Kevin "KD" Dorsey: How this SaaS CRO leverages LinkedIn and grew to 137K Followers

Kevin Dorsey (KD) is one of the most respected voices in modern sales leadership, with 137K+ followers on LinkedIn and a track record that includes leading sales at PatientPop, Bench, and now as CRO at finally.In this episode, KD shares the real reason he started posting on LinkedIn (spoiler: not to sell), how he built a magnetic hiring brand without selling to sellers, and why most founders are sitting on gold, but never reach out.If you’ve ever wondered how to write consistently, attract the right hires, or build a sales motion in SMB this one’s a masterclass.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why KD started posting on LinkedIn (and why it still works today)- How his content attracted the right hires—without recruiters- Why he never chased virality or trends (no carousels, no hooks)- The difference between leading vs. consulting—and why he came back- How to use DMs to build pipeline with 20 messages a day and zero automation- Why you should never automate what you haven’t nailed manually- The biggest mindset shifts most founders need to sell effectively- Why consistency, not creativity, drives long-term results- Building a sales motion in SMB: volume, relevance, and fast learning- Real AI workflows he’s already running as CRO, and what’s nextPerfect for:- Founders posting on LinkedIn but not seeing traction- Sales leaders scaling from 5 to 50 reps (or hiring their first few)- Solo consultants, advisors, and creators wondering what’s next- Anyone tired of “growth hacks” and looking for what actually worksConnect with KDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/finally: https://finally.com/Sales Leadership Accelerator: https://salesleadershipaccelerator.com/Connect with me:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters:00:00 Intro & Career Highlights01:00 Why KD Really Started Posting on LinkedIn03:00 Recruiting with Content (No Sales Needed)05:30 How Posting Has Changed (and What Still Works)07:20 Why He Stuck With Text-Only Posts09:00 Going Solo: More Money, Less Fun11:15 Why He Returned to Sales Leadership14:30 His Niche: Scaling from 5 to 50 Reps16:10 The 5D Leadership Framework18:00 Writing for Agreement (Not Just Education)20:00 Why Founder Content Should Amplify ICP Voices22:40 KD’s Daily Writing System25:30 How to Pick the Right Post to Write27:00 Why You Should DM Every Liker29:00 Outreach Tactics Most Founders Miss31:45 Why You Must Master Manual Before Automating34:00 The Secret Power of Founder-to-Founder DMs36:30 The Mental Shift from Inbound to Outbound38:00 Scaling Sales in SMB: What Actually Works41:00 Why ACV Isn’t the Problem—Pipeline Volume Is43:00 Where AI Is Already Working in Sales46:00 The Leadership Gap in AI Adoption48:00 What KD Wishes He Knew 15 Years AgoPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.founderbrand.org