🔥 Messy wins: In Community #102

Your weekly spark centering entrepreneurial leaders, creators, and culture-makers from the rising majority

In partnership with

🙌🏽 Welcome to In Community.

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“We are not this model‑minority myth a lot of people think we are. We’re just as broken, we’re just as flawed, we’re just as contradictory — we’re not put together — we’re all unraveling.” — Justin H. Min, actor

Let’s stop pretending perfection is the standard.

Here’s a secret people don’t want you to know: the stuff they call “messy” is the stuff that actually works.

The unfiltered POV. The uncomfortable idea. The human emotion you’re not supposed to show. Messy wins because it’s magnetic — and nothing disruptive was ever tidy.

Executives love polish. Audiences love truth. And the distance between those two is where most brands lose.

But those of us from the rising majority? We’ve mastered the in-between. This is the week we embrace the edge: messy wins. Because humanity is our underused strategic advantage.

🔥 Stop Performing, Start Leading

The industry has shifted from “tell us what you think” to “show us how you think.” Your POV isn’t garnish — it’s the differentiator.

Action: Think of one moment where you’ve softened your voice for safety. Say the thing you meant to say — clearly, strategically, unapologetically.

🌐 The H.U.E. Framework

A human-centered marketing tool for culturally intelligent leaders:

H — Human Truth

Start with the real emotional reality your audience is living.

U — Uncomfortable Edge

Name the tension everyone feels but nobody admits.

E — Experiential Expression

Turn truth + tension into experiences people can feel — across branding, creative, product, and leadership.

It’s your blueprint for clarity, bravery, and cultural pulse.

🏁 Real Brand Example: Nike x H.U.E.

Even iconic brands can go bolder and more human. Here’s how it can come to life for a brand we all know.

H — Human Truth

Athletes aren’t just chasing performance — they’re battling the pressure to perform perfection.

U — Uncomfortable Edge

Nike champions grit, but real greatness requires vulnerability. Pretending it doesn’t is outdated.

E — Experiential Expression

Campaign: “DO IT UNFILTERED.”

Raw, emotional visuals. Honest micro-stories. Copy that admits struggle

Activation: Unfiltered Drops

Sneaker releases showing prototypes, missteps, messy drafts — greatness in progress.

Partnerships: Human-First Athletes

Not highlight reels. “Here’s the moment I almost quit.”

Product Concept: Nike Restwear

Recovery gear anchored in human truth, not polish.

Brand Line That Holds It Together:

Nike made greatness iconic. Now it’s time to recognize humanity as iconic too.

▶️ Quick Ask

I’m building spaces where this thinking doesn’t just inspire — it equips. To unlock more tools, courses, and community-driven resources, I’m pushing to hit 1,000 YouTube subscribers in the next 3 weeks, but I’m only 13% of the way there.

If this newsletter resonates, I’d love your support:

👉🏽  Subscribe — it genuinely moves the mission forward.

And make sure to catch the latest episode of my new show out today, featuring Jessica Serrano, Chief Marketing Officer at Bagel Brands 

ICYMI, I went live before that with Zena Arnold, CMO at Sephora and Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter .

Tune in. Subscribe. Be part of the movement.

🔥 Brands Don’t Need More Content — They Need Courage

“Beige work” isn’t a design problem — it’s a leadership problem. Brands hide behind polish when audiences want pulse.

Action: Pick one brand you touch. Identify a “beige moment” where safety won over honesty. Apply H.U.E. to push it into relevance.

🔥 Leadership Without Humanity Is Just Performance

Your lived experience is your competitive advantage. Your emotional intelligence is your strategy. Your humanity is your leadership.

Action: Lead from human truth instead of corporate persona. Watch how people respond when you stop performing and start leading.

✊🏽 The Provocation

You don’t need permission from the industry. You need permission from yourself.

Once you claim it:

  • Your creative gets braver

  • Your leadership gets sharper

  • Your strategy hits deeper

  • Your voice gets louder

  • Your work becomes unforgettable

Let’s stop waiting.

🌟 Introducing No Shade: Build Your Personal Brand

You’ve done the work. You’ve earned the seat. Now it’s time for your presence to match your impact — and to step into the light on your own terms.

No Shade is designed to be a focused, practical course for those ready to show up with clarity, confidence, and intention.

In this new program I’m leading, learn how to articulate your value, shape a resonant story, and build a professional brand that opens door for opportunities, influence, and thought leadership.

Especially when you know the rules weren’t written with you in mind. The pressure feels greater, the stakes higher, and the barriers harder to break through.

This isn’t about performance or perfection. It’s about authenticity, strategy, and owning your narrative to reflect who you truly are.

If you’re ready to sharpen your voice, strengthen your visibility, and lead with unmistakable impact, join the early access list and you’ll be the first to hear more soon.

📅 Upcoming Event: Holiday Joy & Gift Exchange

Join my upcoming (virtual) joy and gift exchange. Let’s come together to celebrate our successes and what gave you joy this year.

AND I’m asking everyone to come to the event with ONE thing you’d like help with (the get) and then give something in return.

Maybe you’re looking for an intro to someone at a company you’re interviewing with. Or maybe you’re looking for insight on your new business idea. Or maybe you’re just looking to build community in your city.

Whatever it is, come ready to ask and receive support as we head into the year end.

✅ Now Hiring

What you asked for, delivered.

Is someone you know considering what’s next for them? Here are a few roles with people hiring across the network. I’ll be adding roles here every week, so stay tuned and make sure to spread the word.

💥 Content & Community Specialist — Hue (I’m still hiring for this one)

And before you go, consider who else might value this newsletter and what’s coming up on YouTube. Make sure to fwd this newsletter onward to them too. They can subscribe here for more directly in their inbox. 🔁 

In community,

Fahad