Sell Grow Repeat

While you were watching the "I Do's" on Love Is Blind last night, I made a snake video game in under 20 minutes using AI... Here’s the catch: I don’t code. And yet, 141 lines of Python later, here I am with a playable game—something I used to think only belonged to the world of developers and tech pros. But thanks to LLMs and tools like Replit, the barriers that used to keep people like you and me out? They’re crumbling. Fast. You see, we’re entering a new era where you don’t need to be an expert to build something amazing. Here’s why that matters: 1. The World is Open to Everyone ↳ Whether you’re a coder, designer, or have never touched a line of code in your life—AI is your co-pilot. You can build, create, and solve problems you never thought you had the skills for. 2. Speed is the New Advantage ↳ I didn’t spend weeks learning to code or breaking my brain on tutorials. In 20 minutes, AI turned an idea into reality. This kind of speed gives you the power to experiment, iterate, and create value at an unprecedented rate. 3. You Don’t Have to Know Everything ↳ Gone are the days of gatekeeping knowledge. Whether it’s building a website, writing a business plan, or coding a game—AI is breaking down the complexity. All you need is an idea, and AI takes care of the heavy lifting. This isn’t just about a recreating the greatest addition to Nokia's software ever. This is about democratization. YouTube started the democratization of content. AI is democratizing creation. The doors that were once shut—requiring a degree or years of experience—are now wide open for anyone bold enough to step through. And, I predict that we're rapidly moving from founders with an idea and a pitch deck to the era of rapid prototyping. The future belongs to the creators who realize they don’t need to have all the answers. They just need to ask the right questions.

Consistency doesn’t guarantee success—but inconsistency guarantees failure... Too many people wait for the perfect moment to start their work. They convince themselves that if they’re not in the right headspace, the work won’t be their best. So they tweak their environment. Drink another cup of coffee. Scroll through their social. Waiting for that magic spark to get going. But here’s the truth: Starting is the perfect condition. You don’t need perfect circumstances to do great work. You just need to start. Momentum builds from action, not from planning the perfect environment. It’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting for the right mindset or the ideal setup before diving into tasks. But some of the most successful people don’t wait for inspiration—they create it by showing up, day in and day out. Here’s the real productivity hack: • Forget getting into the mood to work. ↳ Action creates clarity. The hardest part is always that first step. Once you confront the work, you build momentum faster than you think. • The perfect conditions don’t exist. ↳ Waiting for them just delays progress. The conditions will never be perfect, but starting anyway sets the stage for improvement and growth. • Consistency compounds. ↳ Showing up regularly, even on days when you feel less than perfect, is the single biggest factor in long-term success. Small, imperfect steps taken consistently will outperform bursts of energy followed by long pauses. If you’re looking for results, stop waiting for the right moment. The perfect conditions. Start now. Show up tomorrow. Then again the day after. Because it’s not about doing the work when you feel like it. It’s about doing the work until you can’t imagine not doing it. image credit: visualhustles

turning trauma into joy... ========================================= If anyone knows Alex Bellis, get her in front of Microsoft Teams. We need this remix in our lives 🔥🔥🔥🔥

It's never too late. I've been thinking a lot about who I am and who I'll become. There's a lot of pressure to take risks in your 20s and then achieve greatness early in life. And, this took me back to the olympics this year. To one of my favorite success stories from the event: Zeng Zhiying made her Olympics debut at 58-years old. And, this got me thinking about so many great success stories well beyond the typical timeline. For example: - Stan Lee created his first comic, Fantastic Four, at 39. - Vera Wang began her fashion career at 40. - Alan Rickman had his film debut in Die Hard at 46. - Julia Child published her first cookbook at 50. - Ray Kroc took McDonald's global at age 52. - Colonel Harland Sanders founded KFC at 62. - Laura Ingalls Wilder published book at 65. Just remember, dreams don't have an expiration date. You got this! h/t Colby Kultgen and his newsletter 1% Better that reminded me of this story.

There's no such thing as a million dollar idea.... only million dollar execution: Everyone and their mom has a brilliant stroke of genius at some point in their life. The uncle who says, "Uber was my idea first." But, ideas without execution are worthless. Nothing but an excuse to pat ourselves on the back for doing nothing. Why do we glorify the 'aha' moment more than the grind? Because it's easier to dream about the finish line than to actually run the race. Running the race means we could lose. Find out we're not actually in shape. Get injured along the way. But the race is where the value is built. See, ideas are abundant. Execution is scarce. It's not about who thought of it first but who did it right. Execution means late nights. Early mornings. Restarts. Losses. It's about building a team that believes in your vision just as much as you do. It's about pivoting when things don't go as planned and staying resilient in the face of adversity. So, if you're sitting on what you believe is a groundbreaking idea, ask yourself this: Are you ready to put on your execution boots? I's not the idea that'll make you a million. It's the miles you're willing to walk to bring it to life. Because in the end, the doers will always have the scale tipped in their favor.

One of my favorite television scenes of all time... Like all of you, I started Ted Lasso in the heart of COVID. It was the light the world needed. And, I was an immediate Lass-hole. But, through all of the great moments, and there were a lot, I've continued to revisit this scene. Lasso's competition with Rupert wasn’t just a display of hidden dart prowess; it was a masterclass in leadership and life. Ted shares a quote (apparently, falsely) attributed to Walt Whitman, "Be curious, not judgmental." Curiosity is one of my favorite traits in a person. It encourages life long learning. Promotes open-mindedness. Drives personal growth. Improves adaptability. Fosters creativity. So for me, this line is a mantra for personal and professional success. Why? Because Ted, often dismissed for his folksy demeanor and lack of soccer expertise, turns the tables by embracing curiosity over judgment. If you want become a bit more curious, here’s how you can apply Ted’s lesson to become transformative leaders: 1. Ask Open-Ended Questions: ↳ True curiosity involves asking questions that go beyond the surface. Like Ted, leaders should encourage dialogue that fosters deeper understanding and insight, rather than making assumptions. 2. Embrace the Unexpected: ↳ Ted’s expertise in darts was unexpected, revealing the limitations of superficial judgments. Leaders must remain open to discovering the hidden talents and potentials in their teams. 3. Create a Culture of Inquiry: ↳ By fostering an environment where questions are encouraged and exploration is valued, leaders can cultivate a team that thrives on innovation and continuous learning. 4. Learn from Everyone: ↳ Ted’s approach shows us that everyone has something to teach us, no matter how unlikely the teacher. This mindset can unlock new ideas and perspectives crucial for growth. 5. Challenge Assumptions: ↳ Just as Ted challenged the dismissive attitudes of that bastard, Rupert, leaders must constantly challenge the status quo and the assumptions that underlie their business strategies and team dynamics. Let’s not just aim to be better leaders; let’s be more curious ones. Because, as Ted showed us, when you’re curious, you can change the game—both literally and figuratively.

$100M made while you sleep. No, literally. This is what Pokémon did with their latest release, Pokémon Sleep. If you thought catching Pokémon in the park was a breakthrough, wait until you hear how they turned rest into revenue. With Pokémon Sleep, they’ve once again revolutionized how we interact with digital worlds. First, let's rewind to 2016. Pokémon Go transformed our morning jogs and evening walks into global scavenger hunts. Niantic (the parent company of Pokemon) swan dived into augmented reality and generated over $1B in year one of their release. In five years, this bet had taken the company from a $150M valuation to more than $9B by 2021. Aside from the surge when the entire world shut down (side note: can you believe COVID started 4 years ago???), Pokémon's numbers have trended downward. But, this is what the Pokémon team does. They continue to evolve based upon consumer trends and technological advancements. And, they’ve done it again, but this time, the playground is your own sleep. Here’s how Pokémon continues to catch both dreams and profits: • Innovative Health Integration: ↳ Pokémon Sleep doesn’t just track sleep; it gamifies it. The app rewards good sleep habits with in-game progress, making both children and adults eager to tuck in and "catch" some rest. • Nostalgic Connection Meets Modern Tech: ↳ Leveraging decades of brand love, Pokémon combines nostalgia with the latest in health tech, proving that Pikachu can be just as compelling bedside as it is on-screen. • Strategic Adaptation: ↳ Recognizing the growing focus on mental and physical health, Pokémon Sleep positions the brand at the forefront of the wellness tech wave, expanding their market from gamers to virtually everyone who sleeps. • Daily Engagement: ↳ Just like Pokémon Go made daily walks exciting, Pokémon Sleep turns every night into a new opportunity to engage. This regular interaction boosts user retention and daily active use, driving continuous revenue. • Community and Data Synergy: ↳ With a global community tracking sleep patterns, Pokémon isn’t just sitting on a bed of data; they're actively enhancing user experience and refining their model based on real-time feedback, fostering a powerful community around health consciousness. Pokémon’s ability to reinvent its engagement strategies, from walking to sleeping, shows a brand in tune with its users' lives. Pokémon Sleep is more than a smart business move—it’s a reminder for any brand to remain relevant through innovation and adaptability. If you've built a strong brand and a loyal audience, it's your job to think similarly. Continuous innovation, tuned to evolving consumer trends and technological advancements, is crucial for sustained business success.

A 9X bump in sales, 500K followers, and a brand campaign worth writing about… Here’s the SMASHD story that everyone's talking about. Imagine rebranding from Mixoloshe to SMASHD and clearing old inventory with a marketing budget of... nothing. That's right. Zero. Zilch. Nada. If you've ever worked in a startup, you've felt the crushing weight of... how can I do this? But, as we all know, the less we have, the more creative we have to be. Mike Chambers, CEO of SMASHD, turned a marketing constraint into a groundbreaking success, proving that sometimes, the best ads aren’t ads at all. Here’s how they did it: • Viral Genesis: It began with a simple yet bold experiment—smashing a can of their product. What started with measly 1,000 views exploded to a whopping 30 million. But, this is no accident. They tapped into the fact that (for better or worse), we love to blow sh*t up. Don't believe me? Just look at the 2.6B views The Slow Mo guys have accumulated or the 295M views on BlendTec's "Will It Blend?" series. • The Underdog Strategy: Let's be honest. Your intern is likely better at marketing than you. Okay, maybe not better, but dang if you can't learn something from them. The campaign centered around Nicole, an intern, versus Mike, her boss. This David vs. Goliath storyline captured the audience's heart and attention. Because who doesn't want to root for Rudy or see an intern one-up their smug boss? We eat it up. • Community Engagement: SMASHD didn’t just share content; they built a story with their audience. Every smash, every strategic pivot was discussed openly, turning passive viewers into active participants. Personally, I think community is the future of marketing. The more your customers become a part of something meaningful with them at the center of it, the more they buy and the more they advocate. And the cycle continues. • Strategic Alignment: From viral videos to website interactions, every touchpoint was synchronized. They transformed site traffic into a community dialogue. For example, one site pop-up said  “Here for Nicole the intern? She claims all this traffic is coming from her can smashing. If you're here, enter your email below." In the Marketing Millennials pod, Chambers said the conversion on that pop up was "like nothing I had ever seen in my 20 year professional career." • Focused Execution: Instead of spreading thin over multiple platforms, SMASHD mastered one. They chose depth over breadth, engaging deeply where it mattered most, fostering a sense of belonging among their followers. Don't try to be all things to all people. Mastery before expansion. Mike’s takeaway? "We built the plane as we flew it." They crafted a narrative so compelling that the community couldn’t help but rally behind them. From a looming rebrand to clearing out inventory, they turned every challenge into a viral conversation.

What you focus on expands. For better or worse. Optimism may not improve your odds, but pessimism will surely worsen them.

"Brat" girl summer is here!..But, it's not Charli XCX's 12.6M DAILY streams on Spotify that I'm talking about... Gen Z can smell inauthenticity a mile away. They crave realness. They reward creativity. So this summer while everyone is in the party b-b-bumpin' that beat, Field Roast saw an opportunity. They didn't just jump on the bandwagon; they cleverly hijacked it with style and humor. They're so Julia. Here's why this worked: • Cultural Hijacking: ↳ Instead of plastering their name on billboards in the usual yawn-inducing fashion, Field Roast mimicked the album's aesthetic. Using the same font and colors as Charli's "brat" album cover, they transformed their billboard into a meme-style masterpiece that read "bratwurst." • Engagement through Humor: ↳ Normally, puns are the "wurst". But, it was funny. They crafted a visual pun that was both on-brand and on-trend. No hard sell, just a clever nudge wrapped in a chuckle. Memes rule. Humor sells. • Organic Virality: ↳ I share no less than 25 memes and videos with my fiancée daily. Not an exaggeration. People share laughs. I found this billboard through TikTok. The billboard didn't just capture attention. It was shareworthy. It morphed from an advertisement to a meme, gaining millions in free publicity. • Adding Value, Not Ads: ↳ Field Roast understood something crucial—Gen Z isn't looking for ads. They want content that adds value, whether through entertainment, information, or sheer relatability. This campaign was a perfect blend of all three. But here’s the real question: Is this the future of marketing? I think so. At least for consumer marketing. The brands that focus on content that aligns with their consumers behaviors wins. People tend to search for entertainment, education, or information. They share if you give them one of those three and it has an emotional impact (i.e. makes 'em laugh, cry, vomit... maybe not vomit). Get into the mindset of "what will they share?". And, right now, we share the hell out of some memes.