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[LWN] 🌴 I Failed My Hawaiian MBA

[LWN] 🌴 I Failed My Hawaiian MBA

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

March 03, 2025 • Estimated Read Time: 13 minutes

🌴 I Failed My Hawaiian Business MBA

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

🌴 I Failed My Hawaiian Business MBA [True Story]
🌎 Top Amazon News & Updates
🚀 10 AI Apps to Write Like a Pro
🤖 Rufus is ALIVE!
🚨 Trump Tariffs Are Back This Week!

🤫 An EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR is happening this week.

Find out the secret influencer tool top 7 & 8-figure Amazon sellers are using to skyrocket sales.

🚨Sign up → HERE

And don’t forget to subscribe to my favorite newsletter 👇

	Billion Dollar SellersCutting Through the Clutter for the World's Top Amazon & E-Commerce Sellers

🌴 I FAILED MY HAWAIIAN BUSINESS MBA [TRUE STORY]

About ten years ago, I was living on the Big Island of Hawaii.

I was running a business but still figuring things out.

Coming from the mainland, I didn’t fully understand the local culture or how deep their traditions ran.

A friend of mine saw this and suggested I meet with a Kahuna—someone highly respected in Kona.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was open to learning.

So, I invited him to my office.

At the time, we were knee-deep in building out systems, policies, and procedures—all the things that make a business run smoothly.

I wanted his take on what we were building.

He took one look… and let’s just say, he wasn’t impressed.

But instead of shutting me down, he gave me a whole new perspective—one that completely changed how I thought about business.

The Hawaiian way of thinking wasn’t about rigid systems or fast-paced execution like on the mainland.

It was about community, respect, and long-term relationships.

I hired him as a consultant, and over the next year, he worked closely with us.

He helped us align our business with the culture, and once we made those adjustments, the response was incredible.

The community embraced us.

We weren’t just another business—we were part of the fabric of the island.

But I didn’t stop there.

If I was going to do this right, I had to go all in.

So, I enrolled in university classes to learn the Hawaiian language.

It wasn’t easy, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Speaking the language and understanding the culture gave me a deeper connection with the people around me and completely changed how I approached business.

Business Lesson: Embrace the Culture

If you’re entering a new market, don’t just dip your toes in—jump in.

Learn the culture, adapt your systems, and listen to the people who know it best.

You can have the best systems in the world, but if they don’t align with the people you serve, they won’t work.

Amazon Seller Lesson: Know Your Audience

You can’t just sell a product—you need to understand your market on a deeper level.

Selling internationally? Learn the cultural nuances of your target customers.
Launching a new product? Dig deeper than the data—what really matters to your buyers?

Whether it’s using the right wording in your listings or offering features that matter to your buyers, your success depends on how well you resonate with the people you serve.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

Looks are deceiving - This is a beautiful sacred place in Hawaii. 5 Feet back is a 2,000 waterfall. Knowing where you are and adapting could save your life and/or your business

🚀 TOP 10 APPS FOR WRITING!

Here are some top AI writing and marketing tools to streamline your content creation (BNSN is a game changer):

Anyword – AI copywriting tool optimized for conversions and performance.
Jasper – AI-driven copywriting for marketing, blogs, and ads.
Copy.ai – Generate compelling copy for emails, ads, and social media.
Writer – AI writing assistant for teams and brand consistency.
Hubspot Breeze – AI-powered marketing and sales automation.
Sudowrite – AI tool for fiction writers and creative storytelling.
Type – AI-powered writing and design tool.
SEOWind – AI-driven content research and SEO optimization.
ChatGPT – AI chatbot for conversation, writing, and brainstorming.
BNSN – AI-powered business assistant for insights and automation.

🚀 RUFUS IS GENERATING STRAIGHT FROM DESKTOP SEARCH

I saw this post from Andrew Bell on LinkedIn (Please like & share the post)

Type in a broad search term like “decor,” “hair care,” or “fragrance” on desktop, and you’ll see something new.

Amazon’s AI is no longer just showing search results. Rufus now pre-loads a blue bar with AI-generated answers before you even click into the chat.
This means Amazon is anticipating customer questions, refining search intent, and guiding shoppers through its massive catalog, all before they even ask.

Here’s why Amazon Rufus prioritizes AI-driven search on desktop (and exactly how to make it work for you).

❌ "Rufus is just another chatbot."
└➝ This says: I don’t see how AI is shaping search intent.
└➝ And you’re missing how Rufus is curating results before shoppers even engage.

✅ Action: Make sure your product listings match AI-driven recommendations.
└➝ Use structured Q&A content to answer common customer concerns.
└➝ Align with category-based search queries to increase visibility.

❌ "Amazon search is still the same."
└➝ This says: I’m not paying attention to how AI is shifting product discovery.
└➝ And you’re risking lower rankings by ignoring structured content.

✅ Action: Adapt your listings to be Rufus-friendly.
└➝ Optimize product descriptions with conversational, intent-based keywords.
└➝ Ensure your product categories align with Amazon’s AI-generated search suggestions.

❌ "That blue bar doesn’t mean anything."
└➝ This says: I don’t understand how Amazon is refining search in real time.
└➝ And you’re overlooking the fact that Rufus is pre-generating responses based on shopper behavior.

✅ Action: Treat the Rufus blue bar as an early indicator of where Amazon search is headed.
└➝ If Rufus is highlighting specific attributes, make sure your listings reinforce them.
└➝ If it’s grouping products in a certain way, evaluate how your product fits into that ecosystem.

Why it matters:

Amazon isn’t just displaying search results—it’s actively shaping them.
If your listings don’t align with Rufus’ AI-driven guidance, you could be invisible to customers.

📢 What you should do next:
└➝ Study how Rufus structures search results in your category.
└➝ Make sure your product data and Q&A content match the new AI-driven approach.
└➝ Keep optimizing—Amazon’s search landscape is evolving fast.

See the full post and video here

🔥 YOUR SEO STRATEGY IS FAILING - PANIC OR PROFIT

Here’s 10 Takeaways From This Episode:

Utilize Zero-Click SEO Strategies – Google is prioritizing zero-click searches, meaning answers appear without users clicking on a website. Optimize for featured snippets, FAQs, and Google Business Profile updates to still get traffic.
Leverage Press Releases for SEO & Authority – Distribute press releases to 400+ news outlets to get high-authority backlinks and boost rankings. These are safe, white-hat links that help establish brand credibility.
Automate Content Distribution – Use IFTTT (If This Then That) or Make.com to syndicate blog posts, images, and updates across multiple platforms (Google Drive, Medium, LinkedIn, Blogger, etc.) for automatic backlink generation.
Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile – This is critical for both local businesses and online brands. Post weekly updates, create events, and add product listings with shoppable links to drive free traffic to Amazon or Shopify.
Use Reddit & Quora for Backlinks & Traffic – Join discussions in relevant subreddits or answer Quora questions related to your niche. Insert valuable insights with natural links to your content to drive traffic and build authority.

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

👇TOP MUST READ STORIES THIS WEEK 👇

🚨 Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa - Read More

💰 Trump says Canada and Mexico tariffs are ‘going forward’ with more import taxes to come - Read More

🚀 TikTok introduces new ‘Most Loved’ badge to bolster shoppers’ confidence - Read More

📢 X’s AI-generated ads may not win brands back - Read More

😱 How advertisers are reacting to Google’s declining share of the search market - Read More

🔥 5 consumer trends marketers need to consider when planning their 2025 strategies - Read More

😱 Software aggregators thrive while Amazon aggregators falter - Read More

📈 The number of China-based sellers on Walmart’s third-party marketplace has skyrocketed - Read More

🔍 Amazon sellers report rising concerns over fraudulent returns - Read More

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!

🚀 CATCH UP WITH THE MARKETING MISFITS!

🚨 WHY NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR CONTENT… AND HOW TO FIX IT

Here are my favorite TIPS from this episode!

Use Pattern Interrupts to Grab Attention: Instead of only focusing on pain points in marketing, leverage tickle points—unexpected, engaging moments that disrupt the usual flow of content. This can be humor, curiosity, or surprise to snap people out of their scrolling autopilot.
Create Engagement-Boosting Ladder Posts: These are social media posts that encourage people to comment for additional content (e.g., “Comment ‘YES’ and I’ll send you my strategy”). Reply to every comment to increase organic reach and drive direct conversations.
Warm Up Your Face & Voice for Better Speaking: Before recording videos or going on stage, do face and vocal warm-ups. Stretch your facial muscles, practice vocal resonance (humming, chest vibrations), and engage your articulators to make speech more dynamic and expressive.
Leverage AI for Personalized Storytelling: Store your best stories, frameworks, and key messaging points in a custom GPT or AI tool. Use it to generate engaging copy that stays true to your voice while automating content creation.
Build Confidence Through Repetition & Improvisation: Whether on video, stage, or social media, confidence grows through practice. Start with structured storytelling frameworks, engage in improvisation exercises, and record short, low-stakes videos before going live or presenting.
🚨 Watch the full episode here