Can we take this offline?

October 22, 2026

Offline Activities

Both for my clients and personally, I’m thinking about ways to work in more offline activities.

For Me:

Personally, it’s about being conscious of not being on my phone and reaching out to friends more often (A friend called me out of the blue; I haven’t spoken to him in a while, and it made my day).

I love seeing these run-coffee groups on Strava.
I have a group of guys I play softball with every week.
The long-awaited debut of my coffee cart looks like it will be happening on November 7th at my son’s soccer game… Lots more to come on this.

For Our Clients:

It’s about leaning into what makes them authentic and/or finding ways to connect with customers in person (The goal is to do both at the same time and create some content that can work on social).

The in-person thing, although not as scalable, is something we are betting on and excited about. It’s one of the best ways to build “Raving Fans,” and a crew of raving fans is the best way to build brand loyalty.
I can’t remember where I read the book “Raving Fans,” but here is a link if you are interested.
In 2027, our clients will sponsor your local dog-walking groups and running clubs, and optimize influencers to connect in a more meaningful way.

Panama

My family and I are about 2 months away from spending the winter in Panama City.

I say all the time I am doing it for my kids, which I am; most of what I do is for the kids, but these trips are just as much for me.

I work from home in a small beach town. Living in a big city gets the creative juices going in a different way than a walk on the beach does.

Both great, just different.

Education/Parenting

I’m reading a book right now, The Boys in the Boat. It’s a great story about a college rowing team that won gold at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

There are many great aspects of this book, but what is interesting is how different 20-year-olds approached college in the 1930’s.
The main character grew up poor and had to scrape together money to pay for college by working odd-and-end jobs during the summer.

College is more expensive now than ever, and it got me thinking about treating my kids’ college like a business decision and focusing on ROI.

What’s the rush for kids to go to college? Why spend, in some cases, 100k a year to figure out?

My oldest is only 12, but I hope we don’t rush the process.

Get a job as a bartender in a big city.
Work a summer job, save all the money, and backpack around Europe.
Get a job in a field you might be interested in.

Basically, “let the others rush”

That was a quote on a van from a trip to Kangaroo Island I took when I studied abroad. 25 years later, it still resonates.

If our kids want to start a business or work for a big firm out of school, being a little older and more experienced will only make them a more valuable asset.

Trip to NYC

Last week I took a trip to NYC. I had about two hours to kill in between meetings, and I parked myself on a bench in the West Village. It was incredible. 70 degrees and sunny, amazing people-watching.

I made a conscious effort to not be on my phone, and I chatted with…

Two South Koreans who love bagels
A DoorDash delivery guy
And a woman who buys herself flowers every week

If you want to chat, I’d love to catch up; please email me or just f’ing go for it and call my cell 631.804.3004

If you ever thought about seeing the Panama Canal in the morning and surfing the Pacific the next day, this might be the winter to do it 🙂

Isaac “Ike” Brody
Founder of Socialike

Socialike