From Under-the-Radar to High-Demand: How One CEO’s LinkedIn™ Strategy Led to Business Growth, Industry Recognition—& a Successful Company Sale

For executives running successful businesses, LinkedIn™ can often feel like an afterthought—a place to maintain a profile, maybe post a hiring update now and then, but not much more. That’s exactly where Steven Adragna found himself as the Founder and President of Global Auto Staffing (GAS). With decades of experience in automotive recruitment, Steven had built a respected business, but you wouldn’t have known that from looking at his LinkedIn™ profile. 

Despite his real-world expertise, his online presence didn’t reflect his authority. His profile lacked clear positioning, his content was inconsistent, and his engagement on the platform was minimal. As a result, the right people—potential clients, partners, and industry leaders—weren’t finding him. 

That all changed when Steven partnered with The Borden Group. Over the course of a year, Steven didn’t just refresh his LinkedIn™ profile—he turned it into a growth engine.

The Challenge: A Strong Leader with an Underutilized Online Presence

Steven wasn’t new to the automotive staffing space. In fact, his experience ran deep, and Global Auto Staffing (GAS) had earned a strong reputation for helping dealerships find the right talent. But despite all that industry credibility, his LinkedIn™ presence told a much quieter story. 

His profile was outdated, missing the kind of positioning that would instantly communicate his authority to someone landing on his page. His content was sporadic—sometimes sharing updates about GAS, but without any clear message tying his expertise, insights, and leadership style together. And because engagement was minimal, his network wasn’t expanding in the right direction—he wasn’t consistently connecting with decision-makers, industry influencers, or potential partners who could open new doors. 

This lack of visibility wasn’t just a branding gap—it was a business opportunity gap. In an industry built on trust, relationships, and reputation, Steven’s offline success wasn’t translating into online authority. Potential clients didn’t see his expertise until they were already introduced to him. Even more critical—potential buyers had no reason to see GAS as a standout brand worth acquiring because Steven’s personal brand wasn’t showing up in their feeds. 

Steven needed a LinkedIn™ strategy that could elevate his personal brand, amplify his company’s value, and position both himself and GAS as top-tier players in the automotive staffing space.

The Borden Group’s Strategic Approach

When Steven came to The Borden Group, the goal wasn’t just to refresh his profile—it was to completely rethink how he showed up on LinkedIn™. To do that, we needed to position him not only as a successful CEO, but as a trusted authority in automotive staffing—someone industry leaders, potential clients, and even buyers would want to follow, connect with, and learn from. 

We started with a top-to-bottom rebrand of Steven’s LinkedIn™ profile. Every section—from his headline to his About summary—was rewritten to clearly communicate who he is, what he does, and why it matters. We made sure GAS’s value proposition was front and center, positioning the company as a premier talent partner for dealerships. And we created a banner design that visually reinforced his expertise and credibility. 

With the foundation in place, we built a sustainable content strategy designed to make Steven’s expertise visible, valuable, and relatable. Instead of one-off posts, we developed a repeatable content plan that combined thought leadership insights, industry trends, client success stories, and personal reflections on leadership in the automotive space. The goal wasn’t just to showcase GAS—it was to showcase Steven as the voice behind the brand. 

Of course, posting is only part of the equation. To build real visibility and relationships, we encouraged Steven to actively engage—commenting on industry conversations, connecting with key players, and participating in meaningful dialogue. That proactive engagement gave him faster visibility and made him a familiar name in the feeds of the very people he wanted to reach. 

Over time, this consistent presence and clear positioning created something even bigger: demand. By the time potential buyers discovered GAS, they didn’t just see a staffing firm—they saw a company led by a credible, experienced, and well-connected industry leader. That brand positioning shift—from quiet operator to visible authority—was the key to making GAS not just a successful company, but an attractive acquisition target.

Results: More Visibility, More Business & A Strategic Acquisition

Within a year of working with The Borden Group, Steven’s LinkedIn™ profile saw a 65% increase in profile views—a clear indicator that his newfound visibility was attracting the right attention. But those profile views were just the beginning. As Steven’s content strategy took shape, and his engagement became intentional and consistent, LinkedIn™ evolved into a hub for meaningful business conversations—conversations that put Steven and GAS on the radar of industry leaders. 

This increased visibility led to new client opportunities, deepened relationships within the automotive space, and ultimately set the stage for something much larger—an acquisition. In 2024, Car Dealership Guy, the premier destination for transparent car market insights, announced the acquisition of Global Auto Staffing (GAS), citing GAS’s reputation, expertise, and leadership under Steven as key factors in the deal. 

What started as a personal brand refresh became a business-changing opportunity—proof that a strategic LinkedIn™ presence doesn’t just build awareness, it builds value. By showing up consistently, sharing his expertise, and becoming a recognizable voice in the industry, Steven didn’t just strengthen his personal brand—he elevated the perceived value of his company.

Conclusion: The Force of Digital Positioning in Business Growth & Exit Strategies

Steven’s story is proof that a strong digital presence isn’t just about visibility—it’s about positioning yourself for opportunity. By strategically building his LinkedIn™ presence, engaging with the right audience, and consistently showing up as an authority, Steven didn’t just grow his network—he turned LinkedIn™ into a business asset that directly contributed to the acquisition of Global Auto Staffing (GAS). 

For executives, founders, and business leaders, LinkedIn™ isn’t just a platform—it’s a business development tool, a credibility builder, and, in some cases, a direct path to partnerships, investments, and exits. Whether you’re looking to scale your company, establish industry thought leadership, or position yourself for long-term growth, your online presence plays a critical role in how those opportunities find you. 

👉 Looking to build a stronger LinkedIn™ presence but don’t know where to start? Explore The Borden Group’s Creator Store for plug-and-play branding templates, proven systems & processes, and eBooks that help you elevate your profile, create impactful content, and systemize your LinkedIn™ workflow—so you can show up with confidence and consistency. 

🔗 Explore the Creator Store and start building a LinkedIn™ strategy that works as hard as you do. 

Are you ready to move from lurking to leveraging your personal brand? Schedule a discovery call with me today—I’d love to help you take your personal brand to the next level with actionable tips and strategies that work. 

Want to learn more about this topic? Make sure to follow Melanie Borden and The Borden Group on LinkedIn™.