What does it actually look like to build something before anyone is paying attention?

Molly started with a personal blog, written to process her own life. For months, nothing happened. No readers, no traction, just blind faith and a lot of content that never saw the light of day. Then one post went viral. An NBC reporter found a completely different post. And suddenly the Today Show came calling.

What followed was years of quietly, intentionally building - through pivots, experiments, and a lot of showing up before she knew exactly where it was all going - into a thriving business.

Molly is now an expert in all things LinkedIn, helping female coaches, consultants, and fractional professionals show up confidently on the platform in a way that feels real and actually doable.

We talk about what it takes to build in public before you have it all figured out, why community is one of the most underrated tools for solopreneurs, and how to get out of your own way so the right people can actually find you.

You'll Learn

⭐ How to show up publicly when you're still figuring it out

⭐ What women specifically struggle with on LinkedIn, and how to move through it

⭐ Why community needs change by season and what to look for

⭐ How strategic connections on LinkedIn matter more than follower count

⭐ What it means to choose your work every single day

Key Insights

Blind Faith Is a Strategy Months of content that no one read. No traction, no validation. And then one post changed everything. Molly credits the breakthrough entirely to just not stopping.

You Have to Choose It Every Day Building a business, showing up on a platform, putting your voice out there - none of it just happens. It's an act of choice, every single day.

LinkedIn Is More Intimidating Than Any Other Platform Only about 3% of LinkedIn users actually create content. That means the bar to stand out is lower than you think. You just have to be willing to show up.

Community Needs Are Seasonal Sometimes you need a lot of support. Sometimes the group chat feels like noise. Both are valid. A good community makes room for both.

Timestamps

02:00 How Molly and Kristin met - and why LinkedIn gets the credit

05:00 The sabbatical, the nursing school pivot, and how a blog started everything

09:00 The best and hardest parts of working for yourself

13:00 Six months of silence and the post that went viral

16:00 The Today Show call she thought was spam

19:00 On evolving publicly and the vulnerability of not having it figured out

22:00 The community she built for women creators on LinkedIn

26:00 What it actually means to be a content creator — and why it matters now

35:00 The LinkedIn algorithm, the ebbs, and how to work with it

42:00 Nervous system regulation and what it has to do with showing up

48:00 What shaped her as a leader that would never show up on a resume

51:00 Legacy: having people's backs, unconditionally

Resources and Links
Connect with Molly on LinkedIn
Find host Kristin Belden on LinkedIn or at BeldenStrategies.com
Sign up for Kristin's newsletter Big Deal Energy: BeldenStrategies.com/newsletter

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