Everything about Darren McKee's Journey from Pizza Guy to LinkedIn’s Top Social Sales Founder
Learn How Founders Build Their Brand, Content Strategy and Create Viral Moments.
Introduction
A guy who started delivering pizzas in 2010 now teaches 500+ sales leaders how to crush it on LinkedIn. That's Darren McKee's story and that’s what I’m telling today. It’s just wild.
For 12 years, Darren worked his way through every imaginable role in sales and recruiting. He was living his best life - flying to sales conferences, shaking hands at networking events, and closing deals over coffee. Then something nobody saw coming changed everything...
COVID hits!
Then lockdown.
Back in March 2020, my whole world flipped upside down. No more handshakes. No more coffee meetings. Just me staring at my laptop, trying to figure out LinkedIn… this was Darren’s exact experience that prompted switching to social selling during COVID.
But here's what makes Darren's story fascinating - he absolutely hated working from home. The guy who thrived on office energy and face-to-face sales was suddenly stuck in a home office, forced to reinvent his entire approach to sales.
Today, Darren isn't just posting on LinkedIn. He's totally crushing it:
- 126,000+ followers who actually engage.
- Coached more than 500 sales leaders.
- Hit 9 million views on a single post.
- 13.7M impressions, 146k reactions, 5k comments, 2k reposts from 3 posts.
His first real job was slinging pizzas for almost 3 years. After the pizza years, Darren climbed the sales ladder starting as a Service Specialist, worked his way to Account Executive, then crushed it selling enterprise deals, before landing as VP of Sales. Each role taught him something new about sales and about people.
Each job taught him something about sales, but his biggest lesson and turnaround came from COVID.
So you see… nothing is really a disadvantage. When COVID hit big, Darren had to pick: sit around waiting or figure something new out. He picked new.
That "something new" meant turning LinkedIn from a boring resume site into his main money-maker.
And he got so good at it that other sales pros started asking him to teach them his tricks.
By October 2024, he took the biggest jump of his life - starting his own company, Darren McKee Co. His LinkedIn game plan’s 3 really simple stuff:
- Be consistently visible.
- Master the platform.
- Keep it fun (or quit).
Darren shows it’s really not complicated to start and continue to make it on LinkedIn. Just be a real human. Talk about your kids, traveling, failed golf games… just be YOU.
Today, I'm going to show you exactly how this former pizza delivery guy became one of LinkedIn's most trusted voices in sales.
Ready to see behind the curtain?
Let's go...
The Founder Story
Long before he built his social selling empire, Darren spent his early days making pizzas and running deliveries. For nearly 3 years, he learned something that would later shape his entire approach to sales - the art of building quick connections with strangers.
Those pizza years weren't just about making dough. They taught him how to read people, handle tough customers, and turn quick interactions into repeat business - skills that would come in handy years later on LinkedIn.
After hanging up his pizza apron, Darren explored the corporate world. He started in service operations, managing teams across multiple locations. Then he started working as a recruiter, where he learned to spot talent and build relationships at scale.
By 2018, he landed his first major sales role, crushing his quota with 150% performance in year one.
Each role added another layer to his sales expertise. From managing nationwide teams to closing enterprise deals, he was building an arsenal that would eventually transform into his social selling experience, even though he didn’t know it.
By early 2020, he'd worked his way up to VP of Sales, mastering every aspect of traditional sales.
Then March 2020 happened.
The guy who thrived on face-to-face meetings and sales conferences suddenly had to sell through a screen. No more handshakes. No more coffee meetings. Just his computer and a whole lot of uncertainty.
That’s when he thought, what’s the next best thing to seeing people physically and building real relationships that would help me sell? Well… LinkedIn!
Instead of seeing lockdown as a setback, he turned LinkedIn into his new sales floor. He started posting, sharing real stories about sales, life, and the challenges of selling during a pandemic.
His early posts weren't about trying to go viral. They were honest reflections about adapting to the new normal, mixed with practical sales advice from his years in the field. The same skills he'd learned delivering pizzas - making quick connections, being genuinely helpful, showing up consistently - started working on LinkedIn.
A key moment came when another creator, Evan Preslopsky, started engaging with his content. Through their interactions, Darren learned one of his most valuable lessons about social selling: genuine engagement beats cold outreach every single time.
As his following grew, other sales professionals started asking for advice. They wanted to know how he was building real relationships and closing deals through LinkedIn. That's when the idea for his own company started taking shape.
In October 2024, Darren launched Darren McKee Co., offering something different from the usual social selling programs. His approach wasn't just about tricks or automation. It was about applying real sales experience to the digital world.
Today, his company offers multiple ways for sales professionals to master social selling:
- Group training through cohort programs
- One-on-one coaching programs
- Custom team training sessions
- Specialized outbound sales training
- Keynote/guest speaker
Here’s what he does with each one…
The Cohort
The Cohort experience brings 50 professionals together for 3x 1-hour intensive online training sessions. For $1,500, participants get to learn and also build connections with other sales leaders. Each live session also includes open Q&A time.
1:1 Coaching
His one-on-one coaching cuts straight to what matters. At $1,500 per hour or $1,100 for 45 minutes, these personalized sessions tackle specific challenges and goals. The timing is flexible, and professionals can book up to 12 hours, from a single session to ongoing monthly support.
Team Training
When entire teams need to level up their social selling game, Darren's team training programs start at $15,000. He delivers custom curriculum either in-person or virtually for each team to get exactly what they need. Every program includes dedicated Q&A sessions at the end of the training.
Outbound Sales Training
The outbound sales training packs serious punch. Individual sales pros pay $4,000 for two 45-minute sessions, while teams get two one-hour sessions for $15,000. Participants learn the exact LinkedIn DM and email strategies that global sellers use daily to keep their calendars full of qualified meetings.
Keynote Speaking
For companies planning conferences or sales kickoffs, Darren brings his expertise to the stage. Starting at $15,000, he shares practical guides to building a LinkedIn presence that generates real business.
Now, with over 500 sales leaders trained and a thriving business built entirely through organic content, Darren's story proves something powerful: sometimes the longest way around is the shortest way home. Every role, every challenge, every pivot led to where he is today - teaching others how to build real relationships in a digital world.
Darren’s LinkedIn Content Strategy
# 1
Hook Masters that Stop the Scroll
Every viral Darren McKee post starts with a hook that makes you pause. For instance…
"Shirt was from Ross Dress for Less.
Pants were from Goodwill.
Tie was my father's..." (5,966 reactions, 474 comments, 86 reposts)
"I was flipping pizza a few months before this picture was taken..." (3,851 reactions, 490 comments, 22 reposts)
"This is a post I have dreamed about creating for many years..." (2,330 reactions, 1,059 comments, 15 reposts)
"My 3 year old daughter references Steph Curry when she shoots..." (2,293 reactions, 370 comments, 55 reposts)
They work because they're unexpected and real.
No polish, just truth.
Here's what makes a hook impossible to scroll past:
- Start simple - one clear thought
- Share a detail that proves you've lived it
- Build tension with a bold statement or prediction
- Add something unexpected that makes readers pause
- Close with a promise that makes them need to read more
# 2
The Power of FaceTime
Darren's most engaging posts often feature his face - not just polished headshots, but real moments. When you see his face regularly in your feed, his content feels like a conversation with a friend. You literally hear his voice in your mind reading the post to you.
Here's why putting your face to content matters:
- Each selfie builds familiarity and trust
- Stories feel more authentic with a face
- Your audience connects a voice to the words
- Personal brand becomes instantly recognizable
# 3
Comment Section Mastery
Here’s one thing Darren does with his posts… he makes the actual post the beginning. And continues the conversation in the comment section keeping the post alive. He practically turns his comment section into a goldmine. He sits there.
Here’s exactly how he does it (and you can too):
- Reply to early comments immediately.
- Mention creators’ names in every reply.
- Give detailed responses when necessary.
- Add extra value and announcements that wasn't in the main post
Not only does he comment on his own posts, Darren uses comments on other creator’s posts to command attention. Dropping meaningful comments on other people’s posts makes them check your profile and possible follow you. There’s no one way to do it, just make it meaningful and valuable.
And yes, he responds to every comment by himself and every DM.
Here’s how Darren says it…
“If you send me a dm and you get a response, it is me.
Not an assistant
Not an automation tool
If you comment on my posts and you get a reply, it is me.
Not an assistant
Not an automation tool…
As long as I’m here, no matter how many DMs and comments I get, it will always me me.”
# 4
Target Audience Focus
There’s over 8 billion people on earth today and LinkedIn has over 1 billion members. But you don’t need to speak to the entire 1 billion population. The truth is… you can’t.
Trying to reach everyone is trying to reach no one.
Darren understands that and designs his post to just meet these two groups:
- Sales professionals looking to master social selling
- Business leaders who want to build personal brands
He's not trying to reach everyone - just the people who can actually use his expertise. This focus makes his content magnetic to the right audience.
# 5
Content Pillars that Actually Work
Darren didn’t just scatter his posts around many subjects. He’s laser-focused on a few that actually work for him.
1. Career Transformation Stories
From pizza delivery to VP of Sales to founder, Darren shares his experience with every step of his career evolution honestly - everything from negotiating offers to handling the emotional toll of leaving companies.
His posts dig into both tactical steps and mental preparation needed for major career moves. When he writes about switching jobs or building side hustles, it comes from lived experience, not theory.
2. Success Journey Stories
Darren documents the unglamorous parts of building success. He shares stories about wearing Goodwill suits to sales meetings, learning from early failures, and building his way up. These posts focus on small wins, daily habits, and the mindset shifts that drive long-term success. It's not about overnight wins - it's about consistent progress over time.
3. Leadership and Personal Development
He consistently shares insights about leading teams, supporting employees, and building strong workplace cultures. He talks about responding to lost deals with encouragement, recognizing team efforts, and creating environments where people can grow. His content shows both sides of leadership - supporting teams and developing yourself as a leader.
But here’s the deal… the real power isn't in any single tactic - it's in doing these things consistently while staying genuinely helpful. That's how you build sustainable growth on LinkedIn.
Darren’s Most Viral Moments
Here's Darren's top 5 posts on LinkedIn and the simple yet powerful underlying tactics that made them work. These posts show exactly how authentic storytelling combined with good content structure can create massive engagement.
"You leave your current job Friday and start your new one on Monday..." (23,519 reactions, 1,309 comments, 238 reposts)
This post calls out employers about their need to start giving new hires time to decompress between jobs. Here's why it worked:
- Opens with a simple truth.
- Addresses a common pain point.
- Sparks discussion with a direct question.
- Offers a realistic solution employers can implement.
- Stayed engaged in comments, acknowledging the viral reach.
"Shirt was from Ross Dress for Less.
Pants were from goodwill.
Tie was my fathers..." (5,966 reactions, 474 comments, 86 reposts)
Despite the storytelling, Darren wasn't just sharing memories - he turned his journey into actionable advice through 7 clear actionable steps. Here’s what he also did:
- Provides specific, actionable career advice.
- Breaks down his exact journey step by step.
- Uses clean formatting with plenty of white space.
- Begins with vulnerable details everyone can relate to.
- Includes a perfectly matched photo from his early days.
"I was flipping pizza a few months before this picture was taken." (3,851 reactions, 490 comments, 22 reposts)
Another powerful story showing everyone starts somewhere…everyone has a story:
- Offers hope and encouragement.
- Shares specific details about his journey.
- Opens with an attention-grabbing contrast.
- Shows photo evidence of his transformation.
- Closes the post with an offer to help for free.
"I am not loyal to a specific airline..." (2,454 reactions, 249 comments, 17 reposts)
This heartwarming story about a Southwest Airlines showcases:
- Tells a touching personal story.
- Tags relevant leaders thoughtfully.
- Connects emotion to business insights.
- Backs observations with company research.
"Erin Matson is a legend.
And she is only 23..." (2,420 reactions, 151 comments, 44 reposts)
This post celebrating a young coach's achievement demonstrates:
- Hooks with a bold statement.
- Uses data to build credibility.
- Structures achievements for easy flow.
- Ends with a memorable visual connection.
- Creates powerful parallel with Michael Jordan.
Looking at Darren's most successful posts reveals a clear pattern: authentic stories paired with practical value. He doesn't just share memories - he turns experiences into lessons.
Each post combines personal vulnerability with actionable insights, proving that the best content entertains and also helps others grow.
Wrap Up
Darren's success on LinkedIn proves one thing - authentic storytelling and consistency beat clever marketing every single time.
Remember:
- Start posting now, perfect it later.
- Your story matters more than you think.
- Someone 5 steps behind needs your experience.
- Show your face - people connect with people, not profiles.
“This place is the absolute greatest place to build a brand and build a business at the same time.”
Until next Wednesday,
Keep growing.
Learn How Founders Build Their Brand, Content Strategy and Create Viral Moments
Each week, I breakdown a founder brand, their journey and how you can weave their strategies into yours.
About the author
I'm ANDREW MCGUIRE
SaaS Pipeline Strategy Consultant
I'm helping SaaS Founders build their founder brands and create a pipeline strategy that actually works—by applying what I've learned doing this at SaaS companies for the past 15+ years.
Now, I'm living in Bend, Oregon where I take advantage of all the outdoor adventures.
If you can't find me, I'm probably doing an X3Bar workout, sweating in a sauna or freezing in a cold plunge.
Now I'm on a mission to help you understand pipeline strategy tactics and how founders build their brands on LinkedIn.
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