My first 14 days at Blazel was unlike any other job I had ever started. There were two key lessons I’ll always carry with me.
The first is, there are certain big life events that people love to engage with. Things like engagements, marriages, new jobs, fundraises, IPOs, etc. People go bananas for this content.
Use these big moments to build momentum for your story. It doesn’t need to stop with a single post.
My first day at Blazel I posted on LinkedIn announcing my new job.
It generated 487 likes and 135 comments.
The next day I posted that I was hiring.
That post turned into my most viral post which generated 887 job applications, 184 reposts, and 1,746 engagements with a single post.
At the time I had 3K followers.
Once I saw my metrics jump, it was like riding a bucking bronco. How long can I stay on this ride before I’m kicked off and engagement drops again?
Instead of thinking about LinkedIn as one-off posts I used that momentum to tell a story.
I launched Blazel out of stealth ten days after joining largely because I didn’t want to miss the ‘wave’ I had generated.
The second unintended side effect of that series of viral posts was even more meaningful and it had to do with trust.
There’s a book I like to revisit before any new job, it’s called the “Speed to Trust” by Stephen M. R. Covey.
The core premise is simple:
Trust is a lever. Pull it, and everything speeds up.
When trust is low, you pay a tax on every interaction. You’re fighting red tape, pointless meetings, and endless layers of approval.
When trust is high, the opposite is true. Decisions happen at break neck speed, there’s greater innovation, and better collaboration.
But how do you build trust with your colleagues?
One is a function of character, do you have integrity? This means there’s an alignment between your values and your actions.
The other is a function of competence. What skills, knowledge and tools do you bring to the table and can you drive results?
Through my series of heartfelt authentic posts and a scrappy successful launch I had earned the respect and confidence of my colleagues. There’s nothing more powerful than having buy-in, especially from your new boss.
TLDR;
People think of LinkedIn as a place for singular posts, but if you can leverage a milestone to build real momentum, keep it going through story telling. Don’t be afraid to create in the moment to stay on the viral wave.
At any new job, trust will help you accelerate. Your colleagues need to believe that your values and actions align and that you're competent and can drive results.