🧐 The New “Norms” of Business Etiquette…

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

• 🧐 The New Norms of Business Etiquette… [True Story]

• 🔥 TikTok’s Next Big Competitor!

• 🛒 4 Quick AI Checks Every Seller Should Run This Week

• 🔥 You Can Talk to Your Amazon Data?! [Yes, Really]

• ✅ 10 Top Trending AI Apps

🚨 Reply to this email with “#wheelofkelsey” for a chance for an audit from Clear Ads. Find out the results on Wednesday on the podcast!

🧐 Navigating the New “Norms” of Business Etiquette [TRUE STORY] 

You know, it’s funny how times change…

Back in the 80s and 90s, if you were walking into a Fortune 500 boardroom, you were basically suiting up in a three-piece suit.

You needed a pressed suit, perfect hair, and having visible tattoos was basically a death sentence for your business deal.

I’ll never forget the time I dared to swap the tie for a black turtleneck.

The senior VP shook my hand at the end of the meeting and then on my way out said, “Norm, if you ever come dressed like that again, we’re done.”

That’s how strict it was.

And let’s not forget the beard!

Nowadays, my beard is part of who I am.

But back then, if you showed up with anything but a clean shave, you’d basically be seen as anti-establishment.

A hooligan who definitely isn’t ready for business.

A couple days’ stubble and you’d get side-eyes all around.

Fast forward to today, and we’re hopping onto Zoom calls in T-shirts and pajamas.

We’ve traded those old formalities for a lot more comfort and convenience.

And sure, it’s nice not having to iron a shirt every morning, but we do lose a little bit of that old-school tradition.

It felt like there was a bit more thoughtfulness when it came to business.

It’s a reminder that while times change, there’s still something valuable about showing up with a bit of that old school respect, even if it’s just combing the beard and putting on a nicer shirt.

What do you think? I’m being too much of an old man?

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

🔥 OpenAI Launches Sora: A TikTok-Style AI Video App

OpenAI just rolled out Sora 2, its upgraded audio and video generator, along with a brand-new social app called Sora, think TikTok, but every video is AI-generated.

This new app lets you drop yourself (or friends) into any AI-generated video using a feature called “cameos.” You upload a short verification clip once, and after that you can create videos of yourself skateboarding, skydiving, playing in a band, or starring in a 1970s F1 race.

The app is invite-only for now but free to download in the U.S. and Canada. ChatGPT Pro users will also get early access to the Sora 2 model directly.

@sora_ai_official

Jake paul I hope you like it 😊😊#sora #ai #fyp #foryou @Jake Paul

What Makes Sora 2 Different?

• More Realistic Videos: The new model fixes one of the biggest complaints about AI video: physics.

• Personalized Content: Sora uses your activity, location, and even ChatGPT history (if you allow it) to recommend videos.

• Parental Controls: Built-in safety tools let parents set limits, turn off personalization, and control who can message their kids.

The Big Question: Creativity or Slop?

Early testers are calling the content on Sora “AI slop” endless streams of computer-generated videos that can feel mindless.

Filmmaking used to take crews, money, and distribution.

YouTube lowered the barrier.

TikTok lowered it further. Now Sora drops it to almost zero. Will we drown in low-effort videos or unlock whole new levels of self-expression?

Why It Matters

The upside is anyone can make slick, cinematic videos instantly. The downside is an overwhelming flood of AI content and potential misuse.

OpenAI says users can revoke likeness permissions at any time, but misuse happens fast.

As AI makes production frictionless, the real edge will shift from “who can make” to “who can curate, lead, and stand out.”

🔥 Read more about Sora 2

🛒 4 Quick AI Checks Every Amazon Seller Should Run This Week 

Most sellers waste hours digging through Seller Central to spot issues. With DataDoe, you just ask and the AI surfaces insights instantly.

Here are four checks you can run right now that could save (or make) you thousands:

1. Ad spend wasted on bad keywords

Prompt: “Which search terms last week had high spend but zero conversions?”

→ Cut wasted spend and redirect budget to proven keywords.

2. Prevent stock-outs before they happen

Prompt: “Which SKUs are close to going out of stock in the next 14 days?”

→ Protect your Buy Box and avoid missed sales.

3. Catch hidden sales drops

Prompt: “List products where sales dropped by more than 20% compared to last month.”

→ Investigate early before performance spirals.

4. Find hidden growth opportunities

Prompt: “Give me the top 5 ASINs with highest conversion rates but low traffic.”

→ Scale ads and traffic to proven winners.

Instead of dashboards and guesswork, you just ask - and DataDoe gives you the answers like ChatGPT.

Try DataDoe with code NORM30 to get 30% off for the next 3 months.

🌎 Where in the World is The Beard Guy?

You Can Talk to your Amazon Data (Yes… Really)

1. AI Agents Are the Next Big Step

• AI agents can plan, execute, and iterate tasks not just summarize or analyze.

• Future versions of Datadoe and similar tools will feature Amazon-specific AI agents that autonomously:

  • Adjust bids.

  • Forecast inventory.

  • Monitor competitor changes.

2. The Limitations of LLMs in Data Analysis

• LLMs are excellent with text, but terrible with large-scale numeric data.

• The solution: build a translation layer. A Python or SQL engine between the LLM and the raw data, allowing the AI to reason about structured inputs without guessing.

3. The “AI Bubble” Parallel to 2016’s Explosion

• 2016 saw every Amazon seller overloaded with redundant tools.

• Today’s AI boom is similar, hundreds of “AI-powered” tools with overlapping functionality.

• Most are existing SaaS with AI overlays, not true AI-native products.

4. Process-First Automation

• AI amplifies your systems.

• Without clear SOPs (standard operating procedures), AI will magnify chaos.

• You need to map every process first, then identify which steps can be delegated to AI agents.

5. The Future Moat

• Amazon’s own AI (Rufus, Cosmo, upcoming MCP) will push sellers toward contextual ecosystems.

• The brands who own their own context, proprietary data, agent workflows, and integrated AI pipelines will build enduring moats.

• As Jakob Wolitzki said: “First movers will win big. The next 12 months are the new 2013.”

🔥 Stop Being a Boring Brand!

Here are my favorite tips from this episode!

1. Differentiation Isn’t Design

• A logo or packaging redesign is a leapfrog move, not a differentiator. Competitors can copy it overnight.

• True differentiation comes from a mic drop moment something so integral to your DNA that competitors can’t respond.

  • Domino’s created one with “30 minutes or it’s free.”

  • Enterprise did it by letting customers skip the rental line.

2. The “Red Sea, Blue Offer” Framework

• Forget chasing a “blue ocean.” The market is red, crowded and competitive.

• The play is to be the blue offer in a red sea: enter competitive categories and win through creative distinction.

• Example: Norm’s tortilla press - same product as everyone else, but made in Guatemala for authenticity. That single change built a heritage-based differentiator.

3. The 12 Proven “Planets”

Jesse codified 12 strategic levers brands can use to separate themselves, here’s the first 5:

1. Definitives – Own a claim (e.g., “The World’s Strongest Coffee”).

2. Approachable Distinction – Humor, satire, or personality-driven brands (think Liquid Death).

3. Exclusivity & Scarcity – Limited access or production.

4. Personify – Embody values or give your brand a human identity (MaryRuth, Ryan Reynolds with Aviation Gin).

5. Lifestyle – Become a movement (Liquid Death’s “somebody finally gets me” ethos).

4. Humor, Satire, and “Approachable Distinction”

• Humor disarms resistance and makes intimidating products accessible (e.g., Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin).

• It’s the easiest differentiator to start with but the hardest to master.

5. From Attention to Obsession

• Attention = one-time awareness.

• Obsession = people tattooing your brand on their body (Die Epic, Harley-Davidson, Liquid Death).

Find this episode of Marketing Misfits on YouTube and anywhere you listen to podcasts

And that’s it, Beardos.

See you next Monday!

- Norm

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