118: Stop Chasing Likes: How Tara Lassiter Uses LinkedIn & Substack to Land Real Clients

What if the problem isn’t that LinkedIn is boring?What if the problem is that you’re trying to use it like Instagram with a blazer on?In this episode of The Accidental CEO Podcast, Nata sits down with Tara Lassiter to talk about the visibility strategy that too many creative founders are sleeping on: actual human conversations. Not pitch-slapping. Not “Hey girl, I love your vibe” copy-paste nonsense. Not posting into the void and waiting for the algorithm fairy to pay your mortgage.Real conversations.Tara brings a refreshing, practical take on LinkedIn, Substack, email, and social selling. After spending 12 years on-air at QVC, she saw firsthand how powerful women in business build more than revenue. They build relationships, communities, and ripple effects. That experience shaped the way she thinks about outreach, generosity, visibility, and business growth.Inside the episode, Tara explains why so many founders feel slimy in the DMs, and spoiler: it’s usually because they’re moving too fast. Her philosophy is simple but annoyingly effective: treat LinkedIn like a dinner party. Start with curiosity. Ask a real question. Talk to people like people. Revolutionary, apparently.You’ll also hear why Tara calls her network “buyers and believers,” how she uses LinkedIn search to find aligned connections, why Substack worked beautifully for growth but still needed to feed into her actual email list, and what to do if you’re burned out from Instagram or TikTok but terrified of starting over somewhere new.This episode is especially good for creative business owners, coaches, consultants, photographers, service providers, and founders who are tired of creating content that gets likes but does not lead to conversations, clients, referrals, or revenue.Because here’s the truth: content without connection is just noise with a Canva template.In this episode, you’ll learn: How to make LinkedIn DMs feel personal instead of pitchy  Why curiosity is a better sales tool than pressure  How to use your existing network for warm introductions  Why LinkedIn can be a goldmine for creative founders  How to repurpose old content for new platforms  Why Substack can grow your audience but should not replace your email list  How to practice your one-liner until it actually sounds like you  What to do with just a few hours a week for visibility Your action step: start one conversation today. Not a pitch. Not a funnel. Not a perfectly optimized sequence. One real conversation with one real human.And if you want a safe place to practice, Tara literally invited you to find her on LinkedIn and send the practice message.Support the show