News, Nuggets, and What’s Worth Knowing

🧂 A Dash of Industry Insights

🧠 Muscle Memory for Brands: Research shows that branded products activate memory pathways in a way digital impressions can’t, building recall through real-world repetition. Read more here.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shoutout to our 3 winners from last week’s giveaway: Erin Kemmish, Juliette Dupré, and Gracie Meadows. Missed out last week? Don’t worry, we have multiple winners every week, and another fresh giveaway below!

📊 How to Build an Engaged Workforce: Tune in today at noon EST and explore how top companies are using engagement surveys, manager empowerment, and cultural alignment to drive performance. This session dives into real strategies for boosting connection, recognition, and retention in today’s hybrid world. Register now.

💼 Corporate Gifting Is Booming: Branded swag isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s fueling a global market worth $839 billion and on track to surpass $1.15 trillion by 2028. Read more here.

Behind the Scenes of Brand Sauce

🎥 Pop Up Shop Now Open to the Public!

We’ve been quietly cooking up our most in-demand release yet: the Brand Sauce Pop-Up Shop.

After months of testing and fine-tuning, it’s finally open to the public…and trust us, it’s a game changer. For just $10/month, you get a fully branded swag store, 9 customizable products, and zero inventory headaches.

Use it to gift employees, impress prospects & clients, delight investors, or just flex your brand in style.

👉 We’ve got just a few spots open in July. Book a demo here to save your spot.

Fun Facts

🎇 4 Surprising Facts About the 4th

1. The U.S. didn’t actually Declare Independence on July 4th. The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, but the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted on July 4. John Adams even wrote that July 2 would be the holiday for generations to come.

2. The first fireworks show was in 1777. One year after independence, Philadelphia celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and ringing bells, setting the stage for America’s most explosive tradition.

3. July 4 Is the busiest day of the year for hot dog consumption. Americans eat an estimated 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day. That’s enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times.

4. The fireworks industry has exploded, with Americans spending over $2.7 billion on fireworks last year alone

Lights, Camera, Action

🎥 Ross's Video of the Week

This week, Ross spotlights a powerful episode of The Diary of a CEO featuring Kevin O’Leary—aka Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank. It’s packed with no-fluff insights on wealth, investing, and the real habits that build financial freedom. From the $28 mistake keeping most people broke to the mindset shift that took Kevin from $100 to $100K, this episode blends brutal truth with tactical advice.

He also shares what he learned firsthand from Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, why most people get leadership (and relationships) wrong, and how your personal habits can predict your financial future.

But what really stood out? Seeing the famously tough-nosed Kevin O’Leary shed the armor. He opens up about love, regret, legacy, and even tears up on camera. Vulnerable, raw, and unexpectedly moving.

👉 Watch it here: Kevin O'Leary on The Diary of a CEO

Weekly Client Spotlight

⭐️ Spotlight: Game Changer Communications

📣 Meet Game Changer Communications

Game Changer Communications isn’t your average PR firm and that’s exactly the point.

Since 2012, they’ve helped 60+ clients across tech, healthcare, and professional services turn big-picture business goals into real-world results through sharp, strategic communications. From media strategy and analyst relations to internal culture building and crisis management, their team doesn’t just “do PR”, they architect success from the inside out.

🤝 Our Collaboration

Game Changer wanted a smarter, more flexible way to gift swag to employees, clients, and prospects without getting stuck with bulk orders or boxes of leftover merch.

So we built them a custom pop-up shop where they handpicked 9 premium products that aligned with their brand. We wrapped it all in a sleek, fully branded storefront that makes gifting seamless and personal.

The best part? The entire setup only costs $10/month with zero inventory commitments. They only pay when someone places an order.

Scalable, stylish, and built to deliver impact without the admin headaches.

🤝 Partner with Game Changer Communications

If you’re looking for PR support feel free to email us at [email protected] for an intro!

Weekly Giveaway

🎁 Summer Giveaway

This one’s built for the beach, the boat, the tailgate, and anywhere fun happens.

We're giving away the Glacier Peak XL Cooler Bag, a 24-can, padded, water-resistant beast of a cooler that comes with its own bottle opener, shoulder strap, and bragging rights.

👉 To enter, reply to this email with your favorite summer beverage (bonus points if you include a photo). We’ll pick our favorite and give a few honorable mentions some surprise swag too.

Time to show us what’s in your cup!

Weekend Update

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

Did you know I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota? I graduated from Hopkins High School, and no matter how far life has taken me, Minnesota has always felt like home. Every summer, I try to make my way back, my parents and sister still spend their summers there, and many of my closest friends and cousins are rooted in the same places that shaped me.

This Fourth of July felt especially meaningful. For the first time, my stepdaughters, Ryleigh and Kinsley, joined me on the trip. Madison has been with me to Minnesota a few times before, and every year she would ask, “When are we going to bring the girls with us?” This year, our schedules finally aligned, and we were all able to share the experience.

Watching Ryleigh and Kinsley take in Minnesota was something I’ll never forget. They threw themselves into every moment, riding water slides, jumping in bounce houses, playing on a lake swingset, fishing, watching fireworks, getting their faces painted, walking in a parade, and riding rides at the Mall of America. They ate too much ice cream and stayed up way too late. At one point, Kinsley turned to me and said, “This was the most fun of my life today.”

But beyond all the activities, what touched me most was seeing them meet my extended family, my people.

Blending families is a journey filled with emotion. There’s so much hope, so many unspoken nerves. Introducing your stepchildren to your history, your cousins, aunts, uncles, and lifelong friends is vulnerable. Will they feel welcome? Will they feel seen? Loved?

I’m so proud of how open-hearted Ryleigh and Kinsley were. They didn’t just meet my family, they connected with them. And I’m deeply thankful to my family for embracing them without hesitation, with kindness and warmth, as if they had always been a part of us.

This trip reminded me of what family really means: it’s not just about who’s been there the longest, but about showing up, creating space, and choosing each other, again and again.

This was a week I’ll carry with me forever. And I hope it’s just the first of many summers we all share in Minnesota.

Thank you to everyone who made it so special for the girls.

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