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🙌🏽 Welcome to In Community.

ICYMI: Forbes just published a feature on the work Hue is doing, spotlighting the journey we’ve been on and where we’re headed.

It’s a reminder that we weren’t meant to fit into a box – and neither are you. But maybe somewhere along the way, you started editing yourself.

“Lead – but don’t make anyone uncomfortable.” “Have ambition – but don’t outshine the room.” “Stand out – but make sure you still fit in.”

So I built something for all of us. NO SHADE: Build Your Personal Brand.

Stop second-guessing how you show up. Own your story without over-explaining it. Position yourself for the opportunities you actually want. Build a brand that feels like you – not a performance.

👉🏽 Live sessions. Real frameworks. A community of peers that gets it.

Join the Founding Cohort. Apply here today.

PRO TIP: Check if your company has a Learning & Development budget you can tap.

🔥 And now, for your weekly spark.

Everyone is chasing attention. Very few are building wealth.

We still talk about growth like it’s driven by impressions, virality, or reach. But the brands and leaders actually winning right now are operating on a different system entirely.

Connection is the new currency.

And like any real currency, it only holds value if it’s earned, protected, and spent wisely.

On the latest In Community podcast, Oshiya Savur — most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Maesa Beauty — said something that hasn’t left me: “Trust is actually the most endangered species of our time.”

She’s helped build celebrity brands that last not because of star power, but because they solve real needs, earn belief, and create community beyond the launch moment. That’s not hype. That’s wealth.

So let’s name the system behind it.

📌 The C.A.S.H. Framework™

How real community compounds over time 🚀

C — Credibility before scale
If you don’t have credibility, scale just amplifies the cracks. Oshiya shared that celebrity-driven sales often account for only 10–40% of a brand’s impact. The rest comes from whether people believe in what you’re building. Credibility is earned slowly, lost instantly, and never outsourced.

A — Alignment over attention
Attention is cheap. Alignment is rare. Community forms when values are shared, not just messaged. This is the difference between fandom and community: fandom centers the brand or founder; community centers the why. Alignment is what turns awareness into action.

S — Signal, not noise
Real community sends signals you can’t fake. Replies to emails. DMs that turn into conversations. Waitlists that grow organically. Oshiya talked about 70,000 people raising their hands for limited launches—not because of hype, but because they wanted to root for the brand, not just buy from it.

H — Hold trust longer than hype
Most brands obsess over the launch and ignore what comes after. That’s how the bucket leaks. The work is in staying consistent once the spotlight fades. Trust compounds when people see you show up again and again, even when no one is watching.

💬 Quick ask from me
If this newsletter resonates, I’m asking for a small favor. I’m working hard to hit 1,000 YouTube subscribers — and I’m only 35% of the way there. I share bonus frameworks, shortform clips, and conversations that don’t fit anywhere else. If you believe in this work, I’d love your support: Subscribe here 🎥

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most brands don’t fail because they lack creativity.

They fail because they never built CASH.

Connection isn’t soft. It’s not fluffy. It’s the hardest currency there is — especially for those of us building in systems that weren’t designed with us in mind.

So this week, ask yourself: Where are you chasing attention instead of building alignment? Where are you scaling before you’ve earned credibility?

Because the future won’t belong to the loudest brands. It’ll belong to the ones that understood what was worth investing in — early.

Community isn’t optional. It’s capital.

✅ 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.

💥 Events Producer — Hue (I’m hiring for this one!)

💥 SVP, Marketing — Sephora

💥 Director, Global Brand — Lenovo

💥 Director, Live TV Marketing — Hulu

💥 Fan Engagement MarComms Director — FIFA World Cup 26™ New York New Jersey

💥 VP, Strategy — VaynerMedia

💥 Sr. Influencer Marketing Manager — Apollo

💥 Sr. Manager, Marketing Program Management — Covered California

ICYMI last week:

💥 Sr Director, Product Marketing — Rag & Bone

💥 Director, Brand Activation — BERO

💥 Director, Social & Influencer Marketing — Red Wing Shoes

💥 Director, Product Marketing — GLG

💥 Director, AI — IAB

💥 Sr Manager, Customer Lifecycle — Wild Fork

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