Golden Example: LinkedIn Hand-Raiser Posts
The Steve Cunningham Pattern
Steve Cunningham grew his email list by 8,000 subscribers in 2 months using this exact post structure. His signature elements:
- Hours → Minutes compression (46 hours → 10 minutes)
- Numbered step lists with time (makes invisible cost visible)
- "That's about X hours... most people never do it"
- Specific deliverable offer (not vague "resources")
- Comment KEYWORD CTA (one word, all caps)
- Consistent signature block
Steve's Signature Block Pattern
👨 My name is Steve Cunningham
👉🏼 I'm an AI Builder/Accelerator
🤖 I post a new tool/video here [frequency]
✅ Connect with me here to get FREE access...Steve's Post Mechanics
The Hook
States a specific, quantifiable problem. Not philosophy.
The Process Breakdown
Numbered list of manual steps with time per step. Forces reader to SEE the hidden cost.
The Compound Math
Multiplies single instance to monthly/yearly. Creates visceral reaction.
The Contrast
Shows what's possible: "I made [specific thing] that does it in [tiny time]."
The CTA
"Comment [KEYWORD]" — one word, bold, clear instruction.
Golden Examples (Advisory OS Application)
Example 1: System-Building Angle
Every time you write a proposal from scratch, you're making a choice.
Here's what building a proposal looks like without a system:
- Open blank document (5 min)
- Remember what you said last time (15 min)
- Find old proposal to copy from (10 min)
- Customize pricing for this client (20 min)
- Rewrite scope section (30 min)
- Adjust language to sound fresh (20 min)
- Format and proof (15 min)
- Second-guess yourself, revise (30 min)
That's about 2.5 hours per proposal.
If you send 10 proposals a month, that's 25 hours. Per month. Every month. Forever.
And that's just proposals.
A firm owner I work with spent 7 hours building a proposal system. Structure, pricing logic, her voice baked in.
Next proposal? 5 minutes.
7 hours to build. 5 minutes to use. Forever to keep.
I made a short diagnostic that identifies your highest-ROI system to build first.
Comment BUILD and I'll send it to you.
👩 I'm Kathryn Brown 👉🏼 I help advisory practice owners deploy capability instead of teaching curriculum 🔧 One system at a time ✅ Follow for more on escaping the "doing" trap
Why this works:
- Hook creates recognition ("that's me")
- 8 numbered steps make 2.5 hours VISIBLE
- Compound math (25 hours/month forever) creates urgency
- Contrast story (7 hours → 5 minutes forever) shows escape
- Anchor phrase is bold, memorable, repeatable
- Micro-tool is specific: "diagnostic that identifies your highest-ROI system"
- Keyword is simple: BUILD
Example 2: Positioning Problem Angle
Your best compliance clients are your hardest advisory sales.
Here's why most advisory pivots fail:
- You mention advisory services to existing client
- They nod politely
- They don't buy
- You refine the pitch
- Still nothing
- You assume they "don't value advisory"
But that's not what's happening.
Here's the real sequence:
- Client met you as "the tax person" (Year 1)
- You delivered great tax work (Years 1-5)
- They built a mental model: "This is my tax person"
- You offer advisory (Year 6)
- Their brain says: "Why is my tax person charging $15K?"
The ceiling was set at first impression. No pitch removes it.
The clients who buy advisory without friction? They never knew you did compliance. Different door. Different room. No ceiling.
I built a 2-minute diagnostic that tells you whether you have a positioning problem or a pitch problem.
Comment CEILING and I'll send it.
👩 I'm Kathryn Brown 👉🏼 I help advisory practices break through invisible ceilings 🚪 Sometimes you need a new door, not a better pitch ✅ Follow for positioning that doesn't fight trust
Why this works:
- Hook is counterintuitive (best clients = hardest sales)
- First sequence shows their experience (they'll nod along)
- Second sequence reveals the mechanism they couldn't see
- Anchor phrase names the insight: "ceiling was set at first impression"
- Micro-tool is specific and timed: "2-minute diagnostic"
- Keyword matches concept: CEILING
Example 3: Math Comparison Angle
Two firm owners. Same expertise. Different results.
Owner A:
- Gets request for proposal
- Opens blank doc
- Writes proposal (2 hours)
- Sends it
- Repeats next week
Owner B:
- Gets request for proposal
- Runs it through her system
- Reviews output (5 minutes)
- Sends it
- System gets smarter
After 50 proposals:
Owner A spent 100 hours writing. Owner B spent 7 hours building + 4 hours reviewing.
Same output. 89 hours difference.
Now multiply across: onboarding, scoping, pricing, follow-up, training...
Most firms are stuck in Owner A mode.
Not because they're lazy. Because building feels slower than doing.
Until you do the math.
Comment MATH and I'll send you the calculator.
👩 I'm Kathryn Brown 👉🏼 Building > Doing (once you do the math) ✅ Follow for systems that compound
Why this works:
- Side-by-side comparison is immediately clear
- Same input, different process, wildly different output
- 89 hours difference is visceral
- "Multiply across..." hints at larger opportunity
- Addresses the objection: "building feels slower"
- Micro-tool matches exactly: "the calculator"
- Keyword is dead simple: MATH
Example 4: Constraint Diagnostic Angle
Most advisory firms are solving the wrong problem.
They think they need:
- More leads
- Better marketing
- A bigger team
- More time
But when I diagnose practices, the actual constraint is usually one of these:
- Offer architecture — You're selling time, not outcomes
- Positioning — Right service, wrong audience perception
- Delivery systems — Your expertise is trapped in your head
- Pipeline — No system for consistent conversations
Fix the wrong one? Nothing changes. Fix the right one? Everything unlocks.
I built a 5-question diagnostic that identifies which constraint is actually blocking your growth.
Takes 2 minutes. Tells you where to focus.
Comment CONSTRAINT and I'll send it.
👩 I'm Kathryn Brown 👉🏼 I help advisory practices find and fix their real constraint 🎯 One constraint at a time ✅ Follow for focused growth
Why this works:
- Opens with "solving the wrong problem" (creates curiosity)
- Lists what they THINK they need (they'll recognize themselves)
- 4 actual constraints are specific and credible
- "Fix wrong = nothing / Fix right = everything" is memorable
- Micro-tool is specific: "5-question diagnostic"
- Time given: "2 minutes"
- Keyword matches perfectly: CONSTRAINT
Pattern Summary
| Element | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Create recognition | "Your best X is your hardest Y" |
| Pain List | Make cost visible | 8 steps with minutes |
| Compound Math | Create urgency | "25 hours/month. Forever." |
| Contrast | Show escape | "7 hours to build. 5 min to use." |
| Anchor Phrase | Be memorable | Bold, own line, quotable |
| Micro-Tool | Be specific | "2-minute diagnostic that tells you X" |
| Keyword | Be simple | One word, ALL CAPS, relatable |
| Signature | Be consistent | 3-4 lines, same format |
Keyword → Micro-Tool Map
| Keyword | Micro-Tool | Output |
|---|---|---|
| BUILD | First System Identifier | Which system to build first |
| CEILING | Positioning vs Pitch Diagnostic | Is it positioning or pitch? |
| MATH | Build vs Do Calculator | Hours saved by building |
| CONSTRAINT | Constraint Diagnostic | Which constraint to fix |
Each keyword maps to ONE specific micro-tool. Each micro-tool links to the relevant thought leadership piece.
What Steve Does NOT Do
- No essays — Posts are under 200 words
- No philosophy — Shows results, doesn't explain concepts
- No pitching — Only offers the free tool
- No vague CTAs — Always "Comment [WORD]"
- No multiple asks — One keyword, one action
- No walls of text — Numbered lists, white space, scannable
The teaching happens AFTER they raise their hand. The LinkedIn post just gets the hand up.