Fyreside Newsletter - 1/26/26 Hey Reader, What a week it's been, huh? Unfortunately, I am sniffling my way through day 2 of sickness, so this newsletter isn't going to be as robust as I'd like it to be. That said, I want to clue you in on what's next for me. The response to last week's newsletter was insightful and helpful. After some reflection (and another baseless murder in the streets committed by masked federal agents), I've decided to launch a new content series about propaganda. What...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 1/19/26 Hey Reader, First off, happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I'll start this newsletter the same way I did a year ago by saying that I hope you have the day off and I hope it's inspiring you to think critically about the society in which we live and the ways we, as individuals, can change it. I'd like to share with you the lyrics of a song called Pretty Songs by this punk band I like called Bob Vylan. White folks love quoting Martin Luther'Cause he held hands and...
15 days ago • 3 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 1/12/26 Hey Reader, This isn't the first time I've struggled to write a newsletter. Sometimes the state of the world makes it difficult to talk about marketing. Unfortunately, this likely won't be the last time I struggle to write a newsletter. C'est la vie. This difficulty is spurred by powerlessness. I wish I could save the world by teaching marketing tactics, but I can't. It is the same powerlessness I feel when a large company makes a decision I don't like. When...
22 days ago • 3 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 1/5/26 Hey Reader, It's the first Monday of the New Year. Congratulations, you made it! The first "real" week of the year tends to come with all sorts of "New Year, New Me"-isms which, in turn, tend to bring about the "New Year, New You" marketing schemes. Today, I want to dissect one for you. There are plenty of think pieces about whether or not New Years Resolutions are worth making, I'm not going to write one. If you crave that analysis, here's a lengthy one from...
29 days ago • 5 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 12/15/25 Hey Reader, Well, we made it. We've reached the end of another global rotation and, with that, the last Fyreside Newsletter of the year. Just a friendly reminder that you can catch up on old issues of Fyreside here if you're itching for the marketing advice of yore. After taking a much needed week off, I was grappling what to write about today. Plan A was a diatribe about propaganda and its devastating effect on those who, due to age, health and/or environment,...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 12/15/25 Hey Reader, First, a brief programming note: I'm taking next week off! Between travel and holiday prep, I don't plan on spending much time at my desk next week. You'll get one more newsletter from me this year on the 29th. Sorry if that ruins your holidays. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Please don't make me hurt your feelings. I don't like to be mean to people. I learned at a young age that the way I perceive social situations makes it easy for me to be mean accidentally. I also...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 12/8/25 Hey Reader, Today I want to share an example with you. In the second week of the last month of the year, I don't think there's much worth to advertising advice. Why? Because there is no single period of time more ridden with consumerism and advertisement than this. Don't add your slop to the pile, no one will care. Instead, let's all take a minute to look at something good. Best Subs in America I grew up in Western Pennsylvania. In a small town adjacent to mine...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 12/1/25 Hey Reader, Look, I'm not one for rampant consumerism, but Black Friday used to be an Event. That's right, a capital E, bold font Event. I remember friends and family clamoring into cars at ungodly hours to attempt to secure a flat-screen TV for less than $50. I remember doorbuster deals so insane that you'd feel guilty if you stayed home. So wtf's up with all this "GeT 20% oFf ThIs BlAcK fRiDaY!" nonsense?? (unrelated: there's an absolutely massive announcement...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Fyreside Newsletter - 11/24/25 Hey Reader, It's holiday season here in North America. As a social media professional, this time of year always comes with a very specific kind of dread. What kind of dread you ask? The kind of dread that comes from years of superiors demanding that I sign on to a company social account and post some stupid holiday graphic even though it's [INSERT HOLIDAY HERE] and I'm supposed to be off. This week, in honor of all the unpaid hours I've dedicated to holiday...
2 months ago • 4 min read