TOGETHER WITH
Hey there weekday warrior,
Short newsletter today. Partially because Friday was pretty boring, and mostly because I want to do some reflecting for the final newsletter of 2024 (BTW, I'll be back on January 3rd)...
As most of you probably know at this point, at the end of 2023 I was lucky enough to re-acquire The Water Coolest from Barstool (one of my 2025 goals will be to share that story). When I left, there were a handful of options on the table, and I can assure you that "taking back an email list and brand without much of a plan" wasn't the savviest business/personal decision in the short term.
I had no f*cking idea how I was going to monetize and grow The Water Coolest/feed my kids and pay my mortgage.
But I knew it was the only option.
If I walked away, I’d always wonder ‘what if’ and be chasing that same high (yes, I truly love The Water Coolest that much). Luckily, my wife was supportive of me making the dumbest financial decision ever.
With the decision made, and the paperwork signed, the next obvious question was “Now what?”
I considered selling TWC (again) and going to work at the new company. I actually got very close (I'm talking like 1-yard line)…
But as things got closer to the finish line, I started to subconsciously (ok, maybe a little bit consciously too) sabotage the deal. Seriously, I was a huge pain in the a**. Those dudes probably still hate me (don’t worry, they're doing great, and I’m sure I’ll regret the decision one day).
Eventually, it hit me that I was tanking the deal… because I didn't actually want to get the deal done. I hated the idea of working for somebody else again and wanted to run The Water Coolest on my terms.
And I kept coming back to one thing: I am literally living my dream. Even if I didn’t have to work, I'd want to write and run The Water Coolest. So why the f*ck was I considering giving up my baby again?
As you might have guessed, the other company told me to f*ck off.
That meant once again I was staring into the abyss like Kendall Roy at the end of ‘Succession’. I had to figure sh*t out.
Luckily, this time around, I knew my way around the newsletter space a little bit. And despite a VERY different ad environment (bring me back to 2020 and all that sweet, sweet crypto $$$), I was able to make it work (although there were a handful of times when it felt like it was so over).
2025
Looking back, 2024 was very much a year of surviving. Literally keeping the lights on and seeing if this thing could stand on its own.
2024 goal ✅
So what's in store for 2025?
Bringing TWC to the next level. Some of which you’ll see. And other stuff that will happen behind the scenes.
But EVERYTHING is going to be done with you, the weekday warriors, in mind. The goals are simple in the year of our lord 2025…
Make The Water Coolest even more entertaining
Help you learn even more along the way
Here's a taste of what's on the agenda…
A newsletter revamp
Building out new types of content that stay true to the TWC mission (oh, and maybe I'll figure out what the TWC mission is)
Bring in some new blood to help create said content
Ensure TWC never needs to sell out or take money from the man to keep fighting the good fight
Getting YOU involved in all of the above (more to come on this)
Of course...
NONE of this would be possible without your continued support. So many of the OGs have been loyal since day 1. And countless Stoolies & Family Office fans have stuck with me in the post-Barstool world.
I cannot begin to thank you all enough for allowing me to send this newsletter every day and being part of this community we've built. It’s f*cking awesome.
If I were drunk right now, I'd definitely tell you I love you and bring it in for a hug. But since I'm a millennial male who suppresses those sorts of feelings when sober, I'll say this: THANK YOU.
Now, enjoy the next 2 minutes and 8 seconds of blue-chip news and commentary.
Keep on snapping necks and cashing checks,
PS, friendly reminder, NO newsletter until January 3rd
PPS, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, ya filthy animals
+ US stocks “bounced back Friday as investors digested key inflation data that showed a deceleration in price increases during the month of November.” (Yahoo! Finance)
+ The 10-year yield “retreated on Friday as a key inflation gauge showed cooler-than-expected price pressures.” (CNBC)
+ Oil “settled little changed on Friday as markets weighed Chinese demand and interest rate-cut expectations after data showed cooling U.S. inflation.” (Reuters)
+ Bitcoin “has plunged 12% in the last five days since setting a new high, while Dogecoin and XRP have fallen hard after recent milestones.” (Decrypt)
+ The three most talked about stocks on WallStreetBets in the past 24 hours were: 1) C3.ai +2.5% 2) AMD +0.2% 3) Nvidia +3.0%
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+ Seems like a 2025 problem…
President Biden signed a government funding bill on Saturday that helped avoid a shutdown at the 11th hour… and kicked the can down the road (again). Both the House and Senate came together to avoid the shutdown that would have halted government programs, delayed several hundred thousand federal employees’ paydays, and grounded those drones in NJ.
The bill will maintain funding for three more months, which means legislators will “circle back after the holidays” and (hopefully) get a new budget passed with Donny Politics in power.
+ Are you happy now Spirit Halloween?
After 40 years of slinging slutty [insert literally anything] costumes, Party City is closing up shop, shutting down over 850 locations. CEO Barry Litwin laid off Party City corporate employees Friday on a mass Zoom call that probably went a lot like this.
Of course, it shouldn’t have come as that big of a surprise to staffers, following several weeks of some textbook corporate wind-down moves (think: canceling the annual vendor trip and locking up the HQ building).
Party City previously filed for Chapter 11 back in January, then exited bankruptcy in September after turning all the company’s equity over to its lenders. But it looks like the move was just a cash grab to take advantage of the peak Halloween and Christmas seasons in hopes of paying off debt. Doors will officially close on February 1. RIP.
+ These edibles weight loss drugs ain’t sh*t…
Novo Nordisk (-17.8%) shares tanked on Friday after reporting disappointing clinical trial results for their new drug “CagriSema”… which sounds more like a Game of Thrones character than a GLP-1.
While the drug did help participants lose 22.7% of the body weight on average, it fell short of Novo’s goal of 25% (because, math) and barely competes with Eli Lilly’s (+1.3%) Zepbound, which comes in right around 22.5% weight loss (because, math again).
Before you feel too bad for them, keep in mind that this is the same company that prints money with Ozempic and Wegovy.
Despite a disastrous start with live sports (legitimately the only part of Tyson vs. Paul that didn’t glitch was when we saw Iron Mike’s bare a**), Netflix (+0.7%) is charging ahead with a new deal to stream the next 2 women’s soccer World Cups. Netflix is hoping to capture some of the growing women’s sports market, acquiring the US rights to stream the 128 games scheduled for both 2027 & 2031.
Friday, I asked, “Would you rather: get $100k EVERY year, but you have to spend Christmas Eve & Day alone OR have the perfect, idyllic Christmas of your dreams with your loved ones but you don't get any money?”
72.3% of you are taking the money.
Oh, and one more thing…
What did you think about today's newsletter?
Does this look like the face of a guy you should take financial advice from?
No, it’s the face of an individual who is financially irresponsible/dumb enough to be talked into spending money on a family photo shoot that he could have just done with his iPhone. So, act accordingly...
This is not financial advice. Nothing in this newsletter is an investment recommendation. All content is created for entertainment, educational, or informational purposes only. Do your own research, or do yourself a favor and hire a professional.