John recently got fired from his job. We reflect on whose fault it was, plus tell stories about losing jobs. Today we're chatting layoffs, copywriting breakthroughs, and why the top 10% of spenders might be your only real customers. We kick things off with a brutally honest conversation about getting fired—how it feels, what it means, and why it might actually be your fault. Then Bart drops a VC-backed horror story, and Nate Lagos (VP Marketing @ Original Grain) helps us reframe the whole conversation. From there, we dive into copywriting tactics, Meta ad strategy, channel fatigue, and why it might be time to stop building brands for everyone. In this episode: The guilt spiral of getting let go—and the reality check you might need Why shame and blame don’t help (but taking responsibility does) The underrated power of your personal network and digital footprint How Nate’s team uses website copy to test Meta ads more effectively Why most brands chasing shiny new channels are wasting time The case for building brands specifically for the top 10% of earners Scarcity, storytelling, and the psychology of premium pricing Deep cuts from brands like Kith, Supreme, Represent, and Carved 💬 Comment below: What’s the best (or worst) thing that happened to you after getting fired? 📣 Sponsors: https://www.marpipe.com https://www.heatmap.com ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – Getting fired: is it ever not your fault? 08:30 – Bart’s horror story VC layoff 18:45 – Blame, shame, and bouncing back 26:30 – The real reason your network matters 34:30 – Why Meta still works (and how to make it work harder) 43:00 – Why most brands should not chase new channels 59:14 – Selling to the top 10%: product, perception, price 01:10:50 – Examples from Kith, Supreme, Represent & more 01:20:55 – Grand Ole Opry collab + closing thoughts 🎙 Follow Our Hosts: Nick Shackelford https://x.com/iamshackelford https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford/ https://www.instagram.com/iamnickshackelford/ Zoe Kahn https://www.instagram.com/_zoekahn_/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-kahn-5b61aa129/ https://x.com/_zoekahn_ https://www.youtube.com/@ZoeKahn Bart Szaniewski https://www.instagram.com/theszef/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-szaniewski-374b1141/ https://x.com/TheSzef John Coyle https://www.youtube.com/@johnjhcoyle https://x.com/johnjhcoyle https://www.instagram.com/johnjhcoyle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coyle-1bb231120/ Nate Lagos https://x.com/natelagos https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ https://open.spotify.com/show/5nULM2GckoiJp7rri3kYt1?si=91ca1f50a35d4656