Ep 33: Unlocking LinkedIn’s Full Potential With Sales Navigator — With Tamika Brunetti
🌐 LinkedIn: Ascent Social Capital, Tamika Brunetti
By Sherry Sutton | Heart of the Hustle Show
Discover how LinkedIn Sales Navigator becomes a strategic powerhouse for business growth in this episode with LinkedIn expert Tamika Brunetti. Learn step‑by‑step how to build relationships, surface leads, and scale authentically on LinkedIn with smarter intent.
Introduction
LinkedIn has long been a powerhouse for professionals looking to connect, grow, and stay visible in their industries. But if you think LinkedIn is just an online resume or a place to repost blog content, you're missing the bigger picture. In Episode 33 of Heart of the Hustle, I sat down with LinkedIn expert Tamika Brunetti to unpack what it really means to unlock LinkedIn’s full potential—specifically by using Sales Navigator the right way.
This episode is for the entrepreneurs, marketers, and thought leaders who know they're underutilizing LinkedIn. You're posting, you're scrolling, maybe you're even trying a little outreach. But are you building real, revenue-driving relationships? Probably not—and Tamika explains exactly why.
Why LinkedIn Still Deserves Your Attention
With over a billion members, LinkedIn is more than a social network. It's the largest professional platform in the world, filled with your future clients, partners, investors, and collaborators. But presence alone isn't enough. Showing up is step one. Having a strategy is step two.
What Tamika breaks down beautifully is that many users approach LinkedIn like a digital business card. They slap on a headshot, toss a few buzzwords in their headline, and wait. But in today’s business climate, waiting doesn’t work. We need to be proactive, intentional, and relational—not transactional. That’s where Sales Navigator becomes a game-changer.
The Problem With "Just Being Active" on LinkedIn
If you're like many of my clients, you log into LinkedIn and feel overwhelmed. You post occasionally, maybe comment on some posts, but you aren't seeing the ROI. You might be sending cold DMs that go nowhere or investing hours without a clear strategy.
This scattered approach is what Tamika calls "LinkedIn without intent." And it's a huge drain on time, energy, and opportunity. You're busy, but you’re not productive. You're active, but not strategic. And in that gap, real opportunities slip through the cracks.
We talked in-depth about how this happens to solopreneurs and enterprise sales teams. Even companies spending money on LinkedIn Premium aren’t always getting it right. Because without a smart relationship-building strategy, the tool is just... a tool. Not a lever for growth.
Sales Navigator: The Secret Weapon You're Probably Ignoring
Now, let’s talk about what actually works.
Sales Navigator isn’t just "LinkedIn Premium Plus." It’s a full-scale relationship-building dashboard that lets you find and follow the right people at the right time—with data signals that actually matter.
Tamika explained how it helps you go from random outreach to warm, intentional conversations. You can filter by who just got promoted, who posted recently, or who’s been mentioned in the news. These are real-time insights that help you reach out with context and with purpose.
Think of it like this: instead of cold messaging someone out of the blue, you’re now engaging someone who just took a new leadership role and is likely open to new solutions. That’s not cold outreach. That’s a well-timed introduction.
Relationship Before Revenue
One of my favorite moments in our conversation was when Tamika said: "Sales Navigator isn’t a search engine. It’s a relationship engine."
That’s a mantra we live by in the Heart of the Hustle studio. We’re not just about creating content that sounds good. We’re creating strategic content that supports a larger goal: connection, conversation, and conversion. Sales Navigator helps facilitate those first two pieces with clarity and insight.
You don’t build trust by blasting cold messages. You build it by showing up, engaging genuinely, and providing value long before you ask for a meeting. LinkedIn, powered by the right tools, becomes less about algorithms and more about authentic alignment.
Content + Strategy = Magic (Especially in the Studio)
Now here’s where things get really fun. Imagine coming into the Heart of the Hustle studio for a one-hour interview. We sit down, we talk through your brand, your audience, and your LinkedIn game (or lack thereof). But you don’t just leave with a podcast episode. You leave with an entire month of content—done for you.
Here’s what you walk away with:
Your podcast interview, produced and ready to go
Reels and short-form video clips for your socials
Custom LinkedIn content based on your conversation
A strategy sheet for Sales Navigator that breaks down the exact filters you should be using
A mapped-out content calendar with CTAs, hooks, and hashtags tailored to your audience
If you've ever felt stuck on what to post, who to talk to, or how to turn visibility into opportunity—this is the solution.
Real Results From Real Strategies
Tamika didn’t just talk theory in our episode. She shared real case studies. Like how she helped a customer success team turn a "renewal risk" account into a growth opportunity simply by tracking role changes inside Sales Navigator. Or how solo business owners used Smart Links to track lead engagement and close more deals without aggressive sales tactics.
She also pointed out how companies that gave everyone (not just sales teams) access to Sales Navigator started seeing better results across the board. From marketing to recruiting to executive networking—this isn’t just a sales tool. It’s a growth tool.
You Don’t Have to Be a Salesperson to Benefit
One myth that came up during the interview was the idea that Sales Navigator is only for sales teams. Not true. If you are in business—any kind of business—and your success depends on relationships, this tool is for you.
And if you’re not ready to invest in Sales Navigator yet? That’s fine. Tamika gave plenty of tips on how to apply the same mindset with the free version of LinkedIn. The point is: strategy comes first. The tool supports it.
Turning Podcast Episodes Into Pipeline
This is the magic of what we do at Heart of the Hustle. We don’t just capture your story. We turn it into a marketing engine.
When Tamika came into the studio, we crafted her episode to do more than educate. It positions her as a thought leader. It gives her content she can reuse and repurpose across platforms. It gives her something to send to leads, to showcase her expertise, and to deepen trust with her audience.
That’s the opportunity every guest gets. When you leave our studio, you’re not just walking away with content. You’re walking away with assets. You’re walking away with a clear message, a LinkedIn growth roadmap, and a month of social posts done for you.
So What’s Your Next Move?
If you’re tired of doing "LinkedIn lite," it’s time to step into your full potential. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, you deserve a strategy that actually works—and content that actually converts.
So here’s my invitation:
Want a month of content by just hanging with me for an hour? Be a guest on Heart of the Hustle. You’ll get a full done-for-you content package, a podcast episode, and a LinkedIn game plan that positions you to connect with the right people at the right time.
And of course, make sure to watch the full episode with Tamika Brunetti on YouTube or your favorite podcasting platform. Her insights might just change how you use LinkedIn forever.
Ready To Turn LinkedIn Into Your Content Engine?
If you're nodding along thinking, “Okay, I need to be doing LinkedIn smarter,” but you're overwhelmed by all the moving parts — you’re not alone. And more importantly, you're not stuck.
At the Heart of the Hustle studio, we take the guesswork out of marketing. When you're a guest on the podcast, you're not just showing up for an interview. You're stepping into a full-blown content strategy session that gives you everything you need to show up consistently, clearly, and confidently on LinkedIn and beyond.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:
A professionally produced podcast episode that showcases your expertise
Reels, captions, and social content crafted from your conversation — ready to post
A LinkedIn strategy tailored to your audience, complete with high-performing prompts and CTAs
A done-for-you content calendar designed to position you as the go-to in your space
Strategic messaging that helps you connect with decision-makers and build real relationships
You don’t need to create content from scratch. You just need one hour with me in the studio, and we’ll build a month of marketing that aligns with your goals and actually moves the needle.
Want to show up on LinkedIn with more clarity, more confidence, and more strategy?
Let’s make that happen.
🎙️ Be a guest on Heart of the Hustle. Walk out with a podcast episode, a content library, and a plan.
🎯 Watch the full episode with Tamika Brunetti on YouTube or your favorite podcasting platform, and then… let’s get to work.
