Everyone keeps saying "2026 is the new 2016" like it's just another aesthetic cycle. Hand-drawn typography, messy collages, analog hobbies making a comeback. But this isn't nostalgia for nostalgia's sake.

In this solo episode, Andi unpacks why the return to analog is really about resistance—to AI sameness, algorithmic exhaustion, and a culture that's been stuck in constant performance mode.

2016 was the last moment before being "tapped in" became mandatory. Before every brand had to have a stance. Before sincerity started feeling risky. What we're seeing now isn't a desire to go backward—it's a search for something real again.

This episode explores what that shift means for cult brands in 2026, including:

• Why imperfect, hand-crafted aesthetics are becoming proof of humanity

• The rise of analog behaviors as a response to digital fatigue

• How cringe culture and constant optimization have exhausted audiences

• Why "real" is now the scarcest resource in branding

• What cult brands must build beyond the feed in a post-social era

This is the conversation cult brands need to be having—not about trends, but about how to build meaning in an increasingly artificial world.

Free Workshop → Cult Brand Blueprint
Join the Accelerator → Cult Brand Blueprint Accelerator Cohort
Community → Out of Office Club
Newsletter → The Unschool News

Andi breaks down the storytelling pattern behind the world's most bingeable shows — the same structure Shonda Rhimes uses to keep you glued to Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and Bridgerton. It's a framework you can steal for your content to hold attention, build emotional investment, and make your message unforgettable.

Inside, Andi shares:
• What an open loop hook is — and why it's more powerful than a standard hook
• How Shonda builds cliffhangers that keep viewers (and your audience) coming back
• The psychology behind unfinished stories — the Zygarnik effect
• How to recreate this structure in carousels and Reels without overthinking it
• A step-by-step template for your next post: Hook → Cliffhanger → Reveal → Close
• Why story—not tips—is what keeps people inside your work

Andi also shares updates on the Founders Table Holiday Catalog, Black Friday access, and the return of classic "catalog culture" for founders and creatives who want curated, editorial-style shopping again.

Perfect for founders, creators, and artists who want their content to feel cinematic, intentional, and impossible to scroll past.

Holiday Catalog → Founders Table 2025 (Preview + Early Access)
Co-CEO GPT + Smart Girls AI Playbook Bundle → Holiday Catalog Drop
Course → How to Film Yourself as a Creative Founder Building in Public
Program → The Unschool Intuitive Business Academy (Back for the season)
New Offer → Year Ahead Brand Redesign: Audit + Implementation Sessions
Community → Out of Office Club
Newsletter → The Unschool News

Andi takes you behind the scenes of Casa Noon's pre-launch season — from hand-packing 65 boxes at her kitchen table to navigating early PR, pre-orders, and the slow, unseen work of building an indie beauty brand from scratch.

She breaks down what most people miss about "year zero," why visibility often comes after years of grind, and how creators and founders can reconnect to the story beneath their work when the noise gets loud.

You'll hear:
• What it really looks like to prep for launch without celebrity backing or big budgets
• Why indie brands deserve more energy than algorithm-optimized favorites
• How to support creators and artists during gifting season
• The emotional reality of being in the "almost there" stage
• Why your founder lore — your mythology — is still the clearest path to resonance
• A reminder that your work isn't stuck; your voice is just waiting to be felt again

Perfect for indie founders, artists, and anyone quietly building something they believe in.

🔗 Links & Mentions
Subscribe: The Unschool Newsletter
Join: Out of Office Club
Waitlist: Cult Brand Accelerator (Jan 2026)
Follow: Oui, We Studio + Casa Noon