Content Marketing for independent entrepreneurs done differently. Here's your first tip: You don't need to grow your following.
The Worst Lyft Driver I've Ever Had - Fyreside Newsletter - 6/23/25
Hey Reader,I'm not going to lie to you, I flew home on a red-eye last night and went to bed just after 4am. Thus, a shorter newsletter. Sorry, not sorry, I saved $150 flying late. ANYWAY, let me tell you about this driver. I typically only do ride shares when I'm traveling, and even then, not that often. I've been in my fair shares of Lyfts and Ubers, but nearly as many Lyfts and Ubers as some. So, take my story with a grain of salt. You may have a worse ride share story and I don't want to take that away from you. That said, here is my story. Things started off fine. Our driver picked us up and was friendly enough. The car was clean and I'd describe his driving as "safer than average," and I mean that in a good way. But everything changed when our new companion dropped the phrase, "Well, no one wants to work anymore." MY BROTHER IN CHRIST I was in the car with two of my friends and, luckily, I was not riding shotgun when this phrase invaded my ears. My buddy who was riding shotgun tried valiantly to reason with our driver. It didn't go well, but the vibes in the car stayed amicable. During this (somewhat) reasonable discourse, our driver said something that made my ears perk up: "These days, kids just want to go viral and be tiktokers." My ears perked up because our driver was 100% not wrong. In fact, a study summed up in this article on Tubefilter found that, in 2024, 54% of people in the US (ages 18-60) would quit their jobs if they could make enough money as a full-time content creator. Obvi, that is not a 1-to-1 "all kids want to be tiktokers" study, but I think the point stands. More than half of the work force yearns for full-time content creation. As it turns out, our Lyft driver is part of that 54%. Intermission We had to stop at Walgreens so one of my friends could stock up on toiletries. While he ran inside, our driver played us some of the music he's written. This included the rap song he wrote about his excitement for Inauguration Day in January. Here's a meme I made about it: What made this driver the worst. After our third rescued us from the "sick beats," we continued on to our destination. After sharing his music with us, our driver explained that he only planned to drive for a few more months before shifting to, you guessed it, full-time content creation. From his calculations, he expected to be a millionaire within the next 3 months. From my calculations, that will not be the case. This, my dear reader, is what really grinds my gears. I would like to know when, in the 40-odd year history of the internet, the misconception that full-time content creation is easy began. Let me be so clear: IT'S NOT. Our driver was the worst I've had because he poked both of my most sensitive buttons. In one, miserable, 40 minute trip, he insinuated that "no one wants to work" and also that "content creation isn't real work" AND ALSO THAT "content creation is a quick way to make money." He also played us his pro-Trump mixtape. That sucked pretty hard too. -MCp.s.
--- Let's celebrate your wins next. Ask me how!
|
Bahnfyre
Content Marketing for independent entrepreneurs done differently. Here's your first tip: You don't need to grow your following.
Fyreside Newsletter - 6/30/25 Hey Reader, No, I'm not talking about phishing, the steal-your-data kind or the tie-dyed-weed-smoke kind. This is an email about fishing. Baiting a hook, tossing a line, hauling a catch, gutting and cleaning, just good ol' fashion fishing! (Yeah of course it's a metaphor for marketing. Have you read this newsletter before?) Marketing is a lot like Fishing If you respond to this and say that "because you used 'like' it's actually a simile," I will unsubscribe you...
Fyreside Newsletter - 6/16/25 Hey Reader, Hot take: 2FA is a good thing. It's my absolute least favorite good thing, but it's a good thing. I'll be honest, I don't know how hot that take actually is. Maybe everyone is good with 2FA these days, but my recent stint working in higher education tells me otherwise. Either way, two-factor authentication is a phenomenal security concept that has added a much-needed layer of protection in the digital age. The magic behind 2FA are the things it...
Fyreside Newsletter - 6/9/25 Hey Reader, I hope this Avril Lavigne reference finds you well. Look, I work in "marketing," so I consume a lot of "marketing-related" content. Well, upon over-consuming content this weekend, I've come to a decision. Everyone is making marketing too complicated. I've said it before and I'll say it again, marketing is simple. Marketing can be difficult to execute, but, at its core, marketing is simple. Every client that I've ever worked with in this business has...