In this issue

🧠 Why video chats are so tiring

👀 The economics of Costco

🎧 Happiness

🛒 Wake up without waking everyone up

👍 Can I still succeed if…

🧠 Read

A new study from Stanford University communications expert Jeremy Bailenson is investigating the very modern phenomenon of “Zoom Fatigue.”

Bailenson suggests there are four key factors that make videoconferencing so uniquely tiring, and he recommends some simple solutions to reduce exhaustion.

👀 Watch

Costco is one of the biggest and most successful retailers in the United States.

In this video, Sarah Nassauer dissects the wholesaler’s unique approach and what you can learn from it to apply to your own business.

🎧 Listen

What is happiness?

Find out what modern philosopher Naval Ravikant has to say on the topic in this podcast episode.

One of my favorite quotes:

You can achieve happiness without financial wealth. Most of us recognize you’re not going to buy your way to happiness. But in modern times, you can buy your way out of common causes of unhappiness. Financial wealth can give you freedom and more time. It can give you peace.

― Naval Ravikant

🛒 Buy

I recently bought this under-the-pillow vibrating alarm clock so I could get up early without waking my wife or our 17-month-old son.

For just $17, it works like a charm.

👍 Try

Don’t let excuses get in the way of your success.

This graphic is a good reminder to keep trying, keep working, keep making progress one small step at a time, no matter what happened before.

What will you do today to work towards your goals?

That’s all!

👋 Nicholas (@focusandhustle)

In this issue

🧠 Why people buy

👀 Putting a bowling alley back on the map

🎧 This is the future of Facebook

🛒 Hold the phone

👍 5 steps to a more productive life

🧠 Read

In The Brain Audit, you’ll learn what buyers are thinking as they make decisions. If you ever need to sell anything to anyone, this info is priceless.

The book isn't about persuasion or mind tricks. Instead, it shows you how to present the correct information, and thereby enable your potential customers to intelligently go through a purchase sequence.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

Yeah, we all know how mesmerizing your offer is—by hey, results are elusive until you speak in the language your customer understands well.

Which means that you get an instant response the moment you switch to the customer’s language. Your customer nods. He smiles. He shakes your hand vigorously. And yes, he wants to sign-up right away. Amazing as it may seem, the offer hasn’t changed. But the language—ah, that’s changed for sure!

― Sean D'Souza

👀 Watch

Video footage from a drone that zipped through a Minneapolis bowling alley has millions talking after going viral.

What does this have to do with mindset, habits, or business? At the very least, it shows that one simple creative idea can still lead to massive awareness almost overnight thanks to the power of social media.

🎧 Listen

Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t do many interviews. But he did this one on The Information’s 411 podcast to discuss the future of augmented and virtual reality.

AR and VR are without a doubt the future of Facebook’s platform, and hearing about the amount of time and effort the company is investing into it—and the unusual challenges they’re facing along the way—is pretty interesting.

🛒 Buy

This $10 phone stand from Amazon is one of those simple purchases that has served me well over the years.

Why not use it to prop up your phone and watch a TED video during lunch?

👍 Try

Have you ever heard of Getting Things Done or GTD? It is a very popular productivity methodology created by David Allen which helps you live a more productive life.

The basic premise is pretty simple and can be explained in just 5 steps, as seen in this outline from Todoist.

That’s all!

👋 Nicholas (@focusandhustle)

In this issue

🧠 Money’s greatest intrinsic value

👀 Think different

🎧 Netflix vs. Blockbuster

🛒 A ring that tracks your sleep

👍 The connection between reading and stress

🧠 Read

In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

Money’s greatest intrinsic value—and this can’t be overstated—is its ability to give you control over your time.

― Morgan Housel

👀 Watch

Whatever your personal opinion of Steve Jobs may be, most people would agree that he was a masterful storyteller.

And in this video you can see first hand how he announced Apple’s launch of the “Think Different” campaign, which went on to be one of the most successful and memorable marketing campaigns in modern history.

🎧 Listen

Near the top of my list of favorite business podcasts is Business Wars from Wondery.

Get the unauthorized, real story of what drives these companies and their leaders, inventors, investors and executives to new heights — or to ruin.

A great episode to start with is Netflix vs. Blockbuster.

🛒 Buy

I’ve recently started tracking my sleep using the Oura Ring and connected app.

It measures the physiological signals of your body, understands your lifestyle, and guides you to make your own optimal daily choices.

The data is easy to understand and gives me a quick way of monitoring and adjusting my sleep routine.

👍 Try

Stressed out? It might be time to work some daily reading into your routine.

In fact, there’s a direct connection between reading and stress reduction.

A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by as much as 68%.

That’s all!

👋 Nicholas (@focusandhustle)