Melissa Cohen

Melissa CohenOct 18, 2026

The best thing about LinkedIn is always the people! So here is a new edition of Four To Follow, four people in my network who I think you should be following: Greg Downs: "Sobriety taught me more about money than Wall Street ever did." That's Greg's LinkedIn headline, and it stopped me in my tracks. After 14 years advising some of the country's wealthiest families, Greg's life took a dramatic turn that led him to confront addiction and begin his recovery. Along the way, he recognized that many of the patterns associated with addiction, including denial, avoidance, and shame, also show up in our relationships with money. Today, he's bringing that hard-earned perspective to financial well-being. I appreciate his willingness to share a difficult story and challenge us to think about money in a very different way. Jessica Miller: Slipping socks are the bane of my existence. For real. So when I met Jessica, co-founder of SQUID SOCKS, through The Outlier Project, I was immediately intrigued. She started by creating socks that stay on kids' feet, took her company to Shark Tank, and has since expanded into adult performance socks designed to reduce slipping inside your shoes. Jessica kindly sent me two pairs to try (gifted, with no obligation to post), and I can sincerely report that they are fantastic! I love meeting founders who've taken an everyday frustration and turned it into a successful business, and Jessica's story is definitely one worth following. Matthew Zachary: At just 21 years old, Matthew was diagnosed with brain cancer and told to get his affairs in order. Thankfully, 30 years later he's still here, and he's spent much of that time fighting to make healthcare better for patients. He founded Stupid Cancer, helped build the young adult cancer movement, and now co-leads We the Patients, advocating for patients to have a stronger voice in the healthcare system. He's also a keynote speaker, podcast host, and author. To top it all off, he's also a concert pianist who has performed for audiences of 30,000. His combination of advocacy, humor, and unapologetic honesty makes Matthew someone worth following. Danielle Singer: “Friends don’t let friends overspend on their office.” That's Danielles philosophy, and after nearly 20 years in wealth management, she knows a thing or two about making smart investments. Today, she's President of Warehouse of Fixtures, her family's third generation commercial interiors business, helping companies create beautiful, functional workplaces without unnecessarily breaking the bank. I love how she is challenging the way businesses think about furnishing their offices. One other thing I love: Danielle has an absolutely hilarious sense of humor. Follow her for smart business insights, a fresh perspective on workplace design, and some very good laughs along the way. As always, please share in the comments who you think is a must follow!

Melissa CohenOct 20, 2026

Some of the most accomplished people I meet really struggle with something important: communicating their own value, especially when it comes to showing up on LinkedIn. The problem with that is the people who could open doors for you may never understand what you bring to the table. Whether that's a potential client, a recruiter, a conference organizer, or a future business partner, they don't have the benefit of knowing everything you've accomplished. They only know what you've communicated. Sometimes they're only looking at your profile for a moment and reading a post or two. One of the participants in my September LinkedIn masterclass shared something that really stood out to me. She said she'd always been more comfortable showcasing other people's skills and expertise than her own, but during the class, a light bulb went off. She began to see how to articulate her own personal brand and strengthen her LinkedIn presence. Another participant admitted she wasn't even sure she needed the class. Within an hour of finishing, she'd made several significant changes to her profile. That's why I love teaching this. I'm not looking to teach you tricks or hacks. No one knows how to truly "hack the algorithm" here. What I teach is being able to communicate the value you've spent years building. I'm bringing back Building Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn: From Profile to Presence, November 17, from 1 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time. We'll work on your positioning, your profile, and how to build a presence that reflects what you want to be known for and makes the value of your expertise clear. All the info and how to register: https://lnkd.in/gwxW4UUC

Melissa CohenOct 23, 2026

I started sharing LinkedIn Nuggets years ago, and what was true then is still true today: There are pearls of wisdom being shared here just waiting to be found. When we stop the scroll and take the time to engage, we can truly be inspired. So here are six nuggets shared by my connections that are so good, I wanted to share them with you: “Because sometimes the warning sign isn’t that you’re struggling. It’s that you’re relying on the same strengths that got you here to push through something they were never designed to solve.” - Jennifer Laidlaw, MA, CHRE “The cost of a yes does not disappear because we have not named it.” - Razvan Popescu “Give yourself credit for how far you've come. You've probably accomplished things you once thought were impossible. Don't let what you've done before limit what you believe you can do next. Challenge yourself to do the hard thing. Growth happens when we stretch beyond what's comfortable. Raise your standards, not your doubts. Don't let your past accomplishments become the ceiling for your future potential.” - Kate McKinnon MLD, PHR, SHRM-CP “If you're reading this and there is something you want to start, please give yourself a chance to start it.” - Eugina Jordan “AI can write the email. AI can't sit in the silence with you when your world falls apart. AI can summarize the meeting. AI can't notice the person who never said a word, and ask, Hey, are you okay? AI can generate the apology. AI can't mean it.” - Dominic Vogel “Sometimes, the things we're most passionate about require us to work quietly, trust the process, and allow everything to come together in its own time.” - Kim L. Which nugget resonated most with you today? Come join the conversation at our virtual autumn garden tea.