MGR Unplugged

As of this recording, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are surging again to highs not seen since 2018.  At the same time, traditional investments are starting to show the fragility and volatility of the stock market.

But before you dive into cryptocurrencies, it's important to understand what they are, and especially, the technology that enables them: Blockchain.

In this podcast, we discuss:

The basics of Blockchain.  What it is, some of its current and future applications beyond Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and how it decentralizes transactions without the need of a central clearing authority.

The origins of Bitcoin.  The meaning of "mining" Bitcoin. The evolution and the technology behind it.  The pros and cons of Bitcoin compared to other cryptocurrencies.

Applications and uses of Bitcoin in real life.  Crypto exchanges, digital wallets,  digital payments.

How Ethereum's technology differs from Bitcoin (and Ether, the currency, from Bitcoin's currency).  Strengths and vulnerabilities of each technology.

Both Ether and Bitcoin are traded via online exchanges and stored in different types of cryptocurrency wallets. They are also decentralized, meaning that they are not issued or regulated by a central bank or other central authority. Both use Blockchain as the distributed ledger.  But that's where the similarities end.

We share our opinion about each of them and whether you should invest in one or the other or both depending on your goals.

All that and much more in this episode of MGR Unplugged.

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

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Quibi Is Shutting Down Barely Six Months After Going Live.  Why the $1.75B streaming app failed... and how we predicted it six months ago.

Snap Defies its detractors with amazing growth and surprise profit.  Increases in Daily Active Users, across the world contribute to its growth spurt.  We cover some of the numbers along with what to expect from Snapchat moving forward.

Tesla (TSLA) releases Q3 2020 results: destroys both revenue and profit expectations.  Profitable for the fifth quarter in a row, Tesla is now showing other auto makers how to succeed at their own job.

PayPal and Venmo will offer and accept cryptocurrency for all online payments.  What does that mean for major crypto currencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum? Bitcoin is back at the $13K range as of this recording.  The highest December 2017. 

And we end our podcast with a brief comment about the final Presidential Debate.  By now, we've all watched it.  Did it make you change your mind?  Did the two candidates behave better than during the first debate? 

All that and much more in this episode of MGR Unplugged.

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

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In this episode:

Amazon Prime Day preliminary results show that global sales on October 13 and 14 should hit about $9.9 billion, including more than $6 billion in the U.S. alone, according to projections from eMarketer. That's up 43% over Prime Day in 2019, when the event took place in July.  

New Apple iPhone Lineup fails to impress.  Is a better camera enough? or the 5G option when 5G is not widely available yet (more on that below).  And Apple focuses so much on the environment that sacrifices customer satisfaction by removing the charger and the earphones from your package.  

Understanding 5G options. Yes we're getting closer to being able to use 5G but not all 5G connections are created equal.  Low band, mid-band, ultra wide band, or millimeter band... too much technical jargon and everyone is confused.  We get to the bottom line.

Supersonic Flights: 17 years since the last Concorde flight in October of 2003, Boom Supersonic unveils its prototype for a commercial supersonic jet: the XB-1.  Scheduled to start testing in 2021, it promises to be a great option for those willing to pay $5,000 to half their travel time.  We're excited to follow their progress over the next months.

All that and much more in this episode of MGR Unplugged.

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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Check our other stuff out too:

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

In this episode we revisit and review the most successful eComm Tactics for growth.  We discuss:

Why the basics of traditional commerce still work for eCommerce

The most common misunderstandings and misconceptions about eCommerce

Why unrealistic expectations often cause eComm companies to fail

There are no shortcuts when it comes to building a brand

How Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce and other current eComm platforms have eliminated friction allowing companies to set up a store front easily, yet they have also caused a false sense of immediate success.

Linear Commerce. Is it better to develop a product and market it to your target audience or use the reverse tactic by growing your loyal audience first and then creating products for them?

Why the basic premise of commerce still applies to eComm.  Providing value to your customers is still key no matter where or how the transaction takes place.

Subscriptions vs Memberships: How and when to take advantage of each approach.

Why email marketing still works.

All that and much more in this episode of MGR Unplugged.

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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Check our other stuff out too:

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

BREAKING NEWS: AFTER RECORDING THIS PODCAST, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FIRST LADY HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

First Presidential Debate.  Neither candidate acting very "presidential." Yet, as anticipated, 73 million people tuned in to watch it according to Nielsen's numbers.  For perspective, this is the highest single program viewership since this year's Super Bowl.

Do you think campaign ads work?  Or do they cause more ad fatigue to an already exasperated audience?

Amazon Prime Day: October 13-14.  This is just five weeks before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Will shoppers skip it and focus on the traditional holiday shopping season or will they try to scoop up some bargains ahead of time? and what will other major retailers will do to match.  

DTC Update: Is Shopify the preferred platform for Digital Native DTC Brands?  

Netflix Price Increase; An increase of $1 to $2 a month in North America or Europe could generate $500 million to $1 billion in fiscal 2021 revenue.  Why we think the price increase won't impact its subscriber count. The company has thrived during COVID-19, adding about 26 million global subscribers in the first half of the year to reach a total of 193 million. The streaming giant has fended off competition from a handful of multi-billion-dollar services coming to market over the past year, including Disney+, Apple TV+ and HBO Max.

Facebook advertising changes, Doing away with the 20% Text Rule for ads.  It was never properly implemented anyway.  We cover the increasing overall costs of advertising on their platform.  

NBA Finals.  Based on what we saw on game one and confirmed Miami injuries, it doesn't seem like the Lakers will have much opposition this year.  Good for LeBron.  Bad for TV ratings.

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

In this episode:

TikTok's deal.  Does anyone know where it stands now? There's a lot of confusion between the biders (Oracle/Walmart) and the app's parent company ByteDance, each of them making their own contradictory statements.  So far, it seems like we're looking at a $60B valuation.  $12B US companies combined which amounts to 20%.

Debate Countdown.  The first presidential debate is just around the corner.  Will it be in person or will it be virtual?  Not clear at the time of this recording.  One thing is clear, it will be the most watched debate of all times.  Fact checkers will be busy!

Is Quibi for sale?  This app just doesn't seem to catch a break.  Even at the Emmys it was the target of host Jimmy Kimmel's jokes.

Can movie theatres survive?  We share our own experience at a local AMC Theater viewing of "Tenet," and it's not very promising for theatre owners.

As far as the movie goes, Tenet has collected $36 million domestic so far and Worldwide, “Tenet” is now up to $250 million.  That is ahead of the opening weekends of both “Interstellar” and “Dunkirk,” an ultimate theatrical gross of $350 million for “Tenet” looks possible.  Of course, we're comparing previous "3-day-weekend" numbers with 3-week numbers, so not quite apples to apples.  Time will tell.

Tesla Battery Day Announcement.  Musk keeps charging forward (no pun intended) with his long term plan for his electric car company.  Meanwhile...

Nikola's CEO Trevor Milton unexpectedly resigns.  He gets to keep a $3.1 Billion separation deal.  The company went public on June 4 and recently signed a deal with GM valued at $2 billion worth of stock in exchange for 11% stake in the EV company.  What a mess...

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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Check our other stuff out too:

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

A very engaging conversation with my good friend Anthony "Doc" Ameen.  He's back on the pod to chat about life, work, and how 2020 has thrown a curved ball on everyone's plans. 

COVID-19 came out of nowhere and we all continue to learn and adapt to this newly imposed lifestyle as best as we can. 

Why we can't trust the media and especially social media when it comes to providing unbiased information.  The constant negativity of the headlines causes more stress and instigates more disruption than the virus itself.

Then Anthony turns back to Manuel and becomes the interviewer as he's curious about Manuel's auto racing background and his passion for exotic cars and racing. 

All in all, a great conversation that covered a variety of topics and will be followed up by a "Part 2" at some point after the US Elections.

Finally, if you missed the first interview with Doc, please head back to Episode 6.  You will be transported to the riveting and intense description of his journey from Battlefield Tragedy to Founding Wings for Warriors.

You can learn more and follow Doc's work at:

Wings for Warriors - the charity organization that he founded to help veterans
Anthony "Doc" Ameen - Personal Website
Taylor & Lawrence - His consulting firm
Twitter: @AnthonyDocAmeen

Facebook: AnthonyDocAmeen

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

Subscribe to The Edge eComm Digest and receive weekly news directly in your INBOX >

Check our other stuff out too:

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

In this episode:

Mall owners Simon and Brookfield to acquire J.C. Penney out of bankruptcy.  What that means for each of them.

Black Friday Plans: Most major retail stores will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but plan to open with proper precautions and limited customer capacity for Black Friday sales and throughout the Holiday Season.  Details are still being worked out state-by-state.

Amazon Prime Day scheduled for mid October.  Will it cut into holiday sales?  How much impact will it have this year after being pushed back from its traditional date in July?

Apple IOS14 Update:  Apple is delaying enforcing the feature until “early next year,” the company confirmed.
Expected out later this year, iOS 14 was scheduled to contain a new prompt that asks users whether they would like to opt into this kind of targeted ad tracking. Developers will be able to integrate this prompt into their apps as soon as iOS 14 is released, but they will not be required to, as Apple indicated they would earlier.

Nikola Motors, GM Deal

The Badger truck will use GM’s widely acclaimed Ultium battery technology. Additionally, Nikola will hand over $2 billion in stock to GM — giving the automaker an 11% stake in the company.  Is this the right move for GM?

Nikola Motors did begin taking pre-orders for the electric super pickup truck in late June. On paper, the truck stands to be a beast. It’s expected to have 906 horsepower and have a 600-mile range using both battery and hydrogen fuel cells. Nikola has said pricing will start at $60,000 for the electric vehicle version and $90,000 for the one that also includes the hydrogen cell. The Badger is expected to be unveiled in early December. Production has been set for 2022.

NFL Start of the Season

Fans attendance varies by team and city and on a game-by-game basis.  Yet, little by little it seems like sports are bringing some sense or normality to our lives.  We now have NBA Playoffs, NFL Season, MLS Season, Golf Majors, Tennis US Open and more! 

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

In this episode:

We start with a brief recap of the NBA playoffs, then…

TikTok update, will China restrictions on Technology sales affect the purchase by any American company?

DTC updates.  Liquid I.V. acquired by Unilever

The war on health tracking devices. Amazon’s launches its own health band, and it’s just a copy of Whoop’s own strap. 

Is Apple launching 5G phones in October?  And how wide is 5G connectivity in the US today? 

Apple’s new IOS14 may require users to Opt-In to tracking and ad targeting.  So rather than opt-in being the default and opting-out optional, now users will have to manually opt-in to receive targeted ads.  How will this affect digital marketers? 

It’s Labor Day weekend and major movie theaters are planning to re-open, with Tenet being the main new release.  How will the movie experience be in the COVID era?  Can movie theaters survive without concessions sales? 

Meanwhile, the COVID contradictions continue.  In NYC, Mayor Di Blasio says that restaurants in NYC cannot allow people inside until there’s a vaccine.  Basically, killing most restaurants chance to survive.  Yet, in the same state, Gyms are allowed to open starting in September.  Makes zero sense to us.

Finally, even if a vaccine is ready this fall, how many people will actually take it?  It seems like nobody wants to be the first, but we’ll see…

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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Check our other stuff out too:

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This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!

In this episode:

It’s been a year now since my last interview.   A lot of things have changed since then for all of us.  In this interview we talk about:

How has COVID affected Bjorn personally and professionally over the past 5-6 months

How has his art evolved and where is his visual journey taking him these days.

Where he finds inspiration for his art, drawings, paintings?

His daily routine or weekly routine.  What is a day like in Bjorn's life?

How much of your personal life, feelings, mood, etc. is reflected in his art?

How he's planning to make his art available to everyone in the future  

We also take a look at his website and Instagram page to talk about some of his most significant paintings.

I highly recommend that you follow Bjorn's journey.  You can do that at:

Web: BjornBengtsson.com

Instagram: @bjornbengtss

Email: [email protected]

All that and more in this episode of MGR Unplugged. 

What do you think?  Take a listen and let us know your thoughts.

Want more?

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Check our other stuff out too:

• The Edge
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•  MGR Agency Website

This episode is brought to you by MGR Agency. Scaling marketing for leading digital brands.

If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends.  If you REALLY liked it, please leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for watching or listening!