This episode with Victoria Michaels was recorded using Riverside, the platform I use for all remote podcast conversations. If you're recording interviews or starting a podcast, you can try it here: https://creators.riverside.com/TomasLoucky Victoria Michaels is a LinkedIn ghostwriter and strategist helping founders and professionals turn lived experience into credibility on the platform. She has been building businesses since her teens, moving through multiple industries and career chapters before finding her place in personal branding and content. Known for her sharp positioning and human approach, Victoria helps people show up online in a way that feels aligned, strategic, and sustainable. In this episode, we explore Victoria’s unconventional journey from a challenging upbringing shaped by one pivotal mentor to building and selling a successful business at a young age. She shares why walking away from something that looked successful on the outside became a necessary turning point, and how that decision led her to discover LinkedIn and the work she does today. We talk about reinvention, building a brand with intention, and staying connected to life beyond work without losing yourself in the process.Connect with Victoria:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vstrategy/https://www.instagram.com/victoriaghostwriting/Timestamps: 00:00 - Victoria’s message about persistence 01:11 - Introduction 01:36 - What Victoria does on LinkedIn 02:16 - “LinkedIn’s Most Expensive Ghostwriter” 04:04 - Growing up and early ambition 05:00 - Starting a business at 18 06:08 - Buying her competitor 06:55 - Burnout and selling the business 09:33 - Family reactions to her success 12:10 - The mentor who changed her life 15:03 - Selling the business and changing direction 16:27 - Trying completely different careers 18:09 - Discovering LinkedIn 20:24 - Why LinkedIn growth takes time 21:52 - How to position yourself on LinkedIn 24:27 - Why everyone should have a LinkedIn presence 25:57 - Mid-roll: Recording the podcast with Riverside 26:44 - Finding your first clients on LinkedIn 29:29 - Why pitching strangers rarely works 31:21 - Why virality shouldn’t be the goal 36:03 - Avoiding burnout and enjoying life 40:02 - Hobbies, travel and exploring 42:54 - Book recommendations 44:41 - Running a marathon 46:40 - Where to find Victoria 49:39 - Final advice for entrepreneurs 51:01 - Outro Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠More:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠Tools & gear that support the show:Neon Now: https://neonnow.co.uk/Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKUlanzi: https://www.ulanzi.com?aff=2611Apex Comfort: https://apexcomfort.co.uk/Favikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRA Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19Some links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.