Friday Fuel - August 14th, 2020
A few weeks ago, I set a goal to reach 250 subscribers by the end of the year. Happy to say that we’re way ahead of schedule (201). Welcome to all of the new members of the Crashing Up family who’ve joined since last Friday. If you’re reading this but haven’t subscribed, make sure to do so here.
Hi friends👋,
Back again with your weekly shot of Friday Fuel, a collection of things that I’ve been learning from or enjoying recently.
📕What I’ve Been Reading -
Hustle culture is real, but it’s not applauded like it once was. Working 20 hour, ramen-fueled days is no longer the glorified life of a successful entrepreneur. With conversations around mental health and burnout becoming more prevalent, building something that changes the world without sacrificing your health, sanity, or family time is the new version of success. The pro vs anti-hustle culture debate has been raging for the last few years with successful individuals strongly advocating for both sides.
Hate him or love him, when you think of Gary Vaynerchuk you think of hustle. Gary is a firm believer that hustle can bring out the best in people in the worst of situations. But is that really the case?
The pandemic has lasted longer than we’ve all expected and quarantine burnout is real. We find ourselves with all the time to do everything we’ve “never had time to do” so when we don’t want to do it anymore, it feels pretty crappy.
In this article, Sarah Kessler breaks down whether the “always on” inspirational messages that Gary pumps out to his millions of followers are as beneficial as they’re intended to be. If you follow him, what do you think? Does it motivate you to get to work on your next big idea or use a picture of his head as a dartboard? Comments and replies are encouraged.
🎧What I’ve Been Watching - Brands are expected to spend an estimated $15 billion on influencer marketing in 2022, but not every influencer campaign is successful. Just take Antoni Porowski's Olly Sleep ad for example. Probably not a good idea to have someone who looks like they’re fresh off a 48-hour Vegas bender promoting your “restful sleep” product. Just my two cents.
However when done correctly, the payoff is huge. This has been a common topic in my newsletter, but rarely have I discussed how the deals get done. In this video, YouTubers Colin and Samir break down the economics of influencer marketing deals, explaining how much influencers make, how the deals are structured, and what makes a good influencer marketing campaign.
🤯What’s Blown My Mind - Ever wonder how companies make large consumer-facing decisions? Some rely solely on A/B testing and data. Some just wing it with creativity. The most successful companies marry the two. If you’ve been dying to know how the Morning Brew picks the subject lines that reach over 2 million daily inboxes, it’s your lucky day. Click below to learn more.
📰What I’ve Been Following - Apple and Google have removed Fortnite from their respective app stores, prompting Epic Games to take legal action and launch an in-game event mocking Apple’s famous 1984 commercial. More to come on this on Monday.
🎤An Idea I Enjoyed -
These 4 phases can also be applied to writing. You never truly know how much (or how little) you know about something until you are forced to write about it. Being able to subconsciously write about a topic concisely enough that an industry novice can understand it, is equivalent to not remembering 10 minutes of a drive.
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If you’re new here and are looking to catch up on some old editions, here are a couple of my favorites: No Ads, No Problem and A Page from Netflix’s Playbook.
See you on Monday,
Randy