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In this episode:

Getting crypto currency is just the first step while storing it safely requires entirely different skills and knowledge. In this episode, David and i go over different options available today to protect your funds, choose the right combination of wallets, and minimize the risk of the most common hazards of crypto security.

Let’s start with the first common question:

Should you keep your crypto at your crypto exchange? The answer is no. Unless you’re planning on using it for frequent trading, after you buy any type of crypto assets, you should move them out of the exchange and into your crypto wallet. There are many reasons to do this, but primarily, as long as you keep your crypto with the exchange, you don’t actually OWN your crypto. The exchange has the keys, not you. You want to change that right away.

So, What Is A Crypto Wallet?

In a nutshell, you can think of a crypto wallet as a software program designed to store your public and private keys, send and receive digital currencies, monitor their balance, and interact with various blockchains. The moment you decide to purchase digital currencies, you will need to have a crypto wallet to manage your crypto assets and keep them secure.

There are two types of crypto wallets depending on how you access them, and they are typically referred to as Hot Wallet and Cold Wallet.

A Hot Wallet is the type of wallet that is connected to the internet (either via phone app or desktop app) and it can be accessed anytime. All online cloud wallets, most mobile apps and software wallets as well as crypto exchanges are considered hot wallets. They are also free in most cases.

A Cold Wallet, also referred to as a Hardware wallet, is NOT connected to the internet and it allows you to store your digital assets offline. The most commonly used cold wallets utilize USB and offline similar data storage devices. These wallets are not free and the price ranges from around $50 to upwards of $200 as of this writing.

If you’re a serious crypto investor, you would probably want to use a combination of both cold and hot wallets. Hot wallets are handy for frequent trading, while cold wallets are better for long-term holding of crypto assets and stronger security.

We also discuss other crypto diversification strategies such as DeFi, most commonly used tokens and NFTs.

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In this episode:

It’s been a year since the WHO declared COVID-19 a Pandemic on March 11, 2020. We go over our thoughts about what we’ve learned, what has changed, and what will it take to get back as close as possible to our former normal lives.

At what point do we consider that COVID is under control. Zero Covid is just not realistic. However, we can achieve herd immunity even if some cases of COVID will always remain and even become a seasonal virus.

Several states have announced returning to unrestricted activities. Among them, Texas, Maryland, Mississippi, Connecticut, Arizona, West Virginia and Wyoming. Others are starting to lift restrictions including, New York, New Jersey and California, which is re-opening theme parks, stadiums and ball parks.

President Biden has instructed states to make vaccines available to all adults by May 1st, 2021, with the hope that we will enjoy our 4th of July national holiday without restrictions. That does not mean that everyone will have it available due to distribution challenges.

As of today, 95.7 million vaccines have been administered. 62 million or 25% of adult Americans over 18 have received at least 1 dose; 32 million are fully vaccinated (2 doses). When looking at adults over 65 years or older, 62% have received at least one dose and 32% have received two.

The pace of vaccination is there to meet the target dates. Let’s hope that by the summer, we have COVID under control.

We finish this podcast with David’s NBA predictions for the second half of the season and Manuel’s favorite race series, Formula 1, pre-season testing happening this weekend in Bahrain.

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In this episode:

We talk about the Crypto Collectibles new craze. Digital art selling for thousands and a lot of wealthy people and celebrities are already cashing in.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are here to stay and if you don’t know what they are, you’re missing out. We’re talking about unique virtual tokens that can represent anything from art to sports memorabilia.

And yes, people are paying thousands of dollars for these NFTs. So much so, that the NBA has made over $150 million as of this recording in the last seven days through their platform NBA Top Shot.

We end the episode discussing Decentralized Financing or DeFi. Looking for a higher yield for your savings? DeFi might be your solution but it has its own risks. What it is, how it works, what are the risks?

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In this episode:

We review Bitcoin’s new high, partially caused by Tesla’s announcement that it had purchased $1.5 Billion in Bitcoin and the plan to accept the crypto currency for the purchase of its vehicles.

Meanwhile, more and more financial institutions are feeling the pressure of their customers to accept Bitcoin. Mastercard and BNY are the latest giants to go crypto.

Then we move on to talk about Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). In a nutshell, Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique, digital items with blockchain-managed ownership. Examples include collectibles, game items, digital art, event tickets, domain names, and even ownership records for physical assets. How they work, practical applications and more details.

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In this episode:

For digital marketers, dealing with Facebook or Google’s “Learning” phase or period is a common event that, when managed correctly, could be very advantageous for all campaigns.  But for the casual advertiser (read: the DIY type) dealing with the “Learning” phase is often a source of frustration.  Today we discuss all aspects of the learning period, how to shorten it, what to do, what NOT to do, and a whole lot more!

But first, let’s start with the official definitions by Facebook and Google.

Facebook’s definition: “After you create a new ad set or make a significant edit to an existing one, our system starts learning who to show ads to. This learning isn’t a change to the way our system works, but we’re showing the status to let you know when performance is still stabilizing.”

Google’s definition: “After you make a change to your bid strategy, it takes time for Google Ads to gather the performance data it needs to optimize your bids.”

Ok, so both, Facebook and Google need to learn about your campaign and your ads performance too.  But How long does the learning period last?  On Google Ads, the learning period typically lasts 7 days since the last significant edit to that campaign. On Facebook, the learning period will last until your ad set reaches 50 optimization events within a 7-day period since the last significant edit.

Basically, while Facebook requires a certain number of events or campaign actions to learn, Google requires a more specific timeframe.  This makes sense since Facebook is serving ads to an audience that is NOT searching for anything, but simply browsing through their newsfeed or timeline, while Google is serving ads based on specific search “intent” or actions from its visitors.

Why is the learning period so critical?

Well, basically, both Facebook and Google Ads, are still doing a bit of ‘shooting in the dark’ so you can expect their accuracy in delivery and efficiency to be lower during this phase.  As a result, your campaign’s performance will be lower, your CPA will be higher and your conversion rate will be lower.  Not good, but necessary.

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In this episode:

Once again, the power of social media cannot be underestimated.  In this case, this is the story of a Reddit community call Wall Street Bets fighting well established Hedge Funds over GameStop, a video game retailer that financially, had its days numbered.

Fascinating to watch and even more interesting as the story develops and more details become available.  Hedge funds, have traditionally OWNED wall street and steer it in any direction they want.  Shorting a stock -essentially betting that it will go down significantly over a short period of time- has always been a way to rack up significant profits… UNLESS… the stock goes UP, and up and up, and you end up having to ‘cover’ your short resulting in a significant loss.

And that’s exactly what happened this time.  David beat Goliath and the Wall Street Bets group got together and decided to buy GameStop shares massively, raising the stock price so much, that it caused sophisticated investors like Melvin Capital and Citron Research to cover their losing positions in what’s known as a short squeeze.

But there’s so much more to this story, and we don’t know how it’s going to end… Take a listen and let us know what you think!

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In this episode:

In just one week, Bitcoin went from $40K down to $30K and then back up to $40K.  That’s a 25% correction followed by a 35% surge…  and yes, that’s Bitcoin for you.  Not an investment to follow on a daily basis, but one that is better to leave alone for 5-10 years and let it grow.  And yes, we still like it…

As more social media platforms ban Trump’s accounts, and even hosting providers like AWS remove Parler from their servers, the debate about the role of social media in our society is growing globally.  Should they be the “Arbiter of Truth” or should they be decentralized following Bitcoin’s model and hosted on the Blockchain?  This is not about taking political sides.  It’s about the right of all opinions and voices to exist.  We talk about the options.

Finally, the NBA is struggling to keep the season going with COVID cases increasing and more games being cancelled or re-scheduled as a result of it.  Some players are not being very disciplined with their behavior off the court, resulting in more positive cases with contact tracing repercussions.  The continuity of the season is at risk.  However, the big news this week is the blockbuster multi-team trade of James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets.  KD, Kyrie and Harden could be an explosive combination.  Which way it explodes, only time will tell!

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In this episode:

Join Manuel and David in this first episode of 2021.  We cover:

The socio political environment.  The meltdown in Washington, Georgia run-off results and possible implications.

Wall Street continues to remain disconnected from reality, and investors love it.

Bitcoin reaches $40K, and this time it has a lot more support from financial institutions than 4 years ago.  How high will it go?

And surprisingly, we didn’t talk AT ALL about COVID-19, which must be a first in a long time!

Happy New Year everybody!

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In this episode:

Let’s just say that 2020 has not been the year that we all expected when we made plans 12 months ago… We share our highs and our lows, what we’ve learned from the experience and how we may approach life and situations differently moving forward.

We hope you enjoy this, our last episode or the year and needless to say, Happy New Year to all of you!

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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In this episode:

As of this recording, Bitcoin had just reached the $23K milestone. Just five days ago, it was trading at $19K which in itself, was a record high too. Some analysts predict Bitcoin to go as high as $500K in the coming years. The reason? Limited supply and an increased demand are pushing the new record highs this year. What makes it different than the previous surge in 2017? Remember, back then, Bitcoin went as high as $17K by December 2017 only to go down to $3,100 a year later.

The difference is that this time around, institutional demand for Bitcoin is there too. Yesterday’s detractors are today’s buyers. MassMutual, PayPal are samples of newest additions to the Bitcoin acceptance trend. So, is it Buy, Sell or Hold time? Join our chat to see what we think.

Meanwhile, the streaming video wars are starting to go over a consolidation state. Livestreaming services include YouTube, Hulu, AT&T TV Now, Philo, Sling TV and others. On the demand options are the well-known Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, ESPN+ and the less popular Peacock and CBS All Access. But if you’re planning on cutting the cord from your Cable operator in 2021, you’d better look at your options and do some careful math. Chances are, you may end up paying the same combined monthly fee, especially, if you’re interested in watchin your local sports team in action.

Finally, as sad as it is, California continues to lose its luster. The “Golden State No More” exodus continues with Oracle being the latest company to announce that it will move its headquarter to Texas. And it’s not over yet…

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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In this episode:

We start our conversation with the news that the FTC along with 47 states are suing Facebook claiming the social media giant has harmed competition by buying up smaller companies like Instagram and WhatsApp to squash the threat they posed to its business. The lawsuit centers on Facebook’s acquisitions, particularly its $1 billion purchase of Instagram in 2011. In addition to its acquisition strategy, the attorneys general allege that Facebook used the power and reach of its platform to stifle user growth for competing services.

We expand into the current role of social media giants (Faceboo, Twitter, YouTube…) Have they become too big to control?  Do we want them to become arbiters of truth?  Should they add a paywall to limit trolling?

In other news, the long awaited IPOs of DoorDash and Airbnb finally happened.  DoorDash raised $3.4 billion with an initial public offering that exceeded heightened expectations. The DoorDash IPO began trading Wednesday afternoon as shares soared by double digits.  DoorDash claims more than 18 million customers and 1 million delivery workers.  Yet, net profits do not justify the hype. DoorDash reported a net loss of $667 million in 2019 and lost $149 million in the first nine months of 2020. The company said it turned a profit of $23 million in the second quarter this year, but followed that with a $43 million loss in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Airbnb is off to a great start too.  On Thursday, Airbnb Stock Closed at $144 After Pricing IPO at $68 a Share. For perspective, with an $87 billion valuation based on its first traded price of $144 per share, Airbnb is more than twice the size of hotelier Marriott International, larger than Expedia and a shade larger than Booking Holdings, owner of Priceline and Kayak.  Is it overvalued or undervalued?

We end with a loose conversation about the NBA new season, the Formula 1 last race and some silly comments about the best teams and drivers.

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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In this episode:

Thanksgiving – Cyber Monday eComm Numbers

Amazon Tops Sales: No surprise here.  And Amazon Resellers sold $5 billion between Black Friday and Cyber Monday on Amazon — a 60% increase from last year.Top-selling items this year include Barack Obama’s memoir “A Promised Land,” the redesigned Echo Dot and the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush.

Black Friday this year climbed 22% year over year to a record $9 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day of the year, is also expected to notch record sales.

Meanwhile, Shopify (SHOP), a sales platform primarily used by small businesses, measured $5.1 billion in global sales over the four days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, making it the largest weekend ever in its history.

That’s a sharp contrast to foot traffic at brick-and-mortar stores, which fell 52% on Black Friday compared to last year, according to a report from Sensormatic Solutions. Shopping traffic on Thanksgiving dropped by 95%, as many stores closed

More Shopify 2020 Black Friday/Cyber Monday Global Highlights

* 44+ million consumers globally purchased from independent and direct-to-consumer brands powered by Shopify, a 50% jump from 2019.

* Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend sales peaked at 12:00 PM ET on Black Friday, with $102 million+ sales that hour.

* Consumers spent $89.20 USD on average per order throughout the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. Consumers in Japan ($106.40 USD) and Australia ($105.50 USD) spent the most on average, ahead of shoppers in Canada ($103.00 USD), US ($92.80 USD), and others.

* The top-selling cities over the shopping weekend were New York, Los Angeles, and London while the US, UK and Canada were amongst the top-selling countries worldwide.

* Japan (347%), Italy (211%), Germany (189%), and UK (122%) saw triple-digit growth of sales on the platform since last year.

* Mobile sales stayed relatively flat this Black Friday/Cyber Monday compared to last year, with 67% of sales made on mobile devices versus 33% on desktop, compared to 68% of sales made on mobile devices versus 32% on desktop in 2019.

* Apparel and accessories held the top spot for sales across Shopify-powered stores this weekend, with health and beauty, and home and garden following.

We also discuss the Government’s money policy and how it is creating a dead spiral that will lead to huge inflation numbers down the road.  The money printing machine continues and the dollar will continue to devaluate making inflation the highest hidden tax burden that all consumers will feel in their wallets.

All of this while Bitcoin is hitting new records every week and gold seems to take a step back.  Time will tell if investors are putting their money in the right place.

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

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In this episode:

Sometimes it’s good to take a break from the daily grind and chat about things we like that are not necessarily related to work. In today’s episode, David takes the lead and goes over the 2020 NBA Draft, who got it right and who got it wrong, players to watch and other surprises.

Then we go over some of the economics and politics of the NBA. All trade rumors and already confirmed trades. Why some players can call the shots while others are simply traded from team to team without much say. The salary cap that is not really a cap allowing the wealthy teams to pay their way to the top.

Our predictions for the upcoming 2020 season that is set to start on December 22. How many fans will be able to attend the arenas and when? Will it be a smooth season or will it be interrupted by COVID again?

Finally, David talks about his beloved Phoenix Suns. He even thinks that this season, they will make it to the second round of the playoffs! And no, he wasn’t having a day dream! He really believes the Chris Paul trade will make a huge difference.

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

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In this episode:

This year’s Holiday Season is full of uncertainties. From travel plans, to shopping plans, possible lockdowns, confinements and a transition to a new President in the works.

Meanwhile, Biden’s Covid advisor, Dr. Michael Osterholm seems to think that a lockdown is the solution: He said “We could pay for a package right now to cover all of the wages, lost wages for individual workers, for losses to small companies, to medium-sized companies or city, state, county governments. We could do all of that,” he said. “If we did that, then we could lock down for four to six weeks.” Needless to say, we don’t agree with any type of government paid time off.

On the positive side, Pfizer announced earlier this week that their vaccine will be 90% effective. Despite the suspicious timing of the announcement (right after the elections) it seems like we’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. How soon it will be ready for the masses is everyone’s guess, but estimates seem to agree that it should be available early in 2021.

It’s also the final push for retailers to try and stay alive after a savage year. COVID is still stealing the headlines and very few are optimistic. Retail shopping will be full of restrictions, yet, eCommerce can break all previous records this year. Social commerce is going to be particularly strong with major platforms like Shopify partnering with Facebook/Instagram, Walmart, TikTok and others to make the online shopping experience as seamless as possible. And of course, Amazon is still the King of eCommerce.

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

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In this episode:

Two days after the election and we’re still waiting for the official confirmation on who will be the next POTUS. One thing we do know is that, whatever the result, life goes on and it’s not the end of the world as we know it. And while we wait, why not go over some of the well know “winners and losers” of this election?

LOSERS:All Pollsters: Can we ever trust the polls? Can they be more wrong? We wouldn’t be counting ballots 3 days after the election if if had been the landslide or blue wave that they were all predicting.

Media Outlets: See above. It doesn’t matter whether it is the right-wing media or the more liberal media. The fact is that nobody was able to predict a very tight and highly contested election. For people that make a living reporting and commenting on news, they should be embarrassed of their disastrous predictions.

Trump and Biden: Yes, one of them will be the next President of the United States. But what it seems clear is that neither can think himself as a clear winner. Some people voted for Biden, not because they liked him, but because they really disliked Trump. Yet, based on the results, the same people that voted for Biden, seem to also have voted for a Republican Congress. Trump for his part, has never been a good loser and he’s already suing a number of states and stirring up more controversy without merit.

WINNERS:Clearly, all of us. We need a break from election news and campaign messaging. The amount of unauthorized text messages, phone calls, junk mail, etc. that this year’s election has generated should be something to fix before the next election comes around. Just the printing of worthless flyers and junk mail that end up in the trash has done more wrong for the environment than more people care to know. That’s the irony of situation.

Sports Betting Sites: Finally, something that was happening all the time is now considered “legal.” Let people do whatever they want with their money.

Cannabis: Of the five states that voted on cannabis, four states approved legal recreational marijuana for adults age 21 and older. Mississippi approved medical use, while South Dakota approved both recreational and medical use at one time.

Gig Economy: More specifically, Uber and Lyft will continue to operate in California allowing their drivers to classify themselves as independent contractors. The people have spoken. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it California. Get it? Got it? Done!

The Stock Market: Despite COVID daily cases growing to a reported record of 100,000/day, that seems to be less relevant now. For whatever reason, the market enjoys the result (or lack thereof) of this election and has added billions of dollars to all investment accounts and 401Ks around the US.

Gold and Bitcoin: As well as most precious metal commodities and cryptocurrencies. As of this writing, gold is nearing $2,000/oz again and Bitcoin is touching the $16,000 mark last reached more than 3 years ago. Why? You decide.

We end the podcast with some predictions about who might run for president in 2024… Yes, I know, that’s torture at this point, but we like that!

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

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In this episode:

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.

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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!

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:

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In this episode:

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 since 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.

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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!

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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.

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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:

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.

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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!

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:

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In this episode:

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.

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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!

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:

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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.

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!

Wings for Warriors founder Anthony “Doc” Ameen joins me today to chat about life and the challenges of fighting an invisible enemy. How to remain positive through challenging times.

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 veteransAnthony “Doc” Ameen – Personal WebsiteTaylor & Lawrence – His consulting firmTwitter: @AnthonyDocAmeenFacebook: AnthonyDocAmeen

All that and 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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A preview of the Holiday Season. Which retailers will survive? COVID can’t kill Santa, and GM bets on Nikola Motors… and the NFL is back!

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Overcast

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 SeasonFans 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.

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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!