So I’m here to talk about sustainable growth. Easier said than done when I’m fighting the same challenges as you.

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” – Herbert Simon, late 1990s. He saw it coming: the more info we pump out, the scarcer, and more valuable, attention becomes.

You probably noticed I skipped last week. Why? Because I had to practice what I preach. I was overwhelmed, same as you. That pause reminded me: sustainable growth isn’t about producing more, it’s about creating space to get it right.

This month I’m slowing down, trying to see where growth really comes from. It's strange though, as all the research points to the same thing, we need to connect more, however what I see is, that's what the data might say but when I speak to you, the response is “too busy”...

Let’s unpack the challenges and stop this cycle, together before we all burn out.

But first: why are so many of you opening this newsletter but not clicking through…

Here’s What We’re Talking About Today:

👉 P.S. Did a mate send this your way? Sign up for free here.

Martin Whatson is a Norwegian-born stencil artist. This piece sums up how, even at 55, I feel peeling back the layers of modern-day marketing and business. Intriguing, exciting, and often overwhelming.

Audience Insights & Future Trends

The world is smaller - and louder.

Smaller (increased interconnectedness & blurred boundaries):

• Deloitte calls it an “increasingly boundaryless world,” where 81% of executives agree that work is now performed across functional boundaries [Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2025].
  

• Connectivity is accelerating: 5G adoption is four times faster than 4G, and LEO satellites are unlocking new levels of global reach [McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2025].

Louder (complexity & choice overload):

• Google calls it the messy middle: a space of abundant information and unlimited choice, where shoppers use cognitive shortcuts to cope.
  

• New productivity tools pile on notifications and dashboards instead of simplifying.
  

• Two-thirds of workers globally report feeling overwhelmed by how fast work is changing.
  

• 80% of impressions online go unseen, a measurable financial penalty for brands and us [Cost of Dull Media Report].

💡Insight:

The more connected we get, the noisier it becomes. Tools aren’t simplifying - they’re turning us into dashboard-checkers.

🌟 Takeaway:

Growth isn’t about more. It’s about less, but deeper.

• Pick fewer tools.

• Say no to one channel.

• Use the space to build trust with real people.

That’s the cheat code to sustainable growth in 2025.

Now isn’t it odd, that while I am telling you this, my motivation is so you will join my community?

Framework / Tactic of the Week → The Connected Audience Flywheel

Here’s the model I keep coming back to, growth through trust, not noise.

Check out my video explaining it: 📥 The Connected Audience Flywheel →

Case Study: Trend Watch - Brands Are Becoming Mini-TV Networks

Why I chose this: 

Remember that Brooklyn coffee shop parody I shared a few weeks ago? Turns out it’s part of a bigger trend. Brands are now producing their own short-form series for social.

This is accepting the reality: we’re all locked into a doomscroll world. If you can’t beat it, join it, but make content people actually want to watch.

Leading the pack:

• Bilt → Roomies. An ultra-short sitcom inspired by Friends and New Girl. No sales pitch, just New Yorkers trying to survive flatshares. Nine episodes in, 130k+ followers, and the brand barely gets mentioned outside the bio. Pure trust-by-association.

• Pretzelized → Pretzel or Pita Chip? A comedy debate series with two stand-ups riffing Seinfeld-style. 22M impressions, 17k TikTok followers. Lesson: snacks don’t need to be serious.

• Oatly → Café con el Abuelo. An employee takes his grandfather to Chicago cafés to try matcha lattes and espresso tonics. Oat milk slips into frame, but the star is the banter.

💡Insight
Audiences are scrolling straight past ads. These mini-series blur the line between entertainment and marketing, and when done right, people go out of their way to watch. Sustainable growth isn’t about more messages; it’s about embedding in culture where your audience already hangs out.

🌟 Takeaway

• Spot the “everyday sitcom” inside your category. Entertainment first.

• Cast personalities, not product shots. Even yourself - I’ve started shifting into “creator” mode at 55. Poll feedback’s still thin, so jury’s out…

• Keep episodes short, serial and built for vertical.

• Treat your brand like a supporting character, not the star.

Think it’s not for you? The world’s already changed. You need to as well.

Behind-the-Scenes

This week tested me, but two things flipped it.

1. I finally announced my community courses. First taker? Ericsson’s head of procurement. He finished it, loved it and said it rivalled Google and LinkedIn training. That feedback tells me we’re building something real.

2. A LinkedIn peer joked I must be “having an affair with the algorithm.” Out of his first 11 posts, 10 were mine. Spam sketch vibes. Proof that slowing down still kept me visible. Check it out here, and maybe leave a comment.

The lesson: less effort, more impact. Exactly what sustainable growth looks like.

Now, the pitch.

⚡ Quick Quiz: Where Would You Rather Be?
👉 Tick your answers as you scroll:

1. When you need answers, not more noise…
☐ Search YouTube or scroll podcasts hoping someone covered it.
☐ 🔥 Ask live and get your question answered in real time, by specialists who adapt the answer to you.

2. For your next “conference experience”…
☐ Pay $1,500+, book flights, and wait 10 months for the buzz.
☐ 🎤 Join monthly live festivals + workshops that deliver the same energy, without the cost, wait, or travel.

3. When building your skills…
☐ Commit to a rigid 6-week course and pray it’s still relevant when you finish.
☐ ⚡ Take a 20-minute module, earn a badge, and know it updates as the industry shifts, with your questions answered live.

4. Who’s in your corner?
☐ A Slack channel of strangers you’ll never meet.
☐ 🤝 A bonded circle of trusted peers, plus direct 1:1 access to the founder (first 100 only).

5. What’s the real cost of staying relevant?
☐ Another siloed subscription: more content, less connection.
☐ 💡 One all-inclusive membership: every course, every event, every update for less than a single conference ticket.

✅ If you ticked the second box of each question… you just described Audience101.
🎯 Stop scrolling. Start winning → Join Now

Mood Board: Source Spotlight

📣 Wrap-Up CTA

⚡ Final thought: You don’t need more content. You need more connection.

👉 ⏳ Join Audience101 Today