From Corporate Exit to Content Success: Jessie Van Breugel’s Journey from Cold Outreach to Inboun…

In a recent LinkedIn post, jessie van breugel shares a candid account of their entrepreneurial journey, detailing the transition from a stable corporate career to building a significant online presence and revenue stream. Van Breugel highlights the challenges and pivots made, ultimately advocating for a content-driven inbound strategy over traditional outbound methods.

The post begins by recounting a significant career change made in September 2020, leaving a well-established corporate role with a clear five-year plan and valuable stock options. This decision, made with the vague intention of “writing online to make money” and a desire for freedom from their Amsterdam apartment, was met with skepticism, even from family.

“I quit my corporate job at the worst time (September 2020). Without a plan, just an idea of ‘writing online’ to make money: I had stock options, a great salary and a career path mapped out for the next 5 years. The kind of setup most people would kill to have. I walked away from all of it with no plan. My Mom thought I was absolutely crazy.”

The initial phase of this transition was marked by significant struggle. Van Breugel describes the first six months as “brutal,” involving writing articles for minimal compensation on platforms like Medium with the sole aim of earning $100 in a month, a goal that remained unmet. Concurrently, they grappled with cold acquisition tactics, a strategy heavily promoted by online “gurus.” This period was characterized by discomfort and rejection, as exemplified by a particularly discouraging first sales call.

The Cold Outreach Grind

Van Breugel recounts the anxiety associated with early sales efforts, culminating in a harsh rejection during a cold call.

“I still remember my first sales call like it was yesterday. Procrastinating on the call for hours, and then finally with sweaty hands, I dialed. Within 30 seconds, the person told me to ‘never call again’ and I hung up. I sat there staring at my laptop telling myself I’d never do a cold call again.”

This experience led to a firm resolve to abandon cold calling. Instead, Van Breugel shifted focus to building a presence on Twitter, which eventually yielded more promising results, including “a few hundred dollars here, occasionally a few thousand dollar client.” This period on Twitter saw growth to over 10,000 followers and was described as “a lot of fun.”

Pivoting to LinkedIn and the Power of Content

As Twitter’s landscape changed, Van Breugel sought new avenues, turning their attention to LinkedIn in April 2022. Initially, the approach was strategic, involving daily posting and “learning in public.” This consistent effort began to yield significant results, with a notable “click” occurring by October 2022.

The impact of this focused strategy on LinkedIn became substantial. By April 2023, Van Breugel was recognized as a Top 50 Creator in Marketing & Sales. The post details impressive growth, with projections of 56,000 followers and over $250,000 in revenue generated from LinkedIn alone by July 2025, and an upcoming milestone of 100,000 followers.

The Systemic Shift: Inbound Over Outbound

Van Breugel emphasizes that the true catalyst for success was not the platform itself, but the underlying strategy. The article clearly articulates a preference for inbound marketing over outbound tactics.

“I’m not saying this to brag. The real shift wasn’t the platform. The shift was the system. Cold outreach didn’t scale because it relied on me chasing. Content scaled because it brought the right people to me. I choose inbound > outbound every day of the week.”

This philosophy underpins Van Breugel’s current approach, advocating for strategies that attract clients organically rather than pursuing them through unsolicited outreach. The post concludes with an open invitation for DMs from individuals currently struggling with cold acquisition or navigating their own post-corporate career paths.