The Exit Five CMO Podcast: Why Every Founder Needs a LinkedIn Strategy

Host: Dave Gerhardt
Guest: Brad Zomick
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Gerhardt, founder of Exit Five and former CMO at Drift and Privy, unpacks the importance—and influence—of building a founder brand on LinkedIn. Conversing with Brad Zomick, Dave shares candid stories from his early days pioneering content on LinkedIn, dives into the systems and mindset behind his prolific posting, addresses the role of AI, and offers practical advice for founders and marketers seeking to harness LinkedIn as a business and personal growth lever. The episode weaves together personal anecdotes, tactical playbooks, and forward-thinking commentary about social media, marketing, and human connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Roots of Founder Brand & LinkedIn Content Creation

Timestamps: 06:31 – 12:36

• Dave’s Social Media Origin Story:
  • Started in tech PR around 2009–2010, writing tweets and managing social for clients.
  • Early in-house experience at Constant Contact, managing PR for their social media products.
• Drift: The Playbook Emerges:
  • At Drift, Dave leveraged founder David Cancel’s existing social presence (notably on Twitter) for early awareness.
  • Shifted from traditional PR to “PR-ing” David via social content (especially Twitter/LinkedIn) and podcasting.
  • Quote:
    "It was so obvious that pre-product…we have this kind of famous founder but they've done nothing for him. That was the first playbook..." — Dave Gerhardt [10:35]
• Why LinkedIn?
  • Observed LinkedIn’s shift from a Rolodex to a content platform—their audience was already there.
  • Early LinkedIn content had massive organic reach, far exceeding today’s returns.
• Summary: Building a founder’s “megaphone” through LinkedIn/social channels is a modern PR playbook, functioning effectively for both Drift and later Privy.

2. Overcoming Resistance: Helping Non-native Social Founders

Timestamps: 15:23 – 19:07

• Advice to Founders Uncomfortable with Posting:
  • Emphasize the broad benefits: sales, recruiting, partnerships, and employment brand.
  • If you’re already saying things internally (Slack, memos, etc.), you can adapt them for LinkedIn.
  • Quote:
    "It's not just a sales tool. It's the best, like, employment brand." — Dave Gerhardt [15:48]
  • Social channels, especially LinkedIn, offer multichannel ROI: feedback, brand, recruiting, message testing.

3. Handling Negativity and the Early Days' Gold Rush

Timestamps: 13:00 – 15:23; 39:56 – 42:53

• Pushback and Plagiarism Stories:
  • Dave recalls being accused of encouraging plagiarism simply because he introduced LinkedIn posting at a company.
    "This person, out of nowhere, accused me of encouraging someone else to plagiarize someone else's post." [13:54]
  • Early doors: fun, huge organic reach, minimal friction.
• Benefits Beyond Business:
  • LinkedIn’s impact extends to real-world connections, personal inspiration, and unexpected recognition.
    "It's just like, why are you friends with people at work? It's like a therapy and camaraderie..." [36:32]
  • Example: being recognized by strangers and children seeing their parent’s impact.

4. Building and Maintaining a Content System

Timestamps: 21:12 – 31:28

• Dave’s Simple System:
  • Writes all posts himself, mostly once daily in the early a.m. (6–9am works best).
  • Backlogs ideas in Apple Notes or Google Docs for uninspired days.
  • Schedules content on his personal calendar—found native and third-party schedulers hurt engagement.
  • Maintains roughly a 4:1 ratio of industry-insight to promotional content.
  • Regularly recycles high-performing “hit” posts:
    "Never have I reposted a post and someone's been like, dude, you posted this six months ago. No, it just, it works again." — Dave Gerhardt [29:20]
  • Advantage: deep focus on B2B marketing niche, which fuels clarity and resonance.
• Key Habits:
  • Time block daily for content creation, like working out.
  • Build a substantial “swipe file” or idea backlog—critical for sustaining consistency.
  • Always be on the lookout: turn everyday interactions, internal emails, and rants into content. "My brain is now always like, what could be content for LinkedIn from this?" [34:06]

5. AI’s Role in Content Creation

Timestamps: 21:12 – 23:26

• Experimentation & Limitations:
  • Exported a year’s worth of posts into Claude (AI tool), created writing guides and prompts.
  • Finds AI-generated content good, but not matching his own voice—uses it for headline tweaking or filler, not for full automations.
• AI Playbook for Others:
  • For those ghostwriting or helping founders: transcribe founder voice notes, build a style guide, and use AI to create a first draft, then infuse real personality.
  • Magic remains in the authentic, human touch:
    "If everyone just starts pumping out ChatGPT... content, it's gonna suck. But if you can find a way to... inject yourself, that's what makes it good." [24:12]

6. The Importance of Niche and Self-Positioning

Timestamps: 31:28 – 33:41

• Stay Focused:
  • Tempting to talk about everything, but focus drives growth.
  • Example: Dave sticks to marketing—the subject his audience expects and values from him.
• Quote:
  "You need to be like, what's the topic I want to be known for? And that's what I'm gonna create content around." — Dave Gerhardt [33:26]

7. The Ongoing Value of LinkedIn—Even as the Platform Changes

Timestamps: 39:56 – 42:53

• Still Worth It for Newcomers:
  • Early-mover advantage is gone, but quality content can still “hit,” especially with video.
  • Don’t chase virality for its own sake—think of it as a lifelong habit to refine your thinking, test messages, and build community.
  • LinkedIn is a living professional portfolio and public journal. "If nobody followed me... I would still do the same writing. It's a daily practice." — Dave Gerhardt [42:34]

8. Inspiration & Influencers to Follow

Timestamps: 42:53 – 44:48

• Dave’s (Current) LinkedIn Follows:
  • Eli Rubel: Design/creative agency founder, good storytelling.
  • Alina Vandenberg: Founder of Chili Piper, authentic sharing.
  • Christina Lee: Runs marketing at Plot.
  • Devin Reed: Recent solopreneur, good content cadence.
  • Kieran Flanagan & Kipp Bodnar: Co-hosts of Marketing Against the Grain podcast—especially for AI and writing insights.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's building this megaphone. It's using the founder brand, building like this personality… It's the new playbook for PR and... why it works really well for companies today." — Dave Gerhardt [12:03]
• "You almost have a responsibility. Like, you want to grow the company, right?... there's a channel today that allows you to connect directly with your customers. Doesn't cost a dollar, just costs your mind." — Dave Gerhardt [16:28]
• "If you can just commit to doing this... I promise you that the benefits are going to be all the things that we mentioned." — Dave Gerhardt [20:33]
• "Never have I reposted a post and someone's been like, dude, you posted this six months ago. No, it just, it works again." — Dave Gerhardt [29:20]
• "Do you have something interesting to say?... That's what matters." — Dave Gerhardt [31:50]
• "For all of the nonsense and the dunking and the bots... it's an amazing way to connect with people." — Dave Gerhardt [36:32]

Practical Playbook for Founders and Marketers

• Find Your Founder's Voice: Use existing materials (internal memos, Slack messages, podcasts) to source LinkedIn content.
• Make It a Ritual: Post daily in a repeatable time slot; treat it no differently than meetings or exercise.
• Stockpile & Recycle: Build an ongoing idea backlog; don’t hesitate to reuse strong content.
• Use AI Wisely: Great for drafting and structure, but always inject unique stories and personality.
• Niche Down: Focus your content on your audience’s interests and needs to grow influence and engagement.
• Measure Beyond Sales: Look for impact in networking, hiring, and learning cycles—not just pipeline.
• Embrace the Human Element: Personal, relatable stories make a difference; business content can shape real human connections.

Recommended LinkedIn Leaders

• Eli Rubel
• Alina Vandenberg
• Christina Lee
• Devin Reed
• Kieran Flanagan & Kipp Bodnar ("Marketing Against the Grain")

Final Takeaway

Founders (and marketers) have a tremendous under-leveraged opportunity to build trusted brands—both personal and business—by engaging in authentic, consistent, and strategic LinkedIn sharing. The value is not just in leads or likes, but in career-defining relationships, message clarity, and lasting influence.

For more:

• Follow Dave Gerhardt on LinkedIn
• Explore the Exit Five community at exitfive.com