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Writer's pictureJohn Lim
Jan 20, 20227 min read

MF 368 : January 2022 updates

Updated: Jun 16, 2022



We kick off season 9 and episode 368. Today, we talk about an upcoming event in which I'll talk about Poshmark, Cobra Kai, Wordle and more. Full write up at www.bemovingforward.com.


Moving Forward is also available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.


Welcome or welcome back!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday and are off to a great start in 2022. Today, I want to cover some updates and housekeeping on what I have planned for the podcast this year.


Where should I start?

If you're new to the podcast, welcome! Now go back to episode 1 since you've got a looong mountain to climb.


Kidding!


There's no specific listening order. Start here or go back and revisit some of the past seasons. Use the titles as a guide to pick and choose which episodes best suit your ears. However, I will give you some basics to understand this show since a lot has changed over the years.

  • Episodes 1 - 200: these are interviews with entrepreneurs, thought and business leaders, artists, musicians, and more. If you're looking for professional content and insights from individuals in various industries, these episodes are for you.

  • Mini-series and collections: several of the episodes are serialized in that they are grouped together and focus on different topics. Some of you may have discovered the podcast because you're interested in learning about Poshmark or you want to start investing or launch your own podcast. The mini-series page will give you quick access to those collections.

  • The rest: for the most part, the episodes are stand-alone. The format is a solo podcast; fairly short (between 5 - 20 minutes) that cover different topics each week. My goal is to inform, educate, or entertain as may be the case. I also provide occasional updates to prior mini-series, which I then add to the collection pages.

Where should I continue?

If you're a returning listener, the episodes will largely follow the same format as the prior seasons. This year, I may invite specific guests though I'm not opening up the show to guest submissions. It will largely remain a solo podcast. I will also continue providing updates to the topical mini-series from time-to-time, which will then be incorporated to the mini-series page for easy reference.


Poshmark

Speaking of updates, over the next couple of episodes, I will be covering some of the recent CRM enhancements to Poshmark. I alluded to some of these last season and now that I've had time to explore these more in depth, I will be discussing them over the next few episodes.


I've also been invited to speak at a virtual event sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association, and the Arts, Entertainment, Media and Entrepreneurship Affinity about Poshmark and how we've used it to enhance a small retail business.


The event is open to all (not just Hopkins alum and affiliates) and registration is free.

  • Date: Friday, February 11th, 2022

  • Time: 12 pm - 1 pm ET

  • Registration here.


How Cobra Kai keeps winning

If you've followed the podcast, you know I'm a huge fan of the show Cobra Kai and the OG Karate Kid franchise. I revisited the first movie as part of the 2021 summer movie series and I've written about Cobra Kai from a business and marketing standpoint.


Cobra Kai recently released its fourth season and while many franchises lag by their third or fourth iterations, this one continues to defy the odds. This most recent season is the absolute best in my opinion. Over the past few weeks, I've had time to think about what makes this show so good and why it works so well as a reboot / sequel when others fall so short.


Below, is a recent Tweet that sums up my thoughts on what makes this season a particular stand out.


Reviving a beloved franchise is a dicey proposition. On the one hand, you come with a built-in audience of fans. On the other, you come with a built-in audience of fans. It's the ultimate double-edged sword for any studio, writer, and director to build upon and expand a property that its fans know down to the tiniest detail.


We've seen countless examples of studios spending millions to replicate the magic of a well known property only to divide fans or worse, lose money and fizzle out with a whimper. Cobra Kai was the biggest left-field surprise in 2018. It benefited from creators that are also super fans of the show. They grew up with the original movies and as writers and showrunners, they know what resonates with their fellow fans.


Season 4 does a seemingly impossible job of juggling multiple story arcs and characters. It continues developing the newer, now seasoned characters, introduced in the first year. We continue to follow their growing pains, triumphs and challenges. With respect to the legacy characters, the show treats them with reverence and respect. They're not simply window dressing or reduced to cheap cameos. Their stories and character arcs are the foundation of the show and one of its core strengths. Finally, the show continues layering new stories, bringing in a new generation of young characters whose stories we become invested in and are portrayed by gifted actors. In less capable hands, all of these elements could result in a gigantic mess and overwhelm, confuse and frustrate the audience. Instead, we see confident story-telling based on continuity, respect for the original source material, and logical inroads to new characters and storylines.


Finally, Cobra Kai not only serves the source material and continues building off its beloved legacy, it elevates it. While some revivals choose to jettison the weaker parts of its past, Cobra Kai embraces all of it. In this season, we see the return of a beloved antagonist from The Karate Kid Part III, considered by many to be the low point of the original franchise. Cobra Kai could have easily ignored that installment like an embarrassing high school yearbook photo. Instead, it digs deep into it, provides context and nuance, and delivers a continuation that is not only compelling but gives you a whole new lens of appreciation and understanding. This is a rare feat that is best described as "franchise alchemy."


Cobra Kai should no longer be seen as an "unexpected underdog" or "surprise hit." It has reached, surpassed, and set a new gold standard. Other franchises should look to it as a blueprint for building upon a legacy in a way that embraces and elevates the great, and not so great, parts of its past. Season four is a staggering achievement and a joy to watch.


Learn more about Cobra Kai

A work from home hazzard that you should watch out for

November and December of last year were a bit spotty for the podcast and for good reason. I got sick right after Thanksgiving, hit with a double whammy of flu and a sinus infection. Moreover, I had a splitting headache from the back of my head, reaching all the way to the right side. It was the kind of headache that felt like my skull was made of glass. Even lying down on a soft pillow hurt. At first, my doctor thought this was the result of being sick. However, the headache refused to leave even after I recovered from the flu and sinus infection. Normally, I get headaches around allergy season that last no more than a day or two. But this one raged on for several weeks, well into December.

I ended up going back to the doctor's office. She ran a basic neurological test that ruled out anything serious and then did some muscle tests. It turned out I had a severe tension headache caused by neck and back strain. I didn't even realize how difficult it was to turn my head. Moreover, my doctor shared that she's witnessed an increasing number of cases of this due to so many of us working from home, sitting in front of a screen for hours on end.


She put me on a regimen of neck and back stretches plus Ibuprofen twice daily. I also started incorporating hot baths and sitting in a massage chair two-to-three times a day. Recovery was slow, undoing tension that had accumulated over the past 18 months. Somewhat poetically, I was 100% recovered by Christmas Day.


Since then, I've been more mindful about taking regular breaks and stretching my neck and back throughout the day. As many of us are working from home and may be for the long-term, it's vital to practice self-care for your mental and physical health.


If you've experienced severe muscle strain or tension headaches, see your doctor immediately.


A word about Wordle

Finally, my takeaway of the week is a fun game that has recently taken the country by storm. Wordle was invented by a Brooklyn-based engineer for his significant other who is a fan of word-based games. The game is housed on a website - there is no app to download, no email opt-in or sign-up, and no ads. You simply visit the site once a day and are given six chances to guess the 5-letter word of the day. The color-coding is straight forward. A green block signals that you got a correct letter in the correct spot. A yellow block means a correct letter in the wrong spot. Grey blocks mean that a letter is in not in the word of the day.


As simple as the game is, it's highly addictive and fun. Give it a go. You can also post your scores on social media without giving away the word of the day.


Learn more about the Wordle craze:

Join us for a live stream to learn more about Poshmark

  • Friday, Feb. 11th @ 12 pm ET

  • Registration is free and open to all


Check out the Moving Forward mini-series collection

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  • Morning Brew (affiliate link): a fantastic free newsletter that's a quick read and a great way to get your morning briefing on what's happening in the market, the economy, and the larger world.

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