Hey Reader,

Social media is the foyer. And you cannot live in the foyer… no matter how good the lighting is.

During the Lunar New Year discourse cycle, I ran a small experiment in algorithmic volatility. I went on Threads and intentionally posted something that fit the platform’s current bloodbath energy just to see what happens when a relatively quiet account stops being nice. Compared to what was flying around that day, my take was mild. Identity-adjacent. Timed for peak emotional tension. The kind of post that brushes conflict without technically breaking rules.

I do not normally see engagement like that because my business revenue is built on systems, not social traffic. I do not rely on rage for leads. So waking up to the numbers was eye-opening.

The comments were loud, personal, and fast. I was told to “shut up, Karen.” I was told a condom would have prevented the post. I was called a horrible person. There were sweeping assumptions about who I am… all wildly inaccurate. It is astonishing how easily people will leave public comments in public spaces because they need to be right about something. Anything. Even when they are wrong. And it is equally astonishing how quickly many of those same voices go silent when asked to show up for actual humanity, like when Asian communities were being bullied and harmed during Covid.

But if you look past the noise, the story changes.

Quiet likes outnumbered anger. Reposts climbed. Visibility spiked. People followed me. No DMs. No applause. Just quiet action.

We are going to come back to that… because this is where most adults actually operate online.

So yes… rage works. Not morally. Structurally. It generates attention. And attention, inside a social platform, is a monetized commodity.

Social platforms reward volatility because volatility increases dwell time. Identity tension drives comments, conflict drives distribution, and the system amplifies reaction far more efficiently than it ever could amplify nuance. That is not an accident. It is infrastructure. You are the product in that model. Your activity increases advertiser spend. That is the game.

And yes… you can build reach on outrage inside that system. It will reward you for it. But reach is not authority, and authority does not compound in environments that thrive on emotional spikes. The foyer is high traffic and low depth. It is where strangers overhear fragments of conversation and decide who you are from a single sentence stripped of context. It can be useful if you treat it as transitional space. It is not foundational space.

You cannot build a house in the foyer.

Authority requires context, and context requires space, and space requires ownership. If your growth depends on the algorithm feeling generous that week, you are not building equity… you are renting exposure. And rented land always comes with a landlord.

This is why I do not teach viral tricks as a foundation. Those are foyer skills. They may open a door, but they will not sustain a business.

Inside the Creator Economy Dojo, we train what compounds:

• Structure so your ideas hold.
• Voice so you are legible beyond a trend.
• Position so people understand you without escalation.
• Longevity so revenue grows from trust, not controversy.

Now let’s make this practical:

Next Wednesday, February 25 at 2pm Pacific, I am teaching a live intensive called 30-Second Ads That Pay.

Thirty seconds is enough to generate revenue. It is also enough to sound stiff, awkward, or apologetic if you have never trained the skill.

This is practice, not theory. You will leave with a repeatable framework, a written ad draft, delivery guidance, and a checklist you can reuse. And yes… you will read it live.

If you plan to monetize your podcast or channel, this is foundational training. I’ll show you why this skill is what gets you out of the foyer and into rooms you actually own.

Seats are $197 and include the replay.

👉 Reserve your seat for 30-Second Ads That Pay​

$197.00 🎙️ 30-Second Ads That Pay Live Intensive — February 25th​ 2pm - 4pm Pacific / 5pm - 7pm Eastern ​Live session + replay access included.... Read more Join us live! 🎙️

​

And if you already know you need ongoing structure around positioning and monetization, the workshop is included inside the Creator Economy Dojo. In that case, joining the Dojo may be the smarter move. It's the same price monthly with more than just this workshop.

You can keep screaming louder in the foyer if you want.

Or you can build rooms people stay in.

I know which one compounds.

See you inside the workshop next week.
Mary 😘