Al Kushner: Blending AI and Authenticity for Smarter LinkedIn Success

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio. It is my pleasure to introduce you to today’s guest, Al Kushner, award winning author, speaker, and LinkedIn growth strategist who’s transforming how professionals use artificial intelligence to build genuine connections and measurable success online. Al is the author of the AI LinkedIn advantage, a groundbreaking book that is redefining what’s possible for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who want to grow their influence, expand their network, and turn LinkedIn into a true business engine. He’s his innovative approach blends AI powered tools with human strategy, helping people work smarter, not harder, while keeping authenticity at the center of digital networking. Al, welcome to the show.

Al Kushner: Thank you. Trisha. Pleasure to be here.

Trisha Stetzel: So excited to have you on today. So give us a little insight into al. Tell us more about you.

Al Kushner: Well, I’ve been, um, originally from New York and, uh, transplant to Florida for the past ten years. And I’ve been on LinkedIn for the past 20 years. So I really got to learn about the insides from the beginning. And until recently, uh, I think Microsoft’s takeover, they have close to a billion users. So it’s really impressed me how they’ve grown, uh, since the time of the inception. So really excited to talk about some of the insights I’ve learned.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. 20 years is a long time, al. Wow. Okay, so if it’s okay, I’d like to just dive straight into the book that you wrote. So we’ll start there and then we’ll dive into some of the details, if that’s okay with you. So what inspired you to write a LinkedIn advantage in the first place? And was there a moment when you realized professionals were missing a huge opportunity with AI on LinkedIn?

Al Kushner: Well, first thing I did was to kind of do some research to see what was out there book wise. And it really wasn’t anything out there, really delve into both AI technology and LinkedIn. So I said, well, if I don’t do it now, somebody else is going to do it. So I decided to, you know, do that. And that was a good thing too. And it’s amazing how the reception I received once the book was released. I mean, people were really impressed by the information that was available, particularly with some of the AI technologies that are currently, um, you know, in big nowadays. So I think it was good timing, and I think, I hope that people will benefit from the insights that I share with a lot of people in my book.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. So al, if people are already interested in grabbing your book, they will be later. But if they are right now, where’s the best place to find it?

Al Kushner: Oh, it’s available pretty much everywhere Amazon, Barnes and Noble. You can find it both in print versions hardback, paperback. It’s also available as an audiobook. So for those who like to listen, it’s great. You can check out it on I believe it’s available on Spotify, I think audible and other places that are available for audios. Also an e-book version too. So you’ve got four different varieties to kind of select. Select your choice.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay you guys, it’s the AI LinkedIn advantage. And if you’re looking for the author’s name it’s Al Kushner k u s h e r. I’m sure you can find it that way as well. So let’s take that into you coaching business owners and professionals on building authentic engagement online. That’s what this book is about, right? Is really bringing this AI concept and humanizing it, or still having this human piece of it. Um, what’s the biggest misconception you think people still have about using LinkedIn effectively?

Al Kushner: Um, I’d say that a lot of times they really are not taking it kind of seriously for the most part, and they really just sometimes don’t even put a profile image up there or even a background image. It’s very limited. And then people will check out your LinkedIn profile more and judge you based on how it looks. Then you’d be surprised. And that can make a difference. If you’re looking for a job, you’re competing with other people, and if it’s not optimized, you’re going to find yourself at a loss. So no matter how great your resume is, it doesn’t compare to what your LinkedIn profile does in terms of making that lasting impression.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. So folks who are listening, if they can just do one thing to optimize their profile, what would that most important thing Be.

Al Kushner: Personally take a headshot that’s current and recent and it should be a professional headshot. Uh, that’s, you know, don’t you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So spend the money, you know, and, uh, there’s some good, um, you know, uh, headshot photographers available that will help you and, um, and also look for background image also. That makes a difference, too. If you are in sales, maybe you can showcase some of your talents, you know, with the images. So these are things that I tell people all the time when they work with me. You know, we need to, uh, make sure you’re current and up to date.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. So from a LinkedIn perspective, can you take me? I just want to go through the history just a little bit. We don’t have to dig deep into it, but initially was a great tool to use for looking for a job or looking for candidates for a job. I’m personally seeing a lot of people who are entrepreneurs or SMEs, even leaders in business who are marketing or finding clients on LinkedIn. So can you take me through the last 20 years and what you’ve seen with LinkedIn.

Al Kushner: Well, certainly a substantial growth. Um, ever since Microsoft have taken it over, um, at least I think maybe ten years ago, it’s really grown tremendously. And it’s it is the platform for B2B and B2C, uh, for connecting. And, uh, it’s something that really is grown in terms of the I mean, you have over a billion users. I mean, it’s pretty impressive. You know, when it started, it was not that big. So I think people are really taking a second look at it’s more than just a place to post resumes. It’s more about networking and socializing. Uh, you know, it’s about making the right connections and that can make a difference if you getting the business versus the competition. So yeah, it’s really changed.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. I see I see a lot of people set up their profile, kind of set it and forget it, or they may post something every once in a while trying to get some attention. What’s the importance of really engaging with other people if you want it to become useful to your business?

Al Kushner: Well, you have to really focus on optimizing your profile. This is going to make a difference, because any kind of outreach and the people are going to check out who you are, and if your profile doesn’t really look professional, it’s going to put you at a disadvantage. So you really need to do that before you do any type of outreach, any kind of posting. And then once you’ve done that, then you can look at certain strategies that will help to raise your level of awareness, because it is quite competitive out there. But there are things that could help make a difference and that we can talk about.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Um, I’m interested a little bit in the algorithm. So I’m pretty I’m pretty busy on LinkedIn. I post a lot and sometimes I have high engagement. Sometimes I have low engagement. What’s the secret? Oh.

Al Kushner: Well, uh, videos are really the what the algorithm loves, so you can post a video anywhere from 30 to 90s on the average. You’ll certainly get a lot of LinkedIn. Love that way.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, perfect. Uh, what about commenting and liking and sharing? Do those things matter as well as a as someone who wants to be seen?

Al Kushner: Well, the key thing if you want to really make a difference is follow the influencers on LinkedIn, because that’s really where you’re going to have an opportunity to maybe get your post, uh, maybe seen by many others. And the thing to do is to follow influencers and know exactly when they post. Because the key window, of course, is as soon as they post, you should post immediately after that within the first 5 or 10 minutes, preferably even sooner, because they will have maybe hundreds of followers post after that initial post. But your post will be pretty much on the top, so as soon as anyone gets notified of the post, they’ll check out the the influencers post and most likely will see your post underneath. And that can make a difference and do a lot more than just, you know. Thanks for sharing. But give something of value that’s going to create, uh, you know. Something for the influencer that’s going to help that post, maybe even go viral if you can. And that’s where AI technology comes in. And you can use AI to analyze the post and provide commentary and maybe even pose a question or two. And uh, and then post that and you’ll find that sometimes you’ll get a lot more views that way. And even possibly a connection with the influence from themselves. Thanking you for sharing that post. So that’s uh.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, I love that. So before we take a deeper dive into AI, I have one more question. In that space around influencers, how do we know who who we should connect with? Who’s an influencer?

Al Kushner: Well, obviously someone with a sizable following, of course. Um, and you can do some research depending on, uh, you can actually use AI technology to find, you know, who are the top ten influencers in your field and find out if they’re on LinkedIn. And then you can simply follow those influencers. And when you do go to their profile, there’s a little bell over there and it gives you an option to kind of ring it and it tells you how often do you want to see the post. And if it’s an influencer, like see whenever they post, because whenever they post, you know they’re going to get a fairly good reception for their followers. And that’s the opportunity. And then you’ll be notified as soon as they’re posting through LinkedIn that they posted. And there’s your opportunity to strike, you know, and post immediately. So that’s a good strategy okay.

Trisha Stetzel: Those are some great ideas. So when we’re commenting on these influencers posts, is there any particular format it should be in? Is video good or should it just be text. What should that look like?

Al Kushner: Well, usually it’s text in most part. And again you can use AI technology to analyze that particular post and find opportunities to expand upon what they’re sharing. And then maybe ask a question or two. And that’s something that you can repost but make it sincere. You know in your own words if you can. That’s the best way to come across being authentic. Sometimes when you use AI automatically it can be noticed pretty easily, you know? And that’s something where it could be not a good thing. So you want to make sure that you use it for research purposes and then generate your own ideas to share with that post.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, I like that. Don’t be lazy. That’s what I tell people. Don’t be lazy. Don’t just use what’s coming out of the bot. Uh, all right, let’s take a deeper dive into AI. Um, how do we keep it human?

Al Kushner: Al well, we just talked about being authentic with the post, so it’s about, you know, taking the information, you know, and it could be ideas for topics that could be used that are some of your strengths that you can share. And that’s something where AI can help you do the research. And that’s really what it is, is a research tool. Don’t use it as an end all. And you’ll find that it can be a very effective tool for you to, um, you know, become a thought leader in, in the topic. So I think that’s the best strategy to be authentic.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, I love that. So I’m seeing a lot of bots or what I’m assuming are bots that are sending me connect messages and then sending me a follow up, and then another follow up and then another follow up. How do we I know we should avoid that in particular, but how do we keep those connection requests flowing yet still real and authentic without it being over overly too much of a nuisance to the person you’re trying to connect with?

Al Kushner: Well, um, if you’re trying to connect with someone that you are not, let’s say you don’t know them directly. They could be a second connection. Uh, for the most part, I like to do is, uh, follow the individual first, uh, particularly if they’re an influencer and then comment on a post that they have, uh, done. Uh, and that could be very easily done. When you go to the profile and you follow them, and then you can be alerted when they’re posting. And that’s where there’s an opportunity, because a lot of times people who are necessarily not an influencer may decide to post on LinkedIn and nobody really replies to them. Nobody gives them a second look. But if you do that, well, guess what? You’ll get their attention pretty easily. You know, if you, uh, provide a comment that’s sincere and authentic, uh, and at that point, there’s an opportunity to make a connection if they reply back to that. Hey, thanks for sharing your comment. Then there’s your opportunity to do that, as opposed to doing it out cold and expecting them to, you know, know who you are and they don’t. So that’s really one strategy that works.

Speaker4: Okay, I like that. I like that a lot.

Trisha Stetzel: Um, what AI tools are you using? Is it third party? Are you using an internal, um, the AI tool that’s built into LinkedIn? Tell me more.

Al Kushner: Well, a lot of great tools out there in the marketplace. I’m sure you probably heard of ChatGPT. Of course. Um, and there’s, uh, Google’s, um, own, uh, AI technology that I’ve been using, um, Gemini, which is really great. Um, perplexity is another up and coming, um, you know, AI technology and a web browser too. So I think, um, the key thing is to use multiple, uh, AI technologies for what you’re using, um, for crafting, uh, you know, content. Because sometimes when AI technology is better than the others or, you know, you may have them play off each other, that’s really what helps you to become, you know, more authentic. A lot of people using ChatGPT and pretty much people know when something is pure ChatGPT, by the way it comes across, you know, particularly m dashes, which is a pure giveaway right there. So, um.

Trisha Stetzel: Get rid of the dashes.

Al Kushner: Yeah. Well, that’s that’s one of the things that people rely on. So but um, with other technologies, um, you can use that to, um, craft it more, being more authentic that way. So use multiple.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. So if folks are already, um, wanting to connect with you or learn more, ask questions. What’s the best way to connect with you?

Al Kushner: Go to my profile on LinkedIn. Uh, you can certainly follow me. And, uh, I’m happy. Uh, you know, I have newsletters I send out each week to update people what’s happening with AI technology. I have even my own podcast I produced, and, uh, they can also check it out. It’s called the AI Authority Edge, and they can listen to it. It drops four times a week, and, uh, they can get all the latest information on what’s happening with AI technology.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh, perfect. Yeah. You are seasoned at this, aren’t you? For four shows, you drop four shows a week. Wow, al, I can’t wait to dig into that. I know there’s some really good information. Uh, tell us more about your book. I tell us, you know, uh, give us some little tidbits, if you will. So, uh, so we can get some folks interested in going out and grabbing it.

Al Kushner: Well, the key thing is that if you have a profile that you want to optimize and you’re looking for ways to do that. The book certainly will give you a lot of good resources available to use. I also list the latest, um, technology, AI technology out there that you can take advantage of. And I think what people will find that, um, if they really, you know, read a book or listen to it, uh, they’ll get a lot of ideas that I’ve used that worked effectively. I mean, we just talked about, you know, using influencers to connect. Uh, that’s more on the outreach side, but also talk about optimization, for example, on profiles. Um, example on your profile, how many recommendations do you have currently on your profile?

Trisha Stetzel: Not enough. Only about ten.

Al Kushner: All right. Well, that’s something that most people kind of tend to forget. And that’s crucial because that’s third party endorsements. In fact, at the end of this particular, uh, segment that we’re doing, you will get a recommendation from me, of course. So that is a good thing and hopefully we’ll do as well. But I always tell people that always do. Um, whatever. You can get recommendations because this is third party proof. And what’s great about it, you can use recommendations on your website as well. And it really helps to create, um, you know, authenticity and shows you that you’re a real person, which is important. Uh, so focus on that. There are great groups on LinkedIn to join. Uh, you should take advantage of the groups that you can be part of. And what’s also important is that you can post on these groups if the information is of value to the members. Again, you know, the post should be educational by nature. I usually post, um, on my podcast. Um, what do you call those things? Audiograms, which are very effective and, uh, you know, short clips that really work. And I find people are pretty receptive because the information is of value to the members themselves. So groups are definitely a great way to use. And I show in my book why it’s effective. It really makes a difference. A bunch of other things.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Fantastic. Um, why? Why is LinkedIn important? So I see a lot of, uh, particularly SMEs or even business leaders who are not active on LinkedIn. Or if I ask them if they’re on LinkedIn, they’re like, oh, no, I, I’m not even on there. Why is it important to SMEs and even business leaders to be on LinkedIn?

Al Kushner: Very easy. Because if they’re not on it, their competition is and that’s where they’re going to lose out. So they’re wondering why they’re not getting the business. Well guess what. It’s the reason why right there. So they have to get on the bandwagon. Same thing when it comes to AI technology. You know AI is not going to go out and steal your job, but the person who knows AI will take your job from you, because that’s really what it’s all about. Knowledge is power. So they are understanding that if they don’t want to do LinkedIn, that’s fine, but they’re going to be in a position where they’re going to be losing out all the time because the competition is doing it.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. So what tools are you using? Earlier you mentioned you could analyze a post or get some more data on something. Are you using these chat tools that you talked about to do that?

Al Kushner: Yeah, I mean I use a multiple tools that can analyze particular content. So I don’t get one version of it. I get multiple versions. So whether it’s ChatGPT or Gemini or Perplexity as copy AI, a whole bunch of things I list in my book. And these are again, what’s current, you know, a year from now it could be totally different. But it’s that’s how technology is. But I think it’s all for the better in the long run. So it’s really it’s a great, great time to be, you know, in business with this with these tools available.

Trisha Stetzel: So for those who are not active on LinkedIn, they already heard you say they need to go work on their profile and have a current picture, for gosh sakes, not not your high school graduation picture because people will not see that as real. Um, what advice would you give to them about getting started on LinkedIn if they don’t already have a robust profile or even activity out there?

Al Kushner: Well, I do offer a free optimization checklist for the profile that they can use, and they can have that available on my website link. Com forward slash audit. And that will give them access to a lot of the tools that I’ve used to help optimize a profile so they can find all the resources available that makes a profile stand out. And I think that’s important because there’s a lot of things we can talk about. We don’t have enough time on this program, unfortunately, but uh, check it out at Link Vantage audit for their free optimization. Uh, worksheet.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, perfect. Um, what about activity as far as posting and engaging? Is there a particular cadence timing that works better than others?

Al Kushner: I’m hosting an activity. Would you?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, just using LinkedIn. So I’ve optimized my profile. I’ve connected with people, but I’m only. Maybe I write an article once a month. Should I be doing more?

Al Kushner: Oh, absolutely. In fact, you should have a newsletter. In fact, I have five newsletters that I go out every week. And what’s great about the newsletters is that it reaches the particular audience, the subscribers. It actually bypasses spam filters and goes outside, uh, you know, LinkedIn. So nobody notified just on LinkedIn and even directly in their inboxes. And that is such an effective tool that very few people know how to use. But if you use a strategically, you’ll find you get more business you can handle. All right. If the information you provide is of value and that’s what you want to do. So what I do is I share information and I have five different, you know, people that I target, like I would say accountants, financial planners, uh, uh, attorneys, uh, these are centers of influence that I work with, and they look forward to my newsletter every week. You know, and it’s something that is, um, is is important because that’s what it helps you create yourself as a thought leader is provide valuable information. So that’s the way to do that.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. It sounds really time consuming, al.

Al Kushner: No, actually you can schedule that in advance. You know, I do a lot of my newsletters on the weekend. You know, it takes me maybe in fact, with AI technology, uh, you can do it within, uh, you know, you know, what would take you hours? Could take you maybe under ten minutes. You know, if you’re finding the right topics of information. So that’s really a great tool to use. And you’ll find that people will be very receptive to receiving your information as long as it is of value, they’ll keep subscribing. My list has grown tremendously. I’ve seen. So that’s a great thing.

Trisha Stetzel: Fantastic. So optimize profile. Definitely have a newsletter. What are the other things that I should be using or doing in LinkedIn?

Al Kushner: Well, if you have your own business, your own business should also have a business page as well. So you can create that on LinkedIn and make that separate from your actual profile. And that could make a difference in terms of raising awareness for your company, in terms of, you know, the things that your company may be doing outside of your own personal life. Okay.

Trisha Stetzel: And what about just generally posting? I see people who never post. I go to their LinkedIn profile, they haven’t posted anything. Uh, and I go to other people’s profiles and they post every day or even multiple times a day. Is there a sweet spot around the type of content we’re putting out, or how much content we should be putting out there?

Al Kushner: Well, my focus has always been in a combination of I do videos, uh, into groups and I do newsletters every week, so I find that’s more than enough to raise awareness. And and then of course, I comment on other people’s posts, you know, influencers. So I think those three combinations will be a very effective strategy for raising your level of awareness, of getting you more followers, and certainly to create something of value, as opposed to just posting something randomly and hoping that people will check it out. You know, it’s got to be strategic in this sense.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Um, talk to me about connections. Is there a good number like you should and connections and followers? Because there are two different things. So let’s start there. There’s a difference between connections and followers. So tell us about that. And then tell us if there’s an optimal number that makes sense to be targeting.

Al Kushner: Well connection. You’re allowed a maximum of 30,000 connections. Followers is unlimited. So I’d focus more on follower aspects of it because that seems to be where you can get more reach that way. In fact, you can change your profile to indicate that it is a instead of people to connect with you. Ask people to follow you. Okay. And that usually works out very well because a lot of times you can get connections from people you don’t know, but followers, it really doesn’t make a difference. And that really is great. You know, because the followers, whenever you post something, they’ll be notified as a result of it and you don’t necessarily have to connect with them. So I find people to do. That’s what I do in my profile, is just ask people to follow me. If they want to make a connection, then that’s something I can evaluate. But that’s a good strategy.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, I like that. Is there a particular number of followers that we should be targeting?

Al Kushner: Um, well, especially as much as you want. There’s no limits on that. Before when it started, there was not an option available only was connections. But now you got followers that could be unlimited. So which is okay. And some, some influencers, over a million followers, so you’d be surprised. Okay, so it’s really quite impressive. But anyway, we’re kind of running time short.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah we are. We’re getting to the back end of our conversation. So, al, what’s the last piece of advice you’d give the listeners today on getting started and being active on LinkedIn?

Al Kushner: Um, well, knowledge is power, so they should check out my, uh, you know, worksheet, uh, at link. Com forward slash audit. You’ll get be able to optimize your profile. Once you optimize your profile, then you can do outreach and then you can become, you know, preferably a thought leader by giving value to whoever you’re connecting with. So that’s what I would recommend. You know, don’t pitch slap people. Just give value and you’ll find people to be more receptive.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay I like that pitch slap. Thank you al. This has been great. You guys also go out and find Al’s book, the AI LinkedIn advantage. If you want to take a deeper dive there. And certainly you can connect with al on LinkedIn it’s al. Kushner k u s h n e r. Uh I’m connected to al on LinkedIn, so if you guys can’t find him, uh, you can find him connected through me. Al. This has been a fantastic conversation. Thanks for joining me today.

Al Kushner: Thank you, Trisha, and pleasure. And be in touch. Take care.

Trisha Stetzel: Appreciate it. Uh, that’s all the time we have for today, guys. So if you found value in this conversation, share it with a fellow entrepreneur, veteran or Houston leader ready to grow. Of course. Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show. It helps us reach more bold business minds just like yours and your business. Your leadership and your legacy are built one intentional step at a time. So stay inspired, stay focused, and keep building the business and the life you deserve. Al, thank you so much.

Al Kushner: Thank you.