Influence / Rachel Grunbaum
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen (the term is to be modestly applied),
Welcome to those new to Serendipity. As always, the premises of these essays can be found in the provenance email. (In short, it is a letter that often lacks purpose, meaning, or substance but heartwarmingly lures you in with the promise of the aforementioned.)
The summer is really heating up. My Canadian friends have moved from their eternally amiable state to an ever so slightly perturbed state due to mind-boggling heat and humidity. The Americans are facing extreme heat all over the country, which is causing extremely weird people to run for the presidency. Even the English are experiencing weather that could be considered “muy caliente.” After record-setting rainfall this year, I am sure they will still find something to complain about.
I have been delving deeper into the topic of digital influencers this month and both the psychology and tactics behind them. Speaking with digital practitioners and self-taught influencers has been fascinating and, at times, shocking. But the most impactful three hours of learning actually came from a three-hour Netflix documentary which ended up being an absolute masterclass in marketing.
Many of you probably remember the cyber attack on Ashley Madison's extramarital dating website (stop blushing, I didn’t mean it like that). It was hacked and the data for all of its users was released into the public domain. At the time, it had 34 million users worldwide. After a public firestorm, CEO resignation, societal backlash, and criminal investigations, the attackers got away and many people’s lives were ruined. Despite all the insane chaos and suffering, the company still exists today and has now increased to 70 million users. How is this possible?
If you watch the documentary, you will learn that marketing looks like it defies logic when you push the right psychological buttons. Well, that’s because it does. It's all reptilian and limbic brain stuff. That neo-cortex stuff is for the nerds. I am certainly not arguing in favor of the endeavor's morality but simply analyzing their marketing machine's effectiveness. From the way they handled angry spouses who called customer service looking for answers to the strategic focus of attracting women (no marketing budget was needed to attract men). It did what Disney does to kids but to discontented married couples.
I’d wager that if someone put the Ashley Madison marketing team in charge of Twitter, it would be back on top before Christmas. Life is short. Send a Tweet.
Lastly, on this subject, I have received some feedback from a marketer on the list who said they enjoyed how I guilted people into not unsubscribing with a little note at the end of each email. This month, with the help of my hacker friends (who will go unnamed), I have taken this approach to extreme levels and added the functionality that if anyone on the list dares to click unsubscribe, you will automatically be signed up for an Ashley Madison account. I really do appreciate you guys reading!
Moving on.
Speaking of extraordinary marketers and influencers, I would like to introduce you to one of the very best this month. Rachel Grunbaum is a former English teacher and grant writer who is now a bonafide LinkedIn expert.
Rachel Grunbaum
A personal brand is almost a prerequisite for executive leadership these days. When I am scrolling online, it seems like some people have 100 hours in a day to run their empires whilst also finding the time to discuss their philosophies and share stories with their audience online. That is unless you know the secrets that Rachel knows.
From her office in Hackney, London, Rachel now consults with clients worldwide. This is an extraordinary leap from a few years ago when she worked two teaching jobs to support and raise her young family. Rachel is now part of the team at Fluex Media and independently consults and guides executives on building a LinkedIn presence, nurturing impactful relationships, and selling more using the platform.
90% of what I know comes from Rachel.
Rachel has always been a writer. Her heart, tenacity, skill, determination, and focus quickly resonate with people. From your first conversation, she will help, teach, and guide you. She will be indispensable in under 60 seconds.
Rachel likes to say that her writing has led her to the company and job of her dreams. Her favorite line is, “Just keep writing. You never know who is reading!”
To connect with Rachel, you can find her here
As always, thank you for reading and for all the feedback as I journey on this quest to connect interesting and like-minded people to help one another.