Linkedin, or someone on Linkedin, has a problem with personal brands growing the fuck up.
That’s the only reason I can come up with for them kicking me off the platform. I updated my headline to include personal brands growing the fuck up. This is not the first, the 10th, or the 100th time I’ve used the word fuck on the platform. Sometimes I fill it with asterisks, sometimes I don’t, but it’s definitely not new.
To give you some context, let me run down the timeline of June 27. You can email me what you think later.
At 7:44 am I got a notification that Alexis liked my comment
At 9:23 am I got a notification that my video upload successfully uploaded
At 10:56 am I got a notification that Heather replied to my comment on her post
Some time in between uploading my video and Heather’s notification I changed my headline from:
A nurturing empathic bitch who takes you from brandbaby to Brand Leader using strategic personal branding | Author | Podcaster | Life Coaching Brand Strategist
To
When it's time for your personal brand to grow the fuck up, visit Brandma's House, where the nurturing empathic bitch resides | Author | Podcaster | Life Coaching Brand Strategist
Now mind you, not only do I have the app, I keep LinkedIn open on my desktop. Well, sometime around 4:40pm I went to make a move on the platform and I was logged out. I thought nothing of it and tried to log back in. When I did, I was asked to verify my identity. WTF?
They sent me through this series of photos facing the right way shit about 5 times before I actually got to the part of verifying my identity. Afterwards I received an auto response labeled Account Recovery Appeal encouraging me to, “implement the following best practice:”
I wasn’t trying to appeal. I was just trying to log back into my account. Thinking I did something wrong I tried again. I even submitted a picture of my passport. The following morning I received another auto response. It stated my appeal was denied and my account would stay restricted because, “Per our terms, you agree that you won't misrepresent your identity or post inaccurate profile information.”
Are you fucking kidding me? With the number of bot accounts that message me everyday trying to sell me some bullshit service, I’m being accused of misrepresentation. Well to make sure there is no confusion, on social media platforms I am the Ghetto Country Brandmother®. LinkedIn is the only place I have Phyllis Williams-Strawder. My additional name, however, is The Ghetto Country Brandmother®. It is a registered trademark. There is no misrepresentation or inaccuracies.
You’re probably wondering why I’m sharing this with you. Well, 1) I’m pissed. 2) it taps into my culture theme from last month. 3) I may have to own that I disrespected the LinkedIn house. One and two are kinda tied together. My personal brand as the Ghetto Country Brandmother® and chosen brand culture dictates my language. In business branding it would be part of brand identity. My language is not new, so to shut me down because of it, pisses me off. I’m also angry that if someone filed a complaint about it, then that means they’re trying to shut me up instead of finding content more suitable to their liking.
Folx that I’m connected to have reached out and are offering to fight for me. I don’t even know what that fight would look like. My black and brown friend connections say it’s the silencing of black and brown voices on the app. I have mixed feelings about that because I’m connected to some influential and controversial black and brown folx on the app who are not being silenced. So that brings me back to my language.
When I was interviewed by Chris Do I said, the same folx who would treat me with disdain for using the word fuck in the context of being ghetto will, crawl over me to get to Gary Vee who drops all the fucks. He then asked me was that an observation or criticism. It is an observation and opinion that some folx agree with. It’s a fact that what folx will praise in someone they will persecute in another.
Despite my anger, I have to own that I may have been disrespectful. I tell y’all all the time about respecting other folx shit whether you like it or not. Linkedin is someone else’s business house. I’m not talking about the people who use it. I’m referring to the people who run it. Earlier I said I may have disrespect their house. I say MAY because it’s not clear what I did wrong. It sure as shit wasn’t misrepresentation or inaccuracies. The only thing I that changed in a matter of hours was my headline.
In their appeal response they included a link to their user agreement and their Professional Community Policies. I already dislike the word professional because it has been turned into a weapon of discrimination. The main definition of professional according to Oxford is “belonging to a profession.” The second definition is “engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation…”
It wasn’t until men in suits started using the word professional to describe everything from language to dress codes that shit it the fan. Nevertheless, I read the agreement and policies. And unless there is a different interpretation I’m missing, I did nothing wrong. I even went so far as to look up hate speech. According to the United Nations website - “”hate speech” refers to offensive discourse targeting a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics (such as race, religion or gender) and that may threaten social peace. I don’t think personal brands apply.
Now let me bring this back. On the June 29, I used LinkedIn’s contact form to send the following message.
Issue Type: Account Access, Trust & Safety
Subject: My Account Restriction
Your Question: My account was recently restricted. I was directed to look at the community policies but I'm still unclear on what I did wrong. If it's something I can rectify, I would like the opportunity to do so.
My most recent post has been about cultural relevance. I didn't harass, berate, or project violence of any nature. I don't spam or send unsolicited emails.
Again, I would appreciate an opportunity to correct or address my wrongdoing, I just don't know what it is.
This is the response I got at 4:44am today.
Hi Phyllis,
I'm sorry for not having a quick answer about your issue. I've forwarded your message to another group for additional review and advice. We'll be in contact with you as quickly as possible. Your issue may require additional research, which may extend your wait time.
If you can log into your account, you can update and check the status of your case on the LinkedIn Help Center Your cases page: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/cases
Please note that if you can't log in to your account, you won't be able to check the status of your case. We ask that you don't create additional cases in the meantime. We're working as quickly as possible to resolve your inquiry.
Thanks for your patience.
Regards,
Michael
LinkedIn Member Safety and Recovery Consultant
So this time instead of auto response, I get a person. Or maybe the AI’s name is Michael. So here’s my questions dejure. Was my restriction triggered by technology that doesn’t understand the context of what I wrote? Did they expected those two links to say it all and I would accept my banishment and go away? Yeah, no. Tell me when or how I disrespected the LinkedIn house. Please and thank you.
This incident with LinkedIn has left me frustrated and questioning their approach and acknowledgement of personal branding and its expressive language. The sudden restriction of my account without clear justification feels like an attempt to shut me up. By who, I don’t know. To me it’s a polite way of saying fuck diversity and inclusion. While I acknowledge that I may have disrespected the LinkedIn house, it is disheartening to see the selective enforcement and lack of transparency of the house rules.
This experience, however, did shed some light for me on the importance of standing 10 toes down in my shit. I encourage you, who value the chosen culture of your personal brand and the right to express it honestly stand 10 toes down with me. Share this on LinkedIn if you’re not afraid of being restricted. It’s time for these big brands to stop being selective. Either you allow diversity and inclusion or you don’t. The growth and evolution of personal brands no longer takes its cues from corporate white men in suits.
Share your experiences, engage in conversations, and let your voice be heard. It's time for LinkedIn to listen and support the vibrant community they’ve built.
