Lara Acosta joins James Smith for a no-holds-barred conversation about LinkedIn, the corporate world, and what it really takes to build a personal brand that actually moves the needle. A LinkedIn growth expert and founder who's helped thousands of professionals turn themselves into trusted authorities, Lara breaks down why most people are doing LinkedIn wrong — and why the platform isn't the problem, corporate is. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Lara Acosta's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@Laraacosta Lara Acosta On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/laraacostar/ She explains: ◼️ Why LinkedIn isn't cringe — corporate is ◼️ What's actually changed in the algorithm and how to ride it ◼️ Why AI slop is killing engagement (and why Lara doesn't care) ◼️ How to micro-dose failure instead of betting the house ◼️ Why following your skill beats following your passion every time Chapters: 00:00 The Real Problem With LinkedIn 01:16 Why LinkedIn Feels So Cringe 03:19 James's Years in the Corporate Trenches 05:46 Hacks to Leave Work Early Without Being Noticed 08:06 Sales, Recruitment, and the Posh Hotel Voice 11:11 What's Actually Wrong With the Algorithm 12:48 Carousels and Picture-First Posting 14:21 The Great LinkedIn Articles Debate 21:06 The Three-Hour Workday Conspiracy 24:05 Social Loafing and Bloated Departments 26:06 Cocaine, Cider Hands, and Surviving Corporate 28:18 Three Weeks at Activision Doing Nothing 30:35 Failing First Year of University 33:00 The Birmingham Housemates Story 35:00 Failing Spanish as a Native Speaker 38:31 The AI Slop Problem on LinkedIn 40:29 Why Engagement Prompts Actually Work 43:53 Entrepreneur vs Business Owner in Britain 45:45 The Texas Barbecue New Tonic Story 50:15 The Zero Sum Mentality Trap 52:57 Lara's NPower Door-to-Door Scam Job 56:00 James in a Prom Suit Selling Energy 58:32 One in a Hundred and the Power of Rejection 01:01:35 Enjoying Every Stage of Business 01:02:55 The Problem With Remote Working 01:09:03 Giving Your Team Rope to Climb or Hang 01:10:44 The Problem With Leadership on LinkedIn 01:15:32 The Goalposts That Never Stop Moving 01:16:00 James's Complacency in Lockdown 01:19:13 Closing Takeaways: Follow Skill Not Passion This conversation is part LinkedIn masterclass, part corporate exorcism. Lara's clear-eyed take on the platform — what the algorithm rewards, what AI is doing to the feed, and why most leadership content is fake — meets James's lived experience of faking pisses to scroll Twitter, calling Cornwall County Council 100 times a day, and getting binned from a job he never figured out. The result is a candid look at why so many people stay stuck in jobs they hate, and a practical case for micro-dosing failure until you build the life you actually want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices