By Amanda Breen • Edited by Jessica Thomas

Ruth Sack seized an opportunity to expand the brand’s customer base.

Ruth Sack, 27, grew up with Streets Ahead, the luxury leather accessories brand her father, David Sack, founded in 1982. She and her siblings painted belts with nail polish in the Los Angeles factory and attended trade shows across the country with their parents.

But it wasn’t until 2020 that Sack considered dedicating significant time to the brand. “I went to UCLA and studied gender studies, and then Covid hit,” Sack says. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I started helping out with the family business because things were pretty tough, and I actually sort of loved it.”

Sack went on to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and step in as Streets Ahead’s head of marketing and design.

Streets Ahead’s products are made locally in California with leather and hardware sourced from Italy, and the brand is known for its novelty pieces —  ”bestselling belts [with] crazy heart hardware with chains and snakes and things like that” — that have been spotted on numerous celebrities, including Beyoncé during her Cowboy Carter tour.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Streets Ahead}

The brand built on its success as a legacy wholesale business over the decades, but when Sack joined the team, she wanted to explore its potential in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) space.

As it turns out, there was a lot: In just a few years, Sack grew DTC revenue from $60,000 to more than $500,000. Streets Ahead is projected to hit $3.2 million to $3.5 million in total revenue in 2025, with $2.7 million to $3 million from wholesale and $500,000 to $600,000 from DTC.

“I came in and changed the platform to Shopify, kind of just revamped the whole thing.”

Streets Ahead’s foray into DTC sales started with a website refresh.

“We always had a website, but [no one ran it],” Sack says. “It didn’t really make any money. It was never up to date. So I came in and changed the platform to Shopify, kind of just revamped the whole thing, and started adding products and keeping it up to date. And immediately we saw a difference.”

Once her parents saw the results, they were even more willing to invest in the brand’s DTC strategy. Streets Ahead leaned into professional content creation and advertising and continued to see its DTC sales grow.

Part of the brand’s digital transformation also included a logo overhaul, Sack says.

The company featured the new design across its social media platforms and started to generate interest from major influencers like Rocky Barnes, who boasts more than three million followers on Instagram and 200,000 followers on TikTok.

“ She found us through an ad that we were running, and she wanted the exact belts from the ad,” Sack recalls. “So we started doing some gifting, and we could see that it worked. As we built our social presence, especially Instagram and ads, we got so many DMs, and now they keep coming.”

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Streets Ahead}

“99% of the time we’re making it from scratch.”

Sack would love to sell more on TikTok, but the platform’s quick-ship requirements prove challenging for the made-to-order brand, as “everything is essentially custom” and takes time to manufacture.

Whereas other companies might have thousands of units sitting in a warehouse ready to ship, every time Streets Ahead receives an order, that request is sent down to the factory, which starts the production process.

“We don’t have anything made here unless there was a return and we have [that returned product],” Sack says. “99% of the time we’re making it from scratch.”

Because of Streets Ahead’s branding and social media presence, it can get “a little bit lost” on people that each item really is custom-made for them, Sack notes. The company follows up on particularly large orders to confirm them before moving forward with fulfilment.

What’s more, despite the business’s made-to-order model, Streets Ahead does accept returns.

“ I buy things that I want to try and might return — we all do it,” Sack says. “If we want to have this type of direct-to-consumer [platform], there has to be some kind of return. People need to try things on. They don’t know their size. So we do allow returns, [but] we’ve now started to put a little tag on [products] that says, If this tag is removed, we can’t accept the return, to prevent people from wearing it and then sending it back.”

“You have to be okay doing the grunt work.”

As Sack considers Street Ahead’s future and her own role within it, she’s excited to expand the brand’s offerings beyond belts. The brand dropped its first handbag collection last month, and Sack says she’d love to branch into shoes, particularly leather boots and sandals with hardware, down the line.

For young professionals or aspiring entrepreneurs who hope to make their mark on the fashion industry, Sack says it’s important to “learn a little bit of everything” — and be prepared to do your part.

“You have to be okay doing the grunt work,” Sack says. “There are some days I’m down shipping, some days I’m cleaning buckles, things that someone as a designer or creative director doesn’t necessarily want to do. But you need to be a team player and be willing to know every single role.”

Feature image credit: Streets Ahead. Ruth Sack.

By Amanda Breen

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Edited by Jessica Thomas

Sourced from Entrepreneur

Sourced from OCCRP

Professional scammers call upon a global network of service providers to execute their work in a sophisticated, streamlined fashion. Here are some of their names.

Feature image credit: Banner: James O’Brien / OCCRP

Sourced from OCCRP

By Kyle Christie Edited by Maria Bailey

How solopreneurs can use YouTube and AI to stay discoverable and build trust in a changing search landscape.

The digital space is noisy and fast-moving. For solopreneurs, staying visible is one of the biggest challenges. While many chase quick wins on Instagram or LinkedIn, the most reliable platform for long-term visibility remains YouTube. As artificial intelligence changes how people search for information, YouTube isn’t just useful — it’s essential.

A 2024 Statista survey found that 63% of Gen Z prefer YouTube over traditional search engines, and 58% turn to TikTok. This signals a major shift in behaviour: people want video content that is direct, trustworthy and easy to engage with. And as AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini become more embedded in everyday searches, video is becoming the format people trust most when they need real answers.

Why YouTube still works

Unlike social platforms where content disappears in hours, YouTube acts more like a searchable library. A single helpful video can be discovered, indexed and recommended for months or even years. That gives solopreneurs a major advantage — a way to stay visible without constantly churning out new content.

AI is supercharging this effect. When someone types a question into tools like Google, ChatGPT or Gemini — “How do I price my services as a freelance designer?” for example — the answer often includes a recommended YouTube video. That video is usually pulled from a channel that’s clear, specific and helpful. This creates a major opportunity for small business owners to show up right when potential clients are looking.

My experience: showing up when it matters

I started my YouTube channel, See Your House Now, 14 years ago. We have just over 1,000 subscribers — not a massive number — but that’s not the point. People find us when they need us. Our most-watched video is titled Who is the best real estate photographer in Waterloo Region? That’s a question people search using AI tools, and because of that video, we stand out and get clients.

For us, it’s never been about going viral. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. Most of our in-person video service inquiries come from people who first found us on YouTube. We also host client real estate tours on the channel, which adds more value. It’s a quiet engine for our business — and best of all, it’s free.

Five steps to build a YouTube presence that lasts

Start a purpose-driven channel
If you don’t already have a channel, start now. Focus your content on the specific questions your audience is asking. Instead of broad topics like “how to grow a business,” choose direct, niche-specific titles like “how to get clients as a solo architect” or “how to raise rates as a copywriter.” Make each video answer a real question your ideal client would type into a search bar.

Use AI to reverse engineer your titles
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to use ChatGPT or Gemini. Ask what questions your audience might be searching or request optimized title suggestions for your niche. Try prompts like, “What would a real estate agent in Houston search for on YouTube right now?” These insights help build a stronger content calendar that aligns with what people actually want to watch.

Optimize your metadata
Help both people and algorithms understand your videos. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions, relevant tags and upload transcripts to boost accessibility and search ranking. Small details like this help your videos surface when and where they matter most.

Design thumbnails that stand out
Your thumbnail is often the first impression. Keep it bold, simple and consistent. Use a high-quality image of your face, a short phrase with large text, and a clear visual identity so people instantly recognize your videos. Free tools like Canva make this easy — just search for “most popular” templates to get started.

Create a content series
Don’t think in one-off videos. Build short series around your core topics. This improves discoverability — no matter how someone phrases a question, they’re more likely to land on your channel. A focused series also builds trust faster than scattered videos.

The future of being found

For solopreneurs, the biggest challenge isn’t making great content — it’s making sure people find it long after you’ve posted. YouTube solves that problem. Especially when paired with smart AI tools, it gives your work a longer shelf life and higher impact.

This isn’t about chasing trends or going viral. It’s about showing up with clarity, consistency, and value when your audience is ready. If you create content that answers real questions, YouTube will continue to work for you long after it’s posted. And that’s the kind of strategy that leads to sustainable growth

By Kyle Christie 

Founder & Creative Director at See Your House Now Inc. at The Listing Lounge. Kyle Christie has taken all of the editorial and production skills learned in his career as a television journalist and applied them to real estate. The result is a marketing agency that provides clear messaging, imagery and promotional content to help real-estate professionals stand out.

Edited by Maria Bailey

Sourced from Entrepreneur

By Jodie Cook

You know you should be posting online every day, so you do. But your focus on quantity is leaving quality behind. Most content sucks, and some of yours probably does. It’s safe, predictable, and instantly forgettable. You’re doing it to hit a quota, not to make a real difference. Hitting publish is no use if the words don’t hit home. You’re simply training your audience to ignore your work.

The difference between viral and invisible is the courage to say what you really mean. The courage to share what people are really thinking. ChatGPT can help. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.

Transform boring content ideas into viral hits with ChatGPT

Say what your industry gets wrong

Boring content happens when you’re scared to have a real opinion. Everyone nods along to the same tired advice. Nobody challenges the status quo. Your industry has sacred cows that need slaughtering, and you know what they are. Call them out with proof and confidence. Say what others won’t, and people pay attention.

“Based on what you know about my industry expertise and opinions, identify the top 5 things I believe my industry gets completely wrong. For each one, help me craft a bold statement that challenges conventional wisdom, backed by specific evidence or examples. Make each statement direct and provocative enough to stop scrollers in their tracks. Focus on beliefs that are widely accepted but actually harmful or outdated.”

Transform a bland draft into a controversial opener

You’ve written something safe and sensible. Great. Now make it dangerous. Take that boring post sitting in your drafts and give it the edge it needs to grab attention. Your first draft is never your best work especially when you’re playing it safe. Find the controversy hiding in your careful words.

“Take this draft post I’ve written: [paste your boring content]. Rewrite the opening to be controversial and attention-grabbing. Challenge a common assumption, make a bold claim, or start with a counterintuitive statement. Keep my core message but make it impossible to scroll past. Give me 3 different controversial angles I could take with this same content.”

Turn client wins into standalone hooks

Long case studies put people to sleep. But when you turn a client transformation into one punchy line, it hits them right in the feels. Your clients’ success stories contain viral gold. You just need to extract the message. These become your best hooks, opening lines, and standalone posts that stop the scroll.

“Based on what you know about my business and the transformations I create for clients, help me turn a recent client success into 5 different viral content hooks. Each should be under 15 words and work as a standalone post opener or complete tweet. Focus on the surprising insight or counterintuitive result that makes people stop and think. Make them screenshot-worthy.”

Hijack trending content with your take

That viral post everyone’s sharing? It’s probably wrong. Or at least incomplete. When everyone zigs, you should zag. Take what’s already working and add your controversial spin. Ride the wave while making your own splash. The best viral content builds on what’s already capturing attention, then flips the narrative.

“Here’s a post getting traction on social media: [paste the content]. Based on what you know about my expertise, help me craft the opposite take that adds value while standing out. Create a response that acknowledges why people love the original but offers a better, more nuanced perspective. Structure it to get attention from people already engaging with the trending topic.”

Write what scares you to publish

You know that post sitting in your drafts? The one that feels too real, too raw, too risky? That’s the one to publish. Fear is your guide, and it’s pointing toward viral content. If a post doesn’t make your heart race before hitting publish, it’s probably too safe. The content that scares you is what people remember.

“Based on what you know about my experiences and challenges, help me identify the story or insight I’m most afraid to share publicly. Then help me structure it into a post that’s vulnerable but valuable. Balance the personal revelation with actionable insights others can use. Make it real enough to connect but professional enough to position me as an expert. Ask for more information if required.”

Stop playing safe and start creating content that explodes your reach

Going viral with your content happens when you have the guts to say what you really think. Challenge industry norms with the first prompt. Turn boring drafts controversial with the second. Extract viral hooks from client wins. Hijack trending topics with your unique angle. Share the stories that scare you. Each prompt pushes ChatGPT to help you create content that actually goes viral, not just exists. You don’t need more time to create better content. You need more courage.

Feature image credit: Getty

By Jodie Cook

Find Jodie Cook on LinkedIn. Visit Jodie’s website.

Sourced from Forbes

By Laura Michelle Davis

If you want to break into freelancing, here’s a practical guide to building your reputation, finding your network and working on your own terms.

Jamie Brindle has been freelancing for 16 years and is on a mission to “demystify” the freelance world. In 2020, amid a shaky job market and widespread rejection of corporate hustle culture, he started helping beginner freelancers become their own bosses.

The expansion of remote work, advances in AI and the growth of influencer platforms have all led to a kind of self-employment boom. As Gen Zers and millennials find new ways to upgrade their skills in a flexible work setting, the traditional 9-to-5 has become less inviting — and less reliable.

“People are finally coming over to my side and agreeing that building something for yourself is the safe option now,” Brindle told me.

Financial instability is not a minor factor. Plenty of full-time professionals rely on part-time side hustles and gig work to compensate for stagnant wages and the high cost of living. Working as an independent contractor can feel like a life raft during tough economic times. Whether by choice or necessity, millions of people are turning to freelancing as a long-term business strategy.

“If you lose a client, you’re inconvenienced,” said Brindle. “If you lose your job, you’re unemployed.”

The term “freelancer” often brings to mind ride-share drivers or creators working from home. Yet the self-employed span nearly every industry and skill level, from entry-level musicians to highly specialized brand consultants. In my research, I discovered a world of artists, technicians, developers, strategists, writers, coaches and tradespeople, each carving their own path.

In 2027, freelancers are projected to make up more than half the US workforce, according to Statista. A majority freelance workforce has numerous political and economic implications for future generations. What does a country of nearly 90 million independent contractors look like?

Better yet, should you follow the trend? Whether you’ve recently lost your job or you’re following your passion, this article focuses on tips to get started building your own business. Shaped by real-life insights from seasoned freelancers, this practical guide can help you thrive in this expanding work model.

How to move from full-time employment to freelance work

Freelancing is not always a choice. If you’ve recently been laid off or left your job out of necessity, you won’t necessarily have the luxury to plan for self-employment. But in today’s competitive job market, setting up your own gig could be the easiest way to guarantee some income.

One of the biggest hurdles is getting started. First, identify your strengths and narrow in on what you’re offering. Then tell everyone you’re available for work.

“If you create a persona for yourself, market yourself and your business, and create that reputation, that’s what eventually will bring people to you,” said Jeanette Smith, a freelance content writer and editor. Over the years, Smith has cultivated an impressive following, with 11,000 connections on LinkedIn.

When making the leap from a conventional employee to an independent contractor, don’t wipe your slate clean. Use the experience and connections you’ve built over the years to devise a business plan and reach out to prospective clients.

“Everything that you’ve done in your 9-to-5 is a launch pad for your freelance work, your network, your skills,” said Tia Meyers, CEO and founder of Freelancing Females, the world’s largest community of women in the freelancing field.

If you need guidance, the Freelancers Union, a non profit with over 500,000 members, can provide advocacy, education and access to benefits. Executive director Rafael Espinal said the organization can connect you to fellow freelancers and provide assistance for everything from creating contracts to setting rates.

1️⃣ Understand the business

If you’re committing to freelance work full time, you might need to formalize your business by registering with the state. Setting up a separate legal structure will give you liability protection, tax flexibility and the ability to secure loans. In Smith’s case, she created an LLC (a limited liability corporation) that allowed her to open a business bank account and keep her personal and business finances separate.

Alternatively, anyone who is freelancing for occasional side income can be classified as a sole proprietorship. If you don’t want to incorporate or form a legal entity to run your business right away, you’ll report your income on your personal tax return. “Just be aware that as a 1099 employee (freelancer), no taxes are being withheld,” said Smith. “It is your responsibility to estimate your taxes due and pay them quarterly.”

Ultimately, how you decide to structure your business entity depends on your goals as a freelancer and what legal and tax benefits you’re looking for.

2️⃣ Build your reputation

A freelance business doesn’t grow magically. Once you begin taking on projects, it takes time to find your footing. Depending on the industry and your persistence, Meyers told me to expect anywhere from three months to 12 months to get consistent income and inquiries from clients.

To build your reputation, Brindle recommends boosting your visibility on the professional networking platform LinkedIn, which he calls a “24-hour business conference.” But don’t treat the site like a portfolio or an online resume. Instead, use social media for discussion and commentary, where you can make ongoing contributions and maintain engagement.

Brindle said that sharing posts about what your clients find valuable will favour the algorithm, which is designed to keep users on the platform as long as possible.

3️⃣ Find your network

No one will know you’re looking for work unless you tell them. “Go to your past co-workers, send notes to friends, find a collective of people,” said Meyers. Communities like Freelancing Females, the Freelancers Union and local job boards advertise openings, help you collaborate on work and share client bases.

Creating a profile on talent marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork can also do some of the lifting. According to Nikhil Purwaha, senior director of project management at Upwork, the site has thousands of job posts for freelancers across more than 125 categories, from marketing to software development to customer service.

“We recommend creating a profile that highlights your core strengths, then browsing open projects that match your background,” Purwaha told me in an email. “Clients are often more interested in outcomes than credentials, and many are open to giving newer freelancers a shot if they show commitment, skill and professionalism.”

4️⃣ Grow your client base

To generate a loyal clientele, your outreach should be ongoing and diverse, ranging from in-person referrals and professional associations to smaller contract agencies. Once you start completing assignments and proving your reliability, clients are likely to come back to you.

“The trust factor is the most important thing to build,” said Smith. “If clients like you, they will eventually trust you. And people tend to only buy from people they trust.”

Though Fiverr and Upwork can help you get started, many independent contractors don’t recommend relying on them as the foundation of your business. Sites like these have “pay to play” elements or take a percentage of each transaction as commission. As a result, online gig-work marketplaces are often saturated with low-paying clientele. “They can create a race-to-the-bottom mentality, where freelancers are outbidding each other to secure work,” said Espinal.

According to Brindle, the majority of your clients should come from your own networking and promotion, and only 10-15% from freelancer platforms.

5️⃣ Market your niche

Marketing involves educating prospective clients about your unique service and demonstrating your brand’s niche — a way of planting the flag as a category leader. “If a freelancer comes to me and says, ‘I don’t know how to get leads,’ 99.9% of the time it’s because they don’t have a niche,” Brindle said.

For example, if you’re trying to generate clients as a personal fitness trainer, you’ll stand out if you specialize in something more exclusive, like helping executive women over 50 reach their strength-training goals. “Specificity is your ally,” he said.

Once you’ve found your niche, focus on the deliverables, not the skill itself. What will the results be? What should your clients expect? What problem will you solve? Translate everything to the language of ROI to guarantee a solid return on investment, said Brindle.

6️⃣ Determine your price

Before you set a price for your services, create a budget sheet of your business costs and work backwards. Independent contractors should put aside 40% of their take-home earnings to cover taxes and professional expenses, according to Espinal.

“Consult with other freelancers in your industry and see what they charge,” said Smith. Then figure out your “happy price” by considering all the project details — length, time commitment, resource costs — to set a figure that feels fair for the value you’re offering. Though you might not have a set price for your services out of the gate, have a goal of what you’d like to be charging in a year or two.

Ideally, according to Brindle, you’re pricing in a way where you could technically subcontract every job — i.e., hiring another freelancer to do the work — and still meet your annual revenue goals. Though a lot of freelancers advertise hourly rates, consider charging based on the project or the solution you’re offering, not the time it takes. Brindle says not to allow the client to set a ballpark figure. “You’re the expert, so you should be the one to present a budget to them,” Brindle said.

The benefits of freelance work

Becoming a business owner comes with different responsibilities, new types of management and increased flexibility. While you might start off working more hours than you had in the past, you’ll eventually familiarize yourself with pacing, tracking your hours and working when you’re most productive. You also aren’t limited by an income ceiling, so you can always make more money by taking on more projects.

“The beauty of freelancing is your choice to work when you want, and to work with the clients you actually want to work with,” said Meyers. Whereas traditional employment locks you into the same focus area, freelancing allows you to take your skills to the next level or build something unique based on what you love to do.

In today’s uncertain job market, being an independent contractor can give you increased freedom, according to Espinal. “In a traditional 9-to-5, you don’t have control over whether or not you go to work the next day. You have an employer who makes that decision for you,” he said.

Top advantages to freelance work: 

☑️ Set your own schedule 

☑️ Choose your own clients 

☑️ No salary ceiling  

☑️ Flexibility to pivot 

The downside of freelance work

Not everyone is comfortable with marketing their business or managing their time and finances. As a freelancer, you’ll have to be willing to sell your services and get used to keeping receipts for expenses, paying quarterly taxes and reconciling your finances monthly. “I recommend getting a bookkeeper if you can, because there are just so many rules that change every single year,” said Meyers. If you can’t afford to hire someone, try different platforms or accounting software such as QuickBooks and HoneyBook.

One major disadvantage to freelance work is the lack of benefits. You won’t get paid time off, a retirement account match, short-term disability, health insurance or anything else that typically comes with an employment compensation package.

You’ll also need to be prepared to give up a steady pay check and get used to a more erratic income stream. “Payments from clients aren’t always prompt, and sometimes you have to chase them down,” said Smith. In some cases, clients could refuse to pay entirely, which makes it even more important to have a written agreement when taking on projects. According to Espinal, around 75% of freelancers accept work without a contract, leaving them vulnerable to noncompliant clients.

If you go into freelance work to fulfil your passion on a full-time basis, be careful you’re not living and breathing work. An otherwise fun hobby, like baking, could become particularly gruelling if you’re trying to transform your personal kitchen into a cookie factory. Staying motivated requires being cognizant of work-life balance to avoid burnout.

Main disadvantages of freelance work: 

☑️ Inconsistent payments from clients

☑️ No included insurance or retirement benefits

☑️ Ongoing expenses and taxes

☑️ Fatigue from not setting boundaries 

Final tips for new freelancers

➡ Be bold

When starting out, you’ll face a lot of rejection and ghosting. “But you have to keep believing that the next opportunity is going to be the big break,” said Smith. Don’t be ashamed to market your business however you need to, she added.

Remember that a lot of your clients will hire you not only because of your skills, but also your character. “Don’t be afraid to share your personality,” said Meyers.

➡ Get a website

A business website shows off your portfolio and is great for search results. It also demonstrates that you’re human, Smith told me. If you don’t have a website, make sure you have some type of web presence (substack, landing page, social media), so clients can see your work and contact you easily.

Once you have a web presence, don’t force your clients to scroll through multiple pages to know what you’re selling. Meyers recommends creating clear packages and service offerings.

➡ Prepare the financials

First, prioritize building up an emergency fund to cover at least six months of expenses in case of unexpected circumstances. Factor in all your business overhead expenses ahead of time: software, equipment, gas, meals. Study the tax rules to know exactly what you can claim as a deduction.

You’ll also want to make sure you can afford to pay health insurance out of pocket and contribute to a retirement fund. If you’re interested in other insurance offerings besides health insurance, Espinal said the Freelancers Union provides some benefits, including disability, liability, and life insurance, to members at a fraction of the cost.

Feature image credit: Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNET

By Laura Michelle Davis

Laura is a professional nitpicker and good-humored troubleshooter with over 14 years of experience in print and digital publishing. She currently oversees CNET Money’s housing market coverage. Before becoming an editor with CNET, she worked as an English teacher, Spanish medical interpreter, copy editor and proofreader. She is a fearless but flexible defender of both grammar and weightlifting, and firmly believes that technology should serve the people. Her first computer was a Macintosh Plus. Read full bio

Sourced from CNET

By Katty Kay

After two decades of sharing more online, it looks like we’ve decided to share less. New polling shows that nearly a third of all social media users post less than they did a year ago. That trend is especially true for adults in Gen Z.

In a recent essay for the New Yorker, writer Kyle Chayka suggested that society might be headed towards what he calls “posting zero”: a point where regular people feel that it’s not worth it to share their lives online.

I’ve noticed this downward trend in my own social feeds. For every picture of a friend’s vacation or of a colleague’s children, there seem to be dozens (if not hundreds) of posts from brands and influencers promoting a new product or discussing the latest trend.

Social media used to feel like an imperfect facsimile of my social life – but now, it feels more like “content”.

Some of this, I know, is because the platforms themselves have changed. TikTok and Instagram amassed endless troves of vertical videos and built eerily powerful algorithms to help guide you through them.

I think the social contract of social media has changed. The deal was if you put stuff out there, if you put out content, you could get this massive audience. But that becomes a vicious cycle that becomes your entire life. So, unless you’re trying to become an influencer or a professional internet poster, the deal doesn’t seem so good anymore. The downsides of posting are too great and the advantages are not good enough. So, you might as well just text your friends.

KK: I had a super-interesting conversation with Jonathan Haidt, who’s obviously done a lot of work on trying to get phones out of schools. Do you think that if the trend you are spotting – you call it posting zero – turns out to be a kind of a significant wave that we’re moving towards, does it actually make it easier to break that phone and device addiction for kids?

KC: It’s a good question. I do think we’ve passed peak social media in a way, but I don’t think that removes the 24/7 digital conversation that people are having. It’s just that the conversation moves away from the public channels into these group chats, into DMs or a more ephemeral platform, like Snapchat.

The addictive capacity of the phone is still there. The distraction is certainly still there. But I think there’s less of this public nature of it. I think it is a little bit better that we’ve moved out of the public sphere and have removed that risk of just getting totally exposed to the entire world and going viral for the wrong reasons. But we’re still texting each other all day. We’re still consuming memes. We’re still getting distracted by feeds.

KK: Throw it forward. What are we going to be looking at on our phones in five years’ time? How different will our interactions be with the social component of our phones and our devices?

KC: I think it’ll be even more like television. If we look at the way things are going, it’s a lot of professionalised media. It’s a lot of passively watching stuff. We kind of see this merging today of YouTube and TikTok and Netflix into just an unholy combination of audio and video and algorithmic feed.

If I had to predict, the conversation and social aspect will be in text messages or I think it might move more into real life. I think this peak social media has created more of a desire for in-person interaction and has reminded us of the value of actually sharing things in real life. So, that makes me a little bit hopeful.

KK: Do you think we’ll get to a posting zero world, where people like you and I just are not posting anymore?

KC: I think so. I think it’s coming sooner than we expect, just because there’s no incentive to post anymore. Why post your selfies or post your breakfast if you don’t get attention for it, you can’t reach your friends and you’re just competing with all of this remote, abstracted garbage out there?

Maybe social media was this aberration in a way, or a detour. And this idea that every normal person should share their life in public was kind of flawed from the beginning. And we’re now waking up from that a little bit and seeing the damage that it’s wrought and moving on a little bit with our habits.

Feature image credit: Writer Kyle Chayka and BBC Special Correspondent Katty discuss the changing landscape of social media (Credit: BBC)

By Katty Kay

Sourced from BBC

By Gerald Webber

Feature image credit: Kudometrics

By Gerald Webber

Sourced St.Louis Post-Dispatch

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By Keisha Oleaga

Feature Image Credit: Robin Utrecht

By Keisha Oleaga

Sourced from what’s trending

By Ryma Chikhoune

Christos Garkinos looks to create the “Netflix of Shopping.”

In 2020, Christos Garkinos turned to Instagram Live in the early days of the pandemic. What began as a way to connect with fashion lovers became something bigger: a luxury fashion resale business that’s sold more than $200 million to date.

Three years later, he added beauty to the mix, partnering with his long time friend and beauty editor Kelly Atterton to lead the vertical.

“They trust what I’m selling,” said Garkinos, who has a knack for cultivating community.

Born and raised in Detroit, he moved to Los Angeles in 1990 working for Disney and Virgin Megastores with Richard Branson before getting into fashion and opening consignment shop Decades — a former retail destination for celebrities and stylists — with Cameron Silver. Garkinos went on to become a TV personality through a reality show centered on the store, “Dukes of Melrose.” But after losing his sobriety, his life unravelled; he tells the story in his memoir, “Covet the Comeback: How a Son of Greek Immigrants Found Success, Lost Everything, Then Built a Fashion Empire.”

Feature image credit: Christos Garkinos and Kelly Atterton Courtesy/Katie Jones

By Ryma Chikhoune

Sourced from WWD