💅 Quitting Social Media Won’t Save You (But Strategy Might)

​
Hey Reader,

The algorithm knows I’m deep in market research mode for boutique studios and indie podcast production houses — so naturally, it served me up a video from Sunny Lenarduzzi, who’s been in the online marketing game since forever. 🦖

She bragged about “quitting social media” and her results of doubling down on YouTube. On one hand? Good for her. On the other? I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw 2026. Anything that sounds too good to be true is definitely snake oil.

Believing this at face value isn’t a beginner mistake. Believing her story at face value is happening to very seasoned entrepreneurs that are face-planting into the same trap as everyone else — like a slapstick pie-to-the-face. (I prefer the fun kind. The birthday cake kind. The kind I plan to faceplant into by the end of this week when I light my annual cake on fire. 🎂)

Let’s unpack the polished, “humble confessional” sales pitch coming from someone with:

• A massive pre-existing list
• A legacy social media following
• Serious operating capital
• A very glossy YouTube production setup

Sunny isn’t wrong about YouTube or long-form content. I’ve been shouting that from the rooftops for years. But she got to this level of "good" because she put in the reps on social media. That video you just watched? It was built with help, not hustle. So don’t get bamboozled into thinking that if you just “quit Instagram” and make one YouTube channel, your sales will magically go brrr. ☃️

You still need discovery. For smaller creators (that's you and me) discovery still happens on social — at least one platform beyond your email list. As a bunch of us learned last week in Stephanie Halligan's session (Borrow My YouTube Strategist), adding in YouTube is like turbo charging your engines if you learn to publish consistently. I quit social 100% about eight years ago and I've never regained the audience momentum I was able to build back then. I lost the base of my organic reach and Sunny's base is built on things she was able to do before Facebook ever dreamed up paid traffic with ads. She came into YouTube at 60mph to your 15mph.

So before you toss your Instagram login and go full “social detox” to flip the bird at Meta, while secretly posting to TikTok, consider this: American-access-TikTok is more than rumored to have been sold to Oracle, so if you’re rage-quitting Meta and running to the For You Page… the joke’s about to be on you. That's a lot of drama to invest your marketing dollars, time, and energy.

Quitting social and relying on YouTube actually forces you to level up your YouTube game that must faster and harder. You essentially take away your training wheels and runway, which is expensive. It's definitely a choice, you just need to know what you're signing up for, which Sunny is not sharing with you in her glamorous story.

Meanwhile, boutique studios are popping up like daisies in mid-sized cities for a reason. People like you want better content without mortgaging their sanity or burning out trying to DIY every camera angle. Mix all these things together and that’s why I created Sasquatch Media Grounds in Vancouver, WA — it's 15 minutes from PDX, 2.5 hours from Seattle, and lightyears cheaper (and more chill) than LA or NYC. Week-by-week I am showing you the reasoning behind why I've made certain choices and why the studio formed now.

You don’t need a full home studio to be professional or 10 years of trial-and-error. But you do need support, a space, and smart guidance... especially in the new creator landscape which demands higher quality levels from the start than we used to get away with 10 years ago.

Which brings me to your next move: Come to Tuesday’s workshop with Megan Eckman. If you’re spinning out trying to solve a visibility problem, she will help you figure out what’s actually blocking you and the process will show you the next right step.

👉 Reserve your spot now. Because guessing isn’t a strategy, and chaos isn’t a business model.

💥Borrow My Breakthrough — THIS Tuesday, July 22nd

Feeling stuck? This workshop is your reset button. In fact, it was the workshop that got me out of my bullshit and into the path for Sasquatch Media Grounds. Join Megan Eckman for a guided sprint designed to shake you out of analysis paralysis and into your next most impactful step. Whether you’re tangled in personal overwhelm or biz burnout, this is your space to find clarity, borrow the hive mind, and stop spinning in circles.

➡️ Then, save the date for the following Tuesday, July 29th with my lawyer Michael Jonas!

💫 Even more workshops & panels are ready for you to grab your seat...

Inspired by last summer’s powerhouse voiceover intensives I took in LA, these sessions are fully live, fully interactive, and built for bold breakthroughs — no replays, no hiding off-camera.

​Each one is $47 because #theeconomy and #accessmatters. It’s not gatekeeping — it’s your cue to commit and show the hell up.

---

Real Life’s Getting Stranger… But the Branding Is Top-Tier...

💸 Ninja Scams & Podcast Fails

Even seasoned podcasters are falling for cold-pitch scams, and I can’t decide if I’m more horrified or just tired. This isn’t how real media outreach works, but it highlights how many creators still don’t understand the landscape they’re trying to play in. I have my Production Assistant GPT scan every pitch I get and let’s just say… the ratio of legit to nonsense? Not cute. Stay skeptical, babes.

🇹🇼 Flashbacks from Taipei

A clip from a documentary stopped me cold this week. As someone born in Taipei under martial law, I’ve always carried a quiet awareness of what that means. But now, watching U.S. headlines take darker turns, I wish more people understood the very real weight of what "martial law" actually looks like. It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s lived history. Maybe you’ll watch this clip and feel it, too.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Superman’s PR Team Deserves a Raise

The only thing that would make this better is a collab with the social team from the National Park Service. The new Superman marketing campaign is absolutely crushing tone and voice. Their team nailed the assignment: use each actor’s natural personality, give them the real “why,” and let the magic happen. It’s a reminder that the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like charisma. Take notes.

---

🦁 This week’s reading says: take the mic… but know what you’re saying.

With Mercury officially retrograde and Leo season roaring in, it’s time to reflect on the last three months of business choices, visibility efforts, and inner growth. The Tarot is LOUD with alignment work — three 6s (hello energetic recalibration) and The Wheel reminding us: change is already in motion.

Click to listen to the excerpt ⤵️ and see what’s shifting for you this week.

​

✨ Subscribe to the private podcast for $7/month ✨

---

🧩 What If Visibility Isn’t Your Problem?

You don’t need another “show up every day” pep talk—you need a strategy that actually works for you. In this week’s Biz Bestie Chat, I sat down with Tonya Kubo to unravel the myths around online visibility. If you’ve ever wondered why your efforts aren’t landing (even though you're doing all the “right” things), this conversation is your antidote. We talk about the hidden emotional blocks, community-based strategies that actually convert, and how to stop performing and start connecting.

🎥 Watch now and let this be the pep talk with teeth ⤵️

​

📺 Watch the clip here or click above ⤴️

---

Let's Hang Out 📚 Join the reading challenge​ Don’t miss your shot — this summer is the glow-up arc we’ve all been waiting for. More people keep joining the challenge each week! If you haven't done it yet, you're missing out on some big swag.

Participate + Join In ✨ Want to be seen by even more people this summer?​ I’m also accepting more giveaway sponsors, perfect if you’ve got a product (physical or digital) you want in front of fresh eyes. 🎁 Sign up to be a giveaway sponsor​

💰 The Common Wealth Since we're in the thick of our reading challenge with the CEO Summer Rebellion, I thought it would be great to give the writers in this room a big resource! Eunice Brownlee leads a weekly writers circle, which you can participate in... for free. It's a super generous and amazing offer. 10/10, highly recommend! Register here.​

🔗 Affiliate Hub Getting paid is SUPER important and I'm a stickler for making sure you have a checkout cart in your tech stack. If you're going to monetize, this is a non-negotiable. Make it easy to get paid. Period. This is where Thrivecart comes in and while you could do the fancy bells & whistles, you don't have to. It's a one time payment. Forever.

🛍️ Conscious Consumerism This week the Trump administration eliminated the option for LGBT+ teens on the 988 suicide hotline. I lost my nephew to suicide and this hotline started after his death. It was like a beacon of hope and it crushed me to see it shut down. I wanted to make sure we all know you can still get help through the Trevor Project.​