showing up in your day-to-day work. The key is capturing it. Instead of forcing insights: → Keep an "idea capture" notepad handy → Document what's actually happening "in the room" and on the ground → "In the room" means sales calls, client catchups, team meetings → Share real tactics + get in the weeds → Talk about what you're focused on this quarter → Discuss industry trends when it's authentic — don’t manufacture hot takes → Never sacrifice your linguistic footprint — your unique idioms, word choices, and lines of thought. This is what got you where you are and what people respond to. → Be transparent about your journey True thought leadership is authentic expertise made visible. The key is capturing it.

What is ghostwriting? 👻 Sometimes when people think about ghostwriting they imagine handing someone a few sentences or even a few words and letting them “run with it.” The writer (who’s not an expert on the topic) does their best to Google around and come up with an article, which is really just a re-mix of whatever has already been written and posted online. Note that this is not measurably different from what you would get if you put a few sentences into an AI. Then the client publishes the article under their name. But this? This is not ghostwriting. This is a great way to get some words on a page without too much trouble (for the client). But is there any value to putting this kind of content out there? It’s not differentiated. It’s not expert content. It isn’t in the client’s voice. It likely doesn’t have a POV. It’s not something the client is proud of. It’s won’t build your thought leadership platform. So what’s the point? Here’s what makes true ghostwriting awesome: 🔥 It’s collaborative. I work closely with my clients to ensure everything I write has a POV, speaks to the specific needs of the audience, and builds thought leadership. My client provides the subject matter expertise and I bring the writing expertise and discipline. 🔥 It’s not cheating. Because my clients provide the ideas and I serve as a filter taking on the reader’s POV, there’s no danger that your readers will guess that you used a ghostwriter. I can even comb through articles and presentations you have created to look for content to repurpose. When you speak, your voice and personality come through. Likewise, when I do my job, the writing we create together will have your voice and personality. The result? A well-written piece that has been put through its paces and resonates with your audience. 🔥 I use techniques to write in your voice (and not mine). Sometimes people ask me how I do what I do. I can’t reveal all of my secrets. 😉 But I do have a process and have developed a series of techniques that ensure that what I write sounds like you. I listen for little jokes you tell and quirks that make your voice unique. I ask for feedback from my clients, like “I would never say it that way.” I internalize your voice so that I can pull it out of my toolbox. In the best cases, it’s a beautiful mind meld. I even hear your voice in my head as I work on your stuff. It’s a lot like method acting. #ghostwriting #ownyourexpertise #thoughtleadership