I'm starting a weekly newsletter. I'm calling it SunShakSunday.
If you'd rather not be included, there's an unsubscribe link all the way at the bottom.
Here are the 5 W's of this newsletter:
Who: I'm hoping this newsletter can be direct line of communication from me to you (& you to me if you choose to stay / reply). Traditional social media (FB, IG, YT) has become an enormous distraction for me. I'm super susceptible to getting sucked into the dark vortex of each platform's "Explore Page". This is my work around.
What: I'm going to share what I've been up to. As of right now, I imagine it'll comprise mostly of real estate projects, podcasts I've recorded, books I've read, tools / apps I'm using, and simple summaries of ideas or stories that had a profound impact on me.
Where: Straight to your inbox.
When: Every Sunday.
Why: This is the hardest question to answer. It's a mix of many things. I think it can be summed up by a desire to share my work in a "creative" way. I don't know how to draw, take nice photos, or record decent video. Writing is the most comfortable way I know how to communicate an idea.
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In this Inaugural E-Mail of SunShakSunday, I want to give a shout out to a few people who have inspired me to start this newsletter. It's not easy putting yourself out there, but these friends do it on a consistent basis in their own creative way.
1) Jasper Wang. Wang is an OG homie. We go back to the first day of 6th grade. Dude's a genius and is drowning in name-drop worthy credentials. Yale Undergrad, Wharton MBA, Consultant @ Bain & Company. The list goes on. You'd think with that resume, he'd be some serious guy that has a hard time letting go and having fun. Wrong. A year or two ago, Jasper took a sabbatical to try his hand at stand-up comedy. At this point, he's done dozens, if not 100+ shows across the country ranging from open mic nights in NYC / SF to dive bars in Missoula, Montana. His sad but true story about getting punched in the face by a homeless guy in Brooklyn is absolutely hilarious. Wang, I want front row seats to the Netflix Special, whenever or wherever it happens!
2) Subbiah "Suds" Sudarson. I used to work at a company called, Accenture. In my last few months working there, I met Suds on a client facing project. We met in person once or twice, but conversed through email and chat on a weekly basis. When I told him I was leaving the company, he asked me for my phone number and simply said, "We'll stay in touch". I quit that job in the Spring of 2014. Til this very day, Suds sends me an inspirational text message Every.Single.Friday. The latest one reads, "A Goal is Perfectly at a Distance Where it is Reachable but not Reached!! Adds Vigor and Spice to Life!! Happy Friday!! Have a Great Weekend!! Cheers!!" That level of consistency, even in something as small as a weekly text message, is extremely admirable.
3) Ben Dziwulski. Ben is the founder of an online community called WODprep. WODprep helps CrossFit athletes achieve their health and fitness goals. Over the past few years, Ben has created, with the help of his team, 1000's of media pieces across YouTube, Instagram, Email, and Blog. Just recently, he said to me, "I had a realization that if I applied the 80/20 principal to my content consumption / production ratio, it would make a HUGE difference in my creative output." If someone as prolific in content creation as Ben thinks he can be doing more, then I need to at least get started.
I'm inspired. That's all. I look at Jasper, Suds, and Ben and can't help but think these guys are simply sharing their respective art-forms and bringing joy to themselves and others. Jasper through a 5 minute bit. Suds through an inspirational text message. Ben through an instructional video.
Last thing (f'reals): I want to say Thanks to Matt Lawyue & Tricia Andor for helping me get over the hump. A massive, yet unfounded, fear of judgement had me paralyzed. I've been wanting to share my work in a consistent, creative way for the longest time. Matt helped me focus on finding my voice and writing for an audience of one. Trish has been my accountability partner since July 2016! An hour long phone conversation once a week has boosted my self awareness and helped me achieve so much.
- Sunny
P.S. Email me back: What's your favorite song right now? Mine is probably anything by Russ
