I’m a content junkie, and in this era of easy-access knowledge and social media, I’m living in my prime. I carry a notebook and pen, or an old school tape recorder with me at all times; from coffee shops to airports and bars, I’m always ready to go. When I’m privy to someone else’s lived experience, I never examine it from a surface level. My brain is wired to identify underlying messages, lessons learned, and equations for success or failure. 

I recently absorbed the documentary, Jeen-Yuhs. Commentary from my peers varied from, “Maaannnnn, I dunno ‘bout Kanye,” to “This has made me think about my life goals on a deeper level.” But the common theme is that this documentary, and most celebrity news, doesn’t have substance; one of its biggest misconceptions. Pop-culture news is far from mindless. Here at the WritersBlok, we know that we’re witnessing the evolution of culture in real-time. Therefore, I push my team to pay close attention to what’s capturing public attention, and pick it apart with a fine-tooth comb. We examine seemingly superficial moments, through a cultural and anthropological lens, and apply key observations to our clients’ communication strategies.

This newsletter aims to take our findings from current events and condense them into bite-sized content that you can directly apply.

The beauty of absorbing stories, and understanding culture, is that you can take what’s for you, and leave the rest. My team, at WritersBlok, read between the lines of current stories to extract game-changing information from all art and culture mediums. In addition, I frequently challenge my close friends and colleagues to tap into shit they don’t know. I encourage them to welcome situations where they feel challenged and uncomfortable because they are not always the smartest in a room; lean into discomfort because that is where the magic happens. When you open your eyes to new perspectives and welcome the lessons others have learned, you step into a better version of yourself.

So, this is a case of “don’t fake it till you make it.” Raise your voice, challenge yourself, and ask a million questions; dig for the deeper meaning. If I’ve learned anything from my years of studying critical cultural moments, it’s that success leaves clues–you just have to search for them. Of course, I understand that today’s rapid digital consumption makes it impossible for one person to keep up with and, at the same time, decipher what they need to embody or discard. So, here’s what I’m suggesting: leave the treasure hunting to my team and me. We’ll pick up the clues to success that are sometimes hidden in the most game-changing stories, and deliver them to you once a month. And to be frank, a newsletter cannot contain all that goes on in my brain, so I’ll keep it high level. 

While we’re at it, shoot me a line with your thoughts on Jeen-Yuhs; below are my quick takeaways.

Win and fail in public

We’ve all heard this phrase before: ‘Keep your head down and do the work.’ But imo that’s an old school of thought. The reality of the present is much different. We don’t need to hustle in humble silence to be respected. Some of today’s greatest success stories are those that have been built in public; see Lady London, Vanessa Lau, Taylor Lorenz, Issa Rae, Dayna Bolden, Gary Vee, Josh Fabian, and the co-founders of Clubhouse, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. These figures prove that it’s okay, no… it’s encouraged to be vocal about your journey. Audiences want to see you stumble and expose your flaws because it humanizes you, especially in an era of feigned personas. We all know that reality is an endless wave of wins and fails, and your tribe wants to see it all. Sometimes that means that your journey will not fit into a cute Instagram aesthetic. But from time to time, I encourage you to show your life unedited. Step out of the matrix every now and then because like I said, discomfort is where the magic happens.

 

Align your actions and values

In line with the notion, “win and fail in public,” when you step into the spotlight and acquire a larger audience, you take on the identity of a person with authority and power. How often have you heard people in powerful positions say the key to their success is to “stay true to yourself”? And what does that really mean?

Let’s break it down like this: by building in public, you attract greater visibility. Visibility brings responsibility. Responsibility brings community. Community (often) brings unwanted opinions.

And in those opinions, people will challenge, and sometimes even disregard your decisions altogether. They will attempt to impose their views on you and sway you from your path. While the inevitable next step is to answer, instead, ask yourself, do you stand true to your values or succumb to the pressure? Though I can’t tell you what to do, I can equip you with the same tools I use to keep my cool. Write down your top five values on a piece of paper, and keep it some place visible; beside your computer, or my favorite,  tape it to your mirror. See those values every day, in every decision you make, and in every action you take. Look at that piece of paper and ask yourself if your next steps are aligned. If it doesn’t, then that’s your cue to walk away. If you think this advice sounds cheesy, the following examples are business leaders who illustrate that you can stand up for what you believe in, and still do well. Take a look at Michaela Coel, who walked away from a $1 million deal, Gotye, who turned down $10 million, and Shaquille O’Neal’s decision to leave $40 million on the table.

I’d also like to point out a few brands that my team admires because they stand firm on their values: 

• Live Tinted: They have an unwavering commitment to diversity and finding solutions for makeup and skincare concerns for women of colour. Deepica Mutyala, the founder, was one of the first people to talk about hyperpigmentation for WOC, and is also vocal about her fertility journey and being. These topics are taboo in South Asian cultures, which makes her honesty and vulnerability all the more powerful.
• Rebundle: This company is committed to solutions that ensure sustainability, without compromising the expected quality of products for Black women. Rebundle also provides alternative products for women with sensitive skin and scalps, which allows for their products to be used by a wide range of people.
• Diaspora Co.: An equitable spice company seeking to reverse colonialism within the spice industry. Diaspora Co. works to ensure the history of Indigenous spices is recognized and respected. One way they highlight each spice’s unique story is by naming them after the region they originate from.
• Curlbox: Celebrating their tenth year, this company recognizes that Black women spend more money on hair care than any other group, and yet we are often excluded from stores and product lines. Curlbox is where affordability and accessibility intersect, making them a company we love!
• Kensington Grey Agency Inc.: Co-founders, Shannae Ingleton Smith and Sean Smith, have built one of the world’s top boutique influencer management agencies rooted in diversity. With a roster of 26 influencers, the duo advocates for Black content creators in an industry that has historically and systematically underpaid them.  

 

Keep Your Content Evergreen

How do authority figures stay relevant years after they first reach the public spotlight? How do they ensure that their notoriety isn’t simply just fifteen minutes of fame? Evergreen content. Take a moment to consider how many times you have revisited an article or book and been able to pull something new and relevant from its lines. Even after you’ve read it a dozen times,  with each new read, you identify with a piece of it that hadn’t resonated before.

The power of evergreen content remains relevant through the ups and downs of culture shifts and fads. Talent + HR Leader, and founder of Bloom, Avery Francis, is a champion of diversity, inclusion and belonging. She is a leading voice on social media, who produces educational content that is easy to understand, and is so informative that you want to save it for future reference. I am also tapped into the video content culture enthusiast, Taj has been curating as of late–she has audiences enthusiastic about the history of Black heroes and trailblazers in her series, THAT’S THAT ON THAT. These two exemplify the ways one solid piece of content can morph into numerous variations of seemingly ‘new’ snippets of micro-content across all platforms. You know who also does this well? Kevin Kelly. He lives in my head. You might’ve read his original essay written in 2008 called 1000 True Fans. All these years later, I still reference and revisit it, and learn something new every time.