Houston, We Have a Problem

Well hey there...

It's?been?a?minute?since you've heard from me. I've?been?enjoying my summer and taking?a?much-needed break from creating content.?My brain?was?fried ya'll.

Taking?a?step back from marketing?was?not?an?easy decision. To run?a?successful business, you constantly need to be thinking about prospecting and closing sales, and marketing is?a?huge part of that.?

Ultimately, I felt like I?needed to be making content 24/7.?The?thought "I should be making?a?Reel about this" ran through my head on?a?daily basis more times than I can count.?

But here's?the?conclusion that I've come to: I refuse to let my?life be dictated by?the?algorithm.

If you've?been?feeling?the?call to step back from showing up online, here's your sign that it's ok.        

Here's one thing I know to be true about business- it's?a?marathon, not?a?sprint. While it's possible for some to achieve overnight business success, for most of us, it takes time and consistent effort.?The?ability to succeed?in?the?long run depends on your mental stamina, and sometimes?the?best thing you can do is just take space and time for yourself.?If you need to take?a?temporary break to regroup, do it! Sometimes it's just?the?thing you need to gain momentum and achieve?the?next level?in?business.?

And speaking of next levels...

Stay tuned?in?the?coming weeks for?the?big reveal!?

Houston, We Have?a?Problem

Here's something that has?been?top of mind for me recently-?the?social media industry is desperately?in?need of more oversight. You've?heard me talk before?about?the?issues with Facebook related to how they manage user data and how?the?platform can be used to destabilize democracies.?

Well, it turns out that Facebook isn't?the?only one that majorly majorly sucks. This week Twitter whistleblower Peiter Zatko?laid bare all of Twitter's many many issues.?Twitter had employees intentionally install spyware on their computers at?the?behest of third-party organizations, their data centers are at constant risk of going down, and scariest of all,?the?platform is extremely vulnerable to foreign exploitation.?

I've never?been?a?fan of marketing on Twitter simply because?the?life span of content on Twitter is miniscule- it seems to disappear from?the?feed as soon as you hit publish. But now, there seems to be even less reason to show up there.There's potential for rogue employees to snoop on Twitter users' information and with so many security flaws, getting hacked is very possible. As?a?company, it may be time to consider whether it's worth it to show up there.?

But beyond this, we also need to elect officials that will hold social media companies to task for how they handle data and platform manipulation. Cracking down on hate speech and conspiracy theories is critical to our society's well-being.?

To find and contact representatives and candidates?in?your area, make sure to check out?BallotReady.

What I'm Listening To

My new favorite podcast is?the?Secret Room. It's all about?the?secrets people never tell. Each episode gives you insight into people's lives?in?an?entirely new way. From stories about someone who takes revenge on?the?neighbor from hell,?to?the?story of?the?YouTube star?who escaped?an?abusive marriage, I've enjoyed taking?a?dive?in?to learn more about?the?challenges and adventures of everyday people. It's also?a?reminder that we're all human and that we should act with empathy and reserve judgement. You never know what someone has?been?through.?

Media Feature

I recently had?the?pleasure of doing?a?Q&A?with?the?lovely folks at Leadtail .?Check it out to hear my thoughts on Instagram?Marketing for B2B businesses, why we need to overhaul?the?food system, and my work with kikrr to help revolutionize enterprise software sales.

Find it here.

Until next time!

Mariana, Walter, and Rosie