Shows
the hotlou showAccomplishing GoalsThis episode, hotlou and Hot Mike 3 discuss accomplishing goals! Got a goal in mind that you've wanted to pursue for a while? Then you HAVE to listen. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep32
2020-03-1124 minthe hotlou showNever Forget a Password AgainWe've been inadvertently trained over the last few decades on how to create passwords that are hard to remember, but surprisingly easy for hackers to hack. And ironically, it's the security systems themselves who've created this blight on password strength. Sit back, relax, then briefly panic as you realize your passwords may not be as secure as you thought. Shortly thereafter, breath a sigh of relief as you realize there's a fascinatingly simple way for you to design a password that's both easy to remember and very secure. Hopefully, from then on, you will never forget a password again. Show...
2020-01-2422 minthe hotlou showAn Ode to Eldon MoritzThis week, Hot Lou shares with Mike a fun story -- and effectively a dedication -- of a very strange interaction with a very persistent man named Eldon Moritz. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep30
2020-01-1523 minthe hotlou showHow to Make Money as an ArtistLoyal Lounatics know that several of the lessons brought to the hotlou show were learned by building the Twig the Fairy business. In this episode, host hotlou discusses the essay that took 5 minutes to read, but immediately changed his life forever. And subsequently helped Twig transform from a veritable homeless person to the owner of a 6-figure business. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep29
2020-01-0817 minthe hotlou showThe Birthday LiftThis Lousday, host hotlou reveals his birthday tradition that started nearly a decade ago and probably should have ended last year. And he's going to try again this year despite all conventional wisdom suggesting it's a really bad idea. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep28
2019-12-1823 minthe hotlou showBaader-Meinhof? I just learned about that!You know that thing when you learn about that new thing and then suddenly you encounter that thing all the time? There's a term for it! Lou and Mike discuss it. And now you can expect to hear about it all over the place. Very limited show notes: hotlou.com/ep27
2019-11-1316 minthe hotlou showEscape from Facebook JailThis episode, host hotlou regales us with his journey to and escape from Facebook Jail. Ever wondered what people do to get into Facebook Jail? Or ever wondered how one might escape? Hear first hand from a former and somewhat frequent inmate. And should you find yourself in a similar situation, you may learn a thing or two about what your options are. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep26
2019-11-0522 minthe hotlou showA Total Shirt Show: Another Social ExperimentYou’ve probably heard that Steve Jobs (and Mark Zuckerberg to a lesser extent) popularized the idea among tech execs to combat decision fatigue by wearing the same thing every day. Prior to that becoming part of the Silicon Valley zeitgeist, host hotlou had been doing a less extreme version of it. His decision to do it, however, was more a product of mere convenience than in pursuit of assuaging decision fatigue. But soon into this habit, he wondered if anyone was noticing. So that’s when he designed — you guessed it — a social experiment to determine whether they were. Welco...
2019-10-3117 minthe hotlou showThe Strange Truth about Embarrassing MomentsThis episode, host hotlou shares a brief, embarrassing moment from over 25 years ago that haunts him even today. Sound familiar? Yup, we all have those moments that make us cringe for weeks, months, or even decades after they happen. Turns out, this very common phenomenon has a very strange characteristic that -- once you realize it -- may just help you in your personal and professional life. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep24
2019-10-2322 minthe hotlou showSurprising Ways to Get Email RepliesYou've probably noticed it's become socially acceptable for people to simply ignore your emails. It's always happened to some degree. But in the last 2 years, it's become a bit of an epidemic. This episode, hotlou shares some surprising ways he's using to get email replies that he has field tested with great success after a ton of experimentation. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep23
2019-10-1719 minthe hotlou showShould Getting 1000 LIKES Take 60 Steps?This episode, Mike is back in charge to revisit Dad Jokes Daily -- an experiment that began several weeks ago. Mike and hotlou share what was done, the results so far, and how listeners might be able to leverage the same strategy in their pursuit of getting 1000 likes on Facebook. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep22
2019-10-0924 minthe hotlou showWhy I Hate TouchscreensWelcome to first dedicated "get off my lawn" episode of the hotlou show: Why I hate touchscreens. Mike and Lou discuss how product managers are falling victim to marketers' obsession with touchscreens. As with too many things, product managers often lose the corporate product development battle to the marketing team. This episode is a call-to-arms for all product managers to stand by their principles and make products simple to use, not easier to sell. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep21
2019-10-0219 minthe hotlou showMeeting Mark ZuckerbergIn this episode, host hotlou shares the story of the day he met his lord and savior Mark Zuckerberg. Unsurprisingly, there’s a bit of a meandering — this time on the current state of stand-up comedy — until Lou shares the story. But buckle up and get ready to hear way more about how Zuck feels about the Palm Pre than you could have ever hoped for. Show Notes: hotlou.com/ep20
2019-09-2517 minthe hotlou showEnding Conversations the Funniest Way PossibleSo you're stuck in a conversation and you can't escape? We've all been there. This week, hotlou could hardly contain his excitement as he shares perhaps the funniest social experiment in history. And the lessons you learn from this episode might just help you escape that rambler at the office, at your front door, or wherever the non-stop talker in your life frequently traps you. Even if you can't escape them, at lease you'll learn how to end conversations in the funniest way possible. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep19
2019-09-1820 minthe hotlou showGrowing a Non-Profit to 7-Figures in Donations with Mandi and Dina SimonIt's time to come clean. Half the reason the hotlou show exists was for the eventual opportunity to interview the unstoppable mother-daughter team Mandi and Dina Simon. At just 7 years old, Mandi approached her mother Dina wanting to help other kids. Soon after, the Minnesota-based non-profit Simon Says Give was founded. And just a few years after that, Simon Says Give raised nearly $1 million in donations to help kids in need. Listen to the interview and hear their story of how they did it. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep18
2019-09-1149 minthe hotlou showHow to Write an Intro EmailIntroducing ... [drum roll] ... the best intro email ever! This week, hotlou shares his lessons in how to write an intro email. Mike jumps in with a few lessons of his own. And together, they may have -- dare we say -- crafted the most perfect intro email ever. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep17
2019-09-0423 minthe hotlou showHow to Get More Likes on FacebookThis Lousday, hotlou discusses a rarely used, but incredibly effective strategy that answers one of the most common questions: how to get more likes on Facebook. It works for brands, for public personalities, B2B companies, and everything in between. Mike even hints that he may already be employing this strategy elsewhere (stay tuned for a future episode). Show notes: hotlou.com/ep16
2019-08-2819 minthe hotlou showGood Artists Copy, Great Artists StealIn this week’s episode, the Lounatics are treated to a healthy dose of what many artists might call lunacy: Pablo Picasso’s potentially apocryphal quote “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal.” Then, hotlou shares one story of using this principle to create a post that’s probably been shared millions of times and maybe been seen hundreds of millions of times. A feat that would, of course, effectively demand that the cycle perpetuate. And of course, it would be stolen over and over again. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep15
2019-08-2022 minthe hotlou showWhatever Floats Your Social Media BoatThis episode features some birds and the bees talk, minus the birds anyway, to focus on a social media boat. Host hotlou shares how a single, simple post with a floating boat on a page with not even 500 followers managed to get 159,000 likes using a technique often called cross-pollination. And then he and Mike break down how you might use this technique for your organization, business, or camel-enthusiast Facebook Page. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep14
2019-08-1320 minthe hotlou showHow Not to Get Sued (Again)Many in the Minnesota startup community are familiar with the startup 8thBridge. In particular, 2009 catapulted 8thBridge into the startup stratosphere locally and nationally. In that year alone, they launched the very first storefront ever on Facebook, won the biggest entrepreneurship competition in Minnesota, and raised $5M in a venture capital Series A Round. Except, 8thBridge didn't do any of those things. Host hotlou reveals a poorly kept secret explaining why. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep13
2019-08-0732 minthe hotlou show100,000 Users in 30 daysMinnesotans are notoriously provincial. In episode 12, hotlou discusses how he leveraged their provincialism to grow a Facebook App and Page to 100,000 users/followers in 30 days. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep12
2019-07-3013 min2019-07-2327 minthe hotlou showThe best hotlou show yetAfter a brief aside where hotlou and Mike realize the opportunity to ride Apple's coattails in marketing episode 10 as episode X, they discuss a marketing productivity hack for any group or organization that's struggling with creating ideas for social media or capturing the stories that happen to them. Whether you're a dromedary camel, a non-profit, or a CEO of a small fruit company like Apple, Inc., this is truly the best hotlou show yet. Show notes: hotlou.com/epx
2019-07-1727 minthe hotlou showPhoto Tag Marketing HackAmidst Mike’s coining of the term “Resting Lou Face”, host hotlou tells us how Facebook’s failed AI-powered facial recognition technology led to an incredibly valuable marketing tactic anyone can use. It might even allow you to get what amounts to an ad showing up in your followers’ photo albums on Facebook. Show notes: hotlou.com/ep9
2019-07-1020 minthe hotlou showDad Jokes Save the InternetExciting news for the hotlou show! We've been acquired! Well, more like a hostile takeover. And by hostile, we mean mutually-agreed-upon. In an unprecedented and unforeseeable move, it is none other than Mike Franklin who hosts the show this week. Because, as it turns out, he has been unwittingly conducting an experiment of his own. And let’s just say that if you love or loath dad jokes, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. Full show notes: hotlou.com/ep8
2019-07-0221 minthe hotlou showShayla Christine, creator of Living on a One WayThis week, creator and host of Living on a One Way joins hotlou and Mike to discuss how she built her community of 50k YouTube subscribers and 10k Instagram followers. Plus, she reveals her newest endeavor and even offers up a prize to one special listener (apologies to Mark Zuckerberg, et al, celebrity listeners are not eligible for said prize). Show notes: hotlou.com/ep7
2019-06-2536 minthe hotlou showThe Origin Story of "hotlou"At long last, host hotlou (aka Lou Abramowski) tells co-host Mike Franklin the origin story of his nickname. And while the name may imply some kind of sexiness or narcissism, believe it or not, it was an executive at a 100+ year old company that forever changed the course of hotlou history. Full show notes: hotlou.com/ep6
2019-06-1826 minthe hotlou showOne Kitten, 24 Toes, and 1 Million ViewsThis week, hotlou shares with Mike (and the growing list of celebrity listeners) the story of one post that reached over 1 million people on Facebook — all organically — on a page with only a few thousand followers. Plus, you’ll learn how you might use a similar tactic to get similarly surprising results. Even if it’s not a million, it will help you reach way more people than you are today. If nothing else, you may want to listen just to find out how you, too, can start getting super cute baby animal photos in your Facebook News Feed every day. Fu...
2019-06-1121 minthe hotlou showA Lou Hope (or how Lisa Loeb is a Twitter marketing savior)Listen as hotlou (aka Lou Abramowski) and co-host Mike Franklin discuss the perils of Twitter marketing. And later, how one obscure competition a long long time ago in a galaxy very very close (the Milky Way, you may have heard of it) helped hotlou understand how to approach Twitter marketing by working smarter, not harder. Plus, see if you can tell which parts of the podcast are a simulation versus real-life Lou and Mike. Full show notes: https://hotlou.com/ep4
2019-06-0432 minthe hotlou showEpisode 3: The Paul Walker Accident (not that one)Many lessons can be drawn from Paul Walker's life and untimely passing. This episode covers almost none of them, but hotlou (aka Lou Abramowski) and co-host Mike Franklin discuss another lesson of an entirely different variety from a mistake made while testing Evergreen years ago. Complete show notes: https://hotlou.com/ep3
2019-05-2820 minthe hotlou showThe Bunny Experiment In Episode 2, in what hopes not to be their penultimate episode, host and co-host hotlou (aka Lou Abramowsk) and Mike Franklin flirt with working blue while discussing a persistent myth in social media marketing and how one adorable bunny put the myth to rest, once and for all. For show notes, visit hotlou.com/ep02
2019-05-2122 minthe hotlou showPlanting the seed for EvergreenIn their inaugural episode, hosts hotlou (a.k.a. Lou Abramowski, a.k.a. hotlou.com) and co-host Mike Franklin share a bit about themselves, discuss why they’re starting a podcast, and share how changing his birthday on Facebook led hotlou to executing the craziest social experiment you’ve ever heard of and how the lessons from it accidentally gave rise to the creation of a software company called Evergreen (www.evergreen.app). More show notes at hotlou.com/ep01
2019-05-1326 min