I was talking to a founder last week about the importance of this idea of "mental availability" and how it relates to branding building, social and content. There’s a great book called How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp. I highly (highly) recommend giving it a read if you’re building a brand because it provides a counter-narrative to a lot of what we like to believe about marketing. The one that stuck with me: loyalty is basically a myth. Even your “best” customers are buying competitors....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
This week I want to cover one of the most important ways to tell your story on social: the pinned “story” post. We’re going to cover: 1. What it is 2. Why it matters 3. Examples of good posts 4. How to do thisWhat are pinned posts? For anyone terribly out of the know, platforms like Instagram and TikTok let you pin up to three posts so they always show up at the top of your profile. Most brands either have no pinned posts or just pin their three highest viewed videos. While that’s fine in...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Last week, I sat down with Zain, founder of Zainith Agency, a specialized TikTok Shop agency, to dig into how the platform really works. The conversation wasn’t just for content, it was also a chance for me to learn how my brand can leverage TikTok Shop firsthand. I can’t share every learning here (would be a very long email), but I pulled out a few key questions and takeaways to give you a clearer picture of how TikTok Shop functions, and what you can take away from it. Q: What does my brand...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Today I want to unpack one of the most effective and lowest-cost marketing channels for emerging brands: creator gifting. I was thinking about this as I got a gift from a friend’s new chocolate milk brand, and how when done right, gifting can drive tens (and hundreds) of thousands in sales, tons of free UGC, super low CPMs, and efficiencies across ad performance. Now this isn’t quite influencer marketing, which tends to focus on bigger creators and often comes with briefs and five-figure fees...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Everyone knows AI can do magical things. We also all know that sometimes it’s not quite as magical as we want it to be. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing out the latest wave of AI tools, especially the ones used for video. And in the midst of this, this ad from Kalshi caught my eye. Watch this: Kalshi @Kalshi History was made by the underdogs. 9:0 AM • Jul 10, 2025 434 Retweets 3311 Likes Read 263 replies The entire video is AI generated...sort of. Each clip was generated using...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Sinner and Świątek are the official winners of Wimbledon, but the unofficial winners? Their social team. If you were on TikTok or Instagram during the tournament, you might have seen a clip that went viral. Not of a highlight reel or championship point, but of two people in the crowd debating a player’s age. “He must be pushing 40.” “No, he's 38.” “Why, that would be pushing 40!” That’s from a series Wimbledon ran called Overheard at Wimbledon. It's a simple concept where they mic up willing...
4 months ago • 1 min read
While CMOs argue about whether they should even be on an app “for teenage girls doing dances,” a much bigger shift is happening. Namely, Tiktok is evolving from a feed-based app to a search-driven platform. That changes how content gets discovered, how brands get found, and how you win. I was recently in Cannes and saw this ad at the airport: It’s subtle, but it signals a major shift in how TikTok is positioning itself. Not just as entertainment, but as the go-to destination for discovery and...
4 months ago • 3 min read
This week, we're highlighting Red Lobster and how their new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, is making waves simply by speaking strategy out loud on social. Check out this clip to see what I mean: The Breakfast Club As the new CEO of @redlobster, Damola Adamolekun dives into his plan to save the company from Chapter 11 by tapping into the brand's nostalgia and rebranding! 🦞#iHEARTRADIO ♬ original sound - The Breakfast Club - The Breakfast Club At a time when most brands are chasing attention with...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Not every founder or brand wants to churn out content 24/7, but in 2025 it feels like you have no choice. Today let’s break down why that is, and what the alternatives actually are. Here’s a video I saw this week from the owner of a beauty brand voicing this frustration: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKSzH4LyL4J/ 1. Why do we even have to create? As someone who often talks about the benefit of creating content, it comes down to this: when done well, it creates outsized awareness, attention, and...
5 months ago • 2 min read
