In 2025, I successfully transitioned from LinkedIn ghostwriting to doing more strategy work. From hands work to brains work.
And I was able to do this without any social media following, going viral, or sending cold DMs every day.
Here’s how it all happened.
The work was good. I wasn’t
I remember sitting in a coffee shop, high on caffeine, motivated to do some creative work. You know, conquer the world, share my ideas, and write something beautiful.
But I was getting distracted by a nagging thought – I had to write 3 LinkedIn posts for my client.
Although… it felt weird to complain about the situation.
As a ghostwriter, life was good. Money was good. I was good at understanding my clients’ POV and turning it into words that resonated with their audience. But I was craving to solve more upstream problems.
Also, platforms come and go. Being married to LinkedIn felt restrictive.
Rather than writing content for my clients, I wanted to help them figure out what was worth saying in the first place.
That was December 2024.
Fast forward 12 months, and I had worked with 14 clients through what I now call the Big Idea Sprint, helping them sharpen their content, develop their big idea, and build authority.
I am still working with 7 of them on an ongoing basis.
As I look back, I made a lot of mistakes. But I think I did a few things right.
I enjoy certain privileges
Before we move ahead, let’s be clear — I enjoy certain privileges which you may not.
- I live in India. The cost of living is lower.
- I don’t have debt.
- Working with international clients meant that I could earn in USD and EUR and spend in Rupees. The conversion rate worked in my favour.
- I was working with ghostwriting clients till July 2025, which meant that I could transition to the Big Idea Sprint smoothly.
There are also a few things that worked against me
- I was at a geographical disadvantage. I couldn’t meet potential clients at conferences, events, or coffee shops. Meeting in person is apparently one of the best ways to get your work in front of people and get clients. But I wasn’t able to do that for obvious reasons.
- As an Indian, I was potentially fighting a perception bias. Indians are often seen as implementors, not strategists. To be honest, I’ve never encountered a single instance of outright racism or bias. But did some people carry that assumption subconsciously when they interacted with me? I genuinely don’t know.
With all of that context, here’s what actually worked. Three things.
1. My Big Idea
The first domino was to nail down my POV. My Big Idea. I did not want to go to the market asking, “Hey, what do you want that I can provide?”
I wanted to convey leadership. And, more importantly, I wanted to do good work aligned with my values and what I truly believe in. I leaned into my frustration and also my curiosity.
What did I want to change?
The questions led me to my Big Idea of “Perspective Before Expertise“.
If we could stop churning out content, stop worrying about the number of likes on our LinkedIn content, and the best time to publish the video on YouTube…
And instead, share our perspective, we could build deeper trust and resonance.
And so it began
The process of committing to a Big Idea was messy. I remember scribbling through multiple Google Docs. I still struggle with it to this day, but every day makes it just a little bit clearer. Along the way, I encountered some very challenging questions.
When anything confused me, I wrote about it.
When anything inspired me, I wrote about it.
When anything annoyed me, I wrote about it.
This practise made me sharper – in my thinking, in my conversations, and eventually, in my delivery.
Which takes me to where that sharpness actually mattered.
Conversations.
2. Conversations
Inspired by people like Michelle Warner, Jonathan Stark, Jessica Lackey, and Rochelle Moulton, I set a rule for myself. I will talk to one person every day. If I spoke to 5 people in the week, I had done my job.
But… I was not reaching out to random people, sending them cold DMs.
Yuck.
I was meeting people in communities and on LinkedIn, building relationships over time, and eventually getting on a call with them.
Even during calls, there was never any pitching. I was doing one of two things. I was either helping them with their content and business or seeking feedback on my Big Idea concept.
In a way, I was inviting them to co-create my business with me. (Ikea effect?) The people I met along the way were super kind and helped me see things differently. Their feedback was brilliant.
Sometimes, mid-conversation, they’d ask me: “So what’s it like to work with you?” That’s when the engagement would begin.
The Big Idea Sprint was (and is) my core offer.
3. The core offer
I used to have this backwards. I believed that building a good business followed a specific sequence:
- Become a thought leader.
- Then launch your products and services.
I would dream about building a great podcast, a kickass YouTube channel, and a really engaged email list.
This used to keep me from doing the most important thing.
Selling.
The reframe was simple: thought leadership isn’t built before selling. They happen simultaneously and feed into each other.
I developed the first version of my 5-step Big Idea framework. Presented it to an inbound lead. And boom, he bought it. I had my first client.
The biggest benefit of selling?
The confidence. It was validating to know that someone was willing to pay. Not for a concept, but for working with me. This single client soon turned into 14 clients. Same strategy, same approach.
Not a lot has changed
A year later, my business still runs on the same three things — content, conversations, and a core offer. The methodology is sharper now. The conversations are richer. But the engine is the same.
I didn’t build a massive audience and then monetize it. I committed to a point of view, talked to people, and sold before I felt “ready.”
I still drink the same coffee. I am still irritable at times. But I can spend more time thinking about how to solve my clients’ upstream problems.
Where do you start?
Start with what frustrates you. What do you wish people in your industry would stop doing? Write about that. Not to publish, but to think. That’s how your POV starts to take shape.