You’ve been waiting all year for this: The National Mango Board named its Retailer of the Year — Mid-Atlantic grocer Weis Markets, which “demonstrated leadership in mango promotion.” Cool. Honestly, we’re just glad they didn’t go back to 2020’s cop-out winner: “All of You!”
In today’s email:
Gen Z: So many of them want to pursue influencing as a career.
Risky business: How insurance works when Tom Cruise jumps off a skyscraper.
You’ll want to sit down for this: The furniture industry’s in tumult.
Around the web: A Johnny Cash map, a Spotify tool, a silly bear cub, and more.
👇 Listen: Will X actually charge every user to access its platform?
The big idea
Gen Z would rather influence than be astronauts
Gen Z actively wants to pursue influencing as a career — even more than being a rock star or an astronaut.
2023-09-20T00:00:00Z
Juliet Bennett Ryla
Gen Z has never lived without the internet; the oldest of them were born in 1997, four years after it became widely available. Perhaps that explains why so many want to be influencers.
Eighty-one percent of Gen Z respondents surveyed by decision intelligence company Morning Consult reported following influencers, with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram among the most popular platforms. A majority of Gen Zers — and millennials — also said they rely on influencers to learn about new products and make purchasing decisions.
These social media users are drawn to people who reflect a similar, yet aspirational, lifestyle and an authentic, knowledgeable vibe.
Perhaps more interesting…
… is that 57% of Gen Z respondents said they’d become an influencer if given the chance, compared to 41% of all US adults; 30% said they’d even pay for the opportunity.
Another poll found one in four Gen Zers hope to become influencers, with 20% of men and 13% of women saying it was their only intended career path.
A 2019 survey found that YouTuber was the most popular dream job among US and UK tweens, outweighing China’s top choice of astronaut.
But why?
For those of us who don’t enjoy thousands of strangers commenting on our lives, it may seem daunting — but influencing has its perks.
It can be lucrative, with top influencers raking in millions. Even micro influencers catering to a niche can pull off a decent side hustle.
Influencers get free stuff — products, food, trips, event access, etc.
Two teens toldNPR they thought influencing would be doing what they liked — in this case, playing video games — while collecting paychecks and likes.
You don’t have a boss (except the algorithm, of course).
Plus, Gen Z has watched millennials struggle with crushing student loan debt. Though it certainly takes more than talking into your phone camera to become a successful influencer, it doesn’t require a college degree.
BTW: There’s now a cottage industry to prop up influencers both actual and aspiring, including courses, conferences, agents, photo and video studios, and SaaS startups like Linktree. Even regular restaurants and stores have long appealed to Instagram.
Free Resource
Keep up your cadence on LinkedIn
Aw, yeah — another day to stunt your stuff. If that means dropping honest quips on your friends, fans, and followers… then so be it.
But as an expert professional/thought leader, you know best that every wasted minute could come back to bite you in the ass. That’s why folks like you use a LinkedIn planning calendar to reduce the stress of scheduling content.
Once again, your wisdom knows no bounds. Save time with this simple, tidy tracking sheet.
Nice try: Danish artist Jens Haaning has been ordered to return the $75k that the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art paid him to recreate two of his pieces. Finding the sum insufficient, Haaning instead delivered two empty frames titled, “Take the Money and Run.”
SNIPPETS
Elon Musk suggested X may start changing a small fee for all users as the “only defense against armies of bots.”
Instacart made its public debut yesterday, trading under the ticker symbol “CART” and opening at $42/share for an $11B+ valuation. In 2021, amid the pandemic, Instacart was valued at $39B.
Googleadded Bard to its other tools, allowing the AI bot to search Drive documents, summarize Gmail messages, check Google Flights prices, and more.
Pandora’s Xbox: A trove of leaked documents from the Microsoft v. FTC case shows plans for a discless Xbox console and a new gaming controller, and detailed the tech giant’s dreams of acquiring Nintendo.
Over at Square, CEO Alyssa Henry is stepping down on Oct. 2. Founder Jack Dorsey will helm the company once again after the transition.
Disney announced plans to nearly double its investment in parks and cruises, saying it will pour in ~$60B over 10 years. The announcement comes amid streaming service struggles and declining attendance at Florida’s Disney World.
Update: Debris from the US Marine Corps’ missing F-35B Lightning II jet was found ~80 miles from where its pilot ejected to safety. The plane’s lifetime cost is ~$1.7T — which is about what Americans owe in student loan debt.
YouTubedemonetized Russell Brand’s channel in light of sexual assault allegations against the comedian, saying, “If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”
Unexpected: Crayola is entering the flower biz. The company, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, announced the launch of an online flower shop called Crayola Flowers where 10%-50% of every sale will be donated to a charity.
FROM THE BLOG
Want to be a better entrepreneur? Sure you do. Make that happen in your inbox with these top startup newsletters. (Our top choice is obvious, but you’ll dig the other 14 we put together for you.)
Stunts, man
How Hollywood insures its biggest stunts
On the set of Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, somebody made the mistake of telling Tom Cruise he couldn’t jump off the Burj Khalifa, a stunt Cruise had been dreaming about for 15 years.
So the actor made the obvious choice: He fired the insurance company and found another one willing to assume the risk.
From Marvel movies to the Mission: Impossible series, audiences love watching stunts. But it’s a Hollywood reality that they require insurance, which limits the risks actors and directors can take on set, and forces studios to weigh costs and safety against producing the most epic blockbusters possible.
Show biz is an industry of high-wire, risky endeavors. Even a large, venerable studio like Paramount produces only a dozen or so movies a year, each with a huge budget (of $30m-$300m) and tight schedule that could be blown to hell by Cruise breaking an ankle (which happened when Paramount filmed 2018’s Mission: Impossible — Fallout).
It’s a balancing act as tricky as the stunts themselves. So how does Cruise pull it off?
Furniture is getting cheaper — and worse — as retailers race to keep up with consumer demands.
2023-09-20T00:00:00Z
Sara Friedman
Finding an apartment within your budget is hard enough right now — but can you even afford to furnish it once you do?
Maybe not. Between inflation, mortgage rates surpassing 7%, and student loan payments resuming, consumers are sitting tight on their parents’ old sofas.
And that spells bad news for retailers:
Hooker Furnishings — a manufacturer that sells furniture to Wayfair, Macy’s, and others — reported that Q2 revenue fell 36%.
Luxury furniture brand Restoration Hardware saw a 19% drop in Q2 revenue.
Noble House Home Furnishings, which supplies furniture to Amazon and Target, filed for bankruptcy this week, citing decreased demand and inflation.
Plus, people have pulled back on home improvements since the pandemic waned, which means less money being spent on homes overall.
But it’s not just about tighter budgets…
… What consumers want from their furniture has changed.
While buying a bedroom set might’ve once been a time to invest in an heirloom, today’s consumers have gotten used to tossing their dilapidated Ikea furniture after every move.
And it’s created a vicious cycle: Consumers’ appetites for cheap furniture has led to brands using cheap materials, like press board and plywood, in place of solid wood.
With production typically overseas, where labor is cheapest, companies have turned to flat-pack furniture to drive shipping costs down, leaving consumers to deal with a pile of screws (and fights with their spouse) alone.
To make matters worse: Social media means home trends are moving at breakneck speeds, leaving furniture companies racing to keep up.
🪖 On this day: In 2011, the US repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” allowing openly gay Americans to serve in the US military.
🎵 That’s cool: This website links with Spotfiy to create artist playlists where all their releases are listed in chronological order.
🎧 Podcast: On The Science of Scaling, host Mark Roberge is joined by Brex CRO Doug Adamic, who shares the playbook he used to turn Brex into a strategic sales machine.
🗺️ Haha: A visualization of Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere.”
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag some business class aromatherapy.
Get {{5-contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle candle. Let us help you set the mood and bring some positive vibes to your workspace.
You’re just {{5-contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The candle awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to take your morning coffee to the next level.
Get {{10-contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle mug. Keep your cup warm and your workspace clean.
You’re just {{10-contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The mug awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the desk plant you never knew you needed.
Get {{15-contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle branded clover grow kit. If you want something to grow, you must water. Practice your nurturing abilities with this custom Hustle clover grow kit and grow your referrals at the same time.
You’re just {{15-contact.referral_count}} referrals away. Desk plant nirvana awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the desk organizer of all desk organizers.
Get {{25 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle-branded organizer, to hold your gadgets and give your desk space a breath of fresh air.
You’re just {{25 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The desk organizer awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to organize all those stray cords floating around your desk.
Get {{50 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and The Hustle tech organizer is yours. It’s clean, compact, and all you need to make sure your technology life support is closeby.
You’re just {{50 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The tech organizer awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the prestigious Hustle backpack.
Get {{100 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and it’s yours. Carry your laptop, gym clothes, Coca Cola’s secret recipe, or whatever you feel like. Walk around with the crew on your back!
You’re just {{100 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. A new bag awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag some new tech.
Get {{250 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Zoom Glow-up kit. This kit will include a Blue Yeti mic, Logitech camera, and a Lume Cube light. This is the perfect set-up to make every video recording and Zoom meeting feel like an Oscar-quality production. Keep climbing.
You’re just {{250 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The Zoom upgrade awaits.
Well, well. Look who climbed the ladder. We’re so proud.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve got an opportunity to bag The Hustle’s grand prize.
Just {{500 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ll get yourself a ticket to Inbound 2023, the most bodacious business conference in the industry. You could rub shoulders with moguls, or catch a keynote next to your favorite YouTuber. Get your hustle on for a shot at maximizing your network.
You’re just {{500 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The final boss awaits.
Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman.
Editing by: Ben “National Mango Board Retailer of the Year 2024 🤞” Berkley.Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.
