Hi friend,
I want you to know that you’re allowed to hold boundaries.
I want you to know that you don’t have to let people walk all over you.
I want you to know that you’re allowed to take up space.
I want you to know that you’re allowed to have needs and wants.
I want you to know that you’re allowed to not give someone your precious time.
I want you to know that you don’t have to feel guilt or shame for being a flawed yet unique human being.
I want you to know that you don’t have to apologize for speaking up for yourself.
I want you to know that you can trust your gut feeling.
I want you to know that you’re not alone if these reminders resonate with you. Because honestly, I needed to repeat them myself.
We’re allowed to take up space, friend.
with warmth + love,
N
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📚 The Click Throughs
Long-form reads for the marketing geek + content creator
Link in Bio: When Will Brands Find BeReal? And Do We Want Them To?
There’s something special about being on an app before it gets coopted by brands. I remember being on Clubhouse (RIP) before it really was overrun by companies and grifters. BeReal is the next social platform on the map and one of my favorite newsletters from the queen Rachel Karten dives into one brand who’s already on the platform.
Sprout Social: How to deal with creative block and get reinspired
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m obsessed with anything Jayde Powell creates. We’ve all had those moments of creative block (feeling that extra these days) but Jayde has three tips to get rid of that block and give yourself some grace.
Vice: Why Does Instagram Keep Trying to Be TikTok?
For anyone exhausted by the amounts of content you have to create for different platforms, this one’s for you. It’s no surprise that each network is basically the same – it’s been happening since we first heard the importance of video on Facebook. This piece dives into the effect it’s having on creators and creations.
Eater: Are Millennial Food Influencers Okay?
The foodie influencer scene in 2016 was hot. Photos of over-the-top looking food and wild restaurants went viral, but the influencers behind the accounts are now struggling to keep up amid TikTok creators and trends. This piece interviews some of these foodie creators on what they’ve been up to and how they’re fighting to stay relevant.
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🧘🏼♀️ Mindful Moment
One actionable thing to get you through this week
This week’s mindful moment is another tool! We love tools around here!
This one is a simple accountability calendar called Do Every Day. All you do is sign up and commit to doing one thing every day.
You get a cute little smiley face every day you mark something you’ve completed. And you can also see your friends’ progress publicly! Here’s mine if you want to follow along!
I’m committing to meditating every day. Doesn’t have to be a massive thing. Might only be 1 min. But I’m doing it, every day.
(Shoutout to one of my favorite newsletter writer friends Kara Cutruzzula for featuring this first in her Brass Ring Daily!)
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🔗 Link(s) in Bio
Things I’ve been loving that have absolutely nothing to do with marketing or business
Mel Magazine: The Giant Box of Cat Litter That Makes Every Amazon Driver Shudder – This story just brought me a lot of entertainment. There’s really not much to it. Just a joyful fun read.
The Atlantic: ‘Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine’ – This article leans a bit heavier into economics at the start than I typically like, but the sentiment is still strong. When the world is crashing around you but, relatively, your life is somehow okay.
Refinery29: Can You Have Too Much Therapy? – Proud member of ‘the therapy generation’ but I can understand what this piece is getting at. If you’re being over reliant on your therapist, maybe it’s time to take a reflective step back.
Since I’ve been talking about my friends and favorite people a lot throughout this newsletter, I thought I would remind you (or let you know!) that my friend and accessibility social media extraordinaire Alexa Heinrich has published a must-have guide called Accessible Social. It’s a great beginner’s (and honestly pro’s) guide to creating inclusive social media content. You can buy it now on Blurb or on Amazon. Also, bookmark her resource hub for anytime you’re in need of accessible social lessons!
Agents and Books: Duration, Frequency, Intensity – I can’t remember where I found this piece, but I really loved the comparisons of physical exercise or running with writing and creating. There’s more similarities than you might think. See if it resonates with you.
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💭 Content Calendar
Ideas for you to take into your week ahead as a content creator
Know when to speak up, know when to sit back.
These are important life skills, but I feel like lately they’ve resonated even more within content creation.
Speak up when something’s being created that you don’t think should be created. Speak up when you know something shouldn’t be said. Speak up when you feel you have knowledge to contribute. Speak up when you feel inspired.
Sit back when you know other people know better than you. Sit back when you feel uncomfortable and unable to continue. Sit back when you want to let someone else shine. Sit back when you don’t want to take part in something.
Knowing when to do each action is the hard part. But the content can’t speak for itself, so you need to.
You’re the only one who knows when to speak up and when to sit back.
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👋 The (ring) Light at the End of the Tunnel
What I want you to know
This post is just one long list of reasons why I don't engage with sm at all. It's a machine, designed to literally exhaust content creators while making large profits for billion dollar companies. I wish the concept would die so the world could know peace quite honestly. We used to have it as late as the early 90's. You could actually get away from advertising back then.
With transhumanism on the rise you can look forward to brands colonising your brain whether you want them to or not. Social media is not a social good. It's a terrible poison that has told an entire generation of young people that fame is more important than privacy, that working for free is working for themselves, that creating content for a company that could afford to pay them for it, but just doesn't was a great idea.
Sorry not sorry for these thoughts. If you have to detox from something it probably has no valid place in your life to begin with.