The Morgan Snyder Show

Many people think it's not important to be well-known on LinkedIn. You know what I think? That's a bunch of phooey. This episode will hopefully bring you over to my side...Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s start with a confession—a safe space, just between us.You probably hate LinkedIn. Honestly? I don’t blame you.If you are a serious executive—someone running a Series B startup, a Private Equity firm, or a Fortune 500 division—opening the app probably feels like walking into a cafeteria where everyone is screaming for attention.So, let's not be cringe. I've outlined 3 things in this episode you should think about heading into 2026. They are really, really good. I'm not biased.Come say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/. 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I'm talking about playing the game of social media in 2026.The basic philosophy:Goals make us play 'not to lose.' We become risk-averse. Games make us play to win. We take big swings because the cost of missing is low.Which is what I want you to do with your social content...Come say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

What we're covering today...Why You’re Hearing Crickets: Why writing like a brochure is killing your engagement (and why 22-year-old life coaches are beating you).The Tyson Williamson Case Study: A post-by-post deconstruction of the 5-post formula that hit 100+ reactions right out of the gate.Tactics: How to use Ugly Numbers, real dialogue, and internal monologues to build an economic moat around your brand.The 2026 Checklist: A playbook for leaders who want their social content to CRUSH in the next year. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Whenever I post content, the comments section inevitably becomes a melting pot of hot and cold opinions. But last week? One came in especially caliente.Let's see what we can learn....Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Should you care so much about what others think when you post?Wharton researchers in 2017 found that successfully using humor in a professional setting increases status. It signals confidence (because it’s risky) and competence (because it requires intelligence to execute).Seems like a good idea to me...:come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

I struggle with networking events.More than anything, most of the conversations feel transactional and often one sided.There is absolutely NO VIBE.So my friends Jacob, Tyson, and I decided to fix it. :) ..I will write three free posts for you. No pitch or “hey, I think you would be a really great fit for what I do.” Scouts honor. All you have to do is reply to this email or jump over to thoughtleadertoday.com/learnmore and submit your info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

I got an email recently from a reader, which was similar to others I’ve had in the past.This was the gist:“Morgan. I love your newsletter and laugh at your Linkedin content. It’s actually pretty helpful and gets me motivated to post more. I really need to.The problem is I can’t afford to work with you at the moment. Maybe sometime in the future we could? I’ll keep reading until then and support you from a distance.”For whatever reason, it hit me hard.I’ve got a startup CEO who reads most of my stuff, would appreciate having a writer support him with his content, but it doesn’t make sense right now. This newsletter / podcast is great, but would there be something I could do to help this person?These are some thoughts...Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Today is Tuesday, November 11th, and you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.We are officially in the holiday spirit here in the Snyder home and it has me reminiscing.I’ve been thinking about all the Turkey Bowl games, the Christmas Eves, and other events with my family growing up in Ohio.Julie has told me I’m getting more emotional as I get older. I don’t think much has changed. The other night I was driving my daughter back from her ballet rehearsal for The Nutcracker and had tears welling up as she told me how excited she was to perform. Ok, ok, maybe I am a little more sensitive. Anyway, with all of this swirling around in my head, I thought back to those Snyder get togethers in the fall. The colder weather. The Ohio State football. Going to my grandma’s house and eating apple pie.So many good memories.If I could go back in time and relive those moments again, I would go back just for the laughs.We’d play Perudo, and there would be a lot jokes. We’re at the dinner table and my grandpa is telling stories and making everyone laugh. My uncle Josh is doing his best Chris Farley during our white elephant.As Snyders, we have a hard time being serious, no matter the occasion. I guess that’s the mask we wear to deal with life’s ups and downs.And it’s not like I’m in a family where you say, “Oh, you know so and so, always being a clown!”Everyone in my family is funny. My dad and my four uncles are funny. My cousins are funny. My brothers are funny. You’d probably say I was exaggerating, but I’m 100% serious. I can’t think of many people in my immediate or extended family where I could honestly say they don’t make me laugh or aren’t fun to be around.Explains a lot who I am. I’d like to think that I have a decent sense of humor and how to get people smiling and having a good time.The other side of that coin is If I’m not able to crack jokes, (forced to be serious) I get really uncomfortable. It’s hard for me to go through a conversation and not try to come up with a stupid joke.I’m sure people have judged me for that. But I mean, come on. If you were surrounded by the people I’m related to, it would be extremely hard for you not to come out of that experience very sarcastic and over the top.Maybe that’s why this whole idea of being funny and rejecting the normal definition of professionalism has been such an interesting idea to chew on for the last six months.I’m able to be more Snyder with people and they’re actually responding well to it. It’s amazing.Similar to what I’ve been writing about here and elsewhere, humor really is the fastest way to build an in-group. No one was safe in my family. It didn’t matter who you were. You were susceptible to a nice roast. It was good natured and no one aimed to really harm anyone’s ego. (Well, maybe they did, but I didn’t feel like a target)I guess this a good time to segue into one thing I wanted to talk about:Anyone can be funny....and this is where I get pushback.“Morgan, this is all great for you. You’re a writer.’You’re a creative. I’m a 50-year-old CEO of a logistics company. I’m not funny. I like spreadsheets, EBITDA and golf. This isn’t for me.”I don’t think I can mold you into a stand-up comic. My clients and I aren’t writing jokes as Linkedin or X content. If we did, it would probably sound inauthentic. It’d be cringey. I think one really practical piece of advice for any senior leader is your job is not to find your funny. Your job is to find your perspective.We’re not looking for jokes. Funny isn’t “ha-ha.” Funny on social media really is,“huh... that’s true.”I think we’ve established the point over many episodes that funny is just a vehicle for smart. It’s an observation. And you, the CEO, are smart. You have observations. You have a perspective. You’re some of the sharpest people on planet earth.What I’m getting at is humor is really just...truth.So, how do you find it?This may sound completely wrong, but I think it would be helpful to run a gripe session with yourself.(And if you’re in the mood I can help you with this 👇…)This produces an EXCELLENT content-mining interview. Sit down and type out your answers to these questions.* “What’s the dumbest trend in my industry right now?”* “What’s a piece of corporate jargon I absolutely hate?”* “What’s a rule’everyone in my field follows that I think is secretly stupid?”* “What’s an email I got this week that made me angry?”* “What’s the worst business advice I’m hearing everyone repeat?”Anger is the root of all great satire. A gripe is a passionate opinion in disguise. A gripe is a perspective.That’s where the gold is.When you think, “These 25-year-old gurus telling me to wake up at 5 AM are idiots. I wake up at 5 AM to let the dog out, not to build an empire before breakfast”...BOOM. That’s a post.I also add that’s where you can find yourv oice. You’re not making up jokes. You’re just...telling the truth.In that way, it’s easy to find your comedic edge.Wit falls into a few key personas. Find yours.* First we have the Dry Observer: You’re not angry. You’re amused. You stand back and just point out the absurdity of it all. The voice is witty, dry, and often understated.* Example: “Our Q3 was strong. I’d love to say it was all genius strategy, but honestly, my main skill was just approving spreadsheets.”* Then we have the Self-Deprecator: You build trust by punching yourself. You disarm the audience by making fun of your own (relatable) flaws.* Example: “I’m a tech CEO, of course I have no idea why the Zoom audio isn’t working.”* We also have the Contrarian: This is the “girl dad” voice. You see the herd running one way and you deliberately run the other. The voice is strong, declarative, and built on the word “Wrong.”* Example: “Everyone says ‘culture is everything.’ They’re wrong. Your product is everything. A great culture with a bad product is just a fun-run to bankruptcy.”* Finally, the Absurdist: This is the most “advanced” move. You take a common idea (like ‘hustle’) and stretch it to its logical, absurd conclusion.* Example: “My 5 AM routine is so optimized, the sun now texts me when it wakes up.” (I had to go with some Chuck Norris joke)You just have to be you. Whatever that looks like.So, “I’m not funny” is just an excuse. It’s lazy.You have a perspective. You have gripes. You have a ‘funny strategy’ that can work for you...My free book Keep It Light is on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters for the busy executive. If you read it and love it, please give it 5 stars (along with this podcast). Reviews make a big difference in people finding my work.You also go over to thoughtleadertoday.com and find time with me if you need a creative partner for your Linkedin and X content.My friends: keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

I went deep this weekend.I came to the conclusion that only a sugar cookie can bring on:I need to help you write the perfect post.This is the way...Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/. 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Man, oh man. I got roasted for my post about Linkedin headlines.I reflect before I try to do it all over again...Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

For the last decade, every marketing guru, every thought leader, every consultant with a book deal has been telling us the exact same thing:You need to be a STORYTELLER.I'm not so sure about that...👇Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I made a post about 'girl dads'.People lost their minds in the comments.What happened?I break it all down in this episode...Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Alright. It happened.You wrote something, you hit publish, and you walked away.But then your phone started buzzing. And it didn’t stop. It’s become an angry hornet nest of notifications.The dopamine is flowing. The metrics are going bananas. You keep refreshing the page, watching the numbers climb like the stock ticker for a company that just cured aging.You did it. You went viral. And now...what exactly? This episode explains it all. ..Come and visit me at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/. 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

No music, no intro, you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.Last week, I shared my CEO Content Masterclass. Hopefully you’ve already started building your idea vault, you’re using the voice-to-text hack, you’re actually publishing your thoughts…spreading the good news about what you’re doing. You are doing it, right? Of course you are!It’s simply impossible not to be provoked into action by this podcast.To start out today, I want to share a quick story…I recently saw a CEO post something good. Actually, it was great. Had all the right elements, and I thought they did a really good job of formatting and pacing.I mean, I’m camping out on LinkedIn and see hundreds of things on a given day and it pulled me in.The comments section? It was on fire. VPs from major companies asking questions, from the looks of it, potential clients raising their hands with problems…..seemed like a goldmine. I looked at the replies. Where was that gosh darn CEO? He was a ghost. Not a single reply. He just dropped a content firecracker and ran.It’s like a chef who creates a beautiful, Michelin-star dish, places it on the table, and then runs into the walk-in freezer to hide from the customer feedback.I felt a little sad for the CEO, then for the VP of marketing, then the social media manager, then the people going nuts in the comments.What a miss!Wish I could say it doesn’t happen that much but so many people post and ghost.There’s just not enough time in the busy schedule of an executive.The post is just the starting line.The real race (the part where you actually win sometimes) is in conversation that follows. So today, we’re talking about the after-party. The Comment is the New HandshakeCommenting is the new handshake.Proactively commenting is just as valuable than posting your own. Spending 10 minutes a day leaving three to five thoughtful, strategic comments will generate more opportunities than spending two hours crafting one “perfect” post.Most people think “engagement” is just scrolling through their feed, doling out likes like they’re the prom queen waving from a parade float. A little thumbs-up here, a “Celebrate” there…this is not engagement. A “like” is a polite nod in a crowded hallway. A thoughtful comment is sitting down at someone’s table for a five-minute conversation. Which one do you think actually builds a relationship?You’re not just commenting for the sake of being “visible.” Shift your perspective.You’re commenting to learn. Think of yourself as a digital anthropologist. The comment section is a free market research report. What are your peers struggling with? What jargon are your customers using? What are the dumb ideas getting traction?Hey! I heard you from here.I know that some of my post ideas are…special. So are my comments. But! It’s still one of the best intelligence-gathering tools. And it’s free.How to Write a Comment That Isn’t SpammyYou may have heard people say that you need to be ‘thoughtful.’Eh, what does that mean?Let’s start with what it doesn’t mean. It does not mean, “Great post!” “So true!” or “Thanks for sharing!” This is the equivalent of a caveman grunt.You are adding zero value.If you want to write a comment that actually starts a conversation, remember these steps. Don’t have to use each every time, but it will definitely ensure your comments are solid.* Acknowledge. Prove you actually read the post. Quote a specific line that made you think. “I love that point you made about transparency being a recruiting tool...” This immediately separates you from the 99% of grunters.* Value. Add your own two cents. A tiny personal anecdote, a supporting data point, or a slightly different perspective. “It reminds me of a time we lost a deal and our honesty about it actually won us two other clients.” You’ve just added a new layer.* Question. This is the secret weapon. End with an open-ended question that invites them to continue the rally. “How do you see that playing out in an industry like finance?”Acknowledge, Value, Question. Ok. Cool.Now, for the advanced move: Productive Disagreement. Agreeing with everyone makes you invisible. A respectful, well-argued counterpoint makes you a peer. It looks like this: “That’s a fascinating take. I see it a bit differently. While I agree that [Point A] is crucial, my experience has shown that [Counterpoint B] can often be the bigger lever. Have you found that to be the case?” Obviously don’t be a jerk. You’re starting a high-level debate. That’s how you get noticed.Or you can take a page out of my playbook and be a goofball. Funny comments can work even better to get you attention.For example, a website designer / agency owner posted this a few days ago:“I’m looking for an exceptional copywriter to write website copy for my clients.…What I want is someone with experience who doesn’t just type out whatever the client says. It’s gotta be someone who actually uses their brain, does research, nails TOV, and helps with positioning so the copy makes people take action (obvs).Not the brochure-style typa drivel that reads nice and does nothing.”He attached a picture of himself laying down, pulling down his shirt so you could see his shirt.Intro the Morg. I went ahead and commented:Haven’t landed him as a client, but he did connect, a few people tagged me in the post and said they loved me. We’ll see what happens.Navigating the Commenter ZooBefore we get to the DM, you need to know who you’re dealing with. The comment section is a zoo. You’ll meet a few common species.* First, The Sycophant. Their comments are always, “100% agree, John! Another game-changing post from a true visionary!” It’s nice, but it’s empty calories. Thank them, be gracious, and move on.* Next, The Pedant. This is the “Well, actually...” guy. “Actually, according to a 1987 study you failed to cite...” Never wrestle with a pedant. You can’t win. A simple, “Thanks for the perspective!” is your only move.* Then, The Hijacker. This person uses your post as a stage for their own 12-paragraph manifesto about their startup. Don’t reward them with a detailed reply. A quick “Thanks for sharing” is all they get.* Finally, The New Friend. Wading through all the nonsense, there will be people you actually want to engage with. They leave a thoughtful comment, and you have a fun sidebar in the thread. This is what you’re looking for. The Non-Sleazy DM SlideYou’ve had a great back-and-forth in the comments. How do you take it private without being weird? A bad DM slide is the business equivalent of a guy at a party interrupting your fun conversation to ask if you want to see a bad picture of their dog.The goal of the DM is not to sell. It’s to collaborate. Here’s your script.Start by referencing the context. “Hey [Name], I’m really enjoying our back-and-forth in the comments on [Topic].”Next, state the reason for the DM. “Your point about [Specific Detail] is actually something I’ve been wrestling with for a project I’m working on.”Finally, ask for a low-effort opinion. “If you have a spare moment, I’d love to get your unvarnished take. No sales pitch, I promise. Just genuinely curious about your perspective as an expert in this.”You’ve made them the expert. You’ve made it low-pressure. If they don’t reply, let it go. Don’t be the person who follows up 9 times. “Just wanted to make sure this was on your radar!” It’s gross.The best follow-up is to just show up in their comments again next week with another great comment. Stay on their public radar, not in their inbox.Engage Your AudienceThis all leads to the final, simplest rule of all. Your comment section is a party you are hosting in your own house. If a guest comes up to you and says something interesting, you don’t just stare at them blankly and walk away. You answer them!Engage with every single person who took the time to write something.This is what sparks the algorithm, and more importantly, it shows you actually care.You’ve done the hard work of creating the content. Now, do the smart work of building the community.To wrap up, I can’t stress enough that there is money in the comments.Sometimes it’s hard to find. There’s gold in the responses and reactions.Your LinkedIn feed and profile can become your relationship engine.Dedicate a small amount of time for ‘maintenance.’ 10 minutes. Get out. It’s worth it!..Before you go, I’ve got two things.First: I’m happy to show anyone who reads my newsletter or listens to my podcast exactly how I set up founders, CEOs and other leaders for content success.Find me on LinkedIn and grab some time with me. I will interview you for a few minutes and if nothing else, you’ll walk away with some LinkedIn posts for free.Second: My book, Keep It Light, is available read on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters. If you like it, please give it 5 stars, along with this podcast. It really helps.My friends: Keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

I decided to dedicate an episode to walking you through a quick and easy process to create and publish your content.In a few minutes, you’ll have a really easy workflow and you can keep coming back to it when you get stuck.By the end of this episode, you will have a clear, repeatable system to get your best ideas out into the world.Let's roll!..Come say hi at thoughtleadertoday.com. 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

**Stepping away from the regular, let-me-help-you-with-content kind of episode. Please step away from the internet this weekend and hug your family.**No music, no intro, you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.I’ve tried to record this episode a couple times this week.I get to this screen. I stare at it. I write a few sentences. I delete them.I close my laptop. I don’t have the words. They’re not coming.Now it’s Friday, and my chances of people listening to this are pretty small, but I’m putting it out anyway.I’m just going for it. Maybe this will help sort out my feelings.I wasn’t at Charlie Kirk’s assasination. But my neighbor’s kid was.He watched him get shot from 10 feet away, and crawled around on the ground hoping that he and his friend were going to make it out alive.I can’t even imagine how he’s dealing with that right now.Of all the places, it had to be Utah.On campus, in broad daylight, as he tried to have conversations about big ideas.Doesn’t feel real.My friend texted me today, he works about a mile from UVU campus, and his daughter was there during the shooting.“I’m numb and overwhelmed. Saw the police and motorcade go by. I had tons of friends there.”I was reading in a couple of different places that after Kirk was shot, the protesters were cheering his death and taunting his supporters about it. It's a level of evil that's hard to imagine.Then you zoom out to the rest of the nation, and senseless violence is happening to normal people riding on busses or sitting in classrooms, or praying in church.I can hardly read a handful of articles on my news app. It’s so depressing.In the last 48 hours, while all of this was going on, the only thing I could really do is distract myself by writing posts for my clients.I wrote a lot of posts.I shut myself in my room and typed away for hours, avoiding the dread sitting in my chest, a cloud over my head making it difficult to concentrate.And then when I went to bed, I had this wave of anxiousness come over me about the future, about my kids, about all the pain that we’re collectively feeling about the state of the country and its people.What are we going to do about it? What am I going to do about it?There are two voices in my head.One comes from a dark, damp cave, somewhere deep in my mind that I don’t often explore. It whispers, “Better get used to it. This is the new normal. You’re going to watch more and more of it happen.”Don’t like that voice very much.Then the other one comes from a recording studio with cool posters of early 2000’s bands. It assures me, “You’re going to be the leader that people will look to. You have to stand tall and walk the walk.”That voice has high standards for me.My dad was in town yesterday and stopped by. He and my mom took a trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland and had gifts for the kids.There were kilts, Liverpool jerseys, and a family crest refrigerator magnet.It was from the Morgan family.Yes, Morgan is my first name, but funny enough, I have Morgan family ancestors.The name comes from the early Celtic 'sea-bright', and also exists in Old British, Cornish and Welsh.The Motto: "Manu forti" is Latin for "With a strong hand".The Crest: The symbol is a dagger, representing strength and readiness.While my daughters danced around, and the boys took pictures with their new soccer kits, I held the magnet.I suddenly got emotional.Hey, it happens to me. I’m an artist. I feel things.I don’t have to face obstacles like my ancestors did, nor do I have to grapple with dangerous situations.But I still need to be brave. I still need to be steady.I need to provide a home of safety and security for the 7 other Snyders who live with me.I need to be a man of character, someone who can be relied on to do the right thing.I need to make sure that the world I’m leaving behind is better because I was here.That’s my calling.Manu forti. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I’m interviewing Kevin Baker—the man who broke LinkedIn with his post about Costco coworking.Kevin explains his creative process and how he comes up with ideas for viral content on LinkedIn.Thanks for listening and see you next week! ..say hi at thoughtleadertoday.com 📱 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, I talked about the head of CEO content position at PayPal: their quarter-million-dollar budget for their CEO’s brand.It was if I could hear your thoughts in the Substack ether. Many of you were thinking something like, “Well, that's nice for them. But we could never do something like that.”You’re absolutely right. You can’t. You aren’t PayPal.But I can assure you that it’s not a strategy reserved for the Fortune 500.Today, I want to talk about a real person, a CEO who is an absolute master of this.Her name is Wes Kao...Come and say hi at thoughtleadertoday.com. 👋 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe

No music, no intro, this is The Morgan Snyder Show.I see a lot of things social media. After all, I live there.I spend the majority of my waking hours managing my client’s accounts, and trying to stay active with my own.A lot of what you read makes you roll your eyes. One can only take so much cringe…But every once in a while, you see something that makes you stop scrolling and say, “Okay. This is cool.”That kind of a post, for me, came in the form of a job ad in my LinkedIn feed.PayPal is hiring a Head of CEO Content for Alex Chriss. Up to $236,500 a year.Granted, it’s a huge range, and I’m guessing there will be VERY FEW who can ask for the top, but still, this post is big news for executive writers.My feed blew up with people talking about this. I’m not surprised. In fact, I think it’s one of the biggest content leadership moves I’ve ever seen. It’s a sign of what’s to come. (fingers crossed)In light of this big annoucement, I thought it’d be fun to break down why a 31-billion-dollar company is investing a quarter-million dollars into their CEO's personal brand.Why is Paypal Doing This?So, why now for PayPal? Let's look at the situation. The new CEO, Alex Chriss, took over in September 2023. He inherited a company under immense pressure. The stock was down over 75% from its peak. The market was skeptical.Then in January, he made these “world-shocking” innovation announcements. The market’s reaction? A collective shrug. The announcements were seen as small improvements, not as big everyone was hoping for.Seemed like there was a massive gap between the internal strategy at PayPal and the public's perception of it. A bridge had to be built. And who is the best person to build that bridge? The most visible, most influential person in the entire company: the CEO.This isn’t a one-off. The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer confirms what we all feel in our gut: trust in institutions, in the media, in government, is in the toilet. But you know who people do trust more and more? The leaders of companies.CEOs are becoming the most reliable sources of information. PayPal knows this. They know that in a world where viral tweets can affect your stock price, you cannot afford to be reactive. You have to own the narrative.This isn't just a defensive move against negative press. It’s about proactively shaping investor confidence. Just look at Adobe. Last month, their stock took a hit after a vague corporate announcement about their AI strategy. It was full of jargon, and the market got nervous. But then CEO Shantanu Narayen got on his personal LinkedIn and started posting specific examples of creators using their new AI tools, making the strategy tangible and real. He told a human story that the press release couldn't. That’s narrative control. That's the job PayPal is hiring for.Being on the OffensiveThis is about offense, too—building a competitive advantage, especially when it comes to the war for talent.A few years ago, the idea of a CEO having a personality was a liability. Today, it’s a talent magnet. When a leader shares behind-the-scenes struggles and values, he humanizes the brand. The best people want to belong to something bigger. They want to work for a person they believe in.And this scales down, too. It’s not just for the billionaires. Just look at what John Hu is doing at Stan, the creator store platform. They just made the Forbes' Billion Dollar Startup list. Is the product good? Yes. But a huge part of their growth is John’s own brand. He is relentlessly authentic online, sharing his wins, his doubts, the lessons he’s learning. He’s the CEO AND the company’s most compelling case study. Top engineers and marketers see that and they want to work for him.Now, contrast that with the ghostCEOs. Think about any of the big, legacy companies. Can you name their CEO? Do you know what they stand for, what their vision is? Probably not. Their narrative isn’t out in the open. And when a crisis hits—layoffs, a bad quarter—that vacuum gets filled by angry employees and skeptical journalists. There’s no pre-existing well of trust to draw from. In 2025, being invisible is the same as being vulnerable.This is exactly what PayPal is trying to solve. They’re in a multi-front war against Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, Block...you name it. They can't win by just being another faceless corporation. They need to reposition themselves, and putting Alex Chriss front and center makes that shift more relatable, more memorable, and more human than any corporate messaging ever could.This Writer Better Be Freaking AwesomeSo, they’re hiring a master storyteller for a quarter of a million dollars a year to shape the CEO's voice. To tell his story. To make him a visible, credible leader. Will other companies follow suit?I did find a similar, quieter role pop up for a general manager in Microsoft’s AI division. The title was different, but the job was the same: make the leader the voice of the strategy.And I know what some of you are thinking. “Great, Morg. But that's PayPal. That's Microsoft. I don't have a quarter-million-dollar budget for my personal brand.”I know. I don’t either. I think it’s interesting to look at is a shift in priority.Really it’s a shift in how business is done. We are entering an era where the CEO isn't just a leader of a company, they are a content channel. A media empire in their own right. You are either a signal, or you are noise.If you’re a regular listener of the show, you know that you don't need a huge budget to do it. Like I mentioned earlier this week, my most successful 100-day run on social media ever came from posting less, and just being more interesting. From using humor. From having a personality. It led to more conversations, more relationships, and more clients.PayPal is placing a massive bet that the voice of their leader is one of their most valuable assets. If a 31.8 billion-dollar company has decided it’s essential to invest in their CEO's personal brand to stay competitive, it’s probably something that most companies should look at.Final NoteBefore you go, a reminder: my book, Keep It Light, is free to read on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters for the busy executive. Take an idea, steal a line—it’s yours. If you like it, please give it 5 stars, along with this podcast. It tells other people that this is worth listening to.My friends: Keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe