February 9th was my last day with The Meat Mafia. It was a blessed chapter, but I just felt like I’d taken the brand as far as I could and was ready for my next adventure.

I’m proud of the work I did over the course of my ten months with the team. I oversaw the company double in revenue, took the brand from the red to the black, operationalized the business, grew the team from five to twelve, secured an office, and oversaw a company rebrand. I can confidently say that I’m leaving The Meat Mafia in a better place than when I started, and I’m excited for its future ahead.

Beyond that, I had an absolute blast building up such a fun brand with great friends. And I got my professional confidence back, which had been lacking after I left Zcruit and tried my hand at a bunch of independent projects that failed to play to my team-building strengths.

So what’s next?

I’m not entirely sure! I would love to run operations for a larger creator brand but I’ll explore tech startup operational opportunities as well.

I’ve had some great conversations with folks over the last few weeks. One of the coolest: I interviewed for the Head of Operations role with one of my favorite content creators. And while I didn’t wind up getting the gig, he sent me a thoughtful and affirming note and it was really cool to establish a relationship with him.

I’m excited, but also a bit antsy and eager to find that next team to plug in with. Work within a team gives me structure, camaraderie, and purpose that I dearly crave. But I certainly want to make sure that I’m not settling for something that doesn’t feel right.

Looking forward to digging in deeper and finding the right fit!

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Life in Austin

I’ve had an eventful month out in Austin! Here are some highlights:

🍺 I started brewing a new batch of beer with my friend Joey! It’ll be ready to drink in a couple of weeks

😂 I went to Kill Tony at the Comedy Mothership, the club that Joe Rogan opened in downtown Austin last year

🏃 I cheered on friends at the Austin Marathon! The city was infectious, with seemingly everyone being out and about in support

🎸 I saw Petey in concert…for the third time

🧔‍♂️ My beard is back. Thank you to everyone who supported me during my mustache phase. It was a fun run.

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Monthly Favorites

🎵 Song: 2 days into college by Aimee Carty — a cute little TikTok tune from a 20-year-old Irish artist. Bonus: here’s 7’4 Serbian NBA player Boban Marjanovic’s rendition 😂

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🎥 Video: Sisyphus and the Impossible Dream by Casey Neistat — a 17-year feat of persistence masterfully told in this 12-minute-long video

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😂 Comedy: Casey Rocket — a young up-and-coming Austin comic with outlandishly funny jokes and the frenetic energy of a newly caged zoo animal

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📦 Product: Noble Origins — I started working with a virtual fitness coach this month and he recommended I consume more protein. This gave me the excuse I needed to order Noble Origins, the protein powder brand started by The Meat Mafia. I now start every morning with a shake: whole milk, banana, peanut butter, and one scoop of Noble. It tastes great and gives me a healthy dose of protein plus collagen, colostrum, and organs 😋

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Thanks for reading! As always, if anything I shared resonated with you, I’d love for you to shoot me a reply 😊

Til next month,

Ben

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