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[LWN] 🔥 A Hockey Fight, A Parking Lot, and a Lesson in Respect...

Lunch With Norm's Weekly Newsletter - Amazon News & Updates

🔥 A Hockey Fight, A Parking Lot, and a Lesson in Respect

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

  • 🔥 A Hockey Fight, A Parking Lot, & A Lesson in Respect... [True Story]

  • 🌎 Amazon News & Updates

  • 🤖 AI is Failing With a 60% Error Rate!

  • 😱 Amazon FBA Predictions For 2025

  • 📈 5 LinkedIn Growth Hacks To Grow Your Profile

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 🔥 A HOCKEY FIGHT, A PARKING LOT, AND A LESSON IN RESPECT… [TRUE STORY] 

Growing up in the ‘70s, hockey was my world. I played competitively until a knee injury took me off the ice for a year.

Then a reckless game of chicken with a train (which is a whole other story) left me with more than just scars.

After that, I finished my hockey days in house league and an industrial league that was just as brutal as it sounds.

Hockey back then was raw.

No fancy helmets, no social media debates—just hard hits, fast plays, and fights that were part of the game.

And yeah, I spent my fair share of time in the penalty box.

I wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves.

It was just how the game was played.

But one night, after a particularly heated match, I took it too far.

Adrenaline still pumping, I stormed out into the parking lot, ready to continue the fight.

That’s when my father stopped me.

He didn’t yell.

He didn’t grab me.

He just said: "This isn’t where you take it. You leave it in the rink. It’s a game."

That moment stuck with me.

The game is the game.

You play hard, you battle, but when the final whistle blows, it’s over.

You shake hands, you move on.

Recently, I was reminded of that moment when I saw Team USA getting booed for political reasons while playing in Canada.

That’s not what sports are about.

Hockey—like any sport—is bigger than outside noise.

It’s about competition, respect, and knowing that what happens on the ice stays on the ice.

That’s a lesson worth remembering, in sports and in life.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

🚀 10 AI TOOLS TO GET AHEAD!

Here’s my latest list of tools you need:

  • Audiopen – AI-powered note-taking that converts voice memos into structured text.

  • Soundful – AI-generated music for creators, businesses, and personal projects.

  • HeyGen – AI video generation tool for realistic avatars and voice cloning.

  • mysocial – A platform to manage and grow your social media presence.

  • beehiiv – Newsletter platform designed for creators, with powerful growth tools.

  • Magical – Text expansion and automation tool to speed up typing and workflows.

  • ranked – AI-powered SEO tool to optimize content and boost search rankings.

  • Remini – AI photo enhancement tool that restores and improves image quality.

  • Exa – AI-powered search engine designed for deep research and learning.

  • YouTube Transcript – Extract transcripts from YouTube videos for easier content repurposing.

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🚨 AMAZON FBA PREDICTIONS FOR 2025

The Amazon marketplace is always evolving, and as we look ahead to 2025, sellers need to be prepared for significant changes. Check out the full report from Jungle Scout here.

From stricter compliance policies to AI-driven advancements, adaptability and strategic planning will be crucial for success. Sellers who stay ahead of these trends can position themselves for sustained growth, while those who fail to adapt risk falling behind.​

1. Stricter Compliance Requirements and Policy Updates

Amazon is expected to impose even stricter requirements to ensure a seamless customer experience. Sellers who fail to adhere to these new standards risk account suspensions, product removals, or financial penalties.​

2. Rising FBA Fees and Changing Storage Costs

Amazon has consistently raised its FBA fees over the years, and this trend is expected to continue in 2025. Sellers should anticipate higher costs across various aspects of FBA, including fulfillment fees, storage charges, and peak-season surcharges.​

3. AI and Automation Reshaping Amazon Fulfillment

Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every aspect of ecommerce, and Amazon is no exception. In 2025, AI-driven innovations will play a significant role in improving inventory management, customer support, and fulfillment processes.​

4. Social Commerce and External Traffic Driving More Amazon Sales

Amazon's reliance on external traffic is set to grow in 2025 as social commerce continues to expand. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are playing an increasingly important role in driving Amazon sales.​

5. AI-Optimized Advertising Becoming More Prevalent on Amazon

In 2025, AI-driven advertising is expected to become a powerful tool that reshapes how sellers manage their Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns. As competition on Amazon intensifies, sellers who effectively leverage AI-based ad solutions will have a significant advantage in driving sales and maximizing return on investment (ROI).​

6. Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) Network Expanding as an Alternative to FBA Storage

Amazon's Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) network is expected to expand in 2025, offering sellers an alternative to traditional FBA storage. AWD allows Amazon to act as a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, giving sellers more flexibility in managing inventory across multiple sales channels.​

🚨 For a deeper dive into these trends and actionable strategies to thrive in the changing landscape read Jungle Scout’s full report → here

👇TOP MUST READ STORIES THIS WEEK 👇

🚨 FTC reverses course, says it has resources to pursue Amazon deceptive practices case - Read More 

😱 We looked for 50 products on Amazon; half of what it showed us were paid promos. - Read More

🤖 Amazon's Patent Reveals How Alexa+ Will Transform Product Discovery - Read More 

📈 How Walmart Connect is growing the ‘connective tissue’ of retail media - Read More

💰 Rising Costs, Competition, and Uncertain Profitability - Read More 

🔍 Amazon Defies Weeklong Boycott As Sales Actually Increase - Read More 

Amazon's Rufus AI Chat Is More Useful Than I Realized - Read More 

🔥 HOW TO HANDLE STRESS & STAY RESILIENT AS AN ENTREPRENEUR

Here’s 10 Takeaways From This Episode:

  1. Entrepreneurship is a Mental Game – Success isn’t just about strategy; it’s about handling pressure, setbacks, and isolation. The ability to stay resilient determines long-term success.

  2. Find Your Support System – Entrepreneurs often feel alone because most people don’t understand their struggles. Masterminds, networking groups, and like-minded peers help you stay grounded and share solutions.

  3. Recognize Mental Health Triggers – If you experience stress, anxiety, or depression, learn to identify the early signs so you can take action before it escalates.

  4. Develop a “Reset Strategy” – When having a bad day, eject and reset. Whether it’s taking a nap, stepping away, or engaging in a stress-relieving activity, find a pattern breaker that helps you regain focus.

  5. Train Yourself to Handle Pressure – Push yourself with controlled stressors like cold plunges, martial arts, or challenging physical activities to condition your mind to handle business stress more effectively.

  6. Embrace Pain as Growth – Failures and setbacks teach you more than wins. Instead of fearing adversity, lean into it, learn from it, and become stronger.

  7. AI is Inevitable – You can either fear AI or embrace it. The genie is out of the bottle, so learn to leverage AI to work smarter rather than resisting it.

  8. Avoid Seller’s Remorse – 75% of business owners regret selling within a year because they lack purpose after the sale. Have a plan for your life beyond the exit.

  9. Your Business is Worth Less Than You Think – Most business owners don’t know their true valuation. Work on building real transferable value so that when the time comes, you sell at maximum profit.

  10. Know That Money Won’t Make You Happy – Entrepreneurs often believe a big payday will solve everything, but happiness is a fleeting emotion. If you don’t have a deeper purpose, financial success alone won’t fulfill you.

I encourage you to reach out to people in your lives to either seek support, offer support, or check in. If you or someone you know needs help, please do not hesitate to reach out to someone and ask for help. If that feels scary, you can call the mental health and suicide prevention hotline for support by dialing 988

🚨 Watch this week’s LIVE episode here at 12 pm ET on Wednesday

🤖 AI SEARCH ENGINES ARE ALARMINGLY INACCURATE… 60% ERROR RATE!

AI search engines are failing at an alarming rate, and if you’re trusting them to deliver reliable information, you might want to think twice. A recent study from the Tow Center for Digital Journalism uncovered just how bad it is—60% of AI-generated search results are flat-out wrong.

And some tools?

They’re failing over 90% of the time.

Let’s break down what this means and why it should matter to everyone using AI search.

❌ AI search engines are riddled with errors. Grok 3, Elon’s X-backed AI, got 94% of queries wrong, and even premium services like Perplexity Pro performed worse than their free counterparts.

🔗 They make up citations. AI tools frequently link to fake URLs or syndicated articles, instead of pointing to the original source. That means a search might look credible, but in reality, the source doesn’t even exist.

🚫 They ignore publisher restrictions. Even when sites block AI crawlers, these tools are still scraping content they weren’t authorized to use.

💰 News publishers are losing revenue. AI is repackaging content without proper attribution, which means less traffic and ad revenue for the people who actually created the work.

📉 Even "premium" AI models aren’t better. Perplexity Pro, a paid AI search tool, was more confidently wrong than its free version. People are paying for misinformation.

Which AI Search Engines Performed Best (And Worst)?

🏆 Best: Microsoft Copilot (Bing Chat) was the most cautious—it refused to answer when it wasn’t sure. That’s a win in a world where AI is confidently wrong too often.

❌ Worst: Grok 3 (X)—with a staggering 94% error rate, this tool consistently provided incorrect information.

❌ Also bad: Perplexity Pro—despite being a paid tool, it fabricated citations regularly.

⚠️ Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek also struggled, frequently citing incorrect sources or refusing to answer certain political queries.

Why This Matters

🚨 AI misinformation is a real problem. People trust AI-generated answers, but many are completely false—and AI doesn’t tell you when it’s guessing.

💸 Publishers are getting ripped off. News sites are losing revenue while AI tools repackage their content without linking back to the original sources.

🔍 No transparency. AI doesn’t tell you where its information comes from or whether it’s accurate—just that it “sounds” right.

📵 Even opting out doesn’t work. Some publishers block AI crawlers, yet their content still ends up in AI-generated results.

Final Thought

AI search engines aren’t ready to replace traditional search. Microsoft Copilot played it safe, but Grok 3 and Perplexity Pro were some of the worst offenders, confidently delivering wrong answers and fake citations.

Until these tools start citing real sources and giving proper credit to publishers, you should remain skeptical of AI-generated search results.

Because right now, trusting AI search is like trusting a bad Wikipedia page—it might sound right, but that doesn’t mean it is.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARD GUY?

Can you find Norm in the picture below? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see the answer!

😱 YOU’RE USING LINKEDIN WRONG! LINKEDIN GROWTH HACKING TIPS 2025

Here are my favorite TIPS from this episode!

  1. Post When You Can Engage Immediately: The best time to post on LinkedIn isn’t a fixed hour—it’s when you can reply to comments right away. Engagement within the first hour signals LinkedIn to push your post to a larger audience.

  2. Turn on the External Link Feature for More Traffic: LinkedIn allows you to add an external clickable link to your profile header. If you have a premium account, it appears as a button; otherwise, it’s a text link. Use it to drive traffic to your newsletter, website, or lead magnet.

  3. Optimize Your Banner Image to Convert Visitors: Your LinkedIn banner should immediately communicate what you do. Avoid vague or unrelated images (like travel photos if you’re not in the travel industry). Instead, use visuals that showcase credibility—such as a photo of you speaking on stage or working in your field.

  4. Leverage Commenting for Visibility: Commenting on high-profile posts boosts your exposure. Create a custom LinkedIn feed of industry leaders and top voices, then engage with their posts strategically to increase your reach.

  5. Thank People Who Repost Your Content: Reposts carry more weight than likes and comments. Manually thank those who reshare your content via DM to encourage continued engagement and build stronger relationships.

  6. Use Your Headline to Spark Interest: Your LinkedIn headline is what people see when you request a connection. Instead of a generic job title, use a compelling, value-driven statement that makes people want to connect, like “Helping brands turn LinkedIn into a lead-generating machine” instead of just “LinkedIn Consultant.”

    🚨 Watch the full episode here

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And that’s it, Beardos!

P.S. Make sure you don’t miss any updates by joining our community here.

See you next Monday!

- Norm

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