Ellen Donnelly

Build One Idea That Attracts Better Clients

Founder of The Ask.

Clarify the core idea that ties your work together so clients instantly understand what you stand for.

Define Your One Big Idea (OBI)

Identify the through-line in your services, content, and results so your positioning stops feeling scattered

Find the Red Thread

See how your OBI becomes a 2000+ word Hero Piece. Build trust, depth, and inbound demand without relying on social.

Turn That Idea Into a Client-Attracting Authority Piece

Develop the rare skill of listening to what your market needs but can't yet name — so when you make decisions, you're just right.

AI Research Leader •Ex-Meta, Uber, Apple

Uber

Apple

Google

Canvas8

Abi Awomosu

AI Research Leader • Ex-Uber, Meta •  Bestselling Author of 'How Not to Use AI'

Cohort 6

Cohort 7

Most leaders don’t struggle with access to ideas or data. They struggle with knowing what matters before it’s obvious or too late.Most AI research courses teach extraction: summarize quicker, automate the asking, replacing the human with the synthetic.The Billion Person Focus Group® does the opposite. You use AI as a listening partner to access patterns from places where people actually gather and speak unfiltered— forums, communities, support tickets, sales calls, product data.Triangulate across sources. Bring receipts. Then hand off what you find to surveys, interviews, or experiments.Discovery first. Validation second.This isn't "move fast and break things." It's see first—act once.In two days, you’ll apply this to a real high-stakes decision and leave with:<ul><li>Visual market landscape maps </li><li>3–5 decision-ready hypotheses</li><li>A ready-to-run Listening OS — agents, workflows, cookbooks — customized to your market</li><li>A validation plan you can execute Monday</li></ul>And you keep everything — for the next launch, the next client, the next pivot. Stop renting insights. Start owning the capability.

See what your market really needs—before you build, launch, or scale. 

See your market as it actually exists— not how dashboards flatten it

Identify emerging market trends before they become mainstream.

Discover  the 'unknown unknowns' — what your market feels but can't say

Assemble AI advisors that shape decisions  — not yes-machines who confirm

Move at AI speed without losing the human meaning in the data

Stop renting insights or more AI tools — develop internal intelligence you keep

The course is taught primarily using Claude, but the methodology works across platforms. No technical skills required.

Familiarity with AI tools — you've used ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or similar. 

Strategic Leaders (Product, Marketing, Strategy Leaders, Consultants) who need to spot opportunities before competitors or de-risk big bets

Founders, Entrepreneurs or Innovators who want to stop guessing at product-market fit and meet needs that actually exist

Senior Practitioners (Designers, Marketers, Strategists, Researchers) who want to ground their work in real signal — not assumptions

Get clear on who you are, what you’re great at, and how to show up online with confidence to guide your career with clarity and intent.

Grace McCarrick

100k+ on TikTok, Soft Skills Speaker & Consultant

Maven

Cameo

Pinterest

Mercury Bank

Compass Real Estate

Mallory Contois

20k+ on Linkedin, Startup Leader, Founder

Joseph Olender, Personal Branding Expert

Brand Strategist, Personal Brand Consultant and Advisor

January

March 2026

Defining your personal brand - what people know and remember you for - is one of the highest impact things you can do for your career.We would know - building and crafting our own personal brands has completely altered the course of our careers and lives. It’s not about building an audience or chasing reach - it’s about getting to know yourself and learning to express your strengths, experiences, values and belief systems with clarity. When you do, career decisions get easier, opportunities become clearer, and people think of you in the right moments.Together in this 10-day group cohort, we'll define your niche using the playbooks that have worked for us, sharpen your voice through practice and 1:1 feedback, and help you begin to show up online with confidence.By the end, you’ll walk away with a strong personal positioning statement, an optimized online profile, a content strategy you’ll actually follow, and a repeatable routine for growing your network and visibility.This course is for anyone ready to build credibility, community, and long-term career stability in a rapidly shifting professional world.

Define your POV, sharpen your voice, and start confidently showing up online.

Define your unique positioning in your space

Craft a stronger, clearer digital presence

Clarify your content pillars and tone of voice

Design a sustainable content routine that works for you

Begin to expand your network and community

Accelerate your career growth through visibility

ICs and Managers You have the expertise to turn into a personal brand, but need help navigating how to do it within your current role.

Generalists You can flex into multiple functions and struggle to define a clear story that connects them into a single, impactful narrative.

Consultants and Fractionals You need a stronger brand to attract the right clients, and you're looking to craft something that stands out.

AI is here to stay. The real question is how you make yourself visible in a world where algorithms, automation, and endless noise dominate. The answer lies in building a brand that starts with your story and grows into a strategy you can sustain. We begin by working on the foundations of your narrative. You’ll learn why stories cut through better than any algorithm, how to use frameworks like the ARC Method (Authenticity → Resonance → Credibility), and how to turn your lived experiences into leadership themes that resonate. Along the way, you’ll define your values, identify your archetype, and develop a brand compass that gives you a clear direction. Just so you know...We are a social enterprise, which means we keep our pricing intentionally low to remain inclusive and accessible, reinvesting any surplus to fund our wider social impact programmes. If you would like to take part but cannot afford the course right now, please email jasminehasmatali@wearebreakthrough.org to receive an application form to join the course at no cost. We reserve a % of spots each cohort for applicants. What makes this course different to others focused on building your brand?We teach you to use AI as an amplifier for your authentic voice while giving you a framework to keep your brand evolving over time. AI as an AmplifierWe’ll explore how AI can help without replacing your voice:- Refining tone, identifying themes, and repurposing content- Tools for planning and scheduling so you can stay consistent- Ethical guidelines to ensure your brand feels human, not automated Planning for EvolutionYour brand is not static. We’ll close with:- A framework to refresh your story as you and your industry change- Ways to listen to your audience and adapt your message- Practical exercises to test and refine your approach over time By the end, you’ll have built your own Brand Playbook, which includes:- A purpose-driven narrative rooted in your experiences- A set of values, an archetype, and a brand compass to guide decisions- Clear messaging pillars and a channel strategy that fits you- A 30-day action plan supported by AI tools- A framework to evolve your brand over time This course is about helping you show up consistently, communicate with clarity, and build a brand that feels unmistakably yours—even in the AI era.

Create a personal brand that doesn’t just survive the AI era, but leads in it. 

Course syllabus

Day 1: The Inner Narrative (Story &amp; Meaning)<ul><li>Discover why story cuts through noise better than algorithms</li><li>Craft your origin story and map your turning points into leadership themes</li><li>Define your brand compass: values, archetype, and voice</li><li>Draft messaging pillars</li></ul>

January 8th

Day 2: The Outer Strategy <ul><li>Learn how to use AI to refine your story and scale your visibility</li><li>Build a content system and design your signature content format</li><li>Create a 90-day AI-assisted action plan</li><li>Develop a framework for evolving your brand as you and your audience grow</li></ul>

January 11th

Course schedule

🌱 The Career Pivoter: You’re moving into a new chapter—and want your brand to reflect your evolution, not just your past.

🧠 The Emerging Thought Leader: You’re ready to turn your lived experience into a clear, credible, and compelling brand voice.

👩‍💻 The Visionary Founder: Building more than a business—you want your story to fuel a movement and a message that scales.

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Give students an idea of how they can expect to grow throughout your course. Include specificity and precise results so students can benchmark exactly what they’ll learn.

Define your core narrative: Craft a compelling story rooted in your lived experience that aligns with your mission, audience, and vision.

Identify the language, tone, and messaging pillars that differentiate your leadership in a crowded digital space.

Build a scalable content and brand strategy that connects your values to market-relevant visibility and growth.

Learn how to activate your brand through platforms, offers, and messaging systems designed for the AI-powered world.

In an era defined by automation, noise, and algorithmic influence, your story is your strongest signal - learn how to lead with it. 

Sobanan Narenthiran

January 2026

March 2026 Cohort

Leave w/ 10+ polished posts, a repeatable content system that saves hours each week & clear positioning that attracts the right clients

LinkedIn Organic Growth Strategist

Denison University

Bloomberg

InStyle

Molly Godfrey

LinkedIn Visibility Strategist, Viral Content Creator, $2M Generated for Clients

October 2025

Winter 2026 Cohort

You’re a deep thinker. You have valuable expertise &amp; insights, but it’s frustrating when you can’t seem to get a LinkedIn visibility breakthrough. It shouldn’t be this hard for someone with your level of experience &amp; knowledge to be seen as an authority &amp; attract the right clients. I know the feeling. I launched my 1st business on Instagram while running a blog. Getting clients felt like pulling teeth &amp; every month I hoped referrals would sustain me. IG's highly visual style wasn’t aligned w/ my strengths: teaching, frameworks, &amp; storytelling. When I started publishing long-form ideas &amp; insights on LinkedIn, everything changed. I got the traction &amp; was consistently selling high-ticket services. Today, I work w/ some of the smartest experts in their fields who are now building businesses of their own. My work helps them get the visibility they deserve. When I look back, my success came from building a repeatable system: → Widening my audience so new people found my work→ Nurturing connections through niche-specific content→ Showcasing transformations so clients reached out directly That’s the system I teach inside this course.

Get visible on LinkedIn without sacrificing your authenticity or nuance.

How to create highly engaging- thought leadership content

Storytelling that connects (without the cringe)

How to demonstrate social proof & create transformation content

Learn to write for the LinkedIn Algorithm

This isn’t a beginner course. You’ve posted your own content before and know the basics of navigating LinkedIn.

Posting History

You’ve had at least 2–3 paying clients and an offer that’s converted.

Proven, repeatable offer

You’re ready to show up consistently and build thought leadership specifically on this channel.

Clarity LinkedIn is your platform

Founders looking to stand out in their industry and be known for their expertise

Agency Owners &amp; Service Based Businesses who want LinkedIn to be a primary lead generation channel

Fractionals, Independents, and Freelancers looking to attract new clients