Live & Linking with Ashley Leeds

Every Tuesday at 12:30 pm BST, I chat with people on LinkedIn to find out about them, what they do and why they love this incredible platform. This week, I’m joined by Sonia Marta, the 18-year-old creator and host of The SMARTA Podcast. Sonia has already published four books, interviewed more than 100 guests and built some fantastic relationships. I was keen to find out how she’s achieved so much in such a short space of time!We had a jolly good chat about confidence, taking action and making your own opportunities. Sonia explained how her podcast started with a question she couldn’t answer as a child, leading her to contact experts and learn directly from them. Before her first episode even went live, she sent 20 LinkedIn messages from a bus, and ten people said yes! We also talked about building genuine relationships, finding mentors, staying consistent on LinkedIn and why you shouldn’t let a lack of experience stop you from having a go. Sonia even shared how she found opportunities to meet people she admired by being resourceful and making the most of the situations around her.There’s more, too. Sonia is creating a magazine based on lessons from her podcast conversations, planning a live event in Dublin to connect young professionals with businesses, and writing a book about her journey. We also put one of her LinkedIn posts under the spotlight in our Roast My Post feature. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to start a podcast, create content, approach someone you admire or pursue a new opportunity, this conversation is well worth a listen. As Sonia demonstrates, you don’t need to have everything figured out. Sometimes you just need to take that first step and see what happens.Timestamp:00:49 – Introducing Sonia Marta01:51 – The SMARTA Podcast and inspiring young people03:45 – Building confidence and approaching influential people05:16 – Starting before you’re ready07:02 – Creating a world-class guest experience09:00 – Making your own opportunities12:32 – LinkedIn, networking and finding mentors14:08 – Why consistency matters16:34 – Staying motivated when progress is hard to see17:26 – Recognising and acting on opportunities18:52 – University life and challenging stereotypes22:07 – Inspiring others to take action22:51 – Roast My Post24:14 – Sonia’s magazine and Dublin event25:30 – Writing a book and making time for your goalsGuest contact detailsSonia Marta, Creator and Host of The SMARTA PodcastEmail: [email protected]: +40 772 005 851Website: https://www.soniamarta.com/About: https://www.soniamarta.com/aboutPress: https://www.soniamarta.com/pressLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniamarta/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniamartaauthorYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsIhy7SjN7RrYTvOv7dVXRA?sub_confirmation=1TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesmartapodWatch the show on YouTube, like the episode, share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe so you can join us for more conversations with people who are making things happen.

Live & Linking with Lea Turner: Authenticity, LinkedIn and the Power of CommunityHave you ever wondered whether you need to change who you are to succeed on LinkedIn? My guest this week is Lea Turner, founder of The HoLT, and she has a refreshing answer. Lea started using LinkedIn in 2019 to find more clients for her transcription business. As a solo mum working long hours and struggling to make ends meet, she wanted to earn more money without sacrificing precious time with her son. What happened next changed everything. Within months, she had attracted over 100 inbound clients and built a growing audience by showing up and, eventually, letting her personality shine through.We had a brilliant chat about being yourself on LinkedIn, creating content that gets noticed and why you don't need to be the most polished person in the room to make an impact. Lea shares how humour, honesty and a willingness to stand out helped her build her personal brand, grow her businesses and teach others to use LinkedIn effectively. But there's another side to success, too. After building a thriving business, Lea realised she was travelling too much, working too hard and missing out on the family time that mattered most. She made the decision to step away from LinkedIn training at the end of 2024 and focus on The HoLT, choosing a business model that better suited the life she wanted.So, what exactly is The HoLT? Lea explains how this business community brings people together to learn from experts, share their skills and help each other through the challenges of running a business. We explore the importance of inclusion, shared values and having people in your corner who genuinely want you to succeed. If you're growing a business, trying to get more from LinkedIn or simply looking for a better balance between work and life, there's plenty here to take away. It's a great reminder that success isn't just about how much you earn. It's about building a business and a community that work for you.Timestamps00:32 – Meet Lea Turner04:07 – Getting started on LinkedIn05:43 – Winning clients and growing an audience07:43 – Why authenticity matters09:59 – Creating memorable LinkedIn content17:25 – Redefining success and protecting family time20:50 – The story behind The HoLT22:28 – The value of community and mutual support24:18 – Inclusion, values and belonging29:08 – Joining The HoLT31:25 – Membership benefits and learning opportunitiesGuest contact detailsLea Turner, Founder of The HoLTEmail: [email protected]: 07540 238670Website: https://www.the-holt.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaturnerholt/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theholtcommunity/Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/34XYFw0LDuvqf7kTMvmAAC?si=36ecd3155000450c

Stop Posting and Praying on LinkedIn with Mark LeeIn this episode of Live & Linking, I'm joined by Mark Lee, business mentor for sole practitioner accountants and the man behind BookMarkLee. Mark has had quite a journey, from working as a children's party entertainer and magician to becoming a chartered accountant, tax adviser and mentor. These days, he helps sole practitioner accountants make life better for themselves and their practices. We have a great conversation about business growth, finding the right clients and why success doesn't always mean earning more money or building a bigger practice.We explore why having a clear focus in your business can help you attract more of the right people, rather than shutting opportunities down. Mark shares how he discovered the value of having a niche through his own experience as a children's entertainer, and why accountants and bookkeepers need to think carefully about who they want to work with. We also get into the challenges of marketing professional services, setting fair fees and recognising that being brilliant at your job doesn't automatically mean people will find you. Then we turn our attention to LinkedIn, where Mark shares insights from more than seven years of tracking his post performance. His findings challenge some of the usual advice about images, engagement and impressions.Of course, we couldn't talk about LinkedIn without getting into my Roast My Post feature! We discuss why so many people publish content and simply hope the right audience will see it. Mark explains why commenting thoughtfully on relevant people's posts can be far more valuable than posting and praying. We also talk about why viral numbers aren't necessarily useful if they're reaching the wrong people. If you're an accountant, bookkeeper, consultant or business owner who wants to build better relationships, attract the right clients and use LinkedIn more purposefully, there's plenty here to take away and put into practice.Timestamps00:53 – Introducing Mark Lee01:31 – Mark's journey into accountancy and mentoring04:08 – Redefining what business growth means09:10 – Finding your niche17:38 – Roast My Post and LinkedIn engagement20:12 – Seven years of LinkedIn post tracking24:22 – Repurposing content29:11 – Why posting and praying doesn't work30:17 – Where to find MarkGuest contact detailsEmail: [email protected]: 07769 692890Website: www.BookMarkLee.co.ukLinkedIn: /bookmarkleeListen, subscribe and join the conversation. I'd love to hear what you think, so leave a comment with your biggest takeaway from the episode.

Students Aren’t Defiant, They’re Disconnected with Shaun WeatherheadHere’s another episode of Live & Linking, and this week I’m joined by Shaun Weatherhead, founder of Fierce & Fearless and author of Students, They’re Not Defiant, They’re Disconnected. Shaun works with young people across schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision, helping them recognise who they are, what they can offer and where they belong. We had a really interesting chat about why some young people can be labelled as disengaged or difficult when there may be a lot more going on underneath.We talked about belonging, identity, social media and the pressures young people face today. Shaun shared the story of a student who was being disciplined for being late, only for it to become clear that he was taking his younger brother to school before arriving himself. We also heard about a young man who had taught himself to play the piano while dealing with the loss of his granddad. Nobody at school knew about his talent until someone took the time to ask a question and give him a safe space to show it. That story really brings home Shaun’s message about seeing the person rather than simply judging the behaviour.And, of course, because this is Live & Linking, we finished with a bit of LinkedIn. Shaun and I looked at one of his posts about identity, belonging and what young people wear, and talked about why personal stories can create such a strong connection on LinkedIn. There’s plenty to take away from this conversation, whether you work with young people, you’re a parent, or you simply want to get better at understanding the people around you.Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to Live & Linking01:17 – Meet Shaun Weatherhead04:33 – Shaun’s book and the idea of disconnection11:16 – The student who was late for a reason16:54 – The question every adult can ask20:41 – The young pianist25:08 – The impact of music28:02 – Roast My Post30:03 – Identity, belonging and LinkedIn34:13 – How to contact ShaunGuest contact detailsEmail: [email protected]: www.fierceandfearless.co.ukLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-weatherhead-197748158

LinkedIn Isn’t Just a Job Site: Building Relationships with Gus BhandalThis week on Live & Linking I’m joined by Gus Bhandal, Founder of The M Guru and a marketing strategist with 30 years of experience. Gus knows LinkedIn inside out, so naturally we had plenty to talk about. We started with something I think a lot of people get wrong: LinkedIn isn’t just a job site. It’s a place to build your personal brand, start conversations and develop relationships with people who might eventually become customers, suppliers, collaborators or simply good connections.We got into the practical stuff too. Gus shared his four-step approach to LinkedIn: optimise your profile, curate your audience, create useful content and engage with other people. We talked about why your headline and About section matter, why commenting is such an underrated way of getting noticed, and why you should think about LinkedIn like a networking event. We also covered content consistency, with Gus recommending at least one useful post a week rather than going mad for 30 days and then disappearing. There was even time for an unexpected visit from Andrew and Pete to talk about Atomicon.And then we roasted one of Gus’s LinkedIn posts. A simple, funny comment on a post about LinkedIn becoming a dating site ended up generating around 13,000 impressions. It was a great example of the point we’d been discussing all along: you don’t always need to create huge amounts of content to get noticed. Sometimes joining the right conversation is enough. If you want practical ideas for using LinkedIn more confidently, building genuine relationships and letting a bit more of the real you come through, this is well worth a listen.TIMESTAMPS00:23 – Welcome to Live & Linking01:26 – Meet Gus Bhandal02:16 – What LinkedIn is really for05:12 – Where to start with an old profile07:37 – Gus’s four-step strategy08:18 – The power of commenting09:09 – LinkedIn as a networking event15:03 – Creating consistent content16:13 – Content albums32:06 – The Squeeze membership33:11 – Roasting Gus’s post34:07 – The LinkedIn dating site post36:28 – Wrapping upWatch the show on YouTubeConnect with Ashley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy/Website: https://just.15mins.dayLive & Linking Hub: https://just.15mins.dayGuest contact detailsGus BhandalEmail: [email protected]: 07958 477 890Website: https://www.themguru.co.ukLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mguruuk