It's summer in Philadelphia, and it's hot. I'm kicking off a LinkedIn training workshop for emerging arts and culture leaders. After introductions, I start with my go-to first question.

"How many of you have set up a LinkedIn profile?"

About 4 in 5 attendees raise their hands, some tentative but many with confidence. About 80% of the room, which is pretty good.

"OK, who posts to LinkedIn nearly every week?"

One hand is raised, hesitates, then flattens and wiggles in a "so so" gesture.

Here's the part where I sound like a LinkedIn sales rep. (I'm not.)

There is so much power and accessibility in this free tool!

You just need to learn to leverage it.

That is exactly what you will learn to do in this course. You'll see what a powerful tool LinkedIn can be when leveraged authentically toward a strategic goal.

The course includes videos with accompanying transcripts, short tip sheets that cover the basics, articles that dive deeper to focus on particular aspects of the platform, and slide decks to walk you through the strategy I share with clients when they want to learn how to make the most of LinkedIn.

It's more than a "how-to" course.

It's a way of looking at networking strategically. It's a different way of looking at how and why you value your professional relationships. This course will benefit college students and experienced professionals alike.

It will be eye-opening, practical, and fun. Let's begin!