Produced By - Your Story Is the Strategy: Why Real People Stand Out Online | 158: Riin Reinola

Starting point is 00:00:00 100% build relationships and build your network because we are on a social network for a reason. So use that opportunity. That was my biggest mistake when I started. I used to publish my post, hit refresh and wait for people to show up. It didn't happen until I learned the power of commenting. Every opportunity that I have got has come through comments. People who are in my community, my first clients, why I'm here today. like our friendship also started through the comments section.

Starting point is 00:00:32 So it's like a classic LinkedIn story. And another thing that I would say is that make sure that you provide value with your content, share, don't sell, because in my experience, focusing on trust, not virality, has helped me secure all the opportunities that I've got so far. So it's about building these genuine relationships and also making sure that my content is useful and valuable for the audience that I wanted to reach. Before we dive into today's episode, please hit that subscribe button. Your support helps us grow and inspire more people on their journeys.

Starting point is 00:01:07 Thank you. Hello, Rhin. Thank you for joining us today and welcome to the show. Thanks for inviting me, Thomas. I'm really excited to be on the podcast. Thank you. And Rine, for those who know you, can you please introduce yourself? Yes, of course.

Starting point is 00:01:25 I'm Rine. I come from the tech world. world. I used to do tech marketing and branding for 15 years for all kinds of cool fintech, insured tech, e-identity brands. But I had one problem. I was great expert behind the scenes, but I had zero visibility myself. So at one point in my career, I was just in a situation where I had to decide whether I will keep being that silent expert or finally show up for myself. So I I took the challenge, Beto myself, and here I am for the first year building my own personal brand. As we discussed before the recording, I was going to say that it's impressive that you've been showing up just for one year,

Starting point is 00:02:12 considering your quality content, your online presence and everything. So we'll discuss it in more detail, but can you then elaborate on when or what was that point that made you to finally start showing up? Yes, that's a good question. It happened so that I lost a big client overnight. Life happens. And it was a huge lesson for me because, as I said, I had zero visibility until then for my own brand. And I didn't have a strong network.

Starting point is 00:02:43 So for me, it was a choice whether to go back to the corporate side and basically keep hiding or bet on myself and take the challenge. stop letting that fear keep me safe and just go all in and see what happens because it's been one big one big lesson and the journey that just keeps surprising me every day. And as you say that you haven't been building your brand before or you were in the background, was it because you didn't see the necessity to start it or you didn't even think about it or what was the reason why you didn't start earlier? I guess I was just swamped in work. Well, if I peel a few layers back, then like the culture or the family that I come from,

Starting point is 00:03:32 we were always hard workers. So that, you know, kind of that Soviet era background that my parents have, that kind of went on with me. So we didn't really have a time to dream because everyone was busy working. And at one point, like I mentioned, I was on a crossroads where I just had to think, what do I even want from this life? Because for me, a lot of my identity was tied to my work, to the person I was. So losing that part of me, it was like losing my professional side. And it made me question, who am I without this? So I decided to give things a chance. And I just took everything that I've done during these 15 years and put together a framework that was missing for me

Starting point is 00:04:20 and that I now use with people who are also done hiding and are finally ready to show up as themselves. And how did you then find it when you started? I can imagine or were excited, scared, mix of both. Yes, it was a little bit of everything because the start was messy. But you know, you just have to start. There was a lot of overthinking, trying to be,

Starting point is 00:04:50 perfect because I think a lot of people are still overthinking this a lot. And yeah, I just decided to give things a chance and I learned as I go. Because even if you have a great framework and everything works on paper, like still the confidence and the knowledge that comes through repetition. So it was just putting in the reps and getting comfortable with it. So yeah. That's after all, I think the best way, just go for it, don't overthink. I know it's easy to say don't overthink.

Starting point is 00:05:21 I still, let's be honest, sometimes do it. But if you keep polishing, try to make it perfect, you may also not start ever at all. And someone who just does that first step, improves overtime lens from the mistakes, just gets ahead of you. I think it's always worth reminding this. Yeah, I absolutely agree

Starting point is 00:05:40 because perfection only holds us back and kills any momentum because you advance only through repetition, you find your voice, you find your style, you get more confident, you might find more opportunities. So my advice is just go for it even if you're not ready. Same here, I agree. And when you then started, did you develop like some kind of strategies, such as when you're going to post, how frequently what you're going to post about?

Starting point is 00:06:09 Or did you, where you like more open with testing kind of everything and seeing what works? How did you approach those first steps? The first steps, well, I have never been posting daily, so let's start with that. I think I started with like two or three times a week just to get the habit and get things off the ground. So I didn't want to overwhelm myself. And yeah, I still don't post daily. My mission is to stick to three to four post a week and bet a lot on comments because that's the real power of LinkedIn, how you create relationships, how you find new people, how you build your community. So I have always been going strong on that. Sorry to stop you, but I would emphasize this. I think that's very important.

Starting point is 00:06:57 Something people neglect. Firstly, you don't have to post every day because consistency is three times a week, two times a week, as long as you keep going. And the power of comments, comments like a person, not like, you know, like a bot that doesn't say anything. But sorry for interruption, but I think it was a great point that I just wanted to highlight. Yeah, thanks. I completely agree. If I could even choose between posting or commenting, I would start with commenting and just observing what's going on and then like going in one comment at a time because I just, last week I had a conversation with with someone who's starting out and they asked for some advice and, you know, the usual. The posting is so scary. I don't even know what to say. So I suggested them to also start by commenting. And,

Starting point is 00:07:45 you can get great visibility from comments. I have some great examples myself getting like 20,000. Yeah, yeah, a lot of impressions on comments. And I'm quite a small creator myself. So my posts don't reach that big of an audience. So you can place yourself in front of the right networks because you choose where you show up. So it's definitely an underrated opportunity in my eyes. I think so.

Starting point is 00:08:12 I remember it's not that long ago when you could. don't see impressions on the comments, but I think it was actually smart, like, initiative or motivation maybe from LinkedIn to make people focus more on the comments, because now you can see actually how many people it can reach if you comment and it resonates with people. So don't underestimate it. It was a great point. Yes, I agree with that. Although I'm definitely not a person who's chasing only views or impressions or virality,

Starting point is 00:08:40 but, you know, these days everyone is complaining that my reach is so low. the algorithm hate me. So my number one advice is go and comment more and you'll get it back. And Erin, speaking of this, one of my kind of usual questions, and I can imagine that people ask you this as well, besides this,

Starting point is 00:09:01 what would be like your piece of advice or recommendation for growth on LinkedIn? We don't have to say like a go viral. I don't really like to say that. But if someone says, Oren, how to build my brand, grow the following, et cetera, what would be your advice?

Starting point is 00:09:16 For growth, I would still say 100% build relationships and build your network because we are on a social network for a reason. So use that opportunity. That was my biggest mistake when I started. I used to publish my post, hit refresh and wait for people to show up. It didn't happen until I learned the power of commenting. and it has been every opportunity that I have got

Starting point is 00:09:47 has come through comments people who are in my community my first clients why I'm here today our friendship also started through the comment section so it's like a classic LinkedIn story I think

Starting point is 00:10:01 that's the power and potential of the platform that people literally from all around the world all kinds of backgrounds I don't know whatever it's completely different but you can connect with anyone so people take advantage of it.

Starting point is 00:10:15 There is a platform like that you can connect and build your network. Yeah, I completely agree. And another thing that I would say is that make sure that you provide value with your content, share, don't sell, because you should focus, well, in my experience, focusing on trust, not virality, has helped me secure all the opportunities that I've got so far. So it's about building these genuine relationships and also making sure that my content is useful and valuable for the audience that I wanted to reach. So to me, a good post teaches you something new, gives a lesson and also actionable advice on how to apply it. Because when people get the advice, they use it on their own and they see results.

Starting point is 00:11:05 then they actually feel that it works and they come back because it builds trust because they see results and they want more of it. So it's kind of this loop. I like it and I agree. I was going to highlight or mention that if people like it, it's likely they are going to come again. And let's be honest, there is so much of content out there, even new people coming out, you know, AI content because it's faster, it's easier and more competition. So stand out. with something and if people enjoy it they will come back so it comes down to what we discussed before keep it quality over quantity and get it out there and I'm sure it will work out. Absolutely and what you mentioned already about standing out like one thing is to create good

Starting point is 00:11:54 content but like the biggest growth lever in terms of that for me has been trusting my own story. Like we are all building personal brands and that's what food the personal into the personal brand. So when I first joined, I saw a lot of people posting like this corporate content or only educational frameworks. I saw that they're not fully being themselves. And I didn't want to follow that path because your work is just a part of you. It's what you do, but it's not who you are. So there's definitely one more side to the coin. so using your own story to position yourself is your biggest edge because we all have different lives and the more interesting yours is the more your brand will also send out but only if you

Starting point is 00:12:45 trust your story. That is a great point. I agree. And when you share this, don't forget that there are people that might have similar experience or same experience. So it's very likely there is going to be someone who is going to relate with that, which again helps to be build those relationships. And as you mentioned this, I wanted to say that I can see it from your content as well, when you share like your journey, year by year, what you experience, what happens you, et cetera. And one of the things that I like, not only that you share more from your life so that the audience actually discuss more about you, but also that you are not afraid to share, for example, this year and that year, that's when I got laid off, that's when this worked out

Starting point is 00:13:29 or this didn't work out. So it's not just sharing like those wins, those successes and the highlights, but it's actually being real and honest because a lot of people just share highs, but it's never just that positive side of things, but the reality is often very much different. So just wanting to say that I like it and just being real and authentic. I know that authenticity is the word that gets used a lot on LinkedIn, but the question is who is actually authentic.

Starting point is 00:13:59 Just wanting to say that I like your content and the way you do it. I really appreciate that you say this because my mission here is to show up without performing. And I hope to inspire more people do that. Because like you mentioned, that no one's life is a highlight reel. We all know that. We all have our failures and mistakes and screw-ups. but a lot of people, they're not either ready to share it or they don't feel comfortable, they're afraid of judgment.

Starting point is 00:14:34 But at the end of the day, like, our flaws are what make us unique. Like, it's not only about perfection, but also the imperfect part of us. Because, like, we are all just messy human beings. And, you know, when you have the courage to share both sides of you, that's what makes a brand more authentic. in my eyes, not just the winds, but also the vulnerable side, because that's what people can relate to. We all have those moments, even if we don't talk about them. Agreed. And never forget that people usually share only what they want you to see, so that you see someone winning, flexing, showing wins and highlights.

Starting point is 00:15:18 It's because they want you to see that, but you never see the whole picture or the background, or rarely you do. And then it leads to. to these unhealthy comparisons. So yes, I know not to compare, but everyone sometimes does, but it helps to remind that you never see the whole picture. So that's something that I try to remind myself regularly as well. Yes, I completely agree.

Starting point is 00:15:40 I think we shouldn't definitely set aside the wins or the proof because that's a strong authority argument. And I definitely encourage people to use it, but not to neglect their vulnerable side, Because our story has power. For example, like the story that I just shared, how I got here, I personally, I know that a lot of people can resonate with it. They've had the same experience.

Starting point is 00:16:07 They worked maybe 15, 20 or 25 years in the corporate world. They have been the invisible expert. They've done a brilliant job. But at one point, they're just on the crossroads like I was, and they don't know what to do. So that's also why our story can, act as the best positioning for our brand because we have lived it and we can help people who are going exactly through the same very true and i think also people often look for ways how to stand

Starting point is 00:16:38 out or maybe be unique and that's what i forget that your experience your journey and your background is what actually makes unique because no one has the same experience as you do so find it, use it. Even when people say that they don't have anything interesting to share, trust me that everyone has something. And if you cannot find it, that's actually why there are people like

Starting point is 00:17:02 urine or someone else that can actually help you to find it. So think about it and don't be afraid to reach out to people if you need someone's hope. Yes, I agree. 1,000% because our brand and the content we share, it should be something that we enjoy doing. So that's been something that I

Starting point is 00:17:20 I repeat constantly that people shouldn't forget to talk about their interests to bring their passions into their content because that is a huge part of how we relate to others and that makes us unique. Like you might, I don't know, you might love motorcycles or you might love creativity or music or art or like, don't hide that. That's a huge part of you. That's what a personal brand should be. like both the wins, the highlight reels, the failures, who you are behind the scenes, your hobbies, your passions,

Starting point is 00:17:53 like the full package. I agree. And I think it also brings it like some kind of humanity to LinkedIn because, yes, I know it's important to share like a content, I don't know, on personal branding or whatever is your focus. But sometimes it's also nice to see a bit of variety. So when someone shares something from their life, whether it's interested, hobbies or maybe just side of things,

Starting point is 00:18:16 that you didn't know, it also brings it differentiation. That just makes it slend out and makes it more interesting, in my opinion. Yes, completely. And again, it's part of your story. And when you trust it, when you trust your passions and interests, when you're comfortable showing them, it's a brilliant way to find your audience. Because if you use your story, the correct way, it should lead you to the right audience, to the person you can help. So the more you trust yourself, the more it also fuels your content and fuels your results. And LinkedIn algorithm is so smart these days, it knows exactly where to push your content. So the more you're actually kind of ready to open up and bring yourself into it,

Starting point is 00:18:59 the better your chances are to find the right people as well. Agreed. A quick note before we get back to the conversation. If you enjoy Produced Buy, I've recently started something new called Unproduced. While Produced By is about conversations with founders, creators and people building interesting things, unproduced is a little different. It's a solo podcast where I share my own thoughts, lessons, observations and ideas before they're fully formed. The first episode is already live. And if that sounds interesting, you'll find a link in the description.

Starting point is 00:19:38 Now back to the episode. questioner in. I think you partly answered it before, but something that I'm sure many people want to know and probably even struggle with is how to find your first clients. I know we discussed that if I'm not mistaken, that for example commented helps you, but what will be your advice how to find the first clients or for someone who's struggling to find clients? I would just say that pay attention and focus on building relationships, not selling, cold selling. Don't sell in the first message. No, no, you shouldn't.

Starting point is 00:20:16 Although I get these DMs every day. You know, I think it's a combination. It's not only DMs, not only your posts, not only comments, but it's the whole package. Everything should work together. Like your content creates trust. Comments are how you get visibility in front of the right audiences. DMs are how you follow up.

Starting point is 00:20:37 So it's kind of this magic combination. and just zero gatekeeping, giving away all you know, and providing useful content because that's what creates trust. Well, it has worked for me. And I would say that biggest mindset shift that helped me was just stop chasing your clients. Because when you chase, people run and when you stop chasing, you will start attracting either clients or other opportunities. maybe you'll be invited to a podcast. Who knows? Just be there and be curious.

Starting point is 00:21:15 And don't try to sell on every step. Just build relationships because you never know where your next opportunity might come from. Maybe you'll find a friend. You don't consider them as your client, but they need help with something that you can provide and you'll get your next client from there. So it's just about building a strong network. And, you know, as corny as it sounds,

Starting point is 00:21:36 your network is your net worth. And LinkedIn has proved that. I agree. Those are great points, even not to chase things. I know it might be, you know, like sometimes easy to say that because if someone is maybe under pressure, but really trust the process, be patient and between the hard and quality work keep showing up because, again, there's the reality. It doesn't just happen overnight, but keep doing that and I'm sure it will work out.

Starting point is 00:22:02 And the point with network, that's just so true. I agree. Those are really great points. Yes, and one thing that LinkedIn has taught me is patience. Patience can be painful, but you have to be patient. You have to be consistent and patient because, you know, you won't land your first client in your first month, or if you will, good for you. It took me a couple of months, and, you know, it's different for everyone. But you just, even if you don't see the results yet,

Starting point is 00:22:34 and some days you feel like, is it even worth it? And you're close to giving up because we all have been through that. Every creator has been through that. We all know the feeling when you want something so bad, but it's just not happening. You still have to keep going and be patient, even if you don't see the results tomorrow. Because the thing is that a lot of people are just lurking on LinkedIn. So your next client might be watching you right now. You don't even know it, but give it a month or two and maybe things will be completely different for you.

Starting point is 00:23:10 Agreed. Even if people don't comment, people don't engage, you never know if someone might be just watching, waiting for the perfect moment, or someone might just recommend you. So it comes down back to trust the process, build network relationships and it will work out. So great points. I want to run in ask you what clients you actually focus on, which brings. me to what we haven't discussed yet. It's actually your company that you started with your sister proudly. So before we discuss it in more detail, can you actually introduce us the company and just tell us a bit more about it? Yeah, thank you for asking. It's a company that I started with my

Starting point is 00:23:51 sister, something unexpected as well, because we never had a plan to start a business together. But another breaking point in my life led to that. So, well, let's say another failure led to starting my business. I got laid off from my dream job in the corporate world. And I thought that the best way to move on is to start my own business.

Starting point is 00:24:17 And so I did. And I teamed up with my sister. So I was doing the marketing, content branding site. And she is an expert in tech recruitment. So we joined forces and served mostly tech clients. tech founders and tech brands.

Starting point is 00:24:36 Actually, I assume that I know the answer, but do you focus on clients globally or local from our country? I assume that it's global or not? Yes, globally. I don't think that country should limit your ambition because these days, like I come from a very small country from Estonia. We have 1.3 million people here, but I haven't worked with one single client who wants,

Starting point is 00:25:03 content only in our native language. So everyone's still a one. Yeah, it's weird. Like English is the go-to language for everyone because no one wants to limit themselves with a market, with small market. Yes, it doesn't matter which country you're from as long as we can speak the same language. Yeah. And if I'm not mistaken, Estonian language is super different from any other languages, isn't it? Yes, yes. It's very different. And I've heard quite a few times that people who haven't heard it say that it's like a magical fairy language. So it's very different, yes. So can you say again, what are like the target clients that you focus on? Not necessarily. We discussed that it's like from anywhere, but you've said it's fintag or what's the focus? Yes. On the recruitment side, on my sister's

Starting point is 00:26:00 side. She is focused on tech companies. And, well, as I told my story that I come from the tech space, I also help tech founders, but not only because through my own transition, that brought me to LinkedIn, I'm not limiting myself with a niche because starting a personal brand is different than running a business. You trust more of yourself and see who your own story connects with. So I got to be honest, I have ditched the niche. I don't believe you need it so much when you start, but you trust your story and use it to connect with the right person who has similar experiences, like similar journey, similar mindset. For example, like for me, the expert who was hiding and who's done with that, who wants to finally show up. So it doesn't really matter if they are from tech sector or from somewhere else. I look at it more on like a personality and emotional level and connect that way.

Starting point is 00:27:09 I was actually about to ask you, what's your take on whether to niche or not niche? Because I think it's one of the things that gets discussed a lot on LinkedIn. And I feel like that, of course it differs. But maybe people say more to niche. But it doesn't mean it's the right way because for everyone works something. And I like what you mentioned, that in my eyes, or for me, it's also people that I just enjoy working with. Because if it's someone you get a good relationship with, you enjoy working with, it's for me, it's the most valuable thing because, you know, you need to have fun. We need to enjoy it.

Starting point is 00:27:42 Of course, it's work. But if it's from a different page, but I like the person, I like to work together for me. It's one of the most important things too. So I like the point that you shared. Yes. And I think a lot changes when you look from the angle of a personal brand or a corporate brand because especially if you look at like creative people for them it's kind of hard to put themselves in a box or put themselves in a niche. So to me like the right way to do this is to trust your own identity to guide your brand, not the market. So a personal brand should come from within, not from outside. So that you try to fit yourself into a box in the market. It can change over time when you develop,

Starting point is 00:28:34 but when starting out and where I currently am, I definitely would not suggest to niche down. And I know a lot of people disagree with that, but it's different for everyone and do whatever works for you. My take is just trusting my story and my identity to lead my brand, not try to find the specific market gap. Yeah, I like it and I like that you say this because sometimes I think that people might follow some advice just because someone said it or because it's popular. But again, the best way how to find out is for you to test it, see if it works for you. If it doesn't try something else.

Starting point is 00:29:14 If it works, you may discover the best way. So always try to remind myself for advice as well. Yes, listen to advice, test it. but at the same time, you never know if it's going to work for you. So that was a great piece of advice. Yes, I completely agree. You have to be ready to test with different things and embrace the uncertainty. Because, for example, just looking at my own journey, in a few months, it's going to be a year for me.

Starting point is 00:29:43 And I never expected to be where I am today. And looking at where I am today, I'm sure I'm not going to be there in two or three years. So it's just testing and seeing what works, being open to new approaches. And, you know, for example, with all these LinkedIn tips, like anyone can say that, do this, do that. Or do like a third thing, but like it doesn't work the same for everyone. You can't copy someone else's playbook. You just, you have to invent your own. And it takes time and a lot of repetition.

Starting point is 00:30:15 But once you build it, it's yours and it starts working brilliantly. also don't forget that everyone on LinkedIn has different goals one person might be trying to get clients the other person maybe actually get followers the next person may be just to have fun and you don't know what that person who's sharing some kind of tip or advice yes it might be working for him or her but you don't know if it's the same scenario as for you so again you don't really see the whole picture and you need to see what works for you absolutely because every piece of of content that you publish should lead back to your goals. That's why having a clear brand and content strategy as the foundation is a must for me. You know, it's okay to start messy and figure things out,

Starting point is 00:31:03 but the sooner you'll get to this, the sooner you'll also start seeing results because, you know, it's nice to have fun and maybe some people just want to have fun. It's okay too. But if you want to build a business, I believe that every piece of content you publish should be intentional and, eventually fuel your goals. I agree. How do you run that approach, like the collaboration or content creation with your client? I assume you develop content strategy, profile, but can you maybe describe it a bit more, how you approach it, how you do it, maybe what makes you different from other people, how you do it?

Starting point is 00:31:40 Yes. Mostly how I work with clients is that I help them with positioning and content strategy. So as I mentioned in the beginning, I put together like a framework that was missing for me to build the core of my own brand. So I use these four core elements in that story, who you are, clarity on your insight, which is how you see things differently than everyone else in your industry, the connection with your audience you want to impact. And finally, how you show up with your messaging and content. So these four core blocks. And based on that, we work on content strategy, which is setting goals, aligning these goals with the target audience that your content needs to reach to achieve your goals. And also the signals you need to send to these people, whether you need to get attention,

Starting point is 00:32:36 whether it's necessary to create connection or build trust. So we balance this out. So that's the strategic part. And of course, find, I think the most important thing is to find a sustainable rhythm that suits you. It might be one or two times a week of posting, but whatever you can keep up with. So no one can force you to go in on daily posting or posting five times a week. Just do whatever you can keep up with. It has to be sustainable. So that's the most important part.

Starting point is 00:33:08 once we pick the right rhythm, then I also help them with writing. So that's a whole thing. Yep. I mean, that's what it should be like. Have strategy behind it. Again, don't post just for the sake of posting because then don't be surprised if it doesn't work. If you put it out there, just to put it out there. I like the approach.

Starting point is 00:33:29 I think about it. And understandably, I assume that's something that you follow as well, so you know that it works. Well, it has brought me here today. I would say that it works. And Irene, what will be your take on AI? Because AI is everywhere. AI is progressing. It's part of our life, work and everything.

Starting point is 00:33:50 How do you see that? Are someone who is interested in it? Not so. How do you look at it? I'm definitely interested in the developments. And I'm also a person who will never share a clod prompt in my lymph dimple. I'm on both side. I think it's...

Starting point is 00:34:10 Finally someone. Yes, it's stupid to ignore what's happening and how it can help us be more efficient. But in building your brand, you are the person you build yourself around. So the input should come from your identity and your story. Your vulnerabilities, your key moments in life that you have been through, these recurring themes that keep popping up in your life, like how you have changed as a person, like everything that makes you you. And no robot can replace that.

Starting point is 00:34:46 And you know, it's very efficient to get a post in 10 seconds. It's super time efficient. But the thing is that people you want to connect with, your readers, they are not looking for efficiency. They are looking for connection and they are looking for someone. to make them feel seen and heard and understood. And in my experience, AI content doesn't do it justice. The writing process should be painful. It's okay to sit with your thoughts for 30 minutes and write three or four drafts because like the thought process is what makes us different. Like AI cannot replace your emotions, your taste, your POV, your opinion, your perspective.

Starting point is 00:35:32 It doesn't know what it means to put your feet in the sand. It hasn't had a heartbreak or a first kiss. Everything that makes us, us, when you look at what AI does, it's built to predict. GPT literally means that it's generative, pre-trained transformer. So it's trained on some data, and its task is to minimize errors, minimize losses, and predict the next word. So if you look at it like that, then I would say that if you want to build a brand that stands out, instead of blending in, you should trust your story more. That's well said. I like the points. I agree. I think don't forget that the more, let's say, like AI content or this soulless content there is, the easier it is going to be to actually stand out for you. if you are the one who uses your story,

Starting point is 00:36:28 who, yes, might be still using AI, but still not to replace, but maybe just to help. So in the end, if there is more AI content, take advantage of it and be more personal, more human. And I think it might help you to stand out. Just to second your thought that the biggest advantage in 2026 is just be human. Already that stands out. So who would be?

Starting point is 00:36:55 It's funny that such a thing, just be human, be yourself is the biggest advantage, but that's the truth. Yeah. I mean, I'm not against AI. It has many benefits. Like I use it to research, to analyze, to summarize my meetings and stuff like that. But I don't trust my writing or my brand to AI. And you mentioned that we see a lot of posts in the feed that are written with AI, but even more so comments.

Starting point is 00:37:24 people forget that comments are also part of your positioning and part of your brand because you build your reputation and it's so easy to ruin it. Yeah, I agree. I don't want to seem like a hater of AI or something. I use it as well. I'm, you know, all the time and a lot. But I see it myself too, whether it's posts that don't tell you anything are, I don't know, long kids look terrible, sometimes generated images that look really bad as well. And obviously I engage with people So I see it in the comments and I read it every day in the comments And I just even if someone texted like a little comment with even mistakes It doesn't matter their POV or whatever It would be more appreciated or even more memorable to me than

Starting point is 00:38:11 Comment that summarizes the post and doesn't tell me anything So I'm like, okay, I don't know what to answer to this So it just want to remind people to use it but don't use it as a replacement use it as a of enhancement. Completely so. The output is only as good as the input, so don't forget that you are the person who does quality control. It's very true. Rinn, to be aware of time, I want to ask you kind of lighter questions. What is it that you enjoy doing in your free time and what are some of your hobbies? That's a great question. One of my big hobbies that I've recently picked up is the creative world, creativity, learning the creative process. That was something that I've been into

Starting point is 00:38:58 for the past few years. But I finally, I think also with taking on the challenge of building my brand, I also took on a creative project. So I started reaching out to our local artists, musicians, producers here in Estonia, and I've been interviewing them about their process and how they see things. And a lot of my inspiration for my content as well comes from the creative space and like famous designers, creative thinkers, musicians, photographers. That's something that fuels me. And I always try to find ways to kind of weave it into my content. So you might have noticed some of the quotes from these legends that I use in my posts. And I try to blend. in these two worlds. Like I said before, I use your interests and passions in your content. That's

Starting point is 00:39:58 the best way to stand out. So the creativity, it's definitely one of my big interests and talking about staying healthy. I'm an avid runner. So I'm very much into that. I used to run marathons and ultra-marathons. True. Nice. Yeah. But now I'm older and now I'm taking more decent care of myself, so I don't do that anymore. But yeah, I think for 19 years, I've been doing daily running, so it's a big passion of mine. Well, that's impressive. And it's important to, or from my own experience, it really helps me to do exercise or some kind of physical activity on top of work and building the brand as well, because sometimes it feels like that you run out of

Starting point is 00:40:49 creativity or just you need to switch off. So really some kind of exercise or do something outside really helps me. And I like also what you said before with those interviews that again, great way how to build your network. You never know whom you might meet. And it's also smart because when you build your brand, it might help you to connect with people that otherwise maybe wouldn't have really access to. Because if someone sees like your brand and what you're building, it's more likely that

Starting point is 00:41:17 they will agree to do the interview or something with you. So another really smart thing and some really interesting hobbies. Yes, I agree with everything that you said. You know, just let your passions and interest guide you. And the most exciting part is that I don't know where this interest will lead me in a year. I just decided to pick it up and give it a chance and see where it goes. Because also on LinkedIn, you find so, so different people from every field of life. Is it creativity or sports or music or creators?

Starting point is 00:41:51 The world is your oyster basically here. So the possibilities are endless. I like it and I agree. Rhin, can you please summarize where people can find you, follow you and promote any of your services? Yes, the best way to find me is right here on LinkedIn. Just go and check out my profile. If you find it interesting, I would love to have a coffee chat just to get to know people. no pressure for anything.

Starting point is 00:42:20 I'm just curious to meet different kind of people because building your network is the best thing you can do here. Agreed. I will as always add links to the show notes. And are there any goals, plans or anything exciting that you are planning or is coming to you or you are working on and you will be willing to share with us? I would say that currently I'm focused on creating content

Starting point is 00:42:46 that's useful for my audience. Soon I am also planning to launch my newsletter, but now that I had to say it out, there's but honestly, I have learned to let myself be guided by the flow. For example, I didn't have a goal to be on any podcasts in my first year. Maybe I imagine to get there in year two or year three, but you know, just show up, share value and embrace the opportunities. That's my motto on LinkedIn. I like it and I will tell people, show up as yourself. I don't know. Don't tell people, be nice, be friendly.

Starting point is 00:43:26 And as Rinn said, you never know what opportunities you might get. So that's a perfect example. And then very last question, is there anything I should have asked you and did not any final message, piece of advice or anything that you would like to share with the audience before we finish? I think we covered quite a broad range of topics. But what I would finally say is that don't wait, just start as simple as it sounds. Because I know a lot of people are still waiting for some permission.

Starting point is 00:44:00 But the most beautiful thing is that when you realize that you never needed a permission, you just had to take the first step, even if it's scary, I know exactly how it feels. I was that person, but learning to embrace that uncertainty and discomfort, like, that takes you so much further than overthinking how good my next post will be. Just stop overthinking and stop being precious, you know, trust yourself, your story and show up as the person you are, as simple as that. It's a great point to finish with, something that I agree and I can relate to. So I would tell people the same.

Starting point is 00:44:41 So, Rinn, I want to say big thank you. I really enjoyed it. I think it was a perfect example about what we discussed before, that show up as yourself, share our story. You never know what opportunities you might get because for the audience we haven't known each other for such a long time. We just follow each other's content and had a brief chat and look, we ended up doing the podcast.

Starting point is 00:45:03 So thank you. Keep doing the great work. I will keep following and supporting. and we'll be excited to see what is coming. So thank you very much. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Thank you.

Starting point is 00:45:16 Thanks for listening to Produce By with Toman. Check the show notes for all the links. And don't forget to subscribe, like and share your feedback. Speak soon.

Produced By - Your Story Is the Strategy: Why Real People Stand Out Online | 158: Riin Reinola

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