Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back everyone to the Tron podcast. This is your host, Rashad Woods. Today I have a very special guest in Boca Raton, Florida. Entrepreneur, speaker, AI advocate and creator of the LinkedIn Vantage. Very good uses of how to use your LinkedIn profile and a mastery of public speaking and helping business and career owners. Mr. Al Kushner, thank you very much.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: Well, thank you, Sean.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: It's a pleasure and I'm really looking forward. Your background is varied. You started off graduating from the New York University and then you very healthcare. So just give us a quick run of your background, please.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Well, yeah, so I attended college and afterwards I got involved in the insurance industry and had done that for past many years.
And it really gave me kind of the groundwork that I needed to actually create my book because it showcased some of my experience and used in a way to showcase leadership where it was something that was always eluded me. And I finally figured out a way to create it by creating a book that that establishes myself as an authority, particularly when it comes to LinkedIn and AI, since I've been using LinkedIn for the past.
[00:01:06] Speaker A: Right. So what's crazy about LinkedIn is that I think people, a lot of people only use it at the surface level. Even when you're on it, there's a lot more powerful tools that people aren't familiar with. So based on your usage and years of it, what exactly have you found out how robust it actually really is?
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Well, I think a lot of people don't really take it seriously for the most part. I mean, they kind of treat it almost like other platforms like Facebook. And it's really not. It's really a way to connect with people, mostly business to business, I would say. And it's definitely a way to leverage your abilities in a way that has never been done before. I mean, it's really incredible. It's more than a resume. It has such more meaning in terms of the connections that you make and the things you can post on there, like videos and articles that you've written. So it really gives you a lot more opportunity to make quality connections.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Was this one of those aha platforms that based on your history and your career, where it was almost like this is the platform that could really like take, you know, career and potential and business connections, professional connections to the next level because again, it's so robust and it really isn't like any other platform. And then can you dive a little bit into Linked Linked advantage of what how that came into fruition?
[00:02:17] Speaker B: Well, I would say in the beginning, I would say LinkedIn was just getting started. I didn't think it really started taking off until Microsoft took over. And it really enhanced a lot of the capabilities that you see today. So it really created a lot of opportunity that really has never been done before. I mean, it reached close to over 900 million users, which is incredible. So you really have such an amazing reach and you find that the ability to provide value to whoever you connect with is immeasurable. I mean, you can go on the platform and showcase a lot more features to someone who you want to connect with, your accomplishments that you've done or recommendations from other people. That really is amazing how it evolved. And Link Vantage is just something that I created to help people to optimize their profile and also to create effective outreach strategies that really are beyond what you'll find in normal marketing situations.
[00:03:11] Speaker A: So it also shows some sort of pratfalls that people can use to, I mean, not prattful, excuse me, when people have to disconnect from certain users the proper protocols in place because it is a professional network, unlike your typical social network where, hey, this is the barbecue, this is the kids graduation. So to spell. So it shows it. You also give some tips on your website of, hey, this is how you may disassociate from a connection and then people don't notice that you actually do it. So what are the tips of navigating that professionally when people do need to, for, for lack of better term, lead somebody away from their, their profile network?
[00:03:42] Speaker B: Well, I mean, you have features on the platform where you can delete them and also block them altogether. So it really is not, not rocket science. I mean, go there and do that. I think it's just a matter of, you know, what direction you want to take. You have to really look at who you're accepting into your universe and you're allowing this individual who, you know, off the bat is still going to start pitching you, you know, what we call pitch slap. Okay.
[00:04:08] Speaker A: Yeah, it's pretty hectic when people start, you know, people will see their title and then automatically they're basically like sending you like their sales pitch or they're sending you, you know, they're, they're, they're, you know, hey, I can offer this service without even like sort of an introductory hello. And it's gotten, it's overwhelming actually, right? When people just assume all of a sudden that you want to buy something from or they're the next great salesperson of a particular service.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: You know, that's the thing. And it's also part of your profile. So if already your profile is just overwhelmingly salesy, you're going to find that people are going to be not really accepting your connection unless there's something that's so compelling, like maybe referred by someone and maybe they owe us an interest. But if that's not the case, you're really just going to be at a loss. When someone tries to connect with you, they look at your profile, they don't see it as professional or lacking, they just want to accept it. And a lot of times when you reach out, maybe considered a spam and LinkedIn will notice that. So, you know, do you see a.
[00:05:01] Speaker A: Generational difference of usage of LinkedIn? Like, you know, millennials may do more certain things as opposed to more established user base?
[00:05:08] Speaker B: Well, I think it's kind of universal across the platform. I mean, I've seen a lot of people who are older than millennials making a lot of mistakes that they shouldn't be making when it comes to their profile, whereby millennials seem to be, you know, pretty much adept at it. Maybe they're, you know, taking courses in college or something. That's keeping them abreast of how important it has to have a profile that's optimized. You know, take for example, your profile image. I mean, you should get a professional headshot, ideally, would be great. But most importantly, don't forget the background image. If you're leaving it blank, I mean, you're just losing an opportunity to make more, you know, connections with people. Now time people see, it's like, well, see, it's like you're just getting started or something. You should really have a background image. And in the background image, you know, have something that kind of talks about things that you offer to people. You know, whether it's a value added service or even a quote, you know, just make it interesting.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: Absolutely. And then, you know, and then I think sometimes when you, when you see people's profile, they start blending in personal items as opposed to professional items. When you go on LinkedIn, you're like, that's not really this, this, this avenue for discussion that should be had on this professional website. And it starts to bleed into that more that you see it more often. And it's awkward too, because then it could set a precedence of who wants to deal with you because they know that you can't with, you know, unfortunately, your emotions are coming out on a personal thing that should be better left on a, on, on a more social network, not a professional website.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: I'll be honest with you, you shouldn't leave it on any website. I mean, if you're at a, you know, have a picture of you on a booze cruise or something, and you know, you're an attorney and you think people want to take you seriously, it shouldn't be any platform, period. So think about what you're going to post and whether or not it's going to add value to whoever you're connecting with. I mean, certainly, you know, photos and such that are of a personal nature.
[00:06:55] Speaker A: Really don't belong on the question. So you're author of five books as well too, and you have. So talk about your writing and your authorship as well, please.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: Well, my last book, which won actually an award in its category, was something that was a kind of a passion of mine and it focused in on people, particularly on Medicare and turning 65, because there are over, you know, 20,000 people every day turning 65 and have no clue what to do do with their benefits they're entitled to. And my book kind of helps educate people in that way. And when I created this book on LinkedIn, this also was a way to educate people how to use AI technology and LinkedIn together, who was never really put together that way. In fact, it's the first book of its kind. It really addresses both AI and LinkedIn together. And it's amazing how you can use technology like, I don't know, ChatGPT, for example, to create content, great script videos on the fly. It's really amazing how helps you save your time.
[00:07:53] Speaker A: And it's crazy because I think that one of the things that people have gotten accustomed to is they get scared of technology, but then they realize that they actually need it. Right. For instance, you know, the automation, I always call it, like the Luddits, right? They, they, they, they were crashing the textiles locations in England because they were concerned they're going to get rid of textile workers. At the end of the day, you know, technology is, can be a tool when used properly and when you're educated on how to use it. So when you started utilizing AI, what was some of the fears that people had to overcome when it came to the usage of technology? Because you saw writer strikes, you see people getting all up in arms that it's going to replace them.
[00:08:27] Speaker B: I think people fear the fact that the technology could be overwhelming at times. And I think they kind of lose on their authenticity. And I think that if you can use it as a tool and then add some of your own, you know, value or your own words, that will be very helpful. It's just really as a tool that you use and it's not an end all. And people were thinking as an end all and that's really not the case.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: What did you find? I'm so fascinated about your health career too, because navigating health care is notoriously complex. So what have you seen during the changes? Because you were at Blue Cross, Aetna, Humana throughout that entire course and you're obviously helping people with Medicare. How do you navigate such a complex and personal business venture for people? Because healthcare is very personal, but it is a business.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: Well, you have to be on top of what the changes are happening in the industry. You know, every year there is always going to be new plans coming out and you have to really examine what's best for your client. And I try to look at what is the latest information that's available. And every year, you know, we get tested as far as learning the knowledge of the products and services. I think the overall thing is that you want to help people avoid mistakes that they should make because some of those mistakes could be permanent. And that really is something that people are shocked about and they realize, you know, what do you mean? You know, I mean, I had one person, she was 80 something years old and I would say that she didn't realize that she had to have a prescription plan as part of her medicine.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: Right.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: And yeah, and that's just something that she was like, couldn't believe the penalties that were associated with it in order to even get back to it. And she was taking a risk and because she didn't think, well, she didn't need medicine, so why, why take it? But it's required. So people in for a shock if they don't do that. They just have Medicare.
[00:10:14] Speaker A: I didn't, I didn't know it was required, to be quite honest with you. I didn't know that Medicare Part D was part of requirement. You know, you see about it so often. And then they have Medicare Advantage plans and things of that nature.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Well, Advantage plans include the Part D as part of that. But the fact is if they have a supplement again or just straight Medicare, they need to have something to cover for prescription drugs. And there are plans that are very reasonable and affordable. Some of them are even free, depending on where you live. There's no reason not to have it. But not having it. And all of a sudden you need it at some point down the road. Well, it's.
[00:10:45] Speaker A: How's your public speaking career? I know you're an avid public speaker. You hold seminars, events, workshops. You know, you have Two separate websites. One is Linked Advantage, the other one is Al Kushner.com so on that side of your public speaking and workshops, can you dive into that for us?
[00:10:59] Speaker B: Well, I do offer courses on LinkedIn and my website linkedvantage.com 1 focuses on profile optimization and the other one focuses on outreach and their self study courses that they can at your leisure, which really works and very effective. The other site focuses on speaking opportunities. I speak with associations and educate them on LinkedIn and I think that kind of showcases the information I have member of the National Speakers Association. I've been verified as a virtual speaker and it's given me a lot of great opportunities to connect with other speakers who have been in the industry for many years.
So it's really a great way to be part of an organization like that to really propel one's career.
[00:11:42] Speaker A: Do you find it now, and I know this may sound like a silly question, that it's mandatory now for people to have a LinkedIn profile because you may still have people on the fence that that may be old schooling it or maybe people don't see the value in having a public presence like that. I know like a lot of people have gotten past that point because they realize they need to have a digital presence. But for people who are still on the fence, like, well, I'm, you know, just one of 900 million people. How do you sell the value add of having that?
[00:12:07] Speaker B: I guess depends on what, what industry they're in. If they are a speaker, for example, not having it, it puts yourself at a loss because that's people to check out your profile. Same thing with people looking for jobs. The, you know, employers always check their profiles, whoever they are considering, if they're getting past a certain level and they want to know who the person is behind, you know, when they're looking at their profile. So it really is important or not considering it. Well, I guess maybe people who are retired and don't necessarily need to be in the job force, that could be an example.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: It was almost funny now because people like in, in regular conversation when somebody's talking to somebody and they go to Google or they go to look them up and they don't have a digital footprint, people are almost like, whoa, you know, what do you mean you're not online? It's almost like the opposite of what it used to be when it first came into fruition. Right. A lot of people weren't online. But you know, fast forward 20 years later, it's almost like, is this person for real? Do they have a hidden agenda. Do they have something to hide? Because they don't have either a LinkedIn profile or something, you know, digital to find on social media.
[00:13:05] Speaker B: Yeah, well, sometimes also they can be impersonated by other people, you know, and that could also be at a loss. So if they don't do it themselves, someone else would do it for them. They're a celebrity and that in cases like that, guess what, you know, you can look under, I don't know, some popular billionaire and find out on the platform and obviously you see they're on it, but they're not really who they are.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: So when you talked about mistakes, not just the headshots and photos, but when people are putting up the themselves on there, what mistakes are common mistakes and pratfalls that people actually do make when they make their profile?
[00:13:38] Speaker B: Well, I would think that not investing in a professional headshot is certainly, that is a big mistake. You should really look for a photographer that does these professional headshots. There are some AI technologies also that could be helpful too. So don't overlook that. I would say that have a robust profile, including features such as your about section. I mean, I think that's important to kind of showcase some of the things that you are kind of known for. You have work experience, but I wouldn't put every work experience on there. For example, I mean, the fact that you worked at McDonald's at 16 really is not going to work well unless you're working for the corporation as a corporate bigwig. But I would limit to maybe, I don't know, two or three recent jobs itself just shows you, you know, you have a certain stability there. I think most importantly is there are features such as list any skills that you have, awards that you've won, which is really helpful. Also if you've done any type of volunteer work that's very favorable on employers, you know, because you're giving back, that really helps, you know, make a difference. I would say in that, that regards. And I think also what I find is that people should consider looking at recommendations on their particular profile because that's another, what we call a third party endorsement. That really helps set you apart from the competition. Especially if you're in a situation where you're, you know, maybe, I don't know, competing with another competitor out there and you're trying to shed yourself differently. If you have, you know, 50 profile recommendations, the other guy only has two. Well, who else do you think it's.
[00:15:17] Speaker A: Gonna set you apart for? Sure. Now just to pivot briefly back to AI. So a lot of companies, obviously what typically happens is companies go all in on it because it's the thing that they don't want to get left behind. And then all of a sudden it gets to dial back because like take for instance like automated checkouts at grocery stores, right? Everybody went all in on it because they're like, this is going to be fast, efficient. And then next, you know, people responded and we're like, dude, I can't take this because every time something dings, I got to ask. It's more annoying. People will get annoyed if they need to do a return if it rang up the wrong quantity. And you would see the frustration building. And then a lot of companies pull back on automated checkouts and started to putting cashiers in place. Do you see that happening with artificial intelligence where kind of the genie gets out of the bottle? People find out they want human interaction in certain things and then companies are going to dial back.
[00:16:02] Speaker B: Well, I think that companies are slowly coming around to AI technology and they are embracing it because they see the time that they're being, they can save themselves. You also see ways to improve their profile by using the technology.
So I don't think they'll be dialing back at any time. I think they'll probably be going forward, but more cautiously. And also technology is always chang. So I always find that slow and steady is always good. You don't have to be the first to, you know, take advantage of a new technology. If you find others out there are using it, certainly you should jump on the wagon because the train is living and you don't want to be left behind.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: Right. What courses and classes do you recommend for somebody, either a small business owner or somebody who wants to get their skills up to, up to par when it comes to getting into artificial intelligence. Is there certification? Certification? Excuse me, Certain courses, universities, people who work full time students, people who are trying to get back into work workforce or just gain valuable skills.
[00:16:55] Speaker B: Well, I'd say the, the hottest industry right now is prompt engineering.
[00:16:58] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:16:59] Speaker B: So if you are looking to get involved, I would think that would be the industry to select.
[00:17:03] Speaker A: Now can you go a little deeper into that? Because I'd never heard of that actually.
[00:17:07] Speaker B: Well, it's very simple. When you are creating an idea for, let's say chat GPT, you want to be able to give it information that is going to be very much accurate to what your results are looking for. So you need to create a type of content to give it instructions in order for it to give you the exact Results and that's what product engineering is involved. And it's about creating structure, creating definedness as far as what the result you're looking for because it is an art and a science to that and once you master it, it works out well. In fact, in my book the LinkedIn Advantage, I offer 100 free, I would say LinkedIn prompts that they can use in order to apply towards LinkedIn postings. So it's part of my book as a free.
[00:17:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Because a lot of times people like, you know, obviously I'm sure people use all sorts of different robust tools, but there's actually a lot of softwares that'll automate your posts so you're not having to log in every single day and make posts. It'll. It'll do everything for the week. Some people still, you know, quote unquote, typewriter it. But it's an essence of time when people who know they're putting out regular content and have a regular schedule, they can automate that process for themselves, which is a great use of artificial intelligence. Are there any. Now you've written other books, what are your other books that you wrote?
[00:18:15] Speaker B: Oh, I would say mostly they're insurance based on and focusing on life insurance, particularly for final expense. A lot of seniors are not understanding that they can still get coverage regardless of their health condition.
[00:18:27] Speaker A: Really?
[00:18:28] Speaker B: As long as they are. Yeah, it's surprising. I mean, if they had cancer or if they had a heart attack recently, there are companies that will insure them, you know, depending on the amounts they're looking for to cover for basic funeral expenses, which could be pretty substantial.
Helps people educate them about that.
[00:18:44] Speaker A: What's crazy about insurance is it's like the thing you need, but it's the boogeyman because like you almost when you have to navigate it, how did it get to be so complex? Like, I know the history of it in this country. It was born out of World War II. There's price controls and then, you know, it kind of devolves the employers got the tax free. You know, it wasn't taxable because the Supreme Court ruled on it. And it never really. And it's always been kind of a patchwork system in this country. I'm certainly trying to make a political debate people. It's notoriously complex. You get your benefits book and then you have to navigate your networks. You have to navigate whether it's HMO or ppo. How do people streamline the lack of the complexity that takes place? Because on paper it's a simple thing. I Go to the doctor, fill a prescription. It's all the behind the scenes sausage making that confuses people.
[00:19:27] Speaker B: Well, simple. Reach out to advisors like myself who don't charge a fee for services and educate them about the complexity and make it simple for them. You know, real easy. Medicare is another website that I use and I find that people who have these questions can go to the website or to a Facebook group I created as well which talks about these topics that come up, particularly when it comes to Medicare and Social Security. And they address it in a platform that makes it easy for them to get answers for their questions they have.
[00:19:56] Speaker A: It's fantastic. You know, it's. I guess the answer is sometimes staring you right in the face. Reach out to the subject matter experts on this. So what, what, what I fascinated me so much was when I saw your profile and you know, you're big on AI and then I see an AI image of you and I'm like, this guy's already like it. I thought it was one of the funniest things because he's already like integrating AI every single day into his life and usage. So people have obviously been deep faked, they've been catfished, so to speak. You know, is, is there a, is there a standardized way to use artificial intelligence in our everyday lives? Because we're already using it, right? Like when we use our Netflix, we use our Amazon, we use our phones. So are there going to be some guardrails around the usage of this legislative wise or just on a day to day basis to kind of keep it under control so it's, or is it kind of just going to stay the way that it is?
[00:20:41] Speaker B: It's hard to say what the future can predict nowadays. I think AI is here to stay. I think at some point there will be controls expected and particularly with children, I think they may get exposed to things that they should not be at that age.
There needs to be protections involved. I'm not sure what will happen, but I believe that down the road there will be more possibilities for getting that under control. But right now, for those who use it the right way, it's really a excellent tool to save you time and create content that really will make a difference depending on your career or your.
[00:21:18] Speaker A: Business that you've talked to quite a few small business owners and they absolutely love it because oftentimes they're the, they're wearing multiple hats when they're doing their, their, their business and they found out whether it streamlines their, their accounting, whether it streamlines their marketing or ad and Sales, they were normally doing the job of two to three people, and it really let them focus on one thing because they were able to automate these particular processes that, for lack of better term, are very mundane. Spreadsheets, Excel files, and paperwork, you know, so it's certainly, certainly a fantastic tool. What does the future hold for Alan Kushner when it comes to more speaking engagements, more education? You know, are you still tired of dibbling, dabbling in the various different industries that you do right now and helping people with Linked Advantage?
[00:21:59] Speaker B: Certainly more books are on the way.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: Nice.
[00:22:00] Speaker B: So. Because, as you know, with technology changing, I expect next year my book will be even more robust.
Was. Every year, it's always amazing how many things are coming to fruition. So I look forward to that opportunity to help educate others out there about how to manage LinkedIn effectively and strategically.
[00:22:19] Speaker A: Now, do people prefer hard copies or do you see people like getting digital copies more? Because, you know, even though I like audiobooks, there's something about actually holding something in my hand that is priceless, to be quite honest with you.
[00:22:30] Speaker B: Well, I give people all the options, so they can go to paperback, they can go to hardcover or an ebook. You know, those are definitely available. Book will be released on July 4, so the soft cover and the ebook should be available at that time, as well as the audiobook version, so they can reach out and get that available to them through their retailers.
[00:22:48] Speaker A: It's fantastic. And I always ask everybody who's who. I'm honored to talk to every single guest that I get a chance to speak with. Where can people find Al Kushner that. You certainly don't need me because obviously you've been very successful without getting on the show. But just for the listeners, where can they find you and your services and what you have to offer?
[00:23:02] Speaker B: Go to my website, linkedvantage.com you'll find great, great resources available. I even have a free book, ebook, to help optimize your profile. So you can go to the website and check it out. Also, reach out to me on LinkedIn. I'm available. And all I'm saying, if you want to reach out, don't pitch slap me, because I will not take that.
[00:23:21] Speaker A: Last question. Last question. And I just, I've just. This was just dawning in my mind because I have three young daughters, and obviously they're not going into college. For people who. Because college is so competitive, it's so expensive. What recommendations do you have for high school seniors or people who are at that age or getting at that age to make a LinkedIn profile or have their resume slash CV ready. Like, what do they need to do to make themselves marketable ready either to get the scholarships, the entry into college because it is so competitive and so cutthroat and now it's everything so visible for everybody. Have you ran into that or any advice for that?
[00:23:53] Speaker B: Well, yeah, certainly begin at that age. If you are working, you can include it in your resume. If you've done any volunteer work, if you won any awards or scholarships, those are certainly helpful in making your profile stand out beyond what the competition is doing. Certainly some people, for example, boys are in Boy Scouts. They could be an Eagle Scout or something. These are all things that are looking good to college admissions because of the competitiveness of it. So as with anything you want to, you know, stress that if you want to get into a school, you should do whatever you can to make yourself at least more or better than what.
[00:24:29] Speaker A: Your competition is doing, unquestionably and constantly update it. Always remember that, you know, nothing is, can be, can be more detrimental than having something that hasn't been updated for years, months on end as well.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: Yeah, you should always update your profile at least every six months or even more recently if you have a job that you acquired recently or a award you received that should be also part of your LinkedIn. And some people don't do that and that's really.
[00:24:54] Speaker A: It's harmful for their prospects in life for sure. Al Kushner, I got to tell you, you know, like I said, I feel like I could pick your brain for hours on end. I'm very respectful of your time and I'm glad that you reached out to me and, you know, I think people who are concerned, scared of artificial intelligence, should understand that it's here and we have to make the best usage possible.
[00:25:11] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. It's something that you should look into. And my book is a great resource for those who want to learn more about not just using LinkedIn AI technology, but to help save them time. And time is money when it comes to LinkedIn, so you want to make the most out of it. So definitely you'll find value by reading the.
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Much appreciate you and I hope all is well in Sunnyside, Florida, sir.
[00:25:31] Speaker B: Yep, thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.
