Humor and Story

Humor and Story The only 2 elements you need for any business to stand out and succeed- humor and story!

08/13/2026

There have always been experts, or theoretical experts. People who claim expertise without really having accomplished much.

They’ve always been around and they’ll continue to exist- and that’s great. But don’t let them pull you into their world.

You must do to learn, and those who have done, can teach you better than those who just think about doing.

When it comes to your law practice, or dental practice, or med spa, or surf shop- AI is not going to be the magical hammer that solves it all, despite what they tell you.

AI companies can’t even market themselves well.

Take some time- days or weeks- to think about your marketing plan and your brand strategy. What does that really mean? How does succeeding in those two look like for you and your brand?

Remember, advertising is only about 10% of marketing. And the ad campaign strategy is only 10% of the overall brand strategy. Where’s your other 90%?

I know it sounds daunting- and I just want to urge you to look for an actual doer vs a self-proclaimed expert.

No course to sell you, no PDF to download. If you want help, reach out. I may not have room for you, but I might if you’re flexible.

-Arash

08/11/2026

According to the Godfather, Rory Sutherland, there are two types of advertising: Mad Men advertising and Sopranos advertising.

He’s directly talking about the platforms who allow advertising- Meta, Google, Tik Tok and others. If you pay, you get seen and get leads. But some have shifted to hiding us, and making sure we are suppressed, unless we pay to play.

The end game should be the same for all of us: strategize to market organically without a constant need for paid ads.

Which platforms fall under Sopranos advertising and which one under Mad Men advertising?

08/10/2026

I loved these. These are the original comic cards I collected in the early 90s.

Back then, we didn’t really have the option of buying entire sets- we had to buy individual packs, collect, trade, and work for months or years to collect full sets.

That’s why there is such an emotional connection between many boys and comic cards, or any kind of card collection. There was incredible effort put in, and for many of us, a huge financially investment from our families.

We remember a mom, dad, or grandparent taking us to the store to buy a pack. My spot was the comic spot at the corner of the Mira Mesa and 15 freeway exit, where In N Out is, and where Ralph’s used to be.

But the payoff was high when you completed a set, or got a hologram, or some rare card none of your friends had. I remember my parents looking at me like I lost my marbles when I yelled from the backseat when I got the holographic Spiderman card.

They didn’t understand, but they still cared. That’s how I want to show up for my son. But not, with most things, I have the ability to understand and care.

This brings me to AI. You know AI can write books. AI can produce music for you. AI can make photos, headshots, videos, scenes, any pretty much anything you can think.

But it cannot, and it will not, ever be able to replicate the journey.

You discover the alternative motivations of a character when writing the book. When you’re collaborating with a musician, you are able to discover a new chorus.

The process, which is often hard, is where you grow, discover, and uncover greatness. The tool now exists to show you the end product by robbing you of the process in return.



08/10/2026

They forced Spiderman into your car. And you didn’t care because you love Spidey. I love Spidey too, but this is an infiltration.

You saw the Brand New Day ad if you have a newer model BMW.

And some people said, “it’s fine, you didn’t have to click it to watch it,” or another said “if you start driving, everything disappears.”

You know when you’re interrupted with ads on social media, you can also toss your phone into a volcano and they’ll disappear? Or when you get the ads on Prime of Netflix, you can simply toss a rock through your TV, and boom, they’re gone.

These are not solutions. BMW ran a test: to see how customers would react if they’re pushing ads through their cars, and if people want to disable them, they can simply pay $19.99 a month. Which will become $49.99 by 2030. And $99.99 by 2032 when the brand struggles to stay afloat.

My point is this- do not roll over and comply. If the car manufacturers are pushing subscriptions, don’t opt in. If you can avoid buying a BMW, find an alternative or get it in writing that your car will have no ads for the life of the car.

Ads are part of our culture. They were necessary to keep Meta and Google free. But they’ve crossed over when they’re tracking us, or when they have more data on our kids than we’ve consented to them having.

I bought a new Camry a few months ago. I would not sign any papers unless I had a huge ugly line crossing off all advertising and marketing clauses in my contracts. They looked at me like I was a weirdo.

I don’t want to be used for marketing, unless I opt in. I also know I hold value as a person: if you want to use my photo, video, and likeliness to sell future cars, then I should be compensated $2000/month, in perpetuity.

08/02/2026

In this second part of my serious “Series Videos” series, I give some examples in the types of videos you can make right now and prepare for when the “series” option is available to you.

1. Remember, it goes up to 25 videos but you don’t have to use all 25 spots
2. It’s meant to be binge watched, so they should dive into each other
3. Your brand right now can benefit from series videos- I even name some of my favorite brands I follow who I think would kill it when it comes to series content

If you’re still stuck after watching this, feel free to send me a DM. We’re completely booked on weekdays but we can still do a coffee/drink on a weekend.

07/26/2026

‼️If you’re in the patient business, you could be deterring patients without meaning to do so.🫢

1️⃣Try, but don’t try too hard. Saying “75% off!” is a red flag to most. It translates to something is wrong, “I need you!”

2️⃣ Not trying at all in your marketing means you just don’t care enough to try to attract a patient. Compare it to an office that’s dirty and old- if you don’t care about your brand, why should we?

3️⃣ Trying too hard to appeal to the customer, like having marble floors, a statue of Odysseus, or a painting of the Shah of Iran means nothing if the customer service is not MORE apparent. ➡️ What are you doing to stand out in how you approach your patients? ⬅️

If you can master these, you’ll have patients coming, referring others, and raving about you online.🎉🙌🥳

07/20/2026

Apologies for getting so close to the camera, but this is serious.

Instagram Series are here for many, and we’ll have access very soon.

What this means for you:

1. You can have series based content, think episodes, which will autoplay to the next one, up to 25 videos.
2. This will allow for deeper connections with your audience and more engagement than before.
3. Better connections means more sales, and also more room for ads, which means more $$$
4. You will not be able to screen record these series
5. These are currently only available on phones and not desktops

Want help on creating your series? Comment NEXT and I’ll send you the next episode with examples before it’s live- get a yea start!

07/11/2026

The “era of influencers” has been over for a while.

The time when you could book someone with 10,000,000 followers for $2500 and have them increase revenue by 10% is done done.

But a certain type of untouched can still be helpful.

If a person is actively involved in your niche or directly aligned with your customers, they can help. If not, it’s a waste.

07/09/2026

Why is your content considered boring?

Easy answer: it lacks social storytelling

Tell better stories. Real stories. Intentional stories, with what your audience desires, what obstacles they face, and how you help them overcome.

I have friends who run competing law firms, plastic surgeons, some sell cars, others sell software. The truly successful ones are connecting on a deeper level that AI can’t touch.

Sure, you can use AI for certain automation and with help- but when it comes to finding and telling your customers stories so it overcomes their fears and objections, raw human stories prevail.

If you struggle with this, and not sure how to utilize with video and social media and everything else involved, just ask for help. I personally help about 20 people and brands each year. Yes, summer is a busy time, people are filled with energy and inspired, but if your schedule is flexible, we might be able to help. And if not, plan for 2027 now.

07/06/2026

I’ve probably interviewed 500 people for various campaigns and videos- here are 3 tips I’d tell my older self:

1. Actually listen: don’t just plan to go to the next question; if you can expand on what was just said, and it’s meaningful, do it

2. Don’t give the questions out beforehand; preparation can make things look “corporate.” Come with the surprises, the things that require deeper thinking.

3. Shut up- if someone gets emotional, or starts crying, shut your mouth and let them express their emotions. At least for 30 seconds. Get up and grab the tissues but don’t just stop filming or hand it to them immediately. Rawness is gold on video.

Want to know which type of videos we are creating in 2026 which works on connecting with viewers like never before? Comment “doc” or DM me for the answer.

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