Sponsored by EveryExpert I also put together a free guide on getting your first or next paid client: terryrice.co/everyexpert

I'm going to tell you how commenting on LinkedIn led to a documentary being made about my life.

Then I'm going to show you how the same move can grow your business, because that part matters more than the story.

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Here's the actual chain.

Somebody from ConvertKit wrote a post. Someone left a comment on it. I replied to the comment.

Not the post. The comment. That's how small this was.

That turned into a DM. In the DM I mentioned I used their product to send my newsletter. Just a fact, not a pitch.

They decided to do a case study on me and how I use my newsletter to help my audience.

Then they asked if I'd speak at their annual conference in Boise.

Then they made a documentary about my life.

You can watch it here: terryrice.co/documentary

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Why that mattered more than it sounds like.

A documentary sounds like a vanity thing. It wasn't.

I've been through a lot that I never knew how to talk about publicly. Every time I tried, it came out either too heavy or too polished. Neither one was true.

The documentary gave me a way to put it out there that people could actually sit with. For the first time I could point at something and say, here, this is the whole thing.

That changed my career. More speaking. More opportunities. More people who understood what I actually do before I ever opened my mouth.

All of it traces back to a reply on someone else's comment.

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Here's the part I want you to take.

That wasn't luck. It also wasn't a plan, because nobody plans that.

It was a habit. I engage with people on LinkedIn on purpose, every day. People who engage with my stuff. People whose work I respect. People who look like a fit for something.

Not to network. To have a conversation.

Most people treat social as a broadcast. They post, they check the likes, they close the app. Everything good in my business came from the opposite: the conversation that started after the post.

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Two ways to actually do this.

To build relationships. Pick people whose work you respect and engage with what they make. Not "great post." Say the thing only you would say, from your own experience. Do it consistently, with no ask attached. That's the documentary version.

To build business. Point the same move at your own audience. When someone likes or comments, send a short DM. "Thanks for the like. What made this one land for you?"

No pitch. Just the question.

They'll answer, because it's easy and nobody asks. And in that answer they'll usually tell you exactly what they're stuck on. That's your next paid offer, described in their own words.

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Now, I know what you might be thinking.

That this seems like a waste of time. Or that it still feels a little salesy.

Fair. Here's what I'd say.

Think about the best opportunities that have come your way. Did they come from strangers, or did they come from your network? Almost always the network.

This is how you activate it. Not this week, probably not this summer. But you're setting up the opportunities that show up later.

And if you've been posting on LinkedIn trying to get results and you haven't gotten them, the approach probably needs to change. This is one I'd consider.

So test it. Leave ten comments. See what happens.

If it feels like a waste of time after that, fine, at least you tried it. If you see some traction, you know you're on the right path and you should keep going.

Either way you found out, which beats wondering.

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Where this goes.

I have no idea where it goes for you. That's the honest answer.

But it turns likes into conversations, and conversations are where everything actually happens. Your next client. A partner. A podcast. Maybe a documentary, who knows.

None of it starts from a like. All of it starts from a conversation.

And when those conversations turn into someone asking for real help, you should be able to get paid for it. That's what EveryExpert is for. Thirty focused minutes, booked and paid, no invoice to chase.

Takes about ten minutes Start your EveryExpert profile One thing you're good at. One price. One link. Set mine up →

If you want the longer version, the guide walks through getting your first or next paid client, free: terryrice.co/everyexpert

Go reply to a comment.

Keep building,
Terry

P.S. The documentary is here if you're curious: terryrice.co/documentary

P.P.S. I also coach on EveryExpert. Ask me about pricing your offer, finding warm leads without cold outreach, AI systems, or landing brand deals: everyexpert.com/terryrice