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Saludos…
For most of my career, you never would have seen this post.
Thirty years in this industry, and the habit I had to unlearn wasn't laziness or lack of ideas… it was invisibility. I built things quietly. I launched, I moved on, I let someone else's name sit on top of the work while mine stayed behind the curtain. That was the job for a long time, and I was good at it.
Siembra Connect is my course correction. Part of that means showing you the process, not just the polish.
So here's a “State of the Siembra” update.
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✅ WHAT'S WORKING
Ads / Revenue
We've run Beehiiv's ad product since launch and have been sponsored every send since we hit the two-week mark. Revenue's been consistent and scales with readership. Simple numbers game: more readers, more clicks.
Want to know more about how I did this? Reply to this email with your questions or email me at [email protected]
Posting Consistency
Solid until three weeks ago, at least once a week. (*) When I tested more than once a week, engagement didn't drop. The real challenge is packing too much into a weekly recap. I need more content in between that doesn't clog your inbox but is still findable and referenced briefly in the newsletter.
(*) Due to a major event that distracted me… I will tell you more later.
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🔄 WHAT'S IN MOTION
I'm testing a Skool page for the Collective. Right now it's more overhead than the community needs from me — what people actually want is simpler and more direct. So I'm not building it out further yet. I'm letting the shape of the community tell me what the space should be, instead of guessing ahead of it. The experiment stays open; I'm just not forcing it.
I will re-engage on Monday. If you are a subject matter expert and want to join this mastermind / mutual aid experience, Reply to this email with your questions or email me at [email protected]
🛑 WHAT HAS TO GO…
I'm also closing the Instagram announcement chat. On paper it looked like community. In practice it was me talking at people, not with them… a feed dressed up as connection. If a space can't hold a real back-and-forth, it doesn't belong in how I build this.
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🌱 WHAT'S NEW
The podcast is finally launching — audio first. I sat on this too long chasing a "full production" version that kept slipping. Lesson: launch the format that lets you actually launch. Video and visuals can come later. Right now the conversations matter more than the packaging.
The newsletter's getting restructured. Less "here's what I posted this week," more depth… writing worth you sitting down for. Podcast episodes will live inside it, not compete with it.
More experiences, less broadcasting. Cultivation Calls, live conversations, real rooms… virtual or otherwise is where the exchange goes both ways. Fewer channels shouting into the void, more spaces where Cultivators and I are building together.
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💭 WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS
Because a lot of what gets sold as "building in public" is just a highlight reel with a public label on it. That's marketing wearing a costume.
Is it really real if I do not post the lessons? I need you to learn from my mistakes.
The real version includes the Skool experiment still finding its shape. The IG chat that turned out to be one-way. The podcast that took longer than it should have because I was chasing perfect instead of shipping honest.
Siembra means planting. Cosecha means harvest. But nobody talks about the seeds still in the ground and those tell you just as much as the ones that already broke through.
More soon, in the room, in the inbox, in the feed.
Con cariño,
George
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
🌎 Here Are The Latest Numbers…
CREATOR ECONOMY NEWS
This is almost a continuation of a mental health moment because "Keeping Up With the New Rules" Is Its Own Kind of Burnout”
Why AI Just Changed Overnight (Even If You're Not in the EU)
Here's the thing about the EU AI Act: it was written for 450 million people in Europe, but it's reshaping tools everyone uses. As of August 2, chatbots have to identify themselves as automated, deepfakes need a label, and AI-generated content has to carry a machine-readable mark so it can be detected or the companies behind them risk fines up to €15 million or 3% of global revenue. Most AI companies aren't building one version for Europe and a looser one for everywhere else… they're rolling the same disclosure standards out globally, the same "Brussels Effect" that turned GDPR into the default privacy standard everywhere, not just the EU. Add in South Korea and Brazil already building their own laws off the EU's blueprint, and what looked like a regional regulation is quietly becoming the global default. Translation: the AI tools in your workflow are about to get more transparent whether the law technically applies to you or not.
The crazy thing is, nobody signed up to be a compliance officer for their own Reels. Between EU labeling law, six platforms shipping AI-detection features in the same two weeks, and every trade newsletter telling you what you're "already behind on" — it's a lot to hold, especially if content is your income, not just your hobby. You don't have to master every rule the week it drops. Label your AI-assisted work honestly, keep making things with your actual voice in them, and let the rest catch up to you. Sustainable practice beats scrambling to stay current on every regulatory news cycle.
In the coming days, I will be announcing my AI Disclosure statement and posting it prominently on the website with a breakdown of why I think it is important.
As far as the updates are concerned…here is what I got for you…
The EU AI Act Went Live — And "Brussels Effect" Is Already Global
On August 2, the European Commission's AI Office started actually enforcing the AI Act, and new transparency rules kicked in the same day: chatbots now have to identify themselves as automated systems, deepfakes need a label, and AI-generated or edited content has to carry a machine-readable mark so it can be detected automatically. Companies that skip it risk real money — fines up to €15 million or 3% of global annual turnover. The kicker for creators worldwide, not just the EU: companies tend to roll the same labeling standards out globally rather than run separate compliant and noncompliant versions — the same "Brussels Effect" that turned GDPR into a global privacy benchmark.
Read Now → https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/08/04/eu-ai-act-enforcement-ai-models/ Help Net Security + 2
Other Countries Are Already Copying the Homework
This isn't just an EU problem to watch from the sidelines. South Korea enacted its own AI framework act effective January 2026 — visibly influenced by the EU's, though lighter — and Brazil's risk-based bill follows the EU's architecture closely, while 72 countries now have some form of AI policy on the books. If you create for a global audience, "AI-generated" labeling is quickly becoming table stakes everywhere, not just an EU checkbox.
Read Now → https://www.diplomacyandlaw.com/post/eu-ai-act-explained Diplomacy and LawSumsub
TikTok Has Already Labeled 3 Billion Pieces of Content
Turns out one platform saw this coming years ago. TikTok has required creators to label AI-generated images, audio, and video for several years, and says over three billion content items already carry labels thanks to its detection tools. If you've been putting off learning your platform's AI-disclosure settings, this is your sign — TikTok's already treating it as default behavior, not a future requirement.
Read Now → https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/02/ai-generated-label-becomes-mandatory-in-the-eu-for-companies Euronews
LinkedIn Is Crowdsourcing Its AI-Slop Detector
LinkedIn didn't wait for regulators either. LinkedIn's new reporting tool lets any member flag a post that "seems like AI slop," feeding a live signal into the platform's detection models, and it's teaching its algorithm to spot artificial content more broadly. If your LinkedIn strategy leans on AI drafting, this is the week to make sure your voice is still doing the heavy lifting.
Read Now → https://www.finnpartners.com/news-insights/boom-scroll-august-2026-social-media-updates/ FINN PartnersFINN Partners
Snapchat Is Locking AI Content Out of Spotlight
Snapchat took the opposite approach from "label it" — it's filtering it out entirely in one key feed. Snapchat is adjusting its recommendation systems so only videos made by real people are eligible for Spotlight recommendations, while still allowing its own AI editing tools. If Spotlight reach matters to your strategy, human-shot footage just became your ticket in.
Read Now → https://stackinfluence.com/blog/august-2026-social-media-news-and-updates-for-creators StackInfluence
YouTube Is Still Drawing a Hard Line on "Low-Effort" AI Content
YouTube's stance hasn't softened. YouTube's "inauthentic content" rule demonetizes videos that are mass-produced, repetitive, or lack original insight, especially those relying on AI narration without human context — and this update doesn't kill AI content, it kills low-effort AI content; creators who use AI creatively and responsibly are still winning. The line YouTube keeps drawing: AI as a tool in your process, not the thing doing the creating for you.
Read Now → https://lastplaydistro.com/blog/why-youtube-is-demonetizing-ai-content-in-2026-creators-are-losing-money
🎤 This Is For You If You Are an Activist
Regulation like the AI Act doesn't just get written by lawmakers…
it gets shaped by the pressure creators and communities put on the process while it's still moving. If disclosure, labeling, and platform accountability are causes you care about, this is the moment to actually say so publicly: comment on your platform's policy pages, tag your reps when local AI legislation comes up, and use your following to explain what these rules mean in plain language.
Most people won't read the EU AI Act. You translating it into "here's what changes for you" is real organizing work — don't undersell it.
Tip jars, token access, and one-file digital goods are outperforming subscriptions for casual audiences. People pay for specificity and speed.
Takeaway: Package one outcome. “Get X in 30 minutes.” Price the shortcut, not the library.
SIEMBRA RESOURCES
Broadway Advocacy Coalition Rapid Response Grant — $1,000 | Deadline: August 28, 2026
For artists, writers, organizers, and performers combining artistry and advocacy. Projects must be narrative-based, change-oriented, and involve people directly affected by the issue. No formal arts background required, and collectives are explicitly welcome — built for people at the intersection of creativity and organizing.
Read Now → https://airtable.com/applPLTsXJKyeSGzs/pag8QwNYFO0Z4esTu/form
Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge — $15,000 | Deadline: August 31, 2026
Open internationally to founders aged 18–30 already delivering social or environmental impact (not idea-stage). One of the few global grants at this size available to young founders regardless of country.
Read Now → https://www.socialshifters.co/global-innovation-challenge/
Black & Brown Founders Empower Growth Fund — $5,000 x 4 winners | Deadline: August 31, 2026
For underrepresented U.S.-based entrepreneurs with demonstrated revenue in the last 12 months. Designed to help founders scale or stabilize their next stage of growth — this is for businesses already moving, not concepts.
Read Now → https://www.bbfounders.co/egf
Verizon Digital Ready $10K Grant — $10,000/month | Rolling through December 2026
U.S. (plus Puerto Rico and USVI) small business owners 18+ unlock eligibility by completing two free courses on Verizon Digital Ready. Ten businesses selected monthly, so multiple shots on goal before year-end — all applicants get a final decision by January 12, 2027.
Read Now → https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding
Kickstarter x Google Next Wave Fund — $10,000 pledge + Google training | Rolling, up to 1 year
For entrepreneurs with fewer than 20 employees building a tech or digital-gaming project. Selected founders get a $10K pledge toward their live Kickstarter campaign, hands-on guidance from Kickstarter's team, and free Grow with Google training. Must launch the campaign within 6 months of selection.
Read Now → https://start.kickstarter.com/next-wave-fund
Upcoming Creator Events
(September–December 2026)
Global Influencer Marketing Awards (GIMA) — Sept 3, EMEA — https://gima.awards
IMCX 2026 — Sept 22–24, Los Angeles (free Creator Pass for the first 100 creators) — https://influencermarketingexpo.com
VidSummit — Sept 29–Oct 1, Dallas — https://vidsummit.com
CreatorIQ Connect — Oct 13, Los Angeles — https://events.creatoriq.com
PI LIVE Europe (Festival of Partnerships) — Oct 19–21, London — https://performancein.live/europe
Creator Marketing Summit NYC (#paid) — Oct 29, New York — https://letspaid.com
TwitchCon San Diego — Nov 13–15, San Diego — https://twitchcon.com/san-diego-2026
DMWF Europe Amsterdam — Nov 24–25, Amsterdam — https://digitalmarketingworldforum.com
Affiliate World Asia — Dec 9–10, Bangkok — https://affiliateworldconferences.com/asia
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