happy mother’s day!! mom if you’re reading this, i love you and thank you for always supporting me :)

anyways..

im pissed.

i just had the most memorable past two weeks here in la.

i spoke at a storytelling night, discovered an unexpected passion for doing improv, skated around santa monica for the first time, and made some really, really good friends.

after classes ended this semester, i had more free time to make the most out of the city, the people, and the little moments that make this place feel alive.

so.

why am i pissed?

if i’m being really honest with you.

it’s cause i’m leaving soon LMAO.

just as i started building a life here and finding the things i love, it’s almost time to say goodbye.

maybe i’m just coping, but on the bright side, knowing my time here is short has made everything else feel so much more vivid.

i’m more present, i’m more grateful, and i don’t take a single skate session, hangout, or late-night convo for granted.

i hope i can hold onto this mindset, even when the clock isn’t ticking.

takeaways:

• always be grateful

• remember to be grateful

• gratitude is cool

creator insights 🎥

how does the algorithm work?

understanding how the algorithm works on social media can be frustrating, especially when you’re just starting out.

it can often feel like a black box, where you have no idea of what’s happening on the inside.

you may even ask yourself:

• “why didn’t the algorithm like my video?”

• “why isn’t the algorithm pushing out my content?”

today, i want to break down how the algorithm works and offer a simple mindset shift that’s helped me along the way.

so instagram and tiktok primarily use these metrics to measure your video’s performance:

watch time, likes, comments, saves, shares

these signals help the platform decide whether your content is worth showing to more people.

when you first post a video, ig/tiktok will initially show it to a small test group, let’s say around 200 people. based on how that group responds to the video (using the metrics above), the platform will either push it to a larger audience or let it fizzle out.

now here’s a mindset shift that’s helped me anytime i’ve felt frustrated with the algorithm — and it starts with taking accountability:

replace the word “algorithm” with “audience.”

because ultimately, it’s the audience’s reactions that determine your video’s success.

so instead of saying, “the algorithm didn’t like my video,” try reframing it as, “the audience didn’t like my video.”

the art of making good content is all about your ability to connect with another human through the screen.

at the end of the day, it’s real people deciding whether to engage or scroll past.

from the garden 🌷

here’s what a few of you said about something that surprised you (in a good way) this past week:

it’s kinda wholesome reading through all of these responses. i think it’s just a good exercise in being present.

here’s a question for next week:

what’s something small that made your day recently?

if you want your response featured on this newsletter’s next issue fill out this form!

community spotlight 💬

hey sreshta,

when i was 8 years old, my elementary school held a skate night at the local roller skating rink.

i also enjoyed showing off as a kid.

so when i got out there, i tried to skate as fast as i could. i fell, got up, skated, fell again — and kept repeating the cycle.

following that skate night, i started going back to that same rink every week, determined to get better.

and after three years of doing this, my skating instructor suggested i try speed skating. so i joined a speed skating team and started going to practice regularly, even attending meets and competitions.

but as i got older, i soon hit a crossroads.

by my sophomore year of high school, academics and other extracurriculars were picking up, and i had to choose what to prioritize. i wasn’t making much progress in speed skating either, since i could only go to practice once a week (the rink was an hour away), so i ended up dropping it.

despite this, i’m really glad that i didn’t give it up completely.

instead of going to the rink, i started skating at local parks. and eventually, i began filming myself skating, which led to my growth on social media.

looking back, i’m just happy and grateful that skating is still part of my life.

p.s. if you want your question featured in next week’s newsletter, fill out this form!!

YOOOOO

thanks yall for reading this far. a reminder that today is mother’s day so don’t forget to show your appreciation to them! if you have any feedback or thoughts, please feel free to reply to this email!

wishing you all the best,

tulio sasaya