Hello Reader,

So I'm watching a TikTok about a young person sharing how you may want to search for a job, if you're looking for a job. She's spelling out quotes and ANDs.

This is what's called a Boolean search. (Pronounced "boo-lee-en.")

This type of search is how you make your Google searches more helpful, too.

Let's go back to LinkedIn because while you may be an entrepreneur, your network might not be. Plus you may want to consider this as you hire more staff or influencers or creators. Down below, I'm playing the part of a job-searcher.

Looking for a job inside LinkedIn: use quotes to bookend phrases and job titles, and use AND or OR (all caps) to help the search exclude or include other job titles.

• Type this: "I'm hiring" AND "senior formulation scientist"

Finding Talent

Imagine you're crafting a spell to conjure the ideal team member. Instead of "Eye of newt and toe of frog," you're using a little Boolean brew:

"email marketing" AND "digital marketing" NOT "senior"

This search—whisks away the senior-level folks, focusing on mid-level creators who are experienced in email marketing. It’s like finding the Hermione Granger of email marketers - smart, reliable, and ready to cast spells (or well thought out email marketing strategies). This person likely will know how email integrates into the broad digital marketing plan you have built.

Finding Influencers and Creators

Let’s say you want to collaborate with influencers who can Wingardium Leviosa your brand. Your Boolean input:

"influencer" AND "eco-friendly" OR "sustainable" NOT "fashion"

You've now got a list of conscious eco-warriors, minus the fashionistas, ready to amplify your green mission. It’s like summoning Captain Planet, but for your brand. (Am I the only one who remembers Captain Planet?)

For creator search:

"creator" AND "sustainable" OR "ecofriendly lifestyle" NOT "fashion"

Making Boolean Work for You

Here’s the secret sauce (or potion, if we’re sticking with a Harry Potter theme) to Boolean searches:

Be Clear: Know what you’re looking for. “Infosecurity developer” gets you closer than “someone good with computers and risk.”

Experiment: Mix and match those Boolean operators - AND, OR, NOT - to see the various outputs.

Quotation Marks Are Your Friends: They make sure you’re finding exact matches, like "social media director" instead of someone who’s merely “social” savvy and “media” savvy.

Keep an Open Mind: Sometimes, the most magical connections come from the most unexpected spells.

At the end of the day, I want you to find some efficiency when searching for potential employees or contractors. Play with the Boolean search combination, and you'll get the hang of it.

Plot twist: Try this one out. Look for small business grants and funding in your area by using a Boolean search!! Do this and tell me what you find.

And there you have it—your mini primer to workin' those Boolean searches on LinkedIn.

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Could we have reused something instead? The plastic bag thing - it's such an easy swap and we've all brought our own bags to the market. Can we do the same for separating food waste from your black trash can? I think so!

Be on the lookout for brands who proclaim sustainable practices but don't.

Chris

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Original Tommy's was one of my social media clients, a very very long time ago. Here's a fun TikTok by the LA Times 404 team.

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