Sensible Woo is the mind. Sasquatch Media Grounds is the muscle.
Hey Reader,
This week I’m eyeballs deep preparing to take the main stage at Podcast Movement Evolutions, now hosted inside SXSW in Austin. I’ll be closing out the Discovery Track on Day 3 with a talk about The Future of Attention, speaking at Skybox on 6th around 3pm on Sunday, March 15.
(See the line up here + here. Hint: the Samwise Easter Egg is in these links. 😉)
Austin is a funny place for this moment to happen.
It’s where I had my breakout into full-time entrepreneurship after years of running a content creator side hustle alongside my librarian career. That was 2016… almost exactly ten years ago. Getting invited back to speak on the tenth anniversary of that pivot feels a little surreal.
In the decade since, my career path has zig-zagged across industries. Entertainment industry consultant. Systems and business coach. And now back where my instincts always pointed… building Sasquatch Media Grounds, a studio dedicated to helping creators produce media that actually lasts.
But preparing this talk forced a realization I hadn’t quite put language to before.
For years I’ve been operating in the futures market.
I know… somewhere out there one of you is smacking your forehead wondering how it took me this long to say it out loud. But sometimes the obvious thing only becomes obvious when someone hands you the microphone and says, “Close the day on the future.”
People have been coming to me for trends for a long time. I joke about “one of Mary’s predictions.” My Tarot and astrology readers show up every week asking what’s coming next. And the funny thing is… I’m not sure it was ever just about Tarot or astrology.
What people are really looking for is orientation.
Where are we headed?
What forces are shaping the road ahead?
How do you move when the terrain keeps shifting?
That’s not just business coaching. That’s cultural forecasting.
The work sits at the intersection of media, psychology, economics, and attention. How people think. How audiences behave. What creators believe they’re supposed to do… and where those beliefs start to break.
And right now a few of those breaks are happening at the same time.
The platforms are filling with AI-generated sludge.
Media companies are consolidating into fewer and fewer hands.
Audiences are losing trust in the big institutions that used to control culture.
When those three things happen together, attention doesn’t disappear… it migrates.
It looks for voices that feel human again.
Independent again.
Worth paying attention to again.
Which brings me to the thesis of the talk I’ll be giving in Austin:
Bold creative wins.
Bold creative wins because it refuses to play the same game as the noise. Instead of chasing vanity metrics, it builds meaning. Instead of copying trends, it builds voice. Instead of flooding the feed, it builds trust.
And right now… in a moment when media consolidation, platform control, and political pressure are all tightening the boundaries around expression… that boldness isn’t just a marketing tactic.
It’s civic infrastructure.
We’re living in an era that does not offer the luxury of waiting for perfect conditions. The attention economy keeps moving whether you participate or not.
Which means the rule for creators right now is simple:
Publish… or perish.
I’ll see you in Austin.
Participate with me from your home office:
Gossip From the Creator Trenches...
🍎 The $599 Mac Debate
Apple just dropped a more affordable laptop at $599… and yes, the internet immediately started screaming about the 8GB RAM limit. Can you function on 8GB? I say yes… especially at that price in the Apple universe. But here’s the catch most creators forget: less RAM doesn’t just slow your machine down… it exposes every weak system you’ve built. Too many browser tabs, sloppy workflows, giant file hoards… your computer will call you out fast. Still, being able to run macOS for the cost of a Chromebook is a pretty wild entry point for creators. If you’ve ever had a tech meltdown mid-project, a backup machine at this price suddenly makes a lot of sense.
🔗 See the full commentary
🧠 Media Literacy Is a Founder Skill
Consuming a healthy cross-section of media should be a mandatory life skill. Yet most people stay locked inside one information bubble and then wonder why the world feels confusing. Don’t be that person. Great creators are also great media consumers. If you want to produce smart content, you have to understand how narratives spread, where bias creeps in, and how audiences form opinions. This example looks at political media habits, but the lesson applies everywhere… especially in business. Think of it this way: publish consistently enough and you become the study everyone else is watching.
🔗 Check out the study results
🌿 Values That Sell (Without Preaching)
How do you share your values without smacking your audience over the head with them? Take a cue from The Gay Plant Store in Seattle. Saint Planthony has mastered the art of selling plants while quietly signaling what the brand stands for… humor, identity, and community woven right into the copy. No press conference required. Not everyone has that level of wordplay wizardry, but the lesson is simple: when people know who you are, it becomes much easier for the right audience to say yes.
🔗 Learn from a master
🎙️ Talking Startups with PDX’s Loudest Megaphone
If you’re anywhere near the Portland startup scene, you know Rick Turoczy. He’s been documenting founders and amplifying the region’s startup ecosystem for nearly two decades through Silicon Florist, and lately he’s been running a YouTube series with short, fast conversations about what it means to build something here.
I joined Rick to talk about the studio, the creator economy, and why I keep repeating one thing to founders over and over again…
No one is first to market anymore.
The internet is mature. Every idea has been attempted somewhere by someone. The advantage isn’t speed… it’s clarity and production quality.
That’s why Sasquatch Media Grounds exists. I help creators and brands slow down long enough to figure out what they’re trying to say, then build the podcast or YouTube show that can carry that message with real craft.
We talk about my path from Disney Animation archivist to media producer, why “scrappy content” is overrated, and why founders need to stop worrying about being late and start focusing on better pre-production.
👉 Watch the conversation
🔥 The Yes Friend Lab Is Live
If you’ve ever left a networking event thinking, “I could’ve said that better…” — this is for you.
On March 28, Megan and I are hosting The Yes Friend Lab, a 3-hour live workshop where we practice the actual skills that make rooms work:
- How to clearly tell people what you do
- How to ask for what you need
- How to offer what you can give
- And yes… the art of small talk
This is not a lecture. It’s reps. Breakout rooms. Real-time coaching. Real feedback.
It’s pay-what-you-can (minimum $97, suggested $197) because we know it’s a crunchy season... and better networking helps all of us win.
If you’re serious about getting paid through relationships, this is where you sharpen the blade.
Stop overthinking the room. Start practicing.
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$97.00
The Yes Friend Lab: March 2026
A 3-Hour Live Networking & Conversation Skills Workshop | Live on Zoom
Saturday, March 28th
10am - 1pm PT (1pm - 4pm ET)... Read more |
🔮 Credibility Is the New First-to-Market
There’s a shift happening right now that most business advice hasn’t caught up with yet. For years the rule was simple: move faster than everyone else. Be first. Grab the attention.
That era is ending.
The new competitive edge is credibility. The people who build trust, authority, and consistency are the ones audiences will follow when everything else feels chaotic. And this week’s reading dives into why that shift is happening energetically right now… and how it’s going to show up in your decision-making, your creativity, and the way momentum feels in your business.
I dropped a short excerpt on YouTube so you can feel the shift for yourself. Tap to hear this week's excerpt ⤵️
Want the whole thing?
Inside the full Woo Crew episode we go deeper into the current planetary movements, why motivation might feel strange midweek, and how to work with intuitive action instead of forcing linear productivity. If your instincts have been getting louder lately, you’re not imagining it.
Join the Woo Crew for $7/month and get the full reading, the CEO-level context, and the action prompts that help you move through the week with clarity instead of confusion.
🌮 SXSW Brisket Diplomacy
Are you heading to Austin next week for SXSW? Official badge or unofficial taco tour… I’m not judging. My only requirement is that you appreciate a proper brisket breakfast taco from Torchy’s.
If you’ll be in town, let’s hang out IRL. And if there’s someone you think I should meet while I’m there, send them my way. You’ll find the details on this form, and you’re welcome to forward it to trusted connections in your network.
Is it weird that my SXSW priorities currently revolve around smoked meats instead of the main stage? Possibly. Am I wrong though? Absolutely not.
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🏳️🌈 Officially On The Map
It only took me approximately forever to get around to this (sorry, Charlie! 🤣) but Sasquatch Media Grounds is now officially listed on Everywhere Is Queer.
Most of you already know this is a queer-owned business. I may not plaster rainbow merch all over the studio (I’m a bit of a design snob… what can I say 💅🏼), but supporting and advocating for my community is something I take seriously, especially right now.
And if this somehow shocks or horrifies you… well… the unsubscribe link lives very nearby in this newsletter. Feel free to help yourself to a lighter inbox.
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