Good morning to everyone who joined the next Brand30 cohort this week ☠️

"#1 Newsletter of the Year" 🏆️ -Andy’s Wife

😱 ANDY REACTS

81-Year-Old Martha Stewart: Sauté or Swimsuit? How She's Cooking Up a Storm on the SI Cover

Amigos and Amigas, gather around, we've got some news hot off the press! So, I was leafing through my emails yesterday, the usual junk - you know, the “50% off” deals that are somehow still out of your budget, the kind of emails only a sales and marketing professional can truly appreciate. You're nodding - see, I knew you’d understand!

Anyway, right between an offer for a timeshare in Siberia and a Prince promising me millions if only I'd help him out of a little jam, there it was - Martha Stewart, at 81 years young, is gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Yes, you heard it right!

Martha Stewart, our favorite domestic goddess - the queen of decoupage, the doyenne of DIY, the sultana of soufflés - is now the oldest SI Swimsuit cover model ever. She knocked Elon Musk’s mom, Maye Musk, right off her perch. Poor Maye, she was probably busy helping Elon figure out how to terraform Mars or something.

And here’s the thing. When I'm 81, I hope I'm spry enough to pick up the TV remote, let alone rock a swimsuit on a magazine cover! It's like Martha took one look at retirement and said, "Not today!" Can you imagine the SI photo shoot? "Okay, Martha, we've got your beach chair ready... oh, and can you whip up a batch of your famous lemon bars while you're at it?"

And the most hilarious part? I bet her to-do list for the day was something like: 1) Bake a soufflé, 2) Cover shoot for SI in a swimsuit, 3) Weed the herb garden. Just another Tuesday for Martha!

But you know what, my hat's off to her. Martha's proving that age is just a number, and you're never too old to make waves. So here's to Martha, inspiring us all to step out of our comfort zones. And let's face it, in sales and marketing, we know a thing or two about that, don't we?

I mean, I remember once I had to pitch a product to a client who only spoke in movie quotes... but that’s a story for another day! Anyway, remember folks, keep it fresh, just like Martha, and don't let anything or anyone define your limits. Not even an 81-year-old in a swimsuit!

☠️ ANDY’S DEADLY DOODLES

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💀 Issue #100-and-something 💀

How To Use Credibility To Scale Your Expertise Online

Most people think credibility means having some type of badge.

A New York Times Bestselling author

Forbes 30 under 40 award

Harvard degree

You don't need either of these.

Every single person reading this is an expert at SOMETHING.

The key is to get specific.

And when you think you aren't being specific enough...

GET MORE SPECIFIC.

Level 1 Credibility: I’m the expert.

Example: "I am James Clear and creating systems is the best productivity hack."

But let's say you aren't James Clear (which you aren't... unless he found the newsletter!)

You can also use:

• Awards you've won

• Years of experience

• Outcomes you’ve helped others achieve

Level 2 Credibility: I’m curating the experts.

Example: "According to James Clear and 13 other productivity experts, creating systems is the best productivity hack"

You went out and found all the experts that have the answers.

• Authors

• YouTubers

• Professionals

• Musicians

• Leaders

If I were to start building a following online again I'd start with curation.

Study other smart people. Curate their thoughts. Write about them.

Eventually you'll even start to think like them ;)

Level 3 Credibility: Your Personal Experience

Example: "I'm no James Clear but I have read over 20 books on productivity, and I think _______"

Here are some personal experiences I've written about in the past:

• I watched 1000 hours of YouTube on X, here’s what I think

• I read 30 books on X topic, here’s what I think

• I worked with 10 companies on X, here’s what you should know

And if you go through Brand30, you can even use that as credibility:

"Hey I wrote on LinkedIn every day for 30 days straights and here's what I learned..."

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That’s a wrap for today amigos. Eat your tacos and see you tomorrow! If you want more, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@andymewborn) or LinkedIn.

What did you think of today’s edition? (anonymous)

• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ So f**cking fuego

• 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Meh, keep digging

• 🌶️ Snoozefest

A RECENT REVIEW