Kevin "KD" Dorsey: How this SaaS CRO leverages LinkedIn and grew to 137K Followers

The Founder-Led Marketing Show

Kevin Dorsey (KD) is one of the most respected voices in modern sales leadership, with 137K+ followers on LinkedIn and a track record that includes leading sales at PatientPop, Bench, and now as CRO at finally.

In this episode, KD shares the real reason he started posting on LinkedIn (spoiler: not to sell), how he built a magnetic hiring brand without selling to sellers, and why most founders are sitting on gold, but never reach out.

If you’ve ever wondered how to write consistently, attract the right hires, or build a sales motion in SMB this one’s a masterclass.

Topics we cover in this episode:

- Why KD started posting on LinkedIn (and why it still works today)

- How his content attracted the right hires—without recruiters

- Why he never chased virality or trends (no carousels, no hooks)

- The difference between leading vs. consulting—and why he came back

- How to use DMs to build pipeline with 20 messages a day and zero automation

- Why you should never automate what you haven’t nailed manually

- The biggest mindset shifts most founders need to sell effectively

- Why consistency, not creativity, drives long-term results

- Building a sales motion in SMB: volume, relevance, and fast learning

- Real AI workflows he’s already running as CRO, and what’s next

Perfect for:

- Founders posting on LinkedIn but not seeing traction

- Sales leaders scaling from 5 to 50 reps (or hiring their first few)

- Solo consultants, advisors, and creators wondering what’s next

- Anyone tired of “growth hacks” and looking for what actually works

Connect with KD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/

finally: https://finally.com/

Sales Leadership Accelerator: https://salesleadershipaccelerator.com/

Connect with me:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

- Website: https://www.project33.io/

- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

Chapters:

00:00 Intro & Career Highlights

01:00 Why KD Really Started Posting on LinkedIn

03:00 Recruiting with Content (No Sales Needed)

05:30 How Posting Has Changed (and What Still Works)

07:20 Why He Stuck With Text-Only Posts

09:00 Going Solo: More Money, Less Fun

11:15 Why He Returned to Sales Leadership

14:30 His Niche: Scaling from 5 to 50 Reps

16:10 The 5D Leadership Framework

18:00 Writing for Agreement (Not Just Education)

20:00 Why Founder Content Should Amplify ICP Voices

22:40 KD’s Daily Writing System

25:30 How to Pick the Right Post to Write

27:00 Why You Should DM Every Liker

29:00 Outreach Tactics Most Founders Miss

31:45 Why You Must Master Manual Before Automating

34:00 The Secret Power of Founder-to-Founder DMs

36:30 The Mental Shift from Inbound to Outbound

38:00 Scaling Sales in SMB: What Actually Works

41:00 Why ACV Isn’t the Problem—Pipeline Volume Is

43:00 Where AI Is Already Working in Sales

46:00 The Leadership Gap in AI Adoption

48:00 What KD Wishes He Knew 15 Years Ago

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

Website: https://www.project33.io/

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