This week – and this year – at Blocks2Bags, we’re all about the path to levelling up. What are the practical steps to pivoting into bigger avenues, new opportunities, and the bag as a whole? Our newest episode has the answers for you, and more. Blocks2Bags hosts Bejay Mulenga MBE (@bejaymulenga) and Sebuh Mesfin (@sebuhmesfin) sat down with our guest Elfried Samba (@elfriedsamba) to discuss everything from building as a founder to growing on LinkedIn. Previously the Global Head of Social Content at GymShark, Elfried’s role as co-founder and CEO of Butterfly 3ffect and his amassing of 140,000+ followers on LinkedIn have culminated in a keen sense of what it truly means to connect with your audience. Tap into this week’s episode and find out how you can switch it up in 2024 and break boundaries, from Blocks 2 Bags. The New Year is a beginning in essence – new settings, reframed mindsets, and restarting – attempting to understand what habits nurture our growth, and how the past year has culminated to shape us for the next coming chapter of our lives. Amidst the fears and hopes that ultimately shape the resolutions we make, or the intentions we set, are common turns of phrase; endless how-to guides on how to ‘switch-up’ and how to ‘level-up’ for the New Year come back around like clockwork. Practically speaking, it’s easy to get lost in the noise as opposed to consciously tackling the changes you want to make in an intentional manner. In 2024, our Blocks2Bags team is right there alongside you; this week, we sat down with CEO and co-founder of Butterfly 3ffect, Elfried Samba, where we talked all things entrepreneurship and LinkedIn, breaking down the elusive platform to redefine what it takes to build a community of like-minded individuals. Pivoting from Global Head of Social Content at GymShark, where he was essential in growing the community 1.5 million to 20 million followers, his entrepreneurial pursuits now encapsulate a desire “to create more accessible avenues for diverse creatives seeking opportunities”. Alongside Butterfly 3ffect, whose nomad business model has been one of the catalysts for a soon-to-come UAE move, Elfried has cultivated a keen social presence, with his over 140,000+ followers and counting on Linkedin garnering him a top spot as one of the most renowned creators on the platform – no easy feat. Collectively, his accolades speak for themselves; but the path to the bag is never linear, and this New Year, we think that pivoting from a simply hustle-driven mindset to one conscious of this journey is key. KEY BLOCK GEMS FROM ELFRIED SAMBA AND BUTTERFLY 3FFECT   Engagement, engagement, engagement – What do the first 15 minutes after posting look like for someone sitting on the helm of over 100K followers? For Elfried, the period following a post is what really matters; enmeshing yourself directly within the community that you’ve built, and taking the time to respond to and connect with people actively. The key word here is engagement. Making sure that you take intentional time to sit with your audience – recognising the gems that they can also offer you and the rest of your community, beyond just your solitary voice. Look to your audience first – If you’re looking to up your LinkedIn or general social media game this year, and are wondering what the best way to boost engagement is, look no further than your audience itself. Sitting in their following pages, their liked posts, and alike, is the niche within your niche, the foundation for the ways you can tailor your content to your consumers. Moving to consumer-based platforms to break in – Many have lamented over the tolls of using platforms like Instagram, whose algorithm and over-saturation of creators means breaking in is only getting harder. Want to switch things up for 2024? Look to platforms like LinkedIn, whose consumer-based model means a floor to create for an audience who mainly consumes, as opposed to creates. It may not be easy in any capa