Hey! I'm Russ, owner of VDM Agency, a design and branding agency in Cambridge, UK, looking to rip it up after a difficult 2025. Refocussing our efforts to attract the right clients who understand what we can offer them in return. Passionate about my business, my family, golf, motorbikes and Arsenal FC! Looking forward to being an active member of the Collective!

I’ve been rewriting a lot of video and outreach scripts recently, and it reminded me of something important. Most scripts don’t fail because the idea is bad. They fail because i'm trying to explain everything as if you know it too. Cramming in context, features, background, proof, reassurance. By the time i've recorded it, it sounds stiff and unnatural. Here’s the rule I’m using now: If you can’t say it out loud without forcing it, it won’t work. Good scripts don’t sound like marketing. They sound like how you’d explain your business to a mate. If you’re building this DIY, simplify first. Clarity beats clever every time. P.s. Gpt for ideas/structure.... not the writing When you record videos, what feels hardest:

I had 3 amazing days off with my parents for Christmas, and now I’m back online. Drop me a dm or comment.

If you knew that one focused year inside the right system and the right room could completely change your business… what would it take for you to commit for 12 months? I’m asking this because I want to make this community undeniably valuable, not just “good content”, but something you look at and think: “This is a no-brainer to stay locked in.” So I’d love your honest input 👇 If you’re NOT on the annual plan yet: What would need to be added, improved, or changed for you to confidently commit for a full year? • More structured training? • Clearer implementation support? • More accountability or feedback? • Live calls, reviews, done-with-you sessions? • Something else entirely? There’s no wrong answer. I want the truth. If you ARE on the annual plan: What made you say “yes, this makes sense” when you joined? • Was it the long-term vision? • The strategy and system? • The community and proximity? • The cost vs value over 12 months? Drop a comment below. One or two lines is perfect. This isn’t a pitch. It’s research so I can build this into the strongest room you’ve ever been part of going into 2026. Appreciate you all. Let’s build this properly.

If you’re sending cold emails right now, you’re probably doing a lot right… But you’re also probably doing the one thing that kills replies: Your emails still feel generic. Not because you don’t care. Not because you’re not trying. But because every template online teaches you to sound like everyone else. Here’s the problem: When your email looks like it could have been sent to 500 people, the person reading it assumes it wasn’t really meant for them, so they ignore it. (we ignore it!) Personalisation fixes that. And I don’t mean fake compliments or “I loved your recent post” fluff. I mean writing like a real human who actually chose that person on purpose. So I’ve added a new lesson for you. Inside, I show you: - what genuine personalisation actually looks like - how to sound real, not robotic or needy - the exact AI prompt I use - and how to automate the whole thing inside Instantly so it runs for you This isn’t about being clever. It’s about making your outreach feel intentional… so people actually reply. If you’re emailing now (or planning to soon), watch the lesson and set this up. It will make a real difference for you. 👉 Go to the Email Personalisation lesson. https://www.skool.com/10x/classroom/b9c60002?md=4af9dad16f284399b61747baa813e342 And when you’ve implemented it, drop a comment, I’d genuinely love to hear how it changes your replies. Shaun