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Arriving at the newsletter competition

Welcome to my new(s)letter! We are about to have some fun, and I’m stoked you’re here. In case you missed it, I’m dropping the finale of my sketch show, Read the Room, next week, which I chatted about with Forbes. Catch up if you’re in the mood for some laughs!

Btw — I’m going to be at SXSW this week, so stay tuned for content on that next week!

THIS WEEK’S TOP FIVE 🖐️

The Weeknd, no longer on TikTok

  1. 🪱 Dune: Part 2 ruled the biggest screens this past weekend. It’s mind-blowing… just like these takeaways Variety whipped up about its massive box office success. Dune 3, when?

  2. 🎵 The drama between TikTok and Universal Music Group (home of Drake, The Weeknd, and lots of other people you know) is only getting crazier… which is a big bummer for both artists and all the creators who want to use their tracks.

  3. 🏀 LeBron James hit a record career-total 40,000 regular-season points during last weekend’s game against the Denver Nuggets, cementing his GOAT status.

  4. 📰 News publishers are asking, “Where’d all the money go?” after brands put all their marketing money on social platforms. TBH, this isn’t surprising whatsoever.

  5. 🥐 TikTok is taking over the French Riviera with the return of the #TikTokShortFilm competition at the Cannes Film Festival… and it’s the first time US creators can submit. DM me if you're submitting!

Who's going to win the most Oscars?

Place your bets!

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✨ ADVICE OF THE WEEK

With Season 1 of Read the Room coming to a close, I wanted to share how we pulled off a premium, sitcom-sized sketch show on social media. Nothing was by accident.

  • Creative comes first. If the content’s not dope, who’s going to watch it? Seems simple, but that’s the hardest part.

  • We made it long and short. We released full episodes on YouTube for fans to enjoy, but also released individual sketches as TikToks and IG Reels to catch the algorithm.

  • Leverage the power of social media. By distributing the show online, we met our audience where they already were. The ability for fans to share and engage with sketches helped us expand our audience very quickly.

As TikTok, YouTube, and Reels compete with Netflix for audience attention, we think engaging, premium episodic content from creators is only going to increase online… and we wanted to make sure we’re one of the first out the gate.

Season 1 was just the start.

🔥 TIKTOK TRENDS

  • “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” Beyoncé’s country banger is topping the charts and has (of course) become the dance of the week.

    Takeaway: Dance it up. Cowboy culture is coming in hot.

  • BEST BROTHER People are talking up their significant others… and then dropping a “best brother ever” line to catch their reaction. Hilarious stuff.

    Takeaway: Show off your comedic timing with your partner, or get creative and remix it with a sketch that ups the absurdity.

  • ARRIVING AT THE COMPETITION This meme can be used as both a flex or laughs… however you show up at any event.

    Takeaway: Use it for a sketch, daily routine, fit checks, or transitions… lots of options here.

📸 BEHIND THE SCENES

ASK ME ANYTHING

As always, reply to my email to ask me anything. If you know me, you know I will reply and who knows, you may get feature if you share something 🔥