A man has recreated the viral LinkedIn wedding post that was widely ridiculed online, where a newly-engaged man likened his marriage proposal to his work.
Two weeks ago, Bryan Shankman described how popping the question to his partner was like a “well-run sales cycle”, adding that “key milestones must be met throughout the relationship to ensure a Closed Won status at the end”.
He then goes on to list seven steps to securing a ‘sale’.
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The social media post has seen been widely shared on other platforms, including X, with people mocking the bizarre comparison – accusing him of “leveraging” his proposal “for likes”.
For PR sales manager Joe Vaughan, this was the perfect opportunity to take the fun one step further.
Replicating the post, he swaps out the proposal for his weight loss journey – which has seen him lose 7 stone in 12 months, and then links it to his work in sales.
Joe even borrows Shankman’s opening phrase.
“I LOST 6 STONE IN 12 MONTHS, HERE’S WHAT IT TAUGHT ME ABOUT B2B SALES…,” the post reads.
“A year ago, I embarked on a journey to lose 6 stone.
“This transformation taught me not only about health and fitness but also invaluable lessons about B2B sales.”
He goes on to share insights such as setting clear goals, tracking progress, being resilient and being committed – things he says applied both to his weight loss journey, and his work.
While the post is tongue-in-cheek, Joe’s health is anything but a joke.
The 6’6 young man feels better than ever.
“When I saw the original post, I thought it was hilarious – although I’m not sure it was meant to be a joke!” said Joe, a growth specialist for Jam Prime PR agency.
“Since I work in PR, I had to get involved with a little stunt of my own.
“I’m a typical self-obsessed Leo, so this was the perfect opportunity to toot my own horn with a funny twist.
“I’m really proud of how far I’ve come, but it’s always good to be able to laugh at yourself.”
At the end of the post, Joe comes clean that it was all in jest, adding: “Well if you made it this far… all the above points are totally irrelevant – I did it for myself.”
He lost the weight by incorporating a calorie deficit alongside a regular gym routine.
Where Shankman shared a photo of himself on a beach proposing to his partner, Joe shared two images side by side to reveal his personal progress.
He says it has left his colleagues in stitches.
“PR and press-ups with Joe?,” jokes Kieran, to which Joe replies “Maybe a Monday 9am meeting ritual?”.
Other social media users said they were “proud” of his incredible fitness journey.
This is in huge contrast to comments left on Shankman’s post, which has over 30,000 likes so far.
One person joked: “Can’t wait to hear what divorce taught him about B2C marketing in a few years time.”
“Aaaahh, romance!” quipped another critic.
“I mean, I’ll turn most things into a LinkedIn post… but your engagement?Not everything in life needs to be leveraged for likes,” said Deon.
Another user said: “Please tell me this post is a joke?”
“This is hands down the cringiest LinkedIn post I’ve ever seen,” commented someone else.
Joe says Shankman’s original post was “ridiculous” but believes it was all in good fun – just like his own post.
He added: “I’m a PR specialist… of course, I can’t resist hopping on a trend!”
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