Boxed cake mixes before 1933 required only water. But when Duncan Hines' cake mix forced the consumer to add fresh eggs as well, sales soared.Adding friction is a counterintuitive strategy that makes something slightly more challenging, increasing its appeal.

Adding Friction

Whether you're running a Slack, Discord, Circle, or in-person meetups, it's crucial to connect one-on-one with members.Schedule calls with new members to get a sense of their needs and to learn about their interests and expertise. Not everything needs to be scalable.

Unscalable Organic Interactions

<ul><li>In a time when there's more competition than ever, sometimes the only way to stand out is to lead with value.</li><li>Trust that the investment will come back to you.</li><li>Over time, people will get to know you for your high-quality work.</li></ul>

Give Value And Quality To Paying Customers

<ul><li>Master one channel, then scale.</li><li>Create a flywheel that gets both repeat content and allows you to scale with decreasing friction.</li><li>Anything worth doing takes time, but once you start to see momentum, it becomes easier to expand your efforts and get a greater return on your investment.</li></ul>

Narrow Your Focus to Sustain Healthier Growth

<ul><li>Tap into underleveraged marketing channels and you can reap the benefits before these channels go mainstream.</li><li>Niche or smaller email lists tend to have high open rates and click-through rates, which means they're ripe for sponsorships.</li><li>Not everything can be low-hanging fruit.</li></ul>

Get Greater ROI from Smaller Channels

Instead of hiding the cancel subscription button, create trust with the customer by sending reminders that their recurring charge is about to be debited. They should have the 'skip' option ready in case they don't want the services anymore. This is counterintuitive to the hilt but helps build word of mouth and loyalty.

Remind Customers of Recurring Charges to Foster Loyalty

<ul><li>Encouraging your email subscribers to opt out so that they stay in is counterintuitive.</li><li>Check who hasn't opened your emails in the past 90 days and delete those who don't click.</li><li>Hitting that delete button will hurt your gross numbers, but your open rates and clickthroughs will thank you.</li></ul>

Delete subscribers to improve your email program

<ul><li>Give free press to brands who share your similar audience, ethos, or approach.</li><li>Align yourself with other brands by promoting them in your work.</li><li>You'll earn goodwill, potential reciprocation, and unlock doors for future collaboration.</li></ul>

Give free PR to others to enhance your credibility

Cold outreach is typically seen as a numbers game: hit as many inboxes as you can, assuming 5% or fewer will convert. But I’ve never agreed with that

Stashed ideas

8 Counterintuitive Marketing Strategies That Actually Work - SparkToro

This is the most common approach that senior marketers take for setting their marketing budget that is based on the previous year's expenses. A survey reported that 41% of their respondents base their yearly budget the previous year's expenses and then adjusted during the year if needed.&nbsp;

Creating a Yearly Budget

Include (based from the CMO survey):<ul><li>Building the budget from scratch every year based on new needs and objectives - 28%</li><li>Setting the budget as a percentage of projected revenue - 21%</li><li>Resetting the budget every month/quarter depending on what's needed to meet the objectives - 10%&nbsp;</li></ul>

Other common approaches

The most common approach marketers take for setting their marketing budget is to create a yearly budget based on the previous year's expenses. See the research.

How Senior Marketers Set Their Budgets

More than half of the surveyed customers are overwhelmed by the number of online streaming services scrambling for their attention.The trend of cord-cutting, where consumers removed cable/pay-TV and opted for online streaming content, has been replaced by cord-stacking, where both pay-TV and streaming services are used.Most respondents of the survey wish that there were more free ad-supported streaming services to keep their costs down.

Too Many Streaming Services

A survey conducted by Verizon Media and Publicis Media suggests cord-cutters are having trouble with all the choices.


Are there too many streaming services? 56% of connected device users are overwhelmed

There is a natural tendency to spend the money we earn, instead of saving or investing. If we watch how rich people utilize wealth, we can learn a lot from them and change our financial mindset.
One has to invest money no matter how less the income is, choosing something that is secure and gives decent returns, like an index fund.

How We Use Money

Money & Investments

Remember that money is freedom. 
Whenever we buy something, we are giving up our time and freedom, because if we save that amount, and become extremely rich, we would have a lot more freedom to do whatever we want.

Money Is Freedom

The more we learn, the more we can apply that to create value for other people. The more value we create for others, the more we would earn.
Like knowledge, one has to be generous with money, trying not to cling to it. Even if we lose some money in some get-rich-quick scheme or dumb investment, we can easily earn it back, provided we don’t lose our character or soul.

Learning Is Like Building Wealth

We need to adopt healthy financial habits, taking care of our money and trusting the process that builds wealth through saving and investment. 
Keep content with your current life and enjoy what you can, while saving big. As you grow into your thirties and forties, save and invest as much as you can.

Trust Your Financial Habits

Don’t be scared of what will happen to you when you retire. If you have followed the basic principles of saving, investing and learning(self-improvement), you will do fine.
Have a year’s worth of financial buffer and work on your skills to keep improving and seeing more money added to your account as you progress.

Don’t Obsess Over Your Retirement

These money principles might sound obvious, but it’s not obvious or simple to live by what you know. What matters is that we execute.

Money

Money Principles I’d Tell My 17-Year-Old Self - Darius Foroux

Most electric car batteries are lithium-based and just like any other battery, they will degrade over time, which means that they won't be holding charge as long as they used to do and the range of it will reduce.
If you overcharge the battery or try to charge it at the wrong voltage then it will degrade even quicker. Always make sure to check whether the manufacturer offers a warranty on the batteries because most of them do and these last from 8-10 years.

The Lifespan of an Electric Car Battery

<ul>
<li>Renault Zoe - 394km (245 miles)</li>
<li>Hyundai IONIQ - 310km (193 miles)</li>
<li>Nissan Leaf e+ - 384km (239 miles)</li>
<li>Kia e Niro - 453km (281 miles)</li>
<li>BMW i3 120Ah - 293km (182 miles)</li>
<li>Tesla Model 3 SR+ - 409km (254 miles)</li>
<li>Tesla Model 3 LR - 560km (348 miles)</li>
<li>Jaguar I-Pace - 470km (292 miles)</li>
<li>Honda e - 201km (125 miles)</li>
<li>Vauxhall Corsa e- 336km (209 miles)</li>
</ul>

Approximate Ranges of Different Electric Cars

More and more places are putting in street charging points and lots of electric cars have apps installed in them that will direct you to the nearest charging point. If not, there are a host of websites and apps that will do the job.
Some public charging points are easy to use but there are also some that charge a flat fee for monthly access.

Public Charging Points

It is significantly cheaper to charge an electrical car than to fill up a tank. The cost depends on the electricity tariff you're covered by, but most manufacturers will suggest that you switch to an Economy 7 tariff to pay less for electricity during the night.
The estimated average cost of each driver will use between £450 to £750 a year for additional charging for the electric car.

The Cost of Charging Your Car at Home

If you have a driveway and can park your car beside your house then you can just plug it straight into your domestic main electric supply. However, if you don't, then find a parking space on the street outside your home so you can run a cable out, but make sure to cover the wires to avoid tripping passers-by.
The charging time takes time and it depends on the size of your car's battery which can range from 8-14 hours or a full 24 hours.

Charging an Electric Car

We answer your top questions on electric cars - on charging, on range and on battery life.

How electric cars are charged and how far they go: your questions answered

<ul><li>Rule No 1: Never lose money.</li><li>Rule No 2: Never forget rule No. 1.</li></ul>If you work from a loss, it's much harder to get back to where you started, not to mention earn gains.

Never Lose Money

<ul><li>Price = what you pay.</li><li>Value = what you get.</li></ul>You lose money when the price you pay does not match the value you're getting. For example, when you're paying high interest on credit card debt or spending on stuff you hardly use.You gain money when you look for opportunities to get more value at a lower price: For example, buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.

High Value at a Low Price

Most of your behavior is habitual. You can change your habits and the earlier you start, the better.Saving is a habit. Learn the habits of saving properly early. Pay attention to your money habits. Strengthen those habits that help your finances, and break the habits that hurt your finances.

Form Healthy Money Habits

Warren Buffet built his wealth by getting interests to work for him.<ul><li>Many people fail because of liquor and borrowed money. You can make a lot of money without borrowing.</li><li>Avoid credit cards, because the interest rates are very high on them. “Sometimes they are 18 percent. Sometimes they are 20 percent. If I borrowed money at 18 or 20 percent, I’d be broke.”</li></ul>

Avoid Debt

To ensure security, always keep cash or cash equivalent reserves available.
Businesses and individuals may desire to put liquid cash to work through investments. When bills are due, only cash is legal tender. Be sure to have it on hand.

Keep Cash On Hand

You are your own biggest asset. Invest as much of yourself as you can. Improve your own talents and make yourself more valuable. Nobody can tax or steal it.

Invest in Yourself

Part of investing in yourself should be learning about managing money. Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing. Educate yourself about personal finance. Read a lot. Make sure you get to bed smarter.

Learn About Money

For the average investor, Warren Buffet advocates for index funds. <ul><li>Put 10 % of the cash in short-term government bonds.</li><li>Put 90 % in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund.</li></ul>

Low-Cost Index Fund

Warren Buffet said that if you're in the luckiest 1% of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 %.You can enrich your life and others' by giving back.

Give Back

Invest with the future in mind. A tree planted today will give shade in the future.  Nurturing seed of financial success now will lead to shade later on, for example, freedom from debts, a secure retirement or college fees for your children.

Money is a Long-Term Game

By Elyssa Kirkham, GBR Staff Writer Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investing and business minds today. But aside from his exponential investing success, Buffett is probably most famous for his humorous insights, colorful commentary and wise advice.

10 Best Money Tips From Warren Buffett of All Time

Managing your finances and budgeting is all about removing the unnecessary so that only the essentials remain, similar to minimalism.
Other than financial necessities, in order to easily manage our finances, we must identify the purchases that matter to us because it's easier to let go of the things that don't.

Identify what matters to you

You should never force yourself into a tracking system for your spending habits without examining your purchases and purging those that aren't working for you.
Even if you track your spending but you spend more than what you can afford, you're only giving yourself a false sense of progress and never getting to the root of whatever financial stressors you have.

Declutter first, organize second

Remove the daily, weekly, or monthly purchases that are not important to you or that you simply will not miss such as that extra charge in your phone plan or your gym membership subscription.

Start with easy-to-declutter items

Assign your money into a savings category in order to be prepared for both expected and unexpected expenses.
Some saving category ideas:
<ul>
<li>Emergency funds</li>
<li>Retirement savings</li>
<li>Fun money.</li>
</ul>

Every dollar needs a category

Managing your finances should be a daily habit. Make it a part of your daily routine to log into your bank account, check your balances, and look over your purchases. 
This will not only help you keep track of your money but you'll also be able to keep yourself updated as to what your money is doing and be ahead of any possible issues in the near future.

Declutter daily

Both minimalism and budgetary wellbeing require standard upkeeps. 
Neither process is easy to work and it is something that requires constant attention.

Finance management decluttering is a journey

The same strategies that can help an overwhelmed newbie minimalist declutter can also help a financially struggling minimalist get a better handle on her money. Here are some decluttering strategies that can double as tips for money management.

6 Ways to Apply Decluttering Principles to Your Finances

Many legends from different cultures share the idea that jewels are of divine or superhuman origin.
<ul>
<li>The Amythyst was said to have been created from the tears of the Greek god Dionysus.</li>
<li>The onyx from Venus's fingernails.</li>
<li> Opals are said to be created when the Aboriginals' ancestral God came to Earth in a rainbow.</li>
<li>Moonstone was believed to be a way of communicating with the gods.</li>
<li>Jade still is used to attract good fortune,</li>
<li>Rubies are said to help in warfare.</li>
<li>Emeralds to protect travellers,</li>
<li>Diamonds to have powers over love and health.</li>
<li>Pearls were a symbol of power for kings, queens, Maharajas, and Chinese Emperors.</li>
</ul>

Special powers attributed to gems

The power of jewels has been exploited by diplomats, traders, and lovers. The famous marketing slogan of De Beers is 'a diamond is forever' and creates the idea that all engagement rings must have a diamond.
However, a big sparkly diamond is not what makes jewellery so unique. People desire to have something more individual and affordable.

Exploitation of jewels

How jewellery got personal

<ul>
<li>In the 17th century Vienna, the Turkish army left behind a massive surplus in coffee beans causing citizens to experiment with new brewing methods.</li>
<li>Another tale proposes that iced coffee comes from Mazagran - a French beverage consisting of espresso, lemon, and ice.</li>
</ul>

The First Iced Coffees

Iced-coffee is enjoyed by 38 percent of people in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 24.
One explanation for iced coffee's popularity is that young people, who have been raised on iced-cold and sugary sodas want to integrate it into their coffee-drinking experience. Another reason is that ice-cold coffee can keep you alert. It offers similar benefits as a Red Bull.

The Popularity of Iced Coffee

A cup of coffee costs more cold than hot. This is because iced coffee requires more materials to serve.
It requires a plastic cup that costs more than paper cups. Customers use more napkins because of condensation. Iced coffee requires an ice machine for the ice. Cold brewing coffee also requires more time.

Iced Coffee is Pricey

<ul>
<li>In Europe, iced coffee is more like a Frappuccino - a coffee milkshake with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and crushed ice.</li>
<li>The Japanese method involves brewing hot coffee and pouring it over ice, drawing out its fruity tastes.</li>
<li>Cold brewing consists of mixing coffee grounds and water and letting it sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours. It is more caffeinated and has a nutty, chocolatey, and less acidic flavour.</li>
</ul>

Iced Coffee Variations

It’s common knowledge that coffee is the closest thing to hard evidence that God does, indeed, exist. But while waking up to a hot cup of freshly-brewed coffee is wonderful in winter, with spring's official onset, it's iced coffee season. But where…

When Did Iced Coffee Start and Why Is It More Expensive? A Complete Guide To Your Springtime Buzz

Black Friday is the conventional starting day for the holiday shopping season.
Historically, it’s also been the best day to find great deals on the year’s hottest toys, games, and electronics.

Why Black Friday Is So Popular

<ul>
<li>In the middle of the 20th century, Thanksgiving parades drew crowds in most major cities and in some of the smaller towns too. Many were sponsored by local or national retailers. Back in the day, that meant mostly department stores.</li>
<li>By attaching their names to the most visible events on the preholiday calendar, department stores reminded their customers that they were open for business in the coming holiday shopping season.</li>
<li>Over time, Thanksgiving parades came to mark the unofficial start of that season.</li>
</ul>

The 20th Century: The Parade of Sponsors

<ul>
<li>Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday of November since 1863 until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November (starting with 1941), influenced by the request of a powerful coalition of retailers.</li>
<li>When Thanksgiving fell on November 30, it left only 24 holiday shopping days and this worried retailers who reasoned that busy holiday shoppers would simply shop less in a shorter season.</li>
<li>They promoted the idea that a longer holiday shopping season would be good for the American economy.</li>
</ul>

The Modern Holiday Shopping Calendar

<ul>
<li>In 1869, two oligarchs conspired to corner the American gold market, which was at that time the basis for the U.S. dollar.</li>
<li>Their plan was so complex and the plot finally unraveled on Friday, September 24, sending U.S. financial markets into a tailspin, ruining countless investors, and tanking the broader economy.</li>
<li>That dark day came to be known as “Black Friday.”</li>
</ul>

The Term “Black Friday”

Black Friday wasn’t a great day for the police departments in mid-20th-century Philadelphia. By the 1960s, locals had taken to calling the chaotic day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday.”
In 1950s Philadelphia, Thanksgiving weekend was a mob scene. The Army and Navy college football teams celebrated their fierce rivalry each year with a neutral-ground clash in Philly on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The day before, thousands of people from surrounding communities – as well as Army or Navy devotees from farther afield – flooded the city in anticipation of the big game. They took the opportunity to stock up on clothes, home goods, and other giftable items at central Philly’s many retail shops and department stores.

Why Black Friday Is “Black”

<ul>
<li>The day after Thanksgiving was a natural time for shoppers to head into town and hit the department store. Most families were still together from the prior day’s feast, and few middle-class folks were required to work.</li>
<li>Big-city shopping districts were anchored by department stores. Department stores sold clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, home goods, appliances, and much more.</li>
<li>With a single visit to a department store and a few side trips to specialty retailers, you could take care of your entire holiday shopping list in a single day.</li>
</ul>

The Department Store Model: Holiday Shopping in the Early to Mid-20th Century

<ul>
<li>Today’s retail environment is omnichannel. Shoppers are just as likely – if not more so – to buy stuff at home on their smartphones or laptops than drive to the nearest mall to seek the best deals in person.</li>
<li>The decline of brick-and-mortar retail is devastating the lower and middle echelons of the suburban shopping center market and threatens to deal a last dealt a death blow to the downtown department store model.</li>
<li>Black Friday now happens when, where, and how consumers choose. It’s also happening earlier than ever, with “Black Friday” deals appearing as early as Halloween.</li>
</ul>

Black Friday Today

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Learn more about how the retail holiday originated and evolved into what it is today.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Aubrey
@aubbrrey

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Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Aubrey @aubbrrey

8 Counterintuitive Marketing Strategies That Actually Work - SparkToro

How Senior Marketers Set Their Budgets

Are there too many streaming services? 56% of connected device users are overwhelmed

Money Principles I’d Tell My 17-Year-Old Self - Darius Foroux

How electric cars are charged and how far they go: your questions answered

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Aubrey
@aubbrrey