We don't control anything. The only thing that we do have control over is our response toward the chaos we face. How we respond in terms of our behavior, emotional reaction, how we go forward, that is the only thing in our control.

As human beings we have a lot of interest and curiosity. How do we balance that with with a necessity of focusing when it comes to branding? How do you decide on what to do and what to suffocate?

This video explorers that dilemma and chairs and mental model to help you decide and choose your focus.

Black Panther recently surpassed $1 billion in revenue, making it the highest grossing solo superhero film of all time.

I had some thoughts I wanted to share regarding this from a conversation I had with a friend on the subject of the profiting off of making the narrow mainstream while maybe not bringing bout real change. However, there has been a lot of social commentary around this film.

Ultimately the success of "Black Panther" can be encompassed in the idea that historical epics, superheros, scifi, and fantasy, are not genre. They're simply dressing and style for the actual emotional experience. An experience that's universal. That experience is known as genre.

I get into a lot of conversations with prospective clients with similar challenges and problems when it comes to marketing, media, and branding. And, how to look at it both, strategically as well as on the ground tactically.

I was invited to be on the WalaWay Podcast, hosted by Imran Nalawala. And, in this episode we talk about marketing, what is it, and how do you avoid fluff. Our discussion also goes into motivation and succeeding at life.

In this episode I get to be a guest on AlMaghrib Institute CrewU podcast. Zeky, the host, and I discuss with AlMaghrib volunteers and city leads on how to appropriately leverage the power of attention to shape peoples' perceptions - using a covert persuasion technique that propagandists have invisibly used for the last century.

It's the Jiu-Jitsu equivalent of persuasion.

If you learn it, you'll become a champ at communicating your perspective. If you ignore it, you'll get beat out by those who use it.

In this episode I cover the concept of viral marketing, and what really makes something share worthy. Saying that you want to be a "trend setter" is the same as saying that you want to make something go "viral."

There's no real magic formula for virality. But, there are certain attributes you can ensure that your content has to make it share worthy. This episode covers eight elements that can make your content worthy of passing on to other people.

This is a shout out to all you AlMaghrib Institute​ volunteers who've been on my case to do something in the area of Marketing 101 for events and seminars. This is for you.

In this episode I take the classic text-book "4 Ps" (which are indeed relevant) and make it into something less codified and more organic to understand and applicable for community event marketing.

Marketing planning comes with the following questions:

What is it?

Who's it for?

What's the problem you're addressing?

What's your solution

What's notable about it?

How's the difference in your approach add value?

Is there anything potentially controversial that may lend to further attention?

What's the tangible benefit of what you're offering?

Is that benefit worth the cost?

What's it comparable to?

What's the promise and guarantee?

What will you do in terms of communication to get attention?

What's your message?

What'll lend to the credibility of that message?

How do you close your prospects?

How, when and where will you fulfill the promise you're making?

Ammar Alshukry and myself discuss Tupac Shakur, Colin Kaepernick, Black Lives Matter Protests, and Leadership.

Auneeb Sheikh and myself discuss color theory and the psychology of people who play video games.