Why Building Matters, Saying Thanks Hits, and Bryan’s Top Voice Meltdown

This week, we’re diving into ambitious startups, heartfelt gratitude, and a LinkedIn roast so spicy it might get flagged by HR.

Here’s the scoop:

• Jimmy’s Flywheel Philosophy: Starting not one, not two, but three new businesses in 90 days. Spoiler: it’s all about doing what you love and working with people you actually like.

• John’s Thank-You Memo: Reflecting on 2024 wins, John reminds us all to stop, breathe, and shoot a quick “thank you” to those who helped along the way. It’s free and packs a punch.

• Amer’s TikTok Soap Opera: A 24-hour ban? A tech giant bidding war? Amer’s predictions are juicier than your holiday ham.

• Bryan’s LinkedIn Reality Check: Hot take alert: LinkedIn’s “Top Voice” is the new participation trophy. Did Bryan just dismantle professional networking’s favorite badge?

Buckle up—this edition is a mix of inspiration, sarcasm, and a healthy dose of chaos.

Why Organic Growth Sucks in eCommerce - EP27

In this episode we’re pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to grow a brand organically. Spoiler: it’s not free, and it’s definitely not fast. From the high costs of hiring content creators to the daily grind of consistent posting, we’re shattering the myth that organic growth is some magical, costless path to success. Grab your headphones and check out the episode here.

Hot Take: LinkedIn “Top Voice” Is the Industry’s Biggest Inside Joke

Let’s be real: LinkedIn’s “Top Voice” badge is about as exclusive as a gas station rewards card. At this point, it feels like LinkedIn’s algorithm is handing these out the same way Oprah gave away cars … “You get a Top Voice! And YOU get a Top Voice! EVERYONE GETS A TOP VOICE!”

Here’s the dirty little secret: LinkedIn gives “Top Voice” to just about anyone who can post a halfway-decent story about how they “turned a layoff into a personal growth journey” or “woke up at 5 AM to achieve the impossible.” If you’ve ever shared a poll about whether pineapple belongs on pizza but added the words “empathy” or “team culture,” congratulations, you’re probably next in line.

We all know someone who got the badge, and you’re like, “Wait… THEM?” They’re out here humblebragging about how “leading with authenticity” helped them land the badge, while we’re all wondering if LinkedIn just accidentally spun a wheel of random users. No offense, but if you’re “Top Voice” in network cables or midsize HR tools… are we sure this is an achievement or just LinkedIn trolling us for engagement?

Let’s not pretend there’s some rigorous selection process happening behind the scenes. They’re not combing through résumés or sitting in smoky boardrooms debating the finer points of your viral “10 things I learned from losing a sale” post. No, they’re probably running a script that says: “Did this person get at least 200 likes on a post about leadership? Great—badge them.”

And the kicker? Half of the posts from these so-called “Top Voices” are regurgitated LinkedIn clichés. You’ve seen them:

“I was rejected 74 times before landing my dream job. Keep going!” (With a stock photo of a person climbing a mountain.)

“This simple 3-word phrase changed my life: ‘I deserve better.’” (Cue thousands of comments from strangers saying “Needed this today.”)

“Poll time: Should meetings be 30 or 60 minutes? Let’s disrupt workplace norms!”

Like, this is what qualifies someone as a leader in thought? Is this a badge of honor or a participation trophy for writing LinkedIn Mad Libs?

Honestly, LinkedIn’s “Top Voice” badge has become a punchline. It’s like telling people you won the “Best Smile” award in middle school—sure, it’s cute, but no one’s putting that on their LinkedIn profile (oh wait, they are).

So, next time someone drops “Top Voice” into their bio, just nod and smile. Deep down, we all know the truth: LinkedIn isn’t curating thought leaders—it’s handing out digital gold stars to whoever figured out how to game the algorithm with buzzwords and #motivation. And honestly? The real joke’s on all of us for still engaging.

Back to Building…

It’s been an incredible past 90 days starting a brand new business. For those that don’t know, I started a new multi-armed business: 

The first part is a media company, focused on the retention marketing community for eCommerce. We create content via newsletters and podcast (Send It! Podcast) and a Newsletter (eComEmailMarketer.com) and we have a few more things coming out: a full certification course and even a software! 

The second part is a B2B growth agency - we help SaaS companies go to market by helping them leverage the community flywheel (pods, newsletters, social media, events and more) combined with consulting and copywriting. 

And the third is an event’s company, called Commerce Roundtable. This event was acquired by me as I exited Sendlane, where I am evolving it to become a true community event. In fact, we acquired the ASOM pod and brought in a group of investors and partners to the table to create a true community event. 

Now this may seem like a lot, but the beauty of this business is it all works like a big flywheel. Each part empowers each and allows me to stay in an area that I love to do.

I get to build, share content, and connect with people, while earning a great living and having a small team of great people to work with. 

The biggest realization I’ve had in 2024 was understanding that there’s only 3 things that matter in life when it comes to building a business:

1. Everything revolves around data and distribution 

2. Life’s short and doing shit you love and enjoy should be your core of your business

3. Work and partner with people you want to be around every day. 

As I embark on my next chapter of life, I’ve learned that this clarity reignited my excitement and provided me with an excitement of life that I haven’t had in many years. 

But here’s the reality..

It’s not for everyone. 

Building and starting new things is something that’s incredibly hard for many and understanding who you are as a human and where you fall into the world is even more important.

There’s no shame in being an employee of a company.

There’s no shame of wanting to work a 9-5 that you turn your brain off at the end of the day.

There’s no shame in being the #2 - taking on all the reward, without all the risk. 

In fact, if you drill down, your career focus should be to identify where you fit into the world.

Some are builders.

Some are Individual Contributors.

Some are strategists

Some are managers 

Some are __________

When your life revolves around work and work controls your life, the one thing I continue to remind people is, life’s short, do shit you love.

So my message today is .. go find what you love.. 

And do more of that.

And find ways to build a life around it.

Because we only get 1 shot at life.

You might as well enjoy it. 

TikTok Ban

TikTok ban was upheld. Technically, TikTok is scheduled to sunset in the USA on January 19th.

President-elect Trump will take office on January 20th.

Will the ban last 24-hours or will it go beyond that?

I do not see a long-term ban on TikTok. TikTok is a great alternative to Meta, and many smaller, creator-driven businesses. The impact, on top of the tariffs, could be way too much to bear. The issue is, even though President-elect Trump has mentioned that he would not ban TikTok, there is bipartisan support for doing so.

So, what do I see happening?

The new administration may give a limited extension for sale of TikTok to an American or Canadian company. 

Who could buy it?

• Frank McCourt via Project Liberty – already has over $20 billion committed 

• Steven Mnuchin via Liberty Strategic Capital

• Microsoft – Microsoft was in talks to acquire TikTok four years ago, but talks fell through. Now, they have more leverage on their side.

• Oracle – They had the same intention to acquire TikTok as Microsoft did four years ago, but those talks fell through as well. 

• Amazon – Amazon is a no-brainer. It would expand Amazon's reach and distribution like no other. 

• Walmart – Walmart is more of a tech company than the public gives it to be, but not anywhere near Amazon.

• Shopify – With social commerce on the rise, which could be Shopify's ultimate competitor, it would make sense for Shopify to step in as it would buy out potential competition and provide an expanded network of tools to over four million storefronts.

Oracle is a great company, but I hope they are not the ones that end up winning. 

Amazon or Walmart taking TikTok…I am unsure what that would mean? Not sure how I feel about it. I think it is a great fit, but would they have too much power?

Frank McCourt and Steven Mnuchin do not excite me unless they would build a forward-thinking cast of leaders. Which I would assume they would.

Microsoft is an interesting one. I love their commitment to AI, especially through OpenAI. They acquired LinkedIn and did not ruin it. I think the company is becoming more forward-thinking than what we were accustomed to 10-15 years ago. 

Shopify would be incredible. But, pending how bidding would go, I am unsure if they would have enough unless they assembled a wider group and had partial ownership or majority with minor investors. 

Say thank you.

Maybe it’s the holiday season or maybe I am just in a good mood.

Regardless of the reason, I hope after reading this, you shoot a thank you to someone.

I am a big believer in community, networking, and helping others even when there is no clear path to benefiting from it.

As I look at the things BattlBox accomplished in 2024, I can’t help but realize that so much of it would not have been possible without the e-commerce community.

A simple conversation or an introduction made… these build and build and they can add up to meaningful things.

We are all busy and moving super fast to try and make things happen.

When you are moving fast, it’s human nature sometimes to not pause and look back at all you have done.

So take a moment, pause, and review some of the things you have accomplished last year.

Did someone help you along the journey of 2024?  If so, take a moment and tell them thank you.

A quick ‘thank you’ means a lot to people.

And that’s a wrap on this week’s unfiltered takes! If you’re hooked on our no-BS rants (or just love the chaos), be sure to hit that Subscribe button and let us keep your inbox spicy. 🌶️

And of course, don’t be selfish—share with your friends, coworkers, or anyone who needs a wake-up call from their boring newsletters.

Cheers to a successful BFCM. ✌️