Advice on social media & the internet.

What should you check before buying a house if you work from home or care about connectivity?

Check internet connectivity in the area before putting in an offer, and consider solutions like a mesh network or point-to-point broadband for better coverage.

Is a formal business plan necessary when starting a business?

Crystal and the hosts agree that while a business plan can provide some initial direction, it's the ongoing process of testing and learning in practice that matters most, and a rigid plan may not reflect the unpredictable early stages of a new venture.

Is it safe to buy an apartment off the plan?

Off-the-plan buyers can get a discount and perks (like a free coffee table book or gym membership), but there's real risk: if the development goes under, buyers can lose their entire deposit.

What skills matter most as technical/creative tools become easier to learn?

Don't just chase hard skills (like mastering editing software); develop soft skills such as communication, networking, and the ability to lead a team, since these are increasingly rare even among technically skilled young people.

How should you negotiate price when buying something secondhand (e.g. on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree)?

Offer a lower starting price than asking and expect the seller to counter slightly above it (e.g. if asking is $800, offer $650-700 and expect them to counter at $700-750); also always count the cash when a deal is made in person.

How should you handle online criticism or backlash?

Josh shares Derek Sivers' insight that when people criticize you online, they're reacting to a performed, 'paper cutout' version of you rather than your real self, which can help detach personal identity from public criticism.

How do you know if you've really figured out a habit change (like quitting smoking or social media)?

Josh argues that repeated failed attempts (e.g., quitting smoking 20 times before it sticks) are part of the necessary process toward eventual success, rather than evidence that the whole approach doesn't work.

How do you overcome avoidance of a habit you want to build (like journaling)?

Tommy suggests leaning into the discomfort or resistance around a habit—deliberately starting the task you're avoiding (like writing in a blank journal) as a way to prove the avoidance wrong.

How can you reframe negative events like layoffs or setbacks without being dishonest?

You can acknowledge a hard or negative event while also choosing to frame it in a way that serves your goals and future (e.g., seeing a redundancy as an opportunity for the other person), without denying the underlying truth of the difficulty.

How should a content creator deal with negative comments and feedback?

Look at feedback only in the first day or two when it's mostly from loyal, encouraging viewers, and avoid weighing negative comments equally against positive ones, while still using feedback to avoid making bad content.

How can a creator avoid burning out from checking their own content metrics?

Set a personal boundary by removing yourself from the upload/metrics process entirely — Matt has his brother upload his videos so he doesn't see view counts or analytics.

Should a creator worry about responding to every social media comment?

Tommy suggests reframing what success on social media means rather than chasing comment-response optics, and questions whether token emoji replies to comments are meaningful engagement at all.

What's a better response to disliking a company's practices than complaining online?

Rather than being an activist or whinging about a business you disagree with, take direct action by moving your money elsewhere — cancel the subscription or stop using the service.

Will quitting social media solve my feelings of addiction or inadequacy?

Quitting the platform alone won't fix underlying issues — you need to reconcile the internal need (ego, validation, fear of missing out) that the platform is being used to fill, otherwise the same patterns will show up elsewhere.

How can you cut back on mindless social media and news checking?

Remove the apps or habitual checks entirely (e.g., stop opening Instagram, avoid clickbait news sites like news.com.au) rather than trying to moderate usage casually.

How do I stop compulsively scrolling social media apps?

Don't keep the tempting app installed at all, because moderating it in the moment rarely works — similar to not keeping junk food in the house, removing the option entirely is easier than constant willpower.

How should talent/influencers approach branded content deals?

Matty advises that branded content needs to give viewers something in return—either real informative value or genuine entertainment—since audiences have become savvy and turned off by purely promotional posts.

How can independent podcasters/creators protect themselves from over-reliance on big platforms like Spotify?

Diversify distribution rather than relying on one proprietary platform; consider building a direct-to-audience/listener support model so the show isn't entirely dependent on platform algorithms or ad-based monetization.

How can consumers avoid being overly controlled by algorithmic content recommendations?

Consciously avoid clicking on suggested/discovery content and be aware that even search results are algorithmically curated (e.g., searching an artist on Spotify surfaces Spotify Originals), so deliberately seek diversified sources rather than defaulting to the easiest algorithmic option.

How can I see how much money political campaigns or brands are spending on Facebook ads?

Visit facebook.com/ads/library and search for a page name (e.g., a politician or brand) to see ad spend, issues targeted, and the actual ad content being run in different regions.

How do you decide whether to engage in a time-consuming argument or distraction?

Ask each day what the best use of your time and energy is based on your values and goals — this creates clarity and helps you avoid wasting hours on unproductive arguments or distractions.

Is it worth auditing my subscriptions when payments fail?

Tommy suggests treating failed subscription payments as a natural prompt to audit whether you still need each service, as he did when deciding whether to keep YouTube Premium.

How do you handle unwanted PR gifts or freebies as a public figure?

Get taken off PR mailing lists if possible, and when gifts arrive unsolicited, be honest that you don't need or want them and suggest donating to charity rather than accepting out of obligation; if you want something, just buy it yourself.

Who should Mason ask for restaurant recommendations for date nights?

Ask Jess for restaurant recommendations since she has more experience going out to dinner, rather than relying on his own limited experience.

How can a creator or business reduce dependence on social media platforms they don't own?

Build a direct relationship with your audience via a regular email newsletter and host original video content on an owned channel like YouTube, rather than relying solely on Instagram/Facebook distribution, since email open rates can remain high even after inactivity.

Is it worth paying for a dedicated commercial fibre internet connection for a business?

A dedicated commercial fibre line costs around $700/month but typically requires a contract with a minimum spend of about $47,000, so it's only worthwhile if you know you'll be in the location for the long term (roughly 8 years); otherwise point-to-point wireless can be a cheaper alternative, though it's affected by weather.

How should I organise and reuse large amounts of old personal or show footage?

Use a media management tool like Kyno that connects to your drive, lets you tag and sub-clip footage, and exports selects directly into Premiere Pro or Final Cut projects; for casual needs, Google Photos is a simpler free alternative.

What should parents consider before starting a YouTube channel featuring their young child?

Think about longevity and brand identity from the start (avoid boxing the channel into one narrow niche), consider YouTube's strict demonetisation rules for kids' content, be mindful of child-star-style psychological risks, and plan for a point where the child is given the choice of whether to continue participating.

Should you cull who you follow on social media to seem more exclusive?

Tommy suggests unfollowing everyone (while keeping your followers) can make you seem Beyoncé-level self-assured, but warns it can also come across as arrogant and may cost you followers unless you're already very famous.

How should I approach reducing phone and social media use during lockdown?

Josh recommends identifying which apps/activities are actually essential versus just habitual, batching tasks, using simpler tools like iMessage instead of social apps, and removing apps from your phone, framing it around the concept of essentialism rather than just willpower.

Is my phone number exposing my Facebook profile to strangers?

Check Facebook's settings, since even with phone number visibility set to private, there can be a setting enabled (often tied to two-factor authentication) that lets anyone find your profile by searching your phone number.

How can you regain focus and reduce distraction during lockdown?

Cull noisy, unhelpful accounts from your social feeds and set up screen-time locks on your phone to limit distraction during the day.

How do you protect your mental health from social media and constant accessibility?

Josh advises recognising that engaging with everyone's opinions and emotional states on social media is optional, not obligatory — you don't need a strong opinion on everything, and building a personal filter system to limit what you take on is a form of self-preservation that ultimately allows you to be more generous, not selfish.

What should you do if your kid plays a prank pretending there's an emergency?

Josh suggests fully playing into it rather than being skeptical — acting winded or genuinely in trouble to sell the moment, similar to the dad in the viral prank video.

How can you reduce stress from scrolling Facebook?

Remove the Facebook app from your phone and use the News Feed Eradicator Chrome extension to eliminate your news feed, while still using Messenger and groups you actually want to be part of.

How should you deal with online trolls after becoming publicly known?

Garrick says he keeps a low profile but when trolls attack, he takes the piss out of them and 'kills them with kindness,' which usually makes them backpedal quickly; he only pushes back firmly against false claims that damage his reputation, like accusations of bullying or body-shaming.

How do you make complex news digestible on social media without being clickbait?

Break down big or nuanced issues over multiple posts/days rather than trying to cram everything into one caption; cut out the 200-300 words of 'fluff' found in traditional stories and give readers just the facts and stats.

How do you stay engaged with a youth audience as platforms change?

Go to where the audience already is (e.g., TikTok) rather than expecting them to come to a website, and continually adapt content format (e.g., shortening videos from 60 seconds to 10 seconds) based on what performs.

What's the right way to think about business strategy?

Strategy should be a forward-looking plan for the future, not something invented after the fact to justify results that already happened — many businesses get this backwards.

How can you stop feeling anxious about what and when to post on social media?

Set a fixed posting plan or schedule (e.g., post every second day or once a day) and be at peace with sticking to only that, rather than feeling a constant last-minute pressure to post without any structure.

What should I do if Facebook flags a suspicious login attempt on my account?

Confirm your identity by submitting ID when prompted, and try to appeal the decision directly, though Facebook may state the removal cannot be reversed.

Should you hide bodily functions like farting from a new partner, or get it out in the open early?

Josh suggests getting it 'out of the way' early in a relationship rather than maintaining mystery, based on his own 13-year relationship; Tully counters that you should keep some mystery and not reveal everything right away.

Is it safe/legal to buy obviously counterfeit products online?

Tommy suggests buyers are generally safe legally when purchasing knockoff items online, as opposed to knowingly buying stolen goods, though Josh notes the internet functions as the modern equivalent of buying from 'the back of a truck'.

What's the best way to handle trolls on social media?

Use Instagram's 'restrict' feature instead of blocking; it hides the troll's comments from everyone except themselves, preventing them from realising they've been silenced and stopping well-meaning followers from amplifying the troll by arguing with them.

How should you respond when a post goes viral with lots of negative comments?

Don't try to engage with every comment once something goes properly viral — it's unmanageable; disengaging and not giving attention to negativity helps it die down faster. Only delete comments that are violent or seriously aggressive; otherwise leave or restrict them.

Should I comment on social media after drinking?

Be cautious about posting or commenting after a couple of drinks, since your ability to make effective decisions declines as you drink, so it's better to pull back from commenting.

Should people feel like they need permission to start a podcast?

Anyone can start a podcast because media has been democratised — you don't need to be 'picked' by an industry gatekeeper to create something, even though it doesn't guarantee an audience.

Should a podcast use Patreon or a YouTube subscription for listener support?

Tommy and Josh favour a YouTube-based subscription (similar to MKBHD's) over Patreon because Patreon requires listeners to create and manage a separate account, which they feel creates unnecessary friction for their audience ('Gronks').

What's the ideal length for a TikTok video to perform well?

Keep clips short; roughly 8 seconds is suggested as the golden length for good performance on TikTok.

Should I take vitamin C supplements to prevent or shorten colds?

You generally don't need vitamin C supplements if you eat enough fruit (like an orange); excess vitamin C is largely just 'expensive urine', though adequate levels may help shorten a cold's duration.

What should I do if I get a suspicious text or link from an unknown sender?

Avoid clicking unknown links, because scammers are often just testing whether an account is active; clicking confirms you're a real, engaged target and can lead to further scam attempts.

What should I avoid when writing my Instagram bio?

Don't put URLs in your bio if they aren't clickable, and be cautious about leading with job titles or defining yourself entirely by your job — consider more humble or subtle framing of what you do.

How can you tell if someone messaging you online is a catfish?

Check whether their profile has zero posts and is private, do a reverse Google image search on the photos they send, and ask them to send a specific verifying gesture (like one finger on the nose and one covering an eyebrow) that would be hard for someone to fake or match to a stolen photo.

What's the better way to handle a suspected catfish messaging you, instead of investigating them yourself?

Just ask the person directly whether they are catfishing or genuine, rather than secretly trying to track their IP address or location.

Should I start doing burpees if I haven't exercised in a while?

Tommy advises starting with push-ups (even on your knees) to build strength first, because burpees can be hard on the back, especially the standing-up motion.

How can I feel less physically uncomfortable/irritable during lockdown?

Tommy suggests that moving more reduces the mental/physical discomfort of feeling sluggish, noting much of the irritability is mental.

Should I take on viral nomination challenges even if I don't want to?

Josh argues people should do things on their own terms rather than out of guilt or peer pressure, while Tommy counters that most people never do anything purely on their own terms, so it's fine to just participate.

What should people be doing to prepare for the pandemic practically (beyond groceries)?

Get a will sorted and generally get your affairs in order, as well as making sure your home setup (internet, workspace) is dialled in properly since remote work/isolation could last a while.

Should I stockpile groceries for a potential lockdown?

Buy practical, long-lasting staples (pasta, oats, frozen vegetables) rather than panic-buying excessively, and avoid publicly flexing your stockpile on social media since it can come across as insensitive.

How do you grow a YouTube channel in a competitive niche?

Be persistent and regular with uploads so audiences know what to expect, and stay topical by covering what people are actively searching for (e.g. new movie releases) rather than just what you want to make.

Should you start a content channel to make money?

Don't go into content creation primarily to make money—doing so undermines the passion needed to sustain the long hours required, and money should only become a serious consideration once you've built a base.

How do you fix your Instagram handle so people can find you by name?

Update your display name (not just your @handle) to your actual name, since Instagram search matches on display name, not handle.

Is it okay to like or comment on photos of attractive people of the opposite sex when you're in a relationship?

It depends on who you are and what your partner is comfortable with, and also depends on your existing relationship with the person you're commenting on or liking.

How do you come up with content ideas for social media skits?

Draw from real, relatable everyday moments (an awkward seatbelt touch, a rolling bin), write them down as they occur, then discuss as a team whether the idea will land before filming.

How should admins decide who to let into a private community Facebook group?

Let people in if they've made a genuine attempt to answer the entry question, even if they get it wrong; for people who've written nothing at all, message them and ask them to answer before admitting them rather than leaving them hanging.

What's a good way to defuse a toxic community Facebook group without directly confronting people?

Consider introducing a neutral moderator, satirical content, or a feel-good recurring segment (like a 'community member of the week') to shift the culture rather than engaging directly in disputes.

How do I grow my social media following organically?

Show up consistently with good content (entertaining, inspiring, or educating), post stories daily, and engage by commenting back with your audience.

How should an influencer pitch a brand or business for a collaboration?

Reach out before booking, be upfront that you're asking for a collaboration (not just free stuff), offer your follower stats and reach, and propose specific deliverables like posts, stories, or written reviews (e.g., TripAdvisor) in exchange for product or discounted/free services.

When should an influencer start charging for posts instead of accepting free product?

Accepting free gifted product is appropriate for smaller accounts, but once you reach roughly 10K followers you can start charging (even modestly, like $50 a post), because continuing to work for free devalues your ability to earn money later.

How do you build a sustainable creative career/brand?

Pick a single image or medium and repeat it every single day rather than jumping between different creative projects; consistency, not raw creativity, is what actually builds a career and eventually reveals your style.

Does a big Instagram following actually matter for business success?

Focus on 'clout' — whether brands keep booking you for gigs and whether your posts actually sell product — rather than obsessing over follower count, since a smaller, highly targeted following can be more valuable than a huge generic one.

When is the right time to do self-improvement work like therapy or meditation?

Do the deep self-work when things are going well ('build your house' in the sun, not the rain), rather than only turning to it in crisis, because work done during a crisis is mostly about survival rather than genuine growth.

How should you approach a long-shot goal with low odds of success?

Josh advises adopting the mindset of 'living as if you are the exception'—committing fully to a goal because if it doesn't work out you gave it your best, and there's a chance you could be the one who beats the odds.

How do you support a partner pursuing a risky creative career change?

Matt D'Avella says genuine support matters even without fully understanding the plan, and that not pursuing a passion you keep talking about can lead to lifelong regret — which is why Nat encouraged him despite her doubts.

How do you manage an unhealthy relationship with social media?

Shelton describes trying tactics like posting then immediately deleting the app to remove the temptation to check engagement, acknowledging the difficulty of finding balance between using it creatively and avoiding the validation-seeking trap.

How do you know when to quit or keep pursuing a creative project that isn't yet making money?

Have some financial runway before jumping in, then commit fully for about 2-3 years without obsessing over short-term feedback. At that point, honestly reassess whether there's been any real progress (skills improving, opportunities arising, audience growing); if genuinely nothing has changed, it may be the wrong field — but don't quit purely over short-term doubt.

How should actors think about building a social media following?

Use social media as a tool but don't let it become the main focus — treating it as the priority stops being fun and doesn't actually help your career, per advice from Eric Bana relayed by Julian.

How much should you tip in the US and where?

Tip a minimum of 15%, with 20% being simple to calculate; don't tip at fast-food/counter-service places like In-N-Out where you order and grab food yourself; tip taxi drivers but tip Uber drivers within the app; coffee shops are optional/ambiguous.

Should you throw glass bottles into the ocean for a 'message in a bottle' stunt?

Tommy argues it's fine since glass is essentially sand returning to a natural state, while Josh and Mason push back, noting it's not biodegradable and could harm marine life like sharks.

How should creators measure success or value of their work?

Try not to value view counts or follower numbers as the primary measure of success, since a big number doesn't necessarily mean anything and some of your proudest, most creative work may never go viral.

How should you handle watching competitors in your industry?

Stop following or engage with competitors if it distracts or tempts you to copy them; focus energy only on what you control, since perception of others' success is often misleading ('smoke and mirrors').

How do you cope financially with irregular influencer/freelance income?

Consider having someone (a manager or accountant figure) withhold and save a portion of each payment for you since inconsistent income makes it hard to plan for bills and direct debits; pick safer dates for automatic payments and expect some months to be lean.

How do you deal with the pressure to adopt every new social media platform?

Build confidence in your own underlying skills and other ways to make money so that you're not dependent on any single platform; approach potential platform collapse as liberating rather than threatening.

How do you grow an audience from zero with no marketing budget?

Be scrappy and strategic rather than relying on ad spend — print and distribute your own flyers, use personal networks, and make sure people actually find the content; 'fake it till you make it' and push through the discomfort of having almost no listeners at the start.

How do you stop a team from assuming someone else will respond to social media messages?

Josh recommends centralizing responsibility (one person actively manages the account) rather than leaving it open to everyone, to avoid the 'bystander syndrome' where each person assumes another teammate will reply.

How can a small business or creator build an audience without paying for promotion?

Rely on an honest product and word of mouth rather than paid influencers; always preserve audience goodwill by only asking for support (buy this book, buy this product) sparingly since goodwill points are finite.

How can creators/filmmakers sustainably monetise their work?

Diversify income streams beyond ads/grants — sell merch, tour tickets, live experiences, online courses, and books — because audiences increasingly expect free content and won't pay for everything.

Are impulse-buy products seen in Instagram ads worth buying?

Trevor Long advises that while the ads make products look amazing and purchasing is seamless (often just a PayPal click), most of what he bought turned out to be rubbish.

When is the right time to start a side business or online venture?

Start a side business or online venture before quitting your main job, because you're unlikely to make real money from it right at the beginning if you're relying on it as your sole income.

How should you manage knitwear to avoid it stretching out?

Don't hang knitwear on a hanger — it pulls and stretches the fabric; lay it flat instead.

How do you keep an Instagram grid looking clean?

Post in a consistent pattern, such as three similar images in a row followed by three videos, to keep the grid looking tidy.

How do you manage video/social content for a show?

Be highly selective — post roughly one high-quality video a day purely for engagement, avoid salesy or filler content, and treat your page like Netflix so followers associate it purely with quality content.

How should a comedian or creator handle negative comments, hecklers, or hateful feedback online?

Kidgell advises not to let hecklers or hateful comments faze you; state your opinion but accept that not everyone will agree, even with jokes about mundane topics, and recognise that trolling often says more about the critic than the creator.

Is it worth trying to build two-way engagement with podcast listeners on Instagram?

Pete found that running a month-long experiment to create two-way Instagram interactions increased his anxiety and consumed disproportionate time relative to the benefit; he concluded it wasn't a good use of his time and opted instead to deliver similar value via a lower-effort email list.

How should you handle DMs or comments you can't respond to immediately?

Gemma says she avoids leaving people "on read" by replying briefly to acknowledge she's seen a message and will respond properly later in the week.

How does startup equity dilution and fundraising work in practice?

Founders start with 100% ownership and gradually give equity to staff (since early-stage pay is low) and to investors who provide cash expected to fund a defined growth period (e.g., 18 months); failing to hit promised growth targets makes future fundraising rounds much harder because investors lose trust in the founder's forecasts.

How can small content creators prove their value to brands and start charging?

Prove you can move the needle — i.e., that the engagement/audience value you provide outweighs the cost of the product you're given for free — using new platform insights (like Instagram's paid-partnership analytics) to demonstrate real ROI before asking brands for cash.

How should you handle a backlog of old social media photos when relaunching an account?

Go through old photos individually and cull/archive the ones that don't serve you, rather than reposting everything, to create a curated 'highlights of the highlights' feed.

Is 85% dark chocolate a healthy snack choice?

85% dark chocolate can be treated as a legitimate healthy snack rather than lumped in with sugary treats, as long as it's eaten in a controlled, consistent way.

When should you update your LinkedIn profile to prepare for a job search?

Update your LinkedIn continuously every few weeks rather than waiting until you're fired or have a conflict with your boss, since sudden LinkedIn activity is a telltale sign to employers that someone is about to quit.

Should you change your personal Instagram handle to match your brand/nickname?

Avoid renaming your personal Instagram account to a nickname or brand handle if you have significant tagged content and follower history tied to your existing name, as you risk losing that engagement history.

Should I disclose past mistakes to avoid political backlash?

Being transparent and disclosing past mistakes, showing genuine change (e.g. undertaking unconscious bias training), makes the public more forgiving than trying to scrub or hide the history.

How do you build a sticky, memorable personal brand?

Pick a simple, relatable visual or verbal signature (like fried chicken) tied to your authentic interests, repeat it consistently across platforms, and use it as a filter to identify people who already resonate with your content.

How do you network effectively without seeming 'gross' or overly salesy?

Focus on building genuine relationships over the long term rather than outbound pitching; rely on inbound interest driven by authentic content and personality, and look for signals (shared references, acknowledgment of your work) that indicate real interest versus copy-paste outreach.

How do you decide which platform to commit to for growing an audience?

Try to be a first mover on an emerging platform, stream/post consistently every day, and once established, diversify by syndicating content (e.g., to YouTube for better SEO) while keeping your core content and message consistent across platforms.

What's a good way to source materials cheaply for a build like a feature wall?

Tommy recommends going out in person to factories and industrial areas to ask directly for discarded pallets, and also looking online for sites where people give away pallets for free, rather than paying for new timber.

When should an agency sign emerging talent?

Approach talent when they're 'about to pop'—watch for growth signals around 20K followers, build a relationship early, and avoid talent who are already too established since they won't see the value of representation.

How do you handle online negativity or hate as a public-facing person?

Unfollow accounts that trigger unhealthy competitiveness or negativity for the sake of mental health, and delegate competitor analysis to employees rather than personally 'hate-following.'

How should someone manage an unhealthy relationship with social media?

The person who 'wins' at social media is the one who uses it for its best traits (like connecting with people) and then gets off it, rather than letting it dictate behavior; cut down usage to a specific limited time like an hour or half an hour a day.

How do you keep an online community constructive as it grows?

Actively moderate posts and comments to keep the tone aligned with the show's values, focus on approving content that plays the issue not the person, and be willing to pay for or delegate moderation rather than letting it consume personal time unsustainably.

How do you manage guilt around heavy social media use when it's part of your job?

Let go of blanket guilt about phone/screen time if you are otherwise content, exercising, and engaged with life; recognise social media's genuine value for community and connection rather than treating disconnection as a cure-all.

How do you justify spending more money on a premium service like faster internet?

Josh rationalises the higher cost by calculating time saved on client work (treating his own time as worth roughly $100/hour) to argue the faster, more expensive internet plan pays for itself.

How should aspiring content creators think about audience and market saturation?

Eric advises not focusing on oversaturated hubs like Los Angeles, New York or Florida, and instead targeting the other 47 US states (or equivalent underserved audiences) who haven't been reached yet by existing creators.

Do you need expensive production value to succeed as a content creator?

Eric argues personality-driven content can compete with highly produced channels; he cites his own use of just a phone camera and compares himself favorably to heavily produced creators by leaning on personality rather than technical production.

How do you build confidence and responsibility when running a health/wellness business?

Accept you are 'trapped' by the responsibility of a business and choose to enjoy it; consistently make yourself accessible to answer hard questions, don't rely solely on cherry-picked testimonials, and acknowledge the edges of your own expertise by referring people to practitioners when appropriate.

How can you tell if someone is about to lose their job or is job hunting?

Watch for a sudden spike in LinkedIn activity from someone who normally ignores the platform and treats it like Facebook — that's a common warning sign they're job hunting or have just been made redundant; don't wait until you've lost your job to start being active on LinkedIn.

Should I publicly announce my goals to stay accountable?

Rather than publicly announcing commitments, just quietly do the work; people will notice and find out about it naturally over time.

How do I decide whether to keep using a social media platform for my work?

Ask what the platform is for and whether it serves your actual mission; if it doesn't serve the purpose of your work, it's likely not worth the trade-off, since using it means saying no to something else.

What should you do if someone tries to scam you by selling a stolen/fake social media handle?

Engage and ask pointed questions (how they came up with the price, what their main job is, for proof of work/a tax invoice) to string them along and expose inconsistencies before disengaging, rather than paying anything upfront.

How should you approach self-development?

Gemma says she tries not to set a single rigid goal because that can make you closed off, and instead frames self-development as keeping an open mind rather than chasing one fixed outcome.

How do I actually cut down on social media/screen time?

Self-imposed limits don't work; instead set up a family sharing account (e.g., make a trusted person the 'parent' on iTunes/Apple) so hard app time-limits are enforced externally rather than relying on willpower.

Why should people who can afford software just pay for it instead of pirating?

Josh says if you're making good money using professional tools like Premiere Pro, you shouldn't pirate them and then complain about bugs — just pay the subscription cost.

What's an effective way to break a habit like drinking or excessive social media use?

Replace the habit with a substitute action (e.g., sparkling water instead of alcohol) so you have a concrete mechanism to reach for instead of the old habit, rather than just trying to remove it with nothing in its place.

How do you handle other people questioning your lifestyle changes (e.g., quitting drinking or social media)?

You don't owe people a full justification — give the lowest-friction answer unless the person is someone whose opinion you deeply respect ('in the arena'), as per Brené Brown's approach of only taking feedback from a trusted few.

What should you do if you're working hard but not seeing success (e.g., low YouTube subscribers despite frequent uploads)?

Don't just keep repeating the same approach — experiment and change what you're doing, while using personal intuition/gut as a creator to judge whether the issue is reach or quality of content.

How should a creator approach social media across multiple platforms?

Don't try to be great on every platform at once — pick one or two that suit your strengths and content style and focus there, rather than watering yourself down across all of them.

How do I reduce the negative effects of social media without fully quitting?

Josh recommends removing your personal history/presence (e.g., deleting posts, redirecting your profile to a personal site) and focusing energy only on high-skill, deliberate content creation rather than passive scrolling or easy posting.

How should you handle quitting social media?

You don't need a dramatic exit — just quietly stop posting, be clear in your bio that you've retired from it, and redirect people to another channel like a blog or email list.

How do you build an audience for a daily show/podcast long-term?

Focus on steady incremental growth (e.g., gaining just a few new listeners per episode) rather than being anxious about not having a big audience yet, since consistent daily output compounds over hundreds of episodes.

How can freelancers get work without relying on social media?

Rather than posting on Instagram, reach out personally to a small number of people each day (e.g. three emails) to build real connections; if you already have an established network from years of work, continuing to do good work and connecting in person can replace the need for social media.

How do you decide which commitments or opportunities to say yes to?

Josh references Derek Sivers' philosophy that if something isn't a 'hell yes' it should be a no, while also noting that earlier in life or career it may be necessary to say yes to everything and be present on every platform to build a network first.

How should I decide whether to quit social media?

Tommy suggests examining whether your engagement is actually meaningful (he had only ~1,700 followers after years on Instagram) and whether being 'everywhere' is causing more anxiety than value; if a podcast/blog/YouTube channel already lets your audience find you, you may not need to chase people through feeds.

How can I reduce the amount of time I waste on social media?

Josh deleted Facebook, Twitter and his Instagram photos, and consolidated all contact into a single email address (and a podcast-specific email) instead of juggling Instagram DMs, Messenger, WhatsApp, iMessage, texts and email.

How should I decide whether to quit a social media platform I use for work or personal reasons?

Tommy suggests that reasons to keep a platform (like a viral post or work leads) can always be found, but argues the case for quitting is strengthened by weighing the real, lived benefits of freeing up time against the merely hypothetical losses of leaving, since the upside of quitting is harder to quantify but can be greater.

How do you make progress on creative projects without getting stuck on finding the perfect idea?

Don't overthink finding the right premise upfront; set an accountability goal (like one vlog per week) and work out the ideas by actually doing the work rather than waiting for the concept to be perfect first.

What should you do if you're worried an online payment offer might be a scam?

Check for signs like a non-custom/free website builder with no real domain, a logo that looks copied from elsewhere, unusual or hard-to-trace payment methods (Venmo, CirclePay, Bitcoin) instead of standard protected payment options, and search for the associated social media profile to see if it's legitimate or has been taken down.

What protection do you have with PayPal for custom orders?

Custom orders (like bespoke printed goods or commissioned art) have less buyer protection on PayPal than standard product purchases, so if the finished custom item isn't to your satisfaction you generally cannot get a refund the way you could for a defective standard product.

How should freelancers think about income from social media versus other work?

Gemma recommends not relying solely on Instagram/influencer income because it can disappear quickly; she keeps separate, steadier freelance copywriting work as her main income so social media going quiet doesn't threaten her livelihood.

How can I reduce the time I spend on social media apps?

Use Apple's Screen Time feature to set daily time limits on specific apps (e.g., 15 minutes for Instagram, 5 for Facebook); once the limit is reached the app becomes unusable unless overridden, and a password can be added to prevent easy overriding, which helps curb mindless scrolling.

How do you find the location of a house from a social media photo?

Copy descriptive real estate text (e.g., 'beautiful 3-bedroom') and paste it into Google, or note the real estate agency name plus bedroom count and suspected suburb to search for the listing; for drone/marketing photos, save the image and run it through Google Image Search to find the location.

How can I tell if someone on Instagram is using a bot to gain followers?

Josh suggests watching for a pattern of being followed and then immediately getting a couple of likes from that account shortly after, followed by an unfollow a week or so later — a telltale sign of bot-driven follow/unfollow behaviour rather than genuine engagement.

How should creators decide which platforms to invest time in?

Be reactive to what's actually working—drop platforms with poor engagement (he deleted/privatized Facebook and considered dropping LinkedIn) and concentrate most energy on the channels (YouTube, podcast) that perform well before adding secondary ones like newsletter, Instagram, or Twitter.

How do you manage social media and phone distraction?

Stop checking stats, reviews, and follower counts; remove non-essential notifications so your phone only alerts you to things like family texts; and limit news consumption to roughly 12 minutes a day since you're rarely the one who has to act on it immediately.

How can an aspiring creator get taken seriously without industry connections?

Rather than waiting to be chosen by executives, create your own content and audience yourself—referencing Seth Godin's 'picking yourself' idea—though recognize some opportunities still require being let in by a gatekeeper.

What should you be wary of when doing a phone interview with a journalist?

Be cautious that journalists may use creative license, mix up details, and omit the specific things you wanted mentioned, even within a short conversation.

Should you book hotels/motels directly or through platforms like Expedia or Booking.com?

Tommy suggests comparing both: sometimes calling a motel directly saves money, but often booking platforms are easier or even cheaper (he found Qantas's own site charged $300 more than a third-party booking platform for the same flight), so the deciding factor should be whichever is genuinely easiest and cheapest for the customer.

How can small/local businesses compete with the shift toward big booking platforms and e-commerce?

Josh argues that instead of resisting or restricting these platforms, local businesses and towns should be helped to improve their digital literacy so they can better control their own online presence rather than losing customers to platforms with superior ad reach.

How can I protect myself on public or open Wi-Fi?

Use a VPN (such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN) to encrypt your connection; this creates a tunnel so that others on the network can't see which sites you're visiting, which is especially useful on open Wi-Fi networks like those at airports.

Should I use my work phone or work accounts for personal communications?

Avoid doing anything on a work-owned device that you wouldn't be comfortable with your employer seeing, since the company can access the phone and its messages at any time; keep personal communications like WhatsApp off work devices.

How should you message someone when you have urgent but good news, to avoid scaring them?

Preface the message by saying it's good news (e.g. 'got some great news, give me a call') rather than sending an urgent all-caps demand to call, which reads as an emergency.

How can you check and manage how much time you spend on your phone?

Tommy suggests using the iOS battery usage screen to check on-screen time and per-app usage over the last 7 days as a way to become aware of excessive phone/social media use.

How should creators negotiate brand deals?

Negotiate a flat monthly fee (e.g. around $2,000/month) for ongoing product placement in videos, or secure event appearance fees (e.g. $5,000–$10,000) in exchange for producing a set number of videos.

How can you make a tan look better in travel photos without obvious editing?

Josh recommends slightly lowering the exposure of photos rather than increasing saturation to make a tan look more natural.

How should you figure out your personal 'why' for posting on social media?

Tommy suggests treating your social media goal like a gym or business goal — be clear about what you want from it (e.g., building a following for a brand) — while Josh notes most people aren't trying to be influencers, so the real question becomes why you post versus why you consume.

How should you approach building a business or personal brand on social media?

Don't self-promote without doing the inner work first; a business or platform built overnight without personal development will collapse back to the size of its leader, and most people should get off social media unless they're genuinely adding value through talent or entertainment.

How do you decide when to scale marketing or ad spend?

Recognize that there are diminishing returns on ad spend, and that scaling a proven, repeatable sales 'system' or funnel is more effective than simply hiring more staff or spending indiscriminately.

Should creators feel pressure to constantly post on social media?

Don't feel obligated to post constantly — audiences generally don't notice or mind if you go quiet, so avoid feeding the platform out of a sense of duty.

How do I avoid falling for an online prize scam?

Treat unsolicited messages claiming you've won a large prize with suspicion — scammers ask you to keep it secret, pressure you to pay a 'delivery fee,' and use emotional or religious language to manipulate you; engaging them without sending money (as Josh did for entertainment) reveals the manipulative tactics without risk.

Is it okay to give unsolicited constructive criticism on someone's social media post?

Josh argues it's generally inappropriate, comparing it to criticizing a slightly overcooked schnitzel at a dinner party — if invited to celebrate something, that's not the moment to offer unsolicited critique.

What should you consider before deleting or keeping old online content/accounts?

Ask what purpose the old content still serves you — if it's no longer adding anything or aligned with who you are now, it's fine to get rid of it.

What's needed to succeed long-term as a content creator or podcaster?

You need genuine passion for what you're creating, commit to a 'long game' of potentially 5-10 years rather than expecting overnight success, and keep showing up consistently so your audience stays committed to you.

How should creators think about content and virality?

Don't frame every piece of content as needing to go viral — that mindset heightens pressure and 'cripples your creative.' Sometimes make things because you're working on your craft, regardless of view counts.

Why is it worth having ambulance cover?

Get ambulance cover now rather than risk being without it — Josh flags he doesn't currently have it and urges listeners to sort theirs out too.

Should I use subtitles on LinkedIn videos?

Yes — add subtitles/captions to LinkedIn videos since many viewers watch without sound, and one real example showed a video with subtitles getting about 10,000 more views than one without.

How should I approach creating content for YouTube?

Rather than publishing frequently to chase the algorithm, focus on fewer, well-thought-out videos with strong ideas and proper SEO tagging, since algorithmic recommendation can drive significant growth from a single well-made video.

Should I use tools that notify me when someone opens my email?

Avoid email open-tracking tools like Mixmax if they make you overly reactive or anxious about follow-ups — the obsessive monitoring isn't worth the stress it creates.

Is it worth publicly complaining to a company on social media about bad service?

Public complaints can work because company social teams are often more responsive than call centres, but weigh whether the company could become a future sponsor or business partner before going public, since truth and fairness matter but strategy does too.

Is it okay to copy a successful creator's content strategy?

Josh suggests that adapting (not directly copying) strategies is key, and that the most valuable inspiration often comes from looking a few steps removed—different industries or time periods—rather than directly mimicking competitors.

How can I improve my Instagram profile aesthetic?

Develop a consistent theme or editing style for your photos rather than posting without cohesion, and use an editing app like VSCO X to apply consistent filters.

What's the best way to deal with an online troll?

Don't feed the trolls — avoid engaging or biting back, even though it's tempting to craft a witty comeback; walking away is the better long-term choice.

How do you get better outcomes from making lots of content/videos?

The more content you make, the more opportunities you create for luck or success to find you, rather than over-planning every piece for quality.

How do you manage phone and social media distraction?

Schedule recurring blocks of time in your calendar specifically for checking social media/phone, aiming to only check at set times rather than constantly, since things that can't be measured can't be managed.