Professionals rethink visibility, influence, and business structure by embracing authentic leadership, executive branding, and digital transformation powered by artificial intelligence.

Scaling your consulting business, building a thought leadership brand, or navigating economic shifts with an eye on the circular economy? Read actionable takeaways from trusted voices across the globe.

Top Voices Tuesday: From Personal Brand to Business Brand

Building a personal brand can be empowering—until it becomes limiting. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a service-based consultant, transitioning to a business brand is more than just scaling—it’s about deepening your mission, evolving your leadership, and creating lasting impact without burnout.

LinkedIn Top Voice and certified copywriter turned brand strategist Marissa Shadrick joined Michael J. Lopez for an insightful livestream last June 17, 2025 on transitioning from “me” to “we.” from the latest episode of Top Voices Tuesday. The conversation illuminated the next phase of executive branding—aligning values, vision, and systems to drive growth in a sustainable way that resonates with modern audiences.

Insight-Packed Takeaways

1. Consistency Builds Trust

Marissa gained leads within three months by posting daily on LinkedIn.

"It all really started with communication and wanting to support, inspire, help other people."

📊 64% of solopreneurs see better engagement by focusing on one platform (HubSpot, 2025).

2. Scale with Values Intact

Before scaling, ask: Can I stay connected, stay aligned, and still transform?

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that organizations with strong value alignment experience improved long-term profitability and greater creativity and problem-solving.

3. Culture Scales

Leading 35K members taught Marissa that culture isn’t soft—it’s strategic.

4. AI Supports, Not Replaces

Marissa uses artificial intelligence for articulation—not to replace her voice. She prompts AI to express her ideas more effectively, not to generate content for her.

“Success is really achieved every single day in how you treat people, how you show up, the choices that you make.”

In a Microsoft Copilot early-use study, 64% of users said AI helps them spend less time on emails, and 75% reported AI saves time by quickly finding needed files—highlighting AI's role in boosting efficiency, refining and enhancing the precision of message drafts while keeping ideas intact.

From Brand to Business: The Real Shift

Transitioning beyond a personal brand means more than updating your logo. It’s about setting up structures and adopting a leadership model that supports scale, sustainability, and soul. This is especially relevant in today’s innovation economy, where circular economy principles demand regenerative systems and mission-first strategies.

Marissa’s pain points:

• Building culture into every process: onboarding, hiring, even your calendar
• Leveraging multilingual AI technology for inclusivity and market expansion
• Creating branded tools—like AI-powered content generators or online courses—that empower your audience to succeed
• Investing in authentic leadership development through coaching, training, and structured feedback

Michael wrote the book, Change, transforming behavior through neuroscience with six science-backed strategies that unlock your brain's natural ability. He shares how to:

• Rewire habits with six neuroscience-backed strategies for sustainable behavior
• Design your environment to reduce friction and support consistent action
• Replace willpower with systems—emphasizing repetition, feedback, and momentum
• Shift identity before goals—change how you see yourself to change what you do

Listening to both of these Voices, Nikki Estes comments:

"As Marissa focuses on building culture that empowers people from the outside-in, leveraging systems, communication, and leadership, Michael starts with the brain, changing patterns from the inside-out—so behavior becomes sustainable, not just aspirational. Integrating both approaches will help our Linkies gain a competitive edge.”

Explore More

Watch the full episode on 

• Michael J. Lopez YouTube Channel
• LinkedIn Event: The Brand Dilemma: How to Transition from Being the Brand to Leading the Brand
• Subscribe to the Focus Friday Newsletter
• Join Marissa’s AI-driven community with a 14-day free trial: MarissaShadrick.com/TopVoiceTuesday

Let’s Talk

What’s your next move—refining your message or formalizing your business structure? What’s holding you back?

👇 Comment below or tag someone who’s scaling with purpose.

Blue TV: How Data Shapes High-Impact Content That Connects on LinkedIn

In today’s content-saturated digital ecosystem, data isn’t just a tool—it’s a core component of effective leadership. When used with intention, it transforms your LinkedIn presence from easily overlooked to strategically unforgettable. Thoughtful content, powered by analytics and artificial intelligence, becomes the cornerstone of meaningful engagement and executive visibility.

In this week’s episode of Blue TV, LinkedIn Top Voice and Sellovatorz Inc. Founder Denise Murtha Bachmann hosted Ravit Jain, renowned data storytelling strategist and host of The Ravit Show. Together, they explored how authentic leadership combined with data-backed decisions creates content that converts.

“If you’re not tracking what’s working, you’re guessing—and in this market, guessing costs growth.” — Denise Murtha Bachmann

“If you’re not tracking what’s working, you’re guessing—and in this market, guessing costs growth.” — Denise Murtha Bachmann

What we can learn in this Blue TV Event episode:

Key Insights for LinkedIn Creators, Marketers & Brands

Whether you’re a B2B marketer, startup founder, or solo executive, learn to read your LinkedIn analytics and gain a leadership edge. According to Ravit, data-driven storytelling helps you discover what resonates, what repels, and how to refine your executive branding strategy.

3 Signals You Should Be Watching:

1. Engagement-to-Reach Ratio
   Are the right people interacting with your post? Or are you chasing impressions with no depth?
2. Content Format Performance
   Which posts consistently convert views into comments or shares? Use that format more.
3. Audience Demographics
   Who is engaging—and does it align with your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)?

“Data tells you the difference between attention and impact.” — Denise Murtha Bachmann

“Go look at your data. Then determine how you're going to leverage it to influence how you generate your content.”- Denise Murtha Bachmann

Balance structure with soul. Your content should feel automated by AI, but powered by you.

When used intentionally, AI enhances efficiency, but it's your authentic voice that creates connection. The most impactful content blends data-driven structure with human emotion, because people engage with what feels both smart and real.

Pro Tip: Maximize Dwell Time
Hootsuite (2025) notes the platform is "placing more weight on dwell time, meaning posts that keep users engaged for longer will see better distribution"

Watching the session, Nikki Estes can vouch that the metrics for impressions is not indicative of your funnel success:

“Anyone can stop by to see you’re writing posts and publishing videos, but WHO stops and actually reads or watches the content—then ENGAGES? That’s who and what you focus on when building business, community, and your overall LinkedIn strategy.”

What You Can Do Now

• Watch the Replay – How Data Shapes High-Impact Content on LinkedIn
• Follow Denise Murtha Bachmann & Ravit Jain for expert insights on data, AI, and content performance
• Run Your Own Content Audit – Review your last 10 posts. Identify which had the best reach, saves, comments—and why.

Community Prompt

What recent post of yours gained unexpected traction? Was it your format, hook, or data insight?

Drop a comment and let’s build a collaborative library of content patterns that perform.

Voices of the Week: What Smart Leaders Are Doing Differently in Q2

Is Your Strategy Stuck in Q1 Thinking?

This quarter, global finance, digital health, and executive branding are evolving rapidly. If you’re still reacting instead of leading, you’re already behind. The smartest professionals are pivoting with clarity and foresight—hallmarks of modern leadership.

In this special Voices of the Week episode from Live with Top Voices Unite, host Nikki Estes gathered real-time insights from standout thought leaders.

What’s Really Moving the Market?

From shifting monetary policy to artificial intelligence volatility, Tarun Kishnani spotlighted a major trend:

“Gold has now overtaken the euro as the second most held reserve currency in the world.”

Why it matters: Trust is shifting—liquidity, not legacy, is the new signal.

Stat to Know: Central banks bought 1,136 tonnes of gold in 2022, signaling declining faith in traditional currencies.

Inflation has plateaued, rate cuts paused, and AI stocks dipped—while Bitcoin quietly surged. For today’s leaders, the message is clear: embrace transparency and strategic agility.

Why Clarity Beats Complexity

In tech, health, and hiring, one theme echoed: clarity drives momentum. As Nikki Estes noted:

“We started 2023 expecting four interest rate cuts. We’ve landed at zero. That tells you where real resilience is coming from.”

From Prescient AI’s precise ad tools to Dr. Castro’s health tech innovations, success isn’t about speed—it’s about sense-making.

“Clarity fuels momentum more than caffeine ever could.” — Jenny Fernandez

Jenny’s coaching work shows a shift toward value-driven leadership, aligned with the sustainable logic of the circular economy.

Action Steps for the Quarter Ahead

Here’s your take-action checklist, based on what smart leaders are doing right now:

• Map your money: Align financial messaging with shifting trust signals
• Post your POV: Share insights that reflect your authentic leadership—not just opinions
• Upgrade your lens: Follow voices building context, not just content

Speakers to Follow for Leadership Insight

• Tarun Kishnani – Macro finance & tokenization

• Jennifer Fernandez – People-first leadership & team clarity

• Dr. Harvey Castro – Visual AI and future-of-care innovation

• Danilo Tauro – Attribution & brand spend analysis

• Bartolome Ferreira – Workplace alignment & adaptive growth strategies

Catch the Replay + Subscribe for More

• Watch the Full Episode: Revisit the entire “Voices of the Week” discussion with Nikki and featured Top Voices on LinkedIn
• Stay in the Loop: Subscribe to the Scaling My Impact newsletter hosted by Nikki Estes for weekly livestream recaps, expert interviews, and tactical insights on executive branding and thought leadership

Connect with Nikki Estes and explore her growing communities:

• Market Me More – Company Website
• Top Voices Unite – Top Voices Community
• Emerging Voices Unite – Emerging Voices Community

Let’s Talk

Which Q2 insight hit home for you—and what’s one leadership pivot you're making because of it?