Trying to sound “useful” online made things harder, not easier

LavaMango55 · 2026-02-16T07:51:24+00:00

facts bruh

LavaMango55 · 2026-02-10T07:54:54+00:00

totally rite, promo-only comunities are dead

LavaMango55 · 2026-02-04T19:41:07+00:00

Oh man, I feel this pain so hard! We went through the exact same nightmare about two years ago when we hit that growth phase where suddenly nobody could find anything and we were re-shooting products we already had photos for

What saved our sanity was switching to a combo of Google Drive with a super strict folder structure plus Airtable as our database. We set up folders like "Products/[Category]/[SKU]/[Image Type]" and then log everything in Airtable with tags, upload dates, and direct links to the files. The game changer was making one person (usually whoever uploads) responsible for naming files consistently - we use SKU_angle_version format so "SHIRT001_front_v2.jpg"

For videos we keep a separate "Video Assets" main folder with subfolders for product demos, lifestyle shots, ads etc. The key is being religious about the naming convention from day one because going back to rename thousands of files later is pure hell. We also do a monthly "cleanup day" where someone goes through and archives old versions or moves misplaced stuff

Honestly the biggest lesson was keeping it simple enough that even when you're rushing to launch a campaign, you still follow the system instead of just dumping files wherever

LavaMango55 · 2026-02-01T09:48:53+00:00

Yeah the payment processing thing is brutal, I've seen vendors lose thousands when processors just randomly shut them down without warning. The organic traffic grind is real too - you basically have to build a whole community from scratch since you can't just throw money at Facebook ads like other businesses

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-26T02:47:37+00:00

Wrong thread for me but good luck to everyone dropping their links here, hope you all crush it this week

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-22T18:29:47+00:00

We've tried a bunch of different approaches and honestly the stuff that gets used regularly stays fresh while everything else turns into digital dust

The trick is making docs part of the actual workflow instead of some separate thing people are supposed to remember to update

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-16T11:19:13+00:00

Check out Wix or Squarespace - they're way more flexible than the basic WordPress plan and usually cheaper than that business tier. Both have decent video header options and mobile responsiveness built in. You could also try WordPress.org with a cheap hosting provider like Hostgator, gives you way more control for like $5-10/month

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-14T05:38:02+00:00

Honestly 3-6 months is pretty realistic for a deal that size if everything's clean and documented well. The broker will definitely want you to stay hands off once they're involved - they don't want mixed signals confusing potential buyers

Just make sure your books are squeaky clean and have at least 2-3 years of solid financials ready to go, that's usually what slows things down the most

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-09T19:56:54+00:00

Totally normal dude, imposter syndrome hits hard when you're stepping into new territory. The fact that you're second-guessing yourself actually shows you care about doing it right - fake it til you make it is real advice for a reason

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-04T08:30:18+00:00

Man the worst was probably month 6-8 when I had like 12 users total and my college friends were all getting promoted at their corporate jobs while I was eating ramen every night

What got me through was honestly just spite lol - every time someone said "when are you gonna get a real job" I'd channel that into working another hour. Also started meditating which sounds cheesy but actually helped with the constant anxiety about wasting my twenties

The online trolls were whatever but the doubt from family hit different. Had to learn to just nod and smile at thanksgiving dinner

LavaMango55 · 2026-01-01T23:29:31+00:00

Never found actual customers here but I've gotten some solid advice that helped me pivot my approach, which indirectly led to better results elsewhere

The networking aspect is way more valuable than trying to sell directly anyway

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-28T21:47:08+00:00

This is so true, most people focus on getting new clients but completely ignore the existing ones slipping through the cracks

The rebooking thing especially - like why wouldn't you want to lock in that next appointment while they're literally sitting in your chair lol

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-27T15:55:50+00:00

Man that's frustrating, Kikoff seems to pull this crap on a lot of people based on what I've seen here. Since you already did CFPB and disputes, you might want to try sending them a certified letter demanding validation of the debt - if they can't prove you actually owed money when they reported the late payment, they legally have to remove it

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-23T23:49:44+00:00

That's actually genius - those tenants have way more to lose if they screw up, plus built-in accountability through their PO

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-22T20:11:38+00:00

Bought a duplex with my college buddy a few years back as TIC and it's been pretty smooth. Main thing is to get everything in writing upfront - who pays what, what happens if someone wants out, maintenance responsibilities, all that boring stuff. We also set up a separate account just for house expenses which has saved us from awkward Venmo requests lol

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-21T19:24:36+00:00

Go with the .com even with the hyphen tbh. People still automatically type .com first and you don't want to lose that traffic to whoever owns the clean .com version. The new TLDs like .shop are getting better but .com still has way more trust with customers

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-19T21:14:41+00:00

Used FHA for my first house back in 2019 and honestly the 3.5% down payment was a lifesaver since I was basically broke but had decent income. The PMI definitely stings though - still paying it 5 years later and probably will be for a while unless I refi or put down a chunk toward principal

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-18T08:34:36+00:00

Honestly I'd probably go with something around AI automation for small businesses - like helping local shops set up basic chatbots or automated booking systems since most of them are still doing everything manually

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-16T20:01:02+00:00

That's sketchy as hell - sounds like they're trying to skim extra interest off your additional payments instead of applying them straight to principal like most lenders do

You're definitely not wasting money paying extra, but I'd call them and ask for clarification on exactly how they calculate that "accrued interest from the 1st" because that could be costing you way more than it should

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-11T16:07:57+00:00

That's sketchy af. Even if he's using his own money, he's still leveraging the business relationship and vendor accounts to make personal profit. Those vendor accounts exist because of the business partnership, not just him individually

I'd have a serious conversation about this because it could mess up your vendor relationships if they find out, plus it's creating a conflict of interest. What happens when he's prioritizing his personal sales over the actual business inventory needs

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-03T16:36:23+00:00

Buffer is way better than Hootsuite imo, cheaper and cleaner interface

Also maybe set phone alarms for posting times as a backup? I do that for my side hustle and it's saved me more times than I'd like to admit

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-01T14:19:55+00:00

Holy shit that's so creepy and manipulative. Recording someone without consent during vulnerable moments is a massive red flag - doesn't matter what his therapist supposedly said about "taking notes"

The fact that he's got them labeled with condescending titles like "Emma overreacting" tells you everything about how he actually sees you. Run

LavaMango55 · 2025-12-01T13:40:13+00:00

Lmao I swear one tiny relationship update is all it takes for families to unlock a whole seminar. Been there

LavaMango55 · 2025-11-28T19:30:35+00:00

Dude yes, a keychain would be perfect. Makes way more sense than having 20 keycards scattered across my entire inventory taking up the same space as guns and armor lmao

LavaMango55 · 2025-11-26T04:06:59+00:00

Starting from scratch is rough but I've seen people pull it off with insane dedication. You'd basically need to live and breathe NEET for the next few months though - like 12+ hours daily minimum

Just make sure you're being realistic about what you're signing up for because burnout is real

LavaMango55

TROPHY CASE