Waiting, Wasting & Winning

First things first—Mugsy is NOT on sale yet for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Not to brag but apparently people are bragging? I know, shocking in 2024. Half of LinkedIn seems to be out here flexing like they’ve just split the atom because they waited, like, an extra three days to launch their sale.

The thing is, holding off isn’t easy. It’s absolute torture to watch everyone run discounts while we’re over here asking customers to pay full price in November. The reality is, everyone is programmed to hunt for deals this month, so trying to sell anything at full price feels like trying to swim against a tidal wave of “30% OFF EVERYTHING” ads.

But we’re sticking to our guns. Why? Because if you’re on sale for three weeks—or a full month—you’re just training your customers to believe you’re always on sale. And that kills your margins and your brand long-term IMO. We’d rather create a moment. Something special. A killer offer that feels intentional, not like we panicked and slapped a discount on everything the second Halloween ended. Will it work? TBD. But we’d rather HODL than slash and burn our margins.

From Rock Bottom to Routine

Right now, I’m writing this on the train back to Boston for Thanksgiving. This time last year, I was in a very different place. November 14, 2023, I had just started working at Mugsy full-time, after months of pure chaos. I’d been laid off, was between apartments, couch-surfing at my girlfriend’s place or crashing at my parents’ house. I was totally nomadic, completely restless, and, honestly, miserable.

I’m not being dramatic when I say it was the worst time of my life. Severe anxiety, panic attacks, constant stress—it was brutal. But through all that, I learned a ton about myself. Turns out, I’m a big routine guy. Errands, habits, chores, working out—it all keeps me sane. When I lost all of that last year, I completely unraveled.

It took a lot of work to rebuild. I started eating better, sleeping more, exercising regularly, yoga , and quitting caffeine, RIP. I also started taking SSRIs for the first time (which I haven’t really spoken about yet but think it’s important to say). It’s been life changing.

Fast forward to today, and I’m incredibly thankful. This past year wasn’t perfect—I still deal with anxiety and my insane panic disorder from time to time—but I’ve made massive strides. Things that used to feel impossible now feel tolerable. Small wins start to stack up over time, and that’s been life-altering.

The biggest thing I’ve learned? Being willing to face the hard stuff—head-on—can make you stronger in ways you don’t realize at the time. If you’re in a rough spot, just know it’s possible to claw your way back. I’m not an expert, but if you’re dealing with something similar and need someone to talk to, hit me up. Seriously.

Housekeeping Stuff

• No sponsor this week. Nope, AppLovin didn’t slide into my inbox with a bag. Still gonna test it, though. Gotta see what all the hype’s about.

• Trust Fun hats are officially on sale. Perfect Christmas gift. Perfect for hiding your unwashed hair and mullets. Buy ‘em here: trustfun.com.

  

Let’s crush this week. Happy Thanksgiving. Thankful for u all.