Help Shape the Future of NielFlamm.com

I'm extending my open reader survey and would love your feedback!

If you've visited NielFlamm.com, watched a video, or read a blog post, I'd appreciate hearing what keeps you coming back—and what you'd like to see more of.

The survey is anonymous, takes less than 1 minute to complete, and your feedback will help shape future content.

Take the survey here:

https://forms.office.com/r/WPQAzYLsgs

Thank you for taking a minute to share your thoughts!

We Won the Lottery! (Sort Of...) 😂💸

Guess who didn't win the Mega Millions?

Me.

You.

And apparently everyone else.

The jackpot has now climbed to $707 million for Monday's drawing. Meanwhile, Powerball is $526 million tonight.

That puts a staggering $1.23 billion on the table. That's enough money to make a calculator ask for a coffee break.

I didn't win personally, but I did organize a lottery pool with 11 of my Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity brothers.

And...

We won $70!

After dividing it up, everyone would receive a whopping $6.36.

If the payout is less than $1 per person, that’s the “Niel Tax”; it barely counts. In this case, I declared the investment... less than inspiring.

Rather than pocketing our $6.36 each, the majority of the pool voted to let it ride. We rolled the winnings into 35 more Powerball tickets for tonight's drawing.

Clearly, we've chosen optimism over financial responsibility.

So naturally, I started brainstorming what we could have done with our newfound fortune.

Option 1: Relive Our College Days

Buy 28 bottles of Country Club Malt Liquor (about $2.50 each back in Harlem).

That's roughly 2½ bottles per brother.

I don't drink anymore so that someone can have my share. The other ten can spend the next morning comparing ibuprofen brands, arguing over whose knees hurt the most, and wondering why they thought drinking malt liquor in their 50s was a good idea. The hangover would probably last longer than our college careers. 🍻😂

Option 2: Invest in the Future

Head to Costco and buy three giant packs of Kirkland 2-Ply, 30-roll, 380-sheet toilet paper.

With all the news about a diarrheal parasite affecting more than 30 states, this may actually be the smartest investment on the list. Future us might look back and call this the greatest financial decision we ever made.

Option 3: Think of the Kids

Put the money toward our annual Winter Holiday Celebration, Christmanukwanza Party.

More cookies for the kids.

And let's be honest...

...a lot more cookies for the adults, too.

Instead, we bought 35 more chances to become instant billionaires.

Sure, we didn't become billionaires this week.

But for a few minutes, we got to dream about it together—and that's part of the fun.

Now excuse me while I check my tickets one more time... just in case I accidentally overlooked a billion dollars.

🎬 Remembering Sam Neill

Earlier this week, I learned that one of my favorite actors, Sam Neill, passed away on July 13 in Sydney from pneumonia at the age of 78. After a courageous battle with lymphoma, it's comforting to know he had recently been declared cancer-free before his sudden passing.

He had an incredible career and was one of those actors who seemed to make every role better. Whether he was outrunning dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, being evil in The Omen, or delivering memorable performances in The Hunt for Red October, Bicentennial Man, and Wimbledon, he always brought intelligence and quiet charisma to the screen.

For me, though, Sam Neill was at his absolute best in horror. Event Horizon (even if I still think the ending could have been stronger), In the Mouth of Madness, and Possession remain some of my favorite performances of his. He had a way of portraying characters who slowly unraveled that few actors could match.

Thank you for decades of unforgettable performances. Rest in peace, Sam Neill.

Day 34: The Company You Keep Shapes the Company You Build

Today marks Day 34 since I requested a copy of a Nextdoor study and have not received a response. Tomorrow will likely be Day 35. I also never received a read receipt from any recipient of my most recent request.

Earlier today, I came across a Facebook Reel from entrepreneur Codie A. Sanchez. One message stood out:

"If you hang around people who have never built anything, you won't build anything."

Another lesson she shared from one of her mentors was that negative mindsets can be contagious and that the people you surround yourself with matter.

That resonated with me.

I'm working to build something from scratch. I'm partnering with Aisha Wells and Alicia Tanksley on A Godd3ss3s Cr3ation, and throughout my career, I've learned a simple lesson:

"I am who I'm with."

That brings me back to Nextdoor.

If you're an employee, advertiser, user, or shareholder, ask yourself what kind of culture you want to be associated with.

A platform that doesn't allow comments on its LinkedIn posts.

A CEO who has blocked a shareholder and former user on LinkedIn.

A straightforward request for a published study that goes unanswered for more than a month by multiple departments.

This isn't about proving I'm right. It's about whether feedback deserves acknowledgment and whether communication is part of a company's culture.

For advertisers, does the company's approach to communication reflect the brands you want to align with?

For users, is this the level of responsiveness you'd expect when you need help?

For shareholders, is acknowledging investor feedback part of good corporate governance?

Culture isn't defined by slogans. It's defined by the actions people experience every day.

What do you think?

Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.

Day 33: Silence, Culture, and the Identity of Nextdoor

Today marks Day 33 since I requested a copy of a Nextdoor study from Senior Manager Jacob Chavis, as directed in a company communication. I still haven't received the study or a response.

While scrolling LinkedIn today, I came across a post discussing company culture, particularly how culture is reflected in hiring and leadership. It made me think about my own experience. If this is how a straightforward request is handled, it raises questions for me about the culture that supports that experience.

I also noticed a post on Nextdoor where someone asked what was happening in their subdivision, only to be told the information was on Facebook instead.

Then I opened Citizen. Within seconds, I saw real-time information about power outages within about a mile of my location. No wall of text. No advertisement every few posts. No constant stream of email notifications filling my inbox.

That got me thinking about identity.

What problem is Nextdoor trying to solve in 2026?

Is it the best place for timely neighborhood information, or have users found faster, less intrusive alternatives? If important neighborhood updates are happening elsewhere and competing platforms provide real-time information with fewer interruptions, that's a question worth asking.

As both a shareholder and a user, I believe these are important conversations. Products evolve, user expectations change, and listening to feedback has always been one of the best ways to stay relevant.

What do you think the future of neighborhood platforms looks like?