I was at my local cafe, latte* in hand, hammering away on my laptop. Normal day, right? Well, not exactly...

I took a quick dip to grab a napkin and boom—some dude in a trench coat and sunglasses was all over my laptop when I got back.

"Hey, what ya think ya doin?," I managed, trying to stay chill.

He barely glanced up. "Just giving your biz a boost," he mumbled.

Just snacked Chris Orzechowski’s latest “Make it Rain Monthly” – this dude’s onto something with his Asynchronous Business Plan. Here’s the scoop:

• Clock in WHEN you want. Max your 'juice' without twiddling thumbs for others.
• Zoom in on what jazzes you up. If it rings the cash register – you’re on track.
• A crammed calendar’s your enemy. Scrap it to fix your biz vibe.
• About those meetings – ax ‘em IF they don’t at least pay for themselves. Imagine you earn $20K part-time:
  • You got 920 work hours a year, costing about $21.74 each.
  • Two chums in a half-hour meeting? Better be pulling at least $21.74 out of that hat!
• Quick check before calls – the 3M killer Q’s:
  • More customers on the horizon?
  • Will they splurge more?
  • Repeat buyers?
  • (3M = Make More Money, btw)

A tip? Sell through emails, not calls. Why? You’re a maker. And makers need making time - not meeting time.

Bonus from Paul Graham on this – peep his Maker’s guide below.

Ever felt like your job was just one endless CAPS LOCK moment? Yep, been there. Here’s a quick story.

Got kicked out of the keyboard factory recently. My crime? Not enough shifts. Talk about a "shift" in my career, right? 😆 (Gonna tell you about in it the upcoming {Sunday Truth 179}, btw)

And guess what, they had the QWERTY to do it just before lunch. I mean, I did munch on an Apple. But who hasn’t?

Left that place feeling like I hit ESC on a bad keyboard layout. Tip for you: If your job’s always on the fritz, SPACE out. Me? I’m off to the nearest bar to sort through these "Alt" life options.

The stage is set, and guess what? It’s calling my name because...

The comedy stage is mine
It’s only a matter a time
Until you’ll pay a dime

(or two)
For our rendez-vous

You on your seat
And me standing
Like a goofball handling
All the stares that meet

Let’s fix that.

Todd Hartley just threw down some serious knowledge on becoming a niche rockstar:

"Become the Rockstar of Your Niche! From No-Name to Notoriety"

Here are nuggets that stuck:

Let’s talk about suspension.

Ever watched a TV show that cut off right at the juicy part? That’s a cliffhanger for ya. It leaves you craving what’s next like a fresh hot pizza sitting just out of reach.

Why do we binge shows or can’t put down a good book? Cliffhangers, my friend. They jack up your emotions and make you need to know what happens next. Smart writers use them to keep us hanging on, episode after episode.

And guess what? Marketers use this trick, too. Ever seen an ad or an email that teased something big but kept the details secret until “next time”? Yup, that’s them dangling that carrot.

Guilty as charged?

Donald Trump sure is, as the big news shook the states yesterday.

The former (and next?) US President found himself on the hot seat and, oh boy, did sparks fly.

After a whopping seven weeks, a New York jury nailed it down...Guilty on ALL counts. Can you believe it? Thirty-four charges, no less. Bam!

Just polished off a doc about Eddie Murphy. What a journey, right? From standup in the 80s to Hollywood’s hot list in the 90s.

Eddie was the king of the screen - making everyone crack up with his iconic laughter and hypnotic presence.

But let’s be real: everyone hits a bump. Eddie’s films tanked, and the laughter quieted down. What did he do? He stuck to his guns.

Fast forward, and boom - “The Nutty Professor” explodes with $100 Million at the box office. Eddie wasn’t making a comeback; he never left. He hammered home two points:

Let’s not dance around it—some emails suck. Yours don’t have to.

Feeling like your emails vanish into the void, never sparking sales? You might be missing that secret spice.

Options? Continue crossing your fingers...or let the big agencies drain your wallet. Fun, right?

Here’s a better way: Meet naii.io’s Email Wizardry. It’s your secret weapon tailored just for the hustle of small shop owners like you.

I’ve got a knack for sending sales emails that sound just like you would write them.

Curious?

Let me share a quick win.

.

Say it’s bad.

Sebastian did this in his Indeed job ad.

Check my email from yesterday so you know which ad I’m talking about. (hint: it was about second-hand goods)

Here’s a breakdown of his clever job ad:

Ever seen a bad job ad on Indeed? This one is a masterclass in copywriting.

Don’t worry about it being German, I’ll explain it to you:

Here’s the job ad in English:

Odd question, huh?

When you skip sending your juicy daily emails, folks start wondering where you vanished. That’s a good sign, actually. Means they love your stuff.

Boring emails? A big NO. They’d rather jump off a cliff than snooze through another dull sales pitch.

Here’s a simple hack to keep ’em hooked:

Is what creative writer Shashank Pitkar wrote in response to the following words that I posted on LinkedIn six days ago:

===

Expecting employees to perform at their peak every single day? Relax.

Ever seen Pulp Fiction (1994)? It’s a masterclass in jumping right into the action. Let me show you how it nails the concept of skipping the backstory.

Immediate Tension

The movie kicks off with Pumpkin and Honey Bunny chatting in a diner. Sounds boring, right? But then, boom—they’re talking robbery! No intro, no fluff. Just straight to the point.

Sudden Action

“Forget it. It’s too risky. I’m through doing that shit.”

That’s how Pulp Fiction (1994) throws you right into the action in the opening scene. No fluff, just BAM—you’re in it.

Forget the “coffee talk.” Get straight to the point. It’s like a mini jolt to the system.

You start with action, throw them into the fire, and hook them before explaining anything. It’s pure power.

The short answer: Opinion.

The longer answer is inspired by Tim Grahl, the CEO of Story Grid.

===

Flat sentences are your enemy.

Ever have one of those days where everything feels off? I sure did.

My nose was like Niagara Falls. Tears were racing down my cheeks. Sitting on a park bench, headphones in, trying to block out the world with some Savage Garden.

But here’s the thing—through my headache and the soggy tissues, I noticed something. It’s about storytelling.

You’ve heard "show, don’t tell" a thousand times, right? But how do you actually do it? Let me show you.

You don’t need tools to write, but they sure make it easier.

For the last three weeks, I’ve gone old-school. Hand-copying ads with pen and paper in a killer copywriting course. Going full retro. (more on that later)

But guess what? Pen and paper are tools too, right?

Let’s agree: tools are lifesavers (and they make you look cool).

Two hours ago, I spoke to a beauty clinic owner in Berlin. They’re using Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube to bring in customers. But when I asked about email marketing?

“We have our clients’ email addresses, but we don’t want to bother them,” she said.

Really? Here’s the deal:

1. You can’t worry about “bothering” people. They opted in. They want to hear from you!

2. Email isn’t just talking AT them. It’s providing value and making lives better.

3. They’re missing out on up-sells and getting existing customers to buy more.

What happens when two email pros collide?

Chris Orzechowski and Jimmy Kim had a chat about email marketing. And it was epic.

They dropped tons of wisdom on selling without discounts. Crafting messages that connect and convert.

Missed it? No sweat.

Notice something missing in most emails you get?

Two things: humor and daily consistency.

Both are tough, but man, are they worth it.

Why Humor Matters:

Hi there –

One long post for you, about the B&H Photo Video ad I analyzed and dissected to the bones:

https://naii.io/voiceover-blog/voiceover-ad-of-the-week-1-why-b-and-h-s-customer-story-ad-is-a-joke/

My goal was to break down what made the ad work and teach you the strategies and best practices that you can use to make your own voiceover ads better and become famous in your niche.