THE RISE OF STICK NATION From Backyard Finds to Internet Fame
Sticks aren’t just for kindling anymore. One of the latest social media trends has people worldwide appreciating humankind’s oldest tool: the stick. An entire community is dedicated to taking humble twigs and branches to the next level. It’s also proof that anything, even a stick, can become a social media star. WHAT IS STICK NATION? Stick Nation is a quirky social media community where people describe, share, and rank their stick finds. Members name their sticks and give them backstories; some even turn their finds into art projects. What began with a single post reviewing a stick found on a Utah hiking trail has become a worldwide movement with millions of social media followers. Self-described “Stickheads” post on TikTok (or “StickTok”) and Instagram from all seven continents. Descriptions of the stick finds span from irreverent to wholesome and sentimental, but none of them lack humor.
Members of Stick Nation have also developed their own adjectives for describing their sticks. Sticks are categorized as “natty” (unaltered) and “modded” (carved or adorned). Rankings consider qualities like curves, size, grain, and overall “aura,” the indescribable “it” factor that sets a good stick apart. WHY STICK NATION CAUGHT ON, AND WHAT’S NEXT? While Stick Nation gained popularity for lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek posts, it’s also a celebration of the ordinary. For many, the fun posts are a welcome change from the curated perfection and narcissistic user-generated content that fills social media channels. The men who helped launch Stick Nation also see the community’s potential to get people off their phones and out in nature. Their plans include “Stick Quests,” which send members hunting for specific sticks. A “Travel Log” will allow Stick Nation members to pass their favorite finds to one another like souvenirs.
Ultimately, Stick Nation reminds us that creativity can exist in simple moments. Sometimes, it just takes imagination and the right piece of wood.
IS INVESTMENT LUCK REAL?
A Reminder That Smart Moves Create Fortune
If you’re like me, you’re a creature of routine. My routine on a typical Friday is to work out, go and inspect investment properties, get a STRONG coffee at the Starbucks drive-thru, get to the office, and dive into working on the assets. Well, this morning, while I was doing this, here is what happened to me: I discovered that a recent property I and some partners invested in for $850,000 may be worth around $1,250,000 in the next two to three months. We purchased the property just over a year ago. A difficult-to-lease commercial property now has two tenants competing to get the vacant space, which will easily increase the cash flow return to 13% or more per year. Yes, that is annual.
At a credit union drive-thru, I was customer No. 10, which means I got a gift of a $100 bill from the credit union! Now, that is the kind of drive-thru banking I love — a crisp $100 bill! I guess you could say that I have been one lucky guy so far today. Let me tell ya, luck DOES exist. But not in the way that most people think it does. For example, many people chant weirdly, repeat affirmations to themselves, or picture themselves as lucky. Some even buy stuff like an old lucky rabbit’s foot or a four-leaf clover. Or maybe they have certain clothes they wear on certain days — you know, the “lucky tie” kind of thing. You can do all of this “stuff” if you want and entertain your friends and family in the process, but none of this will work. When you see investors getting lucky and making fantastic returns on their money, they are getting lucky, but they are and have been creating their own luck to get lucky. People create their own luck by acting and investing. The question is, are you going to ACT on these and then create your own luck or let someone else be lucky? Instead of leaving things to chance, you can manufacture them and be just as lucky as the other investors involved in these projects with me. You have to love that $100 bill at the drive-thru!
–Darin
2 DARINGARMAN.COM
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator