John recently got fired from his job. We reflect on whose fault it was, plus tell stories about losing jobs.

Today we're chatting layoffs, copywriting breakthroughs, and why the top 10% of spenders might be your only real customers.

We kick things off with a brutally honest conversation about getting fired—how it feels, what it means, and why it might actually be your fault. Then Bart drops a VC-backed horror story, and Nate Lagos (VP Marketing @ Original Grain) helps us reframe the whole conversation. From there, we dive into copywriting tactics, Meta ad strategy, channel fatigue, and why it might be time to stop building brands for everyone.

In this episode:

The guilt spiral of getting let go—and the reality check you might need

Why shame and blame don’t help (but taking responsibility does)

The underrated power of your personal network and digital footprint

How Nate’s team uses website copy to test Meta ads more effectively

Why most brands chasing shiny new channels are wasting time

The case for building brands specifically for the top 10% of earners

Scarcity, storytelling, and the psychology of premium pricing

Deep cuts from brands like Kith, Supreme, Represent, and Carved

💬 Comment below:
What’s the best (or worst) thing that happened to you after getting fired?

📣 Sponsors:
https://www.marpipe.com
https://www.heatmap.com

⏱ Chapters:
00:00 – Getting fired: is it ever not your fault?
08:30 – Bart’s horror story VC layoff
18:45 – Blame, shame, and bouncing back
26:30 – The real reason your network matters
34:30 – Why Meta still works (and how to make it work harder)
43:00 – Why most brands should not chase new channels
59:14 – Selling to the top 10%: product, perception, price
01:10:50 – Examples from Kith, Supreme, Represent & more
01:20:55 – Grand Ole Opry collab + closing thoughts

🎙 Follow Our Hosts:

Nick Shackelford

https://x.com/iamshackelford

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford/

https://www.instagram.com/iamnickshackelford/


Zoe Kahn

https://www.instagram.com/_zoekahn_/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-kahn-5b61aa129/

https://x.com/_zoekahn_

https://www.youtube.com/@ZoeKahn


Bart Szaniewski

https://www.instagram.com/theszef/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-szaniewski-374b1141/

https://x.com/TheSzef


John Coyle

https://www.youtube.com/@johnjhcoyle

https://x.com/johnjhcoyle

https://www.instagram.com/johnjhcoyle/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coyle-1bb231120/


Nate Lagos

https://x.com/natelagos

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/

https://open.spotify.com/show/5nULM2GckoiJp7rri3kYt1?si=91ca1f50a35d4656

Ver todos los episodios